HOW TO SURVIVE A BAD WEEK

On the surface, last week didn't look so bad. It was Week 3, Half Ironman Training. Here's what training was supposed to be:

• Monday--strength training;
• Tuesday--Swim 1 hour; run 30 minutes;
• Wednesday--45 min. cycle, 1 leg drills;
• Thursday--30 min. swim; 30 min. run;
• Friday--1 hour cycle;
• Saturday--1.5 hour cycle; 30 min. run;
• Sunday--off.

Here's how training actually went:

• Monday--strength training (although I was pretty tired from the weekend and only spent about 20 minutes at it);
• Tuesday--1 hour swim; 35 min. run. Both accomplished, and the run was outside despite the colder temperatures and high winds. What was especially good about the run was that I was able to keep in the mid ranges of heart rate despite the wind, and only found myself forced to walk twice briefly. My ability to maintain low intensity is increasing every week.
• Wednesday--45 min. cycle, on the trainer of course, doing 1 leg drills. I noticed that by the end of this workout I was extremely fatigued and was having difficulty maintaining the lower heart rate required. Getting ready for work, I was so tired I wanted to go back to bed. By the time I got to work, I felt ill I was so tired, and my sinuses were acting up, along with having a raging sinus headache. I ended up going home from work early.
• Thursday--off entirely. Still felt sick and extremely fatigued.
• Friday--off entirely. Was feeling better but not good enough to want to exert.
• Saturday--Felt much better, and actually did 1.5 hours on the trainer followed by 30 minutes on the treadmill, without stopping. I could have gone outside to run because it was sunny and about 38 degrees, but was so sweaty after the long trainer workout I just opted to get on the treadmill and avoid the longer transition that would have been necessary to get all dressed again to go out.
• Sunday--was supposed to be off, but felt good enough that I made up a couple of the missed workouts--did a 3 mile run, followed by a 45 min. trainer ride.

I don't know why the schedule was different from the first 2 weeks, but regardless, I certainly needed some down days.

The weekend before, what with having weekend company and babysitting, along with the long run/bike workouts, probably should have been enough to wear me out, but then I had to add an extremely stressful family situation unfolding along with work continuing--for the past 2 months--being extra stressful, and I think it all hit at once. And the sinus/headache/sick stomach thing apparently has been going around at work. I didn't realize it until I actually took Wednesday afternoon off to just go home and lay down because of the nausea and headache, thinking instead it was from extreme fatigue/stress/sinus drainage. So it made me feel somewhat less guilty about missing workouts, considering I probably did have something going on with my system. My heartrate was up for 3 days, so that told me something was going on.

This past weekend, we dodged the bullet--the snow bullet that is--and only had about a hour's worth of snowfall, which did not accumulate. The rest of the weekend was just cold, rainy, and windy. And like the faithful postman, neither rain, cold, wind, or the darkness of night prevented me from getting out to run yesterday, late in the afternoon, but I got it done. I had felt sleepy and out of sorts most of the day. My daughter and one grandson and I went to see the butterfly exhibit at Frederick Meijer Gardens, an indoor arboretum and garden center, but I was pretty much not into it, even though I haven't seen this many butterflies in all the years we've been going. And my camera wasn't working correctly, so of course I got only a few pics! I finally told them I just had to go home and lay down or something, but then the oddest thing happened. I jogged over to my car because it was cold and windy, and I was amazed at how much that perked me up!

By the time I got home 15 min. later, I was really feeling much better and decided to dress to go out and run, despite the fact that rain threatened again and it was extremely windy. But I felt like I had to do something. It was going to be a long evening otherwise, and I knew I would be beating myself up all night if I didn't do something before the day ended.

Surprisingly, the run went well, even though I was still a little tired, and running into the wind elevated the heart rate enough that I ended up walking for a minute each of the 3 times it happened. When I got home, I found I was trapped in my running jacket--the zipper was completely jammed--and after about 20 minutes I was able to get it unzipped enough to force over my head. So then I hopped on the bike before I changed my mind completely, finishing up 45 min. later and glad to be done! And only missing one scheduled workout.

Hopefully this week goes better and our weather warms up again. I have some long workouts ahead of me!

WEEK 2 HALF IRONMAN TRAINING DONE

On schedule for this week:

• Monday--strength training;
• Tuesday--45 min. swim; 30 min. run. I swim 1 mile, which is around 42-43 min. and call it good enough; my run usually is slightly longer, so it evens out. Tuesday was also the first track day since December.
• Wednesday--cycle, 45 min. This is accomplished in one of 2 ways: either a spin class or 45 minutes on the trainer. Right now I am opting for the trainer because its just one less morning I have to leave the house before 6:30 am to go to the gym. Wednesday night is family night, so there is no working out at night. Thus, no outdoor bike (even if it were warm enough!).
• Thursday--45 minute run; 30 minute swim. This was again a wonderful run. Everything was clicking. I felt great. I wanted to keep going. But I held myself at 53 minutes, including walking. The swim was 3/4 of a mile, right around 32 minutes.
• Friday--1 hour cycle, 90 rpms, small chainring. Again, this is on the trainer for convenience and obvious reasons. Its a good way to catch up on shows I've DVRd that I would miss otherwise.
• Saturday--1:15 run; 45 min. swim. In past times, this would have been hard, especially after a night of a household of family members, a nice (if I do say so myself) dinner (pork tenderloin in burgundy wine sauce; garlic mashed potatoes; mushrooms in brown sauce; brocolli; salad; hot bread; too much wine; mint brownies). Somehow I managed to finally get up on Saturday, sleeping in until it was light out which is amazing in itself, getting breakfast for the hoard, and finally dragging myself out the door around 11:15, with just enough time to get the run in, fix something for lunch, head to the pool for my swim, and then pick up all the grandkiddies for a night at grandmas. I'd like to say the night was uneventful, but getting only 3.5-4 hours of sleep that night, tending to a 6 week old baby all night, a 9 year olds' temper tantrum at 11 pm, and then 2 other baby wakeup feedings in the night, I think I did okay. You never forgot how to be a mom.
• Sunday--2:30 hour bike. I again dragged Don out on this ride with me, thinking how lucky AGAIN I was getting to ride outside. The temperatures Saturday climbed to 57 degrees, with the promise of the same Sunday. However, that was not the case. When I woke up at 6:48 with a crying baby, it was cloudy and cold at about 38 degrees. The projected temperature was "mid-50s." Ha! If it reached 50, I would have been pleased. Instead, it was 47 when Don and I finally hit the trail, with 13-20 mph winds out of the east. Great for the ride out, with us averaging 15-16 mph, and me in the easy gears. The ride back, however, was directly into the wind, with a crosswind to boot, with me averaging--with hard work and gritting my teeth--of about 11.3 mph. I was jubiliant when I reached 12 or 13 mph, and I was also pretty glad when I finished that I hadn't talked Don into riding farther, because to have done that would have been that much more torture! The wind and cold were brutal. My nose is still raw from wiping it every couple of minutes on my gloves--2 pair fortunately--and yet I got sunburned and winburned at the same time. It was NOT pleasant the second half of the ride, but I pretty much blocked out the discomfort, numb toes, unrelenting wind and cold to finish the ride in 2:28 for a total of 30:62 miles. Again, nothing stellar, but like I said, the wind was brutal.

