That Gorilla is Going to Kick My Butt

"I'm on a run right now (and thinking of you/trying to run like Ashlee)..." read the text from Kristina.

"What is running like Ashlee?" I asked.

"It's running intensely forever like I'm training for a million events :)," she responded.

"Ha! Totally putting that on my blog!"

I have come to realize you people think I train harder than I really do. You all have these great expectations and views and, believe me, I love it, but I think you are all a little off.

Favorite quote of the week: "Training is like wrestling a gorilla: You don't stop when you are tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired". I try to keep that in mind when my quads feel like they are about to give out on me and my eyes want to close and not open for another couple of days. I yawned all through my balance class this morning. Fortunately, the adorable old ladies thinks it's cute. In my cycle class, I had the members focus on speed. We worked on high cadence drills with increased intensity. By the end, I had only averaged 141 watts compared to my usual 183 watts, so that was a disappointment, but I had to remind myself that I was working with a lower gear today than a typically use.

Thank you, Herbert, for my wrestling gorilla.

I'm entering base 3 next week so I've been doing a little research on what it will require of me. So far it looks like my typical weekly training volume will double. Ah! Like I have time to train as it is!! But I'm looking forward to it. I want to start looking at my nutrition more. This week I ate a lot of chocolate, chips and salsa, sour patch kids and coffee. I need to be more in tune with my body's needs. Most of my Christmas Toblerone and shortbread is gone though, so that will help.

Sorry, this blog is a little stale. I think I'm tired. Since my training volume is about to increase, I've been super good about resting this week. Other than the added volume my classes add, I'm sticking to my training plan. Yay for training plans!! Four words that help me push through every workout: "I want to win".

Ah! On a not-training note, I started a new home group last night! The moment I walked in the door, I felt totally at home. I LOOOOOOVE, love, love this group! The couple who leads have both run the Boston marathon! And everyone else is utterly phenomenal, as well! I was so excited to be there and I'm even going to take time off next week just to have dinner with my pastor and his wife and this other young guy in the group, Ben. I can't wait until next week! It is so nice to have things to do other than work and train.

Chlorine: The Breakfast of Champions

We all love a little chlorine in our mouths, right? The stench of it staying on our skin throughout the day is what motivates us to keep on walking until we can get back in the water, correct? Or maybe not. I realized how much training had taken over my life the other night at dinner when Jameisha said, "Ew. I still smell like chlorine; do you?"

My response? "Chlorine is my new perfume". It was a quote I had been sent earlier in the week, but it described how I felt perfectly. Honestly, I don't even notice the smell of chlorine anymore. I must wreak of pool water.

This morning I started the day training Dani at the track. As soon as she finished her run, I began mine. The plan was eight minutes of race pace followed by 2 minutes walking recoveries three times. It was simple. The best part about it though was it was my first time running in over a week! I'm running again! And I was faster than I thought I'd be. Not fast, about a 8:45 minute/mile, but I didn't expect that after a week off. The recoveries felt wonderful. My knee didn't bother me, though it did feel tight at the end. Another great thing about this run was it was my first run in my new Brooks; yes, the new racing shoe. I had to break them in eventually, right?

When I finished my run, I decided to swim. I only had 24 minutes to swim, but I swam hard. I worked on speed skills and I could definitely feel my arms working as I tried the new tips Josh had given me. I beat my usual 50 yard time and still had a couple of seconds of recovery. That was definitely a plus.

Today I trained a man with dementia and it was the most stressful thing I have ever done on the job.

Okay, okay... I know you are all sitting on the edge of your seats thinking, "Gosh dangit, Ashlee... tell us about your recovery day!!!" You know what, readers? It was fantastic! I worked for a few hours then came home and made a quesadilla. Sarah came and picked me up and we went shopping. We goofed off at Sports Authority and Bed, Bath and Beyond then ate frozen yogurt and talked about renting a house together.

Afterward, I went to church with Rebecca and Kent. It was a fantastic sermon about how God knows us before we are knit together in our mother's womb. The speaker's words were a great reminder of how God knows our past, our present and our future; we don't have to worry because he is in charge and has a fantastic plan for our lives. I must keep this in mind when my big race comes up!

