My women's triathlon group met again. It was running day. I can't run. I've tried. Somehow I managed to eke out 2 miles, though, which is amazing. I don't know that I've ever gone that far before. I love the feeling of propelling myself forward with my own two feet, but my knee refuses to go downhill- even hiking makes it object loudly- and I get incredibly bored very quickly. The knee I can rehab. The boredom? That's tough.
I told my husband today that I think running is a mind game, and that game is called Boredom. Am I alone in this? It's just oxygen deprivation and getting jostled, at least with my lack of technique. How do people DEAL with the boredom? Am I just completely spoiled because of the strategy and thrill of climbing?
I just finished Jon Turk's book, In the Wake of the Jomon, and he mentions having to deal with boredom on his long, 3,000 mile kayak expedition. That makes sense. What I don't understand is my lack of enthusiasm- after all, it's only a short workout. Heck even once around the track has me desperately wanting to be elsewhere.
Does anybody have some insight that would clue me into the fun behind this activity? So many people do it- it MUST be fun, right?....right?....
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Falling over
Okay, I confess: things aren't working as smoothly as I'd hoped.
For starters, I'm exhausted all the time. When I first start working out, I'm tired, but I manage to push through that and get into a groove. Then I feel really great afterward. By that evening or the next day, I'm exhausted. I increased my food intake a week ago, but it's not improving the situation. I'm getting about 7 hours of sleep, with a couple baby nursings mixed in.
I'm going to try to add an hour to my sleep, and start paying greater attention to my food intake. I might do some research and see if anybody out there can recommend what I should be taking in while nursing and exercising like this. That combo is tough.
We've also discovered that my kids are not as cool with the evening exercise as I'd thought. It messes with bedtime rituals too much, which are crucial for toddlers, and the baby screamed and cried the whole time I was gone Tuesday night. Poor hubby. So now I have to change things up a bit.
Fortunately, my classes are all in the early mornings, and I can schedule the Pilates private sessions for weekends. That leaves Rec Center training sessions, which I can add whenever the grandparents are available to take both kids (Wednesdays) and on other mornings if I can get up early enough.
So I have to move to stealth exercise for now. I love early morning exercise, but it leaves me pooped by early evening when I'm chasing the kids around. It's the only time I can do it with the family right now, though, so I'll just have to tough it out for a while and see if my body doesn't adjust.
For starters, I'm exhausted all the time. When I first start working out, I'm tired, but I manage to push through that and get into a groove. Then I feel really great afterward. By that evening or the next day, I'm exhausted. I increased my food intake a week ago, but it's not improving the situation. I'm getting about 7 hours of sleep, with a couple baby nursings mixed in.
I'm going to try to add an hour to my sleep, and start paying greater attention to my food intake. I might do some research and see if anybody out there can recommend what I should be taking in while nursing and exercising like this. That combo is tough.
We've also discovered that my kids are not as cool with the evening exercise as I'd thought. It messes with bedtime rituals too much, which are crucial for toddlers, and the baby screamed and cried the whole time I was gone Tuesday night. Poor hubby. So now I have to change things up a bit.
Fortunately, my classes are all in the early mornings, and I can schedule the Pilates private sessions for weekends. That leaves Rec Center training sessions, which I can add whenever the grandparents are available to take both kids (Wednesdays) and on other mornings if I can get up early enough.
So I have to move to stealth exercise for now. I love early morning exercise, but it leaves me pooped by early evening when I'm chasing the kids around. It's the only time I can do it with the family right now, though, so I'll just have to tough it out for a while and see if my body doesn't adjust.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Interview with Lynn Leech
I attended Lynn Leech's free classes for post-partum moms this past fall, and was fascinated by what I learned and the helpful exercises she taught. I was able to re-engage my abdominal muscles finally, and it was nice to meet other women moving towards better health and awareness. It's also how I met Haylay, with whom I'm doing Pilates now.
Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and your background?
I grew up in St. Louis, got my PT degree at Saint Louis University and moved out to Seattle where I did all different kinds of PT. I was eventually led into... Women’s Health, working mainly with the pelvic floor muscles, the pelvis and the abdominal muscles as well.... I’m a mother of two boys 10 and 8, so I’ve experience the joy of it all. I also have a background in craniosacral therapy, which works with the core of our body- the dural tube and visceral manipulation, which works with the organs and how they move and attach to our skeleton. These modalities are very helpful when dealing with the organs in the pelvis and abdomen.
