I'm still here. . .

. . . but I wonder why at times.  The plantar fasciitis that I had earlier this year turned out to not be PF.  It actually turned out to be a nerve entrapment in my ass and it is still lingering months later.  Whenever I walk around all day long, and I've done that a lot since I've gone on two longer vacations, it just hurts and burns.  I'll do my work, but just still hurts.  This isn't preventing me from running, but it does hurt afterwards.

I'm done with triathlon training and I'm back to weights and running.  Nothing special about either of those at the moment.  I'm excited to get back in the weight room though because there's just something about feeling pretty sore the day after a hard gym session.  My weight is up and down.  I can get it down to a point and then a vacation hits.  And I've realized that I like beer and ice cream too much.

Asics Mileage: 163 miles

First race, third place

On August 3rd, I did the Jack's Generic Tri up at Lake Pflugerville.  I like the area around the lake so I was actually a bit excited to do that race because I've never done it before.  I signed up for the sprint because I wasn't ready for the Olympic.  I ended up getting 3rd place in my age group!  I was quite surprised by this because I didn't feel like I was in that good of shape.  I've been pretty consistent but I haven't been pushing myself that hard.  I ended up getting 2nd on the swim, 3rd on the bike, and not surprisingly, 12th on the run out of about 27 people.  Just shows that I really need to work on running.  But I'll be happy to take hardware home any day.

I still have some PF going on but when I saw my PT today, we found out it is more of a nerve entrapment issue than PF right now.  Still sucks and my running is still limited.  I wish I could run and I wish it was cooler.

My tri season is done at this point.  With being injured and only about a month of races, I don't think it is worth it at this point.  Running in the heat isn't pleasant but I'll do it, biking in the heat is fine, but what has been bothering me lately is swimming in the pool.  The water temp is 80* even with the sprayers on and I'm just completely wiped after those kinds of swims.  I feel overheated and dehydrated.  I might have a couple of swims this month and then switch back to weights and running.  Well, the weights in a few weeks and running once my foot feels better.  I'll probably be running with Coach Mac this year though and see how it goes.

4 weeks ago: 0 miles
3 weeks ago: 3 miles
2 weeks ago: 7.5 miles
Last week: 8 miles

Asics mileage: 94 miles

Hell hath no fury like a plantar fascia scorn

I've been having a bit of plantar fasciitis going on over the last few months.  I've been trying to manage it until two Thursdays ago.  I went for a run in the morning and after that, it was PISSED OFF!  I was limping around for 2 days straight.  Felt better on Saturday, went for a run, and it was pissed off again.  Back to physical therapy for me.  It isn't that bad right now, but I tried to run yesterday and that barely lasted half a mile.  It felt like a nail going into my heel with every step.  Bagged the run and went to yoga instead.

I've realized that I used to be a lot better at swimming.  I pulled aout a 1:09 for 100yds a few weeks ago, but in a race situation, I've gotten a lot worse.  I keep doing the Splash N Dashes and the swims I'm doing are some of the slowest I have ever done.  I don't know if I've lost that top gear or what, but they're definitely slower and I don't like it.  I need to make myself hurt a bit more with all of the athletic stuff that I do so I'm going to start doing that.

And now, I'm going to take a nap.

2 weeks ago: 10.5 miles
Last week: 9.5 miles
This week: 2.5 miles

Asics mileage: 75.5 miles

Most of the time, I really don't like working out. . .

. . . but I do it for the same reason why almost everyone else works out: I want to look good naked.

It is getting hot in Austin, but not nearly as hot as it could be.  Thankfully, we haven't had a 100* day yet, but it is still hot and humid in the mornings.  Long runs are a war of attrition, but bike rides are fine.  Oh, I have also been reminded that when I swim at lunch, I need to put on sunscreen.

