Did I walk, or did I ride?

I had one of the best workouts today! It started with my bike ride down to the gym where Dave met me. We did some weights followed by running drills and some fun on the treadmill. After my ride yesterday I was pretty tired but was able to take everything he asked me to do.

The hardest part, riding back home. It's exactly 8.02 miles from my house to the gym, however, from Glendale Ave up towards Dreamy Draw then to 36th St. it's all up hill so I was really slow! My legs were really tired. Here is the deal....I started to hear two voices. One told me it was okay to stop and walk...I needed the rest and it's okay. The other voice told me that I better not take my butt off the seat! No matter how slow, just keep going. You know you're in trouble when you start talking out loud to yourself and well, that's exactly what I started doing. It's one thing to think it, but another to hear it...."Pain is weakness leaving the body"...a favorite quote from Dave's wife. I said it over and over....and NEVER took my butt off my bike!!!

Once I got home, soaked of sweat and happy that I made it, Rick and I went out to put up checkpoints for his race tomorrow. Today was definitely the worst day to be hiking with the humidity and with my tired legs.

Overall, it was a really great workout day! I'm down another 1lb and very happy about that. With as much biking as I'm doing, I'm set to lose another couple pounds this month - YEAH!

Some cool stuff

Okay, I'm working my way out of this funk now that Dave is back and I can settle into a routine again. What I'm not looking forward to is next week when he's gone again! Ugh. If you are reading this and are a friend of mine, please check in with me. Make sure I'm doing what I need to do and help keep me motivated, excited and energized.

First, a friend of mine recently told me I need to update the picture on my blog because I don't really look like that. I agree, I'm looking a little chubby in the photo. And you'll be happy to know that I've lost 2% body fat already. In case you forgot...it was my goal to lose 4% total. I'm sooo close I can taste it!!!!!

Second, Windy (Dave's wife) taught me how to do flip turns in the pool yesterday. It was really fun and during my swim class tonight I'll see how well I can master them. Should be interesting.
Honestly, I'm now behind on my biking goal for the month. I need to find 40 extra miles and I want to get them done soon! Dave's solution, start riding to the gym. Does he realize that means I have to ride back when we are done? OMG. Not sure if I can do it, but I'm going to try. He thinks it's only 8 miles one way but I think he's crazy. We'll see what happens there.

Another 10 miles done on my bike today and 35 minutes on the Elliptical. Did a 400m, 300m, 200m, and 100m swim last night. Very hard but I got it all done in less than an hour. We used some swimming attachments between our legs (can't remember what they are called) to stop our legs from kicking and it really took some getting use to. All in all, it was a great swim night.

A little down and out these days...maybe a more upbeat post later.

Quick Post

Just a quick post for the day...I just finished the first of 5 - 10 mile days on my bike. Did a hike and bike this weekend....still on target...I really don't like when Dave goes on vacation because his sessions are like therapy and now my heads all screwed up!

Canal Sightings

I've seen some crazy stuff riding on the canal and I was thinking, I need to have a "canal sightings" section on my blog! How fun is that!!!

So today was a man trying to pull his dog out of the water. I'm riding along and here is the crazy thing, I was thinking about a story our friend Cathy told us about falling in the canal to help get her dog out who loved water so he jumped in yada, yada....long story....anyway...then all of a sudden I see a man with two dogs, both on a leash but one is in the water! How did that happen? Did he jump in? Did he fall in? How does a dog just fall into the canal? Crazy huh! The guy is bent over the side literally pulling his poor dog up by the leash around his neck. Sounds terrible I know but really, how else do you get the dog up without falling in yourself? Then the question, what would I have done if he fell in after the dog? Do I rescue the dog, or the man? Hummm....Fortunately I didn't have to make the decision today.... :)

I did my 20 miles today...10 to make up for what I didn't do Monday and today's 10. It was hard! Leaving home I realized it was going to be challenging because of the wind....then I realized my legs were a little tired from biking on Dave's trainer yesterday. Here's the good news! MY BUTT HURTS!!!!! That's right, it hurts in all the right places today. Why and how is what you'reasking. Duct Tape :0. Every Adventure Racers friend and a tape that can fix anything, anywhere, anytime. It's the MacGyver of tapes.... I taped up the hole in my seat!

My "soft tissue" is still in recovery right now but it was the best my seat has felt since I started. I think we are almost at the end of this whole issue....and I'm sure you're tired of hearing about my "seat"... :)

I'm off tomorrow!!!! YEAH!!!! No exercise - zero, none, don't even ask, not even a fun day at the pool - NO! I've officially been given permission to rest and that's exactly what I intend to do! NOTHING.... Today is day 19 of exercise with no breaks and I reeeaallllyyyy need one. Thanks Dave!

Aaarrrgggghhhhhh

So what's up with the guy at the gym who has to make these really LLLOOOUUUDDD roaring noises when he works out? For the most part I think I'm pretty quiet at the gym. You might hear a struggle or two but I guarantee the person at the other end of the gym won't hear it. I do, however, like to use the "F" word when it's just Dave and me. Don't really know why but it comes out naturally and really, it makes me feel better. (if you didn't know about my foul mouth, well, dammit, now you do). I think I'm an angry exerciser. The more pissed I get, the better I do.

Anyway, I try not to laugh but you just can't help it sometimes. YEAH LOUD MAN! YOU DID IT! Maybe he needs more attention....

So this whole bike seat situation is really getting me down. If there is any one thing that could stop me from doing the Ironman, it's my bike seat. I had another adjustment to my bike yesterday and added a padded seat without the hole just to see how it felt. I definitely like not having a hole but now it's too much gel and still, my butt doesn't hurt at all, it's still my other parts. It's frustrating, I'm tired of talking about it and, I'm tired of feeling it. I can't afford a $100 bike seat just to find out it doesn't work either. I'm really at a crossroad and I have 200 miles of biking this month. Any suggestions from my female readers would be great!

Off to swim class tonight. I'm looking for somebody to teach me flip turns so if you know how, give me a call!

It's HOT

Am I the only one who suffers from the heat? It's draining the life right out of me, and fast. Dave and I went for a run the other day (over 3 miles) and by the time we returned to our cars my skin was clammy and I started to get goose bumps....not a good sign and it was still early in the morning. I just don't have it in me to spend much time outdoors.

Last nights swim class was great....it's a little challenging when two instructors give you two different directions on how to improve your stroke. Which set of instructions is correct?? Similar, but not the same....what to do...what to do... I stopped counting my laps somewhere in the 20's and we still had tons on time left on the clock. It was a looonnngggg night of swimming.

I've been really tired lately. Three solid weeks of exercise with no breaks is starting to kick my butt. I'm sore and exhausted....I think I'm going to nap all day tomorrow....

and yet another boring post today....ugh