I want the new Apple Watch Series 3. I want the ability to wirelessly receive texts, emails and phone calls and to respond back. I want to listen to music from my watch with my wireless earbuds (when they work!) but I also need the ability to track my obsessive swimming, cycling and running  to oblivion. I started reading a trusted Apple Watch Series 3 review for athletes on outsideonline.com and, what I found was that I’m abnormal:

“By design, the Watch is not supposed to be the perfect gift for your Ironman-obsessed sister-in-law. There are some great high-end, sport-specific products that already do things like sync with SRM power meters. Instead, it’s meant for the much larger number of us who want a device to track our hikes and rides but that can handle smartwatch functions like streaming music and responding to texts. This review is written with those readers in mind. If, like some of my Outside colleagues, you demand a tracker that holds a charge for five days and has tactile buttons for workouts, feel free to stop reading here.” 

I’m not “Ironman obsessed” by any means yet, I’m finding out all the ways in which I’m abnormal this week, and apparently so are all the Ironman athletes out there. Who knew? Probably you did. And the fact that the Apple watch doesn’t synch with my SRM power meter is a deal breaker. < – – the fact that most of you are probably thinking “what the hell is an SRM power meter?” should be a clue to me of my abnormality.

Running indoors with my trusted Garmin and Garmin foot pod. Is this abnormal?

WEEK OF JANUARY 8, 2018

2018 RACE GOAL

Since we’re talking abnormal, I may as well start with a new category in The Rundown. My big, scary race goal for 2018 is to complete my first ever Half Ironman!

If you haven’t a clue what that is, I’ll tell you:

1.2 mile swim

56 mile ride

13.1 mile run

And no, I have never attempted this triathlon distance before. In fact, as soon as I crossed the finish line of the Las Vegas Rock and Roll half marathon, the second thing I thought after “woohoo course PR!” was “OMG I have to do that after a long swim and ridiculous bike!?”

The good news is I have until June to train for it, it’s the only big race I’m doing and I will be done with serious training at the beginning of the summer.

The bad news is the race is called “the beast of the northeast” because it’s hilly and soul crushing. Basically, it’s my kind of race! #abnormal

RUNNING

The temperature raised above 20 for the first time in two weeks and I was able to break free of the treadmill. I had a long run of 1 hour and 30 minutes on the agenda and there was no way I was doing that inside. Luckily, I didn’t have too and luckier still, the temps continued to rise into the 50s to round out the week. #nosuchthingasglobalwarming

Busting out of the basement like…

I’m doing the amazingly hilly and hard half marathon in Colchester for the 8th, non-consecutive year, at the end of February. Known for it’s difficulty and interesting weather, I need to be prepared for anything in this extremely abnormal 13.1!

Sunday – 400m sets before strength work | 7.22 miles | 7:45 avg pace

Tuesday – tempo long run | 11.0 miles | 8:28 avg pace

Thursday – 10 x 20 second pick ups after swim | 5.0 miles | 8:00 avg pace

Total = 23.22 miles

CYCLING

Luckily there were no abnormalities in my cycling this week, there was just a lot of it. I’m not complaining since at least this past week I was alone in the basement and didn’t have to yell at my kids while gasping for air. It’s the little things.

Monday – single leg switch form work after swim | 45 minutes on spin bike at the gym | 10 miles

Wednesday – base build – aerobic before strength work | 1:10:04 | 16 miles

Friday – big gear 5 + tempo after strength work | 1:32:30 | 24 miles

Total = 50 miles

SWIMMING

I had a meeting with my coach so she could tell me for the 157th time that I’m dropping my right shoulder on my catch. I cannot seem to figure it out and it’s super frustrating…for both of us. She also brought a snorkel. I cannot even.

I used to laugh at the people in the pool with snorkels but, it turns out they are actually super helpful when you need to focus on technique and not breathing. If only I could use one in a race.

Monday – 300s down ladder before cycling | 2,400 yards

Thursday – meeting with coach to work on form before running | 2,000 yards

Total = 4,400 yards

THINGS I LOVE

Going skiing!

We were finally able to get away to the mountains for the first time this season. I don’t snowboard (as I don’t run outside) in temperatures that may cause frostbite. I did that in my 20s, ok I did it once two seasons ago, and it’s just not fun.

There may have been some drinking involved…

THINGS I DON’T LOVE AS MUCH

Seeing a distracted driver accident!

It was insane. I was coming down a long hill near my dad’s house after dropping the boys off when a pick-up with a horse trailer pulled out into the road ahead. I saw another can approaching from the other way and, as I was stopped on the hill watching the pick-up truck driver navigate backing into his driveway, I saw the car coming from the opposite direction was not slowing down. Not even a little bit. Two seconds later it smashed (and I mean smashed) into the side of the truck and trailer. The sound of metal slamming metal is not something you ever want to hear in your life. Trust me.

I put my car in park and jumped out to see if everyone was ok. To my shock and horror two little girls came out of the truck! They were obviously scared and, as I was asking them and who appeared to be their grandfather who was driving the truck, if they were ok, their mom came out of the house and gathered them up announcing she was calling the police.

I don’t know for sure if the driver of the other vehicle was texting or otherwise distracted because I didn’t stick around long enough to find out, but it’s the only reason I can think of for why they would not have seen a gigantic truck and trailer in the middle of the road!

READING

I started a new book for my book club, A Piece of the World, and so far it’s just meh but I’m not too far along. I’m hopeful it will pick up and, in the meantime, I’m reading all the articles:

Why Most Days I Suck at Running | Susan Lacke | motivrunning.com

I love this article so much because I think we have all felt (or currently feel) like this. But, that’s just one more reason to do it. We cannot be expected to be good at everything, right?

“I fail every time I run, and yet the world does not end. Neither do I. Running has taught me that I don’t have to tweak and obsess and try to be perfect. I can just…be. This is an intense realization for a perfectionist like me. Even after a decade of running, it still knocks me over with its profundity.”

Stress Can Be Good for You | Moi | Women’s Running online

You know I only toot my horn on here when I think an article is really worth reading. Some articles I write for the masses but some I write because I’m truly passionate about the subject. I found out about this amazing TED Talk  — How to Make Stress Your Friend — from my bestie. It sounds like complete (abnormal) bullshit but I promise you it’s worth a listen…or a read:

“The researchers estimated that over the eight years they were tracking deaths, 182,000 Americans died prematurely–not from stress, but from the belief that stress is bad for you.”

RANDOM VIDEO OF THE WEEK

The boys started taking guitar and ukulele lessons almost two years ago. I absolutely love how their music studio (Summit Studios in Manchester) embraces the abnormal, like when the boys decided they wanted to bring the bongos they bought in Cuba and a harmonica to jam out with their favorite instructor:

Here’s to having an abnormal week my friends!

[Tweet “The Rundown is defining #abnormal, declaring 2018 #race goals and embracing the #suck and the #stress! #train4life”]

What is abnormal about you or your life right now?

What is your big, scary goal for 2018 – racing or otherwise?