How does diastasis recti affect the body's ability to perform?
DR is a separation of the rectus abdominus muscle which is the six pack muscle running up and down and is the most superficial abdominal muscle. It is part of our core muscle group comprised of the rectus abdominus, the pelvic floor and the lumbar multifidus muscles. This core group of muscles helps give us strength by stabilizing our spine during all of our activities. So if you have a separation of your stomach muscles you don’t have the stability of your spine that you need to perform the activities you do and you are more prone to injuring your back.
What specifically can you do to help me recover from pregnancy and labor?
The two main muscles you need to focus on strengthening are the transverse abdominus muscles and the pelvic floor, if you had a vaginal birth. Those two muscles get stretched out the most from pregnancy and delivery so by regaining strength in those two muscles your core becomes strong again. There are other changes that the body goes through especially with caring for your baby. Your body tends to be in more of a bent over posture so stretching the muscles in front of our body, like the pectorals and the scalene can help improve your posture.
How can you help me train or prepare to train for the Ultimate Florida Challenge?
A great start is getting your transverse muscle stronger and back in shape. Along with strengthening your pelvic floor muscles your core muscles will be strong to help your body handle the training regimen. Then the biggest part of the training and preparation is just doing it and sticking with it. Motivation is so important and also having a great support team which I’m happy to be a part of and lend a hand.
What happens if I don't do these exercises and just dive into paddling/rowing?
You could really hurt your back. Without proper strength in your core musculature your spine isn’t stabilized and with the rowing your back can get strained very easily.
Are there any other resources you recommend as a support to the work you do?
I feel acupuncture and chiropractic care go very nicely with my work. We all support each others’ work. My work is focused on releasing restrictions in the body along with stretching and strengthening. In doing so you can hold your adjustments better and the energy flows through the body is easier. It’s a great combination.
Do you have ways for others to reach you, who might like to avail themselves of your knowledge and exercises?
You can check out my website for more information at www.IntuitiveHandsPT.com or give me a call at 303-845-0604. You can also email me a question at lleechpt@comcast.net
Thank you, Lynn!
Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and your background?
I grew up in St. Louis, got my PT degree at Saint Louis University and moved out to Seattle where I did all different kinds of PT. I was eventually led into... Women’s Health, working mainly with the pelvic floor muscles, the pelvis and the abdominal muscles as well.... I’m a mother of two boys 10 and 8, so I’ve experience the joy of it all. I also have a background in craniosacral therapy, which works with the core of our body- the dural tube and visceral manipulation, which works with the organs and how they move and attach to our skeleton. These modalities are very helpful when dealing with the organs in the pelvis and abdomen.
How does diastasis recti affect the body's ability to perform?
DR is a separation of the rectus abdominus muscle which is the six pack muscle running up and down and is the most superficial abdominal muscle. It is part of our core muscle group comprised of the rectus abdominus, the pelvic floor and the lumbar multifidus muscles. This core group of muscles helps give us strength by stabilizing our spine during all of our activities. So if you have a separation of your stomach muscles you don’t have the stability of your spine that you need to perform the activities you do and you are more prone to injuring your back.
What specifically can you do to help me recover from pregnancy and labor?
The two main muscles you need to focus on strengthening are the transverse abdominus muscles and the pelvic floor, if you had a vaginal birth. Those two muscles get stretched out the most from pregnancy and delivery so by regaining strength in those two muscles your core becomes strong again. There are other changes that the body goes through especially with caring for your baby. Your body tends to be in more of a bent over posture so stretching the muscles in front of our body, like the pectorals and the scalene can help improve your posture.
How can you help me train or prepare to train for the Ultimate Florida Challenge?
A great start is getting your transverse muscle stronger and back in shape. Along with strengthening your pelvic floor muscles your core muscles will be strong to help your body handle the training regimen. Then the biggest part of the training and preparation is just doing it and sticking with it. Motivation is so important and also having a great support team which I’m happy to be a part of and lend a hand.
What happens if I don't do these exercises and just dive into paddling/rowing?
You could really hurt your back. Without proper strength in your core musculature your spine isn’t stabilized and with the rowing your back can get strained very easily.
Are there any other resources you recommend as a support to the work you do?
I feel acupuncture and chiropractic care go very nicely with my work. We all support each others’ work. My work is focused on releasing restrictions in the body along with stretching and strengthening. In doing so you can hold your adjustments better and the energy flows through the body is easier. It’s a great combination.
Do you have ways for others to reach you, who might like to avail themselves of your knowledge and exercises?
