Monthly Summary – September 2014
September was notable for a few things, some positive and some negative. Since I’m trying to have a glass half-full attitude, I’ll start with the positive:
I swam a fair amount. Well, a fair amount for me (or a non-triathlete version of me). The 14,100 meters I swam this month was the most in any single month since last October. And I had fun doing it. I enjoyed just being in the water (especially since it’s been so hot in LA recently) and by about the middle of the month started feeling pretty comfortable again. I haven’t really felt good in the water in a long, long time. I’m still at the point where after about 1,200 meters I start getting bored and by 1,500 or 1,600 I really struggle to continue swimming, but for now, that distance is a perfectly good workout. Hopefully I’ll keep that up next month.
I started doing strength training with Ryan and he’s kicking my ass. I meet with him once a week and I struggle through nearly every exercise I do. But it’s a good kind of struggle. It’s also made me recognize just how “whole-body” weak I’ve gotten. My upper body is pretty much worthless and my lower body needs a lot of work too. In addition to working out with Ryan once a week, I’m trying to do one other serious strength workout a week. My solo workout is never as strenuous or as fulfilling as the session with Ryan, but I see it as a good complement. Strangely, the weakest part of my body is my forearms. I really have zero grip strength. Forearm strength isn’t going to make or break me and I think it will come naturally as I get stronger overall, but for now at least, that deficiency looms pretty large when I’m doing many of the exercises. At the beginning of the month I also got to yoga a few times. I was tight when I was running a lot, but since I stopped running, I feel like all my muscles have squeezed in even tighter and I need the yoga even more now.
I’ve been reading a lot. During most of the last 18 months I barely read at all. During the last couple of months, I’ve been ripping through books very quickly. I missed it and enjoy the time I’m spending reading.
I did not get back into running. Or not like I planned to at least. Early in the month, I ran a few times – keeping it really short and really easy – and my achilles was feeling fine. But then, out of nowhere, one Sunday night, my right knee started killing me. It was a little swollen but crazy stiff and painful to extend my leg. I ran on Saturday and didn’t feel anything bad during the run or for the next 36 hours. It wasn’t until a few hours after a Sunday evening yoga class that it started bothering me. Maybe I tweaked it somehow in yoga. Anyway, after that, I took another ten days off from running and just started up again a few days ago. I had a decent run on Saturday but my run yesterday was pretty awful (mostly because I was just tight all over). I’m not pushing anything or too anxious to get back seriously into it, but I do really want to just feel good about running and semi-comfortable doing it. At this point, any thoughts about doing HURT 100 in January are pretty much over. (Actually, though, I’m totally fine with that.)
I didn’t write a single word in this blog. That’s probably because I didn’t feel like there was much to write about and might have just bitched and moaned and whined about not running, but writing still makes me feel good and get those thoughts out of my head. Hopefully, in October, regardless of what happens with my running, I’ll write some more. I’m also way behind on my friends’ blogs. It’s not like I don’t have the time…
I guess I should also add that I’m not taking care of myself very well. I’m staying up later and not sleeping as well as I usually do. (Both of those are related to my lack of running I’m sure.) I’ve also pretty much been eating like crap. I’m still nearly 100% plant-based, but I’ve been eating way more processed crap – like chips, pretzels, granola bars, etc. – and less whole foods like nuts, fruits and veggies than I usually do. I’m sure that’s not helping with my overall attitude and well-being.
Goals for October:
- Eat better.
- Focus on getting better sleep.
- Continue swimming, yoga and strength training on a regular basis.
- Run easy. Maybe hit the trails for some easy training.
- Be positive.
Here’s September:
Swim: 14,100 meters
Cycling (outdoors): 0 miles
Cycling (indoors): 0 hours
Run: 23.3 miles
Total Run Elevation Gain:
Strength Training/Yoga: 11 sessions
Approximate monthly total training time: 24.75 hours
Weight: 165