The snack lady likes her space so get out of her lane!!!

After 2 days of heavenly rest I felt like a new woman today. Last night I was so excited to go swimming today that I couldn't fall asleep. I usually get in bed around 9-9:30 and fall asleep right away. However, last night I didn't fall asleep until at least 10:30. I know my alarm was set because I usually check it at least a million times (or at least it feels like that) before I go to sleep.... but for some reason it didn't go off this morning. (Or maybe it did and I was just so tired I turned it off in my sleep.) The good news is I woke up 5 minutes before I need to leave. I jolted out of bed scared to death. I dunno. I definitly wasn't myself this morning. When we arrived at the pool I feel out of the Coach's car... not quite sure how that happened... I guess I am just not coordinated when I jump out of bed. :)

Swim practice went great. It went by super fast and lots of people (16 in all- everyone except for Walrus basically) showed up. The only bad thing about that is that almost everyone was swimming in MY LANE!!! Not only was I claustrophobic with everyone around me but no one swam the same speed so everyone was on top of each other the entire time. I hate that. I think Coach is trying to torture me. She knows I like my own space and like to swim in my own "bubble". She tells me that she is just getting me ready for the knockdown drag-out punching/kicking match at IMFL. I am sure she is right... but I really do hate it. Grr.

I am officially the snack lady of Team Vortex. This was established on the car ride back from swim practice today. On the weekends when we have our bricks I will be organizing people to bring recovery snacks/drinks. It should be fun. It reminds me of when I was a little kid and all the moms would signup for snacks on soccer game days. Ahh to be little again.

Penguins lost tonight.... 1-2. We played a good game. I didn't go out with everyone afterwards because I have to go to bed early. (I can hear the crazy IM youtube video playing- for those that have seen it... you know what I mean.) I figure I have to draw the line somewhere if i decide to keep playing soccer...

Today's workout: Swim
Warmup: 500 free
Main Set: 2x400 R20 (within each 400 is 50 hard; 50 easy. Repeat until done)
500 pull
2x200 R20 Breath 3,5,7
Cool down: 200 back

Total: 2,400 meters
Time: 45ish minutes

First brick since last October.....

This morning was my first brick in a really long time. It felt pretty good... well as good as a brick can feel. :) I hate to admit it but I was in a bad mood for part of it because we had a group of riders with us that normally doesn't come and they were going super fast. At one point we were going 21mph in a headwind. I could keep up but that wasn't what we were supposed to do today. Luckily this didn't last for the entire ride.

The run was pretty low key. XXX, Alisha, and Little T ran with me. Little T kept saying that Dowden Rd has a downward slope. I'm not sure what she is talking about... maybe a downward slope of 1 foot stretched out for 2 miles??? XXX gave her a lot of crap for that. Every 20 steps he'd say, "Love this downward slope."

Today's workout: Bike 25 miles and Run 4 miles in zone 3

Bike 24.6 miles
Time: 1:27
Avg speed 16.9mph
Avg HR 138

Run 4.01 miles
Time: 41.54
Avg pace: 10.27mi/hr
Avg HR 149

Total Calories burnt: 1666

Fire Alarm + Towel and Duct Tape = An Interesting Practice

Friday's practice was filled with lots of excitement. We met super early... 5:15am so we could get a run, foam roller/abs, and weights in all before 7:30. Everyone was super chipper on the run. It rained a little bit so everyone was cracking jokes about melting and that we should turn around. Coach didn't buy it. :) We all give her a hard time... almost on a daily basis. It sure keeps things interesting.

During the foam rolling class the fire alarm went off. We were told that they were testing the alarm and that it might go off frequently. Well it lasted what seemed like forever. The sound was piercing... so we came up with a make-shift fire alarm cover. I went and found some duct tape and together with the help of XXX we covered it up with a towel so it was a muffled sound. We were all rolling (literally) on the ground laughing.

Picture of our fabulous taping job of the fire alarm:

Friday's Practice:
Run 25 minutes in zone 2 (approx 2 miles)
Foam rolling
Weights- upper body

Sleep walking

Last night I went to bed in my normal shorts and t-shirt pj's. This morning I woke up in my bathing suit.... and I'm not sure how that happened. Hmm.

Today's workout:  Swim
Warmup: 200 pull; 200 kick
2x500 long distance pace R30
6x50 sprint on the minute
Cool Down: 200 back

Total: 1,900m

Run Threshold Test

Wednesday I figured out what a run threshold test is. For those that don't know... it is when you run the fastest pace you can maintain for 30 minutes without having to call 911. :) The goal is to figure out what your max heart rate is that you can sustain for a prolonged period of time. I ended up running about a 8:15 min/mile pace and my average heart rate was 185. I guess we will be doing this once a month to see if we are becoming more effecient.

Wednesday's Workout:
Run Threshold Test
30 min run at the fastest pace you can maintain

Swimming a 400 = (1,2,3 breath 1,2,3,4,5 breath ) flip repeat until done

Yesterday felt like heaven. It was a rest day. (This is a recovery week. Hallelujah!!) I got to sleep in till 7:20. Wow! Unfortunately, I really didn't sleep that well past 5:30 because of Mr. Tubby. Tubby stormed by bed like a cyclone at 5:30 running in circles like he had a wild hair up his butt. After a little bit of shouting he got the hint that it was NOT time to get up.

Today we swam at the Aquatic Center again. I swam in a lane with Amy. This was only the 2nd time I swam with her. It went really well. She is a great lane buddy. However, I do miss Jenn.... my old lane buddy. Hopefully she will be back next week. :)

Soccer tonight went well. No bloody noses or bruised knees like last week. We tied playing with 1 girl down. I love my Penguins!

Time for bed now. I heard we have a real doozie of a practice tomorrow. Threshold run test. Fabulous. :)

Today's workout:  Swim
Warmup 4 x 100 as 50m pull, 50m drill of your choice
4 x 400m Descending within each 400 from long course pace to short course pace.
Cool-Down 200m back.
Total: 2,200 meters

Almost died today

Yes, it is true. I was almost taken out today by a car. I was running in a pack with some of my buddies in Lake Nona and a car that was turning right did not see us. He didn't look or stop at the stop sign. Alisha and I had to literally jump out of his path to avoid being creamed. Let me just say that we were not running in zone 2 for at least the next 30 minutes after that.

Today's workout:
8 mile run (trying to be in zone 2)
Avg HR 152
Calories Burnt 812
Avg Pace 12:05
Time: 1:38