All in all, I was pleased with my accomplishments. Naturally, I worried and fretted the whole bike ride about my ability to do a half Ironman in early June, but I will say at this point in the year, this year I am twice ahead where I was last year; more than quadruple ahead what I was 2 years ago; and light years away from where I was 3 years ago, so I would say I am feeling confident.

Its early in the year. I have A LOT to accomplish yet.

SPRING TRAINING--NO PARTYING HERE

We had another legal practice group "meeting" last night after work, to celebrate St. Patty's day is more likely.

Either way, now that I'm "in training," the partying stops here. Yesterday it was a 2200 yard swim in the morning with a 30 minute run planned after work. The weather again was outstanding--71 degrees when I left work. I'm telling you this is a treat--have to take advantage of it any way I can.

Don and I headed to the track, my first track workout since last December. Nothing hard was planned, just a footstrike count, and fortunately I was okay (15 second count, need to hit 21 or more). The other part of the workout was simple: eight 30-second surges, with 90 seconds recovery, or until the heart rate monitor stopped beeping. I was finding that the only way to control this was to walk for 30 seconds after the surge and then jog easily until the next one was to start.

We were joined on the track by a few others, as well as a large group from one of the local running stores. I know they meet 3 times a week but forgot they might be there. It was a pretty big crowd and I was starting to worry about getting overtaken by a herd of runners, but they went on the road for a 2 mile warmup before heading back to the track, and by then I was almost done.

What is annoying about these people is I know they had a planned workout; however, the track is at a public school, yet they completely blocked all lanes near where they were meeting up, like it was for their private use, causing us to have to run around them rather than them moving. Rude and thoughtless. (What's crazy about this is these people PAY for these group runs. I know they probably get some coaching on the side, but I've found with these types of groups that if you are slow or new, you often get left behind quite soon and are left floundering on your own anyway.)

The workout again was one where I could have gone farther and really had to control myself to stop and keep to the program. My walk breaks to get my heart rate down are taking less time, and when I restart I feel good, not like I wish I could just be done. The only thing that caused the heart rate to go higher was the surges, and I pretty much expected that.

For those not familiar with heart rate training, while it sounds like it is tedious or hard to do, it really is something you need to get used to. And you need to get used to the fact that if you go out of your comfort zone, you will be going over your heart rate limit and your monitor will remind you. That's okay for speed work, but doesn't help you progress on a daily basis. They always say you have to go slower to go faster, and while I've always known that, I'm now starting to see how it works. If not faster yet, then farther still feeling good.

Time to break out the new running shoes though. The old ones felt great in Cancun on the running path, but now running on cold concrete they aren't so comfy, and the area on my hip that reacts to worn shoes first is starting a mild flareup, telling me its time.

I've been spared a trial on the first week of June, leaving my options for which half Ironman I will do a little more open. However, trial is rescheduled for later in the year, just when I had another event planned, so I can only hope this thing settles.

Today's workout was a 45 minute ride, which for me is on the trainer. While I don't mind the trainer, I am getting a little tired of taking the bike off and putting it back on every time. Today, that process was complicated by having trouble getting it lined up to lock it in, resulting in wasting 15 minutes of workout time. I can't have this happen all the time. I have thought about this before, and Don mentioned it today himself, about getting a high tech spin bike for home, and after today I'm leaning closer to that idea. Ideally, however, I would prefer to just get a new bike and leave my old one on the trainer, but unless a lawsuit I'm involved in settles and I get a judgment and payoff, I will probably wait. (Whoever thought triathlon was cheap??)

No. 2 daughter is coming home to visit this weekend, to see the baby and attend a cousin's wedding, so I'm sure I will be more than busy with a houseful of people. But somehow, the workouts have to get done. Good thing everyone sleeps in and I don't, because I see that as the only way to pull this off.

I'll catch up with you all later. Have a great rest of the week!

FIRST OURDOOR RIDE OF THE YEAR

And it was the perfect end-of-winter day. Week one of 12 week HIM training done.

On the schedule today was 2 hours riding in zones 1, 2, or 3, and trying not to go into zone 4 as much as possible, but still riding a rolling course.

That's a lot to ask of the first ride of the season, but somehow? Got it done! I really couldn't believe it.

The temperatures were predicted to be at least 50 degrees, and in this climate, 50 degrees or more at this time of the year is a heat wave. And for some reason, 50+ degrees in the spring is a WHOLE lot warmer feeling than it is in the fall.

Despite the spring-like temperatures, Don and I still dressed like we were going for a winter run: tights, headband, gloves, 2 shirts, jacket in addition to the bike shoes and helmet.

We debated where to ride, since so many of our bike routes are along the river, and the river has been high since the first of the year. I argued with him that the White Pine Trail route was at least partially under water; he disagreed. However, with me as the driver today, that argument became moot and I went to an alternate parking spot, other than the park. And sure enough, once we started out, we could see that all the low lying areas were still seriously flooded. "Okay, you were right." Of course, was there any doubt??

Riding in zones 1, 2, or 3 for me meant not going over 145 heart rate. And surprisingly I found that easy. Granted, I wasn't riding at any stellar pace, but it is early season and I know with time my intensity will build, but for now it was just going to be an easy, enjoyable ride on a glorious March day.

Everyone apparently had the same idea we did, about getting out and enjoying the warm day, sunshine, and fresh air because honestly I have never seen so many people, families, dogs, skateboarders, rollerbladers, strollers, wayward children, walkers, bikers, runners, etc. on this route ever! Of course, going in mid afternoon you are just asking for trouble with the crowded trail, but today all was forgiven, since everyone was entitled to enjoy the weather, and I would put up with it for today.

I couldn't remember how far this route was, and after a while started worrying I woudln't reach my 2 hour riding goal, but that fear was put to rest when we reached the turnaround and were at around the 1+ hour mark. As it turned out, we rode 27.81 miles in 2 hrs. 8 min. Somewhat slow but okay for early season, and within all my allowed zones. I'm pretty sure I wasn't riding this far last year at this point, so I know I'm ahead of last year's fitness level.

Have I said how much I love this training program I'm doing?? It is ideal for me: 12 weeks to a half ironman distance race. What I love is the fact that the weekday workouts are low intensity for the most part and are pretty consistent, with the weekend workouts building on time/distance over the 12 weeks. Perfect for me since I work.

Saturday's workout, for example, was a 1 hour run and a 45 minute swim. Since I have been doing a base-building program for the last 2 months, it was easy peasy!

