Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Can I go the distance?

So when I got the doctor's a-ok to stop wearing my robo-boot (the first week of July) the first question I asked was when I would be running. I know, I know. I wasn't even walking pain and/or limp-free and I wanted to know about running. The doctor prescribed a month of self rehab with PT starting the first week of August. After PT started he said I'd have a better idea of when I would be able to start running, but that September would be a reasonable guess.

If I rewind back to when I decided to have surgery in May, I was really hoping that my rehab would be well underway in late June or early July, running by August. I really wanted to run TNF trail 1/2 marathon the end of October. Don't worry, the doctor put the kibosh on that real fast. He said even if I was running by September I would not be looking to do that sort of volume by the end of October...hmph!

So how about by December?

I figure the best way to fully get myself back in the game is to pony up the dinero to do a destination race I've always wanted to do. In this case, it's the Vegas Marathon (or rather the half marathon in this case). And the running buddy is totally on board for this. A little mini-break, a little run, maybe a little wedding?!? Just kidding....I am soooo not a Vegas bride. Or am I?

But I digress.

The way I see it most half plans are 12 weeks long. 12 weeks before race day (December 5th) puts me at September 12th. Obviously I'm not looking for a PR, or even to run the whole distance. If I could jog the distance, hell if I could run/walk the distance, I would be stoked. Super stoked!

But can I do it? Is it too much too soon? Is the doctor going to shut me down?

If the Vegas Half is a no-go, there's always the Arizona Rock-n-Roll Marathon the beginning of January, but that's just not Vegas. Vegas baby, VEGAS! My second choice would be to run the Disney Marathon in January, but I really really want to run the full marathon and not settle for the half on that one.

I realize that this is an ambitious goal. I suppose it goes hand in hand with the ambitious year I want to have next year. Maybe the Syttende Mai run, a couple of marathons, a couple of long distance relays, maybe a 70.3 or two. Why not get rockin' and rollin' with a a half yet for 2010?

Friday, July 23, 2010

From Fat to Fit

Week 1 is in the books.

I was asked, why Friday? Well it's for selfish reasons. Mondays are bad enough as they are without a scale. And there has never been a Monday morning in my world that has been kind to the scale. Even when racing and having long training weekends, Monday's numbers have never been great. I blame the weekend. And now, with weekends being spent lounging and living the luxurious life of the tubby, Mondays are not going to be any better. So there you have it, weigh in before the weekend and the problem is solved.

Anywho.

Well the numbers are holding steady this week. No changes, which to be honest, is amazing. I feel a bloated hot mess, but the numbers aren't worse for the wear so I'll take it!

Last Friday I went for my first bike ride since pre-op. Possibly since last fall to tell you the truth. I made it 2 miles to the restaurant and 2 miles home. And it hurt! We're talking a slow going flat bike path ride, and it hurt. Every time I pressed down on the pedal it twinged and seared. Not what I was hoping for. So after that spin I decided to put pedaling on the back burner for the week. I do plan to attempt it again this weekend tho.
Saturday morning marked the first time in months that I have been able to walk the entire farmer's market! Sure, I made it all the way around at Art Fair on the Square (no to mention Art Fair Off the Square and the mini-market), but I had to stop and rest. Not because I am that out of shape. It hurt. And it was like hades hot that weekend. But this weekend I made it all the way around in one fell swoop.

Sunday we took the doggies to Devil's Lake to go swimming. There was a little bit of haul from the parking lot the the dog beach, but I made it. In flip flops none the less (shhhh, don't tell the doctor). We spent some time in the water with the dogs. Neither dog is wild about the water, even in their puppy PFDs, but they stuck it out. It was hilarious.

Monday I tried some pilates, but anything that required pushing off of my foot or balancing on it was a no-go. I guess it turned more into stretching than anything else.

Tuesday was a bust. I was tired and sore.

Wednesday I ran around like a chicken with it's head cut off. So many errands, so little time. Do you think errands count as exercise?

Thursday was a bust as we took wifezilla and her hubby out to dinner.

I realize that I am going to need to step it up if I want to get back to where I was. And, good gracious, do I want to be fit and fabulous again. I also don't want to end up injured and on the bench again. It's become a balancing act of knowing how hard to push and when to rest. I can't wait to have something to log on Daily Mile.

So all in all, week 1 isn't anything to write home about but at least it's a start.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Thankful Thursday

Or rather...

Not So Thankful Thursday

That's it. I'll admit it. I'm just not feeling very thankful this week. I know, I know, there are many that are much worse off than me. Children are starving. People are dying. And I'm a selfish bad person. Yes, I got the memo.

