Boot Camp, ASCA, Photo Shoots, it's all a blur

I've been busier than a mosquito at a nudist colony lately and I lost the plot with my training last week.  I went to enter Monday's workout into my training log and realized I hadn't logged a single workout last week.  Though I suppose this could be because I don't think there were any workouts after Wednesday's Hills & Drills Boot Camp due to not being able to move.  I'm pretty sure it was the 'step ups and downs' on the bench that did it.  Too many reps, too high of a step, I don't know.  This was after running up and down the bleacher stairs the full length of the high school football stadium.  For warm up.  Then we did a timed mile on the track.  My time of 8:58 was sort of depressing but maybe sort of not as bad as I thought it would be considering my mile pace on the trails has been in the double digits.  I never was very fast, even when I was on the track team.  I think my fastest mile ever was around 6:18 or something.  Oh yeah, and then we did some sprints up and down the football field with 'burpees' at each end zone.  After 3 or 4 sprints I was calling them 'pukees'.

Anyway, I could barely walk the dogs on Thursday and Friday and the agility trial on Saturday was looking iffy.  I was still a little sore when I woke up Saturday morning but thankfully I could walk and run for the most part so it turned out o.k.  While everybody and their Border Collie was at USDAA Regionals in New Mexico and everybody else who wasn't there was at an AKC trial, we were at an ASCA trial which I've never done before but the courses were identical to the sort of wide open courses you see in DOCNA.  In fact the Jumpers course was yet another monotonous run of pinwheel to pinwheel to pinwheel.

One of the nice things about ASCA is that they let you run without having to register with them.  They don't track your runs or give you titles but I could care less about titles so I was happy to save the $30 in registration fees.  They also let you run whatever level you want so I was able to run in the highest level and not have to suffer through novice.   We were only registered for Saturday but I had such a good time I decided to come back on Sunday since they were taking day of entries.

Another funny thing about ASCA is that if you have a Border Collie, you are the marker dog.  There were only 2 BC's at the trial both days and I was the only BC in Elite on Saturday.

We started off Saturday with Jumpers and I decided I'd throw in some rear crosses in places where I normally wouldn't just to practice and see what would happen.  It wasn't pretty and the run sort of went up in flames.  The next run was Standard and handling-wise it went much better but Strum missed his dogwalk contact and I think his A-frame as well.  I didn't realize ASCA uses a 5' tall A-frame, probably a holdover from the NADAC days, and I think this might have effected his striding.  The next Standard run was beautiful though, hit all his contacts, my timing felt good, one of those wonderful, smooth, connected, wheee! runs that gets the adrenaline flowing and puts a smile on your face.  That was the end of our day and part of me wanted to not come back on Sunday and end on a good note but it was just too much fun to not come back for more.  And we had 1st place and the fastest time of the entire Elite class.

On Sunday we did Gamblers and 2 more rounds of Standard.  Gamblers went o.k., it was mostly for practice.  The first round of Standard went really well again except I turned and left him too quickly at a jump and he knocked the bar but he got all his contacts and weaves and it was another fast, smooth run.  I experimented with some more rear crosses on the second Standard run and I ended up with some wider turns than I would have liked but no off courses.  Was another good run except for the wretched dogwalk contact again.  Sigh.

Final score was 2/5 good dogwalks, 100% weave poles on entries and staying in (SO happy for that), 4/5 A-frames, 4/5 teeters, only 1 knocked bar, no off courses and lots of running and fun.

I had more boot camp this week - weights on Monday, more track intervals yesterday and masters swimming after both boot camp workouts.  Exhausting.  But I feel good today, tired but good, no lingering, debilitating soreness so I guess my body is adjusting.  Felt almost fast-ish for the first time in a while at the trial too.  At the very least this training is great for agility.  I think it's going to help me with my triathlons as well.

I finally had a photographer take some photos for my website.  She was great by the way and charged a fraction of the cost that the foo foo photographers in Boulder were asking.  The website photos didn't take that long so she offered to take some photos of the dogs.  She didn't process them or anything, just sent me the raw images so don't judge her work by them but it was fun to have some extra photos of them, even if they refused to cooperate and face the camera.  It was pretty chaotic.

Somebody was awfully excited.

Somebody else couldn't keep her mouth shut.

And somebody else was fascinated by the fancy camera lens.

Actually he's fascinated by all cameras, that's why there are so few pictures of him on the blog.  Once he spots the camera and wanders over to it it's impossible to get him to step away.

That's it for now, I suppose I'd better stop stalling and go argue with my website about letting me post my nice new photos and my radio interview podcast.  If only my website were as easy as Blogger.

