Whip Me Up Some Motivation

3:47AM. The alarm on my phone sounds. Technically, this should be the reminder to eat my banana with peanut butter and chug some water, but the only thing I remember is my desire to not get out of my warm bed to do this deed. I ignore the irritating buzz coming from my green and yellow phone and drift back into sleepy land.

4:45AM. The first alarm of five that will hopefully rouse me from my sleep. I give him an F for Failure because he definitely was not effective at his job.

An hour later, I finally threw the covers off with a strong arm. The chilly morning air met my bare legs and I shivered. Saucony Scofield bounced up from her spot on the edge of my bed and ran to the door, looking at me expectantly. After throwing on my running tights and a long sleeve shirt, I dipped my banana in a tablespoon of peanut butter and quietly opened the door to the living room where Yo slept soundly on the couch.

"Meow, meow, meow," Scofield kept reminding me she was ready for food. I tossed in a handful of dry cat deliciousness and pulled my Saucony Kinvara's on  (Yes, I did name my cat after my favorite racing flat).

Down the still-dark street I trotted. I pressed start on my Garmin and looked at my pace. Wow... that is a slow trot, Ash. Maybe you should just swim instead of doing a track workout. I was not feeling it.

Most of you know, I did the runner's walk off shame off the track two weeks ago. It was pretty humiliating. My pace group abandoned me with their quick turnover. My feet just couldn't stay up. Last week, I had to work for my boss, so I didn't get to do the track workout. I was worried I wouldn't be able to keep up with my pace group. Temptation haunted me. A little fat Buddha man sat on my shoulder.

"Just do your own easy run. Go maybe 4 miles and call it a day. You've been biking a lot lately," he urged me.

No, you little fatty face! I'm going to the track. 

As I rounded the corner, I met up with some runners from the group. They were in the middle of their warm-up. It was decision time: Do I join them or do I continue on my own?

"Just do your own thing. You just started your warm-up, they are almost done with theirs. Give yourself some time," he was using logic now.

Okay, Fatty Face; you win.

I sauntered on alone. Hmmm it's actually kinda nice out. Maybe I should go home and get a t-shirt. Oh, and put on deodorant. I totally didn't do that this morning.

I made a right and took the long way home. This would give me more time to warm up anyway. The closer I got to my house, the more tired my legs felt.

"Remember that circuit you did with Perry yesterday? Oh, not to mention the 40-mile bike ride and the hour of swimming? Maybe you should just go home and work on the website."

Darn you, Fatty Face! That sounds so good! Must... resist... the... fat... man's... words.

I ran upstairs and changed shirts, rubbed some scented odor blocker on my underpits then turned and ran back out the door before the fat man could convince me to be a slacker.

When I arrived at the track, the crew was about the start their second set of 2k's followed by a 400. I jumped into the pace group Rusty told me to join and totally forgot that I was tired. It was a strong workout and I could not be happier I did it. Take that, Fatty Face.

Moral of the story: You may not always feel like doing your workout. Motivation may be lacking. Do it anyway. Get out there and at least start it. Once you finish, you will be so glad you stuck with it!

Runner's Walk Of Shame

What is it they say about life giving you lemons? Take them and throw them on the ground and jump up and down on them until they are mush. Yeah... that sounds about right. 

Yesterday, my friend Amy and I ran up Jesusita. On our way back down, we talked about the "Runner's Walk of Shame". C'mon, admit it: If you have ever been a runner, you totally know what I'm talking about. That moment when your hip cramps up or you realize you didn't fuel properly for a 2-hour uphill run. You push past the pain, but you notice that your pace is getting slower and slower. Then it happens. The running turns to jogging and the jogging turns to a slow-motion Baywatch Pamela Anderson bounce and that... well, that turns into a walk. You pout. You kick the rocks you pass. Grrrrr. You are disappointed in yourself and feel like a failure. Stop denying it... you KNOW that feeling. You relate to that feeling.

