Chronicles of a fish: the days of surf and turf

Dory Dory

Roadkill

Plan: 7 miles steady, 6 x 100m strides

Blech. My head is just not in the game at the moment. It wants to be, but it's just not there. And I'm tired today. And my weight is lower than it was in Boston. And because my weight is down and because I didn't eat any dinner last night , I slummed it this morning and had a sausage-egg biscuit from Hardee's because one of my co-workers was running out to grab one for herself and I thought what the hell. Wrong. Not a good idea when you're not used to eating such grease and have a run to go on in 2 hours. Tummy was definitely protesting and threatening to have me revisit my poor choice in breakfast nutrition 3 miles into the run, and I had to really concentrate and talk myself out of spewing all over Dry Run Road on a busy Saturday morning.

The run itself was tough - more mentally tough than physically tough, however I am still not where I was or where I want to be in the running-fitness department. I also know that I've been adding "extras" to Ecoli's plan in the way of the trainer and swimming, so perhaps that's contributing some fatigue to my sessions, and I'll give that more consideration in the coming days.

I quickly decided on a target pace of 7:30-7:40 min/mile before I set sail...and I met that goal, but I gotta tell you it was not without many thoughts of stopping for a breather and a stretch (and a spew) multiple times along the way. But I didn't, so I guess that's a plus of some sort....but the demons were knocking and tempting me to cave.

And the roadkill....the count today was 1 rabbit, 1 squirrel, 3 possums. Which begs the question: what's up with the poor possums??

Anyway....enough chit chat....here are the stats....

Actual: 7.01 miles in 52:28.08 minutes for an average pace of 7:29 min/mile (7:41, 7:22, 7:23, 7:28, 7:23, 7:39, 7:26)

Because the strides were probably short, I did 8 of them instead of 6. Paces were as follows: 6:07, 6:27, 5:49, 5:37, 5:36, 4:58, 5:12, 4:59

red face dave

Its the same situation here Dory the roadkill is crazy and especially badgers and birds. Saw at least 3 badgers dead today.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

I want my own pool after reading that.

catweazle

Odin Drab Firefighter wrote: »

I want my own pool after reading that.

If that was anyone else I would laugh - with Jackyback though you wouldnt know, expect to see JCB's out the back before summer is over.

Dory Dory

Odin Drab Firefighter wrote: »

I want my own pool after reading that.

catweazle wrote: »

If that was anyone else I would laugh - with Jackyback though you wouldnt know, expect to see JCB's out the back before summer is over.

JB, call me and we'll talk pool design.

Dory Dory

Not a Morning Gal.....

Plan: 5 miles easy

So, up and at 'em early this morning as it's nice to get these shorter runs out of the way so I can maximize my time on Sunday to do other things I don't normally get to do. BUT, the downside is I am not an early morning runner...or rather, I am not a hop-out-of-bed-and-hit-the-pavement-in-15-minutes-with-no-proper-warmup-nor-nutrition-nor-hydration kind of runner. I need time to work the kinks and creaks out of this body...but doing these easy short runs like this does ensure my pace is slow. And it was.

The sun was only thinking about making its debut when I embarked on this journey, and the sky was dark and brooding thus adding to the ominous feel of the wind swirling around me. The electricity in the air was countered with the opposing calmness of our little town that was still in a deep slumber, the contradiction and contrast of which made the perfect environment for me to get lost in on this particular morning. I ran this very easy, but it was all I had in me. And I am okay with that.

Actual: 5.87 miles in 52:10.32 for an average pace of 8:53 min/mile (8:56, 8:50, 8:56, 8:55, 8:47, 7:43 (8:54))

I'm just now noticing how even the paces were...even with a few healthy hills. I guess the body dictated the pace, because it certainly wasn't my mind that did this morning.

Dory Dory

Dancing Mosaics

The dancing and moving monochrome mosaics were back in full force in the pool tonight as it was quite sunny, windy and very, very chilly! Brrr!!! This was one of those nights in the pool that I wished I could have done the entire session under water to keep from having any part of my wet body exposed to the frigid elements. And because of that thought, this then popped in my head as I was swimming: remember when we were kids and you'd ponder with your friends which you'd prefer: to soar high up in the sky like a bird in flight, or swim gracefully under water for miles and miles without ever havng to come up for air? My choice was always to swim gracefully under water.....being weightless, using my body to gently create the desired momentum, everything feeling like it was in slow motion, and the quiet....the wonderful quiet.

Tonight was just another plain vanilla swim - 2,000 yards freestlye with no extras or sides. I'll get a little more adventurous in a week or two, but for now I'm sticking with my plain vanilla and its subtle yet sneaky appeal to give me a good base from which to work.

Actual: 2,000 yards swim

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

catweazle wrote: »

If that was anyone else I would laugh - with Jackyback though you wouldnt know, expect to see JCB's out the back before summer is over.