Saturday was also a very busy day, however, with the run, swim, and appointment to get my hair done (necessary!), massage, and then grocery shopping. I pretty much had to keep on schedule or risk being late or running behind, so I never gave it much thought as to what I had to do working out, except I will say now that my swim was about 30 seconds faster than the last time I did a 1 mile swim. I can't explain why I swim faster after a run workout, but I almost wish the triathlon was set up differently: run, swim, bike. That would work a whole lot better for me!

I would really like to make a decision on which half IM I am doing, but that will have to wait until tomorrow to see if a trial will go as scheduled for the Monday following both races I would like to consider. And I need to figure out my later season races, but for now, I am waiting until tomorrow!

SOMETIMES THAT FIRST STEP OUT THE

DOOR IS THE HARDEST...

This week was the beginning of my 12 week Half Ironman training program. The workouts are patterned after my base training workouts from the last two months, so they are easy enough the first few weeks. This week the training schedule called for:

• Monday, strength training; (done)


• Tuesday, swim 45 minutes, run 30 minutes; (done)


• Wednesday, cycling 45 minutes; (done)


• Thursday, run 45 minutes, swim 30 minutes; (swim done)


• Friday, cycling 45 minutes;


• Saturday, run 1 hour; swim 45 minutes;


• Sunday, cycling 2 hours.

I prefer to do my workouts in the morning, and on the days when I run and swim, I prefer to do the longest one in the morning. That way it doesn't feel like all I do is work out, go to work, work out, come home, eat, get ready for the next day, sleep. (Although that's pretty much it some days!)

The hardest part this week so far has been the running. After last week's vacation time running in the warm weather and sunshine, this week its back to reality: cold, dark, rainy, snowy, blowing, etc.

For Tuesday's short run, I had planned to run outside, and the weather late in the afternoon, although gloomy and drizzly with rain, looked like it might hold out for a short while. No such luck. As soon as I got out of work, it was pouring rain. So back to the treadmill. I did a short speedwork routine, but held steady for the first 20 minutes and managed to get through it mentally. But the cardio room is in the process of updating and still has no air flow or fan to keep it cool, so the temperature is almost always in the upper 70s or almost 80 degrees. Great for heat training, but it is starting to get to me. So my plan was to hopefully get outside for Thursday's 45 min. run.

But Thursday came and it was just too cold for my mind to wrap around getting out there in the dark besides: around 18 degrees, with a windchill of about 6. So I opted for the treadmill, getting up earlier than usual to get to the gym in the hope of getting a treadmill early and then even more hopeful of having time to get in my swim so I had my evening free.

So as soon as I step one foot on the treadmill, bam! A fuse blows before I can even get started. The guy next to me, running about 7 min. miles, about flew off into the wall from the machine stopping so suddenly. I was ticked off because I didn't have any outdoor clothes, and now it meant I would either have to fight for a treadmill after work and sweat to death inside or run out in the cold. I did decide to do my swim, so all was not lost.

All day I watched the weather, hoping against hope I would be able to get outside. The sun came out and stayed out. And with daylight savings, it would still be light until after 7 pm, so unless I wimped out--and I am at the point where I cannot--I would run outside. And like I said, the sun was out, so that was a plus.

I hurried home from work to find Don getting ready to go out to rake in the yard. "Go run with me instead," I urged. So we bundled up in layers, because even with the sun and almost no wind (a rarity) it was still only 25 degrees. (I love how the weather report always says something like: temperature, 25 degrees; feels like 27. I really don't see how if it is 25 degrees and there is no wind it can feel warmer than 25 degrees. Makes no sense to me.)

As usual, when I run after work, my legs feel heavy and I feel out of breath easily. Its just a lot harder for me to run at that time of day. We ran about 3 blocks before getting a red traffic light and I was relieved to stop and catch my breath. Then I suggested we walk for just a minute. We started running again after a brief walk and it was feeling easier. When we came to the next crossing, we again walked momentarily after the light and went on our way. Then as luck would have it for me, Don saw a friend of his outside cleaning up his yard so we stopped again for a couple of minutes to chat and that seemed to pull me out of my slump. After that, I felt pretty good and we continued on until Don started having some problems with his back and he decided he was going to walk back home. I walked with him for a minute and then went on my way.

Remarkably, I found myself pushing along without wanting to stop. I don't know what it was but I continued on for the full 45 minutes of the scheduled run as well as a few more minutes to make up for the walk breaks and felt like I could have gone on longer. I even ran up a hill without stopping and picked up the pace for the last couple of blocks, something I haven't felt like doing in longer than I can remember.

Maybe it was being able to run more frequently last week, maybe it was the fairly mild, if not cold, weather, or maybe that heart rate training I have been doing for the last 3 months is finally paying off. Whatever it is, I felt great.

When I got in the house, my cheeks were bright red from the cold, but I can't remember when I've had a more enjoyable run!

The next challenge now is that most of my bike training over the next 12 weeks is more than likely going to be done on the trainer. We have a small window of opportunity this Sunday for an almost 50 degree day, so if it comes to that, and the winds are down, I will attempt to get outside Sunday. Otherwise, if I'm confined to the house, I have gone ahead and purchased a Spinerval DVD, Hardcore, a 3-disc set with up to 5 hours of training. Five hours on a trainer right now is mind boggling, but if it gets the job done, that's what I will have to do.

Hope everyone has great weekends planned--workouts or maybe celebrating St. Patrick's Day? Enjoy some green beer!

CANCUN ADVENTURE

Some of you have probably been wondering just where in the world I was on vacation and now you know it was Cancun.

Our trip started Sunday, March 1 with a cancelled flight! After rushing to the airport, as is normal when traveling with Don, we got there to find out our flight through Memphis was cancelled. We, along with dozens of others, were now being rerouted through Detroit. Much as I think the Detroit airport is one of the nicest, I wasn't thrilled with starting our journey there. But there was a perk attached--we flew first class! I'm starting to rethink my policy on flying as cheaply as possible after going first class. Of course it was only the Detroit leg, a whole 34 minutes' worth, but long enough to give me a taste of better things out there!

When we arrived at our gate for the next leg, direct to Cancun, we found out it was delayed! I couldn't help think we would never get out of Michigan. We were told it would be at least an hour if not more, so we went to get some breakfast, way down the terminal, about 30 gates away, figuring we had plenty of time. We were just finishing with our breakfasts when we heard our names paged for final boarding! What?? It was only 10:10 and we were told our flight wasn't even boarding until 10:52. Somewhere something changed and we missed that memo. So we raced to our gate, glad for the people movers which really do move you twice as fast as just plain running. They were just getting ready to close the door to the boarding ramp when we got there, with me balancing "the purse," a cup of coffee, and another carryon bag. Then of course we had to cram our way into our seats, which weren't together. And also by then there was no room in the overhead bins for my carryon, so I had to cram that under my legs the whole 3+ hour trip. (My biggest pet peeve about flying is that people abuse the overhead bin policy, just so they don't have to check any baggage.)