This morning, I committed the dreaded  Runner's Walk of Shame.

It all started two days ago. My friend Zack invited me to go run the route to his new trail race series with him. It was a long bike day for me, but I asked my coach if I could swap it out and do half my bike and the rest as a run. He kindly agreed and switched my training plan for me.

Maybe it was the three cups of coffee I had chugged that morning; maybe it was the lack of water in my system; whatever it was, my calf started cramping in the middle of the run. I've never experienced a calf cramp before. I wasn't quite sure what to do about it. I went home and foam rolled. No problem, right? Except it was a problem. Foam rolling it sent pangs of compressing, pulsing pain throughout my right calf.

The next day, I taught a 70-minute cycle class. That was followed by an hour of Pilates. After Pilates, I met up with Amy for that trail run. After the run, I went to the pool to swim 2,600 meters. I noticed the firmness of my lower leg during Pilates, but didn't think much of it. It was not until the trail run that I felt the heat. Shoot, shoot, shoot! Girl, what are you doing? We got to the top and Amy asked how I was doing. I slapped my calf and it felt like wood... in fact, it looked like wood. There was no shake, no wobble, no movement... The problem was clear: My legs are obviously stronger than my arms. Must be all those stadiums, cycle classes and squats. Just call me the calf master.

I remember walking up the stairs with Miriam at Monica's wedding. "Whoa girl," she said. "You have fantastic calves." Yeah, I do. Actually, that was the first time I realized my lower legs were stellar. Thanks for that confidence booster, Miriam!

On to the main story: Last night, I talked to my coach about my morning track workout. "I think you should do it," he said. "But I want you to chug 10 ounces of water before bed and 12 ounces at 4:30AM, an hour before your run." I followed his advice, but when I woke up this morning, I could tell immediately that today was not my day.

"Shake it off, Ash," I told myself. "It's all mental." So I ran to the track. The warm-up felt okay. I was stiff, but nothing seemed too out of whack. Rusty gave me the workout and I joined my group to run 8x200. Odds at :40, Evens at :50. That felt okay, even though I was at the back of the pack. My calf was very tight and my hip kept locking up, creating a weird cave-in of my knee as my right Mizuno hit the track. Next on the menu was a 2k, 4x800's and another 2k. No problem. I could get through this.

Then the first lemon was given. Two-hundred meters into my first 2k, my hip totally locked up and I caught myself and slowed down to a jog. I looked ahead to the group ahead of me... almost 100 full meters in front of me. I heard two runners breathing hard behind me. I pulled over to the football field. Ahh. This hurts. I galloped up the green pathway to Rusty. He looked confused.

"I can't do this. My hip is bothering me; I'm going to go see Kelly today."

I walked off the track and straight to the gym for a good foam roll. I thought that would help make the rest of my 3-mile run home a little bit easier, but an 11:00 mile was the fastest I could muster before the pain took me out. I sucked it up and ran it home. Stupid lemon. It had better start squeezing out some juice before Sunday.

On a positive not, here is my lemonade for the day: There is some evidence that big calf muscles can help you run faster. Woohoo! And life is wonderful once again. http://www.livestrong.com/article/437390-does-having-big-calf-muscles-make-you-faster/

Friends

God created Eve for Adam why? Well, so they could procreate, but I think it's also because He knew the importance of having a good friend.

Sometimes I forgot how important it is to get your butt kicked by a good friend.

Two weeks ago, Amy, Jack and I packed our bags and drove up to Tahoe. We spent the weekend with my dear friends Rachael, Tucker, Dan, Amanda and Grylls. It was amazing. We were able to spend a couple of days snowboarding with Tucker.  Beautiful views, great snow, perfect company... a perfect weekend getaway. While we were there, Amy agreed to go on a run with me; unfortunately, she had forgotten her running shoes. I had my big, clunky snow boots, so I let her wear my WaveRiders and I took the boots for a spin. I had thrown my tailbone off our first day boarding and I could feel my butt sting with every clunk of my boots on the icy road. My legs were heavy and it was difficult to get a high turnover rate. My right leg began giving me grief and I could feel a hole beginning to form on my medial malleolus. Ouch! Amy was kind enough to switch shoes with me at our turn around point, but the damage was done. Injured coccyx, scared malleolus, but a happy heart. (Awww, how cheesy am I?)

in his element

this is what happiness looks like

first time ever throwing darts... maybe I'm a little proud.

