My TrainingPeaks diary (affiliate link) is looking pretty full this week -- even though I skipped one planned swim, I got more than 8 hours of training in during the past week.  In the premium version, a workout completed as planned is green, one that was too long or too short is yellow, and one that was missed completely is orange. I'm finding that it works best for me to plan slightly more activity than my goal (which this week was 7:30) because it's easier to drop a planned workout from the schedule than to add an extra one in. I was a little long last week, but since I was sick the week before, I decided it was okay to be a little over.

My triathlon coach holds three weekly rides in the "Pain Cave," a.k.a. her basement. My bike is there, all set up on a trainer, and those rides are the skeleton of my training plan each week, along with the weekly Sylvania Masters Swim practice on Sunday.  Then I add in runs and other workouts to fill in the needed hours.

I found a great new class at the JCC called Group Power, which is a strength training class similar to Body Pump.  They are just running some test sessions for now, but I plan to hit that class twice a week to finally do the strength work I know I need. I'll also shoot for a yoga or Pilates class every week to add more strength and flexibility work.

It has been tough to get that second swim in with holiday schedule disruptions (my own and the gyms'), but once everyone is back to work and school, I can fit in a morning swim once a week.

I am feeling great, tired but strong.  19 hours of training down, 439 to go.

Pre-order now at UpandRunning.org

When asked by the lovely Shauna if I would like a free advance copy of Up and Running: Your 8-week Plan to go from 0-5K and Beyond and Discover the Life-Changing Power of Running to review, of course I said, "yes please!"

I'm a latecomer to the Frozen bandwagon, but I finally downloaded it to my iPad and watched it the whole way through after seeing my nephews watch snippets of it. Then, of course, I downloaded the whole soundtrack to my iPhone. So if you see me rocking out in my car to "Let it Go," please don't judge.

The song speaks to me because it's about refusing to keep playing small to make other people safe.  This is the song where Elsa finally stops trying to suppress her power and decides to see what is possible for her.  (Yes, she also locks herself away in a castle made of ice, but don't ruin my metaphor here.)

It's so easy to for me to fall into a rut of playing it safe. It means things are a little easier. I don't have to challenge myself or risk failing.  In 2015 I want to take more risks and shoot for bigger goals.

My training for the Half Aquabike is going really well. Using TrainingPeaks Premium (affiliate link) to plot out and track my training has helped a lot, and now that I'm finally over the bug I had last week, I am feeling strong and confident.  I needed the big goal to help shake everything else into place. If I don't train adequately, I am going to have a very bad day in September, and that thought gets me out the door to do my workouts.

I've also read more of Racing Weight (review coming soon) and it has some really sensible advice on how to improve diet quality. It also warns endurance athletes about setting weight loss goals that are too ambitious -- a 500-calorie a day deficit, which is what is typically recommended for dieters, is likely to interfere with training and cause a loss of power.  A deficit of 500 calories is needed to lose a pound a week, so I have decided to set a half-pound a week average weight loss goal instead, which would mean I could be 20 pounds lighter for my race. I am learning that would be even a bigger help than I thought.

Finally, I have a review copy of another book I'm excited to read, Up and Running.  It just arrived the other day and it looks beautiful, with lots of gorgeous full-color pictures. Expect a review of that early next week. I can definitely use some advice on my run, which is by far the weakest leg of my triathlon.

I'm ready to test my limits in the coming year.

This week was mostly a good one, but really busy. I logged my food about 1 out of every 2 days. I had my birthday and did a lot more eating out at restaurants than usual. It was the last week of classes and we had graduation this weekend, plus I had required edits on an accepted conference proposal.  This week, I need to get my grades turned in and work on 2 syllabi.

I squeezed in a Weight Watchers meeting so I could hear about all these "big changes," and... yawn. Not that big. I do like the emphasis on the Power Foods and the new realistic tone, but most of the changes seem to be a change of style and emphasis rather than a big change of program. The biggest change is that you can pay extra for one-on-one virtual coaching.  If I'm paying for coaching, it's going to be triathlon coaching.

I was supposed to train 7 hours and 30 minutes this week but only got in 5 hours and 40 minutes. "Only" seems like a weird word in that sentence, but I have a big race to train for.  I have next week's training plotted out and I think I'll actually get more than the 7 hours and 30 minutes planned, because I'll add in some strength work.