So finally we were on the way, 2 hours later than planned, but finally getting away from the 17 degree weather we were having at home.

However, I was a little dismayed to hear that it was cloudy, windy, and 69 degrees in Cancun. What is up with that? I paid for hot! I wanted hot and sunny! It didn't matter too much what the weather was because by the time we got there and went through customs and immigration, it was already 4 pm, now 4 hours later than expected. And windy was an understatement. If I didn't know better, I would have been worried about a hurricane blowing in. As we would learn, wind would become part of our daily experience for the next 6 days.

We booked this vacation through an online travel company, and I was worried every day after hitting the submit button that we were going to get ripped off. I had called and confirmed everything verbally, however, so felt somewhat more assured. But still, you never know.

As it turned out, we had a very good experience using this company, and by midweek I finally figured out why it was so cheap and how these things worked. Without knowing for sure, my guess is that we pretty much got our hotel for free because the daily room rates were $255 a night for a standard room, and multiply that by 6 and you get more than we paid individually for airfare and room. I think they get you to the hotel and then try to sell you excursion packages, like loss leader items in retail stores, which probably then make up for any loss on the hotel charge.

We didn't fall into this trap and we did not do an all inclusive for a few reasons. First, all inclusive added $500 or more to each of our total prices, and while that isn't much over 6 days, it does limit us to eating all our meals at the hotel in order to get our money's worth. Second, we only eat 2 meals a day when on vacation--late breakfast and dinner. And we don't drink ourselves into a stupor every night, so again, we felt like we would not get our money's worth of that $500. And third, same with the food--we don't do the all you can eat thing even at a buffet. We eat what we want and that's it. And we wanted to sample local cousine.

The first evening it was so windy and cool that we walked around a little exploring but were so tired we actually were sleeping before 10 pm Cancun time, despite the howling wind. I'm not kidding, it was so windy, the wind howled all night. I woke a couple of times and it was quieter, but without earplugs I'm not sure I would have slept much because of the wind.

Day 2 I was awake by sunrise and when I stepped out onto the balcony discovered it was still windy and cool. Very windy and cool! Only 57 degrees we found out. We decided to have breakfast at the hotel and then take a walk to explore some, battling the wind in the process. You can see the cloudiness and by what I'm wearing you can guess it wasn't that warm.

One thing about Cancun, and many other Caribbean countries I'm sure, is all the street vendors pestering you to buy something, and in this case it was taxi drivers and agents trying to get you to take a ride somewhere or go on an excursion somewhere, neither of which we were interested in. In fact, we discovered that day just how easy it was to take a bus just about anytime and anywhere, all for only about 50 cents a ride. But it was always a wild ride! I don't know how they maneuver those beasts through all that traffic going that fast but we never saw any accidents.

We also decided to make a trip to Walmart that day to get some things needed that we weren't sure where else to get. We didn't know where Walmart was, but the Route 2 bus went there so we hopped on. Apparently just about everyone goes to Walmart at some point, since the busses were filled each time we rode somewhere with people either coming or going to Walmart, locals and tourists. And the Cancun Walmart is pretty much the same as the ones in the states except everything is in pesos! It took me a while to get over the sticker shock of pesos as opposed to dollars until I learned to convert.

After our Walmart adventure, we were both ready to go sit by the pool and swim for a while. We still hadn't located the beach where we were supposed to be able to swim, but there was always the pool. The only thing that kept our hotel from being perfect was the lack of beach access, since many of the beaches were wiped out when Hurricane Wilma struck in 2005. And many of the beaches looked like this--beautiful but rocky.

So instead we decided to just head for the pool and relax.

The hotel had two very nice pools, but the water was freezing! I wasn't sure if it was from the cool weather and constant wind or what, but one time in was enough for me! Don loved it cold, but I had come for the warm waters of the Carribbean and wasn't going to settle on the pool entirely. While the pools were lovely, they weren't designed to swim laps. I was starting to worry I would get no swimming in this week until I discovered by accident where many people from our resort were going to swim--next door at the Dreams resort. We couldn't use their lounge chairs but we could sit on the beach and/or swim.






It was perfect, a roped off area even, but beyond that a sort of natural breakwall where the surf broke. Since it was so windy every day, it was always a red flag day, but this little area was fairly calm.

One decision I made about this year's vacation was that it was going to be just that--a vacation. No schedules, no alarm clocks, no crowds, and no rocking boat day after day. I don't want to knock the cruise we took last year other than to say it wasn't what I had hoped for. This year, however, was different and was exactly what I had hoped for, just too short!

So here's how the rest of our days went: get up with the sunrise, since it was hard to sleep much later with the light coming into the room. Our room faced east, so each day we were greeted by a sunrise and this lovely view.

After catching up on news from the internet and e-mails, we got dressed to run. There are two nice wide running/biking/roller blading/walking paths that go for miles, marked out at .5 km along the way. I was worried about it being too hot, but that only happened one day, since with the wind all the time the morning temps stayed cool. Still, it was shorts and singlets every day. Can't complain! And I ran every day but Monday with no aches or pains or problems. All that warm weather and sunshine has to be good!

After our run, we showered and went down to breakfast, and sat looking out over the ocean. So beautiful!

After breakfast, it was pool and margarita time! I can't tell you how great those tasted sitting out in the sun relaxing!

After lounging for a few hours, we would make our way down to the swimming beach next door. Don does not like salt water, but I don't mind it and actually feel it has restorative powers in it. I love the water, can't get enough of it, and swam laps back and forth in the roped off area every day but Monday. It was like swimming with a big salty pretzel in your mouth, but didn't bother me. And when my goggles leaked, once I got over the initial salty stinging of the eyes, I was amazed that my contacts were so much clearer. Saline you know!

A couple of days we used the gym and did weights, stretching, and core work before swimming, so we never slacked on our exercise regimes.

We usually ate dinner early since we didn't eat lunch. We ate at the hotel and local places as well as a couple of the chains. We did not like Margaritaville, although my food was great. Everyone there wanted to push Tequilla shots on you the whole dinner, and we just wanted to be left alone! We weren't here for spring break. It should have been obvious we weren't college kids.

It also should be noted that no where we went to eat did they ever offer you water with your meal, and most places only served bottled only if you asked for some. Tequilla on the other hand flowed freely every place it seemed!

As for excursions, like Xcaret, the Mayan ruins, dinner cruises, swimming with the dolphins, etc., all things recommended we do, we decided against all that. I decided all I wanted to do every day was run, swim, relax, drink Margarits in the sun, work on my tan, read, and relax some more, and thats pretty much what we did. Most of the excursions required a whole day--get on a bumpy bus early in the morning and be out in the hot sun with people we didn't know or want to spend time with for the next 12 hours. I think I'll just go to a travelogue if I want to see the Mayan ruins!

