The last few days

Hannah:
I've been a bit busy recently so training has taken a back seat. I did run on Thursday for 30mins, I followed the run with a 30min easy swim. I had no time on Friday to train and the weekend was taken up with parties (social 3yr old) and relatives visiting. '

Today I ran at 8am. I was just going to do the usual 'hill' run but the cow (oh, those bloody cows) were in the way. One even had the audacity to be leaning against the gate! I decided against scaling the river bank and turned around. I then thought a bit of speed work might go down well so I did 6 lots of 1minute. I ran the 1mins very hard. I made it harder by giving myself a minutes recovery. By recovery this meant standing on the path breathing very loudly with my heart thumping and my legs aching! I then staggered/jogged home!

YAWN!

Lorraine:
As I said, I went swimming last night since I missed it in the morning. I got to the pool at about 8:30 and was done about 9pm, then I ran to the store, then went home to watch the tail end of a movie that was on w/Mary. Imagine my delight when Oliver woke up at 4am (luckily I settled him down again pretty quickly). I then headed off to the gym at 5 and did a 5k run on the treadmill (still cold outside in the mornings, can you believe it??). I felt a little sluggish I have to say - I think it had to do with exercising at night and again in the morning. Or maybe I was feeling sluggish since I read mind-melting celebrity news while running. I have no interest in the fashion pieces (surprise, surprise) and was less than amused by the endless coverage of how to become a "recessionista." In other words, a fashionista in a recession. How very, very clever.

Ill!

Hannah:
Yesterday (Monday) was the peak of my stressfulness (is that a word)...naturally I wake up this morning with a stress induced cold.

I went to the gym and ran steadily for 30mins on the treadmill. I felt much better so swam for half an hour. Needless to say, I now feel worse! An early night and a rest day tomorrow should sort me out.

I don't really need to get the bike out, right?

I still have not fished my bike out of the basement...

Another long catch-up. I will stop doing these and get back in blogging shape soon!

Last Wed
Lifting day - I've changed this a bit so it's a catch-all day at the gym, including plenty of arms lifting, a little bit of legs lifting, and some abs. I tried to do that abs thing where you dangle by your arms and lift your legs up, but found it quite....challenging. So I did other abs stuff involving that big exercise ball and the very tilted bench where all the blood rushes to your head.

Last Thur
This day was a "morale event" at work which involved showing up somewhere at 6:45am to get on a boat for 3 hours and then not get back into dock near home until 6:30pm. Talk about improving morale! Anyway, I just headed to the gym briefly for a 35-min stationary bike ride and tried to push it relatively hard. During the morale event I have to add that I went on a 45-minute hike but I should also add to be fair that I ate for well more than 45 minutes :)

Last Fri - nothing! Day off.

Saturday
I wanted to do another mini-brick, so I headed to the gym again. It was actually another freezing day, so don't fault me for yet again leaving my bike in the basement! I rode the bike for 12 miles, which is the short triathlon distance. I put the resistance pretty high, and at that level (while reading a trashy magazine) it took about 35 minutes. I wiped down the bike and trotted immediately over to the treadmill, where I ran at a 10 minute mile pace (yes I'm a slowpoke!) for one mile. It felt good and I could have done more but a 45 minute workout w/shower afterwards was pushing it during naptime! Anyway, hopefully in the future I'll have time to do more running after the bike. I can see how it's really important to practice that as the muscles used are quite different.

Sunday
I wanted to go for an outdoor run but the only time I had free was about 11:30am - too early for naptime, so I figured I had to go to the gym so the kids could go to the daycare. As we were about to head out, my carpool buddy's wife called and said her hubby could watch all four kids so we could go for a run together around the lake! I haven't ever really run with other people as I'm always scared I'll be too horrifically panting and won't be able to talk and will slow the other person down. So we went, and it was great for my self-esteem! We had a good run, it felt comfortable and I would happily do it again. If only Hannah and I were in the same spot!

Today I would normally have gone for a 5am swim, but I'll be doing it tonight instead for various reasons.

This weekend we're going away for a long weekend (Thurs-Sun) while the kiddos go to grandparents!! I'll take running gear and they have bikes to borrow, so here's hoping I stay somewhat on track.

Race for Life

Hannah:
Every year in the UK over half a million women take part in the 'Race for Life' races raising money for Cancer research. Each race is 5km long and women can run, jog or walk their way round.
Today, my mum (Val) and I took part in a local 'Race for Life'. We lined up alongside 4600 other women all participating for various reasons. Apart from wearing race numbers, most participants also wear a pink sign on their back naming all the people they are running for or are running in memory of. Val and I ran with the name of a family friend on our backs. Joe died of lung cancer aged just 32 earlier this year, he had never smoked and never got to meet his baby daughter born 2months after he died. Val and I walked and ran round the course, we were joined by Sophie for the final half mile. It was a very emotional race. Reading the signs on the other women's backs was heartbreaking. For more info about 'Race for Life' in the UK, click here!

