Toasted

Hello.

The Two Week Challenge ended Friday.  This year was light years easier than last year.  Last year I complained most of the two weeks and ate coffee beans a couple times (which I'm a little ashamed to admit).  This year my complaining was reserved for just a day or so.  I won't go into it too much since I've already shared my feelings on multiple platforms (read here), but it felt more like fasting than a challenge.  Realizing that God is in control, and not my caffeine addiction.  Through that Active:Water also gets a little financial support.  Win/Win.

Also, my March Madness bracket is shot.

On to some training stuff.

Good week all around.  For the past 3 to 4 weeks I've stayed consistent with 6 workout days a week.  Which is great considering also having to work full time, go to school, be a husband and father, etc etc.  Horn tooting aside, I have felt a noticeable difference.  Thursday I did 1000 meters in the pool.  The speed is nowhere close to where I'd like to be, but the endurance is definitely building.  I don't have aspirations to become a torpedo.  I'm just focused on making any future Ironman/triathlon swim cutoff time.  Every 50 meters I take a five second break before heading back the other way.  Speaking of the pool here's a picture of it!

OoOoOooOoo watery

My the lane I use is all the way to the right, if you cared.  My confidence in the water has been booming.  A few short weeks ago I was nervous to go into the deep end and now I love it.  I even have thoughts running through my head while swimming, and they aren't me hoping I survive.  Another swimming note: I ordered a new pair of goggles.  The ones I have, which my training partner Bryce bought me last year, have done well but get way too foggy.  I'm not necessarily cheap.  I believe that I can overcome insufficient equipment with determination, but I couldn't see to the other side of the pool.  They will still stay with me on training days as a solid backup.  The new goggles were about 30 bucks from TYR.  Plus I could customize their color for free.  Monday my new Active:Water inspired goggles will arrive.  I'm sure pictures will follow.

Running has been good too.  I've only run 2 or 3 days a week, but coming off of my speedy St. Patrick's Day 5k finish I've felt unstoppable.  Tuesday I ran with Bryce and did sub 9 minute miles for 4 miles.  Doesn't sound groundbreaking but I was able to talk the entire time and not want to shout obscenities at my training partner.  Till my brick workout Saturday..

On Friday I decided I'd go for a double digit run on Saturday.  I took a mental look back on my years training, and I haven't done more than five miles so I brought the 10 miler to an 8 miler.  I'm running the Cleveland half marathon (which I should probably sign up for sometime soon...) but I don't have a training plan.  All this tri training has brought down my run so I'm not going to stop a good thing.  I asked B-rice to join and he said we should do a brick.  The 8 miler was scaled back to a 13 mile bike into a 5 mile run.  (that's not really scaling back).  Recently I bought a new bike:

pretty, huh?

OK I didn't buy that bike.  Bryce bought that bike.  He's now letting me test out his old Schwinn road bike:

still pretty.. maybe not AS pretty but it catches the eye

After some minor adjustments we were out on the road.  Like I've mentioned before, I have had good steady training over the past few weeks.  6 days a week consistently.  With that being said the first few miles of the ride SUCKED.  I felt that my training had been in vain, when really it was just me getting used to the new kind of bike.  I went from a 21 year old hybrid, comfort, bike to a road bike.  We kept it in the neighborhoods till I said we should take it to the main road.  This is my first real main road ride, so I had to get over the fear of the unknown at some point.  What better time than now?  Once we got on the main road things changed.  Last year when I went on a training ride with my training partner I was pretty far back.  Yesterday I was on his back tire, and took the lead on a few segments.  I still had a lot of energy when we finished the ride.  As we stopped my 73 year old neighbor got out of her car and was talking to the two of us.  The only reason I bring this up is because she called me trim.  Yeah.  Booyah!

ANYWAY!

Onto the run!  It felt like I was running backwards.  This was one of three total bike/run bricks I've ever done.  The feeling of not feeling is taking some getting used to.  At the mile and a half turn around Bryce asked me how I was doing.  "Toasted".  On our way back Bryce started moving ahead and I started feeling some discomfort in my left quad muscle.  Turns out it was spazzing out.  At around two miles I had to stop and stretch.  When I stretched I couldn't muster a strut so I walked for about a quarter of a mile.  (Note: as soon as we finished our biking we decided to just do a 3 mile run).  After my walk I was able to run again.  I pushed out another half mile and running up the final hill it spazzed again.  I was a little worried.  When I hobbled back Bryce let me know the different muscles I would need to work on now that I have a road bike.  Can you guess one of those muscles?  The quads!  Bingo bango!  The need to walk didn't deter me.  It was still a good brick.  I've got a few weeks to ride this bike and build up those muscles, and you can bet your bottom dollar that I will.

Saturday night our youngest coughed most of the night and I had a good three to four hours of sleep.  At church we were on the teaching schedule for the 4 year to Kindergarten class.  It was our second time and this time there were a few boys that hadn't been in the last time.  All I can say is wow.  Girls and boys are very different, in terms of wanting to destroy things, at this age.  Because of the 5 weekend month we're back in there on Easter.  I will definitely be instituting a timeout system.  With that said I did not do my trainer time today.  Of all the nights I don't get good recovery sleep it's the night after I burn 1200+ calories.  It's OK though.  Tomorrow is a new day...

Thanks for reading!