Snowy Reflections

Today's swim practice was really well. I kept my HR in zone, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that 50's and 100's seem really short and easy. The rest from training this week had no effect on my swim thank goodness. I was really afraid that I was going to be struggling today, but oddly enough I was right on tempo. This is another piece of proof in the case for rest days!

This morning's swim started late so I lost 250 yards of the planned 2900 - but all in all a 2650 yard (or 1.5 mile) workout isn't so bad. And the bonus - I am ready to move up a lane!

At F.A.S.T. practices, we have 6 lanes. Lane 6ers are AMAZING swimmers. I mean they bust out 3 miles in the time it takes lanes 1 and 2 to do 1.5. Pretty speedy fishes they are! Lane 2 has no stopping at the wall, and the distances and paces are within my ability as a swimmer. So as of next week I am moving on up.

After the 7AM swim, we all headed to Charlie's to eat breakfast, and my friend Doug loaned me a Mag+ CycleOps trainer for Sweet T. I set up Sweet T on the trainer and hopped on for a quick ride.

Hmmm.



I LOVE this bike. And I am very geeked that I have a trainer all set up now so I can get in my miles in the AM before work, or whenever I have a quick minute or two. THANK YOU DOUG!!!!

I cannot wait for it to get nice enough to allow Sweet T out on the roads. I already have a few exercise days planned out on Hines Drive when weather permits - running and biking.

Sweet T fits perfectly in my trunk, with the front tire removed and back seats folded down of course - so I am not going to get a bike rack. I don't want all the road junk on her!

All in all today was a pretty good day. I do believe that it will continue to be a good day! I will be hopping back on the bike for another 25 minutes (had 45 mintes on tap for today) and then prettying up the house.

I already vaccuumed the living room and moved the furniture slightly to accomodate my workout area. I figure that Mike has the office - so I get a corner of the living room!

So much to do! So much to do!

I am getting everything ready for Florida - because we are g-o-n-e gone in 2 weeks! Helllooo tan and OWS in the ocean - weather permitting of course. The downside of Florida- which is still an upside really - is that I have nothing to wear for summer conditions. I have nothing to wear because I am down 2 dress sizes!

I went out and bought some shorts and capris and they fit me well right now. I have not been this size in three years. In fact I am the size I was exactly 3 years ago before my major weight loss back then. My goal is to get down another 20lbs, and then reevaluate how much further I need to go.

So today's snowy reflections is pretty much just rambling. AWESOME.

I hope that everyone is having a great day!

})i({

Announcing my newest arrival - it's a bike!

I picked up my bike tonight! I am still figuring out what to call her - initially I was going to call her "honey" - because on the top bar there is a yellow tattoo looking mark that reminds me of dripping honey.

Mike feels that I should only call HIM hunny - so even with a different spelling, that name is a no go!

So, I think that she shall be called "Sweet T" - a play on words for my iced tea addiction. :o)

The bike I chose in the end was the Giant OCR1W. It is a pretty great bike for the price - blew Specialized and Trek right out of the water - 105 components and SPD pedals included. I decided to go ahead and buy the shoes as well, so I went with a really nice pair of Sidis. Because of the SPD pedals, I went with a MTB shoe - but it looke really nice on the bike, and matches the FAST kit. Pretty lucky!

I am so excited to hop on it and go for a ride. My friend Doug has been so awesome and is letting me borrow a trainer so I can get used to the bike and the pedals before heading outside. I am so freaking excited! The has come and it is today - today I am a FULLY GEARED!

Enjoy the ride!

})i({ Runnergirl

Heeellllloooo mojo! Welcome back!

Friday night after completing a 20 minute portion of TheFIRM's Bootcamp DVD before Mike got home, I did a quick check on beginnertriathlete in the Michigan forums to see what fellow MI peeps were up to this week. Well lo and behold quite a few of them were meeting up about 15 minutes away from me to get in what they called a "turtle" run - nice and slow - on Saturday.

Albeit their slow speed is currently my run speed (or there about), I decided to go ahead and meet up with them. And I am so glad that I did!

The numbers:

4.6 miles ran

12:09 average pace

Hilly terrain (very hilly!)

Cold, snow and icy weather conditions

182 MAX HR, 169 avg.

796 calories torched!

Not only are these people quick - they were awesome! I ran behind them for the entire run - but they were always right there ahead of me, and they made sure they turned around at the 2 mile mark so I could get in my 4 miles before they headed back out to wrap up another 8-10 miles.

How nice of them!

The way we went out differed from the way we came back, as we decided to hit the path on the return. This added a good .5-.6 miles onto the run, but my faith in myself has risen even more.