You can check out my website for more information at www.IntuitiveHandsPT.com or give me a call at 303-845-0604. You can also email me a question at lleechpt@comcast.net
Thank you, Lynn!
Monday, January 18, 2010
I must geek out for a minute
I just found a web site that has me so excited! It greatly appeals to the organizer/geek in me who likes to note details and be able to review things. It tracks your workouts, nutrition, and way more things than I can keep track of: https://www.trainingpeaks.com
I went to my first triathlon training session for women (the beginner's group) last Friday at the local Rec Center and was delighted to meet 9 other women who all want to start doing tri's. We swam, and I was pleased to find myself keeping up. Considering I just learned how to properly do the crawl this year, it is really comforting to be among peers.
Our coach is Amanda McCracken, and she just sent us our link to the above-mentioned site and our workout assignment for the week. I'm supposed to try to jog for 20-40 minutes, swim for 30 minutes continuously, and bike for 60-70 minutes, all over the course of the next three days. Hmm. Let's see what I can do...
Thursday, January 14, 2010
My Triathlon Experience
Let's see. My daughter was one year old and I was feeling the need to try something new. I don't remember what possessed me, but I decided to set my sights on participating in an all-woman half-triathlon sprint three months out, without having done ANY training at all. My goal was to simply complete the race.
I think I swam all of 8-10 times. I didn't bother training to run at all- I figured I'd walk the 5k part. For cycling, I just made a point of biking everywhere, daughter in tow in a little buggy attached behind me.
This event involves a half-mile, open-water swim, a 12 mile bike ride, and a 5k 'run'. I was delighted to discover I could swim that distance, and could even do it in less than 30 minutes. I had no clue what was normal, but that suited me just fine. I think my best time- doing the breast stroke, mind you, not the crawl- was 22 minutes. Yay! My husband convinced me to ride his mountain bike the day of the race rather than mine because his was 'better'. Bad idea, but oh well. And then the walk. No biggie, right?
The night before the race, I took a pregnancy test to confirm my suspicions. I was pregnant again.
The day of the race, I crammed myself into my husband's shorty wetsuit for the first and last time (his thick, scuba shorty- not meant for racing) and headed into open water. It was so cold that I blew my old time out of the water (excuse the bad pun) and completed my half mile in 17 minutes (one does swim much faster when motivated to get warm). Great so far!
I peeled off the wetsuit, which came off easier than the fancy race suits, and took off on my husband's mountain bike, peddling like mad. Of course everyone passed me. They were all on REAL bikes. Road bikes. The funny thing was, almost all of them smiled apologetically at me as they passed. The cycling was torture. My husband's bike seat was skinnier and harder than the one on my bike, and it hurt like heck. I also objected to the experience on an aesthetic level: he'd worn the handle padding off of the handles, leaving a nasty, sticky mess, which melted into my fingers as I huffed and puffed along. Ew. Sadly, I don't think I ever got the dang bike to go over 12 miles per hour.
So I slid into the transition area as people were finishing the race completely, and I still had my 5k to walk. I tried to jog/run part of it, but it was pointless. It felt excruciatingly slow, and very boring, because there was no one to pit myself against or even chat with. By the time I had finished this "sprint", my time was about 1hour, 45 minutes, and other than my husband and a few volunteers, the parking lot was empty.
And you know what? I was ecstatic. I was thrilled. And proud. I did it. I did it even though I was out of shape, had poor equipment, used the 'wrong' swim stroke, and was pregnant. I felt unstoppable. At least until the morning sickness kicked in a couple weeks later.
I think I swam all of 8-10 times. I didn't bother training to run at all- I figured I'd walk the 5k part. For cycling, I just made a point of biking everywhere, daughter in tow in a little buggy attached behind me.
This event involves a half-mile, open-water swim, a 12 mile bike ride, and a 5k 'run'. I was delighted to discover I could swim that distance, and could even do it in less than 30 minutes. I had no clue what was normal, but that suited me just fine. I think my best time- doing the breast stroke, mind you, not the crawl- was 22 minutes. Yay! My husband convinced me to ride his mountain bike the day of the race rather than mine because his was 'better'. Bad idea, but oh well. And then the walk. No biggie, right?
The night before the race, I took a pregnancy test to confirm my suspicions. I was pregnant again.
