Road Warrior Blog

12 January 2008

What I Learned This Week (training-wise, at least)

Posted by Shelly under: Shelly Batterbee .

It’s been a good running week.  What have I learned?  Lots. 

First, I learned that many people are out there reading this.  Hi everyone!  Thanks to my Moms’ group friends and to some Festival (of the Arts) friends who gave me an actual shout out this week.  Feel free to reply here online to my posts, people!  Let me know I am not talking to myself here! 

Last Sunday I went on my first run out with the Road Warriors around Reeds Lake.  We were missing a few fellow Road Warriors, but we still had fun dodging icy spots along the way.  Sunday–I learned I am very sloooooow.  That’s ok though, right?  I kept telling you all I wanted to take it sloooooowly.  I’m a girl of my word so far! 

Monday, I remembered my decision to keep cross-training, so since I ran Sat and Sun, Monday I biked.  Well, not really, even though it was a gloriously warm day.  But I did pedal on my bike, distanceless, as it is set up on one of those trainers to turn it into kind of a stationary bike.  Mind-numbingly boring on Monday.  So I hooked up a little computer thing that tells me my pace and how far I’ve gone.  Cool.  So Monday I learned that I am more motivated when I can track what I am doing.  I am a spreadsheet geek, and I am ok with admitting that!  I also did some other cross-training w/ with strength-training.  At that point I learned I should never take that much time off from doing that again–I have neglected myself for too long! 

 Tuesday, I remembered to take a rest day after several good workout days in a row.  Apparently I learned somewhere along the line that sometimes TOO much is NOT a good thing.

Wednesday, I learned that I can fit a workout in at odd times of the day if I need to.  Ok, I’ve known that for some time now, but I don’t always follow through with it.  I biked AND ran on Wednesday.  It felt great!  I also learned that 3 year olds can learn song lyrics really quickly, so now I know I need to pay good attention to what song is playing on the radio during my workout!  Sometimes it’s cute, but I knew I had to quick fast forward once a Meredith Brooks’ not-so-appropriate well-known song came on! 

Thursday, I figured out how to fit in a short walk into a busy day.  I also learned just how competitive Coach Mike is…on the go-karts at Craig’s Cruisers for the official Riverbank Run kick-off.  Going speedy seems to be addictive for you, eh, Mike?  :)  Poor us…Shirl, Terry, and I never had a chance…Oh, well–we still had a lot of fun!  Thanks to the 5/3 Riverbank Run staff for the pizza and to Brooks for outfitting us in some cool new jackets!

Friday, I learned I may sometimes have to break up my workout into a few little ones to equal one big one.  Two hour school delay meant I couldn’t focus on it all at once, so I biked first, took a break, then ran and later did another strength training regimen.  I also learned that 3 year olds want to get really creative with how they pass time when Mommies are on the treadmill…thank goodness I have eyes in the back of my head like any good mom has–I stopped One Creative Three Year Old from climbing up on a small cabinet that she’d piled a small chair on top of so she could “be taller.” 

Saturday, I learned I am indeed re-committed to the sport of running the way I used to be.  A late night and less than 5 hours of sleep did not keep me from my Run with Fellow Road Warriors this morning!  I learned a few things today…  I learned not to have too much Cabernet Sauvignon the night before an early run if one is not a morning person.  Feeling painfully slow and frustrated with my beeping heart monitor alert (as I am trying low heart rate training), I learned that overhead power lines may interfere with readings on my monitor.  Whew!  Thanks, Coach Mike, for looking up and saying, “Look up, what do you see that may be in the way?”  To which Warrior Nick replies, “Clouds,” and my sassy reply, “Pollution?”  :P  No–just the power lines.  So I learned that my struggling heart rate probably really wasn’t so bad–and we ran (ok, jogged) the rest of the route.  I guess I will look up before I turn that alarm back on with other routes.

I learned a few other things this week:  Songs get stuck in my head.  Easily.  One annoying one right now: “The Warrior.”  Know who sings that?  I was thinking Pat Benetar for some reason, as were several other people I polled.  I was wrong.  Turns out, as I learned from some strangers at a restaurant last night (Hi Suzanne!  Nice to meet you yesterday! ) that it’s Patty Smyth and Scandal.  Who knew?  Ok, whomever Suzanne’s friend called to confirm knew.  That silly refrain gets into my head every time I take my Road Warrior Self out for a run, even though I realize the song has nothing to do with running whatsoever.  It makes me laugh, but I admit it’s getting irritating having that stuck in my brain!

On the subject of songs, I also learned that the right song can really get me into the groove for a great run.  Unfortunately it can also make me want to run faster, which I’m trying not to do (remember?), so I have to still learn to control that.  Especially during an Irene Cara song–I learned one should not attempt to do a grand jete on a treadmill while distracted by a 3 year old trying to put a chair up on a cabinet.  But who can resist during “Fame!”??  That’s a better song for outside.  Just in case you were wondering.

Can’t wait to find out what this next week brings to educate me further! 

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