31 january

Lighter, faster, stronger. What a fantastic way to finish janathon. Treadmill running intervals, followed by 90 min core and weight training.

The best part of my day was spent with my sons, however.

Yay for janathon.

30 January

Good thing there's one more day in January. It would be a shame to end Janathon on my Monday rest day. Accomplishment: dog walk. And rest, the part of the workout where you get ready for the next one.  All my favorite clothing was laundered yesterday, hung out this morning, and will by dry by tomorrow. 

I'm ready!

29 jan

Cold, enjoyable 7.5 km run in the dunes with my friend and my dog. and sunshine bonus!  Another successful Janathon day.

28 jan

It can't possibly be the 28th of january. First, there are daffodils blooming in the back garden. Second, I found some christmas decorations that escaped the big clean up weeks ago. Between these two icons, it seems like only a couple days passed.

Today was clear, cold, and sunny. So I took off from saturday chores to ride 30 km in the dunes. I took it easy minding my heart rate. I've a long season ahead.

Thinking about chores reminds me, I still have to make my son's bed with now-clean sheets.

I have figured a new technique for more fun on saturdays. Do the big grocery shop on thursday night, when the store is open late. I will need to think through how that affects menu planning. Friday is usually a sag on the bench night. My big shop usually feeds the weekend and most of my weekday meals. Hmm. When would I do the big cook up?

27 jan

Rowed a 5k today. 25 min. Then circuit training sweat fest with weights. Loved it.

Funny thing is that when I started, I didn't feel like going. I played a game with myself. "you can quit, but only after ten minutes of trying."  Reminds me of the rule that you must take one bite. Works every time.

Have you wanted to lose weight this month? Did you? I did, and I feel proud of myself. If you didn't quite reach your goal this month, don't give up. There is another month coming soon.

26 jan

Today. Trying to outrun the bug that is going around. So I did not train at the gym or at home. Instead, some fresh fruit and vegetable juice.

Regular bike commute and dog walk, so janathon is safe.

25 jan

Almost forgot! An hour cycling today.  Janathon rocks!

24 jan

cycle commute; row 500m intervals x5; lift until I failed. With weight lifting, failure always leads to success. Just like life.

23 jan

rest day. cycle to work; make dinner.  IOU on the stretching I had planned.

I think I'll need to get this calendar and support the womens US rowing team.

22 jan

nice 5 km run today, in between rain and wind. food was terrific. I'm motivated to get to my racing weight before my first training block starts.

21 jan. cold, wet january

I was going to post a photo of me sitting in front of a roaring fire this afternoon, but then you'd be jealous and stop reading, and then I wouldn't be asked to review any more sports books. Which has actually happened for the first time. Reviewing a book, that is. Not losing a reader, which I'm sure happens quite regularly.

You will have to come back to learn which book, and I'm actually going to read it before reviewing it. I flipped through it already and it looks really interesting. It is about improving your performance. Which does not happen by reading this blog, but could possibly happen if you read that book.

Today's photo is very sad. Why? Because I like to eat, and I have had a goal in mind for this year's racing season to be faster and have an easier time of it by weighing less.  That goal kept me from gaining weight over the holidays. But the graph of change over time is quite flat, and I'm coming up on several important events.

The first is the end of january. Which was a done-by-now milestone. The next is a cross-country half marathon in mid february. Which will be easier and faster if I'm at least several kilos lighter. See point A, above.

Next: Several weeks, correction, one week after the half manny is the first eight week training block before my first major event of the season, a century ride with hills.  The rest of you may think that it is inevitable to climb hills when you ride a hundred miles. Not so in Holland. I rode hundreds of miles last year without even 100 meters of elevation gain. (The American equivalent is about 300 feet.)  So I live in fear of hills, especially after the sorry DNF of 2010.

Lastly, I have a new wetsuit and a burning desire to fit into it without voiding the warranty.  I downsized last year when I replaced the old one (through a valid warranty claim, mind you).

So back to the photo. That's my basal metabolic rate + my activity level (desk jockey). And that's not much food. which accounts for Not Much Progress on the weight-loss goal. Combine that with the True Fact: If you're trying to lose weight, and you're not losing a half a kilo per week, then you're doing something wrong.  So. It's time to regroup and try again. I feel terrific with my current way of eating. There's just more of me than I want to haul up the hills in Limburg in a couple months. 

