Back By Popular Demand

I would love to say I haven't posted because I have been super busy, but I really haven't said anything because I haven't had anything to say. I know this is odd for me. However, when I stop to think about what I've been up to, maybe I have been busy. Oh well.

Monday night was boot camp and yoga. Led by someone who had been in the military and actually gone to boot camp, I was honestly expecting more of a workout. I mean, yeah, we ran a mile (with no walking, thank you!) in flight formation, but that really wasn't so bad. Especially since, hi, I'm a runner. Anyway, went to yoga afterwards then came home.

Tuesday I had planned on swimming, but the weather looked iffy, so I got on the bike instead. This was the first time I had really tried to get in an honest to God bike workout, not just trying to put in some form of cardio. I did 35 minutes on the "Alpine Pass" setting with the resistance somewhere between 6 and 8 (depending on how it felt and the bigger hills), and came out to about 15 miles. My quads were burning but it was so worth it! Afterwards, I had my lovely Polar body assessment... apparently, I am walking around in a 26 going on 31 year old body, with the possibility of going down to a 26 going on 20 year old body. I have great flexibility and nice calm blood pressure, but a horrible VO2 max and not a whole lot of strength. Between lifting weights, swimming, running, biking, and yoga, you'd think I was the most in shape person ever, but not so much.

Thursday, however, I think I might have met the most in shape person on the planet. Our boot camp instructor for the evening, Kaleigh, has to be the fittest person I have ever met. This girl could do mountain climbs, weights, and all the ab work in the world with her sunglasses still on her head and without breaking a sweat. This girl is unreal, the total picture of what healthy and in shape is supposed to look like. She's got to be like 22. I'll tell you right now that I wasn't in that good a shape at 22, and there's a pretty good likelihood that I never will be, even if the Polar assessment says it's possible. But it won't be for lack of trying.

I think the scale is finally catching up to my food intake. It is always kind of an eye-opener to see that you are carrying around 46 lbs of fat - makes you think about all the chicken wings, Zaxby's, brownies, and beer you're inhaling. And while I would love to chalk my 4 lb weight gain up to getting more muscle, I am pretty sure that's not the case. As much as I want to eat well, and have already mentioned that I run better when I do, I know that I go through phases where I am on a steady diet of junk. I try to blame it on PMS, but that only lasts a week and my junk food binges can go on for like two months. I am lucky I have low cholesterol and blood pressure and I need to enjoy it while it lasts, but more importantly I need to make it last longer and make it work for me while I am trying to work out, be healthier, and go the distance. And folks, nutritionists aren't kidding when they say that Diet Coke isn't good for you - one gulp will kill my craving for water all day. I just won't want it when I'm drinking soda - I just want more Diet Coke!

It's going to be hard to break these habits getting ready for Peachtree, but it's necessary. I am afraid to be dehydrated in the concrete jungle on the most crowded, scorching day of the year in Atlanta, and I am afraid that when combined with a low glycogen store from not enough good carbs, I am going to have a mental and possibly physical meltdown that will turn this lifelong dream into a grueling torture fest. I don't want that. I have looked forward to this so much and for so long that I don't want anything to ruin it. The same thing goes for the marathon - as we get closer and closer hydration and nutrition are going to become more and more of a performance factor for me. While I'm not trying to win any medals for finishing first, I am trying to go the distance with the least amount of misery involved. Why not prevent it by eating well, drinking water, and getting back on the wagon? So, after eating at three of my favorite North Georgia culinary empires - the Varsity, Henry's, and Buckner's - it really is going to be time to get serious. Again. For real. Finally. I just need a way to be held accountable. Any suggestions?

Getting ready for Peachtree is also going to involve some hill training. I want to charge up Cardiac Hill the same way I charged up the hills for the ING Atlanta 1/2, and since there aren't any hills in Northeast Florida to train on, we get to do the man-made variety - bridges. So, without further ado, here is my planned run for tomorrow, starting and ending at Panera so I can treat myself to a well-earned souffle: (*note, this isn't 100% exact, but it's darn close)

A Girl's Gotta Have Priorities...

B, when you read this, please don't immediately respond with "pay off debt".