The day of the race, I crammed myself into my husband's shorty wetsuit for the first and last time (his thick, scuba shorty- not meant for racing) and headed into open water. It was so cold that I blew my old time out of the water (excuse the bad pun) and completed my half mile in 17 minutes (one does swim much faster when motivated to get warm). Great so far!
I peeled off the wetsuit, which came off easier than the fancy race suits, and took off on my husband's mountain bike, peddling like mad. Of course everyone passed me. They were all on REAL bikes. Road bikes. The funny thing was, almost all of them smiled apologetically at me as they passed. The cycling was torture. My husband's bike seat was skinnier and harder than the one on my bike, and it hurt like heck. I also objected to the experience on an aesthetic level: he'd worn the handle padding off of the handles, leaving a nasty, sticky mess, which melted into my fingers as I huffed and puffed along. Ew. Sadly, I don't think I ever got the dang bike to go over 12 miles per hour.
So I slid into the transition area as people were finishing the race completely, and I still had my 5k to walk. I tried to jog/run part of it, but it was pointless. It felt excruciatingly slow, and very boring, because there was no one to pit myself against or even chat with. By the time I had finished this "sprint", my time was about 1hour, 45 minutes, and other than my husband and a few volunteers, the parking lot was empty.
And you know what? I was ecstatic. I was thrilled. And proud. I did it. I did it even though I was out of shape, had poor equipment, used the 'wrong' swim stroke, and was pregnant. I felt unstoppable. At least until the morning sickness kicked in a couple weeks later.
Winter is shaping up... and finding balance
I've won the first battle with inertia!
Here is my workout plan for this winter:
Mondays: Rec Center spin class at 6am. I need aerobic activities.
Tuesdays: bouldering/climbing from 7-9pm, followed by slacklining.
Fridays: triathlon training for women through the Rec Center 6:30-7:30am. I start tomorrow. The coach called me tonight to let me know we're starting with swimming. I'm nervous... I'm not a triathlete... what am I getting myself into?
Weekends: try to get outside for a family hike, snowshoeing, etc. as weather allows
January only: One weeknight per week, personal Pilates training session for an hour with Hayley. I've committed to 5 sessions with her, and am wishing I had the money to do more. She's really great and I know I'd progress quickly if I had the luxury of a bigger budget. That's okay- part of the challenge is learning to make due and being creative.
So for January, I have four work-out sessions built into my schedule each week. A fifth optional one that includes family is nice. Two rest days are plenty. Then in late February, I'll add a Rec Center Pilates class once I'm done working with Hayley, if we can afford it. After that, some time in late March/April, I hope to start tai chi. I'm wait-listed for the tai chi club which meets Tuesdays from 5-7pm and Sundays from 10-12. This will allow me to maintain 4-5 workouts a week.
Balancing Family
Here's a description of the topography of my life right now, in brief:
My daughter just started preschool, and I didn't want to introduce too much change to her world by suddenly running off to exercise, or by sticking her with strangers at the childcare facilities at the gyms. Also, my husband has some important personal projects he barely gets to work on as it is, and I didn't want to ruin his chances of ever getting to make progress on those. Oh and then there's the infant...
It took some effort, but I found two early morning sessions I can do before my husband leaves for work, and the other two are in evenings when he can be home again. My daughter is only really impacted by one of these evenings, since the other is when she spends the night with the grandparents anyway. And the baby loves his papa, so no problem.
That leaves the weekends and evenings mostly open for family time and other personal pursuits.
Here we go!
Here is my workout plan for this winter:
Mondays: Rec Center spin class at 6am. I need aerobic activities.
Tuesdays: bouldering/climbing from 7-9pm, followed by slacklining.
Fridays: triathlon training for women through the Rec Center 6:30-7:30am. I start tomorrow. The coach called me tonight to let me know we're starting with swimming. I'm nervous... I'm not a triathlete... what am I getting myself into?
Weekends: try to get outside for a family hike, snowshoeing, etc. as weather allows
January only: One weeknight per week, personal Pilates training session for an hour with Hayley. I've committed to 5 sessions with her, and am wishing I had the money to do more. She's really great and I know I'd progress quickly if I had the luxury of a bigger budget. That's okay- part of the challenge is learning to make due and being creative.
So for January, I have four work-out sessions built into my schedule each week. A fifth optional one that includes family is nice. Two rest days are plenty. Then in late February, I'll add a Rec Center Pilates class once I'm done working with Hayley, if we can afford it. After that, some time in late March/April, I hope to start tai chi. I'm wait-listed for the tai chi club which meets Tuesdays from 5-7pm and Sundays from 10-12. This will allow me to maintain 4-5 workouts a week.
