On the DL

I've been struck down by mono, throwing my winter training plan into disarray and threatening my ability to swim or bike for months. Recovery will take awhile, and I'm really bummed. But in the meantime, here's some of what I'm reading to stay motivated. Enjoy!

Kathleen
Frayed Laces
Maggs in Hawaii
Triathlete in Oregon

Off the Wagon

In seven months, I'm scheduled to walk a half marathon. In six months, my first sprint triathlon. I'm toying with the idea of a Feb. 1 5k race. And I haven't walked so much as a mile in the past two weeks. I haven't done sit ups or lifted any weights, and my hopes for pool time in 2009 are nonexistent. And I feel MISERABLE. Achy and cranky and like no part of my body works quite right.

It's cold and wet and snowing, but the motivation to workout today has to come from somewhere, because if I don't get out and move around a little I am going to explode.

So I'm gearing myself up to put on my hiking boots (with murmured thanks to the girls who convinced me to make room for them in my suitcase); get out my wool socks, and grab my camera. Because if I'm going out in this mess, I should document the misery.

2009 half marathon training, coming soon to a blog near you

I've registered. I'm confirmed. I've forked over way too much money. I am now walking a half marathon between Napa and Sonoma on July 19, 2009. In addition, I plan to compete in two sprint triathlons and possibly another half marathon next year.

As I've spent more time sitting than moving the past two weeks, I'm a little scared. But I have plenty of time before the intense training really begins. Stay tuned....

Winter: Slowly sapping ever fiber of my being

It's cold in New York. And the suburbs aren't the safest place for bike riding. It's gray and kind of miserable today, at least from my perspective of sunny and 60s in a city with bike lanes and year-round outdoor exercise possibilities.

I'm trying really hard to keep a routine, but I've failed miserably at it the past several days. Today, however, I HAVE to be back in the game, because I'm getting cranky. So I'll put on three layers, and my gloves, and my ear warmers, and I'll get on my bike. And after I warm up, I know it will be fabulous.

My nemesis was a big scary hill

The most direct route from my house to Golden Gate Park is along heavily-trafficked and hilly Masonic Ave. It's a gentle hill three blocks up, and ugly intersection and then a steep downhill to the Panhandle. The car traffic is so bad during the week that I usually go far out of my way to ride on a street with a bike lane. But I really enjoy the bike path and scenery of the Panhandle.

Today I took my usual route to the Park, rode for a while, and then headed home. I'd decided to ride through the Panhandle and then backtrack to the Arguello bike lane. But then I was waylaid by some idiot in a car who crashed through the barricades that closed off JFK drive to cars today. Two other cyclists stopped traffic and returned the barricades to their upright position while I called 311 to report the incident to the city. Once assured that cars were no longer going to get into the Park, and that a ranger was on the way to repair the broken barricades, I'd run out of time to backtrack, and I had to ride home up Masonic.

Going to the Park is all downhill, but a few blocks of the ride home are really steep. I always have to get off my bike and walk it up the steepest part. Today I didn't really want to get off, so I put my four-and-a-half gear mountain bike into its lowest gear and I made my way slowly up the hill.

ALL the way up the hill. I was so excited. I was also pretty pleased to watch the people watching in awe as I rode the last two blocks to the top. Or maybe they were just staring at the crazy girl riding up the sidewalk. But they wouldn't understand unless they'd ever tried to ride on the street there. It's very dangerous.

I arrived home feeling pretty good about myself. But I don't know that I want to tackle that hill again any time soon. I really prefer the bike lane.

Bike, Swim, Sleep

I've noticed that my bike and swim workout days are by far the best days of the week. I've done some nice 7-8 mile rides (about two thirds of the Mermaid triathlon distance) followed by quarter mile swims (the exact Mermaid distance). And I finish feeling fantastic.

Those days are by far my favorite, and they only happen once or twice a week. I get through the rest of the day able to focus, not feeling cranky or frustrated, and I sleep really well at night. Now that the sun rises earlier, I'm hoping to work in a morning ride or two, followed by an evening swim.

I'm off for a ride right now - hopefully the rainstorm holds out long enough for me to finish, because I don't have the gear to ride in the rain just yet. And I'm still kind of damp from yesterday.

My fear of 16 miles, and wishing I could train fulltime

Maybe it's just job dissatisfaction. Or maybe I'm just trying to find a way to combat a very stressful few months. Or maybe I'm just obsessed. But in any case, I find myself wishing I could train full time. This is ridiculous, as I have no professional aspirations or talents, but I wish I could plan my day around swim workouts, bike rides, and training walks, and not have to worry about spending so many hours each day slowly killing brain cells and muscle mass at my desk.

To combat the work-induced lethargy, I already walk on my lunch hour twice a week. I try to also walk home those two days, getting in roughly six miles over the course of the day. I'm hoping to do one morning bike ride each week once the sun starts rising before 7 am again (next week, I hope!), and I'm working on keeping to my swim schedule. This, and some sturdy rain gear, should keep me going through the winter. Even if I have to spend the winter in New York.

But before I have to make any travel decisions, there's an event coming up that I'm considering riding. It's a 16 or so mile loop on a wine tasting bike ride. Last year, in the SAG wagon, I had a blast. This year, I think I could handle a 10 mile loop easily. But 16 miles? I'm a little scared of that. But Healdsburg would be beautiful, and the ride with friends would be so much fun. So I'm pondering as I nurse an aching plantar fascia and have cut out most walking this week. The hiking alternative that weekend would also be fun, but my foot really hurts, and I'm wondering if this is the impetus I need to increase the time I spend on my bike over the next few weeks.

So I'm stretching. And icing. And pondering.