You can usually tell a girl's priorities from looking at her. I remember my mom telling me as a very little girl that she got her hair done, our neighbor got her nails done, and women who could got both done. She would have laughed at me in college - I had my hair done, nails done, eyebrows waxed and car washed. (Yes, I was spoiled. And I have had a few at-home disasters on all of those that I *do not* want to recount here.)

But now I make my own money (and some of B's) and sometimes I really have to ask myself if I need all that. Or any of that. If you were to see me now, my toenails look like hell, my fingernails are overgrown (for me, at least), and my eyebrows are seriously out of control. I don't even have plans to hit the summer sales. And, according to my friend Michelle, my hair is looking like I don't need the highlight and haircut I had scheduled for next week, leaving me with some money I can spend on whatever (*sigh* Or paying down debt).

So, I have a dilemma - do I put it towards a bike, or towards some new running shoes that are better suited for my foot issues than my stability shoes? Decisions, decisions. I guess this tells you where my priorities are at!

Hot Run In the Summer

So, at the request of one of my readers (go to her site and DONATE!) I am going to add in a handy Map My Run link for today's long run - which, depending on who you ask (iPod, mapmyrun.com, or exact science) was between 4 and 4.41 miles:


I'm definitely a hot weather, summer all year long Florida girl, but I hate it when I am running - that's about the only time I want it to be 55 degrees! We got up at 6 but didn't make it out until 7 - that's not going to work for me as the runs get longer. I need to get an earlier start... Man, I miss when Saturdays were about sleeping in.

Speaking of Saturdays, since I have now complained about Friday, allow me to get in my 2 cents on Saturday. I LOVE my Saturday routine in the fall - get up super early, long run, breakfast, shower, errands, NAP, football, beer (which is really just pre-drinking for the early Sunday Jaguars games). I am so looking forward to getting back into that swing of things here in a few months. But, in the meantime, I'm going to spend today in St Simons Island with the fam. Hopefully I can squeeze in a nap by the pool!

Viva Las Vegas - A Sigh of Relief

It looks like Devine Racing is taking care of business in Vegas (finally!). I have read a few things, but this article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal made me feel better.

Woohoo!

If you want to keep up with the latest on Devine Racing - which will hopefully be taking a turn for the better - click here.

My Love/Hate Relationship with Friday

I have always been a fan of Thursday. I was born on a Thursday, good TV comes on Thursday, in college it was the start of some people's weekend (everyday was a weekend for me, though - but I managed to graduate somehow), and it's the last day of whining because everyone loooooves Friday. And really, how could you not? It's the last day of the work week. The first night of the (actual) weekend. It's date night, high school football, movie premiere, pay day (for some), "Let's all go have a few beers 'cause it's Friday" day.

However, even with all that, I am still not a fan of Friday.

I am an obsessive person. I get on a roll and I won't stop. And if you look at my workout calendar, I am on a roll. Swimming, running, boot camp, yoga - going, going, going. But Friday is a rest day, as B likes to keep reminding me, and to further drive that point home, it's the eve of the Sabbath - and I go to a Jewish gym. They close at 5 pm and open Saturday at 1 pm. Almost forcing me to take a break. If I went to any other gym, I'd be dragging it to a spin class, yoga, lifting weights, something! But I am limited to: running (no thanks - tomorrow's my long run), tennis (that's at least a maybe!), or the neighborhood pool (I am not wearing a Speedo racing suit and a swim cap there, sorry). And even if I try to plan something outside, it's June in Florida - almost guaranteed to rain me out this afternoon.

*sigh* Maybe I should get a bike after all. Or a Wii Fit...

My Golf Shoes Are A Croc

I have been meaning to at least mention this to my golf buddies (Dad, Mike) but instead I will blog about it. I'd totally forgotten about it until I sent around this pic of B and Darcey commented on the Crocs:

Are you ready? This is a momentous occasion for me, even if I can't afford them (or need them) right now:

CROCS MAKES GOLF SHOES!!!

OMG, how psyched am I? And they are super cute, maybe even cuter than my orange Adidas with the embroidered flowers.

- vs -

Hmm... I like them. Golf Girl doesn't. Crocs are good for golf - and lots of other things! - but there is a pretty huge personal divide between Croc lovers and loathers. But wherever you stand on style, you can't argue that they are pretty darn comfy!

