Archive for Friday Confessionals

The Triathlon Rx | January 27, 2012
19 comments

Friday Confessional: 01.26.12

Forgive me father (/fellow gym members/ego/PT Ben), for I have sinned. It has been thirty-five days since my last confession. And it’s about dang time!!

[If you're new to Friday Confessionals, you can check the 101, or pretend that you did and just know that there are no rules - anything goes. No judging!!]

1. Worked out in Uggs…

I got to the gym around 5:45am, rearin’ n ready to go. Pulled my shorts out of the bag, put em on. Pulled my tank out of the bag, put it on. Slipped the Uggs off and pulled out the Sky Speeds… ⠋ ⠥ ⠉ ⠅!!!! (Should I also confess to swearing in braille?) My Asics were sitting happily on their shelf in the closet at home, warm, dry, and sweat-free. So I did what any stubborn redhead sensible young lady would do and worked out in the only shoes I had… the Uggs.

Kid you not, I got an awkward stare from every single person I had to walk (/crutch) past. Their facial expressions said something like AYFKM?!? (Go ahead. Urban Dictionary.) What I really wanted was a sign to hold up saying IT WAS A MISTAKE!! FORGOT SHOES AT HOME!! I DO NOT THINK IT’S CUTE TO WORKOUT IN LAMB BOOTS!! Instead, I swallowed my pride and made my way to the arm ergometer. After 40 minutes of a slow and excruciating death (with nary a drop of sweat), I switched to the recumbent bike for the remaining 20. This time I decided just-socks was the better option, at which point THREE people (in twenty minutes!) asked me where are your shoes? One of whom was wearing Vibrams. :???: I forgot em’ at the sheep farm homie… don’t worry about it.

2. I can only last 20 minutes…

:shock:  On my bike, that is. If someone can scientifically explain to me WHY riding your own bike on a trainer feels 20x harder than riding outdoors, or riding a spin bike, or riding a stationary bike, I would greatly appreciate it. Once I got clearance from the doc to get on the bike, I thought it would be smarter to ride my own bike on the trainer since the geometry would be the right fit.

tic tic tic – 20 minutes later

Either my fitness has tanked, or… yep. Even in the easiest gear it took MAJOR effort to make it to 20 minutes on the QRoo. Frustrated and determined not to quit, I replaced it in it’s rightful home (expensive living room artwork here!!) and got on the stationary bike. Whattya know. 40 minutes later and I felt like I had “worked” the muscles, but not like I was run over by a bus. Riddle me that, Batman….

3. Electrocuting my glutes…

Physical therapy has been going well. Exceptionally well since we brought out the electrodes!! Electrical stimulation, affectionately known as “stim”, has been used since 1791 shocking frogs in the laboratory. Its use in physical therapy and other athletic medicine settings is more recent… around the 1960s and 70s. (Never ever cite wikipedia!!)

Its use in reactivating the gluteus maximus however, at least at TRIA Orthopedic Center, is something I am delighted to set the precedent for. I’ve had big problems with my left glute ever since my first hip surgery in December of 2008, and my PT Ben and I decided enough was enough. Clamshells, side-lying hip abduction, bridges, fire hydrants… they weren’t doing squat. And I didn’t have the weight bearing ability to do squats or DLs. PT Julia, what are we missing?

So although PT Ben had never used stim on the glutes, we figured trying it couldn’t hurt. And by golly, I do think it’s starting to work! We have been combining Russian stim (which uses a slightly higher frequency) with the previously mentioned exercises, doing a 10 second on / 10 second off protocol. It is probably too early to call it a “success”, but I will say I haven’t been able to get that deep of a glute contraction in over 3 years.

“Hey Ben… can you take a picture of this? For the blog…”

Which reminds me, if you haven’t seen the YouTube video “Sh!t Triathletes Say” yet, I recommend you get on it. My buddy Steve posted it over at I Wanna Get Physical, and it is definitely worth a chuckle.