These past 52 hours have been very trying and stressful emotionally. I feel totally depleted and unmotivated. When I get that way, I paint. On Monday, after my classes, I had a long lunch break. It was a rainy day and I actually had time on my hands, so I called my dear friend Kristina (there's your shout-out, Kristina!) and we caught up on life. Ahhh! I LOVE LOVE LOVE talking to Kristina. She is such a great encourager and listener. She inspires me and loves me and understands me. I miss her so much! I vented and she listened and gave her input. Then she told me all about her life in the LA area. She said she was looking at the painting I had made her for her birthday. Kristina and I have more than just our European adventures and our love for boys in common.We also are obsessed with spending too much money at LuluLemon. For her birthday, I painted her a purple canvas with light blue lettering with one of Lululemon's old motos: "Travel. Floss. Sing. Dance." These are all things we have done together. I loved that painting so much, I almost kept it for myself (haha), but I decided not to be selfish. I'm glad she loves it.

Anyway, her mentioning my painting reminded me that I need to paint a new piece for behind my couch. This was the perfect day to do it. I pulled out my paints and my canvas and my brushes and began. It started with a basic oval and an inspiration from my favorite artist, Heather Shinn:



Finished product



Then I taught more classes and trained Richard at the track.

Wind Happens

LuluLemon has these water bottles with quotes like, "I run because I really, really, really like ice cream". Although cookies and lattes may be more of my downfall, I can totally relate. I'm starting to wonder if I really enjoy working out or if I just eat too much junk and need to burn it off.

Yesterday morning was our first Killer Pilates class. I had 19 people show up! The room was jam-packed! It was such a great group of people and everyone did so well. This morning, some of the participants came back telling me they were feeling muscles they didn't even know they had! That is such a great feeling. Nothing inspires me more than to hear someone say I kicked their butt.

Yesterday's weather was win- wait for it- dy! I had told my tri group to come prepared for a bike ride. When I arrived at the meet-up spot, Dani was there with her bike, but she looked hesitant.

"Are you sure we have to ride," she asked, looking at me like I was crazy.

"Do you want to swim," I teased, knowing how much she hates the pool.

"No," she smiled.

So I taught her how to pump up her tires and off we went. The ride out wasn't too bad. I kept the lead and told her to follow me and stay in heart rate zone 2 the whole time. When we got to the turn around spot, the wind picked up... right in our faces. We rode 12 miles uphill against the wind all the way back. It was torturous. Dani drafted off of me the entire time. I wanted to turn around and yell at her to get off of my back, but everytime I turned around she would giggle and say, "I'm drafting off of you!"

Huff. Huff. Oh my gosh, my knees are killing me... "Yup," I replied. Gosh dang it, woman! There were a couple of times I thought about getting off of my bike, sitting on the road and telling her to ride back and come pick me up, but I realized as her coach, that probably wouldn't be the smartest idea. Haha. So we rode hard. Well, I rode hard while she drafted. A big hill came and I charged it, leaving her in the dust. Ha! Take that! Then I felt bad. So I let her draft the rest of the way...

For you non-cyclists, you are probably wondering what drafting is. I will let this website answer that for you... pictures included!

http://www.triduo.com/articlesPage/draftingrules/drafting.htm

So that was my morning ride. We finished and I still had a run and a swim to complete, so I went to the indoor pool because I knew Josh was working. When I got there, Jameisha was walking down the hallway and we decided to swim together. But the pool was packed and I tried to make up excuses not to swim. Jameisha wouldn't let me quit though. I had to circle swim for awhile, which I'm terrified of. I think one of the guys in the lane with us realized he wasn't quite as fast as the other gentleman and myself, so he got out after my warm-up. I swam 3400 yards. I did it! And I practiced flip turns with Denise and Jameisha! I'm so glad I stayed!

I met up with Evan, Jameisha, Sophia and Josh for dinner afterwards and it was wonderful. Such a great time to fellowship and be with friends. Looking around, I realized I haven't hung out with my friends in... months. Sure, Sophia and I run. Josh and I swim and eat to refuel and shop for new gear. But very rarely do I just settle down and spend time with friends. Doug keeps asking me to surf, which I haven't done in a very long time, but I'm always training. It was so nice to see my friends faces and just sit.

This morning I woke up and I decided today was a day of rest. If God can rest on the seventh day, I'm sure he wants me to rest as well. I know this upcoming week is my rest and test week, but I think my knee will appreciate a break. I told Josh this and he laughed. "Yeah, good luck with that," he responded. He doesn't believe I'll take the day off. I think I have to anyway though because I'm out of clean workout pants. Time to do laundry and eat frozen yogurt with Sarah! More friend time! I love it! Wish me luck!