Training Schedule - Updated (For Real This Time)

Okay, made some modifications to the 16-18 mile stretch to throw in a short run in between. Should have me caught up to B by September 13. I think I can handle that.

Not 100% positive that the JDR Bridge Run and the Tour de Pain are going to happen - I figure one of them will, at least, but I think I'll just sort of see how it goes. It's mega hot that time of the year and both of those races are exhausting, much less back-to-back in the middle of marathon training and still having to run more to keep up with my long-run mileage. Anyway, for your viewing pleasure:

Guppy Goes Graceful

Swimming today went a lot better than swimming last week. B came up with my training today using swimplan.com, and I think it was perfect:

Warm up
•	4 x 25yd Freestyle Swim (even pace), rest 0:10 / 25yd
	Freestyle swim at a steady pace.
Build up (repeat 4 times)
•	1 x 25yd Streamline Kicking, rest 0:10 / 25yd
	Freestyle kick with arms held out front in a streamlined position. Fingers overlap with one thumb lightly gripping the opposite hand. Lift your chin above the water to breath without turning your head.
•	1 x 25yd Single Arm (arm by side) 6 x left, 6 x right, 6 x full stroke, rest 0:10 / 25yd
	Freestyle using one arm at a time, focusing on shoulder and hip rotation. Complete 6 arm strokes with the left arm followed by 6 strokes with the right arm. The non-stroking arm is held loosely by your side.
Core
•	4 x 50yd Freestyle DPS, rest 0:20 / 50yd
	Freestyle swim with maximum Distance Per Stroke (DPS). Concentrate on long, efficient strokes and a high streamlined body position to reduce drag in the water. Count your strokes per lap and try to reduce.
•	4 x 50yd Freestyle Swim, rest 0:15 / 50yd
Warm down
•	1 x 50yd Freestyle Easy, rest 0:15 / 50yd
	Freestyle swim at a slow, relaxed pace.

I was huffing and puffing, so I know I got a workout, but at the same time it seemed like it kept getting easier and easier the more and more I swam. I almost didn't want to get out of the pool, but I did get kind of tired. I'm a little sore, but I think more of it was from boot camp than it was from swimming. But the best part was that B said I looked pretty good, and I was getting better, and that made me happy!

Oh, and as for my Vegas training schedule, I am working on updating it. Need to do a little more tweaking.

Training Schedule - Updated

Just wanted to upload the newest training schedule. Click on it to enlarge.

Pain Is Weakness Leaving The Body

...or so I'm told.

Boot camp kicked my butt. I am almost always dehydrated, and only having a small bottle of water was a bad idea (wasn't I just talking about hydration??) I got overheated to the point that I almost tossed my cookies. Probably the only reason I didn't was my fear of kneeling in front of a public toilet (NASTY!!!). I guess I wasn't the only one -

Drill Sargent Patrice: "Where'd you run off to?"

Private Josh: "Oh, no biggie, just had to puke."

According to B, that was the line of the night.

We did an obstacle course consisting of running across a line of Bosu balls (very hard to keep balance at first), around the outside of scattered rings in the floor (slalom running), over a line of steppers (jumping from one to the other with two feet), and then a kind of tire run, where you have to hit every hole as you run across (Sorry, I know this is requiring a lot of imagination). We did some marching, jumping jacks, tae-bo moves, and free-weight lifting. And then more obstacle course. It was pretty tiring. Maybe I am not in as much shape as I thought (maybe? Definitely!) but I can now say I know just where my anaerobic threshold is - and it's pretty low!

I begged B to stay for Monday night hippy yoga since we needed the stretch and I really missed it from last week (random Jewish holidays that fall on Mondays interfere with my hippy yoga. Makes me miss it.) I think it was good for us to stretch and relax and try to get some of the kinks out.

Of course, we decided not to come home and defrost our pork tenderloin, had to stop by the mall so B could get a big honkin' water bottle, and, well, "we earned it", so dinner was Chick-Fil-A. Can't say that we should have done that, what with the possibly undoing some pretty hard work, but between a run, boot camp, *and* yoga, there was no way I was cooking. And at least B talked me out of a quarter pounder with cheese (mmmmm!).

Tonight, we swim! Which reminds me, I need to find some more drills than swimming 250 m on my side. Time to move up in the world (or at least, the pool)!