Balancing Family
Here's a description of the topography of my life right now, in brief:
My daughter just started preschool, and I didn't want to introduce too much change to her world by suddenly running off to exercise, or by sticking her with strangers at the childcare facilities at the gyms. Also, my husband has some important personal projects he barely gets to work on as it is, and I didn't want to ruin his chances of ever getting to make progress on those. Oh and then there's the infant...
It took some effort, but I found two early morning sessions I can do before my husband leaves for work, and the other two are in evenings when he can be home again. My daughter is only really impacted by one of these evenings, since the other is when she spends the night with the grandparents anyway. And the baby loves his papa, so no problem.
That leaves the weekends and evenings mostly open for family time and other personal pursuits.
Here we go!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Watertribe: Where it all began
WaterTribe
As far as blogs go, this is my foundation from which I will sally forth into the information overload of the internet. From what I can tell, Watertribe is the hosting organization for many endurance paddling races, and the Ultimate Florida Challenge is the brainchild of its founder. His blog is a mine of useful ideas and facts.
I just joined the Watertribe community under the handle "HappyCrab" which was my Dad's handle as a fisherman and avid boatman/water enthusiast.
From this site, I've found another site that has me salivating. This fellow Marek Uliasz has a cornucopia of links, posts, and guest articles that I will feast on all month and probably longer. Mmm! The nice thing is that he appears to be local. He has posts about many of the rivers, lakes and reservoirs around Colorado and neighboring states, races to be found nearby, training tips, and gear reports.
And from his site I found This great link! Super articles and links- I could lose myself in this site for hours. And another! This last one, Paddling.net, has gear reviews that I'll enjoy reading, plus much more. Holiday feasts are over? January is looking rich to me!
As far as blogs go, this is my foundation from which I will sally forth into the information overload of the internet. From what I can tell, Watertribe is the hosting organization for many endurance paddling races, and the Ultimate Florida Challenge is the brainchild of its founder. His blog is a mine of useful ideas and facts.
I just joined the Watertribe community under the handle "HappyCrab" which was my Dad's handle as a fisherman and avid boatman/water enthusiast.
From this site, I've found another site that has me salivating. This fellow Marek Uliasz has a cornucopia of links, posts, and guest articles that I will feast on all month and probably longer. Mmm! The nice thing is that he appears to be local. He has posts about many of the rivers, lakes and reservoirs around Colorado and neighboring states, races to be found nearby, training tips, and gear reports.
And from his site I found This great link! Super articles and links- I could lose myself in this site for hours. And another! This last one, Paddling.net, has gear reviews that I'll enjoy reading, plus much more. Holiday feasts are over? January is looking rich to me!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Inertia
I expected a certain amount of inertia to deal with at first, and know there will be more exposed that is currently hidden neatly in the folds of my life habits.
So far, I love the increased activity. And I'm obsessed with paddling now. Seriously. I think about it constantly, read about it online, and am reading another book on it for my review later this month. Enthusiasm is not the problem.
The nature of my physical involvement has been more haphazard. I need a consistent schedule for exercise. December has gone by without me planning my winter exercise schedule like I had hoped. Time gets filled in effortlessly when we don't make our own plans. Another truism: Everything takes longer than anticipated.
I'm finally starting to see a plan taking shape. In the hiking world, there are mountains that are less esthetically pleasing than others because they are just mounds. The hike isn't technically challenging, in fact it's a bit boring. People sometimes describe the hike as "a slog" to get to the top. I've read paddlers and sailors refer to pushing into the wind as "beating" into the wind. That's how it feels to fight inertia.
It's also part of the journey. A distance race, with the occasional (or constant) beating into the wind is a microcosm of what my greater journey entails. And I have to remember to enjoy the challenge of the path as well as the destination.
Even as I take little steps I can see the landscape changing for me permanently: greater awareness; joy in the challenge; being involved in something so big. I'm also learning a lot. To quote an acquaintance, I'm organizing my ignorance so that I know how to proceed. And it's exciting.
I'll start letting you in on the research side of things more this month.
So far, I love the increased activity. And I'm obsessed with paddling now. Seriously. I think about it constantly, read about it online, and am reading another book on it for my review later this month. Enthusiasm is not the problem.
The nature of my physical involvement has been more haphazard. I need a consistent schedule for exercise. December has gone by without me planning my winter exercise schedule like I had hoped. Time gets filled in effortlessly when we don't make our own plans. Another truism: Everything takes longer than anticipated.