Not At The Kid's Table Anymore

Traditions are an important part of life. In my family, we hold several traditions. One of these occurs at every family gathering and holiday. My cousins refer to this tradition as "sitting at the Kid's Table". My grandparents on my dad's side have 12 grandchildren. My aunt's kids are in their late 20's/early 30's and the rest of us are 24-years-of-age and younger. Because our family is so big, we set up multiple tables at family gatherings; there is the kid's table and the grown-up table. Even when these two tables are pushed together or when there are only four cousins present, we still huddle at "the Kid's Table". This last Christmas, there were three tables. One for the great-grandchildren and my older cousins, one for the adults and one for my cousins. We could easily mix it up, but we don't. Mixing it up would mean challenging ourselves to be more mature, more adult-like or taking it down to our adolescent years. Even though my cousin Rynny is pregnant and my cousin Jack Coleman brought his fiance, we all still sat at the kids table and we agreed this Christmas that we will always stay at the kid's table, even after we all grow up.

This morning I started Drea's Running Strong clinic. I teach Pilatess and strength classes on a regular basis. In fact, I teach 36 classes a week; however, I was nowhere near prepared for what Drea had in store for me. Let me tell you, folks, I was no longer at the Kid's Table. She had taken me up a notch. I knew my hips were weak, but I didn't know the strength they were capable of this morning. Every moment of the class challenged me and pushed my hips to their limits, but I loved every minute of it. As I looked around the room, I felt like one of the weakest runners in the room, but I was there and I was going to give it my all. I left feeling invigorated. So stoked on life right now!

As far as running goes, I have been taking a break since Tuesday. Instead of running, I reacquainted myself with the elliptical. In high school, I loved the elliptical. In college, I studied on the elliptical. At work, I set the record for best woman on the elliptical. As soon as I set that challenge, I stopped doing the elliptical. I fell in love with running, so the elliptical went on the back burner. Spending time on it this week, that passion I once felt did not come back. I tried to entertain myself by listening to music. I started with bands like Three Days Grace and Theory of a Deadman, bands with hardcore, I'm going to conquer and succeed albums. I got bored after 30-minutes and on came the country. "Country girl, shake it for me, girl, shake it for me, girl, shake it for me," played in my ear buds for 45-minutes. Later that night, Josh Tuner's Why Don't We Just Dance came on my playlist during my Pure Awesomeness class. One of the surfer guys asked me if that really got me going and I said, without shame, that yes, in fact, it did. It's just not the same on a treadmill as it is on the open road though.

During my 50-minute elliptical session yesterday, I decided to watch a couple of episodes of How I Met Your Mother. Even Ted Mosby's search for the perfect wife didn't entertain me enough to convince myself I was having a good time. Two-minutes aggressive pace, three-minutes moderate... is it over yet?

But bike class was great, tri club went well. All in all, it's been a good week. It's been an easy week. Now that I'm writing about it, I'm looking back and thinking, "Wow... I slacked this week." Next week is my rest and test week. I guess we will see if I improved from taking a break or if my times go down. For now, I'll go teach my Pilates, grab lunch with the boyfriend, do a 2-hour speed and force bike ride, teach three circuit classes, train Richard and get some sleep. Here comes the weekend!

That's Not Baby Fat...

Yesterday on my lunch break, I swam for over an hour. The first portion was speed skills followed by aerobic endurance. Getting in the water was rough. I stood in Josh's office looking out at the pool making up excuses not to go in. "Ash, just go," he said. So I went. After my warm up and 6x50 "sprints", I swam 45-minutes without stopping. I felt so good during the first 40-minutes of the aerobic endurance. It felt easy and smooth. I practiced all the tips Josh and Austin had given me. The last five minutes were like Chinese water torture. When would it end?! I had to remind myself that it was only 5 more 50's.

That evening I taught circuit class. Oh! I started taking Beta-Alanine yesterday. I had only had one dose, and I'm not sure if it was the pill or the latte from Coffee Bean, but I had so much energy during class! It was an overloaded class with three too few machines and two new people, but I still felt in control and confident. I was using more resistance than I've been able to lately and it actually felt easy! Okay, maybe I was so on fire because I had great people in my class and I knew I was getting sushi after class, but I was just straight out on my game.

