I REALLY need a calendar

Mike made a comment on his blog that the new Thinman log was out, so I downloaded and was just updating it with the month of January - - I've srewed up more than few dats on my blog, thusfar - - I'll have to do better.

I didn't get to swim on Thursday (1-31 ). I had to work all night Wed night (went to bed about 8:30 am). When I got up Thursday afternoon, I felt like tire-tread. I knew a workout would be pretty pointless. I hate overnighters.

I'll try to keep the thinman log updated better than I did last year. I'll also track my swims and bike rides. It also tracks weight, so I'll trend that also.

1-29-08 run / new shoes

Tuesday was supposed to be a 2 mile run on the Dreadmill - didn't happen. I spent a long time Saturday trying on shoes at a local store that was having a GREAT sale. I planned on getting new shoes in February, but upped the date based on a good price. I probably tried on 12 different pairs of shoes (what I didn't do, was bring my old running shoes to compare). I wanted to get the next generation of the Asics Cumulus, but they didn't have them in the size I needed, so I tried Brooks, and Mizuno's, and Nikes, and settled on a pair of Saucony. I thought I'd be happy with them, but when I started my run, I was very disappointed.

As I said, I was supposed to do 2 miles on the Dreadmill with my new shoes, but when I got to the Sportsplex, all the treadmills were being used. It wasn't terribly cold out, and I decided to just go down to the high school track next to the Sportsplex and do 8 laps. I should take this as a lesson to ALWAYS carry my gps on run days - I would have loved to gone out on some other roads. I started the run, and by about 2 laps into it, I didn't like the way the shoes felt. Not painful, or even uncomfortable, just wrong. They felt like the body of the shoe and the tongue had too much padding in it - they felt clunky. I did my 2 miles with very little knee pain, so that was good, but it the run still felt off (maybe it was just a bad run day). I went back into the gym and did push ups and sit ups until my arms and abs just wouldn't anymore.

After the workout, I packed up my gear and drove back to the store to get a refund, and they staff was very helpful. They took the shoes back without drama and helped me find a pair of Asics Kayano's that I like. I'll report on them when I run again on Friday (Wed rest, Thurs swim).

1-28-08 Swim Plus

I swam today - 40 laps nonstop ( aside from treading water to empty my leaky goggles). I was a really good swim. After I got done swimming, I changed into some workout clothes and hit the weight room. I did sit ups and push ups until my arms went limp. I also did some pull ups and dips (again, until my arms wouldn't work for me anymore. I'll run tomorrow on the treadmill. 2 miles only, but I may pick up the pace a little.

1-27-08 Saturday

We ran again today, but we went to Columbus and ran at Flat Rock Park. That area has changed dramatically since I was in school. It was a great run (about 4 miles). I loved it because it was so hilly. Lot's of good ups and downs. I think it was a little more aggressive than Steph thought it would be. I would definitely go back and do that run again. I also saw that they have made some alternate trails through the park that I'm looking forward to running this spring and summer. Steph wants to make it a habit to go to Columbus and do a weekend run. I still want to do an early morning run with the Columbus Track Club in the downtown historic district. The garmin is making these 'of-the-map' runs much easier to do.

1-26-08 - Friday

Run night. I decided to run with Steph tonight and we went into downtown West Point (Forerunner is a great addition to the equipment list. We did a little over 4 miles through town in about 43 minutes (don't have the gps in front of me to get exact numbers). It was cold, but we layered up and the temp was bearable.

1-25-08 Thursday

Another swim night. I elected to swim tonight instead of run, so I could run Friday, when the Sportsplex closes early. I did really we despite the fact that I ate poorly today - eating on the road with other people makes it harder to eat right. I need to avoid BBQ pork, except on special occasions - and even then, in moderation.

Anyway, I did well on my swim. I swam 32 laps - and felt I could have gone longer, but the situation was troublesome. I did my laps and practice my flip turns a little. I've still got some timing issues to work out with the turns, and work on getting back to the surface and rolled over more quickly. I had to pause for a moment after 12 laps because my goggles were leaking, but I just stopped at the deep end and treaded water while I cleared the goggles ( no holding the sides of the pool). After 28 laps, one of the girls that's a lifegaurd stopped me told me I had to get out of the area I was swimming in because the 'Hydro' class was starting and no one was allowed in the un-roped area of the pool. The Hydro class is the geriatric diaper dip - and apparently one of the little old ladies didn't like me making waves. I would have gladly moved to another lane, except the swim team had just started practice and was using all the roped off lanes. I asked the girl if she could give me 1 minute to finish 2 more laps, but the only answer she could give was ' you can't be here' and 'you'll have to talk to Mr. Bobby' (the swim coach). So I exited the pool to go talk to Bobby. I asked him if he could allow me 2 more laps before being forced from the pool, and he (being as accommodating as he could under the circumstances) emptied one of the lanes of the swim team and told me to swim as long as I wanted. How is it that I'm asked to leave after swimming for 20+ minutes, and being crowded out of my lane by little old women on Styrofoam noodles - and I end up looking/feeling like the jerk for pushing the kids out of my way. I didn't want him to interrupt the swim team's warmup ( and I tried to explain that to him). I would have liked to go for 40 laps today, but that would have involved stepping on the swim team (moreso than I already had done), or getting loud and pushy with an 18yr old girl and/or and floating gaggle of old ladies. It was a lose/lose situation. Once I got back in the water ( all focus shot to pieces by now), I felt obligated to do more than 2 laps...move the kids out of the way (like had just happened to me), swim two, and leave - - - be just enough of a jerk to screw up the start of their practice. I did 4 more laps, got out, thanked the coach and headed for the showers. Yes - I am peeved about this. No, there is not a lot I can do from this point that isn't petty, rude, or un-Christian. I just find it odd that I swam today to keep from being run out of the pool before I was ready - and that's exactly what happened anyway. I shall relish my run tomorrow, all the more.

Saturday, Steph and I are going to Columbus to run in a new area. I think we'll do the riverwalk, however, I may re-direct us to Flat Rock Park, or one of the downtown parks. I plan on it being an easy 4 miler - assuming my knee doesn't get snippy.

1-21-08 Tuesday

I swam today. It was a really good swim. I did 30 laps, semi non-stop. I did my slow turns, and tried to make longer strokes. I had to stop once or twice to re-adjust my goggles, but during those breaks, I treaded water instead of holding onto the sides of the pool. I also did push ups and sit ups after my swim - 20 slow sit up curls, and 60 pushups (3 sets of 20 in different hand positions).

Tomorrow, I run again.