Rich and I have been doing some long walks in the past couple of weeks – it’s been a BLAST. Today, we visited a couple of game stores along our way and got to see LOTS of fun shops! Last weekend, we went to a bike store and then did the Green Lake loop before coming home, which ended up being ~5.5 miles. Today, we walked down to Greenwood and ended up walking down to Green Lake from there! I’m enjoying Mapmyrun.com to see our routes. Here’s today’s route. Total was a little over 4.5 miles.

We hit Duke’s Chowder House on Green Lake on our way home for lunch/dinner. YUMMY chowder. YUMMY mixed greens salad. And YUMMY blackened fish tacos. We’re planning on going back some time to just order chowder and a couple of appetizers!

Quick post today – 4.6 miles on foot. Part run, part walk. Took a total of an hour.

Here’s the path I took.

One day, I’ll actually run that entire thing!

So, week 1 is nearly officially over for my duathlon training.

Rundown:

Monday: Run/Cycle
Tuesday: Cycle
Wednesday: much-needed break
Thursday: Run/Cycle
Friday: Cycle

Thankfully, the weather cooperated so I could run outdoors! There’s something about running on a treadmill that just doesn’t appeal to me, which is why I don’t do it often. Same goes for running on a track. Not that fun.

I did find that, as expected, the running was tough. I haven’t really done consistent running for YEARS. And, running from the gym I start at anywhere is downhill, which means, for those of you who might miss this lovely fact…running back to the gym is UPHILL. Talk about excellent training ground! Granted, I have no idea how FAR I ran – only that I meandered until I ended up back at the gym.

As for the cycling? Well, let’s just say that between the soreness from running and the fact I haven’t really done the type of spin I’m doing in months, I hurt! I forgot how many climbs and races there were in these RPM sessions. And after doing the 50 miles cycling seated, it feels like I’m a jack-in-the-box (NOT the restaurant) on the spin bike! Throw in a little BodyPump-esque weight training, and you have a recipe for whipping someone into shape real fast!

Not that I was out of shape, mind you. Just not in shape for another half century or for a duathlon of any distance.

Speaking of distances, I guess I should find me a duathlon to sign up for…

First, I have to start with one of the worst-named stores in Seattle. “Seattle’s Hugest Beer Selection.” Hugest? *cringe*

So – after completing the 50 mile ride, I started thinking about a duathlon. I have to admit this is in part due to hearing that a friend of mine is training for a triathlon. I don’t know I’ll ever get up to a triathlon – the thought of swimming in a lake/river just doesn’t sit well with me. Instead, I’m thinking of doing a duathlon – run/cycle.

Here’s the funny thing. I guess when you tell people you’re training for such a type of event, they expect you have a date in mind. Most people training for such an event probably DO have a date in mind. Me? No. I just like the idea of having a focus for my workouts, I guess. And it seems an achievable goal if I can find one that fits my schedule. I actually found a place called Elma, Washington, that seems to have a duathlon and triathlon scheduled for just about every holiday – Memorial Day, Father’s Day, etc. And it seems like a great place for this type of event – they have a novice level duathlon which is a 2.6 mile run and some distance cycle…don’t really remember. I just know there’s duathlons in July and August, which is my target date, if I can just find one that’s not too far away and that is on a Saturday.

Either way, I’m training for a duathlon that would be a 2.6 mile run and some distance cycling.

How’s that for targeted training?

Another funny thing – I’ve learned that not exercise is created equal. Doing cardio and the occasional spin is NOTHING like targeted training for anything. Once I decided I would start training (last Saturday), I decided on a game plan. Twice a week, run for half an hour, follow by cycling for half an hour. Twice a week, do RPM (45 minutes). Each of those days, do weight training – upper body one day, lower body the neck, etc. The schedule is Mon/Tues train, break Wednesday, then Thurs/Fri train. So far, it’s working pretty well. I’ve stuck to my Mon/Tues schedule. But here’s the thing – I’ve been exercising. I’ve been doing weights. But I went back to the BodyPump style of weights the other day and found my stamina for it has dropped, not to mention I’m SORE!! I also did RPM the other day and found myself struggling through some of the climbs. YEESH. I have some work to do!

I also found from my outdoor run Monday that everything from the gym I started at is downhill. Hey – makes for GREAT training with the running!