This morning I decided to make coffee. Okay, time for the back story... so remember how lethargic I was last Saturday? My mom was a little worried about me, so she sent me this magnificent article by one of my favorite athletes from one of my favorite books!
Check it out: http://www.poweringmuscles.com/index.php
This is the reason I decided to start taking Beta-Alanine. It also made me change my viewpoint on drinking coffee after exercise. Like my mother, I love coffee. True story about my mom: She used to drink 9 white-chocolate mochas a day. No food. MAYBE a salad. No food, just coffee. It was an unhealthy addiction that I did not understand. When I went to the same Bible school she did, I discovered a passion for coffee as well. Now I get her addiction. Usually after my morning workouts, I grab a coffee. It's a great pick-me-up, it tastes delicious and it has milk, so I figured... there's my protein source! However, Matt (the author of our fun little article) says no coffee after working out because it keeps your body stimulated and doesn't allow for a proper recovery. Ohhhhh.... okay. So no coffee AFTER my workouts, what about before? Great. Before my workout it is. Let's go back a little...

This morning I decided to make coffee. I'm steaming my milk and pouring my shot and I realize, "Hmm... I should have left for cycle 3 minutes ago. Also, I did not make a workout for today." Today I'm supposed to work on speed skills and aerobic endurance. I figure I'll wing it. As I enter the building for work, I'm walking down the hall and I see a familiar face. "Wow... that girl looks a lot like my old roommate Jackie," I think to myself. Then she gave me the Jackie wave. I love the Jackie wave. I'm pretty certain I did bunny rabbit hops all the way down that hallway. "Hi! Hi! Hi! What are you doing here!? Hi!" Yeah, I'm a kook. Then I start thinking, "Shoot... Jackie is here for her first cycle class with me. And Rose, Richard and Katrina will be there expecting a gnarly workout. Not to mention all my other 6AM regulars (shout out to Kara, Claire, Tim, Christian, the Johns, etc). I had better think of a good workout stat!" So I give them hell. Zone 5's. Got to love the zone 5's. And they loved it. Thank you, Jackie, for making me push harder, better, stronger, faster!

This morning was three C's, so we grabbed coffee afterward and celebrated Mavel's birthday! Well, I grabbed a recovery drink and baby food. We chatted with Eva, wishing she was there. She would have loved the workout this morning. Then I taught aerobics and balance to older active adults. This is when my knee reminded me that it hates me. "Good morning, knee," I thought. "Grrrrr."

I was having a super fantastic day until the knee kicked in. But I pushed through it. After my classes, I decided to give the knee a break and grab food at Whole Foods. At coffee, Holly had mentioned oatmeal cookies, so I had a craving and that is one of the things I bought at Whole Foods. I ate five cookies as I drove to the beach; I figured I needed some energy. As my legs started to build speed on the warm-up, my knee screamed at me. So I stopped. For the first time since I started training for Wildflower, I stopped. I walked. I called my sister. I called Rachael. I walked. Josh showed up and we walked down to lunch and back. Even walking, I was dying. Why?!?!

My new passion is reading blogs. I'm totally obsessed with Joe Friel, Drea and Robyn's blogs. Joe is a triathlete and coach whom I admire greatly. I am currently following his training program (http://www.joefrielsblog.com/). Drea is a marathoner and fitness instructor who just kicks butt. I wish I was half as cute and bad-A as she is (www.twomotivate.com/). I have admired Robyn since I met her my junior year of high school. She is the most adorable, awesome person you will ever meet. Her blog is also about running (http://runprettyrunfast.com/). So I read these blogs and I start feeling insignificant. Oh man, Drea had a bad day... she could only pump out 20 miles. Robyn felt slow today... she ran a 7:50 mile. Ouch. Surrounding myself with these hardcore people, I start to feel badly about myself. I should be pushing harder. I can't give up. What Would Drea Do? It makes me feel weak. It makes me feel worthless. My laundry is all dirty, so I had to wear these lime green nike shorts that I hate today. I hate my legs, so I hate shorts. So now I feel worthless and fat. I can't run. My shorts are drawing attention to my legs. Ahhhhhh!

Then I look to my left and there's Josh. He's reassuring me, "You're above the average, Ash. Look at the guy that just ran past us; he looked like he was about to die. We don't look like that when we run. And the fact that we race, that puts us well above average. You need to be smart. You need to take a break. Don't run right now. Recovery will put you out for a week, but pushing it and injuring yourself could put you out permanently."

