Things are going to be different around here!…maybe, sort of? As much as I hate change, after the pressure I was feeling and the funk I have been in, my only option was to start making changes in my workouts, my work life and how I spend my free time. I’m not saying I’m making any major life changes, just small manageable ones, in order to take back my sanity.

WEEK OF MAY 1, 2017

RUNNING

As usual, my running has remained the one discipline I still feel really good doing and where I feel strongest right now. Since it’s spring in New England I have run in the heat, cold and rain all in the past week. You have to embrace it or move to North Carolina.

Please note that StarFire is looking at me like “WTF are you doing you tool?” She will get used to the posed photos or I’ll send her to North Carolina.

The mindset shift I made in my running was to just get out there and go hard for as long as I could and, if I blew up, at least I went for it. As you may have guessed, I did some very tough workouts and hit my paces and HR zones with out too much drama and zero explosions.

Tuesday – 3 x (5 min @6:40, 3 min @6:11, 1 min @5:50, 1 min @8:30) | 7.7 miles

Friday – 5×5 minutes at 10K pace (6:50ish) with 2 min recovery in between | 5.92 miles before swim

Saturday – run off the bike (40 miles) | 2.03 miles | 7:44 pace

Total = 15.65 miles

CYCLING

After getting my new power meter, I had to do a time trial to get a baseline for it. What is a time trial you ask? Well it’s a grueling hour of riding on the bike trainer (while your coach watches) and includes a warm-up, 5 minutes as hard as you can, 10 minute recovery and then 20 minutes as hard as you can. Yes, it was as awful as it sounds. I won’t bore you with all the nerdy numbers that resulted from it but basically, I’ve come a long way in power on the bike but I still have a long way to go.

I’m pretty sure my rocket scientist coach thinks social media is for slow adults so I didn’t dare take any photos.

The rest of my rides were actually really enjoyable and I took the advice of Suzy (SuzyHasTheRuns) and started thinking of my alone time out there as a moving meditation and an opportunity to sit with my shit and force myself to work though it instead of pushing it all away with negativity. It’s an on-going process and I think I owe Suzy $200 for that therapy session. Although, with the new health care system I may owe double since my neurosis was a preexisting condition.

I’m adding a dash of my sweat to Star’s diet to ready her for future runs!

Monday – 1 hour ride with 10 x 1 minute hill repeats | 19.3 miles before swim

Wednesday – bike time trial at CRS’ house | 22.7 miles of riding the pain train

Saturday – outdoor long ride before run | 40 miles

Total = 82 miles

SWIMMING

My attitude in the water this week was much improved. I usually swim after a hard ride or run so I tend to get a bit bogged down with thoughts like “how the hell can I complete this workout now?” Instead, I thought about how far I have come in the pool tried to just loosen up a bit, put on my iPod shuffle and just freakin’ did it.

Monday – swim after bike | 1300 yards with speed

Thursday – swim only | 2500 yards with 4×400

Friday – swim after run with 3×500 | 2500 yards

Total = 6,300 yards

GEAR

I hate wearing shoes. I especially hate wearing them in the summer but, since in addition to all my training, I now take Star on at least two long walks a day I cannot wear my cheap Old Navy flip flops without getting a foot injury. I already have two pair of OOFOS slides but I just bought two more pair of the thong style (because retail therapy) and I basically plan on wearing them from now until October.

If you have never tried OOFOS you should smack yourself across the face right now.

I’ll wait.

Now go order some and thank me later.

I bought my mine at Fleet Feet in Longmeadow, MA of course but you can get them online. And no, I don’t work with them or for them, they just make one hell of a recovery flip flop.

THINGS I LOVE

Celebrating 11 years of marriage with my husband.

I love it because marriage is so ridiculously hard and we managed to stay the course for 11 years. I’m really proud of us since we have fought some very tough battles together and have come out on the same side at the end of the day.

Some of the best things my husband has taught me are:

Don’t take everything so seriously

You look absolutely stunningly beautiful every single day

You’re the best mom, even when you’re swearing loud enough for the boys to hear

No matter how you do in a race, you’re winning at life

Always, always, always have an espresso martini and dessert. Dinner is optional.

Our life has been an adventure, like when we were in Hawaii this past January. Take me back!

I’m so thankful I didn’t divorce him any one of the many times I considered it.

THINGS I DON’T LOVE AS MUCH

The fact I haven’t taken enough time to have a good, long lunch with a friend.

A great friend of mine, who has known me for the better part of 20 years, met me for a simple lunch last week and it was just what I needed. She knows me so well, I can trust her with my honest thoughts and feelings and, she is a really good listener.

There is no ride, swim or run that can compare to a few hours with a great friend and I definitely have to make time for more hours like this in my life.

READING

I’m really proud of the article I wrote for TrainingPeaks about Functional Training for Movement, Not Muscle. It was well received by the triathlete community but also applies to runners.

There was possibly no article more helpful to me in the past week than the one in the New York Times about being ok with “dropping the ball” and other ways to say “f*ck it” to your to-do list:

Don’t Do It: The Simple Solution to Clearing the To-Do List | by Sandra Tsing Loo

RANDOM PHOTO OF THE WEEK

You know how they say to never turn your back on the ocean? Well, I think the same applies for my dog. I was in the kitchen one morning, turned around and saw this:

She was not hurt, except maybe her ears when I yelled “NO! Get down!” She has done it a few more times since. I think she’s part acrobat.

 

[Tweet “The Rundown is making changes, celebrating anniversaries and saying it f-it! #train4life”]

 

How was your week?

Have you made any big or small mindset or life changes lately?

What crazy things has your dog done?

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