ALSO to check out if you feel so inclined: Exercise Physiology, Winter Edition on Groucho Sports, and a Workout for Super Bowl Sunday at Minnesota Tri News!

Reader Qs:

Do you have anything to confess this Friday? Share em.

-E

Category: Friday Confessionals | Tags: , ,
The Triathlon Rx | December 23, 2011
8 comments

Friday Confessional: 12.23.11

Just wanted to check in quick before heading out of town for the holidays!! Hope everyone is doing well. If you’ve never played Friday Confessionals before, don’t sweat it. The only rule is that there isn’t any – everything goes, and you will not be judged for it. If you feel so inclined, you can check the official rundown post… GAME TIME!

1. I feel kind of badass…

A buddy of mine the other day told me I was tough as nails, and have the hardware to prove it. It was just kind of a nice reminder that this hasn’t, and won’t take me down. I am still that little feisty redhead… just have to turn the fire down for a little while. ;)

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
- 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

2. I am way behind on Christmas…

Christmas is in less than 48 hours. I just finished wrapping all my gifts at 5pm tonight. I just finished making the rest of my gifts this afternoon. (They are very Pinterest inspired… I’m actually tackling that “post-surgery crafts” board!) Oh and by the way we are heading out of town tomorrow morning. Wooops!

Luckily there are quite a few people who I am doing gift exchanges with after Christmas… Which means I will still have time to shop for for them when I get home on Monday. :D Not going to lie: don’t hate the fact that everything will be on sale!

3. Not working out is not working out…

At least mentally. It’s not even so much the I’m going to blow up into the size of a baby whale thing… calories in vs. calories out is something I know how to balance. But it’s just having all this TIME on my hands to do NOTHING!! Previously, my day was taken up with practice > work > eat > sleep > repeat. Right now my work is on hold (I work at a University… winter break), and going to practice obviously isn’t happening if I’m only able to do toe-touch weight bearing. It just feels like too much couch time, and it makes me frustrated. :mad: Maybe I just need to bulk up my “non-active to do list“.

BUT… for full disclosure I do still get to go to the gym. My doc is thoroughly encouraging to use the arm ergometer, and I’ve been getting “better” at it day by day. But it kind of feels like waiting to watch ice freeze… and it’s obviously not what I’m used to. I miss squats!!!!! (<- whining voice)

________________________________________________________

Post-surgery update:

It has only been 9 days… but it feels like it has been 3 weeks. Several changes worth noting:

Physical Therapy: Those exercises that were so hard last week? Not so hard anymore! I can do all of them unassisted, and with much less difficulty/pain than before. Today I booked PT for about 6 weeks out, and am excited to get started with it and start makin’ some progress!

Post-Op Appointment: Was this morning, and it went very well! Healing and rehab is all on track. My wound is closing nicely (and I will be able to get in the POOL on Monday!!!! So you better not here me giving a Friday Confessional next week saying “the pool is so boring!” Trust me. I’ll take it.) I will go back for xrays at the end of my six weeks (January 25th… yeah, it has been circled on the calendar for a month) and pray that the above “fresh Christmas tree cut” on my femur has fully healed!

Forearm Crutches: … have honestly changed my life. Up until my post-op appointment today I was using the traditional, under the arm crutches. And I’m pretty sure my skin was rubbed almost all the way down to my rib bones!! They make sheepskin coverings for the underarm crutch pads to help reduce friction, but I was literally wincing with every step and didn’t think the little lamby skins would cut it. If you have ever been on crutches for an extended period of time and experienced this rubbed-raw sensation, you have my deepest sympathy.

So today then, I talked to my doctor about forearm crutches. He said more and more athletes are choosing them, and they tend to work out even for non-weight bearing assistance because our breed (so to speak ;) ) already has greater arm strength. Yeah… after all this hand cycling and upper body only weights, I’d like to think I have some arm strength!!

Reader Qs:

Any additions you can give me for this non-active to do list?

Have you ever been on crutches? What for, and did you burn off all your underarm skin?

Any big holiday plays / Santa Shuffle 10Ks / extravagant field trips planned?

