I did everything on my plan last week! I got up at 4:45 AM every morning and did it.  Even when we had freezing rain that left a half inch of ice on the roads.  I got up and went to the gym.  I was very proud of myself.

We move on to Week 18 of this plan.

Monday Run: 30 Minutes, Easy Pace, RPE 3
Monday Bike: 1 hour

Tuesday Swim: 4×500, Odds are RPE 3, Evens are RPE 5

Wednesday Run: 60 Minutes, Easy Pace, Strides starting at the 40 minute mark, and then every 5 minutes.

Thursday Bike: 1 hour Spin Class

Friday Swim: wu: 300 Continuous, slowly increasing pace every 100. main: 20 x 50, odds at RPE 4, evens at RPE 9! cd: 150 easy

Saturday: Off

Sunday: Skiing

I have my menu all planned for the week too.

I got sick last week and missed Thursday and Friday but I’m ready to get back to it. Up until the sickies hit, I was doing great.

I’m modifying this plan.  I’m on week 19.

Monday-Off

Tuesday-30 Minute Run, RPE 3
1 Hour Spin

Wednesday-Swim: wu-5×50 continuous, odds are breathe every side, evens bilateral. main-2×500, 1 is RPE 4, 2 is RPE 6, cd-easy 250

Thursday-1 hour run, easy pace

Friday-Swim: wu-300, main-10×100, 2 minute interval. cd-200 alternate 50 kick, 50 swim
45 minute Spin

Saturday and Sunday: Snowshoeing, cross country skiing, downhill

I’m using a modification of this training plan. I’m on week 20.

Monday-Off

Tuesday Run-30 Minute Run RPE 2-3
Tuesday Bike-1 Hour Spin Class

Wednesday Swim-wu: 4 x 75, last 25 in each is backstroke, main: 3 x 400, 1 is RPE 3, 2 is RPE4, 3 is RPE 5, cd: 150 easy

Thursday Run-60 minutes long run, easy pace. RPE starting at 2, finish at 3

Friday Swim-wu: 400 continuous, last 50 in each 100 is kick
main: 8 x 100 EBEH (each 100 = 25Easy, 25Build, 25Easy, 25 Hard)
cd: 6 x 25, each slower than last
Friday Bike-1 Hour Spin Class

Saturday and Sunday-Snowshoeing/Cross Country Skiing/Downhill Skiing

It’s been 5 and a half years since I’ve been in a pool to swim laps. I did it this morning (after a run) and it was okay. My muscles were a little shocked but my body remembered what to do. I can still do 100 yard intervals every 2 minutes which is right where I was at 5 years ago. So that’s good.

I’m doing this 🙂

The amount of people at the Y at 5 am is impressive!

While putting together my training plan for the Half Ironman, I had flashbacks to my Ironman training. I was in great shape and my runs, in particular, weren’t that hard.

As I geared up to go for my first run of the year, I had flashbacks to my first postpartum run, which was hard and defeating.

When I got on the treadmill, (it was 8 degrees, icy, and pitch black out), I set the speed to 5.0 and I ran for 30 minutes. I did walk 2 times in there, with a 2 minute walk to cool down. You know what? I did it, and it wasn’t awesome (or fast) but I did it. It wasn’t like either of the runs I was imagining but it was a run and that rocked.

I’ve got 2 and the first one is a biggie.

1. Train for and compete in the 2013 Boise Half Ironman. It’s on June 8th and I start training today.

2. After I finish the Half Ironman training, find another goal that will keep me active and outdoors. I’ve come to realize that if I don’t have a concrete goal like a 60 day challenge, a completion, or a race, that I am not motivated to continue to work out/stay active. The “goal” of “work out” or “stay active” is not enough.

I had a huge epiphany in December-I love and want to be a person who is outdoors working out and doing distance training. I want to be that person, I used to be that person, I will be that person again.

In that vein, we are currently driving home from a week in McCall. We were up there with all of my siblings, their wives, husband, and kids. We skied, sledded, ate, drank, and were merry. Lucy ROCKED at skiing.

One of my favorite days was when my little family went snowshoeing. Lucy didn’t feel great so we pulled her in the sled while she slept. At one point she dumped out and just continued to sleep on the snow. We tried using her scarf as a make shift sling. On the way down, I ended up pulling Shaun and Lu down while they yelled, “Mush! Mommy! Mush!” We were outdoors, playing, and just having fun. That’s the me and we I want to be 🙂