Radio Interview

Finally getting around to posting the link to my interview with ehealth radio.  It was on smoking cessation and you can listen to the podcast here if you like.  I finally had a photographer take some more professional looking photos (and I had a haircut) but unfortunately couldn't get them to the radio station in time so the photo is not the best but oh well.  At least the interview went well.  Too bad Oprah is off the air or I'm sure she'd be knocking down my door.

Week in Training

I never posted last week's training.  In short it was 7 1/2 hours total - 3 hours swim, 3 hours running, 1 1/2 hours biking on roads/dirt roads.   The reason for the shortfall was that Jonny and I dug up and seeded a 600 square foot portion of our yard.  It doesn't sound like much but even with a rented rototiller it was hard work and by the end of the day for the next few days both of us could barely move.  My hamstrings were sore to the touch for days.

I managed to get some decent training in over the weekend to make up for a week with no double workouts.  Would have been good to get some biking in during the week but today's 3+ hour ride on trails marks the farthest I've gone time-wise on the mountain bike in years.  Plus all the crazy during the week - it's hardest to get out on the bike when I'm pressed for time.

Yesterday's run also went well though with such fresh legs it had better have.  No ill effects from the hill sprints on Wednesday so I'm going to try to continue to go to that workout for the next month I have of bootcamp classes.  Never made it to the strength class on Thurs. due to that being my day of Crazy so I'll go tomorrow though tomorrow is shaping up to be busy as well.

Swimming went great this week except for Monday where I got stuck behind slower people.  I led the lane on Tues. and Fri. so I was able to push the pace and not get a break from drafting or held up behind other people.  Some guy did smack into me though, was doing backstroke and ended up in my lane.  This guy already has terrible swim etiquette, leaves 2 seconds off my feet, stops and stands on the side of the wall that you need clear for turns.  I so wish I could get in the next lane up but I'm not quite there yet and probably won't be in the next few weeks before we finally get outside in mid-May.

Such a beautiful ride today on the Blue Sky trail and then the race loop at Lory State Park.  I felt a lot more comfortable on the downhills then I did when we rode these trails a few weeks ago.  Nice and loose and relaxed.  I initially had a refusal at the one sort of, kind of technical switchback/drop off but  then I tried again and did it easy peasy.  Climbs seemed easier today too.  Training must being paying off a little.

More sunny blue skies at Lory State Park

I can't believe how green everything is considering the scant amount of moisture we've had in the past 2 months.  Can't even remember the last time it rained.

A small front did eventually blow in but all it did was provide some nice cool cloud cover, no rain.

You know it's a good day when your legs end up this dirty.

WEEKLY TOTALS

Swim: 6,850 yards/3 hours

Mountain Bike: 24.34 miles/3 hours, 11 mins.

Run: 9.7 miles/2 hours, 52 mins.

Total Training Hours: 9 hours, 3 mins.


I have an ASCA agility trial next weekend but just 3 runs/half a day so it shouldn't effect training too much.  Had a couple of agility practices this past week.  Shot some video but haven't had a chance to review it.  I'll see if I get it done this week.

Crazy Dog Lady Goes to Boot Camp Redux

I signed up for a month of boot camp classes through one of those Groupon knock-off type deals.  $15 for a whole month of unlimited classes sounded like a great idea at the time.  I showed up for my first class, 'Hills and Drills', on Wednesday and was the only one to show up because apparently the other regular folks had had such a hard workout on Monday that they were still licking their wounds by Wednesday.  So the instructor had me all to herself.  Which was maybe a good thing because it meant I didn't have to be mortified if I was the last one up the hill and everyone else was waiting for me.

Anyway, it's been forever since I've done running intervals and most of my running these days involves shuffling along and avoiding knee pain.  My introduction to hill intervals involved running up a big ass hill to the Starbucks where I was tortured with not getting a mocha for a reward.  Instead my reward was running in place while bringing my knees up really high until I felt ready to barf or hopping up and down off a curb until I also felt ready to barf.  Then down the hill for recovery and some funny lunge thingies at the bottom while a homeless guy watched on and probably thought we were crazy though maybe not because this is Boulder after all.

But wait there's more.  A 1/2 mile interval on Boulder High School's fancy pants rubberized track then a 1/2 mile cool down.  Then the core exercises.  I do a lot of butterfly kicking on my back in the pool at masters so I thought I had at least a smallish amount of core strength but it turns out I was seriously deluded.  We did maybe 4 minutes worth of core strengthening and once again I'm ready to barf.  Two days later my abs were still so so sore.  I'm scared to go to the regular weight/strengthening workout where they do a lot of core work.  Maybe too hard core for me or maybe it'll be good for me.  I guess I'll find out next week.

This has been a very stressful week on the work/business front.  I had a radio interview which I've never done before and found preparing for it very nerve wracking but somehow when I did the actual interview some strange, coherent, professional sounding person took over my brain and it turned out pretty good I think.  It's going to air on Tuesday and I'll provide a link when I know the time but I'll also have it as a podcast so anyone can listen to it anytime.

