Tumbling Towards Something

Run in the Snow

It started to snow before I went for my run after work today, but I bundled up and went out.

In case anyone is curious, my layers were:

• regular socks ( I actually just kept my socks on from work, gross but it saves laundry!)
• spandex/nylon leggings - just an old pair I got from Salvation Army to use for layering when hiking in the cold; they actually stayed up this time, usually they sag
• thin cotton/poly blend yoga/sweatpants
• old cotton/poly blend tee shirt
• 100% polyester 1/4 zip pullover long sleeve
• large, loose fleece 1/4 zip pullover
• knit hat
• Northface gloves that didn’t keep my hands warm, next time I’ll use my other pair that are fleece—they worked better on my last run
• and they are not layers, but I also wear a white reflective safety belt when running at dusk or later, and tonight I also wore an LED headlamp/flashlight to make sure drivers could see me in the snow

And my time was 16:36. Once again, I believe it’s about a mile and a half route.

Another Easy Run

I went for another run today.

Time was 15:23. It was the same route as last time (about a mile and a half?). Cold out, but I felt fine in sweatpants, 3 layers on top (long sleeve performance shirt, zip up fleece and a sweatshirt), hat and gloves.

Swimming Total Immersion Drills

I went over to the pool tonight and did the first Total Immersion drill. It was “pressing the buoy”. Basically this focuses on swimming with the top half of your body pushing down into the water in order to keep the entire body in a straight line so there is less water resistance. After doing the drill a few times I actuall did the front crawl, focusing on pressing down the buoy and it really does work. It felt a lot easier to swim this way. I’ll continue to practice this until it is a habit, and then I’ll move on to the next drill in the book.

Besides swimming faster, it also just felt good to get a pool and swim. It’s such a great workout.

It’s Official

I registered for the Gloucester Triathlon on August 9th (Sunday). Now I just need to start training!

Swimming should be fine. I got a copy of Total Immersion, which seems to be the triathlon swimmers’ bible, for $2 from a library book sale last fall. I’ve read most of it and now need to start doing the drills in it. I hope to kick ass in the swimming component since I’ve already been doing well in it for the past triathons I’ve done (all two of them, haha). I’ll be training at the DCR Connell Memorial Pool and Skating Rink…..in the pool part.

I just got a new bike helmet for Christmas (thanks Pete!!!) and a bike computer (thanks Dad!). I need to give my bike a tune-up and maybe try to get better wheels? for it. At the very least a nice spring cleaning and install the bike computer. It’s still full-out winter here in Massachusetts, in fact it’s snowing right now and has been all day, so I’ll also be going to Pete’s apartment’s gym or trying to fix the old (1980s) exercise bike in my basement until warmer weather.

For running I’d like to get some new sneakers once it gets nicer out. Right now I can go in my old ones so the new ones don’t get ruined. In fact, right now I’ll probably be hitting up a treadmill as it’s snowing…

Rob Belley of RBFit.com also made me up a great strength training program that I can do with just the free weights I have at home, so I’d like to get back into that. And while I’m being ambitious, I also have a good yoga video that I’d like to work into my training routine/schedule.

Back at It

I’ve hit the gym at my boyfriend’s apartment complex a few times so far this winter, and I’ve done the yoga dvd that I borrowed from my cousin a few times too, but that’s been the extent of my exercising thus far this winter.

Tonight I drove over to the DCR’s Connell Memorial Pool in Weymouth, Ma (it’s free!) and swam for about 25 minutes. I didn’t do any drills or time myself at all. I was just trying to get back into the groove of exercising. I have to say, I missed it. Swimming just feels so good on my muscles. It stretches them out from being tensed up all day, and afterwards I feel tired yet energized.

I haven’t signed up yet, but I am planning on doing the Gloucester Triathlon and the Marlborough Triathlon this summer (both are part of the same series that the my first tri was in, the Cohasset Triathlon). I’d do the Cohasset one also, but it’s already sold out. I just need to check scheduling with someone tomorrow before I actually go and register for the other two. I need to since I bought a wetsuit last fall and it won’t be worth the price I paid for it unless I do at least two triathlons!

One of the reasons I can do the triathlons is that my cousin Rob Cichocki has offered to sponsor me financially for it; otherwise I wouldn’t feel justified in spending that money right now. So thanks Rob, and let me know if you want me to wear any specific shirts on race day.

I Hate Re-Runs

I don’t watch a whole lot of television. The only thing I regularly turn the television on for is Grey’s Anatomy or a Red Sox or Patriots game. And I can usually count on the sports to be new materail.  But I hate it when I am expected a new Grey’s Anatomy and then I get comfortable, plop down onto the couch, and a RERUN comes on. I’ve been looking forward to a new episode all week, and then they show one I’ve already seen. Come on ABC, get some new episodes out!