Take care, be good to yourself, and be safe if you’re hitting the roads.
-E

Category: Friday Confessionals | Tags: , ,
The Triathlon Rx | December 9, 2011
14 comments

Friday Confessional is back! 12.09.2011

Friday confessionals returning with a vengeance!! If you’ve never played before, do a quick check of the 101. Anything is fair game, and it really is more fun to play along! ;)

1. Sick chick.

And I don’t mean sick in the way cool / sick / tight / wicked / sweet / dope / fresh / anything that doesn’t actually mean “awesome”  but yet is somehow used interchangeably. Between last Wednesday (on my birthday. Not sweet, nor dope.) and this Monday, my temperature was bobbing between 102.5 and 100.7. What started out as a Dx of strep throat turned to a prescription for amoxicillin that wasn’t making me feel any better (or cooler). Turns out that I had pneumonia, which may or may not have been due to the strep that was or was not even there to begin with. So I’ve spent a lot of time here:

   

Influenza test -> Strep test -> cute note from “Kathryn” en español!

By the fireplace, under the covers, in the dark. (Creeper.)

Thankfully, since going back to the clinic on Monday and confirming pneumonia with the chest x-rays, they switched me to levoflaxacin and I’m feeling 97% better. My grandma has had pneumonia so many times and I never had any idea how miserable she felt!! :( It was I imagine a collapsed lung feels like. (My surgeon would not have been impressed with that come Wednesday….)

2. Five days until they cut my leg off.

Yes, the countdown is going strong. With all this sick business over the last week, I can tell you I was pissed bummed about missing gym time. And I have no problem fully admitting to hitting the gym the second my doctor said “I guess if you’re feeling bett…..” I have been asked multiple times by several friends:

You just can’t give it a rest, can you?!

Not today my friend. And I will tell you what… when you have two months of ass-to-couch time staring you down, you can make whatever decision you want concerning your last five days. But as long as I have been given the green light to exercise, and am not by any chance contagious, I will sweat it out until the very last possible minute.

3. I am actually scared to death for surgery.

Sure, it’s easy to look brave behind words… to say well, you can’t always chose the cards you’re dealt and there’s no way around it, so let’s do this thing! Slowly over this last week, the reality of the lifestyle changes I’m about to face has really started to set in. We have such a small amount of snow right now here in Minneapolis, and I know it’s only a matter of time before mother nature decides to unload 2 feet on us. Thinking about crutching out to my car and trying to scrape it off… thinking about crutching downstairs to/from my apartment… thinking about how the DUCK do I carry a coffee cup!?!?! All hitting the fan.

This is a rough estimate of the procedure they are doing… which I wrote more about in this post.

The wedge that you can see gets removed, leaving a brand new, fresh surface that needs to heal together. Along with the bone healing around the screws. And plate running along the lateral side of the femur. Not to mention there is a big unpredictable tumor chunk that has, until this point, proven to do whatever the heck it wants…

It never asked me if I liked the question “Why do you walk with a limp?” (No.) It never asked me if I wanted to run just one last marathon. (I started my list when I was 10.) It never asked me how I felt about crutches when it’s -20°, icy, and snowing. (Can I take coffee with me? No? Ok, angry.) It never asked me if ever wanted to sleep on my left side again. (How about just through the night?) It never asked me how I felt being left out of any/all plyometrics. (Like I’m defective.) It never asked me how it feels to explain what fibrous dysplasia is 100billion times and have every single person you just explained it to look at you and still not get it. (#GTFOH)

4. I feel super selfish.

Reread last paragraph. I can think of an equal 100billion ways it could probably be worse.

5. The Hand Crank…

- Is really kind of harder than you’d think.
- Burns like 1/3rd of the calories you can burn while running, and still feels kind of harder than you’d think.
- Is quite possibly more boring than pool running…
- Unless you find a good song that you can get krunk to crank to… in which case it might not be so bad.
- I’m going to need a lot of new songs on my iPod.
- Is kind of lonely, since there are only two in the gym (attitude correction: there are two in the gym!) and I don’t see anyone else on them.
- Which may be a blessing in disguise because I’ll never have to wait for it.
- Unless it snows two feet, in which case my butt ain’t gettin to the gym in the first place.
- Mmmm yep, still waiting for that attitude / perspective / expectations adjustment.