But that doesn't make me any more thankful.

I mean should I be celebrating and thankful that we dropped a major chunk of change taking a rather ungrateful pompous pair of newlyweds out for dinner? Or maybe I should thank jeebus that I left dinner feeling even worse about myself than I did earlier in the night. I needed a real kick in pants. Thank you wifezilla.

Oh, or maybe I should be thankful for the sleazy disgusting all-expense paid company bachelor party my boyfriend went on lately. Yes, use your imagination, it happened.

Gosh, maybe I should be thankful that for over a year now I have been pain and unable to walk normal because of my broke a$$ ankle and foot. Because that is sweet. Super sweet!

I know, I know. I am little more than an ungrateful beotch today. Maybe there's a streak of PMS running through this, maybe I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, maybe things just aren't always sunny in my world. But whatever it may be, I'm going to let it go. I'm hoping that once I send this off the abyss of the interweb it will be like purging my demons. An exorcism of my bad attitude if possible.


Monday, July 19, 2010

Ironman Advice...?

So my friend Sarah is gearing up to do her first Ironman this fall (IM WI, woo woo) and is looking for words of wisdom. I've told her everything I know from my industry and tri experience, but as you know I fell short of IM WI myself last year.

She's definitely logging some serious miles and is well on her way to be trained and ready, but it's all those other things...food, clothes, special needs bags, pacing, and so on!!

For example, one woman told me that as a female participant do whatever you can to get a men's colored swim cap. Huh? No explanation, just those words of wisdom. Can anyone confirm or deny this bit of advice?

She's also toying with the thought of a 1/2 iron less than a month before IM. Good or bad idea? Why? (For the record, I said bad: taper and rejuvenate before the big day.)

What was your most useful piece of advice as a first time endurance athlete? Ironman? Marathon? Ultras? Whatever it is, share the love.

Don't let me down interweb, pay the tri love and knowledge forward!!

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Once upon an apartment...


Gather round boys and girls for a cautionary tale. The sort of tale that will make you rethink leaving the nest and staying close to your parents. This is no fairy tale. While some details have omitted, I promise you that this is no fictional story.

In February 2008 I decided it was time for some changes, most notably the city I called home and I my job. After securing employment I was left to scramble to find an apartment in a the non-rental season of Madison. After several run-ins with small, characterless, and all around uninspiring apartments, I found home.


I met with the young landlord and was surprised, but as time was of the essence, relieved that he was not interested in checking references or running my rental application. Considering that this apartment was in a dream of a neighborhood and oodles of character I was happy to leave that visit with the keys in my hand. Despite the fact it was dirty dirty, I was ready to move and start the next chapter of my life.

In the year and a half I lived at this humble abode, the low-lights include but are not limited to:
~an upstairs neighbor with a MAJOR herb addiction and "friends" who will pick fights and throw rocks at his windows at all hours of the night (which the landlord did nothing about...)
~next door neighbors who had violet, wall shaking fights at all hours of the night (which the landlord did nothing about...)
~a non-functional kitchen sink for over 2 weeks (don't worry, I was advised I could use the bathroom sink or tub...)
~a non-cooling fridge and freezer for over 2 weeks (don't worry, I was advised that if I filled both with bags of ice it would help keep by food from going bad...)
and the piece de la resistance
~a leaky toliet (don't worry after months of complaining, it was replaced...and I was only without indoor plumbing for like 3 days)
Look! My landlord was nice enough to cover the pipe with a random piece of cardboard and a rock to keep the sewage gas from leaking out.

Fast forward to August 2009. W and I, having a acquired a new home, needed to get rid of my apartment. I approached my landlord about renting the apartment. He was not on board for this initially. But after working with him and allowing him to choose the new tenant from all that I showed it to, he was willing to transfer the remainder of my lease to the new tenant. Or so he told me.

Then I noticed, a few months later, that I had never received my security deposit. And this my readers, is when the real shenanigans began. 9 months later and I still have yet to see said security deposit, but my reconnaissance mission is in motion.

My purpose here is not just to vent. It's to educate my fellow 20-somethings and renters to know their rights and not let others take advantage of them. For reals. Not to be preachy, but there are just some things that are not ok.

And in case you aren't sure of your renter rights, the Tenant Resource Center is pretty excellent.


And that, my friends, is the end of my political activism for the weekend.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Friday: From Fat to Fit

In all fairness to myself, this series should really be called 'From Fit to Fat and Back' but that was getting wordy.

