Back in the saddle

Good news for readers who actually believe I do triathlons. A mere 12 months from now I'll be toeing the line at Ironman Wisconsin, God-willing. So that means plenty of time to contemplate exciting subjects such as periodization, nutrition, training plans and the current state of my general slothiness. Yippee.

I thought my Ironman days were behind me. After crossing my last finish line and feeling my knees seize up like at arthritic octogenarian, my brain said "no more!" Instead, I tried to become holistic and kind to my body. I meditated and practiced yoga. Tried to embrace leisurely walks instead of runs. I naively thought my appetite would decrease as my energy needs dropped. (Yeah, right.) I would become Sting-like with inner peace. The results of Project Peaceful Jen are in -- total failure.

Then David started grumbling about always wanting to do an Ironman. I inwardly groaned. Really? An Ironman? Why not a half? Maybe a couple sprints? Nope. He wants the whole enchilada. And he asked if I'd do it with him. I hemmed and hawed, listing all the reasons an Ironman hurts. Then I made the mistake of watching the finisher videos at this year's Wisconsin race. And so I said yes. September 12, 2010. Lake Monona here we come.

So, now I can actually blog about training, though we're still far, far away from racing. Saturday was a lovely 24 mile ride and three mile tempo run. Yesterday was the most pathetic 3.5 mile run ever at Shawnee Mission Park. So pathetic, I'm not even counting it. It is clear my endurance base is sadly eroded. Grrrr. Exciting plans today for lifting over lunch and a spin class tonight with psycho instructor Toni. The woman makes you hurt. But is a sadistic way, I'm ready for a little pain. Which is why I signed up in the first place.

Comments

White Elephant Gone Wrong

I don't like white elephant (WE) gift exchanges. Yes, they may include laughter and good-natured teasing (I prefer bad-natured teasing), but they include the stress of finding the perfect gift. Plus, I don't believe in re-gifting trash. A box full of old magazines is not a good WE gift. No one wants it. Therefore, you are done with the exchange if you pick this gift, which is what happened to Husband. My viewpoint is not shared with most people. One of those people is my stepmom who in recent years has included WE exchanges at our family Christmas. However, this year I was excited. If you have read my blog, you will know Husband is a saver. (We do not use the word hoarder.) We're also trying to get rid of stuff we no longer need. Husband also has friends that give him funny, ridiculous items that he saves. You can see how all this would add up to somehow already having the perfect WE gift. So there was hope. I'd already identified it - the velvet picture of a ...

I love Russell Brand, even in skinny jeans

Training is about a B- right now. Running has been minimal due to some calf issues. I blame the feet shoes. Boyfriend and I saw Get Him to the Greek last night and found it surprisingly good. (Unlike Hot Tub Time Machine , which we had high hopes for and was only ho-hum.) Laughed to the point of tears several times. Russell Brand can actually act and P Diddy is hilarious. If you like Superbad type humor, you will like this. I ranked it above The Hangover , though Boyfriend didn’t quite agree with that assessment. Followed movie with a scoop of chocolate-peanut butter from Baskin-Robbins. Perfect summer night.

Holiday Homestretch

Two weeks off, people. After today, it will be sixteen lovely days until I return to the world of meetings, projects and deadlines. Sixteen days. Christmas break is such a lovely perk to working in higher education. Those in the corporate world, feel free to brag about bonuses, profit sharing and the like. On your own blog, of course. There are no big plans, other the the normal holiday family visits, which suits me just fine. Initially, I thought a few days would be spent painting the living room. It's embarrassing how long there have been drywall patches showing, but whatever. We have a baby. Nothing gets done. I've accepted it. However, Husband surprised me by having a painter take care of it last week. Hallelujah! Two days of freedom regained. Now the home improvement snowball has started. New mantle for the fireplace. New vanity for the bathroom. Paint the hallway. Tile the backsplash. We'll be lucky if we get one done before spring. We're also contemplatin...

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