Being social at the gym!

Hannah:

Quite a few of the other mums in Sophie's class are members of my gym- it is the closest one to the school...and probably the nicest in the area! Normally we all say hi to each other and then go and do our sessions. Today though, I ran side by side on the treadmill with another mum. We chatted for the whole 30mins about school things, it was great catching up with playground gossip! I had upped my speed again (by another 0.2kph) which I didn't notice as I was too busy being social!

I then went for a swim and got chatting with the lady sharing my lane. She is friends with the treadmill mum...small world! We had a chat about swimming, holidays and injuries! In total I swam about 600m! I then met the Nanny of Sophie's school friend and we had a chat...more playground gossip! I haven't been this social in ages...it feels good!

So, 30mins of running at a new speed and 600m of swimming! I was on such a high that I went shopping and bought some new jeans in a size smaller than my current jeans...yay! Happy, happy, happy!

Bizarre dream!

Hannah:
Last night I had a very odd dream. I dreamt that John, Sophie and I had flown to Seattle for me to take part in the Seattle Triathlon...except that Seattle had moved and was now next to Tennessee on the map! We met up with Lorraine, Mary, Amelia and Oliver. Mary and John said that Lorraine and I could go out for the night to discuss race tactics...we were keen on winning! We went to a bar where my bag was stolen. On race day Lorraine and I started the swim, we were leading until we came into transition and we couldn't find our tandem bike. I then woke up!

Yep...odd! Is this a sign that both Lorraine and I are going to win our triathlons? Is it a sign that I am feeling ill prepared? Is it a sign that we need anther meet up...or maybe the dream was just a sign of impending madness, who knows!

Now back to reality. On Monday I had a bonus swim session as Sophie had her swimming lesson. I managed 1.2km. Sophie's swim teacher was keen on stopping me at the end of some lengths to show me some marvellous thing that Sophie was doing!

On Tuesday I ran on the treadmill, I upped the speed by 0.2kph...not much but it felt faster! I then pedalled on the bike for 10km. I did the first 5km at an easyish pace and then I went up through the levels and pushed the final 5km.

Today (Wednesday) I didn't train as I met with a mum who has a child who is very similar to Sophie.

Lazy blogger!

Lorraine:
You could say busy or lazy...but I haven't updated in ages!

Friday
Happily recovering from seven-course, six-drink (one cocktail and five tasting wines) magnificent dinner Thursday night. No exercise! Even got to sleep until 7:45am....can't say I've done that in years.

Saturday
Due to a scheduling conflict I only had 25 minutes, so I tossed on running gear and headed straight out from the house rather than driving over to the lake. This meant that there were more hills (gasp!) involved, but it was a lovely run and I got back just in time. Maybe because it was shorter, but I felt energetic and wanted to keep going!

Sunday
Same ol' same ol' - spinning classfor 45 minutes. It occurred to me as I clomped away on my bike shoes that I should bring running shoes so I can try to run even a touch after the class - it's one of the only two days I really have more than 30 minutes! And I want to be like cool Hannah...

Monday
A morning swim, the typical Lorraine Thirty Minute Swim Workout, up at 4:50 and home by 6am.

Tuesday
Today I was determined to run outside in the morning since I've been so wimpy lately with "June-uary" as it's being called here in Seattle. Fishing around in the drawers in the dark I could not find my gym pants, so I headed out in tiny flimsy shorts and a long sleeve running shirt. Let me just say BRRRR. But the run itself was perfectly fine - around the lake (3mi) as usual!

The hill!

Hannah:
I ran up the hill! I ran up the hill! I didn't stop once. I ran up the hill!

As you can tell, I am rather pleased with myself! My mind was pre-occupied with something school related (as usual) so I didn't notice my lungs bursting, my legs screaming and the sweat dripping! I made it to the top and just carried on. I was only a few seconds off my best time for the course so I was really pleased!

The last few days...

Hannah:
I haven't updated my training this week.
On Monday I went to LegoLand with Sophie so didn't have any opportunity to train. I did manage rather a lot of roller coaster rides though.

On Tuesday I ran for 30mins on the treadmill and then had a little cool down swim. I have never been very good at tumble turns (flip turns) but I managed for 10laps, which has to be an all time record! My swimming lane filled up with breast-strokers so I got out as they were annoying me a little!

