Monday, August 3, 2009

Dang Communists

Kelley's mom and stepdad are communists. They may claim to be typical SC ultra-conservative republicans, but I can see through that crap. They were supposed to keep our kids for 2 - 4 nights. instead they brought them back after 24 hours! Anyone who takes away our freedom like that is a commie in my book! So yes, the kids came back about noon on saturday. We got nothing done that could only be done without kids. Well, we did go out to dinner friday night. But FREEDOM gone.

I still got in an 8 mile run saturday in around 1:10:something. Good pace, good sweat, felt great.

I also got to work on the tree saturday morning. The girls don't like it when I run the chainsaw, so I wanted to do that before they got back. Got about half of it cut up, but the chainsaw is bound for the repair shop. Morgan borrowed it for a few months, now it won't cut through a stick of butter. Instead, I just started ripping the tree apart by hand. It felt like a very manly way to cut through the "my wife thinks I'm gay" thing; no axe, no chainsaw, just grip it and rip it. Got to flex a little muscle. I got the tree down to just a trunk on the ground, and used an axe to cut off the top 8' or so and drug it away. That let me have my first look at the muscadine vines since early June. They have already started to come back! I still have to rebuild the trellis, but the vines are growing nicely along the ground right now. I thought for sure I was going to have to replace the plants.

There is still 20' of trunk on the ground I need to cut up and dispose of, but this is great progress. I can now start working on the fence repair and rebuilding the vine trellis. Good weekend projects.

Sunday I got to attend my first spinning class! Everyone says it's a good workout, and it was. I got a good sweat on, my legs were sore at the end, it seemed like a good calorie burn. It's good to mix up the bike training I guess, I'm getting tired of just putting in mindless miles. But I'm not sure if it will help my muscular endurance or speed on the road bike. Any of you guys do spin? I can't decide if it's something I would want to do again or not. I tend to not like classes b/c it's tough for me to commit to being somewhere at a certain time. This class went for an hour and 15 minutes.

Today the roofers are here putting the new roof on our house, and the kids are still asleep! I know it's going to freak them out when the hammers start swinging. This is why we wanted the kids gone through tomorrow. Dang communists.

July's totals:

Swimming: 4 swims, 5250 meters (3.28 miles)
Bike: 6 rides, 113 miles
Run: 9 runs, 45.6 miles
Strength: 16 workouts, 6 hours total
Yoga: 7 sessions, 3.5 hours

161.88 total miles.

It was so cool to finally get some swimming in. I feel much better going into the sprint tri on the 16th. My mind and body I think are ready to get into 2 a day workouts like so many other tri guys do. I'm still trying to find a schedule for that. 113 miles on the bike is a good month, and 45 miles running is appropriate. This was my first month of tri training. So by october, all of these numbers should be doubled at least.

Assuming there are 4 weeks in a month, there should be 8 swims, 8 bikes, and 12 runs in every month. that's swim and bike twice a week, run 3 times because I like to run 3 times a week. So if I can get in the right number of workouts, then eventually the milage will catch up. I only did one brick workout in July, getting back to my regular thursday night brick will help a lot.

I also geared up some this week. I've been looking around locally for a Headsweats visor after some of you reccomended it, and finally ended up ordering one online. I also had to toss my Camelbak for bacteria problems, so I ordered another one of those online. I did a little research to, and found that the Hydrapak is the easiest to clean, the bladders' flip inside out to clean and can be replaced easily. Also it's easy to replace the tube and bite valve if they get moldy. Kelley's been complaining about how filthy my Camelbak was (but was also unwilling to clean it for me) so I tossed it. I also needed a new bike helmet, so I got the Hydrapak and helmet both from amazon and got free shipping. I'm a sucker for free shipping. My old helmet was a mountain bike helmet I bought back in college (ouch - 15 years ago).

Speaking of 15 years ago, I also got to see an old friend from high school this weekend. Jami was in town (she lives in alaska now - husband in the military up there), and it was great to see her again! Moving to alaska limits the visitation, but she's awesome to just hang out with.

Hope you all had a good weekend. Now it's back to that daily grind.

16 comments:

Jess said...

If they're ultra-conservative, the more accurate label would be "fascists." Either way, it is cruel to promise 2-4 kid-free days and then only deliver on 1!

carrie said...

Abbreviated freedom....boo!

"It felt like a very manly way to cut through the "my wife thinks I'm gay" thing.".....HAHAHAHAHA

Alisa said...

Sounds like a good plan! Are you following a half iron plan or doing your own thing? I'd love to know.

Sorry 'bout the ultra conservative in-laws. Yuck!

Missy said...

What a terrible teaser! You almost had some freedom. Blasted!

I like Gale Bernhardt's tri plans - she's got a book with a gazillion plans of all levels of all distances, targets, goals etc. I use them as a base plan and then have my coach work in/schedule my quality workouts into that.

Amber said...

Ugh, that sucks! Why didn't they keep the kids longer!!

I used to LOVE spin classes - I think you have to have the right instructor. I haven't been able to find any I really enjoy in Kamloops though.

Jess said...

Sounds like you bought all kinds of fun training toys. I'm slightly jealous haha. Sorry to hear you didn't get to do all the stuff you were hoping while the kiddos were gone.

Runner Tammy said...

Sorry about getting your kids back. I would try to console you and say Freedom is overrated but I have no idea as all my dependents *(save for the husband) are four-legged and not too demanding.

Regardless your training looks like it is right on target for your upcoming half. I am so glad I am going to be able to gracefully get out of mine because of a work obligation (wahoo!).

Aron said...

at least you got a little bit of freedom??? thats not nice to bring them back early! great job on july!!

Wes said...

I guess its a good thing my kids missed the dayum bus. That's just not right. But then again, I've never had anybody to leave my kids with since I've been in Atlanta, so... No sympathy from me! Hahahahahaha!!

My check is here. I got to find my a roofer too. Just not sure who I can trust...

under my own steam said...

It's not exactly the same - but I had to throw away a sports bra this week because of the funk. Keep up the good work!

Mel-2nd Chances said...

sorry that the plans didn't work out as you had planned! Maybe the girls missed their parents so much! :D

joyRuN said...

I've heard also the same about spinning being an excellent way to cross train. I almost fell down the stairs after my first spin class a long time ago though :)

Sorry to say I'm not shocked your free weekend got truncated. No one's been able to handle my kids for more than one overnighter.

Being Robinson said...

i just found your blog, ashley at journey to a better me told me about you. so i came to stalk! i like! :) and sorry about your weekend.

hebba said...

Thanks for the comment. My slow slow time was 3:18. Not last place, but close.
Spinning...any time I go, I wonder why the spinning instructor is SCREAMING useless things like: "Push it!" or "Go, go, go!" Dude, if you could come to my house and scream for me to get off the sofa, that would be one thing. But I'm at the gym! In your class! Cut the screaming and maybe do some instructing? Maybe I just got bad spinning classes.

healthy ashley said...

Sorry your weekend was cut short!

Nice job on getting your workouts in. A god 8 mile run is so close in my future... I can't wait!!

Georgia Snail said...

First your governor became a fan of Evita, now your in-laws have defected?!?! Sounds like South Cackalacky is going to hell in hand basket...great job on the workouts...plus you get an extra man card back for tearing the tree limb by limb...