Wow.

I just read my last few posts from 2013...WAAAAAAYYYY back in February.  Before my birthday.  Before my husband of 18 years had an affair with a mom from the kids' school and left me.  While I was just freaked out thinking he was depressed.  Before I found out about the affair.  Before he moved all of his stuff out, filed for divorce, and moved in with her.  Before I went on the river with friends. Before I started dating again, quite by accident initially, a wonderful man.  Before I decided not to do the Mountain Man HIM because I was having trouble being consistent with training.  Before I took my kids on several vacations alone. Before I committed to run the Tucson Marathon and then had to switch to the Half because I hadn't properly built my base.  Before I decided I'm not ready to train for a Full Ironman yet.  Before I realized how truly blessed I am with so much in my life.  You get what I'm saying?  You understand?  It's been a big year.

So, I am in the process of examining my goals for next year, and I intend to make them public again.  Some of my goals from last year got derailed because of circumstances, but sometimes life hands you new goals.  Life says, "Yeah, those goals are great, and all, but how about you work on this, instead.  It might benefit you more in the long run.  When all is said and done, you might be happier than you thought was possible."  Life is funny that way.  I'm actually grateful in most respects for the changes.  I'm a happier person.  I'm a thinner person.  I have no idea what I weighed a year ago, but I now weigh 131.  Running at 131 is easier than it was in the 160s and certainly at 170.  Seriously, how did I carry all of that weight on my tiny frame?  I see myself as a little person now.  I intend to stay that way.  I am happy.

So...what can you expect to see from me?  I'm not sure.  Hopefully more fitness, more consistency, more happy.  But, whatever is supposed to happen will happen, I suppose, so we shall see...

Rough Week Almost Took Wind out of Triathlete's Training Sails...Story at 11

I have decided not to post daily workouts after all, as it is just another responsibility.  I might change my mind again, who knows.  We had a bit of a rough time at our house last weekend, which lead to me having a lot of nervous energy and not sleeping, which lead to some nice, long workouts and getting all of my training for the week done at the beginning.  And losing 6 pounds because I could not force food down my gullet.  Things seem to be getting back to normal, but I'd like to keep that 6 pounds off, thank you.

I took the kids for a hike in Sedona on Monday:

It was nice to get out in the sunshine.  The rest of the week has been uneventful.  Just trying to push the cadence on the bike a little harder, and it's time to start extending my runs.  We are assembling a team for the Ragnar Trail Run in April...more on that soon!  Looking forward to a better week...

Two posts in two days...SHUT UP!

Tuesday:  WU:  25 min; MS: 2 x 15' (4') @ 95-100%/Zone4/Hard; CD (1:00:00)

Wednesday:  WU: .4 mi; MS: 4 x 800 (2-ish') @ 95-100%/Zone4/Hard; CD (3.26 miles; 41:01)

Thursday:  Spin Class/V02 work (1:05:00) AND Hike (2.64 miles; 885 vertical ft elevation gain; 1:07:35)

I've decided that posting workouts makes me more accountable, so I'm going for it.  Picture of my hike yesterday:  

Hualapai Mountain in the background...I'm hiking the mountain next to her

Pretty view

It was nice to get a double in yesterday.  My plan today is to do some core work when I get home in the form of P90X.  Happy Friday...

40 days...

Somehow, my friend, T, wrangled me into a 40-day challenge to coincide with Lent.  I have agreed to physical activity every day for the duration of this challenge.  I have not agreed formally to give anything up, but sugar is my number 1 foe.  I lost the battle this weekend to a little boys' birthday cake that I had shaped and frosted to look like a half-pipe.  My son then tagged it with frosting spray paint.  It was cute, and delicious.  I also had an ass-kicking week of exercise, so I didn't feel too guilty.  Will and I blazed up Bear Mountain before the storm hit on Friday.  It was beautiful...albeit gusty and chilly.

We made it!!!

Gorgeous vistas that only improved with altitude.

Then on Sunday, I x-country skied to Mount Elden Lookout Road, up it a bit, and back home.

Part of the Arizona Trail...That's Tallulah, not a wolf, in the background.

Yay!