I read the first chapter of Racing Weight in a spare moment and found it a bit of a revelation. The author, Matt Fitzgerald, describes just how much impact excess weight has on racing performance:

Excess body fat is the enemy of performance in every endurance sport. For example, a runner weighing 160 pounds has to muster about 6.5 percent more energy to run the same pace as a runner weighing 150 pounds. 

He goes on to describe running on a treadmill that simulates a lighter body. He felt much fitter at 90 percent of his body weight and found it made him feel fitter and made running feel "like normal running, only so much better."

If a relatively thin and fit athlete like him feels that, I can't imagine what would happen if I could suddenly be at my Weight Watchers goal weight, which is about 85% of my current weight.  I found the idea motivating.  But then I tried his racing weight estimator, which suggests that at 44, I should weigh what I did when I was in my peak condition in college, and yet have an even lower body-fat percentage. So we will just pretend that didn't happen.

I feel light and graceful and powerful in the water, and even on my bike, I feel like I can really crank the pedals.  As a runner, I feel like a lumbering, sweaty mess, almost as if some kind of aquatic animal was forced up on land. Oddly, I still enjoy running if I can ignore that feeling.  But what if I could feel light and graceful and powerful when I ran?  I'm not sure it's possible, but it sounds worth making an effort for.

I don't look a day over 22, do I?

When I was a kid, I hated that my birthday is in December, but I've grown to like it. I have a Christmas tree in my house this morning, I'm enjoying a quiet cup of coffee, and my classes are almost over. It's sort of nice starting that end-of-year reflection early -- it gives me a little jumpstart.

I had a bit of a hard year this year with my dad's illness and passing. But there were lots of bright spots too. I think this year I learned to appreciate the good things in each passing moment in a way that I hadn't always been able to before.

I have big hopes for the year ahead. Signing up for that big race is what I needed to change my perspective on training -- I had just been slogging away at it, hoping to take off the excess pounds without any other real focus. The races I was doing were too easy to make me feel really motivated for the training itself, so it was all about calories. I feel like the training has taken on a new meaning now -- I can see what I'm building.

I have started to work on some other goals too. It may take a while for those to snap into focus. There are some changes I'd like to make, but mostly, I love my life.  I'm feeling very blessed this morning.

Thanks for reading!

Note: This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

I have heard rumors about the changes coming to Weight Watchers and even saw a blog post that was published prematurely (and taken down) that outlined some of the changes coming.  The biggest change, as far as I can tell, is stylistic:



This commercial captures so much about the complicated, emotionally-charged relationship most of us have with food. And it's not as simple as knowing that you are doing it -- most people who are emotional eaters are somewhat aware of it, but the food-mood connection is culturally embedded. Even a book I was listening to about changing unhealthy behavior patterns suggested walking away from an emotionally-charged encounter with a relative at a family party to "have some of Mom's deviled eggs." The fact that the authors of a "Recovery Lite" book suggested food as a way to avoid a scene, even though they talk about unhealthy eating behaviors in other places in the book, tells you everything you need to know about how difficult this behavior is to root out.

I like my Weight Watchers leader because she acknowledges that it isn't always easy to follow the program. She jokes about weighing in in her nightgown, and I'm pretty sure she's serious.  My beef with Weight Watchers was always that there was no acknowledgement of the struggle. It was as if someone thought that we just needed to learn that carrots were healthier than carrot cake and that the whole bag is not usually the portion size, and we'd magically drop all our unwanted pounds, chanting poems about "Ten Little Weight Watchers" as we cheerily exit the meeting room, picking up two or three boxes of Snack Bars on our way out:

We want a down-to-earth leader that knows that no matter how many times you chant, "It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change," you still have to eat less food to lose weight, and that it sucks sometimes. We need a leader who can agree with us that it sucks, but gently and firmly tell us we still are going to have to do it anyway. It would be a bonus if she could give us some realistic advice on how to do that.

I'm glad to see things moving more in that direction. I wonder what they are going to do with the chirpy ones.  Maybe there will be a sort of re-education program?

I need to log my triathlon workouts and progress. After my initial review, I had decided to try the Beginner Triathlete app, but it just didn't capture my interest.