Ha you know me too well. I was considering the ROI factoring in no more pool/gym fees:)
http://www.endlesspools.co.uk/endless-pool-difference.php

Dory Dory

WTF happened to my post???

Actual: 20 minutes recovery

ARGH!! I wrote my post...then lost my post. I'm watching the Caps lose in game 7 of round one of the Stanley Cup playoffs so I can't be much arsed about writing about a recovery trot for the second time. Suffice it to say - too cold and windy outside so I did this on the treadie. Felt good - better than I'm feeling at the moment with my boys on skates losing and facing elimination - and followed it up with the usual order of upper body, abs, stretching and yoga. Blah, blah, blah. Now, the Caps just need to get their collective fingers out get the J.O.B. done!!!!

Actual: 2 miles in 20 minutes on the treadie

BeepBeep67

is this the cranky thread :P

Dory Dory

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

is this the cranky thread :P

It was last night. That was one ugly game. Very painful to watch.

(I'm still over the moon for you, Mr. Sub 3 Marathon Man! :D)

Kurt Godel

Odin Drab Firefighter wrote: »

Ha you know me too well. I was considering the ROI factoring in no more pool/gym fees:)
http://www.endlesspools.co.uk/endless-pool-difference.php

I've looked at that site as well Fran. I've also looked at the cost of getting a single lane built (covered and uncovered), measured my back yard to see where I could site a pool, and considered buying the field behind me to access the river, which I could dredge and have my own splashy oasis.

None of these things are ever going to happen, but you have to dream, eh?;)

Dory Dory

The Gogol Bordello Effect

Plan: 4 miles easy

Whoop whoop and a hallelujah to all the little people in the back row. 4 weeks....4 weeks it's been since Boston beat, battered and broke my body...and finally....finally the body is starting to feel like it's going to make it. There was no frustration on this run, no discomfort, no panting nor hating life. It was a relaxed leg stretcher at a comfortable pace a bit above easy, and I was tapped into a delicious groove that I couldn't let go of. Hey, it's been a month since I've felt this way so I think I'm allowed a pass on this one. Plus, the route I picked wasn't technically difficult - it only had two hills of any consequence - and the wind wasn't getting all crazy on me. Oh, it feels good to feel good. (The cranky thread no more!!) OH!! And I was listening to the perky gypsy punk vibe of Gogol Bordello on this run, thus giving them credit for the spiffy nature of these 4 miles because we know it could't be the fact that I've eaten much better the past few days (there definitely is a correlation to food and performance!) or the brilliant recovery plan Ecoli has been feeding me. :rolleyes:;):)

Actual: 4.38 miles in 32:30.08 for an average pace of 7:24 min/mile (7:29, 7:37 (uphill), 7:11 (downhill), 7:21, 2:49 (7:21))

Hit the pool immediately after the run for a nice cooling scoop of my plain vanilla swim - 2,000 yards of steady freestyle. I'm keeping things loose at the moment. This is a step-back week for me, and boy howdy have I needed it. Toppings, sprinkles, cherries and whipped cream will be on the menu in due time.

Actual: 2,000 yards swim

red face dave

There should be a few songs by Gogol Bordello put into the cranky thread they would cheer everyone up

Dory Dory

red face dave wrote: »

There should be a few songs by Gogol Bordello put into the cranky thread they would cheer everyone up

Amen to that....but.....

Dory Dory

Enter at your own risk....

Plan: 1 mile easy, 2 miles HM pace, 1 mile easy

Crap day....don't ask.....but I'm going to go and get all Cranky-Thread on you. I was supposed to do the two middle miles at my HM pace, which I would hope to be around 7:25-7:30ish min/mile at this moment, but I altered the plan a bit to fit my mood.....and as luck would have it, Satan himself had decided to throw a few extra logs on the fire to up the inferno, so the fact that it was a godawful hot and sweaty 85 degrees only enhanced my attitude and determination. Happy days! Quick dash from the clinic to home at lunch...transformation from working gal to road demon...and, voilà, presto-chango...I'm where I want to be - in my runners with my hair tied back and on an assault mission of certain proportions.

First mile was lovely jubbly (7:35)....mile 2 was uphill and I worked it with determination and focus (6:59)....mile 3 was downhill with the wind hitting me smack dab in the face (6:55)....mile 4 was easy breezy and slow, especially up the gut wrenching hill I had to face back into my field. Gah. (8:46).

So there you have it. The two middle miles were certainly more 5k/10k pace, but I figure last night's run was more HM paced than easy, so somehow I can justify what I did because I ticked the HM pace box yesterday. On this day, that logic works for me.

Actual: 4.01 miles in 30:19.74 for an average pace of 7:34 min/mile

shotgunmcos

Good to see this "thread of the year" hasn't derailed like a few others. Ever the silver lining in our little community How dare they mention cranky here!

Dory Dory

i don't remember ever being thread of the year.