A Little Less Conversation, A Little More Action (Please)

This has all gotten me nervous. There was an artice in the Las Vegas Review-Journal on June 3 that Darcey sent me today - looks like Zappos.com pulled out as title sponsor. Uh oh. I am really starting to wonder if this thing is going to happen. And this isn't the first article I have seen, either. I have even read that the LA Marathon (also owned by Devine) is in trouble.

Rock'n'Roll San Diego is starting to look good all the sudden...

Hydration Nation

I was out of water bottles this morning, so in order to get a bottle I could run with (and I *always* run with at least one bottle), I downed half a small bottle of Gatorade G2 (huge fan). I was afraid this would upset my stomach but I didn't have any problems. I was actually a little more hydrated than usual, given that I didn't feel the need to hit the half water/half G2 nearly as much in the beginning as I usually do. I weighed myself before and after the run and was about the same, so I know I put back as much as I lost.

I go through phases where I drink a lot of water (like maybe four 24 oz bottles a day) and then I get back on the diet coke kick. As much as I have been talking about it lately, you can tell that I have been more on the DC than anything helpful. However, I know that when I have been drinking more water all week, I race better. And, apparently, I do better when I have been drinking before the race. So as I get closer to Peachtree, I am thinking about how hot it's going to be and how much I am going to have to drink in order to not be a heatstroke casualty in the concrete jungle.

Man Crush

I've been watching the US Open this weekend, and I watched part of it yesterday with my scratch-golfing pal Eric. He commented on the fact that it seems like Johnny Miller has a huge Man Crush on Tiger Woods. Tiger this, Tiger that, Tiger, Tiger, Tiger. All he talks about. Even Stina Steinberg, editor of Golf for Women, commented on it:

"There are moments when Johnny Miller is brilliant. Lately, though, I've had to turn down the volume on NBC's golf broadcasts to tune out his nonstop Tiger gushing. I'm in awe of Woods' talent, too, but there has to be something else to discuss during a four-hour telecast - for starters, how about the rest of the field?"

Music to a Phil Mickelson fan's ears.

At one point yesterday, Johnny was talking about how much Tiger can bench press. This is not something I need to know about any golfer, although I am pretty sure that John Daly can only do 12-ounce curls. So, making fun of Tiger's gym routine, we were saying that Tiger could bench press a Buick, alluding to his major sponsor.


Then, at dinner, a different Man Crush came up - Florida's Tim Tebow. And we decided that Tebow could bench press Tiger bench pressing a Buick.

Personally, I think Chuck Norris could take both of them. :o)

For All The Right Reasons

I am not a big 5k kind of girl. I started out that way, but I think everyone does. I am a distance runner. I am all about survival. However, what kind of race does a distance runner coming back from an injury do to test herself and see if she can still hack it in competition?

She runs a 5k.

And believe it or not, with all the variables in place for defeat (heat, having been at the beach hanging out all day, not eating or drinking well before the race, stupid evil night races, having to stand around for-ev-er beforehand, and the injury) I came up with 40:51, which I think I have gotten more than once in a 5k and really is only like 3:40 slower than my PR. All things considered, it wasn't that bad and I was pretty pleased. I can take care of most of those variables and truly consider myself back in the saddle.

The hold-up before the race was the Mizuno 5k Championship. Basically, an excuse for the fastest and fittest to make the slowest wait around on them to do a few laps before they let the rest of us loose on the course. And they get free Mizuno shoes. And a pie. Most of these guys don't even look like they eat pie. If I had run fast enough to win a pie, believe me, I would have been gobbling that thing up after the race. Forget bananas (don't eat 'em), free pizza (Hungry Howie's isn't very good), or even my all-time favorite post-race turkey wrap - I'd have been face first in dessert. Life is uncertain - eat dessert first.

However, boot camp starts tomorrow. Might want to stop thinking about pie. :o)

Too Cool for Pool

When I was a kid, I was quite a little swimmer. My parents had a hard time getting me out of the pool. All summer long my girlfriends and I swam in the pool every chance we could. However, as we got older, they became competitive swimmers and lifeguards, and I - well, I just had a really fabulous tan (FYI, still do.) So my swimming knowledge kind of ends at dog-paddling and treading water.