Summer 2009 I was in the best shape I had been in in years. I could swim, bike, and run with the best of the MOP'ers. I would wear short skirts, swimsuits, and just generally cute summer clothes with very little hesitation. Now don't get me wrong, I was FAR from skinny. I was certainly no size 2, but I never have been. The scale never dipped near 100lbs, but there again, I don't think I ever weighed 100lbs. I was healthy and I was comfortable with my body.

But them I went and broke my foot and proceeded to spend the next year on the inactive list. At first I embraced the inactivity. It gave me a chance to do things I would have otherwise passed on last summer. But that lasted like, um, 2 weeks before I was over it. Completely.

So here I've sat for the last, oh, year being moody and getting fat. Maybe not full on elastic waist moo-moo fat, but certainly far from fit. My skinny clothes, well I don't look so skinny wearing them any more. And really I much prefer my muffin tops on my muffin bottoms and NOT peaking out the top of my jeans. Not hot. Not fit. Not healthy.

The only other time I have found myself in this conundrum, and by conundrum I mean frumpy and out of shape, was a handful of years ago when I spent some quality time at UW Hospital and went through a really rough break up, but I came out that situation a fitter, healthier, happier person. I'm looking to channel that same go-getter attitude this time around too.

I am definitely way too much of a girl and am not comfortable giving you my numbers (weight, measurements, etc). There are some things you just don't ask a lady! And I may or may not have coworkers, etc who peruse this and would judge the SH*T out of me.

So here's the nitty gritty of it.

My Goals:
realistic: last summer's weight/shape
unrealistic: my HS weight/shape (which is really only 10lbs less than last summer, so it's not that unrealistic...)

My Numbers:
Last mandated dr weigh in (early May?): 23lbs over last summers weight
(but you know, I was fully dressed, wearing jeans, had a big lunch, feeling bloated, excuses, excuses, excuses)
7/8 home weigh in: 16.4lbs over last summer
7/15 home weigh in: 18.4lbs over last summer

So let's put the numbers and goals together here. To get to my realistic goal of last summer's shape/weight I need to lose, we'll say, 20lbs. If I shoot for my unrealistic goal I would need to lose an additional 10lbs. Woah, that's a lot.

I'd be a liar if I didn't acknowledge I've had thoughts of diet pills, eating disorder, crash diets, and more. Anything to make this easier! I just need to jumpstart the process, right? Wrong. Those thoughts were fleeting, I promise you that. I want to eat the things I like and have the energy and fitness to do the things I love.

I think that once I can get running again things will head in the right direction pretty quickly. Heck, once I am able to take the dogs for long walks (without being in pain) and start actually riding my bike again, I think things will be headed in the right direction. Beyond that, I am starting to formulate a plan of attack. It may or may not include ChaLean, which comes highly recommended. There will probably be some swimming, especially now as that's all I'm allowed to do. We'll see, we'll see.

My ultimate goal is to next year be able to run at least 2 marathon, a myriad of other runs and races, and compete in a few tri's of varying distances, like the good ole days. And of course look HAWT in a bikini. And reclaim my skirts and strappy tanks and dresses....ooo, and my skinny jeans. Ok, so really my goals are as superficial as they are fitness and health related. Whatev.

I'm hoping that there will be people along the way who will not judge me and my numbers and goals, but I know there will be. But maybe, just maybe, I will find that kindred spirit, either local or thru the interweb, who will support me and my goals. Kick my a$$ when it needs to be kicked, cheer me on when I need motivation, and hold my hand when I need help.

It's official. This is my last Friday as a FATTY!

Friday: From Fat to Fit starts now.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Thankful Thursday


So I was going to take Thursday is a new direction starting today, but I realized that I still need to stop and think about the good things in life. And as lame as it is, Thankful Thursday make me stop and do just that.

Life is rough right now. Not like all day every day, but things are certainly far from easy. I would go as far as to say I just about hit rock bottom in the past two or so weeks. But I am breathing, rebooting and taking baby steps towards things being better.

But definitely stop back tomorrow and see what's been kickin around brain. It's somewhat of a work in progress, and it is definitely going to be a challenge.

Without further ado...

I am thankful for...
*being able to wear 2 shoes!!!