And that my chicostix… is about five things more than I’ve ‘fessed up to until today. And it does feel BETTER. :) Especially number 4. It’s good to get things off your chest….

#feelsgoodman

(1000 bonus points for the right reference.)

Reader Qs: Your turn!

-E

Category: Friday Confessionals | Tags: , , , , , , ,
The Triathlon Rx | October 28, 2011
26 comments

Holiday Greetings GIVEAWAY!

[ETA: Friday Confessional: I'm pretending today is the yesterday that this giveaway was supposed to go up. :) ]

No one get mad at me for saying this – just statin’ the facts ma’am. Snow is going to be falling soon here in Minnesota. Yes, that chilly, powdery, inconvenience that requires shoveling at 4am to get out of the driveway will be here before we know it. There are two upsides to this:

1 // My winter-lovin friends can finally stop their grumbling rejoice and bust out the skis, snow shoes, etc.

2 // Snow signals the start of the “holiday” season, which leads to three things: family time, pumpkin pie, and fires in the fireplace. Can you really go wrong with any of that?

Another thing that comes with the holidays is the yearly Christmas card… which has become not-exactly-yearly in our household. When your neat little family of four is split between three different major cities, that sometimes happens. We cover Minneapolis, Washington DC, and Philly. Break it down to the in-law level and extended family and we take over Singapore, Chicago, and New York. (Not to mention, we’ve got the state of Minnesota pretty well covered.) ;)  But split as we may be, we’re about as solid of a family I could ask for.

This year I’ve decided I think I’m finally “grown up” enough to send out my own Christmas card… with a little help from my friends at Shutterfly. Not going to lie… kind of excited about the one I created. I’ve “made” our family xmas cards in the past (see exhibit A [2008] below) attemtping to use my old Adobe CS3 skills (or lack there of). Let’s just say that this year’s card is kicked up a couple notches…!

The folks at Shutterfly thought you ALSO might want in on this early holiday cheer… so don’t quit reading just yet.

I wont show you which holiday card I decided to go with… don’t want to ruin the surprise. ;) But for the purpose of YOUR [potential] creation, you should know that you’re not just limited to Christmas cards!! Shutterfly offers all sorts of cards and invites, from new baby announcements to greeting cards and cards for all sorts of holidays! They also do photo books… one which I made after the 2009 Ragnar Relay. It was a really fun way to commemorate the experience!

So, you would maybe like to create some free cards, huh…? And you’re wondering what you need to do? I won’t make it too hard on ya. ;)

1 // Check out the Shutterfly website and leave a comment telling me what you’d like to make.

2 // Tweet this, and leave a comment telling me you did it:

Trying to spread a little holiday cheer! Giveaway @SperlyTriRunner http://www.drtrirunner.com

3 // Tell me your favorite holiday memory. :) Awww just talking about it makes me want one of my grandma’s burbon brownies and a fireplace.

Leave a comment for each one. Simple as pie! Oh, and did I mention there will be THREE winners!??! Ohh yes! 7 days until the giveaway closes (Fri. November 4th, midnight)… 27 days until Thanksgiving… 52 days until Hanukkah… 57 days until Christmas. Unlimited celebrations in between. Get on it!

-E

 

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The Triathlon Rx | October 14, 2011
8 comments

Friday Confessionals // 10.13.11

If you were living with me during the last two weeks, you might think there had been a constant full moon. Or I’d been ODing on Tramadol. Or FourLoko.

Given that NONE of the above are true, I’m going to chalk it up to less intense workouts and a lower overall training volume. Adrenaline is my drug of choice, when you’re used to a that little fix every day… you can go kind of crazy without it.

Hence… it’s about damn time for a Friday Confessional.

