UNCLE!!!

Yesterday was my second appointment at the new Chiropractor (Dr. Liz) and her Sports Message Therapist (Christine). The message was great, but man do I have a lot of built up muscle tension. I like to think I can handle a little bit of discomfort, but she let me have it! Let me share a tip, when the masseuse tells you she's going to put her elbow into your mid back and use some pressure…..it’s gonna hurt.UNCLE! You’d think I was in a Lamaze class!?! All I could do was focus on my breathing to get through it…. focus on something Deb.…breath & focus….(it did kindof bring back some sweet memories though. I know…..that sounds a little twisted if you’re not a mom) ;) The adjustment was great & I hobbled to work feeling strangely better.

Did my usual deal this morning. Spin class for 1 hour, avg. HR 138. Ran 3.2 miles, 9 min pace, avg. HR 145. Core and stretched. Almost cookie cutter of Tues but less time. I’m thinking the lifting on Mon. is what’s making my legs so tired for Tues. spin? (I know what you’re thinking…hmmmm... she’s not the sharpest tool!). I’ll cut that since running and spinning are probably enough on my legs. Any thoughts on that???

I say “UNCLE!” to quite a few things. “UNCLE!” with my kids, “UNCLE!” when work gets crazy, “UNCLE!” when the world just doesn’t want to cooperate with what I had planned. Gotta let go of that. How can I change that “UNCLE!” mentality and join this big party I get invited to everyday? Breath and focus...yeah........

Live Passionately!

Solid......

Quick run down:
1 hour spin (avg HR 130)
3 mile run/ 28 min/9.3 mph(avg HR 145)
45 min core work
15 min stretching

My legs were really tired on the bike today, not sure why. Tough to keep my heart rate up as well. 147 is 70% of my max HR, but it just didn't seem to stay there?? Got on the treadmill and my whole little world changed.... weird, but my legs felt fresh, solid. It was an immediate high & felt incredibly good. Ran 3 miles and could easily have gone longer, but wanted to work hard on core and stretching. I was lucky to have a little extra time before work so thought I'd take advantage of it.



For me there is nothing like that feeling....solid. It's not just physical, but all the things that reside deep in my core....do you understand why I need to work it?
Tune the iPod to something mellow and finished up with stretching. It was the near perfect workout. Time to do it all and felt great when I was finished. Solid.

Live Passionately!

Just The Essentials

The weekend was heaven. My sister in law and her husband own a condo in Carlsbad (land of the triathlete!) which I am lucky to have my very own key. They bought it about 13 years ago and gave me the key with a "It's yours to use anytime" attached. I am so blessed by them. They say "all this stuff we have is just that....stuff.

They get it.

Saturday night I walk to the beach and stumble across a cool wine/cheese shop. Pick up a bottle of cab/cheese/fruit and walk back. I head to the Jacuzzi until I get company. No company tonight, thank you. Time to make my way in and light up the fireplace. It's a beautiful thing. Cool breeze blowing and time with just me, (along with Mr. Coppola... + a little cheese & fruit) and my thoughts. The best thoughts. Just the essentials...

This is the time of year I like to reflect on where I am. Where I'd like to go and how in the heck I think I'm gettin there. You know... the essentials. Nothing to beat myself up about or get too deep into thought. Just toss it around a little. What exactly are my goals? Faith, family, fitness & work. I find myself much happier when I've slowed down...simpified this life of mine. I'm not sure if that means I'm getting old.... or just learning how to live? ;) I know what I do and don't like, and find myself appreciating those with different interests and views much more than I ever have. I guess I like to 'mix it up'....."LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!" (for all you boxing fans) The qualities that I now find essential, cultivate contentment & clarity. I see a much clearer picture of exactly what it is I'm striving for, and more importantly the joy in getting there. I have all I need…..the essentials.

Live passionately!

What the &#%* !

Yesterday was one of the toughest days I've had at work in a very long time. Every challenge that could present itself did. It was beyond long, with over 2 hours of bumper to bumper freeway time to get home. Walked in the door and collapsed.