Skiing was a little dicey since the snow cover was not that great.  I kept getting hung up on rocks just under the snow and almost died fell a time or two!

So, I did not follow my training plan to the letter last week, but I was SORE!  Today, I joined the Spin Class from Hell and got my VO2 workout in.  My knee was a little tweaky from mashing big gears, though.  I have been sleeping pretty well, with the exception of the night (or two) I inhaled ate chocolate cake.  I think I am starting to see some bodily changes associated with exercise, aside from my legs, of course, which are like rocks again.  I love being in a groove.  Happy Valentines Day!!!

Whole30 on, Whole30 off (and two life lessons)

I decided to take the weekend off from Whole30 strictness, though for the Superbowl, I made several compliant dishes:  Slow Cooker Beef Brisket, Baba ganoush, artichoke/roasted red pepper tapenade, kale chips, portobello mushroom chips, prosciutto chips, salad.  Let me tell you what...that was a great meal!  I had one beer and a bunch of sparkling water.  And one brownie to celebrate Ps birthday.  So, successful all-in-all.  I had a couple of beers the night before with ribs and sweet potato fries at Satchmo's, which I'm sure wasn't exactly compliant, but did represent the paleo spirit, at least (except the beer).  By the way, the ribs at Satchmo's were DElicious!  On Monday, Ps true birthday, I ate 2 or 3 corn chips with dinner (just didn't want them), and had a piece of cake to celebrate.  I have to say, I slept like crap most of those nights.  Which sucked, since I've been sleeping so well in general.  Lesson 1:  Bad food leads to Bad Sleep.

Training took a little bit of a hit last weekend, as well, mostly because of work and cooking/cleaning/partying.  I have done my workouts this week, however.  I got new running shoes (Ghost5s--LOVE), and no shin pain while running...YAY!  Lesson 2:  If my shins even show the slightest sign of pain, it's time for new shoes.

Hoping to get to the pool once or twice this weekend.  It's less busy, which is good.  We do have a little boy birthday party to throw on Saturday, which means more cleaning and cooking.  Sigh.  Good news:  we got wood for the hot tub, so maybe there will be opportunities to soak this weekend!  That always makes me happy.

Whole30 Day 32 (sort of), Outseason Training Day 26

Soooooo, last night I went to book club to discuss Wild by Cheryl Strayed, which I mostly enjoyed reading, and I ate some soup with beans and cheese in it and drank about 4 oz of red wine.  I enjoyed having the flexibility, since the Whole30 is technically over, to do this and not stand out, but there was a bit of guilt afterward.  I'm not dwelling, but I am pretty resolved to continue with the Whole30 way for a while, because I feel great!  I am sleeping better, and I am more alert in the afternoon and evening.  I'm recovering from training quickly.  As long as I eat some squash or sweet potatoes, I have enough juice to crank out my workouts.  If it ain't broke, don't break it.  I have lost 8 pounds this month, and I am very relieved about this, but I have about 20 more to go, or 25, if I'm honest with myself.  If I want to go faster.  Which I do.  It is going to be a long road, filled with birthdays and valentines day and vacation.  It'll be worth it.

Training:  Going well.  I did a spin class yesterday at the gym instead of my planned VO2 workout.  I felt trepidation, remembering past spin classes, but I was also a little worried I wouldn't get the VO2 training in.  NOT TO WORRY!  Not only did the instructor do exactly what I had on my training plan (2 X 5' 30/30), but she did many additional intervals, as well.  She kicked my ass. I think she was nervous about me (my face gets really red), because she kept watching me and winking.  :) I have to get up at the crack of dawn tomorrow to get my training in, and I'm hopeful I can run on Sunday.  I might have to stop at the running store on the way home and get new shoes...shin splints!!!  I've decided to start swimming next week, also, but we'll see if I actually make it to the gym.

I almost forgot...we did the Color Run in Phoenix last weekend...what a blast!  I would recommend it for anyone with kids.  It was fun and health-promoting, and my kids will remember it forever!

