Training Log Archive: kissy

I made it up to Laramie for the last of the Daze. I left home a little later than planned, so I had to exceed the speed limit most of the way (and with the speed limit at 75 mph, I was going pretty fast). I got to the assembly area before the start, but by the time I hurried to get ready and visited the port-a-potty, the field had already taken off, but I wasn't too far behind.

However, in my haste to get ready, I didn't put my hair up, so it was blowing all over my face the entire time. Very annoying! And, I didn't take those last gulps of water, so I was psychologically thirsty the whole time.

I messed up my route choice to #1...again, probably from being a little flustered at the start, but I settled down after that and didn't have any problems with the rest of the course. From all of my strength training, I felt good out there, even like I could do a little running, but I didn't have on my knee brace and I figured that the limiited running ability I have these days should probably be saved for the weekend races. I also had no altitude issues! Yay for living in Denver!!

Saw a lot of good friends afterwards and am soon heading out to dinner with my QOC clubmates, Ted and Sam. Good times!

Went for a quick ride near Veedawoo afterwards. I had forgotten my helmet...bah...so I took it pretty easy and didn't go too far. It felt good to be on a singletrack again.

C • Veedauwoo 2

I logged my highest number of training hours since April 2007. Yay for classes at the gym. Yay for living in an easier place to get out to do things. Yay for getting a dog that needs a lot of walking!

Group Power

I got home at 2:00 a.m. from LA. My flight was a late one to begin with and then it got delayed. My hero of the evening was the gentleman who hopped over the baggage conveyor belt at DIA, stood on top of the carousel, and proceeded to pull out the bags that were stuck on the belt coming up from down below. That belt had broken down and we were told that we had to wait for an engineer to come and fix it. The most frustrating part was that I could see my bag about 3 bags back.

So, he hopped up and started pulling out the bags, and the baggage lady started yelling at him. And then I was yelling, "Just toss out that black Travelpro!!!" which he did. And I got home a little faster.

Thank you, renegade baggage handler!!

C • Love it! Sometimes you jus... 1

Event: 2012 Laramie Daze
 

The sidewalks were very busy this morning since it was the first day of school. There is an elementary school right around the corner from me, and all of the parents were walking their kids to school. It was nice to see.

I'm in LA for a few days for work. Drove the PCH north to Oxnard. It was a beautiful drive.





Conversation with Graham on the drive up:

Ring - Ring
"Hi Graham."
"Hi Mom. Where are you?"
"I'm driving up the Pacific Coast Highway through Malibu, looking at the beautiful Pacific Ocean."
"Oh, I thought you were grocery shopping."

So much for trying to get him to listen to me when I tell him my plans.

Total Body Conditioning

Cycling around town with Marnie to watch the Pro Cycling Challenge that finished up today with a time trial through Denver. Taylor Phinney won the time trial, but Christian Vande Velde took the overall prize. A very fun day.





And the finish chute:

The extended Saturday class for Total Body Conditioning.

In the past, when I was under a lot of stress, by body would respond by making it difficult to breath. I wouldn't be able to take deep breaths. It got so bad that I eventually went to a pulmonologist, who said I had I had some of the healthiest lungs he had seen and was I under any stress?

Over the years, that got better...or I felt less stress...but the breathing thing had pretty much disappeared. Then, about a year ago, I would periodically get severe lower back/butt pains on my right side, that got so bad I could barely walk, sit, lie down, get up, etc. I kept trying to figure out what caused the pain, but I could never identify a pattern to the onset of the pain. Until the other day when I was talking to a doctor friend of mine, telling him this whole story, and he asked if the pain came on in times of stress. And that this might be my body's new way of coping with stress...seizing up my back muscles. And looking back on past episodes, I remember several times when I thought, "This back thing is really inconvenient because I have to __________." Fill in the blank with "finish my big project at work, deal with this big event in my kid's life, get ready for a big trip, etc."...some stressful event. And then it would begin a vicious cycle of pain leading to frustration leading to more stress prolonging the pain.

Over the past few weeks, I can definitely say that I've been under mega stress in all aspects of my life, both work and personal. So, after one of the top 50 worst days of my life on Tuesday, the back pains started and lasted through until last night, when I finally succumbed to taking prescription pain medication just so I could get some sleep. And I woke up this morning feeling rested and in enough less pain to make it to class this morning, albeit with some modifications.

I think I need to find a yoga class again because that definitely helped calm me down and keep me stretched out. Or I need to find a less stressful life. :-)

Today goes down as a new member of "The Top Worst 50 Days" of my life.

C • So 7

Some more yard art:



That's right...a giraffe planter.

C • Discreet 1

With intervals.

Barre Conditioning class. This is definitely getting a little easier.

Total Body Conditioning

I have already passed my monthly training hours goal. I guess that's what happens when you're not traveling 75% of the time. Yay.

Today's adventure was a hike in Eldorado Canyon State Park, right outside of Boulder. It was another beautiful day, and another hike that went up to the top and then back down to the bottom. While on the top, though, there were some beautiful views, including looking West to the Continental Divide.



And East, kind of towards Boulder.



And just a pretty one.

Group Power. I added more weight for each exercise today, so I must be getting stronger.

Took an early evening ride along the Cherry Creek Trail and then south on the Platte River Greenway. It was a beautiful evening, and there were lots of folks still out on the trail. I had to do a little imaginative maneuvering around Mile High Stadium to get through the crowds who were streaming into the stadium for the second pre-season game. They say Manning will be playing more tonight...we'll see.

AOWN - Endless clouds of gnats along the river. At one point, I couldn't hold my breath any longer and had to take a gulp of air...and bugs. Yuck!

And then a walk with Annie after my bike ride.

Some neighborhood yard art seen along the walk.

C • Nice! 2

Went to see Beasts of the Southern Wild with some friends and then out to dinner at The Hornet. Did not advance my training hours at all, but it was a very fun evening. And the movie was fantastic.

Before class.

Group Power

Total Body Conditioning

Group Power with Nancy!

Just because we were early for class.

My brother, Erik; his wife, Nancy; and Caitlin all converge on Denver tonight for a long weekend visit! There is joy in Mudville.

Rest day. Went for a pedicure which always does a girl good. Today's color is Cha-Ching-Cherry.

C • Toes 6

Walking Annie.

Group Power

C • classes 2

Barre Conditioning class. This was the class that killed me when I first started going in May. I couldn't use my arms for a few days, and just when those were getting better, my calves seized up. Well, because of all of my traveling this summer, I haven't been back since those first few times. And, happily, today felt much better...I think because of all of the strength training classes I'm taking. I'd be very surprised if I got sore over the next few days.

Total Body Conditioning

Walking Annie.

I went for a ride in Waterton Canyon. Even though I was on a mt. bike, it was a very non-technical ride on a dirt/gravel road that went up the canyon to Strontia Dam. The ride back down was nice. It was a pretty hot day with no relief from the sun until the last 1/4 when dark storm clouds gathered overhead. Nothing came of them, though, as usual.

It was a good chance to do some thinking and marvel at the fact that you go through life making all of these decisions that you think are the right ones, and then you wind up one day on a mt. bike, in a canyon, thinking, "my life is fucked."

C • Unexpected 17

Walking Annie.

Walking Annie.

Evening walk with Annie. Walked over to Wash Park to watch Graham play soccer.

Walking Annie