Progress

I'm slowly making progress towards my much needed haircut.

Sunday was a beautiful day. I was feeling really tired and slept a lot of the morning away. Adam rode with the Liberty Cycle group in the am for over 3 hours, then when he got back, we went to Jockey Hollow to run/hike. We were there for 1.5 hours or so, but there was some stopping for picture taking, so I figure it counts as an hour or so of running/hiking. Yes, I'm counting this as a run, even though I likely ran less than a mile.

This is what it looks like when you try to run and you are not in shape.

Here is a happy Cooper. He loves Jockey Hollow. He has been barfing like crazy still. Poor guy.

I like this picture of Adam and I.

I really like this picture Adam took of a pond there.

Such a nice beautiful warm day.
I like this picture of Frito and me, but from far away it looks like Frito is getting ready to squat down to go to the bathroom.

Anyway...it was a nice walk/run.

Monday, I set my alarm to swim, but it didn't go off. Just as well, my right rotator cuff was bothering me. I swam after work and it was crowded. Ended up with a whopping total of 1500m, and jumping with the fast group to hang onto the back. Haven't done that in awhile.
10x50-kick on back down, swim back with fins on 1:10
3x100 on 1: 40 in ???
then we got moved to another lane, and there were lots of us, so I did 2 more 100's at whatever pace
300 kick-50 fly, 50 free
200 easy cd


Monday was a long night up late. Not really up for going into details now, but I learned a lot about myself and things I need to work on and things I need to learn about communication and relationships and life.

Tuesday I biked on the trainer after work, 45 mins, then core work 15 mins.

Tonight i planned to go to masters. I don't like waiting until 8pm. And I realized I was only going not because I wanted to swim, but because I felt like I should go because other people--Coach Elana, Bob, Matt and Genine, were expecting me there. After another barfing episode from Cooper, I decided to stay home, go for a 30 min run with Frito and try to go to bed early. I tend to do things because I think it's what I think other people want, and not really what I want or need. After some more core work tonight, I'm up to 7 hours 10 mins total, 3 bikes 2 runs and 3 swims...I may need to make a bit of a push to get to my hair cut goal...

Warm weather and a barfing dog

It's 55 and I'm inside at my computer. Yup, that's right. I saw that it is World Run Day today. Since it is going to be so warm, I was going to bike, but I may run. Hey, why not right? Take the dogs to a trail or something. This hair cut/color reward thing has been a good motivator. The other day I kinda just wanted to come home and sit around like a blob, but I still swam 30 mins. Not a lot, but something, especially considering it was the first time in over a week and my goggles were leaking and my eyes were on fire when that happened. I got in 1500 meters with some kicking and different strokes.

Saturday took me awhile to get out too. A nice lazy day like I wanted. I did 2000 at the pool with Matt. It seemed like a lot.
4x{50 scull, 100 8-3-8, 100 IM}
10x25 kick with fins free down , fly back on :45
10x25 kick no fins on :45 all free
4x75 free w/ drill on odds, fly-bk-br on evens
200 cd

So far into my 2 week total 4:05 mins, 2 bikes, 2 swims. Shooting for a swim and either a bike or a run today.

Cooper has still been vomiting and scratching a lot. He had to wear the cone the last 2 nights and then he vomits. I think he vomits because he is traumatized by wearing the cone. Or he knows that when he vomits the cone comes off.

The week so far

So, my eyes are not as pink or itchy. I think I may have a sinus infection according to my doctor and the symptoms I have noticed since then. But I'm not sure if I am just noticing them because she mentioned I may have one, or if I actually have them.

I have biked 2 times this week. No swimming, no running. Some core work. 2 hours, 35 mins total so far. Not too bad all things considered.

Cooper and Frito may have fleas. Cooper made another trip to the vet after he had a major rash and was doing some serious scratching. So he is on steroids now. Frito started itching not long after that. He has yet to cause disgusting damage to his skin that would cause him to need medicine. The verdict is still out on this. No fleas have been spotted.

One of these days, I will make a return to the pool when my eyes are recovered. By Saturday at least. I miss it, but my goggles are old and leak a lot and red itcy eyes plus leaky goggles is not fun. I really wish my good goggles weren't stolen from the transition in Chicago. Grrrrr!

Rewards and the Weekend

I have pink eye and a possible sinus infection. Ahhhhhhhhh! Ok anyway. That is the latest news. Yesterday I worked a lot, and today I left early to go to the doctor with an itchy pink eye. No workouts the last 2 days.