This morning I'm raring to go. On my way to the gym & spin class. I'm bettin those of you reading my blog are thinkin "What the &#%*?? Doesn't this woman do anything but spin?" Well, I do. Lift on Mon. & Fri, spin on Tues., Thurs. Run or ride outside on Sat/Sun.(just some clarification if you're curious)... O.K. I get to class, my HR is right where I want it and I peddle away. Ran on the treadmill for 2 miles, stretched and core. Same o', but I like it & it works for me. At least I'm consistant!

I get ready for work, feeling pretty 'snappy' and head out the door. I see the guy with the leaf blower. Da da...Da da Da da... (Jaws music). Young guy, wearing an iPod. His back was turned to me and I was a good 5 feet away, but as I went by, he did a 180 and blew the biggest pile of Jacaranda flowers directly at me! What the &#%*?? Jacaranda trees are beautiful but a little messy...drop tons of flowers. I was wearing all black, and I was covered!! After such a long day yesterday and such a good morning today, all I could do was laugh. It was pretty funny...the stuff you'd see in a movie. This poor guy was shaking and all he could get out was "I sorry lady". No matter how much I tried to tell him it was O.K., he was petrified. I walked back into the gym to the roar of these gals laughing. Glad I could make everyone's day! Picked the flowers out of my hair, brushed off, waived once more to that poor fella and drove to work.

Made me think how many times I'm going there... to the What the &#%*?? place. My attitude is in constant need of adjustment and the older I get, the happier I am to do it. It makes life so much easier. I haven't always been this way. Maybe it's maturity...a sense of humor about myself...or just plain life that makes me realize letting that attitude go, will make things a whole lot sweeter. I think there's a little bit of this in all of us. I'm thinkin...how come it took so long to get to this place? What the &#%*??

That's o.k., as long as I'm here!

Live passionately!

I Can't Take It!

This awesome recovery time... that is!





Waking up felt pretty darn good this morning (considering my previous night's sleep) I felt rested and renewed. O.K., rested. ;) Got that cup of coffee in my hand and I'm off to spin. I know this has got to drive most of you nuts, me working out at the gym. Most triathlete's are adamant about training outside. The few dilemma’s I have are time, (I know I will get my workouts in if they happen in the AM), my schedule can be unpredictable and I am just wiped after a work day (if you'd like to read more excuses....I'll need much more space) So it'll be weekday mornings at the gym, and outside on the weekends for me. I joined a running club a month ago that meets 2 nights a week, but haven't been able to make that happen yet...argggggggggggg.

Wore my heart rate monitor to spin. 1 hour class, avg HR 147 (70% of my max) for 53 min. Not too many places where I had completely slow down. I can feel the aerobic bennies. Jumped on the treadmill for 1 mile (10 min), keeping my HR pretty steady at about 147. Finished there and did a nice long stretching session followed by a load of core work. What a great workout! Felt strong and fresh. Not at all tired or sore. Work hard, and start to feel like I'm reaping the rewards. If it weren't for that darn patience thing that gets in the way! ;)

Now, if I could only work this into the equation...
I'm gettin there.

We all have a different (and hopefully healthy) way of feeding our passions. Whether it's a new tri bike (is yours just a little old?), or maybe a new race in a cool place you've never been. I say buy the bike....enter the race. This game of life is way to short to sit it out.

Live passionately!

I've hit the jackpot!