Excuse me while I go sulk.

20 jan

today I ran several blocks to catch the tram, arrived as the doors shut, bruised my knuckles registering my presence, and then walked happily home.  

.

I'm still sore from Tuesday's workout. Or was it Wednesday's row.

faithful dog walk under the stars. lovely!

I'm calling it done.

jan 19

I started the day just right with Tabata intervals on the rower. And acquired a juicer in the afternoon. Not quite sure yet which makes me happier!

CENSORED

silent, still & emptied,
in protest of SOPA,
a violation of our
freedom of speech

17 jan

treadmill sprint intervals. for me anyway.
then tabata circuit
then exhaustion.

would prefer to write entertaining blog entry worthy of janathon. however, I have promised myself to get to bed at a "decent hour" and I still need to get rid of the stinky gym bag.

nb  don't eat lunch before going to the gym.

16 jan

rest day = bike commute. 

thoroughly nice day.

15 jan

Two hour fast ride in the dunes, followed by 10 km run on the beach. Wonderful. 

14 jan.

Today was "running errands," as in food shopping and making stuff for meals next week. I have a dog to walk this evening, so there will actually be some physical activity involved in my day in addition to standing in the kitchen. I have a double-header planned tomorrow, also known as a brick. AM ride in the dunes and early PM run, again in the dunes. Both events with friends, which makes me smile. When I started out on this fitness journey, I met only myself on the road. Now I'm traveling with friends.

I also registered for another 10 k, this one in March in The Hague. I've run this race every year since 2009, when I ran my first 10 k. I decided I want to work on speed rather than distance and decided against running the HM. I'd like to see whether I can finish in under an hour. I'm pretty sure I can. Just need to add a little speed work into the mix between now and then.

13 jan

I had a great workout at the gym - warmed up on the erg and then lifted - full body workout with emphasis on upper body to save my legs for the weekend.  I would like to figure out a routine that gives me some time to spend in the sauna afterwards.

12 jan

I registered for a new ten km race in May.  free bib. It is a ladies race. I refused to buy the pink shirt. Why do races pitched at women runners have to be advertised in pink? I have enough running shirts besides.

This is the year of running new races.

Today's sweat was my bike commute. I earned a rest day by doubling yesterday's workout. My legs are talking to me.

11 jan

enjoyable day of movement today.  warm-up on the treadmill for 10 min (1.5 km); circuit training/weight lifting for 60 minutes.  then sit still in my office for several hours, just as I had in the morning.  then off for a little run with a friend. 5.5 km 35 minutes.

janathon #11 done!

10 jan

Already? One third gone! Today flew by. Bike commute, got dinner started, then interval rowing for 25 minutes.
Got my time posted for Sunday's race. 79 minutes, inverse split. I will need to add my finish photo later.  Someday I might look thin in insulated running tights, but not this year. I do have a giant smile on my face, though!

One goal I have to reach is getting to bed at a decent hour. Done.

9 jan

today was a rest day. my legs feel great after yesterday's race. I have a half-marathon coming up in a few weeks, so I was really pleased with how the run felt.

today's exercise - bike commute to/from office. about 30 minutes total, Plus the 20 minute walk with the dog.

8 jan great fun. no official results.

we had a really fun day mixed with some disappointment and I managed to delete the race from my watch. I'm in the middle of making dinner, so a full report will have to wait. But the disappointment was being quite late to the start - Christel misread the instructions and thought there was a bag drop-off closer to the start, and the bus that took us from the train station to the course dropped us off about 2 km from the sport hall. We thought we'd be dropped off in town. So the 20 minute walk didn't help, and then we had to walk back to the sport hall, which we had passed early, in order to drop off the back-packs. 

We got a lot of good-natured ribbing about having overslept and that the race wasn't an afternoon start and so on. The course was well run and organised. We ran mostly 10 minute miles with a 1 min walk break every 3-4 minutes. I pushed Christel as hard as she could go. Our finish times weren't recorded since I think we finished just after the course clock closed. But we had the whole course to ourselves. And it was beautiful - broad hard beaches, some mashed potatoes up into the dunes, then a lovely wooded forest run, then open grassy sand dunes, then into town to finish.

