Monthly Archives: February 2017

Set Your Own Goals

Alexas_Fotos / Pixabay

So here I am, back in taper week.  Remember when I said that I wanted to run fewer half marathons and when I did run them, I wanted to really focus on running strong?  Well, I’m still focused on running strong, but I’m not sure two half marathons in less than a month is really what I intended when I said I wanted to run less.

This weekend, I’m running the Little Rock Half Marathon.  Why?  Because a bunch of my friends are doing it and I didn’t want to miss out.  Seriously.  That’s the only reason I’m going.  And yes, I am aware it is possible to go on a race trip and not actually race (I am trying that in 2018 for Disney Marathon Weekend) but I figured that since I was trained, I might as well run.

I have a lot of friends with very different racing goals, and it can be tough to not be pulled into setting all of those goals for myself.  Some friends are currently working to set a half marathon PR.  I’ve gotten into pretty good shape, and if I trained for it, this would be a reasonable goal for me as well.  However, I don’t actually want to train for it.  When I set that PR, I was solely a runner.  The last time I (inadvertently) got close, I was trying to come back from a period of very slow, out of shape races, and I was running 4+ days a week.

I don’t like running that much.

The reason a number of my friends are running this weekend is because they have set a goal of running a half marathon in all 50 states.  This is an awesome goal, and totally different from a time-based goal.  It’s a pretty sweet goal for someone who doesn’t want to focus on training to get faster, but someone who runs to stay in shape and have fun.  (Of course, plenty of people I know who are aiming for this goal are also working to set PRs.)  It’s tempting to try for the goal as well.

But considering that I’m also doing triathlons, trying to cram a bunch of half marathons into my schedule becomes complicated.

Unfortunately, I can’t do everything.  I need to go to work to pay for these hobbies, and I need to sleep sometimes.

So it means figuring out what my goals are.  This year, I’m working to improve my cycling.  I’d like to improve my triathlon times.  Setting a PR is definitely possible, though I personally don’t love comparing triathlon times between races.  There are just so many variables.  But if I can cut a chunk of time off of my average, I’ll be delighted.

But I also want to have fun.  That means more volunteering, more cheering, and doing things like going with my friends when they check Arkansas off of their goal list this weekend.

Friday Five

Happy Friday!  We’ve made it!  Monday was a holiday, and the weekend was perfect, but for some reason, we still attempted to cram five days of work into the four workdays in the week.  Needless to say, I’m so glad it’s Friday.  I had a couple of topics rolling around in my head for today’s post, but couldn’t decide on any one in particular, so here are five unrelated things.  Because I can.

1.  Yesterday, I booked my next big trip!  Well, my sister booked it.  In August, 2018, we’re doing a Disney Cruise to Northern Europe!  I’m super excited to go, and also super grateful that the cruise doesn’t have to be paid off for over a year, because I still haven’t figured out how to grow money on trees.  Of course, a few of the ports are places that I’ve been before (which is funny, considering I’ve been very few places in Europe), but it’s also been around 15 years, so it will be great to go back.

2.  In an attempt to read more “random” books, since I no longer regularly peruse a bookstore (so sad), I signed up for Book of the Month (referral link).  I love subscription boxes but didn’t like the idea of just getting any random book every month, so BOTM is perfect.  It only costs $9.99, and on the first of every month, you login and are offered five book options.  You can read the blurbs and why they were picked for the box.  Then you can choose your book (or you can opt to purchase multiple books, all for $9.99 each).  AND you can skip a month if you don’t like any of the selections.  I’m only on my first month, but am totally engrossed by the book I chose.  I had to force myself to stop reading last night.  (I won’t recommend til I finish – because reading a great book only to loathe the ending is the worst.  But I have high hopes.)

3.  I am still loving my Instant Pot.  I have to admit, I’m not cooking “meals” in it, or really even anything that I would consider recipes, but it’s awesome as I’m prepping my lunches for the week.  Super fast sweet potatoes, hard boiled eggs, and easy main dishes by throwing in chicken breasts and a jar of salsa.  At some point, I will actually cook a recipe in it (chicken and salsa doesn’t really count), but so far it’s definitely helping me eat better.

4.  My plans to do more crafty things have… not been going all that well.  Maybe I’ll rectify that this weekend.

5.  Last weekend, I built my cats a litterbox.  (Does that count as crafting?)  By “built,” I mean I cut a door in a Rubbermaid box.  I followed these instructions, but I don’t put the lid on because that never goes well with my cats.  I’m hoping it helps contain… things… a bit better.  If not, I’m not out a ton of money, so that’s a plus.  So far, so good.

Ending on that note just goes to show how much I’m a crazy cat lady I’m becoming.  Might as well embrace reality, right?

Wednesday Workout Recap

Alexas_Fotos / Pixabay

This was a bit of a recovery week after my half marathon.  It’s also when I realized that I’m pretty much rolling right back into another half marathon in a few weeks.

Monday – Travel day and rest day.  It was lovely to wake up at the beach, but leaving was very sad.