Sickness is one thing, but in general, I'm in need of a little motivation to get myself moving. No race in the immediate future. It's getting cold. I like to sleep and I feel tired a lot. So, I figured, it's time to get back to some regular goal setting with some rewards. Small goals and rewards, but something. Over the next 12 days, 14 hours of workouts total (avg 7 hours a week, but I sort of lost Monday Tues of this week). Complete 6 swims, 4 runs, 4 bikes of any distance/time. That's it. Pretty simple. If I do this, I can go get my hair cut and colored at the expensive salon in Bedminster that I like to go to. I haven't had my hair cut since Feb. It is getting quite long and out of control.

Please see Exhibit A below from this weekend. My hair flys out of control when I turn my head...and not in that wonderful bouncy way.

And about the weekend. We went to Ithaca, NY to see Adam's cycling friend Dan and his girlfriend Sam. We didn't do anything halloweeny, just outdoorsy stuff like a wood chopping party, hiking, running, and cycling (I didn't do that part).

We got a late start on Saturday.

Here's a good picture of Frito bird watching at home.

On the way there, we realized registration for S.O.S triathlon had already opened. I thought it opened at midnight on Halloween, but silly me, that was NYC tri. So we tried to register on Adam's blackberry but it was sold out. What!!! Ahhhh! I'm sick of this race opening at midnight, sell out right away thing. Anyway, so, none of that I guess.

Adam and Dan went for a ride almost right away and I took Frito for a run around Ithaca. I am usually pretty good with directions. I planned to do maybe 25 mins or so. Frito was wild! Squirrels every 10 feet! He needed more of a run, so I took a few turns to add on 5 more mins or so...and wound up with no clue where I was. I ran around, and around, and finally retraced my steps to get back with a 45 min run.

An important thing people who spend time with me need to know--I need to eat in the morning or I don't function. Feed me! It was almost 9am under the new time (so 10 am) and we still hadn't eaten. Not good! We walked to a bagel shop with the dogs and got lots of cute pictures of them. You can tell Cooper is a city dog, he looks comfortable just laying on the sidewalk.

After bagels, we went to the wood chopping party, which was at the house of a guy who owns a cycling store, which is also in his house. He had 80 acres or so and had people over to chop wood for him for the winter. I guess he lets them all use his property for bike and cross country ski trails so this is a way for them to return the favor.

In NJ, I feel very country compared to most people. Here, I felt very city and out of place. We didn't really come dressed for hard labor, so we took a walk with the dogs on some of his trails.

Another important thing for me--staying warm, and taking naps. I need my naps/getting enough sleep. And I get cold easily and once I am cold, it is hard to recover from it.

So on that note, we went back, I got a quick nap, and then headed out to a trail so the guys could ride cyclocross bikes and so Sam and I could hike with the dogs.

A nice weekend all in all, but very tiring for me. I'm ready for a relaxing weekend at home.

A few things

Cooper is doing much better! He is drinking water again and the cone is off!

Adam and the doggies and I are headed off to Ithaca, NY for the next couple days. We are slow getting out the door this morning. The dogs are looking forward to a big dog park up there. They will not be dressing up after all this Halloween, but Cooper does slightly resemble Frankenstein with his stitches.

I didn't end up going to masters swim on Wednesday night. I went to Time to Eat with Matt and Genine and had pumpkin pancakes instead. Masters eating I suppose. Coop and Frito came along to say hello. Then we stopped by the pool to say hi to Coach Elana and Coopy pressed his cone up against the glass windows of the pool and fogged it up.

I swam for the first time in a week and a half on Thursday. The reason I don't like take more then a couple days off swimming is that the longer I go, the harder it is for me to start again. A few years ago I didn't swim all winter. And I sucked at swimming. I swam 1800m. I felt a bit weird, but it was ok. My arms got tired.

I ran 4-4.5 miles yesterday evening. That felt good.

I'd like to get out and do some running this weekend up in Ithaca.

I'm not signing up for the NYC triathlon. They increased their price again and well, I just don't want to deal with all the hoopla of that race again. I'm going to to NJ State instead, which will be my July race next year.

SOS?

Last weekend, we were watching the show Running on tv, and of course, they show triathlons and swimming events on the show. Anyway, we saw coverage of the Survival of the Shawangunks race in NY and it looked amazing. Not only is it beautiful, challenging, unique, small, but it is close by! Registration opens this weekend and it is pricey, so that is the main issue.