I feel much better about my workouts now that I have a focus again – it’s amazing how much of a difference that makes for me. What I’m really loving about things like the duathlon and the cycling events is that I can continually have something to work towards. I had no idea there were as many cycling events, duathlons, or even triathlons as there are just around Washington! It’s so cool! If I wanted, I could be doing some type of event every month! Craziness!

Well, I did it. I completed a 50-mile bike ride – otherwise known as a half-century. I wasn’t sure if I was going to make the whole 50 miles, but I set that goal and I got there!

This ride was the GroupHealth Inland Empire Century. They had routes for those who wanted to do 25, 50, 75, or 100 miles. When I was riding every weekend last summer, I was doing 25 in about 1.5 hours, so I knew I could do that. I also did 23 miles a few weeks ago here in Seattle. So, I figured I’d shoot for the challenge and go for 50. After all, if I found that I just couldn’t finish, I could always call the help vehicles and get driven back to the start of the ride.

The week before the ride, I still hadn’t decided if I was doing it or not. I’d only done a 23 mile ride, and I had JUST started decreasing the amount I was working out! AND, I hadn’t really been consistent with my cycling at the gym – neither spin class nor my own spinning there. So…I wasn’t all that prepared. But this ride was in the Tri-Cities, and I wasn’t TOTALLY out of shape, so I thought I’d give it a go.

As soon as I signed up, I realized I wasn’t really well-prepared. And I only had a week to prepare. So I decided to do what I could in the week leading up to the ride. I cycled 15 miles (on an indoor spin bike at the gym), did weights, and did a series of core-strengthening moves that I found online specifically for helping cyclists. Then, two days before the ride, still sore from my sudden decision to step my workouts back up, I decided to look online for “how to prepare” tips. Everything I read told me I should actually be taking the week easy, not suddenly going all-out. I figured I was condensing the typically-recommended 12-week training period into, oh, 4 days. BUT, I paid attention to everything that said to rest up the two days before the ride so that the body wasn’t aching at the start! That put a serious kink in my plans (ride 20 miles two days before the ride). But, hey, I figured the people posting those tips had a point…not sense in starting a long ride all sore and achy, right?

All week long, I was nervous.

First, the cycling-related comment. I went riding (FINALLY!) a couple weekends ago – the weather was cool, but not cold. I don’t have cold-weather cycling gear, else it wouldn’t matter what the weather was like (other than rainy). Anyway – I did a 23-mile ride! It felt AWESOME. Loved every minute of it…except for finding out that the famed Burke-Gilman trail was NOT flat. I thought I’d read somewhere online that it was fairly flat…nope…slight incline from Fremont up to Lake Forest Park. I got off my bike twice thinking my brake pads were too close to the tire or something. It wasn’t until I was on my way back down the path that I realized I was breezing through, going FAR faster than I had on the way up, and I finally clued in that no, I wasn’t totally out of shape, I’d been riding nearly 11 miles uphill!

Anyway – that was two weekends ago. Last Saturday, the weather wasn’t fantastic, so no ride. I went for a walk, was comfy in my sweatshirt and jeans, but would have been a little too cold cycling. Today, it’s supposed to reach over 70 degrees (Farenheit) outside, and I WANT TO BE RIDING! Why today (Friday) and not tomorrow? Because tomorrow, it’s supposed to rain and be in the 50’s!!

Seattle – you taunt me with your beautiful weeks and cold Saturdays.

On another note – I was happy to learn from my husband that Barnes and Noble is actually just a couple of blocks away from Borders downtown! I’d walked to B&N before, but it seemed like it was in a completley different part of Seattle than Borders…turns out I was just disoriented. So, yesterday, to test this new knowledge, I went for a walk. I found B&N, walked from there to Borders, saw all sorts of new shops, and then decided to look for shoes. Why? Well, I was wearing shoes that did not match what I was wearing. This bothered me. So I used Goog411 to find the address of a Payless Shoes that sounded like it was in downtown Seattle, and found it one block away from where I was at the time! WOOHOO! (I love it when my personal world map expands!) So, in I walk, and I set about shoe-shopping.