Tuesday – Scheduled swim, did a 60 minute easy bike instead.  I got a new roof put on the house today and I think the cats were traumatized by the noise.  When I got home, they were hiding rather than greeting me at the door, so I opted to stay home with them.  Spoiled rotten creatures.

Wednesday – High cadence 60 minute ride

Thursday – 4 mile easy run

Friday – 45 minute walk and strength work

Saturday – 2 hour trainer ride and strength work

Sunday – 6 mile run

The Athena Debate

Every so often in triathlon social media groups, the Athena & Clydesdale debate comes up.  Most recently it was (paraphrased) “I just lost a bunch of weight, and no offense, but I don’t want to be classified as an Athena!”

Yeah, no offense except to everyone who proudly races Athena.

Let’s step back for a minute.  Athena and Clydesdale are weight divisions in triathlon.  According to USAT regulations, an Athena is a woman over 165 pounds and a Clydesdale is a man over 220 pounds.  The general thinking is that it takes more energy to power a larger body over a course, so these groups can be separated out into their own class.  Some races divide it further – Athena under 40 and over 40, for example.

Athena and Clydesdale are opt-in race categories.  If you’re a woman over 165 pounds, you can choose to race in your age group or you can choose to race Athena.  Some races make you weigh in at packet pickup to prove that you make the weight, and I’ve also heard that some races have you weigh in at awards time to ensure that the winners actually meet the qualifications.  But even if you weigh over 165, if you weigh 265 or 365, you don’t have to register as an Athena.  It’s an option.

Last year, I didn’t race Athena.  I was on a weight loss kick and hoped to be at or below 165 by race season.  I was not.  And that’s okay.  I still need to lose weight for my health, but I’m focusing more on healthy diet and healthy lifestyle and not worrying about the scale.  By racing in my Age Group, I kind of missed the camaraderie that comes with racing Athena.  For me, it’s often smaller than my age group, so the wave starts can be more fun.  In a lot of the races I’ve done, the Athenas, Clydesdales, and Novice racers (another personally chosen category designed for newbies) all start together and I love starting with the Novices.  It’s so much fun to hang out pre-race and try to help others not stress about the swim.

Getting to know other Athenas has also been really valuable.  In addition to carrying added weight through the course, Athenas have other unique issues.  Finding kits that fit, finding wetsuits, sports bras, all the things that curvier women deal with.

This year, I decided to race Athena again.  There’s no reason not to.  I’m not ashamed of my weight.  Besides, I’m racing in spandex.  It’s not like the number on the scale tells anyone anything about my body that they can’t already see.

Does this give me a better chance of being on the podium?  Sure, simply because there are fewer people racing in the category.  That said, Athena can still be incredibly competitive and at some races, I will be so far from the podium that it’s laughable to even consider.

People choose to race Athena for a number of reasons.  My thinking is that it’s a valid race classification and if you qualify, why not register?  And if you don’t want to, that’s okay too.  But that doesn’t mean that you should look down on anyone who chooses to race Athena.  We’re all out there doing the same race and covering the same course.

So What’s Next?

congerdesign / Pixabay

With Donna over, my 2017 race season has officially started.  I have at least one race each month through November.  I guess December and January are my “off-season.”  We’ll use that as the excuse for the weight I gained over the holidays.

I’m still trying to figure out my focus for the year.  My first triathlon of the year isn’t until May, but I’ve been swimming, biking, and running through the non-triathlon season because a) I don’t want to lose fitness and b) I’ve discovered that I hate running four or more days a week.  I’ve really been focusing on increasing my bike fitness while simply maintaining on my swim and my run.

But as you might expect, the added bike focus has also led to some improvements in my run.  For both Space Coast and Donna, I didn’t feel incredibly well trained.  I was running about twice a week, one run in around 4-5 miles and the other a long run, increasing up to 11 or 12 miles.  The point of the training was really just to get me through the race comfortably, because I was just running for fun, not to try to set a new PR.

And yet, both races went really well.  My half marathon PR is 2:48:33, set at Shamrock in 2012.   At Space Coast and Donna, I ran a 2:55:14 and a 2:56:56.  Anyone who has worked to cut time from their races can look at those times and say “Yeah, that’s really far off of your PR.”  And in many ways, that’s true.  But in 2012, I was run focused.  Shamrock, which was in March, was my 4th half of the year.  I was running a lot.  I was also pushing for a PR.  At Donna, I stopped for a bathroom break, chatted with some friends, and did a shot of Fireball.  Clearly not a PR race.

I guess what I’m saying is that I’m really pleased with these race times.  I’m doing something right in my training.

But triathlon season is looming, so I’m going to have to start putting even more focus on my biking and swimming.  This year, I’m stepping back on the distance and focusing only on the Olympic/International distance.  I loved my 70.3 last year, but I felt like all I ever did was train.  This year, I want to have more time to volunteer at races and cheer on friends and strangers.  I also would like to get more sleep.  And you know, maybe have some non-training fun in there too.

At some point, I’ll probably push to improve my half marathon PR.  Just not this year.  This year is for fun.  And maybe a triathlon PR.