"Thanks, Dad," I respond. Yup, Dad sent me the exact same e-mail yesterday. I'm lucky to have these guys in my life. They care about me. They love me unconditionally and it's awesome!

Josh and I get in our separate cars and he tells me he'll see me back at my place. I'm not sure I want him to come over. My attitude is crummy and I want to take a shower and rest. But I don't say that because I actually do want him to come over. I can't think of anyone else I'd rather be with at that moment. As I drive, I start to pray to God. "Lord, please help my attitude. Help me to listen to my body and to rest. Remind me that it will be better in the end. God, give me a better attitude right now. It's Josh's last day off for a few months and he's choosing to spend it with me. Help me to focus on the good things and not bring him down." It helped to say it all out loud and relax about it. Hopefully, that will carry on throughout my classes tonight! I'm just blessed to have an awesome family, amazing friends and a sensational boyfriend!

5 Miles of Pure Cadence

After hundreds of miles logged in my Saucony ProGrid Kinvaras, it was time for a new pair of running shoes. Sophia and I went in to see Joe and Nash yesterday for some new motivational running shoes. Joe brought out two Brooks boxes for me. The first one opened and inside lay....

Well, to tell this story, you should know that before I bought my first pair of Kinvaras (I've had two), I wanted to buy the Brooks PureCadence. However, the shoe had not been released and I needed a new pair immediately. Alright, back to yesterday...

The Brooks PureCadence! Ah! They were beautiful! Blue and green and grey. I didn't even want to try them on; I knew they would be mine the second I laid eyes on them. Yes, I think now I believe in love at first sight... when it comes to running shoes, that is. I laced them up anyways and hopped on the treadmill. One step, two step, three step, jog. Yes, it was meant to be. Joe confirmed that this was the shoe for me and I was sold.

I walked back to my old, worn out shoes and saw Sophia was trying on the same shoes. I'm pretty certain these shoes are magical, because they worked perfectly for her as well. We are twinsibops!

Then I made a mistake. "Joe," I started. "Tell me the difference between a training shoe and a racing shoe." Oh, Joe told me the difference. Then he opened the second box. "This would be your racing shoe," he said, lifting out a beautiful white and seafoam green Brooks PureConnect shoe. Oh shoot. I fell in love again. "I'll take them!" I exclaimed before putting them on. What can I say? I'm an easy customer. I laced them up anyway and hopped on the treadmill. Yup, these are the shoes I'm wearing at my half marathon. They are so light, so heavenly; I could run for miles. Alas, Sophia was waiting to hop on the treadmill. It was okay, I knew the shoes were mine.

I handed my card over to Joe (by the way, Mom and Dad, I owe you a couple hundred dollars), and my life could not be more complete. Okay, I'll be saying the same thing in 4 months, but I'm stoked.



Sophia's and my new shoes.


After grabbing lunch with Sophia, Josh and I went for a swim. Following my 1350 meter recreational swim, we drove out to a bike shop my friend had recommended. Mom and Dad, if you're reading this, I owe you another $101. Ouch. I just can't say no to beautiful equipment.

Last night I taught Power Cycle: 1 hour of race-like simulation. 15 minute warm-up speed drills, 3 sets of 3:00 in zone 5 at 95% effort with a 3:00 recovery, 3 sets of 2:00 in zone 5 at 95% effort with a 0:45 recovery, 3 sets of 1:00 in zone 5 at 95% effort with a 0:20 recovery, 2:00 of :30 sprints, 3:00 of :30 standing climbs with :30 spin-ups and a 5 minute recovery. If you were pushing on this workout, it was a good one.

Richard and I met up last night and we did some strength sets. It was cold. I'm glad we went though, because I got some new training ideas from the young males who were training. They used some drills on stadiums I had never seen and one guy was doing parachute sprints, which reminded me that I should buy a parachute. A bright one. I love bright things (thank you, Sophia, for making sure Joe knew that yesterday!).

My tri group this morning was unsuccessful. Dani was out of town and no one else showed up, so I did a 5-mile force run on the beach with walk/jog recoveries. That was the first workout in my PureCadence. Love them! I'm pretty certain I could not be happier with my shoes! My knee had a dull ache, but overall it felt much better! I love new shoes! I think today will be a very good day indeed.


Thanks, Mom and Dad for my awesome reflexive jacket!



Triathletes Anonymous

Questions:

1. Do you sometimes feel like you have to force yourself to complete a workout because you have no motivation?
2. Do you occasionally add on to the already assigned workouts, making them harder or longer?
3. Have you reached a point where your body no longer feels energized to start a workout, but you do it anyway?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, your training is no longer healthy, it is an obsession.