If you don’t know how to play the game… read the quick 101 and come on back. Anything and everything goes, no holds barred. (*Is that even a phrase? I honestly am going crazy. I’ve found myself googling/questioning phrases I say probably 10 different times this week!!*)

1. // I’ve had ice on my crotch probably 20 times over the last 14 days. It’s really my HIP FLEXOR that gets the icing, but you try explaining that to the cute guy in the SUV next to you looking down into your little Passat. Awkward. Or is it more awkward that I have photographic evidence…?

 

2. // I mayyyybe flipped out a little bit on a 40-something female stranger at work who was talking about the Chicago Marathon Baby Mama story. If you haven’t read it/heard it you are living under a rock I suggest you do so now. Long story short, Amber Miller ran the Chicago Marathon, under the guidance/supervision/permission of her physician, at 38 weeks pregnant. She gave birth a few hours after finishing the marathon. It would be one thing if aforementioned 40yostranger said she didn’t agree with the pregnant mother’s decisions… or even if she said she didn’t like the pregnant mother’s decisions or thought they were stupid or better yet that she was concerned. But instead, she said that (direct quote) “woman like that shouldn’t be allowed to be mothers.”

I won’t go into the million and one reasons why that tipped my boiling point, or the possibly harsh but truth reality I spit back at her. Do I feel like I should have apologized? No. Should I reacted that way in a professional setting were I happen to work? No.

And to show how to do it with maybe a little more class… here is a video from ABC news featuring local running elite and my favorite running mama ever, Carrie Tollefson, talking about the issue and running during her own pregnancy.

3. // I don’t like admitting this one…. I really don’t like it. I had to SEARCH “swim” in my iCal to tell you the last time I’ve been in the pool. Read: it’s been a $#!&long time. If you’re thinking oh it probably hasn’t been THAT long then no… let me correct you. My last swim was AUGUST 18th. For a second I had this glimmer of hope and was thinking maybe I need to search OWS instead!! Again. No.

What I want to do is whine and say well I WAS really consistent all of June and July. What I want to do is all the other things besides swimming that are more fun than watching paint dry. But you know what?

I like things in three’s so I’m going to stop there. Although now that I say that I 1) instantly want to crack a TWSS joke, and 2) think of two more things to confess. The clothesline can only fit so much dirty laundry…

Reader Qs:

  • Any and all of your Friday Confessions are encouraged.
  • What do YOU think about the Chicago Marathon story? (I promise not to bite your head off… I got it out of my system.)
  • Who’s racing this weekend?!

-E

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Triathlon Rx | August 19, 2011
5 comments

Friday Confessionals // 08.19.11

I need to apologize for falling off the face of the planet… I was so excited to be done with classes, had about a day’s worth of relaxation, and then BAM was slammed with work. C’est la vie, right? You gotta bring home a paycheck if you want to eat. (OK, let’s be real. I can eat ramen for three meals a day. I am saving for grad school and a special bike*.)

Anyways… I thought I could at least take 30 minutes and pop out a quick Friday Confessional. I don’t need to embarrass myself too much, but it has been a rather entertaining week. If you don’t know how to play, check the 101 and then come on back. Game time!

(1) I did yoga. For an HOUR. If you know me in real life, your jaw might be on the floor right now. Don’t get me wrong – I have absolutely nothing against it or anyone who does it, but yoga has always been like this dirty four letter word to me. WHY did I do yoga then? I brought new shoes to spin on Tuesday, and they wouldn’t clip in. Instead of going downstairs and doing XT like I wanted to, two of my buddies dragged coerced me into the yoga studio. I don’t know if I’ve ever looked at my watch more times in one hour. The worst part of this whole story? My ride later that afternoon was awesome. Ridiculously fast, and even with lots of wind which is usually my downfall. The only difference was the yoga. ⠋ ⠥ ⠉ ⠅!! (There’s the braille for you Mr. James…) I might finally need to give in and do it once a week.