Everything regarding training is going fine for the most part.  I'm taking it relatively easy to not burn myself out.  The downside to that is that I'm not pushing myself that much so although I'm fit, I'm not up to my potential.  And frankly, I'm OK with that right now.  I'm not a pro, my self worth isn't determined by my race times, and there's a lot more to life than training 20 hours a week.  Besides the weekends, I'm rarely doing doubles, but I should probably do a few more though.  Work has been crazy as well as other crazy things going on in my personal life.  But overall, things are fine.

3 weeks ago: 9.5 miles
2 weeks ago: 3 miles
1 week ago: 9 miles
This week: 15 miles

Asics run mileage: 53 miles

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I couldn't think of anything relevant to say so I just put something funnyish in the title.

The good thing is that I seem to be better about updating my training blog.  The bad thing is that I still think I'm the only person that reads it.  Two weeks ago was a meh week.  Work was kicking my ass so I skipped a few workouts.  My run mileage for the week reflects it.
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Last week, my run mileage was the highest it has been in a long time at 20.5 miles.  I also switched out shoes because I started to get a bit of plantar fasciitis in my right foot and was having overall lower body pains.  I think they had 320 miles or so so it was time to change them.

The heat is picking up as it gets closer to summer in Texas.  The result of that is that I run slower.  I don't think it is really the heat but more the humidity that knocks me down a few pegs.  I'm focused on running as I usually am since it is my weakest sport.  I've been getting about 2 swims and 2 bike rides in a week.  I'm not following the training plan 100% but I'm about 75-80% which is fine considering my goals this year.  I'm also starting to fit in more weights which helps with the right knee pain that I have.  Overall, I'm feeling pretty good since I'm not putting a lot of pressure on myself and I'm still having fun.  There are definitely times where beer, ice cream, and the couch seem much more appealing, but I just gotta get out the door.

My weight dipped down to 185 from 190 in 5 weeks.  Then I hit 185 2 weeks in a row.  Right now, I'm up a few pounds so I'm concerned about what is going on.  I feel that I'm eating fairly healthy with a few unhealthy meals here and there.  I think the weight loss may be due to dehydration so I've been making sure to hydrate this week to see where I weigh in on Friday.  However, people are saying that I'm looking leaner and that I've lost inches.  I do feel a bit leaner, but not drastically leaner.  My clothes are looser, but I think I build a lot of muscle from swimming.

2 weeks ago: 11.5 miles
Last week: 20.5 miles

Old Asics mileage: 321.5 miles
New Asics mileage: 16.5 miles

I cleaned my bike

I cleaned my bike because it was absolutely filthy.  It was last washed probably 2 years ago.  It is looking much better now.  I put some new tires on it yesterday, but I need to get the bar tape redone as well.

I'm back with Texas Iron.  Well, kinda.  I'm showing up to the group workouts and I'm receiving the training schedule, but I'm not really following the training schedule.  My life has been insane lately so it is good that I'm still sticking with some semblance of a training plan.  However, my coach did compliment me kinda on my first workout back.  She said that I'm actually in shape because most of the time when I come back after some time off, I'm huffing and puffing pretty badly.  Well, I have been doing stuff on my own so I'm not completely out of shape.

This week has been more consistent than last week so that is good.  IT is getting hot so my running is about to take a complete nose dive very shortly.  I can do everything else in the heat except for running.  Not much else to say besides I'm feeling pretty good so far and I hope it stays that way.

Last week: 13.5 miles
This week: 19.5 miles

Asics mileage: 306 miles

I finally shaved my legs

I just got out of the shower about an hour ago and I now have nice, smoothish legs for the first time in almost a year.  The reason for this is that I'm seeing my physical therapist again and while there, I usually get taped up for various reasons.  Removing that tape a few days laters freaking hurts!

Been doing my own training for April and it has been going well so far.  I've had a few off days but for the most part, I've been fairly consistent on my own.  In May, I'm getting back with Texas Iron which will push me and keep me on track as well.  At this point, I'm feeling pretty good about triathlon training, but we will see how it goes.  Of the 3 disciplines, I seem to bounce back with swimming the fastest.  For most people, it is the most unforgiving but not for me for some odd reason.  I was out of the pool for at least 6 months and on my 3rd week back, I bust out a 1:13 for 100yds.  I was completely gassed after that, but I still did it!