...Awesome... I have an addiction. That's cool. So what do I do now? They don't have a TA (Triathletes Anonymous), do they?

Tri group on Saturday was great! Dani was the only one who showed up, so I was able to pay attention to her form. After she finished, I hopped in and swam 1700 meters. Amazingly, I really wanted to swim! It was probably because I didn't want to run due to my knee injury, but I had a desire to get in and swim after watching Dani.

"Knee injury," you ask. "What is this?"

Oh yeah, I have a terrible, horrible, no good, dirty-rotten knee injury. It happened in high school with a combination of snowboarding and volleyball. I have a valgus angle of the knee and when I run, I land with the knee slightly in and the toes pointed out (which I blame on ballet), so the knee takes a lot of pressure. During my Thursday evening run, I decided I would try to correct that angle for an hour. That set it off. Now it's been driving me crazy. Bum knee. But I train anyway. Why? ...because I have an addiction.

Speaking of my addiction... after swimming, I decided my knee hurt too much to run for the 2 hours I was supposed to. The elliptical machine would have to make due. But when I got to the gym, I just wasn't feeling it. Cosy had mentioned we should go hiking so I figured I would substitute the hike for the run. I hadn't heard from her, so I thought I would run home and close my eyes for a bit. Saucony Scofield and I got into bed together and I closed my eyes. Next thing I knew, I had been asleep for almost 2 hours. Cosy had texted asking me where I was, but I was sound asleep. So much for that hike. I was meeting Richard in less than an hour at the track (El Diablo?), so I decided to be lazy and watch an episode of How I Met Your Mother.

Sunday called for a long bike ride and a long run. No problem, right? I pretty much taken Saturday off, so I should have some energy. So wrong! I trained Richard at the beach and we did some run force drills. I could feel my knee, but I pushed through it. After we finished, I hopped on my bike and rode down the beach. I was supposed to keep my heart rate between 142-154. I started with a heart rate of 89... 10-minutes into the ride I was at 131. "Okay," I thought. "I'm still warming up. I'll just add a little more time to my workout." At the hour mark, my heart rate was wavering between 139-142 and I was hurting. "This is an easy ride! What is up with me?!?!" Finally I turned around. I was disappointed in myself. On the way back to my car, I hit every single stop light and got stuck behind some slow cyclists who weren't willing to move to the side. When I reached my car, I was frustrated and upset. But I had told Sophia I would run with her and I wasn't going to back down.

A long run. That's what we had said we would do. I started running and got half a mile down the road when, "OW! Oh eff... Hello knee. You suck." As I walked along, Sophia pulled up behind me and parked. We both decided we were not motivated and would cut our run short. Forty-five minutes. We only have to run for 45-minutes. As we ran, we talked about our lack of motivation and energy this week. Illnesses, lost sleep... all the things that make one want to quit. Fifteen minutes into the run, I lift my right foot and BAMM! I was down on the hard dirt. I picked myself up and started to run again. "What was that," I thought to myself. "My foot didn't get caught on anything. Sure, I was a little distracted, but I still was keeping good form. My feet definitely weren't shuffling."

I was done. I was so done. But Sophia was there. I couldn't quit. She had driven all the way out and waited to run so we could do it together. So I kept going. I'm glad I did. Later that night, I sent her a quote: "You can feel sore tomorrow or you can feel sorry tomorrow. You choose."

So this weekend was not the best training weekend and I'm not entirely sure how to approach this week. Shomari taught my cycle class this morning so I could teach Jen's strength class; that means I'll only teach one cycle class today. I hope that helps.

Sophia and I decided to buy new running shoes from Nash today. Hopefully that will inspire us to keep training for our half marathon in less than a month. Ah! I'm so excited for the half! But more on that later...

"It's a Long Way To The Top..."

In the wise words of ACDC, "It's a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll". I want to rock and I want to roll and I'm going to succeed. I can feel the determination; it's the aching in my quads, the tightness in my hips, the twinge in my shoulder... And I love it!