Dory Dory

Plain vanilla, and loving it

There is no better drug for me than my pool....all by myself....on a gorgeous and steamy hot 93 degree sun shiny evening....easing up and down the lane swimming a steady rhythm of freestyle while I solve the world's problems. Clarity, perspective and decompression is what swimming in this manner affords me - therapy for the mind, body and soul. All good.

Actual: 2,000 yards in my pool of dreams

Kurt Godel

Dory Dory wrote: »

Plain vanilla, and loving it

There is no better drug for me than my pool....all by myself....on a gorgeous and steamy hot 93 degree sun shiny evening....easing up and down the lane swimming a steady rhythm of freestyle while I solve the world's problems. Clarity, perspective and decompression is what swimming in this manner affords me - therapy for the mind, body and soul. All good.

Actual: 2,000 yards in my pool of dreams

This beauty post made up my mind, I want need deserve a pool in the back yard. I took a hammer to kids college-fund piggybank, slimmer pickings than I thought, it might stretch to a new shovel. You don't need a resident pool-boy for the summer or anything?

Dory Dory

Kurt Godel wrote: »

This beauty post made up my mind, I want need deserve a pool in the back yard. I took a hammer to kids college-fund piggybank, slimmer pickings than I thought, it might stretch to a new shovel. You don't need a resident pool-boy for the summer or anything?

Hey....anytime you want to intern or be my cabana/pool boy let me know. It truly does save me and my sanity at times.

Marthastew

Dory Dory:D:D:D:D delightful, delicious, delectable, divine Dory:D:D:D

Thank you SO MUCH for your package of loveliness:) I cannot wait to make the Martha Stewart/Jacques Torres Chocolate chip Cookies, in fact I promise to save some of the Monsieur Chocolat chocolate chips and make a batch for you for after DCM when we are celebrating your new PB.

I am delighted to see you are recovering so well, I am hoping that I too will experience a similar new lease of life this Sunday when it will be 4 weeks after London.

Keep up the good work:)

Oryx

Dory Dory wrote: »

Hey....anytime you want to intern or be my cabana/pool boy let me know. It truly does save me and my sanity at times.

I cant see either an endless pool or hire of a pool boy getting loan approval in my local credit union.

Dory Dory

Marthastew wrote: »

Dory Dory:D:D:D:D delightful, delicious, delectable, divine Dory:D:D:D

Thank you SO MUCH for your package of loveliness:) I cannot wait to make the Martha Stewart/Jacques Torres Chocolate chip Cookies, in fact I promise to save some of the Monsieur Chocolat chocolate chips and make a batch for you for after DCM when we are celebrating your new PB.

I am delighted to see you are recovering so well, I am hoping that I too will experience a similar new lease of life this Sunday when it will be 4 weeks after London.

Keep up the good work:)

Whoop whoop!!! So glad you are nearly comatose with chocolate overdose!! And I will take you up on your offer of those cookies post DCM....only 6 months to go....and yet another training cycle is getting ready to begin. Yeah, it's amazing how long the recovery has taken....I'm just glad I'm starting to feel human again, so you should be back to your perky and spiffy ultra-babe self in no time!!! :D

Oryx wrote: »

I cant see either an endless pool or hire of a pool boy getting loan approval in my local credit union.

I just want to know one thing. If you don't have a pool, what are you planning on hiring a pool boy for?? ;)

Dory Dory

It was just me and the bunnies...

Plan: 20 minutes recovery

....in the field tonight. Mild and cloudy evening with spurts of rain - lovely actually, for this very easy and quiet jaunt in my private wilderness filled with buttercups and wildflowers. In fact, there were so many buttercups in one section of my path that it made me a bit dizzy with their crazy and brilliant dots of color, especially contrasted with the dim and dreary evening light.

I kept this super loosey goosey and didn't bother to wear my Garmin. What's the point, right? A recovery run should be just that - to recover your body from the previous day's beating, not about pace. (I'm really getting the hang of this!:D) The body is really feeling good - only a faint memory of my glute/hamstring injury remains, and I'm having another session tomorrow to give that a little attention with my massage gal.

I followed the recovery run with some good work on the upper body and abs, then took the time to stretch out the legs.

Actual: ~2.7 recovery miles in my psychedelic field of buttercups

Oryx

Dory Dory wrote: »

I just want to know one thing. If you don't have a pool, what are you planning on hiring a pool boy for?? ;)

Work on my stroke.

I now have chocolate cravings so bad.

Dory Dory

Oryx wrote: »

Work on my stroke.

I now have chocolate cravings so bad.

That's my girl!

ecoli

Dory Dory wrote: »

I'm having another session tomorrow to give that a little attention with my massage gal.

Make sure to let her know you are racing the next day.

Dory Dory

ecoli wrote: »

Make sure to let her know you are racing the next day.

The race is Sunday, and she knew....even if those on here didn't. Oopsie!

Oryx

Dory Dory wrote: »

The race is Sunday, and she knew....even if those on here didn't. Oopsie!

Between you and jb this is turning into a secret society!