All too soon, our paradise vacation was over and we got to make that delightful trip back home again to all the wonderment that is home:

INTERESTING ARCHITECTURE OR SCENERY

Since blogger is extremely slow uploading pics today, and I simply MUST get outside, here are just a few pics from around the hotel area where we are staying, as well as some in the hotel.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

OLA!

PURSE CLEANING AND PACKING

Getting ready for my trip, I knew it was time to tackle the chore I hate the most: packing and cleaning out my purse. I haven't cleaned out my suitcase entirely since my trip to Toronto in late September, and I got the purse shortly after, so it was time to get organized. God forbid I should get on the plane with a pair nail clippers tucked away in the lining of my purse or even worse some cosmetic item that either didn't fit the 3 oz or smaller category or was a liquid or a gel and not encased in a zip lock quart size baggie. Who knows was havoc that would wreak on the TSA??

The main reason for the purse cleaning was to find my W-2 form, which seemed to have vanished. All the places I "thought" I had put it--in my desk, alongside my printer, at home in that pile designated "tax items," in the bottom of my grocery carry tote, or intermingled in with some other papers that seemed necessary at the time I put them away but now had no meaning whatsoever. No such luck.

I started this task Monday night, sifting through papers that had piled up and up and up since at least Thanksgiving (but of course hidden out of sight from Thanksgiving and Christmas guests). The first go-through yielded nothing of what I was looking for but I did find a lot of other things I had forgotten about. The second time through was Tuesday night, a little more frantically, since a desk cleaning before leaving work had not turned up the missing document either. So much stuff even there I had forgotten about: a printout of race results from 2006; a race form from 2007; pictures sent through e-mail; etc.

Finally, last night, at about 10:30, 30 minutes after I would have liked to have been in bed, after not only sifting through the piles for a third time, but actually throwing enough stuff away to fill an entire wastebasket, I still had not found the W-2. I decided to give it one more day (today) before I asked for a reprint.

Sometime between going to bed and waking up this morning the simple idea of where to look came to me: my purse. Who would have thought??

But of course I didn't have time this morning before going to the gym and had intended "first thing" to get on that as soon as I got to work. Of course, that got pushed back and back and back, but finally I decided I had to stop working and start the digging out of my purse. I knew it was going to be a pretty big job, but I had no idea what a mess I had! Here's just a partial list of what was in my purse:

• 2 wallets (one has a cell phone holder so that's why I use it for my main ATM/credit cards and can carry that alone when wanting to go "light" when shopping. The other has the overflow);
• sun glasses (even though rarely used since October--just in case!);
• a nearly empty bottle of Advil;
• numerous assorted packets of ibuprofen and/or cold medicines from the office medicine chest;
• a bag of cough drops, with most of the cough drops loose in my purse;
• enough sticks of gum lying loose in the bottom of my purse to make up 3 more packs (where did all that gum go??);
• a pack of gum in its pack;
• 3 pens;
• 3 partially used gift cards (I've been wondering where they were);
• 1 unused gift card (I was hoping it was still there);
• 3 gloves, none of which match (one of which I've been looking for for a long time);
• synpathy cards my aunt gave me at my uncle's funeral a month ago from when my dad died 2 years ago (what is the need, I know);
• a sympathy card I had intended to mail out but couldn't find;
• several coupons, none expired yet fortunately;
• a Baker's chocolate recipe booklet;
• a chicken soup recipe;
• movie ticket stubs (Marley & Me; Benjamin Button; Gran Torino);
• my regular glasses;
• loose change;
• a change purse;
• my camera;
• extra batteries for camera;
• my Polar HR watch, in need of a new battery;
• warranty info for the Polar HR watch;
• a package of kleenex;
• a cell phone charger;
• checkbook;
• nail clippers;
• enough loose grocery receipts and other papers to half fill my wastebasket at work;
• and last but not least? the W-2 form. Yipee!

Mission accomplished, and it was absolutely the last thing I pulled out of the dark depths of that bag I drag around everywhere. But now I have to cram all this stuff back into the purse to get it home and sort through it again before boarding the plane! (I can't even dare complain about a sore shoulder!)

FAT TUESDAY

Trying not to live up to the name of the day (no Paczkis for me, even though I am Polish!), I was at the gym bright and early again today, going into week two of worst work weeks from hell. Actually, I would have been there anyway, but if I needed an excuse, one reason would be to maintain weight. Another would be to combat the stress of the job. I can't help it if I really like to work out. (most of the time)

Our office has its own annual version of Fat Tuesday, where they live up to the "fat" by everyone bringing goodies in the form of any desert you can think of, including the Mardi Gras King Cake, and the office supplies pizza either for a grazing party or a Fat Tuesday luncheon. Of course, there is a catch: you have to pay to indulge, with all monies collected going to fund our yearly charitable giving program. So you can ease some of that guilt by giving to a good cause.

My sister, on the other hand, trying to quit smoking, bought 2 boxes of the Packis and---are you ready for this?--ate 17 of the things! OMG! A donut coma was imminent. And this is the sister who is as thin as a rail. What is it about the skinny ones that can eat themselves sick and still not gain any weight??

Last week's workout wrapup is as follows:

• Monday: weights; spin


• Tuesday: Run 3.5; swim 30 minutes


• Wednesday: Spin; swim 20 minutes (in a hurry)


• Thursday: Run 3.5; swim 30 minutes


• Friday: Weights


• Saturday: Run 10k


• Sunday: Spin 1 hour 30 min.; swim 1200

Our Sunday spin that Jan and I did consisted of two DVDs: the first was a circuit spin workout, which we thought would be a nice warmup for the longer one. Ha! It was 40 minutes non-stop. Absolutely no rest, other than going from a standing to a seated climb or a standing flat to a seated flat. By the end of that one, we were looking forward to it being over. I almost dreaded the second one. The second one, however, was great! It was an actual "road" spin DVD, meaning you had scenery and real cyclists to follow. The scenery? Las Vegas, in the Valley of Fire State Park. It was wonderful, and the 60 minutes went by so fast. What was really great about it was on the screen you had a countdown clock, a cadence counter and instructions on what cadence to follow, and the heart rate effort to go by for each segment of the workout. Along with that, you had some motivating music and inspirational quotes faded in and out. It was much more realistic of a ride also, and no spin instructor screaming at you to "come on work it, don't quit, you can do this, etc." We just rode along in silence with the other cyclists, enjoying the scenery, cranking it up for a hill when necessary, spinning at high cadence on the downhills, and as I said, the time went by so fast it was unbelievable. I definitely would do that ride again and wouldn't mind having that DVD for my own collection.

Last night was the first official babysitting night with the new granddaughter. I'm glad they weren't gone too long because sitting there holding her and watching TV, I had a very hard time staying awake myself!