Cooper got through is tough day at the vet ok. He had all 4 lumps removed and no cancer. One tooth was pulled also and his teeth were cleaned and his breath is nice and fresh. He was really out of it and in some pain. And he has stitches so he has to wear a cone on his head so he can lick or bite them. He runs into everything with it! It is so funny and cute, but a little sad. He's getting better. He has even sort of mastered indoor fetch with it on, but if the ball goes into the corner, he is done.

He wouldn't drink anything at all yesterday. He looked really weak and kept licking his lips. I thought he must've been really dehydrated, so I called the vet and Adam took him in. She said he was ok, but changed his medicine. He started drinking as soon as he got home. He still won't drink tonight though. Oh Coopy! Hydration is important. So, I'm still very worried about him. Adam was very sweet to stay with him and Frito the last couple days to make sure they were ok and to take extra special care of Coopy.

Monday with all the vet stuff, I took off working out. Tuesday, I was really tired, and ended up riding around an hour easy on the trainer. My legs got really tired from that. I'm going to go to masters swim tonight, but not swim too long. I haven't swum since last Monday, and I don't want to leave Cooper alone for too long.

Weekend of Dogs

Cooper goes to the vet for the day tomorrow. I know he will be fine but I am a little nervous for him as well. We had a major major dog weekend. Adam came out from Long Island and while I was at work on Friday, took the dogs to the dog park in Bernards Township. Cooper and Frito met a lady that thought she was too good for everyone and knew every thing. Frito is doing his best imitation of her here.


So after taking Thursday am off swimming because I couldn't breathe, I ran 4 miles Thursday pm and felt good, but it made my legs tired. Then 3 miles easy running on Friday and felt sore. I really need new shoes. Bad. I can feel it when I run. On Saturday I planned to get new shoes. I had to. It wasn't raining Saturday am, so after not biking for almost a month, I went out riding with Adam for an hour and tired to keep up with him on his 20 min interval. My legs are weak right now. But it was fun to be on the bike again. Taking the break made me realize that I did miss it and enjoyed it.

A doctors appointment told me my iron levels are ok, my white blood cells are low which mine typically are, everything else says I am perfectly healthy...on paper.

So here, is where the real doggie weekend began. Adam wanted to go look at dogs. Just for fun. A dangerous concept. So we went to Somerset Regional Shelter where Cooper is from first and met a boxer mix named D something that I liked. It was rainy and yucky on Saturday. Just so you know. Ruining the dogs plans for more dog park fun.

They still came in the car, just for kicks. Then, the running store. But we got there, and it was empty, the store cleared out. Hmmmm. Not really sure what's going on there or how long it has been like that. So no shoes. Off to the park to let the dogs play in some puddles. No other dogs, or people. Just rain.

Coopy didn't care. He just likes to have fun.

On the ride home, there were some tired best buddies.

Apparently we didn't get our shelter dog fix after the first place, so we went to St. Huberts in Branchburg to see the dogs there. Before we knew it, we were falling for a 5 year old Jack Russel mix named Max. He was sweet and playful and just great. I was ready to take him home right them. But he had to meet Cooper and Frito. They thought he was good with other dogs. He came out side to meet them, and right away showed his teeth at Frito, the most submissive dog you will meet. Then more growling and teeth at Cooper. Oh no! We waited awhile to see if it would change, but not. Max was apparently not good with other dogs. Sigh.

Back home, more petfinder looking. Craziness.


Cooper is not supposed to get in the bed any more but some times he sneaks on there for a nap on his own. He looks so precious here :)

Today was sunny and beautiful and awesome. Dog Park! An hour of muddy dog park goodness. Fetch, butterfly chasing, dog chasing, butt sniffing, all kinds of dog fun.

Happy Cooper.

Frito stalks a butterfly.

After the dog park...St Huberts Madison which was frustrating and annoying and ugh. I don't want to talk about it. Not sure why this turned into a super dog search shelter visit weekend but it did. I was cranky and tired and hungry. I needed food and a nap and to get a workout in outside. So that's what I did. In that order. 1:15 bike ride with some hills, easy pace. My legs felt tired from yesterday.

Then...more dogs! Off to Pittstown to meet a dog named Maxwell in foster care. I loved him right away. He was a Brittney-Jack-Dachshund-other mix, so sweet, so playful. Ok, I admit, I love all dogs. Anyone that spends any time with me knows that I stop and pet any dog I see. He walked with Coopy and Frito and they all got along great. He seemed to really like Frito. He played tug with me and was a cute little snuggler. But, well, I have to think, is this the 100% best fit? I could love any dog and maybe there is another dog that is a better fit and another family that is a better fit for him.