Ups and downs of the weekend:
Thursday p.m. as I was taking my son to the allergists, by wonderful (ha!) car decided to die. If you remember, we just spent $1900 in March having the transmission rebuilt--for the third or fourth time, I've lost count. As I write this, it is still in the shop, and while they claim it is not the transmission (I don't believe them), they don't know yet what is wrong. Maybe the fact that it is a 1996 CHRYSLER (yuk!) with over 191,000 miles on it is the real problem. I would love to buy a new/used Honda, but financially that is out of the question.
R-man participated in a 30-hour fast beginning on Friday after breakfast until 1:00 p.m. Saturday. He spent the night at church with the youth group and DID NOT SLEEP AT ALL! He was crabby, tired, and nasty when he came home. I forced him into the shower--I wanted to do one last load of clothes that day. As the dryer started, I heard a thumping noise. I checked it out but couldn't find a problem. A while later, my husband informed me that the noise was R-man's PHONE! YIKES! He left it in his jeans pocket! DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I'VE TOLD HIM TO ALWAYS CHECK HIS POCKETS BEFORE PUTTING HIS JEANS IN THE WASH? Maybe now he will remember?!
Well, he was really tired, and I feel a little bit (but not too) responsible for the damage to the phone. I probably should have checked, but.... J went on line hoping to salvage it. It works--but the battery is dead and the screen is kind of weird and hard to read. We ordered a new battery, and I guess he'll just have to live with it as is--to replace it is about $300 dollars. Needless to say, that is not going to happen!
I don't know if I mentioned it here or only on facebook, but J found a part-time job at the Burr Ridge Marriott, doing exactly what he was doing at his previous Marriott job. He took a drug test last week, and as soon as the results are in, he will be put on the schedule. Yeah, what a great answer to prayer!
I actually rode outside three times this week. Tuesday was a great day--rode for about 1.5 hours. I was due to ride Friday, but the all-day rain nixed that. So I rode on Saturday for another 1.5 hours. WINDY--typical May weather for this time of year. Cool, but not so much that it bothered me. I was still able to wear shorts.
Sunday I rode later in the day--after church and lunch--about 12:30. I was due for a 2.5 hour ride, and to be honest, I was really tired when I started. I did manage to ride about 43 miles, alone, without too much traffic problems, but still the wind was a factor. I followed the ride with a 2.5 mile run. The run actually felt better than the ride. It was perfect weather for running.
So, other than not knowing what is wrong with my car, how much it will cost, and if we have the money to fix it, it wasn't such a bad week. Peanut has about 5 days left of school. She's already finished three subjects, so that makes my life a little easier.
The more I evaluate our finances, the less chance I have of much racing this year. I think the half-iron distance in WI in June is pretty much out. Maybe a couple local sprints and olympic races, with one half in August/September is the new goal.
Congratulations to all who raced this weekend--in Galena, Memphis and Orlando. It's still too cold for me to consider racing outside, but good for all of you who participated.
This week is a recovery week--YEAH! I did a short, easy swim this a.m. just to loosen up. It felt good. The weather forecast looks fantastic, so I may ride a little more than required, just because....
Oh, and the prescription goggles are working pretty good. I haven't worn my contacts in over a week, and my eyes feel much better. It's different swimming with smaller goggles and carrying my glasses around the pool and locker room, but it's well worth it.
Hope everyone has a great week! Until next time--God bless!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Thinking Out Loud
It was an interesting week/weekend. The weather was......inconsistent, which is to say pretty normal for a Chicagoland spring.
Still haven't taken my bike off the trainer. Hoping I can ride outside tomorrow. Training calls for an early swim, bike/run brick later. I need to decide before I sleep if I want to ride outside. It's kind of a pain taking CP off the trainer for the first time--hubby will do it for me and make sure she's ready to rock!
The cover of the latest Triathlete magazine has an article entitled "Body Image--Are Triathletes Obsessed?" That sounds like an oxymoron to me. I don't know ANY triathletes who are not obsessed with their body in one way or another. We spend most of our waking ours in either a swimsuit, shorts, jersey, bra top, etc. We get to see ourselves uncovered all the time, even in the dead of winter. We hang out/train with people wearing the same type of clothing. And let's face it, we usually judge how well an individual will race/perform based on how they look.
Lucky for me and others like me, you can't always judge a book by its cover. Sure, most of the time the "best" athletes look the best, but not always. Read the article if you haven't already. There are some interesting observations by the author Erin Beresini (guy or gal?). And although we would all like to look like the individuals on the covers of the magazines, many of us, no matter how hard we train or diet or even starve ourselves, will ever have that body.
Anyone else as sick of hearing about steroids and performance-enhancing drugs in sports as I am? Manny Ramirez--what a joke! He should be thrown out of baseball for being stupid! How can a grown man take a substance that helps female infertility and claim he had no idea what it was? How can a professional athlete put anything in his body without knowing what it is? If you ask me, there should be a zero tolerance rule in all of sports--not that I believe that will ever happen, because the athlete's unions, teams and leagues would never permit it! They really don't care what the athletes do, as long as it makes them money! And as far as role models go, I have taught my children NEVER LOOK TO A SPORT'S FIGURE AS A ROLE MODEL! There are so many more admirable and deserving individuals to look up to in this world.