A local coach I have considered working with uses the Training Peaks app, so I decided to play around with it on my computer. I decided to take advantage of the 7-day trial the premium version, and I was having fun planning out workout ideas and playing with it.  Then I thought, maybe I could just use the basic version. The one thing I wanted that the basic version does not include -- you guessed it -- is the ability to plan out workouts ahead of time. So I think I will be investing in that if I stay interested through the free trial period.

It also connects with Garmin Connect, should I ever get a compatible device. I still feel a little iffy about spending that kind of money on one, at least as long as my heart rate monitor is still working. I am kind of hoping someone I know will get the new fancy one and be looking to unload an older version for cheap. I put one on my Elfster wish list, just in case there is ever one of those contests where you win your wish list there....

Let's recap:

On Sunday, I did a hard swim workout, race day. This was super-fun and I enjoyed challenging myself.

On Monday, I did a 20-minute run at 7 a.m. and then a hard bike ride at 7 p.m.  Fine so far -- I took it a little easier on the bike ride because I was tired from the run.

On Tuesday, I did a rowing class at 7 a.m. I knew that I was tired from the day before and I had some weird aches and pains. I told myself I would take it easy and just enjoy the workout. Then I got caught up in the class, and the instructor cheering me on, and "went for it."

"It" turned out to be back pain.  I have never in my life felt so bad. I limped through the rest of the day -- I had work to do and meetings until 4 p.m., and then I went home to lean on an icepack and watch Mad Men reruns.

I still had some thoughts of trying to do the 5K I was scheduled to do on Thursday. I thought I would be back to normal the next day.

I woke up Wednesday with some soreness but could walk without pain, mostly. I took it easy most of the day, doing normal activity but no working out. I had family in town and picked up my nephew and felt a twinge, but other than that, was feeling better.  I picked up my packet. I went to bed and set the alarm as if I were going to the race.

Thursday morning I knew I shouldn't do the race. I thought about walking, but as we can see from my history, telling myself to take it easy is not a reliable strategy. If I tried to walk, I might run and then I might hurt myself and miss my chance to enjoy time with my family. No way.

Today it's Friday and I am still sore. I am thinking that setting my big goals caused me to overreach a bit. I need to find a balance between being motivated and being a lunatic.  I know that it is possible. I just have to give myself permission to be a badass only ONCE per 24-hour period.

But the wetsuit does look a bit like a superhero outfit, so I think it's an easy mistake to make.

I was supposed to be running a turkey trot right now in my role as Enell Brand Ambassador. Instead, I'm on the sofa, babying my sore back.

I overdid it this week. Instead of doing a taper like a sane person, I did two workouts on Monday, a run and a hard bike ride. Then I went to a rowing class, and got a little carried away.  I didn't feel it during the workout, but when I stopped and stood up, I was in excruciating pain.

I'm definitely grateful NOT to have pain like this most of the time. I don't know how people function. I had to work all day, and was hobbling because it hurt to walk or stand.  People asked me all kinds of questions about whether it was muscular or skeletal -- I didn't know because I had never had real back pain before.

I took it easy when I got home from work, watching Mad Men reruns while leaning on an icepack.  The next day I woke up sore but I could walk. Today my back is tender but not terrible.  I considered going to the race and trying to walk, but I know myself too well -- I'd get carried away and want to run. I don't want to risk re-injuring myself. Once I decided to bail I was sure it was the right decision.

At least the entry fee went to a great cause, Hospice of Northwest Ohio.  I will find an opportunity to make this up and represent Enell when I'm healthy and fit.

I was not happy to notice rain coming in the back of my garage this morning.

I called someone weeks ago to get a quote and he is still not getting back in touch with me, so I am going to have to find someone else. My husband is supposed to ask the shop teacher for names, and he keeps forgetting too. Any blog readers have a good contact in Toledo for small construction projects?




I took a picture to show how soaked I was but you can't really tell. That jacket was stuck to me.

The daily-blogging thing really got away from me this week.

A friend from one of my online communities posted the link to this video. The audio is really interesting but the video is useless because it focuses only on the doctor and not the slides.  I treated this like a podcast and listened to it while I worked on laundry and other things.

Some key interesting points:

• Bariatric medicine is not just about weight loss
• Doctors should focus on improving health, not just lowering weight
• Doctors should focus on behavior goals, not weight goals
• Stopping weight gain is the first goal in treating obese patients
• Each person should be treated as an individual, not given a one-size-fits-all solution

Lots of other good stuff here as well. His major point is that weight is not a reliable proxy for health. If doctors adopted this approach, it would require a paradigm shift.