Came home, walked out to the mailbox and.....kaa-chiiiiing! 3 brand new magazines smiling back at me from that sad little box! Budget Travel, Food and Wine & Her Sports & Fitness. What a great combo!! They pretty much sum up the things I love to do most. I gots lots of readin to do! ;)

Slept horribly last night. I think I do a fair amount to keep fit, but that ride yesterday hurt. It wasn't so much that any one part of me was in pain, but my whole body. It just ached. Every time I turned in my sleep, it was like lifting dead weight. Woke up feeling o.k. Not sore really, just incredibly tight. Went to the gym, lifted a little (very little) and spent most of my time stretching. Got Brenda to help me out and by the time I hopped into the shower, the tension was just about gone. I wasn't trying to be the tough girl on that ride, just hang with someone that is obviously in much better shape. Well, I'm keeping it up. That's the only way I'll become that girl....the one that's in good enough shape for a 50+ mile bike ride. I've decided to run after every ride for a little brick training. Even if it’s for a mile....I'm thinking it's got to help build endurance and add some juice, huh? Hope all you men had a wonderful Fathers Day...look around you. Have you hit your jackpot?

Live passionately!

Surprise...Surprise...

First off, Happy Father's Day to all you dad's out there! What a job, huh?? This year seems to be a little tougher for my boys, more so than previous years. They lost their dad 5 years after a long challenge with diabetes. They've never brought it up on Father's Day, but this year they have both mentioned it. Going through your teen years with out your dad has got to be hard. As much as I try to be there for them... it's just not the same. They're great kids though and think they'll be wonderful fathers someday. THAT'S the gift!


Thursday @ the gym Sigal (a trainer) asks me if I'd like to ride with her on Sunday. Nothing big she says.... "I just need to get out on the bike". PERFECT, I'm thinking! This woman was an Olympic gymnast and in good shape, but I could swear her voice was giving me the 'let's just have fun', kind of ride. We meet @ 8:30 and head down the path. Irvine is a very bike friendly city with some great bike paths. This one is leads straight to the beach. The weather is cloudy & cool. Great, it was hotter than hell yesterday. Everything feels good. I'm focusing on pulling up & peddling smoothly. You're probably thinking "isn't that cute", but remember I'm not as seasoned as all of you so I get hung up on trying to get the little things right. I'm thinking we'll get to Huntington Beach, stop for a cup of joe and turn around. Sigal decides she's full of piss and vinegar "It's so nice and cool, let's keep going to Seal Beach, then turn around". O.K., I'm feeling fine (NOT like I would have told her otherwise!)The wind along Pacific Coast Hwy made it a little difficult, and my legs were getting tired. We turn around and head back to Huntington. We stopped @ Starbucks and I get a Redeye (coffee w/ a shot) thinking the caffeine might befriend me. We head back and by this time the slightest incline was tearing into me. WHAAAAAAA! "I'm fine....no problem…this is great" I'm telling her. We ride through some neighborhoods in Newport Beach and wonder what the ^#$@ do these people do for a living??? It's crazy.... We're finally back in beautiful Irvine but my quads are on fire. We both talk about what a fun ride it was and that we should hook up on Sundays when can. Hmmmmmmm. Sounds good, but I'm thinking ...maybe I should get as much time on this bike as I can!!!!!

Stopped at Subway, got a sandwich & diet coke. When I stopped it was worse. For the love of God...is this supposed to happen??!! I'm sitting there minding my own business & eating when I hear my name. Please no... to hell with how I might look.... I'm in too much pain to engage in a conversation. It’s my riding buds,"the boys". I tell them about my ride. After they pick themselves up off the ground & stop laughing, they tell me about their ride. For crying out loud...I'm having a tough time listening! I jump up and make my exit. I make it home and end with the following stats:
52 miles
4 hours (exactly!)
13 mph avg pace
(Hey, at least I admit it!)

Protein shake, shower, a cup of tea and maybe a nap. At the end of it all, I DID have a great time, YES... I would like to hook up more often to ride with her, and I'm a healthy woman. That's what I call a good day.

;)

Down For The Count

Got to the 5:30 spin class this morning and all the girls were there. Are they gabbing???, yes (that's what 'we' do). I decide maybe I should chime in. They're talking about baseball and I blurt out "I love boxing"! OOOOPS.... They look at me like I'm from another planet. I'm not completely into stats or each boxer’s history, but I think it can be beautiful, like watching a dance. The room is suddenly quiet and we start to peddle. Is that all it took????
Got the battery replaced on the HR monitor and decided to wear it for most of my workouts. 65 minutes on the bike then 2 mile run (22 min). Felt great!