Yesterday was epic. I don't know if epic is the best way to describe my day yesterday, but I'm using it anyway. My cycle class was full. Full. Ah! Stoked! I've never had a full cycle class. And this class was GOOD! We did hill work- lots of it. My lunch time cycle class is probably my favorite group of cyclists. They are all in phenomenal shape, they push themselves to their limits and they talk to me. They yell, they grunt, they groan, they cheer. Now THAT is my definition of epic. The guys tease me about being too hard. I love it. I feel so motivated by that class. About a month back, this woman decided to try my class for the first time.

"Now don't make me sweat too much," she commented. "I have to go back to work after this."

The gnarliest guy in the room turned to her and said, "You cannot take an Ashlee class without sweating. You will leave here dripping."

And that she did.

I love when people comment on how hard my classes are. My Wednesday class (Pure Awesomeness) is the class that all the young, tough guys go to. This last Wednesday (the one where I didn't want to run afterwards), I overheard two of the buff surfer boys in the back row. I had them doing these drop down football drills and one of them turned to the other and said, "Dude, she's insane." The other responded, "Yeah, and after this I bet she's going to go swim or run 500 miles." Hearing that and having Jameisha say she would stay is what inspired me to keep going even when I wanted to quit. Then I got a text from the boyfriend saying that his best friend's fiance, who had come to my class for the first time, had said I was an animal. Stoked. I mean, that's why I do this. I don't want to feel like less than the best.

Anyway, back to yesterday. My tri group met for a swim session. We did 1500 meters, focusing on seeing where they were fitness ability wise. Three people showed up, including my supportive boyfriend. It was fun though. I started my swim before the group met, but had to cut off halfway through and finish after. Josh and Armando are strong swimmers. It was fun seeing them compete against each other and watching their form to see what I could do to improve mine. Dani was there again, too. I really like her and I'm stoked Nash recommended she look into me for a tri coach!

After our swim, Josh and I did a speed and muscular endurance run at the track. I've decided I want to name the track; maybe that will give me motivation when I'm running it. Running the track is one of the most boring things you can do. Sure, it's great when you're working distance drills, but for muscular or anaerobic endurance workouts, I'd much rather have a change of scenery. Trouble is, I can't decide if I want to name it something cheerful to motivate myself to go ("Yeah, Dude, I was on Maui for two hours tonight") or something horrible because it suits it better ("Aw man, I have to run sprints on El Diablo this evening". Any suggestions?

This morning's cycle class was pretty brutal: Force work for one hour. Five five-minute seated hills at zone 5. I told you it was a long way to the top, but we got there!

Josh is on his way here now to give me a good morning kiss (stoked!), then I haven't decided whether I'll swim or lift before teaching aerobics. I'm doing both today (plus Pilates), but I want to check in on the pool before I make my final verdict.

Tomorrow our tri club meets at noon! Feel free to join us! Come prepared for anything! Meaning, bring your swimsuit and clothes you can run in!

Never Regret Your Failures

“Perfection is never an option, it’s literally just trying to do your best every day”. These were the words my friend and boss told me this morning during our devotion. After the funk day I had yesterday, I woke up needing some inspiration. When my alarm went off at 6AM, which is sleeping in for me, I thought it was an accident. There was no way it was already time to wake up; however, the alarm was not lying. I snoozed the clock for 40 minutes then finally rolled out of bed to make my latte and eat my momma’s granola.

My boss’ door was open, so I thought I would check in with him since we’ve both been so busy lately. We chatted then read a devotional. His words were truly motivational during this season. He spoke of the importance of doing your best and letting God take care of the rest and finding peace in that. For me, I can apply that to everything I do. First, my training. I am giving it all I got, but I can sleep at night knowing that no matter the outcome, I can be happy knowing that I tried and his will be done. This next 5 months, I will be training hard every day to compete at the top of my game at Wildflower, but so will the other competitors. I can only compete against myself and to my best ability.

Second, these words apply to my job. Shomari was worried I would grow weary from working all the time… and he was right. Almost every day I wish I could go backpack around Hawaii or pack up and move to Australia or Switzerland for a few months, but I need to live day-by-day. Today I am where I am for a purpose. I need to be the best I can be at everything I do, which means keeping a smile on my face, calling my mom more often, sending my sister letters occasionally and keeping in contact with my best friend. It also means returning phone calls promptly (grumble, grumble, grumble), not making commitments I can’t keep and prioritizing my time.

There’s my new 2012 resolution: To do my best and let God take care of the rest. Also, if I'm doing my best, I don't have to regret my failures, I can rejoice in my growth from the experience.

Shout Out To Jameisha!