When I returned, my training volume picked up. It felt like all I was ever doing was working and training. The only time I was seeing my friends was when we walked past each other in the parking lot or when they would come into the shop to get their gait analyzed. I finally figured out that I could find other ways to see them: Invite them to train with me!

Last Wednesday morning, Sarah met up with me bright and early to do some swimming. Jameisha was lifeguarding and when I finished my second set of 14:00 for distance, Sarah and Jameisha told me how good my form looked. YAY! I've been working hard at fixing my form and I think it is finally showing in my final numbers. I flow well in the water and I can feel my lats really pulling against the water. After the swim, we made our way over to Whole Foods and grabbed breakfast together. The perfect end to a great swim and the perfect beginning to a great day!

Thursday night after work, Jameisha and I made plans to swim. Walking to the pool, I passed Kristine and invited her to join us. We all met in the pool for a speed session. Jameisha and I pushed really hard as we raced each other and the clock. We started with a 300 yard warm-up,6x50yd fast with :45 RI, 200 easy followed by 12x75 fast with :20 RI and a 400 CD. It hurt so badly and there were lots of times where I did not want to finish. On the 9th round of 75's, I was strong and I could feel Jameisha slowing. She fooled me though. The tables were turned on the tenth round. Jameisha finished strong as I painfully gasped for air. Whoops of pain and accomplishment escaped my lips as I reached the wall. Two more rounds to go. Only two more. One, two. Six touches of the wall. Time for some whooping.

Last Sunday, I decided to go at it all on my own. It was warm out when I started my trail run. I discovered a new trail and followed it uphill... then up some more... then a little bit more. I had told my mom where I would be running and promised to let her know when I finished. Unfortunately, my memory is not so good. When I finished my run, I scurried to work, did a 2,000 yard swim then went home and made dinner. I left my phone n the kitchen, ringer off. Three hours later, I logged onto the internet and got a message from my mom. "Call me right away". ...oops. I found my phone, multiple missed calls and several unread texts greeting me on the lock screen. Amy was out on the trails looking for me and my parents were wracking their brain over how to find me (it didn't help that someone died on the same trail the weekend prior).

Monday was a long cycle day, so I did an hour and a half on the stationary bike then met up with Kristine to bike on the beach for another 90 minutes. Even though it was a slower, easy ride, Kristine and I had a great time together.

Tuesday morning, I forced myself out of bed to jog over to the track for whatever Rusty had in store for me. When I got to the track, I did an extra 800 warm-up then hopped in with my original group for 800 at a 7:50/mile pace. Wow... that was easy. We finished the 800 and, while the rest of my group put their hands on their knees and keeled over, I did a recovery jog down the lane. When I returned, Rusty surprised me by telling me to move up a group with Truli, Jim and Stuart. I hung onto Truli's shoulder for the 800 as well as the next mile at 7:15. Truli and Jim told me to join them for a recovery lap before the next 800. I think it was that lap that did me in. The following two 800's were painful (aka filled with pain). By the second 800, my pace had slowed way the h-e-double hockey sticks down. I could not hold on to the men's shoulders. I debated what quitting would look like. Probably not pretty. Probably lots of disappointed eyes would fall my way... or eyes of understanding ("I've been there")...  I would not be that girl. I finished 100 meters behind Jim and Stuart. Hey, let's do another mile! I tried to get my hips in front of my toes. "Fall forward". It still hurt. I sprinted the last 100 meters and finished :10 behind the gentlemen. Jim and I faced another 2 sets of 400 meters. 1:37? Man... that lady doing it in :50 makes me look like goldfish food. George joined me for a mile cool-down around the track then I jogged back home to shower off and lay motionless in bed before trying to do a bike ride.