Whole30 Day 24, Outseason Training Day 18

Whole30...this shit got real last weekend.  I was craving JUNK FOOD.  Beer, candy, pastries, cheesecake, ice cream.  You name it, I wanted it.  Part of the problem is that my beloved is not watching what he eats on the weekend, and dessert is what's for dinner.  Watching him chow down on crap is really hard.  When I'm at work or even at home, but my fam is behaved, it is easy easier to make healthy choices.  But when someone is eating multitudes of Reeses, it's more, shall we say...challenging?  I feel better after venting.  I do have to admit that one thing I really, really like about this style of eating is that I can eat fat.  I find fat more satisfying than sugar, and it holds me over for longer than carbs would.  For example, lunch today consisted of chicken salad (made with homemade mayo, clean pickles and other pickled vegges, and celery) on a bed of baby kale.  I am stuffed!  And satisfied.  So, I'm still compliant even though I wanted to buy a pint of Ben and Jerry's Phish Food and dip chocolate-covered pretzels in it.  Done venting.  And I love my family and this is not their issue, it's mine.

Over at Dangle the Carrot, Blogger Jeff Irvin asked an interesting question...whether race weight or fitness level is more important for race times.  This is something my husband and I have been pondering for a while.  It's my firm belief that if I lost 20 pounds, I'd be way faster.  Let's be serious, it would be difficult for me to be slower...my half-marathon times are only slightly faster than Al Roker's.  But if my poor heart didn't have to work as hard to carry the weight, it could work harder to make me faster.  Ditto for muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons, etc.  So, this is why I keep trying to lose weight.  I have been thinner and fitter in the past when I exercise at least 6-8 hours per week (P90X, Triathlon training), but then I get lazy for a while and my gains go away.  Luckily, I'm nowhere near my highest weight ever!!!  Not even close.  Phew!  So I have learned something over the years.  The other interesting thing is that serious triathletes don't drink or eat sugary crap during the training season.  Whole30 fits this model.  I do hope it will work for me.

Outseason training:  Sometimes it kicks my butt.  I am trying to keep my cadence up during rides instead of mashing big gears, but my heart rate is tricksy...It likes to be in Zone 3-4, not so much 5.    I'm not sure what it is about such intensity, but my brain always tells me to stop.  We are working through these issues during V02 workouts, my brain and I.  The shorter intervals are easier for me to conquer...but I think I have never really pushed that hard for very long physically.  This fact explains a lot.  So how do our brains decide we are sedentary or agro when it comes to activity levels?  Is it something I can change, or will I always be swimming against my own natural current?  Would a trainer help me push through that barrier?  I love to watch the Biggest Loser during my bike trainer workouts, because I think that's what the contestants struggle through...obstacles that prevent them from pushing themselves hard when it's hard, and sustaining gains over time, sustaining motivation over time, sustaining inconvenience over time.  I mean, exercising is never really convenient, if I'm honest about it.  It's one of the reasons I find swim training so aversive at times.  The swimming is fine, it's going to the pool, having to wait for a lane, or share a lane, or cut my workout off early because someone else needs a lane, being cold and wet...blah, blah, blah. But that crap sometimes keeps me from going and doing the workout.  Factors that override such obstacles include, but are not limited to:  1) I'm super motivated, 2) It's a time I believe no one will really be at the pool, 3) I'm scared about an upcoming race.  And it's not just the pool...I can't tell you how many open water swim practices I have blown off because conditions weren't perfect.  This is a problem given how much trouble I have had during tri swims.  Sigh.  This honesty is good for me, but will it lead to change?  Stay tuned...

On another note, we went on a beautiful and much needed hike in Sedona this weekend...to Coffee Pot Rock.

Coffee Pot Rock to the right

There was some serious bushwacking going on, as we climbed higher and higher.  Here the kids are after a little solo scrambling adventure.

This is my sweet girl and me at what I believed at the time was the highest point of our crazy scramble.  However, fearless kids were leading the hike, so we kept scrambling higher and higher, until I couldn't go any higher.  I staved off a panic attack at one point, but further up, just decided to sit and wait for the rest to decide they were ready to turn around.  The hike down was fine, of course, though I wasn't sure it would be.  I get really nervous when my kids are around heights like that.  I'm happy we're all alive.

We are headed to the valley for the Color Run on Saturday!  Should be fun or messy, depending on whether it rains on us :)