Go Blackhawks! Just when I thought they were toast, they rallied and now have a chance to close out the series at home tonight. I really hope they can do it and don't have to go back to Vancouver for a game 7!
I may have mentioned that my daughter Peanut LOVES chocolate (as does her mom). She must have something chocolate in the house at all times. I decided I would bake a chocolate cake from scratch, because the mixes have too much junk in them, and I hate the canned frostings. The first one didn't turn out good-I confused teaspoons with tablespoons when measuring the baking soda and powder. However, the second one was a huge success.
So, I decided to try something else. I found a recipe for Chocolate Lava Cakes. You know, the cakes that have the gooey chocolate center! The recipe said it would make 10 large muffins. Well, I guess my muffin tins are way too small, because it made 26. I had one last night, and they are orgasmic! When I told Peanut that, she asked me what orgasmic means--oh oh, she's only 11--I hope I explained it OK! (Note to self--remember to think before you speak!). Anyway, they are a huge success--hubby ate too many and went to bed in a lava cake coma!
Had some good workouts last week. Did my long run on the treadmill, because of course that day it was cold, wet, windy, yukky! But I did get two 6 mile runs at Waterfall Glenn. I love that path--it has everything. Saturday was not a good day to ride outside, but it was great running. The path was really empty for a weekend morning, and I only got run off the path once by two women dressed in only shorts and bra tops, running about a 6 minute pace. I guess if you're younger, sexy looking and fast, it's OK to hog the ENTIRE WIDTH OF THE PATH! Oh well, I guess some people just don't pay attention to what's happening outside their world.
Had an OK mother's day. Spoke with my mom on the phone. I really don't like eating out, so hubby grilled some chicken and I made mashed potatoes and corn on the cob. It was a nice, relaxing day.
I'm into the heavier part of my training schedule, assuming I will do a 70.3 race on June 20th.
Last week totals:
Swim: 6x = 12,000 meters
Bike: 3x = 61miles (on trainer)
Run: 3x = 21 miles
S/C/S: 3x = 2:04
Total Time: 15:30 hours
Calories: 7,900
Hope everyone has a great week of training. Good luck to everyone competing in Galena on Saturday.
Until next time--God bless!
Still haven't taken my bike off the trainer. Hoping I can ride outside tomorrow. Training calls for an early swim, bike/run brick later. I need to decide before I sleep if I want to ride outside. It's kind of a pain taking CP off the trainer for the first time--hubby will do it for me and make sure she's ready to rock!
The cover of the latest Triathlete magazine has an article entitled "Body Image--Are Triathletes Obsessed?" That sounds like an oxymoron to me. I don't know ANY triathletes who are not obsessed with their body in one way or another. We spend most of our waking ours in either a swimsuit, shorts, jersey, bra top, etc. We get to see ourselves uncovered all the time, even in the dead of winter. We hang out/train with people wearing the same type of clothing. And let's face it, we usually judge how well an individual will race/perform based on how they look.
Lucky for me and others like me, you can't always judge a book by its cover. Sure, most of the time the "best" athletes look the best, but not always. Read the article if you haven't already. There are some interesting observations by the author Erin Beresini (guy or gal?). And although we would all like to look like the individuals on the covers of the magazines, many of us, no matter how hard we train or diet or even starve ourselves, will ever have that body.
Anyone else as sick of hearing about steroids and performance-enhancing drugs in sports as I am? Manny Ramirez--what a joke! He should be thrown out of baseball for being stupid! How can a grown man take a substance that helps female infertility and claim he had no idea what it was? How can a professional athlete put anything in his body without knowing what it is? If you ask me, there should be a zero tolerance rule in all of sports--not that I believe that will ever happen, because the athlete's unions, teams and leagues would never permit it! They really don't care what the athletes do, as long as it makes them money! And as far as role models go, I have taught my children NEVER LOOK TO A SPORT'S FIGURE AS A ROLE MODEL! There are so many more admirable and deserving individuals to look up to in this world.
Go Blackhawks! Just when I thought they were toast, they rallied and now have a chance to close out the series at home tonight. I really hope they can do it and don't have to go back to Vancouver for a game 7!
I may have mentioned that my daughter Peanut LOVES chocolate (as does her mom). She must have something chocolate in the house at all times. I decided I would bake a chocolate cake from scratch, because the mixes have too much junk in them, and I hate the canned frostings. The first one didn't turn out good-I confused teaspoons with tablespoons when measuring the baking soda and powder. However, the second one was a huge success.
So, I decided to try something else. I found a recipe for Chocolate Lava Cakes. You know, the cakes that have the gooey chocolate center! The recipe said it would make 10 large muffins. Well, I guess my muffin tins are way too small, because it made 26. I had one last night, and they are orgasmic! When I told Peanut that, she asked me what orgasmic means--oh oh, she's only 11--I hope I explained it OK! (Note to self--remember to think before you speak!). Anyway, they are a huge success--hubby ate too many and went to bed in a lava cake coma!