And then this morning, back at the gym at 6:15. I'm glad I got there early and was able to first get a treadmill and second get in the 4 mile planned workout before heading into the stress pit. I know I've mentioned this before, but one of my favorite treadmill workouts is Yasso 800s. I can do these for a long time it seems and not get too sore or too tired. Naturally, I'm not really pushing the pace right now, going strictly for distance, but it is easier to keep a consistent pace on the treadmill, one of the advantages of indoor workouts. I just know the weather is going to break soon, but right now I can't focus on outdoor running in the early mornings when it is this cold and I am really pressed for time and would rather get in a quality workout than gut it out and go out in the cold darkness.

What keeps me going right now is knowing that next week at this time I'm going to be on a beach in Cancun!

Happy training this week!

IT CAN'T LAST MUCH LONGER, CAN IT??

Another wintry blast hit us again today. I was up at o'dark thirty again to get in a workout before heading to the office. Not one flake was falling or had fallen up to that time. By the time I came out of the gym and got into the office, it was light out enough to look out the window and of course the whole city was transformed again, with enough snow falling to cover the streets and any cars parked outside. Snow, all day long. Bleh! But apparently the cold and snow didn't stop these brave souls from doing the polar bear plunge at the local lake, to raise money for charity. Much as I like outdoor swimming, it isn't in this weather!

I decided to stay in and run on the treadmill but wished I hadn't once I got started. First, the pesty old man at the gym was there pedaling the Schwinn Airdyne at about .5 mph. Somehow, he didn't see me come into the cardio room, even though I went out and back in at least 3 times before I got settled. Once he saw me, however, all he wanted to do was chat, asking the same questions he always asks. Sigh...

Next, it was about 80 degrees in there again, so I went to the locker room to get the fan I had stored there.

Then, none of the heart rate monitors worked correctly on any of the treadmills, so I went out again to find my watch, only to have that not work correctly either. I really think it was the watch messing with the monitor on the mills, because they both registered the same heart rate: 79. So after trying out every treadmill, I finally settled on one and did pretty well--even though my heart rate went down if I ran and up if I walked--until about 45 minutes into it and then everything went downhill. No clue why, but it just seemed too hard. I think part of it was my annoyance at wasting so much time getting settled and knowing I needed to get to the office, making me impatient to get it done.

So, my 7 mile run ended up being only a 10k. That was about all I could manage.

Sunday, the plan is a double spin workout with Jan and whoever else shows up. Swim first, then spin, and maybe if I'm still feeling good, a short run. I have one more week before my vacation here and want to get in as many workouts as I can! I've been planning my weekly training based on being off for a week the first week of March, so I'm not planning on feeling too guilty if I don't get too many workouts in!

YESTERDAY'S LUNCH

That's what I finally got to eat today: yesterday's lunch.

Its been so crazy busy at work the last 5 days I don't even think of eating. I bring my lunch, but most of the days I either eat between doing other things or so late in the day it might as well be supper. Yesterday I never even thought about eating until I got home and realized I didn't have to make a lunch for today.

Today, like the last 3 days, started out at 4:15 am, which had me answering my own question from a year or so ago: if you had to get up at 4 (4:15, 4:30, or whatever) am to work out, would you? For me, the answer is always yes. I would much rather give up an hour of sleep than miss a workout. As it was, I missed my lunchtime strength workout yesterday because I barely had time to think let alone leave the office for an hour or more. I was grouchy because of that--not that I hadn't really worked out for the day but that I had to miss something planned through no fault of my own. I would rather then get up earlier just to get in the workouts I want to do, rather than miss one. At least I got a spinning workout in yesterday.

This morning, I was on the treadmill before 6 am and at my desk by 7:30. Not that early for some of you, but considering we have a fairly flex schedule (anytime in before 9:30 and any time out after 4:30, just get in 8 hours), it was early. Only a few people are in the office that early.

But getting up earlier and in the office earlier than usual this week made me start relating my work to my training: you have to be organized to get it all done, or at least get done what you want and need to do. For me, the two have to mesh. I have to be organized enough in my personal life to be able to get to the gym early enough to work out before work; to have food to bring to work today so I don't have to buy a breakfast or lunch every day or graze around the office like so many others do; to have the clothes/shoes/jewelry organized the night before so I'm not fishing around in the semi dark with my glasses to be sure everything matches; to be sure I have clean workout clothes every day, and some days two outfits depending on whether I'm doing weights or pilates in the afternoon or evening; to be organized enough in my thoughts once I am at work to follow through on a project to not make mistakes; to be able to work through distractions; to have the stamina to get me through a 10+ hour day and be able to come back and do it all over again the next day, and the next, and the next. Just like in training.

So everything ties in together. There can be no loose threads if you want to be able to get up every day and accomplish all the things you plan to do that day, either in training or working. You have to have enough foresight to be able to see the big picture, and follow your training program or work procedures to achieve success in what you are trying to accomplish and not get sidetracked. And the biggest thing you need to have is the discipline to do all this. Running/triathlon have given me what I already didn't have.

Hope everyone is having a good week. I'll catch up with you when I can!

INDOOR TRIATHLON, Feb. 15, 2009

This was a new event this year, replacing the old standby of 15 years. Comparing the two events, the new location wins hands down. The Aquatic Center as its called is part of a high school complex near the lakeshore that is less than 10 years old. This school is a rival of the school my kids went to and have always had a very competitive swim and diving program. I observed all the trophies and awards won by both the boys' and girls' teams over the years. The pool is fairly new, 10 lanes, and has a big spectating area. The bike area was down the hall a ways from the pool in a "practice gym, but it was on the same level as the pool and locker rooms. And the run was right across the hall in the main gym.

Somehow, Jan and I did not get in the same heat this year, starting an hour apart. So I watched her start her swim, bike, and run and then went and got myself ready.

Being in a different venue, I didn't see too many of the old familiar faces from past years and noticed it was a considerably older crowd, as opposed to many more young adults and/or teens at the old location, maybe because it was held at a YMCA.

I hadn't spent too much time thinking about what I wanted to do goalwise with this event. I hesitate to use the word "race" because I participate, rarely race. Each leg was 15 minutes. But once I started getting focused on the task at hand, I figured I could do between 13 and 15 laps on the swim, 5 miles on the bike, and 15 laps on the run (10 to the mile).

The water was colder in the pool once I got in than it felt on my hand before starting, so it pretty much took my breath away jumping in. There were 4 men and 2 women in my heat, and the guys were all pretty fast. I just stayed steady and kept count to stay focused. Increasing my swim frequency and distance during January has certainly helped put me over the hump on the swim. I never have had a problem with swimming, but moving on to the next event was much easier this year than ever before. I finished 13 laps even on the ending whistle, 650 yards. More than the last two years.

Transition is always a challenge for me, and today was no different. To help alleviate some of the stress I get into trying to hustle to the bike, get the shoes, socks, and shirt on, get the bike set up, etc. all in 5 minutes, I wore my bike shorts over my suit for a change. I was glad I did, since I had to muscle my way onto the bike I had chosen earlier because of bike size. No way did I want a bike with too big a frame and a seat that could not be lowered! So I had to tell one of the male participants that another bike would be a better choice for him and please let me have this one because its smaller. And fortunately for me, the seat was perfect because time ran out to get prepared and it was time to pedal.