And then I married a record-holding former competitive swimmer. (I kid you not, check out the third line under freestyle.)

And I discovered how much I love sports where endurance is a victory all in itself.

And I decided that the idea of three of those type of sports in one competition was genius. And that required me to get back in the pool with the above-mentioned competitive swimming husband.

I am not a very good *swimming* swimmer. I've never swam laps as my idea of a good time. But I need a change of pace from just running, running, running and if I ever want to do a triathlon, I might want to try to work on the sport that comes hardest to non-swimmers (aka, stubborn runners used to making gravity work for them, not against them). I have read part of the Total Immersion swimming book, but none of it really sunk in (pun intended), so I am packing B off on his next business trip with the book and making him read it. I'll give him credit; he's a good coach.

I am just maybe not a good student. Maybe. I really didn't want to go to the pool because I feel like a total 'tard trying to swim as you're supposed to, but Rome wasn't built in a day and neither were Amanda Beard's abs. So I did about 5 lengths (25 m) of just swimming on my side, building up a decent flutter kick, and then on the last 5 lengths threw in trying to turn from one side to the other. First every 10 seconds, then every 5 seconds. And I got a little bit better... right about the time my flutter kick turned into the "Okay, I'm tired now" scissor kick.

But all in all, 250 meters, getting over my fear of looking ridiculous, and actually enjoying myself. It ended up being fun!

Come As You Are

So Darcey responded to a "Come As You Are" post to just take a picture of herself wherever she was at when she read the blog. So, I, too, decided to do that. I thought it was funny that we both have the same poster behind us in our offices. (See the bottom on hers and the top on mine.) And check out the super awesome minifridge. And the awesome hair day, brought to you by Herbal Essence® Degunkify. Love this stuff; it was the exact thing I was looking for when I told B I needed a shampoo that would "Degunkify my hair."

You have new Picture Mail!
Originally uploaded by holo wahini

Woo Hoo!

Today was great! I set out to do 2 miles but, you know, time just gets away from you when you're having a good run. It ended up being 2.7 miles. I was trying to do a run-walk-run ratio of 1-2-1, but it ended up being more like my usual 1-1-1 with a few 1-2-1 thrown in. My foot, my ankle, my legs, my spirit - everything felt great!

So I have no reservations of jumping back in, starting with the OES Run for the Pies on Saturday and, 23 short days (and 9 training runs!) from now, Peachtree.

My (diet) Coke Habit - SOLVED

Ok folks, time for some new math (not New Coke. Nasty.)

I spent about $35 on this lovely 6 pack fridge (okay, B did, but still, work with me). A 12 pack of Coke Zero at Target is going for about $3.67, making each individual Coke cost roughly $0.31. Okay, sticking with the two drink a day idea (not the "40 oz. a day" idea), my daily intake drops from $2.50 to $0.61. Times 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year and you get:

$79.44.

Have a (diet) Coke and a smile, people.

You have new Picture Mail!
Originally uploaded by holo wahini

Slow Going

So I do have a report for today - I ran.

Slowly.

My legs were just fine but apparently not working out for a month isn't good for your cardiac ability (surprise, surprise). But after walking a mile, I ran off and on for a few minutes, and it felt great. No pain at all. I was smiling the whole time.

Without further ado, Peachtree Road Race in four easy weeks. Wish me luck!

My (diet) Coke Habit

*Or, drinking away my liquid assets, 20 oz. at a time.

Yesterday I asked B if I could borrow a dollar for a diet Coke at work. He said, "That's all?" and gave me $2. I had $0.50 around here somewhere, so together they bought me two cokes.

Today, I asked for $2.50 since that's the going rate for two Cokes. I have noticed that's about my average per day (as bought with cash, credit, and Mike-money, which is when I give my coworker a puppy dog face and he gets me a Coke. We go back and forth on who pays).

This morning I decided to do some math: $2.50 a day comes out to $12.50 per work week. Four weeks a month makes that $50. And if you want to go the 52 weeks a year route, that's $650.00. Wow.

I think I am a little better off than when I was in high school, drinking 5 regular 12 oz. Dr. Peppers a day (at today's 20 oz rate, that would come out to $975.00 per year). But still....!

Ladies and Gentlemen: My 51st Post

Which, really, is like four in one.