On Wednesday I sat on the bike and rode 20kms. I used the 'random' cycle setting which meant a few hills, I wanted to try and ride the second 10km faster than the first10km. I also tried to keep my cadence above 90 for the whole ride. I jumped into the pool after my bike and swam for 15minutes.

Today, I felt so stressed out (the culmination of several weeks) that the motivation was very very low. I forced myself onto the treadmill and just ran. I can't say it helped me feel any less stressed but it was a good run. I had a long shower, ordered a large smoothie and then read the paper.

Wardrobe malfunction

Lorraine:
Due to a "wardrobe malfunction" I wasn't able to run today as I'd hoped to, so I just hopped on the elliptical at the gym for 35 minutes and tried to work as hard as possible. Oh right, and also I "read" a trashy celeb magazine.

Tonight we're going out to what will prove to be a wonderfully long dinner complete with wine flight (holiday gift!).....so there will be no working out tomorrow!!

Burst of activity

Lorraine:
Yesterday after sitting in a training all day and stuffing my face with free food (no need to list it here) I felt dumpy and sluggish, so I headed to the gym in the evening and cycled pretty hard for 12 miles, which I think is the distance we have to ride for on the triathlon. It took quite a while, but then I had put it on a pretty high resistance. I was certainly panting and sweating heavily at the end!

And THEN after finishing cooking a veggie pasta dish for 25 people at today's class picnic for Amelia (which I can't attend) last night at 11pm, I got up bright and early and headed to the pool. I think I've found the perfect swim workout for the 30 minutes I can be in the water. I do 15 laps (the triathlon length) pretty hard, then 10 laps with the pull buoy so I'm using arms only, then 10 laps with the kickboard so legs only. It definitely feels like a good workout.

Conspiracy theory

Lorraine:
For various reasons I had to stay up late last night working, and got to bed around 12:15am. I still gamely set my alarm for 4:50am, meaning to do a swim workout. Oliver woke up screaming at 2:30am, and it took me about 30 minutes to get him back to sleep - I think it was teething pain. At 3am I made the snap decision to reset the alarm for the more luxurious 6am time. So no workout today....

Global wetting

Lorraine:
It clearly shouldn't be pouring rain and cold (50 degrees F) in early to mid-June. Combine the weather with my overall wimpiness, and I was inside for all of my recent workouts. The last few things I did:

Friday - I went swimming, but due to getting up a bit later than planned, I only had 20 minutes to swim, so I did some drills - 10 laps arms only (with pull buoy) and 10 laps legs only (with kickboard). It was definitely a good experience to focus one at a time - thanks for the idea Hannah!

Saturday - This would typically be my day to do a lovely outdoor run around the lake, but as it was gray and cold and lightly sprinkling, I decided to go to the gym instead. I paid myself back though by running at a higher speed (don't laugh - up to 6.3 now) and for 35 minutes rather than 30, plus an extra 5 for warmup and cool-down. My face was still bright red after my shower!

Sunday - This is the spinning class day (45 minute class). I think I mentioned that they play a video on a projector screen during the class, which is pretty odd. Last week it was downhill mountain biking tricksters, but this week was a focus on Lance Armstrong's 7th Tour de France. Even though there's no sound I totally enjoyed watching it and was more or less able to ignore the instructor I'm not fond of. My legs were a bit sore by Sunday night, probably from a good run and then spinning right after. I was wondering to myself if eventually I'll be able to hop on the treadmill and run after the class - we'll see! Amelia has become not fond of the gym daycare and always gives me clear instructions as I'm dropping her off to "only do one machine, okay Mama?"

Monday - This morning I thought it would be good to do a little arms weight lifting, so I headed to the gym again. I added two legs things and a tiny bit of abs, but no cardio at all today.

And it's still raining!

There was an (old) lady that swallowed a fly...oh Bullocks!

Hannah:
I ran my usual trot through the fields today and as usual encountered the cows! This time there was a herd of baby bulls in the field that were blocking my entrance. On the other side of the fence is a river so I decided that instead of running through the cows, I would precariously make my way along the side of the river. I clung to the fence (carefully avoiding the electric wire) and made my way to safety. The river was very high so I got wet feet!

The next part of the run was up 'the hill'. The hill is about 3/4mile long, it has been the bane of my life for years! I headed up the hill feeling ok and then I swallowed a fly! All I could think about was that the fly could have been sitting on the cow pats that I'd just avoided, and that I was about to die of some mad cow disease! All this worry helped me up the hill and I only needed to stop the once.

The rest of the run was uneventful apart from setting a new best time (for this year) over the course...yay me and my fly!

OOO! OOOO! A mini-brick!

