Spinning and A Change in My Running Plan?

Hey Everyone! I am happy to report that my week is improving. I made it out for a run yesterday and although my motivation was not amazing, I was able to get in around 6 miles and not completely suffer through it the whole time.  Today I went to my weekly, Sunday, endurance spinning class. It is usually 90 minutes long but today it was a metric century spinning ride to benefit Haiti.

Unfortunately I forgot about this change and didn't come to class prepared to sit in the saddle for 4 hours.  I did stay longer than usual and made it for 2 hours, 5 minutes. I could have purchased some nutrition at the cafe but my butt was rubbing in all the wrong places and I decided to cut it short and haul home.  All in all it was a great 2 hours of spinning. We watched the Troy Jacobson Spinnerval DVD of the Ironman Lake Placid Bike Course. That video along with the very entertaining instructors and awesome selection of music made it a nice way to spend my long bike workout.

I would love to get out on the road though. When I woke up this morning it looked like a whiteout blizzard. We probably got about 4 inches and by the time I came out of spin class it was sunny and melting.    
I do love living in Colorado!  I have made a personal pact to get my ass out on my bike on the road, even if it is very cold. As long as the ice and snow is gone, I shouldn't have any excuses, right?

So...back to my least favorite subject -running. If I haven't said it before, running is the most difficult part of the triathlon for me. I am slow..um, very slow.  My body is not a runner's body -not sleek, svelt or thin.  I have breasts that were not made for running or any other jostling sport, that is for certain!  Okay, maybe too much information for you but sometimes I look at pro triathletes or any athlete in general and wonder what it must be like to not have to practically strap the sisters to my body with the hopes that they won't go flying around and hit me in the head.  Seriously, I get by but running with my chest in tow is not fun.

Nothing can change how amazing I feel after a run though -that is also for certain!  What I need to change this week is my running plan. The tri planning I am following (see previous posts) tracks runs by time, not by mileage. I just don't feel like this is working for me. One reason is because I am a slow runner (10-11 minute miles..yes, I know that is walking to some of you!) and I fear that if the plan says to run for 40 minutes, the plan probably thinks the individual will be running 6 miles.  Another reason I want to change my running plan is that I thrive on knowing how far I am supposed to run each day. Keeping track of how long and then seeing how far I ran does not give me any motivation to run faster or farther. I guess that really doesn't make much sense but even if my reasoning is psychological alone, I need to change to a mileage based plan instead.

Does anyone have any 1/2 marathon running plan suggestion? I know there are a million plans out there but if you have a specific one that worked well for you, please let me know!

This coming week is supposed to be a recovery week but I slacked off the last two weeks and really was off plan. I'm contemplating not doing a recovery week but doing last weeks plan instead. Does anyone have any advice about this? Do you remain on course, even if you slipped in the plan? Part of me thinks I should just do the recovery week to keep on my schedule but the other part of me feels like working like crazy this week.


Until next time have a fabulous day, stay healthy and make great choices!

I Need to Get Back on Track!

Hi Everyone. I have been absent from the blog world. I was contemplating not coming back to my blog. I have been out of town lately -went on a ski trip with my family and then out to San Diego for a belated 40th birthday girls weekend. I found it quite lovely to not have my computer with me on these trips and not a slave to technology.  Is it a waste of time? I can't decide. On one hand, it seems to keep me more accountable to myself and my training plan. After all, I have not been on plan since I stopped blogging and updating you tube. Hmmm....a pattern or direct relationship? Maybe.

For that reason alone, I am back!

This week for me will represent getting back on track. I fell off the wagon if you will, during two of my most heavy weeks of training to date.  I haven't been swimming for over a week and have put in a few pathetic runs and minimal time on an indoor bike. Pretty darn sad.

I think the weather has contributed to my lack of plan but I shouldn't be using that as an excuse.  Yes, there is snow on the ground and I can't really get on my bike without an encounter with road ice and lots of sand in the shoulder. Paths are definitely covered with snow and not appropriate for a road bike. Running and swimming? No good excuses there. We can always run no matter the weather, right?

The plan this week is to get in the right mileage and time and add on if needed. Today is either a 90 minute bike or a 1 hour 15 minute run and 2,500 m swim. Time to decide and get my ass in gear!

Hope all of you are on track in your plans! Stay healthy and make great choices!