That evening, Kristine and I braved the cold and swam outdoors. A couple thousand meters later, I went home and got a good night's sleep before waking up early the next morning and biking to the gym to swim all over again. My body felt worn from the day before. I thought maybe I would turn the bike, swim, bike into a triathlon and finish my run then, but I had no energy. Instead, I saved the run for later that evening before teaching my plyometrics class.

Training with friends? It helps. I definitely feel like I've been getting my butt kicked. A girl with a good training plan and great friends is a happy girl.

Toenails Are For Sissies

It was only 10AM and I had already run 9 miles, gone swimming for an hour and taught a cycle class. Just a typical day in the life of Ashlee.

My workouts have become a little more aggressive and time consuming. Three-four workouts a day on top of my classes. Yesterday on my easy run, my quads and calves could feel the effects of two hard runs prior that week. Sunday afternoon, I ran a timed 5k with Chad. Chad is one of the coolest guys I know and I'm really glad I've gotten to know him more through our workouts. He has such an incredible story and it is amazing what he and his wife are able to accomplish with four kids under the age of four. We met on the track around 3PM, right after I had eaten a giant burrito with Amy (knowing fully well I would feel nauseous during the test). After warming up, Jason had Chad and me line up at the waterfall and off we went. Three miles plus some. No big deal, right? But it was.

I started with a 7:00 mile. No problem. Then I lost everything. There was no digging deeper because there was no dirt left to dig into... it was all cement. All I wanted to do was pull off to the side and vomit. I could feel the amazingly-delicious-at-the-time burrito bouncing around threatening to take its second breath of life. Dig a little deeper when you think you can't dig no more. Okay, Jason Aldeen... I'll try. I checked my watch. I had slowed to an 8:00 pace. Ouch. Chad lapped me. Ouch. Just one more mile. Stay down, lunch. Stay down.

I finished in 23:24. Not so good. I need to shave 6:07 off of that and run another 3.1 miles at that pace if I want to finish first in February.

So, I lost my fifth toenail this week... but it doesn't even look like it because it's so callused. You know you're a runner when... PS you're welcome for the lovely image. 

That night, after work, I went to the pool to swim. I had forgotten that the pool closes early on Sunday, but the lifeguard allowed me to swim for 10:00 before he had to take off for the evening (I had to do a little flirting to get an extra 2:00, of course). 550 meters... better than nothing, I guess

Monday was an easy day and I didn't try to push on any of my workouts.

Rusty gave me some grief for not running with the group last Saturday, so I woke up early Tuesday morning to meet up with them. After warming up for 20:00, he asked me what my 5k time was. I told him 23:24 and he informed me that my warm-up was the same pace as my 5k time. He told me to run 3 sets of 2x400's at 1:48 with 1x800 at 3:37. The first two sets felt fine, but the last set was on my own and it pretty badly. It felt invigorating, but I definitely knew I was getting a good workout.

After cooling down on the track, I taught a cycle class. "Wow," a triathlete in my class said. "I hate cycle classes, but that was so fun! I'm going to come back again!" I finished the workout with 1850 yards in the pool. Halfway through my swim, aqua aerobics began. Something about the older people getting in the water gives it a funny consistency. I'm not joking; honestly, I wish I was. The water is a little thicker and tastes like strong perfume and urine. I forced myself to push through it. Since a class was in session, only one lane was open. A man with a snorkel was enjoying the second half of my lane. Then a third man joined. He was a strong swimmer, so I didn't mind circle swimming too much (one of the things I dislike most about the pool), but when a fourth man joined, the lane seemed a little crowded. With only 300 meters to go, I forced myself to stick around and finish strong, then I rinsed off and headed home.