Oh, I think it is time for new bike tires since I can see the threads through the rubber.

4 weeks ago: 6.5 miles
3 weeks ago: 15.5 miles
2 weeks ago: 14.5 miles
This week: 15.5 miles

Asics run mileage: 273 miles

Damnit, I have to shave my legs again

Yesterday was the first bike ride that I have had in months.  As soon as I got on my bike and got on the road, I looked down at my hairy legs and realized that I have to start shaving them again.  Damnit!

In addition to my first bike ride in months, I also had my first swim in months.  The bike ride felt fine the entire time but the swim was up and down.  It was great at first, then it sucked, but towards the end, it felt pretty good again.  I also got a few runs in and that's about it.  I may try to actually swim again tomorrow morning so we will see how that goes.  At this point, I'm actually kind of looking forward to tri training again.

6 Weeks Ago: 4 miles
5 Weeks Ago: Snowboarding!
4 Weeks Ago: 15 miles
3 Weeks Ago: 17.5 miles
2 Weeks Ago: 5 miles
Last Week: Snowboarding!
This Week: 11.5 miles

Asics Run Mileage: 221 miles

Fatletic

A few weeks ago, I got my body fat measured with the water dunk test.  I came out at 20.5% which I think qualifies me as fatletic.  I'm definitely in shape but I have a bit of wiggle wiggle wiggle around the middle middle middle.  It is a complete lack of discipline and an addiction to beer and ice cream.  I started getting things back on track but then I went on vacation.  I have no excuses besides me not being able to say no.  This was pretty eye opening for me so hopefully it will give me some focus again to get my weight and body fat down.

Last week was the last trip I had to Colorado for this season of snowboarding.  I really love snowboarding!  It is now back to triathlon training.  I've signed up for swim lessons and I'll start shaving my legs again this week.  My plan is to keep it pretty casual on my own for April and then get back to Texas Iron for May.  No idea when I'll do my first race but I'll probably do only 4 or so this season.  I hope that my triathlon motivation comes back this season.  If not, I likely won't keep training for them.  I say that now but I like the idea of doing triathlons but when it comes down to it, I have trouble putting all 3 disciplines together consistently and enjoying it.

My running is still doing decently.  I'm pretty consistent except for when I'm snowboarding.  I don't really freak out by not doing anything when I'm in CO because snowboarding is a pretty damn good workout in of itself.  Many times I'll be out of breath or sweating so I'm definitely getting a workout in.

OK, I'm done posting tonight.  I'll post more later this week after my first week back to tri training.

Not a bad run on Tuesday

I got back from 11 full days in Colorado on Monday and I went for a run on Tuesday.  I had a shitty day at work so I ran a short 4 miles and ran how I felt.  I ended up running 3 miles at a sub 8min/mile pace with one of them being over 8min/mile, but the average for the entire run was 8:02min/mile.  Not bad but I don't know whether it was from 2 weeks of altitude acclimation or the pent up stress.  Had 2 other runs but trying to take it a bit slowly.  My knees were cranky after each run so I don't want to push it to hard.  Also, I'm starting to get in the mindset for triathlon training.  My biggest thing last year was just the mental thing and fighting through shit.  Trying to psyche myself up for it this year so I don't have a lackluster year like I did last year.  I mean, I really like doing the 3 sports but getting excited about it last year just fucking didn't happen.

Things are wrapping up in the gym.  Had the penultimate personal training session on Friday and will have the finale this Friday.  I like lifting weights, but can't focus on triathlons and weights at the same time.  I'll keep up with the push ups and pull ups but that's about it.  Well, yoga too but I've found that there always should be time for yoga.