*having found a doctor that knows what's wrong with my throat/stomach (the conition is known as achalasia), has a plan on how to fix it, AND has a great demeanor! With the exception of having to have another surgery, I'd say this is a HUGE win, and I am super thankful for it.
*my boss and the fact he has been really cool with everything going on in my world these days. But shhhh, don't tell him. It'll go to his head.
*the dogs coexisting peaceful together last night. Both pups behaving at the same time never ever happens. And really, I am just super thankful for them, and their cuteness.
*great friends. Near, far, online or in person, you people are keeping me sane. And I love you all for it.
*being another day closer to walking, riding, yoga-ing, running, and just generally resuming life as normal.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Call me old fashion.

It's been a while since I have posted anything of substance on my blog. I feel as thought I have been neglecting the interweb lately. But then again, who reads my mindless drivel anyways. I do have quite a few 'drafts' going that as soon as I am at liberty to let them snap, oooo gurl, watch out! I digress... Anywho, here I am coming back, first post of substance in months, and I'm about to get all high and mighty on your a$$t. But I'm on lunch, and it's my blog, and I'll write what I want.

Marriage. Relationships. Loyalty.

What happened to these things? Do they exist? Do these values still matter to people?

What happened to the sanctity of marriage? Now please, don't get me wrong here. I am not by any means saying one man-one woman, we're here to procreate, blah blah blah. What I am however asking, is what happened to the days of committing yourself to that one person. And honor that person and commitment? If you are married, have a sig other, god forbid you have children in said committed relationship, there are just some things you should not be doing. Period.

Is it too much to ask that your significant other love, respect, and honor you? When you find that person you want to be with, who challenges you and makes you a better person, who you love and cherish, don't you put them before childish and impulsive decisions? Don't you stop and think about the consequences of your decisions and actions?

Am I the only one out there that wants these things? Call me old fashion. Call me Victorian. Call me what you will. But I am still holding out for my sweep me off my feet, all consuming, you complete me (thanks Jerry McGuire), one person for the rest of my life love. And I'm not going to settle for less or allow others to belittle what is important to me.

So there. Just another thought in the whirlwind that is my mind.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

WORS # 6

Saturday we drove up to Minneapolis for a night away and stayed at The Westin downtown. It use to be a bank so it has this old school very uppity and regal interior. Very swank and posh. The restaurant and bar on the first floor were aptly named, Bank, and they even recycled the old safe to now serve as a wine cellar. The pool and hot tub were this ultra sleek all stainless shiny room on the 3rd floor. Very hip.

We wandered down Nicollet Mall for dinner and ended up at Barrios. Yum. Fabulous guac, crab empandas and cocktails. To borrow from krittabug, NOM NOM NOM.

Sunday: Chippewa Valley Firecracker

We'll skip right over the traffic and detour that almost caused a mini-meltdown for W and fast forward right to the event. Because we totally made it there with time to spare.

You know it's going to be epic when you pull up to see not one, but two ambulances leaving. (Turns out one guy had a heart attack while riding and other dude broke his arm riding into a tree. Hope they're both doing ok...)

Anywho, WORS, as always, put on an excellent race. Being this was my first boot-free race this season I was super stoked to get to limp out onto the course and watch some of the race. It was dry and fast, and there were quite a few times I thought someone was going to careen off the course directly into me and Ladybug but that never happened. The most I saw was a dude miss the course and going into the bushes, breaking and losing his chain.

And I am happy to report W did not finish last! Go get 'em tiger!
Before the race
At the start
The corner I thought so many were goign to wash out on
And Ladybug, just cause she's cute.
(and shush, I tried several times to rotate the picture and it always loaded it this was. So tip your head or monitor and don't complain.)

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Back in the game.

Sort of.

I was at the dr today (again). At this point I really should have some sort of frequent flier card with the UW system. Perhaps a punch card working towards a free Jello cup or my very own hospital gown. Anyways...

Dr. Today. Cankle. Go.

I am officially working my way back to being active. WOOT WOOT!! I have been given the green light to start weening off of the boot, but knowing me I'll go cold turkey. I have been told swimming 3-4 times a week would be great rehab (ick) and biking, albeit indoors, is back on the to-do list. PT starts the beginning of August and there is good chance, if I follow the rules, that I will be able to start running again September-ish.

Only 14 months later.

Let the journey from fatty back to fitness commence!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Thankful Thursday


I am thankful...

to be one day closer to biking, running, yoga, and life as normal
for clean sheets and freshly made beds
to be able to shower WITHOUT a garbage bag
for toe nail polish
for Diet Coke
for 4 day weekends
for creativity and cute blogs (hello Bluestar Bloggery, you make me smile)
that even at her worst, Ladybug still makes me laugh

Destroyed bed #1

Destroyed bed #2