I'm finally starting to see a plan taking shape. In the hiking world, there are mountains that are less esthetically pleasing than others because they are just mounds. The hike isn't technically challenging, in fact it's a bit boring. People sometimes describe the hike as "a slog" to get to the top. I've read paddlers and sailors refer to pushing into the wind as "beating" into the wind. That's how it feels to fight inertia.
It's also part of the journey. A distance race, with the occasional (or constant) beating into the wind is a microcosm of what my greater journey entails. And I have to remember to enjoy the challenge of the path as well as the destination.
Even as I take little steps I can see the landscape changing for me permanently: greater awareness; joy in the challenge; being involved in something so big. I'm also learning a lot. To quote an acquaintance, I'm organizing my ignorance so that I know how to proceed. And it's exciting.
I'll start letting you in on the research side of things more this month.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Happy New Year
So much is percolating in my head right now!
I hope all of you have exciting plans in the making for some point in your life, and that you start taking little steps towards achieving your goal.
You don't have to do much- just be consistent and move in that direction, and you will be within reach eventually. Plan out a rough time-line and pick one thing to do to move you closer to doing it. Then do one little, tiny, easy thing a week, or a month. BUT DO IT.
A friend offered the use of her inflatable canoe to paddle this summer and it sent my spirits soaring. Of course that's not what I'll race in, but the wonderful security of knowing there is a boat I can use while researching and finding something I can afford draws a smile to my face every time I think of it.
I know what you're saying. "An inflatable canoe? On the windy Front Range?! That sounds terrible!"
On the contrary! It's perfect! What better way to train for the elements than to welcome them any chance I get? I can't practice surfing the boat or riding ocean swells, but I can sure as heck get used to chop and white caps! I fantasize about paddling out to the middle of Boulder Reservoir and just holding my place in the middle of the lake, paddling into the wind for as long as I like to get a long workout, never having to worry about running out of water- the wind will give me unlimited opportunity. I can test what cruising speed looks like and mix it with short sprints towards the shore, then let the wind push me back out. What a great workout! Then I can practice going perpendicular to the wind... oh, the things that warm my heart!
I miss being in a boat so much I can taste it. I can't wait.
What's that? I'll be sore? Heh. Yes. That's the point. I used to train hard when I climbed a lot, and was always sore. That's the best kind of pain! I would practice tai chi until I was shaking and sweating- which is easier to achieve than you might think. I look forward to engaging my body in this way. Not to be graphic, but hey, I've delivered two babies from this body, the last one born at home with midwives in attendance. I trust my body to respond to the challenge, and I'm ready for this!
Welcome 2010! Let's dance!
I hope all of you have exciting plans in the making for some point in your life, and that you start taking little steps towards achieving your goal.
You don't have to do much- just be consistent and move in that direction, and you will be within reach eventually. Plan out a rough time-line and pick one thing to do to move you closer to doing it. Then do one little, tiny, easy thing a week, or a month. BUT DO IT.
A friend offered the use of her inflatable canoe to paddle this summer and it sent my spirits soaring. Of course that's not what I'll race in, but the wonderful security of knowing there is a boat I can use while researching and finding something I can afford draws a smile to my face every time I think of it.
I know what you're saying. "An inflatable canoe? On the windy Front Range?! That sounds terrible!"
On the contrary! It's perfect! What better way to train for the elements than to welcome them any chance I get? I can't practice surfing the boat or riding ocean swells, but I can sure as heck get used to chop and white caps! I fantasize about paddling out to the middle of Boulder Reservoir and just holding my place in the middle of the lake, paddling into the wind for as long as I like to get a long workout, never having to worry about running out of water- the wind will give me unlimited opportunity. I can test what cruising speed looks like and mix it with short sprints towards the shore, then let the wind push me back out. What a great workout! Then I can practice going perpendicular to the wind... oh, the things that warm my heart!
I miss being in a boat so much I can taste it. I can't wait.
What's that? I'll be sore? Heh. Yes. That's the point. I used to train hard when I climbed a lot, and was always sore. That's the best kind of pain! I would practice tai chi until I was shaking and sweating- which is easier to achieve than you might think. I look forward to engaging my body in this way. Not to be graphic, but hey, I've delivered two babies from this body, the last one born at home with midwives in attendance. I trust my body to respond to the challenge, and I'm ready for this!
Welcome 2010! Let's dance!
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