(2) Had my first (in a long time) can’t drive home moment. Actually… maybe my first ever. All those other times were in situations where I a) lived in a city with a subway, b) was not the driver anyways, c) was within walking distance. I’m all for having a good time, but my motto has always been that you should stay within your means. Did anyone hear about the US ski team guy who “urinated next to an 11 year old” on a Jet Blue flight? After having a couple EIGHT cocktails? Yeah. So I was in NO WHERE near that condition… but it was a good call to not drive home. I know you were being generous Mr. HotToddieBartender, but 3 oz. of gin is not the equivalent one drink

(3) I didn’t swim from July 21st to August 14th. So much for consistency! I posted a Medical Monday about my EMG and my pinched ulnar nerve, and that pretty much prevented me from keeping the fingers on my left hand closed. Understandably, that made swimming a little difficult. On the 15th I got in a CHOPPY open water swim, and yesterday I got in a solid 3,000 with ZERO left hand weakness. Fingers crossed that I’m in the green blue. :)

There was another incident involving a yellow jacket down my sports bra while riding aero and flashing an entire baseball diamond (and team/fans/parents) while trying to get it out, but that one’s pretty self explanatory. Umm…. any other blushing moments? Yes. But I’m going to save a little dignity and cut it at that… ;)

Reader Qs:

YOUR TURN!!

-E

p.s. Please don’t think I’m kidding… it is taking me FOREVER to get through this Tried It Tuesday review because it has SO MUCH information!! Maybe I should stop short and just take a picture and say it’s awesome. But I feel obligated to do a more in depth review. So yes, it’s coming. If you’re looking for any more Dr.TriRunner writing, you can check out my post from yesterday at Groucho Sports: Strength Training for Cyclists (/Triathletes). Also, I am officially blogging for the College of Education and Human Development and the Kinesiology program at the U of MN. Any other collegiate triathletes out there? Anyone high school seniors looking at schools? You can check out that blog here!!

Category: Friday Confessionals | Tags: ,
The Triathlon Rx | August 12, 2011
7 comments

Friday Confessional // 08.12.11

Taking a break from the usual… and you get a video!! Be back with some fun stuff next week, including a book review, and a [IMO] pretty sweet Thoughts on a Thursday. (I started writing it last Thursday… but asi es la vida.)

Enjoy!

Additions to the Friday Confessions…

  • My hip feels like $#!&. End of story.
  • That being said… I had a kind of “good” run today. Good, meaning sorta fast. But still hurt like…
  • I’ve been driving around in a VW that sounds like a motor boat for a good while now. I apologize to anyone and everyone on my block who has heard me leaving to practice at 5:30 in the morning, and heard my engine start like a roaring lion. You can thank my less-$937 bank account for the quiet mornings to ensue.

Reader Qs:

This is still a Friday Confessional. You know how to play. (What? No? Read the 101.)

-E

 

Category: Friday Confessionals | Tags: ,
The Triathlon Rx | August 5, 2011
8 comments

Friday Confessional // 08.05.11

Yesterday I was wandering around Target, and found myself literally cracking up in the deodorant isle thinking about a post my buddy Steve did a few weeks ago for his “Funny Friday”. (Check it out yourself if you’re wondering why I’m posting about deodorant….) Seriously?? These are the scents… of just ONE brand:

  • Pure Sport
  • After Hours
  • Aqua Reef
  • Swagger
  • Matterhorn  (!?!?!?)
  • Fiji
  • Denali
  • Game Day
  • Pacific Surge (maybe this is different than aqua reef. Are there reefs in the pacific?)
  • Fresh
  • Show Time

Unless Fiji is referring to the smell of a Fiji apple… (oh wait, no. That’s FUJI. And it didn’t smell like an apple anyways – I checked.) then I’m pretty sure none of these are actually scents. Well… maybe Game Day. But have you ever been in a hockey locker room on game day? Smelling like that is not my goal. And if you’re trying to hit it off with the ladies… I recommend it not be yours either. ;)

Since Funny Fridays are Steve’s thing… and I’ve been running my Friday Confessionals… I’ll keep with the tradition and give you one: I bought the Old Spice Pure Sport. Actually… I wear men’s deodorant pretty frequently. When given the choice of smelling like I have a rose bush growing out of my axilla (does anyone else hate the word armpit?) or smelling like … clean? Maybe I’m crazy. But men’s deodorant always typically smells more clean to me.