I came back with two pairs of shoes. One is multi-colored…not my usual! I usually get either straight black or straight brown – I’ve always hesitated on other colors. But, about a year ago, I started wanting red shoes. I got red flats, but I never know if I’m wearing them well – do they match, so do I look like a Ronald McDonald impersonator? This has kept me from expanding into other colors for awhile.

But seeing the fashionistas around here has made me a bit daring. Recently, I bought a pair of casual shoes that are bright blue. I love them! Yesterday, I bought a pair of black sandals and a pair of plaid peep-toe shoes. That second pair was a first on two fronts: peep-toe shoes and more than one color on the shoe. Exciting!!

Surprisingly, there were even more shoes I wanted to buy. I’ve never been too much of a shoe-shopper; I often think shoes are cute, but, when I try them on, they hurt/look awful/look dumb. So, having lots of shoes I liked, fit, AND I thought were cute? Well, it was just fun!

I finally bought bike stuff.

Let me re-phrase.

Richard ordered my bike stuff from Amazon, and I now finally have a bike pump, tire levers (and other misc. bike tools I’m unsure how to use), bike shorts (actually, more like padded undershorts to be used with regular shorts over them), and a bicycle maintenance manual since I insist on preparing for a longer bike ride but have no idea how to care for my bike (other than pumping the tires when needed and not riding over thorns).

The two most important items on the list for now: bike shorts (the padding is just weird!) and a bike pump.

When my bike went into storage during the move, the tires deflated. I’m still not sure why. By the time I got my bike out of storage, it was a little too late for cycling outdoors, so the bike has been sitting in the garage with flat tires. In the Tri-Cities, we had an electric air pump, good for any type of tire – car or bicycle – that I had used for my bike. That air pump was my in-laws’, so it didn’t make the move with us. Hence, the need for a pump of my own. I also needed a small pump I could take with me on rides, so that I could at least be prepared to inflate a tire if needed while on a ride.

I read the directions on the cardboard backing for the pump, then headed into the garage to pump the tires on my bike.

An hour later, I finally had both tires pumped.

Why did it take so long, you may ask?

First, I had left my bike hung on the hooks in the garage when taking the valve cap off the first tire. That cap ended up under the car and had to be retrieved. Then I realized my error and took the bike down. Then came figuring out how on earth I was going to get the pump attached. It has a flexible neck and a fold-out piece to hold down with your foot, which, to most normal people, would automatically mean putting the bike so the tire valves were at the bottom of the tire, but I tried attaching the pump with the bike upside-down, and the valves at the top (this rendered the foot piece useless). Once I finally figured out I needed the bike right-side up, I started trying to attach the pump so that it would lock onto the tire. That took me forever. I finally quit hearing hissing from the pump after it locked onto the Presta valve, and I started pumping.

After about 200 pumps, the tire was partially full, I was tired, and ready to move on to the next tire.

The next tire was the front tire, which I took off the bike, thinking this would make my life easier. For some reason, the pump would not lock onto the front tire valve. I finally opened the valve and slime came out (I have slime tubes on my bike), and I suddenly realized why it took 200 pumps on the back tire for it to only partially fill.

I forgot to open the valve for maximum air intake on the back tire.

Feeling REALLY dumb by this point, I wondered what numbskull thing I was doing wrong on the front tire that the dang pump wouldn’t lock on and pump air INTO the tire. I figured out I needed to hold the valve attachment from the pump at a bit of an angle for it to lock onto the front tire, and, magically, after a few pumps, the tire was fully inflated!

Then I re-did the back tire. I think all the pressure from the pumping before did something to the slime, because once I opened the valve, a surprising amount of slime came out. Each time I pressed the nozzle of the pump onto the valve, more slime would come out – finally, amid the slime, I was able to lock the nozzle and pump away. Again, only after a few pumps, the tire was full.

I re-attached the front tire, hung the bike back up, and saw my watch. Irritated, I found my husband and complained about my brainless actions, ending with, “YES, I KNOW, I was the one to choose this hobby!” Images of the bike tires being flat again in the morning (I don’t know if there are leaks in the tires) fueled my ire.

Deciding I was too grumpy, he told me I needed to sing a hymn so I’d be happy. Admittedly, that was not the response I was expecting! I finally sang the hymn he wanted me to sing, “Scatter Sunshine.” And I’ll admit I was laughing by the end of the second verse (which we had to look up online because neither of us really knew the words).