Lorraine:
I guess you'd call a mini-brick a Lego? Duplo? Anyway, Hannah told me about some term called, I think, "brick" [prepare to watch me be laughed off this site when I find out that it's a completely different term] where you cycle and then run after that. I swear until she told me about that it hadn't really occurred to me that I'd have to do all the parts of the triathlon IN ONE DAY. That was a bit of a wake up call.

"Bricks" are coming up in two weeks I think, but I felt inspired this morning. Oliver kindly woke me up before my alarm at 4:50, so I was full of energy. I indoor cycled for 20 minutes (level 10 is easy now - the first time I could only do 7!) and then hopped on the treadmill for 20 minutes. And yes, I did read a trashy magazine while doing both. Why else does one go to the gym?

Oh, and by the way yesterday was a "rest day" for me. I was all excited to sleep in but then the (#*&$)(*# cat woke me by yowling at the top of her lungs at 5:30, so I might as well have gone to work out!

A rest day!

Hannah:
I had a night out last night, so went to bed far too late. I woke up feeling tired, lethargic and completely unmotivated, so I decided on a rest day! I took Sophie to school, then came home and did nothing! I planned to take her swimming after school but the pool was closed for kids...madness! No one else was in the pool, yet we weren't allowed in.

Tomorrow I will resume my training.

Pimp my Ride!

I thought I should give my bike a bit of a clean and a mini service today. It hasn't been ridden in over 3 years so was well overdue a clean and polish! Baby wipes are the best product for cleaning a bike, they strip the grease and muck off so very easily! I pumped up the tyres, checked for holes in the rubber, checked the brakes and the gears and then put it back in the garage!

Training wise I went to the gym and rode on the exercise bike for a bit. I then swam 1km. I have now realised that I can do each section of the triathlon- I can swim 400m, cycle 12miles and run 3 miles. How fast I can do them is another matter...and how will I be trying to run after swimming and cycling. There is still a long way to go!

Quickly...

Lorraine:
Just did a little trip to the gym this morning to do a little weight lifting (arms) and a tiny bit of abs. The entire time I was wondering if it wouldn't be better to grab one of the trashy celebrity magazines and read in the corner. But overall a good start to the day!

A fun run and a bonus swim!

Hannah:
On Sunday I took part in a 3km (1.8mile) fun run. The run was raising money for a childrens' charity. I can't say that I ran fast as I was hampered by a 3 year old and a 62 year old! I ran with Sophie and my mum which was great fun. We made it round the course in 40minutes. Both my mum and Sophie were delighted with their performances!
Today my hamstrings really hurt from running so slowly!

Today Sophie had a swimming lesson so I made the most of half an hour and swam myself. I had to keep stopping so that Sophie's teacher could show me something 'clever' that Sophie was doing...namely, not drowning! In the end I swam for a total of 1km which is 0.6miles or 50 lengths or 25 laps!

Weekend recap

Lorraine:
Another summary of the weekend for me. Saturday I had planned to go swimming, since it had been a while. I had to get up at 4:50am anyway since one must sign up for the swim lessons the kids are in at 5am on a Saturday every 3 months or so. I know, it's a bit absurd, but I consider it worth it to get into the time slot that works best for us. I have it down to a science so I'm usually pressing "send" only about 30 seconds after the registration form opens. ANYWAY, my plan was to go swimming after that. However, Oliver thought that waking up at 4:30am that day would be ideal. I finally got him out of bed at 5:20 or so since I'm sure Amelia was not thrilled. We went off to get coffee and go on a leisurely drive. So no swimming. I instead went for a run during nap time (running two days in a row! Who is this woman??). It wasn't as unpleasant as Friday's run was, but I can't say I was springing like a gazelle.

Sunday I went to the spinning class (45 mins) at the gym. I must mention that the class they offer on Monday is WAY better...unfortunately I work on Mondays. This guy was quite annoying. He was playing a video of mountain biking stunts the entire time, which was interesting to watch (and I did) but I felt like I got much less immersed in the workout. Plus, there were 9 women and 1 man and he spent the entire time talking only to the man. Not that I wanted him to talk to me - he was waaaay too annoying. So I'll probably keep going to that on Sundays only because it forces me to work harder on the bike, but I will feel free to dislike him.

This morning it was up at 4:50am and off to the pool! I did my new "usual" of 15 laps (600m) to practice the length of the race. I tried to swim it a bit more steady this time and did it in a minute less than last time. Then I leisurely swan for another 10 minutes and then I used the kickboard for the last 10 minutes. I was quite impressed by the woman in the next lane over, who according to her sign in time swam from 3:45am to 5:45am. I mean, really.