So the bike began and I see that I am spinning very easily, almost too easily and I realize after more than 3 minutes that that's basically what I am doing: spinning easily. So I try to add some gears, only to not be able to figure this particular bike out. After a few attempts and ending up with less gears than I thought I was putting on, I asked for help. Of course it was an easy fix, and I put on some more gears, but figuring my legs would pay for it on the run. The damage was done for my goal distance, however, because I did not begin adding gears fast enough to make a difference without practically killing myself. But I did reach 4.99 miles. Try as I might, I could not get that odometer to turn over to the 5 mile mark. (I think I did better than this on the bike last year.)

T2 was easy: just walk across the hallway, make a connection with your lap counter, get some water, stretch if time, etc. Nothing too hard here.

The run then was done on an inside track on the basketball court. On, not above like past years. And on the same level, too. No more climbing steps to the third floor!

We finally started, and round and round we go. It was 10 laps to the mile, so once I got started I decided I wanted to do 15 laps at least. The air was dry just like my contacts were, so I was finding myself squinting to be able to see. I've never had this much trouble with contacts at an indoor tri, and the contacts were starting to get so dry I was afraid they would blink out, so I pretty much partially kept my eyes shut and just ran. One thing on a track is the momentum carries you around easier than if on a treadmill, so the only part of the run that was tough was the dry air--my throat was now getting so dry I could barely swallow. The last few laps got pretty tough because of the throat thing, but I did make a quick dash off to a drinking fountain close by and was able to merge back onto the track and with the others in my heat easily enough. They called the one minute warning and I knew I would make my goal of 15 laps, but then I realized in the last 10 seconds that if I could kick it in some I could make it to the 1/4 lap mark and pick that up as well. So I met my goal distance and then just a little: 15 1/4 laps.

The awards were after the last two heats, so we had a while to wait. I was into my usual dry coughing because of the throat irritation from the dry air. I always chew gum during the bike and run, but it didn't help at all this time. It was at least 3 hours before I could get the throat thing under control.

On to the awards. Age groups were 10 year spans, so I wasn't that hopeful of winning anything, but fortunately took 3rd in my age group, with Jan first, and we have no idea who 2nd place was. She wasn't there to collect her medal and we didn't recognize her name. We don't know our totals, so I don't know how they compare to last year or how I measured up against the others in my age group. I'm fairly certain that the bike probably kept me from taking 2nd place, but of course don't know for sure.

Now for the weekly wrapup: Week 6 (last week):

• Sunday: Run 3 miles; swim 1 mile; baby day
• Monday: Spin class; visit baby
• Tuesday: Run 3.5 miles;
• Wednesday: Spin class; weight class; visit baby at home;
• Thursday: Run 2 miles;
• Friday: Swim 3/4 mile
• Saturday: off (because of tri the next day).

One thing I found with my base training is that even though the indoor tris only have 15 or 20 minute time increments for each event, you are pushing yourself the entire time, and this whole thing went easier than ever and I wasn't wiped out after. My recovery was within 15 minutes, so that was very encouraging. You don't have that long time on the bike to get ready for the run. The 15 minutes seem long until you hit the middle and then boom! the time runs out before you know it.

Hope everyone's weekend--Valentines and/or races--went well and now its on to the next week!

SUNSHINE & SHORTS

Today was one of those miracle days we get so rarely in the winter: sunshine and almost 60 degrees! Woo hoo! I had planned to run in the morning, but it was raining AND we had a high wind advisory. I don't really know how much wind there was, but the combination of the two didn't thrill me enough to get up and get dressed to go out in the dark, especially when I knew it was going to be warm and sunny by lunch time.

I headed out, without shorts however, since I didn't believe it was going to really feel like 60 degrees--60 degrees when you still have many inches of snow on the ground does not feel as warm as 60 degrees does when it is dry.

But surprise, surprise! It really was warm. Right away. Not that "its warm once you get warmed up" feel, but right away. And while I had checked the wind speed before going out (7-8 mph they said), clearly that was recorded somewhere other than the downtown area. Going out, heading north again, it was fine, but I could feel the gusts hitting me from the west and the strong southerly breeze from behind. Where else would we be getting that warm air after all? Today, however, I did much better with the wind than Saturday, even though it was pretty much the same--20-35 mph. It was only a short, lunchtime run, so there really was no way to avoid the wind, so I just gutted it out, enjoying the moments when it was calm, and putting my head down when it was gusting. It wouldn't have mattered if it was a tornado, just to have that sunshine that has been missing for so long was such a treat. I did notice though that the sidewalks that still had snowpiles on them Saturday were almost clear today.

Weekly Wrapup, Week 5, 2009 Triathlon Training (last week):

• Sunday: 45 min. Spin, 1 mile swim (43:21--my slowest in a LONG time);
• Monday: Weights; 2 mile run;
• Tuesday: Swim 1/2 mile; run 3 miles;
• Wednesday: off due to that rib problem;
• Thursday: off due to that rib problem;
• Friday: off due to a dead battery (the car, not me!);
• Saturday: 7 on the 7th.

Monthly gym challenge totals from January showed I BEAT JAN! Woo hoo! On the swim distance and run distance anyway. The swim is a given, but the run is unusual.

Update on 200 situp challenge: Got behind a little last week but am up to 125. I have lost about a half inch on the waist. Part of that is from the situps, part of it is the other workout regimen, and part of it is strictly watching what I've been eating and drinking for the last 2 weeks at least. I find once you get about 2 weeks into any "diet" that it starts becoming more of a habit to either pick the right foods or eat more of the right foods.

Sleeping has been much better as well, taking the melatonin every night. I think I mentioned this, but if not, what I am finding is I fall asleep easier and even if I wake up I go back to sleep readily. I have been taking three 3mg tablets a night. I don't know if there is any magic dosage to take, but that works for me.

And now I'm into Week 6, 2009 Triathlon Training. This weekend is the indoor triathlon, so my schedule is lighter than other weeks. The real work isn't going to start until next month anyway, so for now its just base building.

Hope everyone is having a great week so far!

I've spent a lot of time in hospitals over the last 8 years--for deaths, illness, accident, and tests and surgeries for ailing parents. Today was spent at the hospital for the miracle that is birth: today my "baby" had a baby: Kerri Marie, 6 lb. 14 oz. 20 3/4", born 2/8/09, 8:42 pm.

Dad Justin, Kerri, Mom Alysha.

Dad and daughter.

All cleaned up.

It was a LONG day. The wait was worth it. She's like a little doll. The girl drought is over.

7 on the 7th--No facemasks needed

It was with great excitement that I planned to run the 7 on the 7th run today. The temperature at 7:45 am was already 47 degrees! Go figure on that one since it was 16 yesterday about the same time. No matter, I'll take it. I did notice the winds were about 17-20 mph however, so I still dressed in double layers except for my hands.