The volunteers were friendly and helpful. all turns were well marked. there was plenty of water, tea and sport drink, and peeled tangerines and bananas. The day was sunny and clear. The wind was at our backs on the beach and low while in the dunes. Lots of fun.

I like to look at my results and splits and stuff. I looked at them briefly on the train back on my watch, but must have deleted them accidentally. Cuz they didn't transfer. drat. boo.

I'm in good shape except for a blister. (I wore my regular shoes. darn) and my hip is bugging me again. Christel on the other hand has very "sour" muscles and was in a lot of pain after the race (quads mostly). 

we did the 10.5 km race in under 1:20, which was quite pleasing. We stayed in town for lunch afterwards and enjoyed the day.

7 Jan

24 minute easy run with Odie today, as a warm-up for tomorrow's "quarter marathon" in Egmond. My friend and I will take a train there. My husband asked where the town is, and which train we'll take. It's north, I told him. And we're taking the train. Rather vague answer, I agree.

I have a little more race prep to do.  I'm looking forward to this one. The weather should be clear and windy, and cold.  A perfect Janathon day for the 40th anniversary of this beach & dune half and quarter marathon run.

6 Jan

24 min interval rowing 500m on 1 min rest. I need to figure out how to go to bed earlier to get up earlier to exercise in the morning to go to bed earlier.

This week was a weight-loss money-saving success. I ate breakfast at home, packed my lunch and snacks and did not buy any coffee. Easily I saved 50-70 EUR. (Think 2E latte, maybe 5E brekkie, 7E lunch, and 2E afternoon latte). Well, re-figuring that, make the savings 60-70E. No wonder I was broke by Fridays after pulling out 70EUR from the PIN machine at the beginning of the week.  Easily I can save 300E a month if I buy 200E in groceries every weekend. Hmmmm. I will keep track of this as closely as I monitor the scale. 

And down a kilo. 

5 Jan

The wind is howling. Hurricane force winds cancelled my noon-time running plans. Better safe than blown into an oncoming tram.  I will do a body-weight workout tonight and maybe even row - promise. I'm blogging in advance so I can call it done.

I started reading a new book  - Storm Front, the first in the Dresden files series. I'm enchanted.  

4 Jan

I wanted to sleep later this morning. I didn't row, since I planned to go to the gym and then run later. I rowed and lifted (for an hour). The run was rained out after my running buddy ditched me to run an errand and then the weather turned. Tomorrow.

I got these bulbs in the fall and following directions, I've kept them in a closet. When I went to water them today, I found this - making me think.

Our biological imperative is to bloom.

3 January

I rowed intervals this morning for about 20 minutes. I brought my gym bag to work, but so far haven't felt inclined to go lift. There's always tomorrow. Likewise with swim practice tonight. The return to work after vacation may be enough today. And Tuesday night swimming (9:45 PM to 10:45 PM)  means I get to bed late and "over-spend" what belongs to Wednesday. So I might just go to bed early tonight.

Grumble.

2011 race list

I really enjoy saving these from year to year, as the list grows!

26 November Meijendelloop

16 October - Amsterdam (8 km) (Fantastic!)

8 oktober 2011: Scheveningen (Windy and wicked

18 Sept. Bridge to Bridge Run 10 EM (scratched)

24 July Ironman 70.3 Antwerp!!!

9 Jul Beach Challenge

19 June Zandvoort Tri
4 June 60km ride

7 May Boretti 80 km ride

23 Jan Puinduin - Done1
3 Mar Hague CPC - half-M PR 2:22
2 Apr 65k ride - time trial
21 May 120k ride

22 May: Royal 10 km

Sat., 17 Dec - seagull/mackerel run 10 EM

2 jan 12

Run done; logged. an enjoyable 6.34 km with husband and dog.

It's the last day of my vacation. can I get a big Amen for laundry and food shopping. I thought so.

1 jan 2012

Best way to start the new year is to dive into the North Sea with 30 or 40 thousand other people.   Cold and windy. And lots of fun. Janathon hath begun.