Friday, June 14, 2013

1 Strike, You're Out


Hi, it's Laura.

I honestly thought Monday and Tuesday we're going to be my difficult days this week.

With having too much fun on Sunday putting me behind and playing catch up and the work piling on, they should have been. Wednesday and Thursday proved to be just as difficult.

As you have heard me complain, I feel like, endlessly at is point, the weather has done it again. Before I continue, I love sunny days. I don't like to sit in the sun anymore. I can find way better things to do on a sunny day at does not involve laying out and getting a suntan. Golf, a leisurely bike ride, sitting in the shade and reading a book. I also love rainy days. There a so many different things to do on rainy days. Sit inside and read a book, cook, clean closets and fun stuff.

So when I complain about the weather, the only reason I am complaining is because it is stopping me from executing my very well thought out training plan.

Wednesday, I was scheduled for a bike ride. My training plan only required a 70 minute ride. I told The Husband I would take The Dog for him on Wednesday morning so he could get a workout in for himself. Completely selfish on my part. As competitive as I am, I admittedly did not want to ride in Central Park in the morning with all the other cyclists. It can be a real zoo some days (like Monday through Thursday). Since it is a recovery week, I was perfectly happy to ride in the afternoon. Although the park can be packed with tourists on bikes and The West Side bike path can be just as a bad. I was willing to take my chances.

Before The Husband set out for the office Wednesday morning, he donned his panama hat. I warned him that it was quite windy out and he may want to rethink that idea. I should take my own advice sometimes.

After "work", an afternoon dog walk and lunch (procrastinate much?), I get myself together for an afternoon ride.

I thought perhaps the wind had subsided some from the morning hours. I was wrong. The winds were just as strong. I checked the weather app on my phone one more time before I took off, 20 MPH North West winds. Ugh!

I figure I would get the hardest part of the ride out of the way first and head north up Riverside. Riding against the wind is like going uphill. You fight and fight and get nowhere pretty quickly. What would normally take me 28 minutes, against the wind, took me 40. Sadly heading north my average speed was 11MPH. The ride back was a different story. I averaged 17 MPH and made it back in less than 28 minutes.

Thursday morning, more weather. The forecast was for torrential rain all day but, according to the weather channel app, it was not supposed to start until 8 or 9am with potential thunder storms in the afternoon.

Ok, I have plenty of time to get my workouts done. I head for Central Park and of course the rain starts. The weather man was calling for about 3 inches of rain. So out of character, I decided to head back home and run in the gym. I really didn't want to run 7 miles in the rain. Since it is a recovery week, I figured it would be ok and I headed to the gym with little guilt.

7 miles done, I head to the pool.

I moved my longer swim of the week to Thursday this week due to "too much fun" on Sunday. I reckon moving the swims around is not so much of a big deal this week as long as they get done.

I had 1200 meters of my 1400 meter swim complete when I see feet and a yellow kickboard in front of my face. I have no idea what this could possibly be. The pool is so lovely quiet. Aqua class is happening in the first two lanes. Me and one other woman are swimming at the same pace in the medium lane, never running into each other and playing very nicely together.

It’s the life guard. She needs everyone out of the pool. Apparently there was a lighting strike. The JCC rules say if there is lightning everyone out for 20 minutes unless there is more lighting then the clock starts again.

Uh oh! I get out and race down the stairs to the showers. The aqua class ends at 10:30 so I try to time myself to be out of the pool no later than 10:15. These classes are quite large. At least 15-20 women and they all shower at the end of class. If you don't beat them to the showers, there is usually a wait and then a wait for the hair dryers. My goal is to be on the hair dryers before they let out of class.

Half of the class decided to wait it out, the other half decided to not wait the 20 minutes and head to the locker room. I managed to grab a shower before any of them can get downstairs. I can also move a lot fast than all of them. Half way through my shower, I hear "there are people out here waiting to take a shower". I empathize but I can only wash myself as fast as I can wash myself (and they don’t hurry when they beat me to the showers). I didn't dilly dally and got out of the way as quickly as possible. The weather they predicted for day time never materialized here in Manhattan. It was one bolt of lightning and one rain shower at 11:00.

My swim workout thwarted, I chalk it up to an interesting if not successful week. Recovery week is working because I don't feel like I have done a ton of work and I am kind of craving bigger workouts.

Weather, once more, impacts Friday morning. The Husband sent me a text from the morning dog walk: "no rain. Park is quiet. Cool, very cool" I'm excited for an empty park, cool temps and no rain. Woohoo!

I head out for my short run (30 minutes) and I bet you can guess what happens.

Rain, Rain, Rain of course. I don't care. The park is lovely, quiet, cool and the rain is not that hard. [Editor’s note: It also stopped for my commute to work so I was dry all morning.]

One more workout for the week, a brick on Saturday, a two hour bike ride and a 15 minute run. No weather predicted. Halleluiah!

Enjoy the weekend

Laura

 

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