Yesterday I had my first appointment with my new chiropractor and got a deep tissue message from her sports message therapist! It felt great and yes, I was more than a little sore today...well worth it. So exciting to find someone you like. Hope this continues to be a great thing.

With each workout I continue to feel stronger and more aerobically fit. That's what I'm looking for!

;)

Spinning Out of Control

Got to the gym right before the spin class started. Drives me nuts to be late... This morning was a tough one, but I like it. If I'm going to be there, I want to work hard and make it count. Besides the spin instructor and 2 women in the class trashing their ex-husbands, it was all good. What is up with that?? I politely asked "Do you think it's time to start peddling?". LET'S GO! Class went an hour and 10, but the time flew. Got off the bike, then on the treadmill for just under 2 miles. I was a little sore from yesterday's lifting and figured enough is enough.

Weighed in @ WW during lunch...lost 4 ounces!? I swear.... I am SUPER careful about my diet and can't figure this out. As long as the scale doesn't go up, huh?

Tomorrow is a day off... I meet in the morning with my women's small group bible study. I look forward to that time. Spinning out of control??? Not here.

;)

Not Guilty....

Missed my usual morning workout...had to 'represent' my company at court. That's court in L.A. That's downtown L.A. I hate L.A. There.... I've said it. I was born and raised in beautiful So Cal, Orange County to be exact. In between L.A. and San Diego. Suburbia in comparison. I believe I came in contact with just about every up-standing citizen within 3 miles of the courthouse and I think most of them should have been spitting out 'guilty'. Had to leave home at 6AM to make sure I was there in plenty of time to stand in line @ 8! 'Us' versus 'Customer'...'Customer' and his attorney are no shows... City Attorney asks judge to re-schedule and I'm out of there @ noon! Got back to 'The O.C.' by 1:30 and decided the work day was a waste, so ran errands.

Pulled up to the gym about 4 and got to work. I log all my workouts. It keeps me on task and progress seems more attainable. At the risk of boring everyone, here's what I did:

Dumbbell Flys 12.5lb x 12, 12.5 x 10, 15 x 8, 15 x 6
Wide Grip Pulldown 40lb x 12, 50 x 10, 60 x 8, 60 x 6
One Arm Dumbbell Row 15lb x 12, 17.5 x 10, 20 x 8, 25 x 6
Dumbbell Curls 10lb x 12, 10 x 10, 12.5x 8, 12.5x 6
(standing on pillows)
Tricep Kickbacks 5lb x 12, 7.5 x 10, 7.5x 8, 10 x 6
(Standing on pillows)
Prone Leg Curl 50lb x 12, 55 x 10, 60 x 8, 65 x 6
Leg Press 65lb x 12, 65 x 10, 65 x 8, 65 x 6
(single leg)
(Ran on treadmill in between each set... 2 min @ 6.5 mph)
Misc Pilates ab work 3 sets of 12 (3 different exercises)
Reverse crunches 12 sets of 12
GREAT STRETCH TIME!

This was the best workout I've had in a long time. Felt really strong, really focused. The support it lends to my running and riding is amazing. Strong and focused...2 of my favorite things.

;)

Renewed..

I love Sundays. Such an 'up in the air' kind of day. It's a day to worship our maker. The day to sleep in (or not). Grocery shop for the week. Work on your 'honey do' lists. Pack up the gym bag for a Monday morning. Lounge in bed and read a great book.... or just do a lot of nothin. I normally have a very hard time with the last one. Can't sit still. I've been working on that. Relaxing more. Being o.k. with a nice slow day and focus on enjoying some down time. Read this quote on another blog and it struck me as beautiful & true (for me, anyway):

Inside myself is a place where I live all alone and that's where you renew your springs that never dry up.
Pearl Buck
US novelist in China (1892 - 1973)

I have read Pearl Buck's work. This quote reflects so much strength and courage. It's a beautiful thing when we realize our springs are never dry. We can always renew ourselves. We empower ourselves to begin again...stronger. For that run or ride...that thing we think we cannot do. Renew our lives & relationships; redirect our time and energy to a place of balance.