That evening, I rode my bike to work. The weather was crisp and it was an easy and quick ride. Unfortunately, it is dark when I get off of work. It's not the smartest idea to bike home in the dark, but I wore my reflective gear and a headlamp. During one portion of the ride, I heard something rustling in a nearby bush and I swear I have never peddled so quickly in my life. Of course, I was met by a ditch while going all out speed and that was a little nerve racking, but I caught myself and corrected my wheel, making it home safely. Don't worry, Dad.. I took my knife and pepper spray. I was a good girl.

Wednesday was another busy day workout wise. I woke up late and allowed myself to stay in bed and read Drea's blog while cuddling with Scofield and laughing at texts being exchanged with my new friend Micah. When I finally stretched and leaped across the room over my mess, I threw on a swimsuit and headed out to the pool. Of course, I was dreading getting in the water, so I stopped by Peet's and got a cappuccino instead. I sat outside of the gym for a good 10:00, sipping the warm froth and texting Micah. I tried to give myself a pep talk; You can do this, Ash. There aren't too many people here. Just get it done and you can go home to shower before class. The sooner you start, the sooner you'll finish. 

The lanes were packed, but I found room in the slow lane and eased my way into the water. Let's do this. I warmed up for 350m then started my first 12:00 swim with flippers. At the end, I had traveled 650m. When I came up for a 2:00 break and ten seconds before it was time to begin my second 12:00 without fins, a cute French woman wanted to have a conversation. We spoke for awhile and I finally told her I had to return to my training. After 12:00, I added another 575m to my total. The woman introduced me to her male French friend who I was sharing my lane with. He informed me that I was much too fast to be swimming in the slow lane. I tried to convince him he was wrong, but as I looked around, I realized he was right... I think my swimming skills have slightly matured and I'm ready for the next level. I guess that's a good sign, right?

My skin is super sensitive due to a second degree sunburn I got when I was in high school. When I swim, my goggles always leave a mark and they last until early afternoon... yeah, really attractive. So I wore my awkward goggle eyes to the next gym to teach Power Cycle. There were three new members in class and they all seemed a bit hesitant, but excited to try something new. I made the class a little easier than normal, but by the end, everyone (including myself) was literally drenched in sweat. I swear I work my hardest at that gym even though there is no screen telling me my power output. I left feeling super confident about my abilities as an instructor.

Immediately after cycle, I drove out to my favorite beach for a 4 mile plus easy run.

Later at work, my cousin Jack Coleman came to see me! I ran across to the bike shop and threw my arms around him. "Do you greet all your customers that way," a man asked me. It was so great to have my cousin here! We met up with Amy after work and went to Eureka Burger. I don't know why Amy and I like to eat huge meals before my hard workouts, but we both ordered the fig burger. Jack ordered last; "I'll have the steak salad," he told the waitress. Thanks for making us look bad, Jack.

Jack and Amy came to Pure Awesomeness that evening and it was so great to have them there along with all my other friends. I really love my cousin and it was fun watching him struggle through the workout. Growing up, I always felt like I had to impress my cousins. I never felt quite as cool or rebellious as they were. It made my night when after class, Jack came up to me and said, "Wow. That was amazing! I don't know how you do that. I kept looking at you waiting for you to take a break. Over the past two years, you have really been impressing me." Then he said, "Come here, Cuz," and gave me a big, sweaty, smelly hug. It made me feel so great about myself, my accomplishments and my ability. Plus, this morning when we went out to breakfast, he told me about how sore he was. Hehehe.

So that's it. Boring blog post, but that's about all I have been up to. Training is going really well, I'm still turning the boys down and choosing to run instead (will things ever change?), work is perfect... I can't complain. I saw a chiropractor for my shoulder today and, after a lot of cracking noises, I think he opened me up a bit. I'm going to test that out during my swim later this evening. It felt good during cycle class today though!