I am adding his blog to my reader -- some great insights here.

Mackinac Island, July 2014

In a few weeks I'll be turning 44, and I just lived through the death of my father. Not surprisingly, I have been thinking a lot about the direction my life is going and whether I'd like to make any changes.  I'm thinking that it's time to at least start exploring the possibilities.

Some things I definitely don't want to change. I'm happy with my marriage and family life (just in case you were wondering, Jesse) and I like where I live.

I know I'm ready to start pushing myself more physically, which is why I put together an aggressive set of goals for next year's triathlon season. I'm going to put some time into building strength this winter, and I also have picked up rowing classes as a new item in the rotation, which works my arms, back, core, and legs.

I also want to take a few more smart risks (no jumping off buildings). Life is too short to postpone going after my dreams. I'm still working on some of the details, but I want to take some steps toward a better, more fulfilling life.  I will keep you all posted.

I just don't do well with logging my training. I managed it for a week.

I went to "catch up" my log using my old Polar F7, and found that the diary erases itself every new calendar week. So that's completely useless. It's worthwhile for seeing the heart rate during the workout, but that's it.

I seem to be failing at every possible method.  Maybe I need something like Garmin Connect that just logs for me as long as I start the thing up? The feature is available on some lower-cost watches, like the .

Maybe I should just accept that logging isn't for me?

I have some ambitious race goals for next year.  As I said before, I signed up for a Half Aquabike at Cedar Point's Rev3 Challenge. I am also committing to several other races as warmups, including my third try at an Olympic distance triathlon.

I was looking for a template for a planning calendar like the one above all over the web and couldn't find one.  If you'd like to use it, you can download a blank version of the calendar above as a PDF for printing, or as a Word Document so you can modify as you'd like.

Do you have any big race plans for next year?

Some of the challenges you’ll have to complete to get points are drinking water, logging your food, and finding positives in every day. There are also weekly mini challenges to complete for bonus points.

Brooke didn't ask me to promote her challenge but I think it's a great way to stay on track so I wanted to pass the link along to my followers.  Let me know if you decide to participate!

NaBloPoMo fail: I meant to publish this yesterday, but forgot. I'll catch up by posting a second time later today:

I'm the guest blogger on the Enell blog today, so please go check out my post.

Testing the shutter

The problem wasn't so much the equipment as the fact that it's really hard to get the angle right. If I use the front-facing camera, there is a weird fisheye effect that causes some strange distortions.

Huge hand!

Corey Poppy Handkerchief Hem Dress by Gwynnie Bee

Awkard fake smile

It's also hard to smile naturally alone.  I just felt weird. And of course, there is my tendency to close my eyes when the shutter goes off.

Fun fact: I close my eyes in about one out of three photos

Another stiff, awkward face

Something I had not anticipated is how hard it is to get a flattering angle, especially when I can't see what the photos look like.

Under the chin is not the best angle for photos

This dress is comfortable but I'm not so sure it photographs well.  Or maybe it is just photographer error? Do you have any selfie tips for taking natural and flattering photos?

I often admit when I've had a bad day or when I make a less-than-perfect choice. I think that's important -- I could easily give you a happy-perfect blog by only telling about the good stuff.  But I think that would be pretty boring, and I imagine most readers would too.

I'm trying to do things in a certain way, which I don't know if everyone understands and I'm sure not everyone agrees with. I'm trying to make my changes in such a way that I genuinely enjoy them and can keep them up long-term. I'm making the changes I'm ready to make. In the meantime, I'm happy with myself the way I am. That's what Perfect in Our Imperfections is all about.

I went on a field trip to the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn and had no time to post. Here is how I look with a headscarf:

Yesterday, I posted this image of my HRM after a hard rowing workout. That number was higher than I'd seen before, but several people said it was possible, especially as a temporary high number. I felt fine so I didn't think much of it, except to congratulate myself on being fit enough to work that hard and recover from it quickly.

But then today, during my Spinning workout, I noticed that my chest strap was really uncomfortable, to the point of being unbearable. I tried to adjust it and found it was broken.

12 eggs, cooked kale, skim milk, 2 slices sprouted bread cut into cubes (optional), herbs, feta, salt & pepper