In a few hours, I’ll be taking off to Duluth for the 25th annual Brewhouse Triathlon. Nope… this girl is not racing. But I will be an elite spectator and super fan. If anyone else is racing Brewhouse, make sure to let me know so I can be on the lookout for you and snap some photos!

Reader Qs:

  • Men’s or women’s deodorant?
  • Who’s doing Brewhouse, or any other race this weekend? Good luck!!
  • I know this is a somewhat untraditional Friday Confessional… but feel free to get it off your chest. ;)

Have a great weekend!!

-E

Category: Friday Confessionals | Tags: , ,
The Triathlon Rx | July 8, 2011
6 comments

Friday Confessional // 07.08.2011

Despite doing an early confession yesterday I still have plenty of things to get off my chest. If you’ve never played the Friday Confessionals game, check out the 101 HERE. Or don’t… the only rule is that there are no rules. Anything goes! (Just keep it PG-13. My parents read the blog. ;) ) Ready…? Go.

(1) You know how they say that when a tornado is coming, it sounds like a train? Well if you didn’t, that’s what they say. A few weeks ago (shortly after we just had a tornado touchdown in North Minneapolis), I was out on a ride. The weather had been kinda iffy when I left the house, but it wasn’t actually raining yet. Just humid, windy, and HOT. But I had miles to get in and riding the trainer in the summer is against my religion, so off I went. And I’m going along on my ride, just trying to pedal through the wind and stay aero and upright, when all the sudden I hear a train coming. And immediately my mind jumps to ohhhh $#!&. Saying prayers. <<And the train is getting louder.>> Wondering who I last told “I love you.” <<And louder.>> And I decide it’s pretty much over and sure enough…

A train passes me.

A real train. I was riding the north Cedar Lake regional trail, which happens to run parallel to a rail road track. Which is still used to carry stuff. By trains. Which sound like…. trains. Fortunately I’m not neurotic about dying in a thunderstorm or anything… ;)

BTW, if you want to make sure you don’t get hit by a train, or a tornado, you can check out this sweet Hennepin County trail map (PDF).

(2) I watched this video of a little kid doing bowers – a super advanced pushup, done from a plank, requiring ridiculous amounts of balance and jacked triceps. I used to be a gymnast, I thought. So I go on the porch and try to recreate the bower. And proceeded to crash and smack into a wooden futon leaving a rather large bruise. For the next hour I was trying to put together a strength program from all our old gymnastics workouts.

(3) My month-long intensive physics class started on Tuesday, and I have already skipped lecture. Twice. On the first day we got out early. On the second day, I left after lab and went on a bike ride with my boyfriend. And on the 3rd day, I left after lab and went on a run. !! Parents of college students (including my own who are reading), please do not turn your back on my blog! In no way am I condoning or promoting skipping class – especially class costs money, and tuition is expensive. BUT, when you’re covering the very basic of basics like UNIT CONVERSION, and the professor gives permission to leave to those who have already covered such material [in 5th grade], then by all means, go enjoy your day outside.

Reader Qs:

You know how to play. Let it out!

And with that, my friends, “I said GOOD DAY sir!” (Bonus points for the original reference!!)

-E

Category: Friday Confessionals | Tags: , , ,
The Triathlon Rx | July 7, 2011
No comments

Early Friday Confessional // 07.07.2011

I know it’s a day early for Friday Confessionals (or 2 weeks too late, depending on how you’re counting ;) ) but I had to jump the gun with this one. Would love if you’d hop on over to Groucho Sports and check out my Thursday post!!

Groucho Blogger Erika: Ignorance is not bliss!

Please tell me I’m not alone in this one….

-E

Category: Friday Confessionals | Tags: ,
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