Bah, Humbug!

Some days are just better than others. Although not what the title of this post would have you believe, today was one of those days. The temperature peaked at just above freezing today, so I vowed to take advantage of that situation. At 7am, it was still about 5 degrees out, so there was no chance of me going out for a run. By noon when I went to the pool, it felt down-right balmy at 26 degrees, and the sun was shining. However, by the time I got home from work, it was dark (obviously - today was the shortest day of the year) and the temperature was falling, but (on purpose) I didn't bring any running gear with me, so I HAD to go home to run.

I got all bundled up and ready to head out. I glanced in the mirror and decided that I looked more like I was going to rob a bank than go for a run. I'm not sure why, but most of my cold-weather running gear is black. Always thinking safety first, I put on my fabulous new reflective vest. I figured it would not only be great for cars to see me as I ran along the sidewalks and across the streets, but it might come in handy in allowing passersby to see me sprawled out on the sidewalk with a broken ankle from some jerk not shoveling his sidewalk and me slipping on his ice.

Thankfully, I never went down, but I would like to send a hearty, "Bah, Humbug!" to all the lovely Ames residents who don't do a very good job (if any) of snow removal. Granted, it has been one of the top 10 snowiest winters ever here, but that just means you should be well-practiced at clearing your sidewalk!

Icy paths not withstanding, I had one of the best feeling runs of the last 4-5 months. It's amazing how much better I felt outside (on ice and hills and in the freezing cold) than I have inside (on the treadmill, in a climate-controlled environment). And I never missed the music I usually listen to when I run inside. It truly reminded me of why I love to run! I can't wait to get back out for a couple more runs later this week and weekend.

The swim today was also pretty good. I think that some of the good workouts may be partially due to the higher than normal consumption of simple sugars (i.e. all the treats that comeout of nowhere this time of year). One of the downfalls of working out so much is that it is pretty easy to maintain your weight. That, in turn, means that I feel like I can "splurge" with a cookie or six throughout my day. Really all that does is screw up the way my body would rather have it. I know that my body has been reponding very favorably to the healthier diet I've been eating (this week not included).

Today's main set in the swim workout was 20 x 25's with 10 seconds rest. This is not a really taxing workout, but it is interesting when I think back to the other 3-4 times I've done this workout. Today's was much easier. I have become so much more comfortable with the bilateral breathing. I think one of the hardest parts for me to breakthrough was the longer stretch between breaths. As my book taught me, it's not that my cardiovascular endurance has improved so much, it's more that my body is learning how to tolerate the carbon dioxide levels in my blood much better. And, mentally, I've become much more comfortable with the burning feeling that those elevated levels cause. It should be really interesting to see how I feel when my workouts jump up from about 1300-1600 yards/workout to 2600-3000 yards!!

Finally, in response to a comment left on my last post... enough already!! This blog will be the first place I tell when I get my new triathlon bike. My hope is still to get to Minneapolis sometime in January to go check out the big bike store there, Gear West. They have a great selection and lots of experience in fitting tri bikes. And, just for the record, I ALREADY have a road bike. I've had it for 3 years and it's what I climb aboard 3-4 days/week in my basement for my bike training. It is the perfect RAGBRAI bike, but not the perfect triathlon bike.

This week, I am looking forward to getting a couple more good workouts in, having a great lunch at Hickory Park on Friday with my parents, Jerry, his wife Laurie, and their son AJ, then heading back to the Quad Cities for a quick Christmas visit.

If I don't blog again before Christmas, have a great one!!