So after my strength and conditioning class, I felt strong and Jameisha was sticking around, so I asked her if she wanted to run. 1200 warm up followed by 4x200s at 1:47, 1:46, 1:43 and 1:40 and a quick cool down. My knee (old high school injury) is definitely tight. Time to go home and foam roll! Thanks Jameisha for sticking around despite the fact that you were tired!

To Rest or Just Suck It Up... That is the Question

Today has been weird. Very weird. My 60-minute cycle class this morning was horrible. I made everything up on the spot and didn't get to work on the aerobic endurance portion I had originally intended to include. It was my dear friend's last day taking my class before she moves to Virginia. Virginia? Really? Ugh. This girl has been a motivator and an accountability partner for one and a half years now. I really don't want her to leave. Maybe that's why I've been in a funk. She's one of those girls you can rely on for anything and she is one of my favorite running buddies. Ahhh! If you're reading this, Eva, don't leave me!!!

Teaching aerobics and balance was like watching water boil on a luke warm furnace. It took forever. I wanted to go home and clean. And as soon as it was over, that's exactly what I did. The boyfriend came over for lunch after his bike ride. That's one thing I adore about Josh; he's passionate about living an active lifestyle, just like me. I skipped out on my run so I could spend time with him and have some alone time by myself. I needed it. Before I knew it, I had 30-minutes before my first appointment at work and my scheduled run is a 45-minute speed skills run. No time for that. So I chugged the last of the latte I had made earlier and headed to work.

I taught my circuit class, which was hard for me today. That is embarrasing to admit. That class is usually a breeze, but today I was just over it. I'm trying so hard to be happy and convince everyone around me that I'm stoked to be at work, but I'm just not feeling it. I must be a great actress though, because several people commented that they loved that I'm always smiling even when working.
Tonight I teach my strength and conditioning class. My fingers are crossed that some of my high school boys show up. Since basketball season started, I've been missing having them in class. I have no idea what we will do in class today, but I will work them hard, as always. The majority of that class is men and I love it! Last week I only had one woman. The fact that guys come to that class and sweat and groan and complain about still being sore 3 days later makes me feel like Tony from P90X. Yeah, I'll make you hurt and I'll smile while I do it.

Now the real question: Stay up late and run after class til 10PM or just go home and actually sleep for once? I know tomorrow is crazy busy and I might not have time to get all three of my workouts in (what am I talking about? I always make a way), so I'm even more inclined to do it... at the same time, my body is not feeling it and I'm pretty sure my inspiration (Joe Friel) says DO NOT WORK OUT WHEN YOU DON'T FEEL THE MOTIVATION. Later he says DO NOT MISS A WORKOUT! Ah! Who to listen to? Joe Friel or Joe Friel? My body or my goals? Stuh-ressed.

In Need of a Dictionary

"Oh, Lord, please don't let this be the day my legs give up on me."

Despite the fact that my run would be a short 35-minute force run, I could feel the accumulation of stress from 7 straight days of hard cycling wearing on me.

2.5 mile warm-up followed by force drills with a 5:00 cool down. That was enough for me. It was interesting watching the lunch time crowd at the track; there is a huge variety of people! A group of athletes was there doing a workout, serious runners were leaving the joggers in the dust, some young women were trying to master stadiums at a slow pace and four boys playing a game of four square soccer. I felt accomplished being out at the track with a purpose. There was no one there keeping me accountable or making me do force drills, I was there because I wanted to be.

The boyfriend and I grabbed lunch together after. A big burrito. Yumm. I could feel my stomach expanding though. I never know how to stop eating. I know when I'm full, but I continue to eat anyway. I need to learn how to put the burrito down.

Next on my list was a swim workout. I was not looking forward to it. I hate the pool. I hate the act of swimming. Chlorine. Yuck. Laps back and forth. Yuck. But sometimes we have to do things we don't like in order to grow. Surprisingly, my swim was great! Fifty-five quick minutes of pyramids. I'm just trying to improve my form at this point. My endurance is still lacking. Any tips on improving that would be much appreciated.

This morning I tried to get my tri program running.... one person showed up. At least one is better than none, right? And she did REALLY well! I'm stoked on her! I led her and my boss in a quick 50-minute indoor spin-up ride this morning. I felt strong for that, but last night's Power Cycle class was still holding on to my quads. They were yelling at me to stop, but I don't think the word stop is a part of my vocabulary. Hmmm I should probably ask my kindergarten grade teacher to define that word for me again.