Since getting back from vacation, my weight is back up to 190.  It's bothering me a moderate amount but I'm not whining about it.  I know what I need to do to get back in the low 180s and I'm taking this as motivation to get my discipline back on track to get where I want to be.  Starting tomorrow, I'll be counting my calories again and staying away from alcohol during the week.  The weird thing is that since I got back from CO, my mouth is watering constantly.  I'm spitting a lot and my body is telling me that I'm always hungry because of it.  I'm downing a lot of water to counteract it but I just seem to be stuffing everything in my mouth.

And I absolutely love snowboarding.  As soon as I got back, I couldn't wait to go again.  It's so much fun and I don't think about anything else when I'm on the mountain.

Definitely snowboarding season

Definitely snowboarding season since I'm not running that much due to trips out of town.  And sometimes I wonder why I keep up with this blog if I only update it once every 6 weeks.

On a more positive note, my PT has said I pretty much have the green light to run however I want.  Ok, not exactly that yet, but getting closer.  When I have been running, I have been taking it easy running at slower paces.  My knees started feeling fine and weren't really sore nor hurting after the runs.  My PT checked me out, I told him what was going on, and he said I could start adding in a speed workout once a week.  If my knee is feeling good after a few more weeks, I can go back to running without any restrictions.  I'll take it!

Since snowboarding is getting in the way of running, I might as well talk about it too.  My last trip was pretty damn good.  The first 2 days were amazing and I really pushed myself and increased my confidence.  I was getting faster and better at turns.  Passing people became a common occurrence instead of getting passed by people.  I still fell a few times, but I bounced back and kept going.  I took a lesson on Saturday and it screwed me up a bit.  I think I'm done with lessons since I seem to go backwards with my abilities whenever I take a lesson.  Hell, I still get down the mountain fine the way that I ride right now.

Gym stuff is still happening as well.  Oh, and yoga.  I finally learned how to do crow pose in yoga and can do it at will now.  It's awesome!  Still can't do a handstand but I'll continue to work on that.  I also tried another arm balance and got it on the first attempt.  I think it was called shoulder press pose.  I have a couple more sessions with my personal trainer and then it is back to triathlon training.  I kind of miss swimming.

7 weeks ago: 8.25 miles
6 weeks ago: 12.25 miles
5 weeks ago: 17.25 miles
4 weeks ago: 4 miles
3 weeks ago: 5 miles
2 weeks ago: 13.25 miles
Last week: 12.5 miles

Asics run mileage: 168 miles

Year In Running (2013)

Well, here is another year end update regarding my training for the past year.  My focus has always been running mostly because I'm such a shitty runner.  Hey, if you aren't good at something, you gotta work at it, right?  That's what I do and I'm still not a better runner, but I'll keep trying.  Maybe one day something magical will happen.  I ran a total of 426 miles this year which is 146 fewer than last year.  If you look at those absolute numbers, yes, I did drop off substantially.  However, I also got hurt this year and didn't run at all for about 3 months.  I averaged 8.2 miles per week for the entire year but if you exclude those 3 months where I was injured, I averaged 10.9 miles per week.  That's not that bad and I'm fairly happy with that.  Even with that, it took over 2 months to get back to full time running again.  So, when I have been running, it was pretty good.

I did get back into triathlons this year but my heart really wasn't into it.  I'll try it again this year but if I have another year where it isn't that enjoyable to me, I may be done with triathlons for good.  I do enjoy running, I enjoy biking, and I enjoy swimming, but the level of persistent training is what got to me.  I did have a pretty good time at the few races that I did.

Working with my personal trainer has been great and I've never been stronger.  I love feeling this way.  I'm not strong in the traditional sense where I can bench 225 pounds ten times but I'm just overall fit.

I checked out my goals for 2013 and my goals for 2014 are pretty much the same.

1) 178 and maintain it.  This one may change because my muscle mass has increased so much over the last year.
2) Get back into triathlons.
3) Sub 45 10k.
4) Keep up the motivation.
5) 11 pull ups.

Let's kick ass together, 2014.

2013 running miles: 426 miles