Ah, what a night!

All I needed was an air pump for my bike tires.

I looked online, saw the Joe’s sports had a few, went to their store, and…

Learned my lesson. Next time, try REI, a cycling shop, or even amazon.com.

And the bike still sits in the garage waiting for the day when I will pump up the tires to see if there’s a problem with one of the tubes or if the tires simply went flat from having been in storage for a couple of months.

So, I don’t consider myself a “girly” girl.  I’m the oldest of 3 girls, I had Barbie dolls, and my mother was the kind of woman who didn’t go to the grocery store without having first applied her makeup and generally make sure she looked good before letting the public see her.

The poor woman always had a point of frustration with me.  Why?  Because I didn’t want to take time to do my hair – pulling it into a pony tail was good enough for me most days – and makeup?  Heh.  Only when she got really mad at me for being over 16 and still not caring.

It should come as no surprise, then, that I’ve never really done my nails, either.  Hey, when you play piano, and are taught that “pianists don’t scratch, they nub, so keep your nails short,” you just don’t think to do much more than trim and file.  I never ever understood the girls in high school when they chipped a nail.  Frankly, I didn’t even really know what that MEANT.

For Valentine’s Day this year, my husband told me he wanted me to get a manicure and a pedicure.  He loves it when, once in a blue moon, I actually take time to pretty up my nails.  My problem with doing my nails is the paint always chips off after a day, and, if I go red on the fingernails, I can’t seem to stay in the lines of the nails, so I end up looking like my hands have been through a grinder by the time I’m done.  AND, there’s always ONE nail that gets smudged, so I’m stuck for 30 minutes trying to perfect it.

I don’t think poor Rich realized what he was getting into, though.  See, it took me a month of research before I found a place that seemed to strike a good balance between price and service that was rated excellently.  Curses on the internet and all the people who post reviews of places.  It makes people like me take even longer to decide where to go for things like a manicure.

I finally went for a manicure last week.  Rich laughed when I got back from it because I went for a pale pink – i.e., natural color – on the polish.  Why?  Well, what if the polish chipped the next day again?  Another lady was getting her nails done there and was shocked to learn this was my very first manicure.  I should’ve noted my mom gave us girls manicures – I just wasn’t aware that’s what she was doing when she did our nails.

The polish lasted 6 days – with one extra top coat added by yours truly 3 days after getting the manicure done (I read somewhere that was a great way to help extend the duration of your manicure).  I think a manicure is supposed to last about 2 weeks?  For me, 6 days is practically a record, though.

As I lament my chipped nail (I think this is what girls mean whey they’ve “chipped a nail”? no, I never really learned what it meant), I’m looking forward to a pedicure.  I’m also feeling sorry for whomever will be working on my feet.  See, I’ve only ever done the NAILS on my feet – leaving the rest of my feet calloused and dry.  If the person doing the pedicure can manage to make my feet soft and smooth, I’ll be hooked. 

As Rich and I were in the check-out line at the grocery store, I did my usual, reading headlines of the magazines there. I had to laugh and cringe this week, though, because of the headlines I saw.

That’s not to say I don’t laugh and cringe every week, but these really stood out to me.

First – Jessica Simpson. I haven’t really followed Ms Simpson, but a few weeks ago, she was on the cover of a magazine, wearing some outfit with multiple belts, with a headline that ran something like: “Simpson tells reports to back off – she’s proud to be a normal weight.” I remember thinking, as I looked at the picture of her, “Normal weight? Really? I guess she looks more normal, except for all the belts she has on over that leopard print top. How sad she’d need to tell people she’s not fat – she still looks so skinny!”

Yesterday, there was another picture of Ms Simpson. This time, the headline was: “Jessica Proud to be Back in her Daisy Dukes.”

I thought she was telling people she was proud to have put on a little weight just a few weeks ago?

The next: Oprah. Oh, this one killed me. “Lose weight with Oprah!” and “Oprah’s New Diet to Drop 40 Pounds!”

What happened to the last diet she was on, with that trainer, Greene, I think it was? Does that not work any more? What’s so fancy about this “new” thing she’ll be doing?

And the world wonders why women have such image issues.