This week, I hope you find yourself renewed, & live successfully in all you do.

;)

What was I thinkin??!

I met 'my boys' at 6AM to head out for our ride. I'm terrible about knowing the route I'll ride (not smart) or the distance (really not smart). I just do my best to get out there. There were about 30 people on this ride (what am I thinkin?) and I'm very sure 99% of them ride A LOT. I'm scanning the group for that 1% that might keep me company, when I hear my buddies call. I don't want to hold anybody up so I tell them to do their thing and I'll do mine. They insist on hanging with me, and kid each other about needing some 'recovery' time. We ride about 13 miles, we say our goodbyes and I head back. 25 miles total today. Felt fine so I laced up and ran 3. The weather was cool and legs felt strong. Could have run longer, but forgot my Nano and was going nuts.

Got home and met 2 girlfriends for lunch and shopping. I have to apologize for my whining about a missed workout on my last post. I think that's the old 'caregiver' in me...when you take care of everyone else, you scramble & hold on to taking care of you. My workouts will be available to me, but the people I care about may not. Something to remember..... We had a great day. A little lunch, a few bargains, a lot of laughs.

Fun when I get it all in one day. I'm a lucky girl.

;)

Taking Inventory....

The alarm sounds @ 4:45 and I'm off and running again. Gym 'stuff' and work clothes loaded in the car the night before. As my friend (KRUPS) is brewing up a cup, I'm slipping on my shoes and out the door. This really is my favorite time of the day. All's quiet, peaceful...not a car on the road. 15 minutes later I'm at the gym and getting ready to get on the bike. Brenda (personal trainer) comes in and tells me to skip my workout and join her for a walk to Denny's for breakfast. I'm really looking forward to riding...hard. Works been pretty stressful lately and 'sweating it out' is my favorite way to maintain some level of sanity. But I agree and we go to eat & gab for an hour. As she jokingly tells me I didn't 'need' to workout today, I'm feelin robbed. Why didn't I just pass? Makes me think....I need to take inventory. It's just one workout, but frankly, sometimes I don't like the choices I make...especially when it's skipping a workout.

When I take inventory, training is right there on the top of the list. I am compelled to make each workout better than the last. It's such an obsessive nature of mine. Does anyone get that?? Obsessed, not possessed. I thrive on it. When I don't think and pass up the chance to get that workout in, I am robbing myself. Something is missing....something BIG. Our time is so precious. What things will wait and what things need to move or remain at the top of our lists? Taking inventory. Different priorities...different choices. Yep, I'll stick with the workouts.

;)

Keep It Movin....Nothing To See Here.

I'm on the spin bike @ 5:30AM this morning and the class gets going. I'm really liking this mix, into what was becoming mundane workouts. I'm gruntin and drippin wet when I can just feel someone watching me. I look out the gym windows to see two of my riding buddies straddling their bikes, a cup of Starbucks in hand & roaring. For crying out loud.... Can't a girl go to a spin class?? They're motioning for me to come outside... I feel like a girl in school and soon these friends of mine are going to get me busted! These guys thrive on giving me a hard time (I really don't mind it... but don't tell them!) I politely turn my attention back to the class and leave them (mentally) in the dust. Later I get e-mails from both of them.... "I'm sorry"...They think I'm ticked (I'll let them steep in that a while ;)...)thought that was pretty funny in itself! They're having a BBQ tonight..."please come". Sounded fun but I passed. Really long day and feel like crawling into my little shell. They understand...they'll fire up the coals again another day.
Great class. My goal here is to gain aerobic fitness and lean out in the process. Pretty simple process, right??? ARRRRRRGGGGGGG! The key here is consistency. consistency.... Sent back a note, said I'd ride with them Sat. morning. As much as I think I like to train alone, it sure is fun to hang with 'the boys' to.

