Wii Would Like to Run

The past month and a half has almost been like a mourning period for me. We'd always knew we were going to move back to Colorado......and the time job-wise was right..... But I wasn't ready to leave the life I made for myself there, and forcing myself to give up my friends, my training, my Coach..... Well, it really took its toll on me and I've felt a little incomplete ever since.

Yesterday, I got a piece of that back. Thank goodness! It was my first practice with the triathlon team coaches and their off-season running program. The head coach for the entire program was there, and she was a hoot. Very knowledgable about running and triathlon, instantly zoning in on my goals and my weaknesses as she carefully assessed everything from heart rate to distance times. She picked up on my stiff shoulder (the one that makes it so I cannot hug my husband without crying out in pain, but I can still swim so I don't bother to get it looked at), my slight pronation of my right foot, my lack of flexibility......and the fact that I'd rather leave it all out on course than not try. We did 5 400-meter time trials with one minute of rest in between, and when I went off on #5, she yelled to me, "Don't kill yourself! Just get through it!" It made me laugh, because that's exactly what my old Coach would tell me. So, I've traded Coaches...the confident sometimes-Boston accented Cali girl to the sassy, short South American ex-uber athlete. I think we're going to get along just fine.

After practice, we talked about my inability to enjoy running. How my heart rate is really never low, even with a supposed "LSD" run. She said that's because I never took the time to build a proper base. Well, before I could get defensive about my old Coach, I had to think about that..... I went from being a non-runner (as in, never ran more than a mile continuously in my life) to running 3-mile sprints in 12 weeks. And then I stopped, took some time off, and went into the Olympic training plan for my 6-mile race distance.....I think we started end of January, and the race was the first week in April? There was no such thing as long slow distance for me....if I stopped and walked the majority of my 7-mile runs in order to keep my heart rate down, I would have never ever made it to race day. So yes, she is right. I never took the time to build a proper base.

Hello TIME!

Although I am sore today, I am excited about the future with this group and this new Coach. Not the same as what I had with the Divas, but it'll do for now.

In between this new run program and my Tuesday night spin class (insanity-- the teacher gets off the bike to refill water bottles --- it's only an hour class--- we don't need water!!!), I am pleased to report that I am finally using the Wii Fit that hubby bought for me after the move. We spent a gazillion dollars on this stupid gaming system, so I was bound and determined to make use of it. But I absolutely LOATHE video games, so it's been tough. When it does the body test and tells me my body isn't balanced and I must have trouble standing up, I seriously want to put a hole through my television set. When I gain weight (and i do -- let's face it, depending on what I've eaten that day, my weight DOES in fact vary!), it asks me to identify a cause of my weight gain. Do you think there's anything there that doesn't sound alarming? NO! So I have to say "I don't know" and then it lectures me on exercising and eating. And when that f*cker sees that I haven't been on it for a few days, it says, "have you been lazy?!" Um, excuse me.....I actually got off my rear and did real exercise. You know, us lazy people can think of better things to do than to stand in place and hula hoop.

But I digress. Yes, the Wii Fit infuriates me. Yet I continue to do it.... Why, you ask? For the yoga! I love the yoga poses. Unfortunately, this POS program only gives you 5 to start with, so I have to run in place, hula hoop, do lunges, and weigh in so I can unlock the rest of them. I don't find the yoga to be relaxing on the Wii, but it does give me a better sense of the correct form that I need for each pose and I love that it stretches and strengthens my problem areas, like my pesky hip flexors. If I could just turn on the Wii Fit and do yoga independent of the other crap, I think I'd be somewhat happy with it.

So that's my scoop. Work is getting busy. New run program and coaches rock. Wii Fit is MADDENING. And now it is time for me to go home!