Had some good workouts last week. Did my long run on the treadmill, because of course that day it was cold, wet, windy, yukky! But I did get two 6 mile runs at Waterfall Glenn. I love that path--it has everything. Saturday was not a good day to ride outside, but it was great running. The path was really empty for a weekend morning, and I only got run off the path once by two women dressed in only shorts and bra tops, running about a 6 minute pace. I guess if you're younger, sexy looking and fast, it's OK to hog the ENTIRE WIDTH OF THE PATH! Oh well, I guess some people just don't pay attention to what's happening outside their world.
Had an OK mother's day. Spoke with my mom on the phone. I really don't like eating out, so hubby grilled some chicken and I made mashed potatoes and corn on the cob. It was a nice, relaxing day.
I'm into the heavier part of my training schedule, assuming I will do a 70.3 race on June 20th.
Last week totals:
Swim: 6x = 12,000 meters
Bike: 3x = 61miles (on trainer)
Run: 3x = 21 miles
S/C/S: 3x = 2:04
Total Time: 15:30 hours
Calories: 7,900
Hope everyone has a great week of training. Good luck to everyone competing in Galena on Saturday.
Until next time--God bless!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Tired....or maybe just old!
I read a "Dear Amy" letter the other day in which the writer was a 50-something year old individual (not sure man or woman). This person was told repeatedly at times "you look tired". Not knowing how to respond, he asked the columnist for help. Her answer was to reply--I'm not necessarily tired, just old! Well, that's how I'm starting to feel on some days. Age, stress, physical wear and tear can really take a toll when you reach almost 54!
I had a lot of thoughts on things to write the past week, but now that I'm actually sitting down and writing, of course I can't remember anything really interesting or important.
Outdoor triathlon season officially kicks off in this area with the Galena Du & Tri on May 16th. The water temperature is at best in the 60's, so not a race I ever plan to do. Good luck to all you brave souls planning to race.
Spring running is well underway, and congratulations to all who have raced! The weather has been iffy to say the least, but that's life in the Midwest.
I worked hard last week. Put in lots of time and miles. I had a s/b/r day on Saturday and again yesterday. Although yesterday I swam and biked early, and ran in the evening (something I NEVER do, with the exception of last year's ironman). I enjoyed the quiet of the path and the beautiful weather, but I'm a little sore and tired today. Will swim later just to stretch and loosen up.
Still haven't taken the bike off the trainer. Peanut will be done with school in about two weeks, so that's when I'll be able to ride outside consistently. Hoping to ride outside Saturday, weather/time permitting!
I've been spending a little bit of time on facebook. It's fun because it's quick and easy. I'd love to be your friend. Check me out--Karen Martin Moy is my name!
Last weeks totals:
Swim: 5x = 10,500 meters
Bike: 3x = 75 miles (trainer)
Run: 3x = 17 miles (1 TM, 2 outside)
S/C/S: 4x = 2:41
Total: 15:43
Calories: 7,300
April totals:
Swim: 46,000 meters
Bike: 338 miles (on trainer)
Run: 75 miles
Strength/Core/Stretch: 14 hours
Total : 73 hours
P.S. Just added up the miles I've bike on my trainer since November: 2,500 plus! WOW! Can't wait to see how that translates to the road!
Hope everyone has a good week/weekend.
Until next time--God bless!
I had a lot of thoughts on things to write the past week, but now that I'm actually sitting down and writing, of course I can't remember anything really interesting or important.
Outdoor triathlon season officially kicks off in this area with the Galena Du & Tri on May 16th. The water temperature is at best in the 60's, so not a race I ever plan to do. Good luck to all you brave souls planning to race.
Spring running is well underway, and congratulations to all who have raced! The weather has been iffy to say the least, but that's life in the Midwest.
I worked hard last week. Put in lots of time and miles. I had a s/b/r day on Saturday and again yesterday. Although yesterday I swam and biked early, and ran in the evening (something I NEVER do, with the exception of last year's ironman). I enjoyed the quiet of the path and the beautiful weather, but I'm a little sore and tired today. Will swim later just to stretch and loosen up.
Still haven't taken the bike off the trainer. Peanut will be done with school in about two weeks, so that's when I'll be able to ride outside consistently. Hoping to ride outside Saturday, weather/time permitting!
I've been spending a little bit of time on facebook. It's fun because it's quick and easy. I'd love to be your friend. Check me out--Karen Martin Moy is my name!
Last weeks totals:
Swim: 5x = 10,500 meters
Bike: 3x = 75 miles (trainer)
Run: 3x = 17 miles (1 TM, 2 outside)
S/C/S: 4x = 2:41
Total: 15:43
Calories: 7,300
April totals:
Swim: 46,000 meters
Bike: 338 miles (on trainer)
Run: 75 miles
Strength/Core/Stretch: 14 hours
Total : 73 hours
P.S. Just added up the miles I've bike on my trainer since November: 2,500 plus! WOW! Can't wait to see how that translates to the road!
Hope everyone has a good week/weekend.
Until next time--God bless!
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