A Dose of my own Medicine!

• On: 12/20/2009 18:31:49

For some odd reason, I am always very motivated at this time of the year.  Weird, I know.  I think I like to see the progress from peak fitness, to a big rest and then back into shape.  But, I also like (here it comes) the first snowfalls and winter runs.  Yes, most of us here like a winter-Christmas-like December. It is March and April that make us crazy.  So, the temps have been warm this week @ 28-32F degrees and it has made running easier and more enjoyable.

Each base cycle – early winter, I try to think of ways to mix things up a bit.  I always like to try different things and see if I like different strength sessions, running partners (or partners at all), etc.  Last week was a lot of new things for me.  I started seeing my Performace trainer and I loved her!  I warned her that if she makes me spend 1 hour learning how to do the plank right, I will fire her a$$.  And, um, YES I did tell her that in an email.  She already hates me.  But, I love it and I was totally serious. (I am sure I am a nightmare to work with! HAHA).  So, there I was, on Tuesday morning …I had only biked earlier that AM …and she worked me pretty hard. I am not killing myself in any cardio way – more functional stuff, ball, bosu ball…TRX.  I am a huge TRX lover!   I think she is shocked at how strong my thorasic spine area is (um, have you seen my shoulders?) but freaked out at how weak my core is and how my abs are split apart (having the twins).  HA!  Her face was priceless.  So, we are working on doing exercises that do not require me to use my stronger delts, lats, etc (swim muscles) and recruit the smaller muscles into the workout.  It is hard – but in a focused- determined way…not aerobically, of course. 

Then, on Thursday I went in and I had swam just a couple of hours earlier and my arms were trashed (I am out of shape a bit)….so when I was doing all the pushups and pull ups and TRX holds into a “T”…I was like, “OHMYGOSH!”  So, I think she is starting to realize I will never see her FRESH and rested!  But, we were doing this exercise at the end of the workout where she was testing my flexibility in my shoulders  - but externally rotated, so opposite of swimming…and I was PATHETIC.  I have a lot of great flexibility in the swim planes but as soon as you try to get me to go backwards, I suck.  Again, she was like…hmmm.  NOT surprised.  But, I was laughing my ass off on Friday AM.  Got up to swim again with some friends and I could NOT move my neck.  See, I hold all my strength/stress in my shoulders/neck and that stretch –while it was not too much—it worked areas that I never worked before in a different plane and I was totally crippled the next AM.  So, my swim on Friday was rough.  I took some Iburprofin on Saturday, the next day to knock it down. And, today on Sunday it is still strained.  What a dork!  1000+ miles on my running and cycling and swimming but day #2 of something out of my comfort zone and my body freaks out.  And, that is WHY I am working with her….I need it – not for strength – not for pure raw power – but for just what I described above….non-triathlon related muscles!

On Saturday a small group of us decided to run the Cary March Madness course – this is a hilly (for us) course that can be 6-13 miles.  We got a little snow overnight and the streets were not plowed and it was super windy….I needed my Yak Traks…but thought I could get away in my trail shoes…I was not too bad, but we were slow!  Patrick and I ended up running together.  It was just nice to chat with him for that longer run.  I have coached Patrick for a few years, but that quiet, winter run was great and we had a nice time.  We were CHEWING our gels because it was so cold, our gels froze (how is that FL, AZ and Hawaii folks?) – and we were festive:   Mint Chocolate Gus! LOL.  But, the funniest moment of the run was when I dropped my flask and we were at the tail end of our run and I bent over to pick it up and I could barely bend over OR pick it off the ground.  I swear, I almost peed in my pants.  Patrick  was making fun of me and we were just cracking up!  I was so cold, so tight and being out of shape = a mess!   Too funny!  The laughs made the run go by and I enjoyed the company very much!

Then, today I went to Masters practice.  A little background here….Masters was out of session all summer and then they went back September ..but they were doing drills + 25s and such…very slow swimming, which is FINE for that cycle for them, but I had a ½ IM to peak for…so I swam with a few others and solo.  Anyway, then I raced Fl and took a month off or so and started to come back.  Well, guess what?  I come back and they are already swimming 4k+ per workout.  Ok, I can fake that..but it hurts a bit.  And, I get NO sympathy when I pop in today (practice #2 for me w/ the team) I am shoved into my normal lane, which is not where I should be today, and we are warming up with 500, 2 x 400 kick/pull….and 12 x 25 IM order off :25 or :30 send off. Ok, not hard, but that was just the WU.  HA!  So, like I said, I can fake it, because I have been swimming a few times per week since my rest has been over…but it is all relative.  Aerobically the swims are not hard.  It is the POWER /force that is gone. I have NO pull….and that is what makes the swimmer go.  So, when the swimmers say they are “out of shape” they can not swim at ALL because they are not cross training.  When I say, “I am out of shape” I mean POOL SEND OFF intervals shape…but I am running and strength training and cycling so aerobically I do OK.  Big difference.   And, my entire lane are pure swimmers – no triathletes in there- so I get VERY LITTLE sympathy.  And, coach Corinne wanted to put us on the 2.40 send off for our 200s and I said, “I am OUT OF SHAPE remember!”  And, when we were coming in on our 200s I was whispering, “chop chop” to Lex who was leading the lane and when we were done with the workout he said, “I missed you, Jenny.”  And I laughed knowing damn well he missed the days he could slack because I was not there….I keep him honest!  Now, if only I could swim freestyle as fast as he swim backstroke…

Um, did you notice I have not talked about the bike yet?  That is because well, I do not miss it!  I think I would if I could go outside...but NO!  My TT race bike is STILL in the bike box.  It will be there until the NY, I promise.

This post just took a life of its own.  I have not trained in a bit, so I go all excited to talk about Christmas and the fact that I shopped and shopped yesterday and then last night with Jerome and we had SO much fun…and today I wrapped for 3 hours and did not even wrap one gift for the kids yet!  That wrapping is SOO tiring!  But, it is Christmas week now…the kids are home for school for 2 weeks and I am having my sisters 3 kids over tomorrow afternoon, sleepover and then all day on Tuesday!  Fun times.   Payback !  And, of course, I am taking 5 kids under the age of 8 to the pool!  I am not afraid.

Merry Christmas!!  I hope you all have a great holiday week!  And, Santa, hope to see you on Thursday  evening! xoxo