a long run to clear the mind

My Favorite post-run food: A banana, peanut butter, hemp protein powder, and some kind of nut milk smoothie. I'd like to figure out exactly how much peanut butter and hemp protein to add to make it the ideal carb/protein/fat combo (you know, that's best for recovery). I'll add that to my list of things I want to do. :) The list has gotten quite long. Or, it will, once I can cross writing the list off my list.....

Matt and I went for a run. And while we decided that sprints or tempo runs are really what I/we need to be working on, spiritually/emotionally/psychically/mentally I (we?) needed a long run. Long runs are satisfying and fulfilling in a way that I was needing.

It was AWESOME. For two main reasons:

1) It was a beautiful route. See here. I tried to save it zoomed out, but I don't think that was working, so you have to zoom out. See how we went down to the Montrose hook and out on the pier!! Beautiful. The lake was like blue rippling satin in that blue-ish gray color I find so perfect.

2) I had a new idea for the book I want to write AND insight into the process of writing such a book. Of course, I have many ideas, so we'll see where this one goes. But I've been looking for a way of combining my interests and skills and this may do just that. This is exciting!

I've been reading more from The Triathlete's Training Bible. I loVE this book! It's a lot to take in when you're new to scientific training philosophy, but I love it. I related as best I could the training intensities as described in the book and basic periodization. This is the idea that while you're in your prep and base phase you have a greater volume of training than when you're in your build and peak phase when you have a higher intensity workouts but less volume. The biggest challenge Matt and I face is that we have two very different Lactic Acid Thresholds and it'll be a challenge to figure out how we can train together at our LTs. But I'm sure we'll come up with some workable solution!

I'm almost done with Chapter 4 - Intensity. Chapter 5 is about Assessing fitness, so this'll be fun and hopefully not too painful! Chapters 6 & 7 are Building Fitness and Planning the Training Year. I love this Triathlon sport! It's totally my thing! They teach you to plan a year in advance!!! How cool?!?? I love planning!

So, about our run. It was 8.2 miles plus 45 minute cool down walk. It was hot though not as hot as it'll get. Probably in the 80s? I don't know, I have no sense of heat right now. It was less than a Bikram yoga class. But it was hot enough that I ended up taking of my COTTON tank top and wringing it out. GROSS?! or COOL?!? Well, I had said something about needing sweat wicking/quick drying fabric and cotton being to HOT. Matt, as is his usual, wasn't even sweating, so he didn't understand, until, of course, I took it off and wrung out all the extra sweat. Then he understood. :)

There were lots of people out; grilling, hanging out, working out, fishing...lots of people fishing. The lakefront down by Montrose was littered with fire cracker/fire work remains and empty vessels of alcohol. It was pretty disgusting. The sky was clear and the sun was out until it set. The horizon was kind of hazy...

Training Update

Okay, so, well, I haven't been posting. And I'm starting to take some jibes about it.

I've been running 3 times a week, biking to work at least half the time, swimming about twice a week...going to bikram once a week, plus one other yoga class. West African Dance again started last week. And...I think I'm forgetting something. I also started a creative writing class AND I've been working a ton AND I've had some other stuff going on so I just haven't had the time I had before to write about running and such.

So...it's roughly one month to our second triathlon.

BIKE. My legs are definitely getting stronger on the bike. I have glimpses of what it feels like to be "one with the bike." I'm not there by any means, but I have glimpses that I can connect with this bike in a way I never did in 9 years of riding a mountain bike. It responds to me in a way that I didn't know was possible. (And I don't even have cleats yet for my clips). It's a beautiful thing. I will have to write about that sometime. Sword of no sword idea, if you know what I mean.

SWIM. Eric and I have been swimming in the lake on Friday afternoons (so far, it hasn't rained--that will be a test!) in our wetsuits. Last Friday it was super cold. Did I say cold? Yes, I mean cold. I don't know the temp, but for the first 100 yards, I had the feeling that I just couldn't bear to put my face in the water. And so I didn't. I swam backstroke at first so I wouldn't have to. But, well, you get acclimated. And the crazy part of me thrives on doing what I think is a little beyond acceptable. When we got out...Eric's feet and hands (he has sleeves, I don't) were purple. He's more dainty when it comes to the cold than I am, I wasn't all that purple.

Last Friday the lake was pretty choppy. As it was the week before that. So we swam at Ohio Street Beach. The Yellow Flag was out, which means something about E. coli. (Green being safe, Red being very dangerous and the beach is closed). But with the choppy conditions I swallowed a lot of water and so I wondered if I may come down with E. coli. So far though, I feel good. :) The first leg of the swim was easy. We were with the current. But the second leg--jeesh! "Do you feel like salmon," Eric shouted to me at one point. It took a bit for my numbed mind to understand he was talking about swimming up stream, swimming up waves and crashing down from the crest... It was wild. I felt little crazy being out there. Especially after an older experienced-looking swimmer got in, started swimming, and then got out. But, there was also the swimmer with the waterproof ipod...

RUN. Running is good. We did the Proud to Run 10K. If I have a large block of time maybe I'll write about that. Oh, and I have to finish my Tri post. Ug--so much to do. Running is awesome actually. I (usually) always start slow. But no matter how crappy I feel at the beginning, at the end of 6 (or whatever miles) I always feel good. I never feel sore. Unless we run sprints or something. I don't have any pain. One day I was feeling my IT Band, but that was just one day. I love massage! Massage, proper recovery, sleep, food, listening to your body, stretching, etc. It all works.

West African Dance. You know I love it. There's no doubt. And after one class I could tell I had seriously gotten OUT of WAD shape. Man, I was feeling it everywhere in my torso! Which is awesome. I feel more stable in my ankles while running, which I believe is attributable to WAD.

And that's all I have time for. If you want more posts, ya'll should comment or something...