Consistency....consistency..

;)

Making It Happen!

I get to the gym this morning and hop on the treadmill for a quick 1 mile warm up before I lift. Right as I'm about to jump off, I hear screaming....and I mean screaming. Everyone was huddling around Lisa. Lisa is a gal who occasionally hops on the treadmill next to me to run a few. In the last year she's lost 40 pounds and discovered running. I don't see her often since she's usually not one of the 'rooster's', and comes in after she helps the kids and her husband to school & work. She had a running injury a few months back and attributes her new found strength and recovery to Pilates training (Amen Sister!!). I wasn't aware that yesterday she ran the Rock & Roll Marathon in San Diego and get this... she actually qualified for Boston!!!!!!!! I am amazed...not bad for her first marathon, huh?!?! This woman juggles caring for her family (and believe me... her family absolutely comes first), is involved at the kids school and volunteers at a local shelter. I know... there are plenty of women and men out there working and caring for their families with little free time, let alone time to train. The difference with her is she MADE time. Like Mike would say, "MAKE IT HAPPEN" and she certainly did. How inspirational is that?! I am gushing for her. It absolutely made my day.

Congrads to anyone who trained last weekend (and happened to race at the same time!). Congrads to everyone who is out there feeding your passions & making it happen!

What a Deal!

I'm lucky that TYR's corp office is located locally here in Huntington Beach. A nifty 20 minutes from my house. They have a killer factory sale (bi-yearly) and Friday was the day the clouds parted and angels sang! I got 3 pairs of goggles ($4 each), 2 reversable swimsuits ($20 each...regularly $74!), a cool swim backpack ($15, a mesh bag for wet stuff ($2) and a couple of latex swim caps ($1).... I think that'll do it. Busy day at work and later that eve my friend Deb called me for sushi. What a great way to top the day off!

Decided to hit a spin class this morning. This was a different teacher (makes me appreciate the 'wild woman' Libby. Music no issue, but she seemed lost. No real routine down and kind of struggling to make it up as she went. She's been there a while, and teaches this one class a week. I like it when someone makes you work....really pushes you. I know it's up to me to make that happen, but I could use the help, ya know? I just focused on doing my thing and spent most of the class @ 60% of my MHR. Finished there and hopped on the treadmill for 3 miles, 9.6 min pace. Nothing lightening fast, just building endurance. Ran some errands then on a whim caught The Break Up. Funny!!!! I Love Vince Vaughn....he's hysterical as usual.

Tomorrow after church I'm heading out to Glen Ivy Hot Springs with 3 gals from the gym. Lookin forward to a day of lounging, reading, gabbing up a storm & hopefully not too much sun (it reached almost 100 today!).

Hope you're all having a great weekend!

;)

The Power of Focus

Woke up @ 4:30 to make sure I got to spin class early enough to grab a bike and adjust everything before 'the wild woman' started. Yes, the music was LOUD and a little rough starting out, but midway she stopped to thank me for coming and changed the music to some classic rock!? She's been asking me to join them for a while now, so I'm thinking one of the girls told her my 'thing' about the music. I went in telling myself to just suck it up...it's just a spin class for crying out loud! Worked out fine. Once I warmed up... I just focused, and didn't notice much of anything else. Focused on my breathing (HR monitor needs new battery so didn't wear it), pulling up on the peddles, relaxing my shoulders....all the stuff I need to focus on. It felt great. Dripping wet 20 minutes into it. I love that feeling of working really hard. Finished class and hopped on the treadmill for 2 miles. Did a few crunches and called it a day. Funny how I can be such a whine-baby about the little things. Once I focus... it all seems to melt away. Class was great and think I'll make it a Tues./Thurs. routine.

Let go of the small stuff..... focus on the investment...me.

;)