I went from eeking out 1- 2 mile easy runs, to running the 5K all the way through at a calm 12:30 and change pace, to running a hilly (VERY HILLY) 4.6 miles averaging a 12:09 pace in the course of 1 month.

My mojo is a go-go. My mojo came back y'all!

These are not superhuman numbers, and I do not want superhuman numbers, but knowing that I am making progress in the forward direction in my trianingm and that is really making all the hard work and effort worth it - and you know what? It is now a habit! Sure enough, my fitness and health have taken front seat - and my workout regime is now just second nature. I mix it up, I am flexible with my rest days, but I always take 2 a week to make sure that I am well rested and to make sure that I do not burn myself out.

That run set the mood for the rest of the day. I picked up my partner in crime Lana Bananarama the biking extraordinaire, and we headed to Two Wheel Tango in the A-squared (Ann Arbor) to get measured and to find my bike.

Turns out that my right arm is like 2.5cm longer than my left (freak show anyone?), and that I am an exact Women's specific geometry 54cm bike frame type-o-gal. And that means that I now am one step closer to my bike being in my hands!

I am eyeing a Specialized Dolce Elite. It is HAWT! The Dolce is balck and pink, but the Dolce Elite is white and pink, and the seat has major seat bling on it. Score points for both the blig factor and the component factor!

My fellow tri-cluber Cheryl decided not to part with her Roo, and after comparing compenture between the Specialized and the Trek that I was eyeing, I am thinking that the Specialized is better suited for my needs. (Did I mention that it has pink on it AND bling? Just making sure that you caught that leetle detail)

So in the new few weeks I will set up the formal fit and purchase date for the bike. Sooooo close to the bike. Sooooo close!

I am honestly in no rush. I am in training for health and when my ability is there I will do a triathlon. I would like to do the AA Tri as my first, so we will see!

After hitting TWT, we headed into Detroit for the Winter Fest. What an amazing time! Ice sculptures, s'mores (Oh yes we made s'mores), ice skating, a 200' snow slide, dog sled racing, snow shoeing, and a killer drink and eating time at the Detroit Brewery! I have TONS of pictures but no batteries in my camera to transfer them. :( So once I get batteries I will post them up here.

Today is a rest day so I will be cleaning the hizzy and organizing all my gear!

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend - stay warm if you are in this region 'cause it is COLD homies!

})i({ Runnergirl

The first of MANY miles...

Bike Porn for a Friday.

Ladies and gentlemen. Boys and girls. People of all ages, genders, and the like. I would like to give you a preview of the bike that I am going to purchase at the end of September.

But first I would like to fill you in on why I am aquiring such a nice little bike. (Good things are worth the wait.)

After much deliberation and planning, I have decided to go ahead and purchase the next Jenn-mobile (in form of a bike) this year, so I can start training. You know. At somepoint.

The original argument, or rather "discussion", was that Mike wants for me to have a hybrid if not MTB. I want for myself a road bike. Mike has only really had MTB's and I grew up on a road bike.

won out. Well... poor Mike never really had a chance as I am an expert debater. I think he only let me win because I threatened to pull out a pie chrt and some grphs to explain my reasoning for wanting road bike. Anyhow, a win is a win in my book!

*celebrates*

And as the prize for such a win... is my scoping out some coolio road bikes at the local cyclery. I checked out Scott, Trek, and Giant. I went to a cycle tent sale and tried quite few bikes. I fell in love with the Women's specific Giant OCR1 and OCR3 bikes.

*DROOL*

So without further ado, the bike that I am lusting over is none other than:

I present to you "White Lightening" (awww aren't I such a nerdalicious geek that I wanna name my bike? I am adorable I tell ya!) the Giant OCR 1 that I hope hope hope to purchase in October (end of). The purchasing is not the tricky part, it is the whole "will they still have it then" part. My motto - what will be will be.

If this is the bike that they still have in stock (white and all) I am so buying some pink pedals. ;) That is how I roll. Yo.

Well I hope that you have enjoyed this little snippet into the cycling world. Now back to our regularly scheduled run talk. ;)

Tonight is a running rest night and I am going to hit up the gym for a nice easy upper body workout and maybe some stationary biking. Tomorrow is of course the Saturday meet up with my new running club.

Oh! That reminds me - I have signed up to volunteer for the 2007 Dances With Dirt 50K/50mile Ultra marathon and 5-person team relay in Hell. Michigan that is. Mouse and E-speed ran this race last year, so you can find a re-cap of what it is like to run it on their sites. And check out the DWD site for more info. There are now two races... one in Hell (the original) and one in Indiana I believe. The one in Hell is 9/8 and will be loaads of muddy, stupid cray fun!

Anyone out there running it?

OK, well everyone have a great day!

})i({ Runner Girl (Feeling the burn after last night's trail run!)