I decided to run from the gym figuring there would still be more streets clear of ice and snow than around my house. There was just enough melting action on Friday to pretty much figure side streets and sidewalks would still have patches of ice on them.

I headed out going north and almost thought I was overdressed, but once I turned west and into the wind, whoa! Now I was glad I still had on the Barney coat with the hood. I hadn't put it on yet, but within a couple of miles it was pretty obvious I was going to need it. The temperature did not factor in the wind chill, which was probably in the 30s. Running north or east, the winds weren't bad; south and west was another matter. It was so bad that after 3 miles I was almost tempted to head back to the gym and face the treadmill for the remaining 4 miles, but my mind would not let me do it.

So I came up with a plan to run west first, then south, then head back east, figuring the worst would be behind me in the earlier miles. Actually once I got away from downtown with the tall buildings and the river running through it, the winds were not as bad, but of course now I was faced with running on the "other side of the tracks" in the not-so-great part of town. Most people in those neighborhoods I found weren't usually up and about until closer to noon, so there wasn't much activity or traffic, allowing me to run mostly in the street. But it was a crappy run, no other way to describe it. Running into the wind was causing my heart rate to go up and stay up. Even walk breaks didn't bring it down enough to keep it down for any length of time, so I finally decided to run until it went to the max and then walk to get it back down, so it was pretty much a run some, walk some event today. After a while I ignored the monitor and just ran 2 or 3 blocks and then walked one. Doing this allowed me to relax and not worry about how much time I was out there, just enjoying the day and giving me a chance to do a lot of thinking.

When it was finally time to turn back, suddenly the winds shifted and once again I found myself running into the wind! How does that happen?? Actually, I noticed the closer I got to downtown again that the winds seemed variable, meaning sometimes I would be running into the wind, and other times it would be pushing me along. It totally reminded me of a March day, with sporadic sunshine breaking through the heavy clouds, warm temps, and gusty winds, all at the same time it seemed. Just enough of a hint of spring to come to make the run enjoyable from that standpoint.

I stopped keeping track of time after a while, but did notice my watch was at 1:24 by the time I finished, right at 12 minute miles, so I didn't do as bad as I thought I was going to do. I hope everyone who participated today had good runs and good weather! Only 41 more days until spring!

SIDELINED

This week, I got a little "off track" on my training due to what I thought was a training injury. Tuesday afternoon, sitting at work, out of the blue, my right scapula area started aching and was very tight. This is the same side that was broken in the bike accident, so I just figured it was from maybe overdoing it on the weights the day before. By that evening, my shoulder was hurting as well, and every time I took a breath I could feel it catch from the tightness. I stretched out the arms and shoulders and still didn't think too much of it until the next morning when I got up and wham! I could hardly move that side. Every breath hurt, and my scapula was really aching and painful now. I had planned to go to spinning that day and my weight class, but after it took me about twice as long to get dressed and ready for work (having already decided against the spin class), I started having doubts about my weight class that day too.

As the day went on, the mid-back, near the spine started really aching, and it was all I could do to stay focused at work because of the discomfort. I had started taking ibuprofen that morning and continued to stretch some throughout the day. By the time I left work, the pain was tolerable but still there, so I figured I would be okay by morning.

Wednesday nights are family night, so I had a houseful for dinner and pretty much was able to block out the discomfort in my shoulder/back, but by the time everyone left, I started becoming aware of pain in the right ribs (which had also been broken) and up into my armpit. All this brought back a lot of painful memories! I used the stick to work out some of the soreness and was really surprised at how intensely sharp the pain was. More ibuprofen and went to bed with the heating pad only to awaken about 4:30 am with pain that was so distracting I could not get back to sleep.

Thursday is usually a run/swim day, but even though my legs felt fine, my mind could not wrap itself around working out for any reason. After stretching, icing, using my shiatsu massager, and more ibuprofen, I went to work with a block of ice and my heating pad. I stuck the ice block under the arm and into the armpit and after about 20 minutes put the heat on. That seemed to help a lot, so by the end of the day I was actually feeling somewhat decent.

Still, on the way home, my mind somehow decided I should stop at the chiropractor's office just to see if there was anything that they could do to clear this up. I showed up without an appointment and was glad to see this was their slow day and they could get me in.

After an adjustment, I immediately felt much better. I asked if something was out of whack and was told I had "a rib head that was sticking up there." Well, so much for that! Glad I went in. I learned after my accident that my chiropractor was much more effective in helping me heal up than anything else I had ever done, and faster too. What I thought was a pulled muscle was actually just a displaced rib alignment, which can happen with as little as a sneeze.

Today I can breath without pain, have no pain or discomfort in the shoulder, ribs, scapula, or anywhere for that matter. I got ready to head to the gym for a spin class, only to have my car not start! Dead battery.

So this week has been 1 for 4. For all that, my legs should be more than ready for the 7 on the 7th tomorrow!

PEANUT SCARE

My "Wordless Wednesday" pic was of peanuts too, but I'm actually far from wordless when it comes to my annoyance with this whole peanut scare going on. For someone who loves just about anything made from peanuts, including peanuts themselves, I am finding this to be very limiting in some of my everyday choices. I'm here to admit: I'm a peanut addict.

But its not peanuts that are the problem. Its the mishandling of peanuts or peanut products by a company that was very callous in putting the public health at risk. Which makes my personal problem with this whole thing even more annoying in that one of our local merchants where I frequently shop has taken it upon themselves to totally erradicate anything made with peanuts from their store shelves, and those that haven't been removed you're forbidden to buy. No signs up anywhere announcing this, so imagine my surprise when, after checking repeatedly the recall list, I went shopping for some of my routine peanut product purchases only to hear when I got to the checkout, "I can't sell these to you." What?? Do I now need to show ID to purchase peanut items? "I don't know why," the clerk says. I know why, but it makes no sense, so why don't you take them off the shelves then??

Needless to say, I thought I was wrong in my assessment of the recall list, only to find out when I got home that I was right and the store was wrong. I contacted the store manager then to ask the reason for either emptying the shelves of anything that was contaminated or suspected to be contaminated or if you do get to the checkout forbidden to buy anything suspected to be containated, only to be given the lame answer, "We want to be sure." Yeah, I want to be sure too, which is why I checked the list first and the labels on the products second to be sure they weren't anywhere near the contaminated plant.

So my next step will be to try to reason with the higher ups to PLEASE return these things that are not part of the recall to the shelves and worry about the stuff that is contaminated.

I know, I know, the recall list gets bigger every day, and I am fully aware of this and willing to take responsibility for watching this list daily if necessary, just give me back my peanuts!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

DENNY'S GRAND SLAM TUESDAY

This is your Tuesday public service announcement:

Apparently, after their "successful" Superbowl ad, Denny's has decided to give everyone in America a free Grand Slam breakfast from 6 am - 2 pm. Get yours today.