Someone Lit A Menorah Under My Tuckus.

So, since I have been a bit jealous of Leana's boot camp experiences, I decided to join up with the one they are putting on at my local gym (aka, the Jewish Community Alliance. I know, I'm Catholic, but we don't have a sweet gym like the Jewish folks do). It's not Bikini Boot Camp like Leana does, but I think it'll help a little with that, too. Plus, it might just help out the last two weeks of the Weight Loss Challenge (which I am doing kind of meh on).

I Wanna Get Physical (Therapy).

So I finally went to PT, and so far so good! Apparently there is quite a bit of difference between my left and right ankle as far as range of motion, stability and strength. So, the therapist gave me three different types of exercises to try: these, complete with my shiny red theraband, stretching the calf and soleus muscles, and balancing on one foot. I look kind of ridiculous doing that, but it seems to make me more stable. And while I don't think it's yoga counterpart, tree pose, is glamorous, it's one of my favorites. And yoga is really helping me, I have to admit.

The Return of the Fab Four.

However, I skipped yoga last night to see the Sex & the City movie (and chow down on chicken wings). Totally worth it. Yes, it was a bit of a departure from the show (what would you expect?!?) but I did truly enjoy it. I liked seeing how they had all moved on in 4 years, how they were their same neurotic selves, and how that related to being older and wiser (slightly).

The John Smoltz Approach.

Okay, I am a little hesitant to use this, but whatever. John Smoltz is my favorite baseball player currently playing*. (Well... actually... he's doing his second major season-ending shoulder surgery. But you gotta give him credit - dude's a fighter.) A few weeks ago he decided to stop giving updates on his shoulder because he thought the media was mis-quoting him. Actually, I think it was more that the guy is injured, he didn't know at the time when he was coming back, and it had kind of turned into a circus (SMOLTZ WATCH '08!!!!) I kind of think he had a good idea on his hands, so, without further ado, here is the "Lana Version".

• Dad: "When are you going to start back running again?"
• Lana: "When I feel like it."

• Billy: "When are you going to start back running again?"
  Lana: "When I feel like it."
• Billy: "That's a good Smoltz answer for your dad. When are you going to start back running again?"
• Lana: "When I feel like it."
• Billy: "Well at least you're sticking to your answer."

But to answer anyone's lingering questions, I am feeling better. I am doing my PT. I am positive.

*Everytime I say I like a baseball player, he goes to the Yankees. (Alex Rodriguez, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens...) I'm going to be so mad if Smoltz ever goes to the Yankees. But I doubt he will. I hate the Yankees. Grr.

At A Loss

So since it's summer, since the doc cleared me as soon as I feel like working out (it's been a month, folks, I feel like it), and since I need some motivation to get on the bike/put the beer down/stay away from the gelatti/only have one dog at the Suns game, I jumped on the bandwagon for Viv's Excuse #1 I'm Not Fit To Run Independence Weight Loss Challenge (or WL Challenge, as Leana and I are both tagging it.) And sorry to break your blogging hearts, but Viv said I was her last contestant, topping the field off at 70 peeps. I may have only gained 3.5 pounds from the cruise, but it doesn't look like it's going anywhere. So, a little encouragement might be what I need to drop it. :o)

"That Little Guy? I Wouldn't Worry About That Little Guy."

So this is the story I'll tell at my very first Hypochondriac's Anonymous Meeting.

"Hi. My name is Lana."

'Hi, Lana.'

"While I think I have every foot/ankle ailment under the sun, I really only have a minor amount of tendon pain due to an overly tight calf muscle and a cyst in my left heel which, according to my doctor, is nothing."

'Nothing?'

"Yep. Nothing."

My tendon, sore as it is, is right where it should be and in good working order. I would have known that if the MRI report had come with the MRI disc, but instead, I payed two doctors (radiologist and ortho, and really, BCBS of FL paid them) to tell me that the only thing going on in there is a cyst in my heel from where fluid has drained from my ankle and taken up residence. My ankle and foot hurt because I have no ankle strength (which I am going to remedy with PT and yoga) and because my calves are mega tight (again, PT and yoga). Unless anything else starts to hurt, or things start to get worse, I can start back doing whatever I want as soon as things start to feel better.

And I will.