At the same time I was getting wound up over the radio interview I also signed a lease for a new office.  I was so excited about it because I get it all to myself full time and it's only $14 a month more than my current office which I share and only get part time.  I thought I had a month to month lease on my old office when I signed the lease for the new office.  But after the fact I decided to check the lease to be sure but couldn't find it and went into a panic because I found an emailed, unsigned copy of the lease that said it was for a year.  I was sure I'd had them change it before I signed it but I couldn't find the ammended, signed copy.  Tore my office apart, mad at myself that I'd somehow lost it despite being so supposedly well organized.  Was also freaked out with myself, not so much because I'd forgotten the terms of the lease but more so because I was so sure of them that I didn't even think to check until after I'd signed the other lease.  Is it a sign of early dementia?  Or maybe the boot camp is more of a sign.  Getting old is a bitch.  And Jonny found my first grey hair but that's a trauma for another day.  In the end I was either right about my lease terms or my landlord is really nice because he listed the office space on Craig's list before I had a chance to discuss it with him.  What an enormously huge relief that was!  The thought of having to pay for 2 offices for 4 1/2 months was also making me want to barf.  So happy to be through with all of that drama and all on the same day plus several hours worth of clients.  I'm also very excited about my new office, will be great to have a space that's all my own and no more folding up an acupuncture table and moving a recliner around every time I see clients.  I feel bad leaving my old place, the people were all so nice but I was having trouble scheduling clients into the hours I had available to me and was losing at least one or two clients a month because I couldn't work out the scheduling.  Was also having noise issues and my new place seems a lot more quiet.  Can't wait to move in next month.

Phew, bring on the weekend.  I feel a super long bike ride in my future.  And some agility fun.

Strummy says hooray for weekends!

Swim Progress

Great workout today at regular masters.  I led the lane so none of those times were drafting.  The 300 and 200's were on a 1:40 pace and the 100's and 75's on a 1:36!  So excited with those times.  My winter swimming goal was to get my pace under 1:40 for 100 yard intervals and I did it.  This was a stretch goal too.  Now to get it to transfer to the open water next month.

I think the drills this winter have more than paid off.  Yesterday's drill workout was low yardage and somewhat frustrating to be honest but it turns out I had picked up some new skills that I was trying out today and I could feel the benefits.

Warm-Up

350 yards choice

Repeat the following 4 times, 4th person rest
25 yards right arm only
25 yards left arm only
25 yards catch-up drill
25 yards free

200 yards kick (once)


Main Set

300 yards on 6 mins. (did it in 5:00)
50 yards on 1:30
2x200 yards on 4 mins. (did them in 3:19, 3:21)
50 yards on 1:30
3x100 on 2:00 (did all three on 1:36)
50 on 1:30
4x75 on 1:30 (did them in 1:12, 1:12, 1:12, 1:13)
50 on 1:30

Finale

Repeat twice, 3rd person rest

25 butterfly
25 back
25 back

I realize I'm due a week in training post but it'll have to wait, I'm swamped with other things. but I wanted to post this workout while it was fresh in my mind, mostly for myself so I can track my swim progress but maybe some swimmers out there are looking for workout ideas.  This one was fun.

Freaky Friday the 13th

Here's a fun little whodunnit for you.  I left my house with Strummer at around 8:20 this morning to meet a friend for some agility practice.  Which was very fun BTW, Strum was SO happy to be back playing and I'm finally working the rust out of my gears.  Anyway, I returned home at 10:00 to find all the carpets in the house had been vacuumed.

Cue creepy music, etc.

Actually maybe this is a better case for the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit.  I know there was no murder/serial killer but the psychology of behavior is how we're going to solve this mystery.

Let's go over the details of the case.  No sign of forced entry, nothing stolen, no other part of the house was cleaned.  Possible suspects include:

Unsub #1 - Miss Lola - Too much of a Diva for housework plus no opposable thumbs.

Damn Straight.

Unsub #2 - Professor Cody Baloney - Would totally love to vacuum the house if he could but again, no opposable thumbs.

Professor Cody  Baloney at your service.

Unsub #3 - Strummerpants - Normally would be Prime Suspect #1 but has a rock solid alibi since he was with me the whole time.

I'm pretty sure I'm innocent.

Unsub #4 - Vacuum Fairy - If only . . .

Unsub #5 - Aliens coming to earth to play practical jokes on unsuspecting earthlings

(Aside - I find it hilarious that if you google 'aliens smirking photos' you get a photo of Dick Cheney.  I'm not even kidding, try it for yourself).

Sadly the aliens option is looking like the best possibility at this point.  Unless of course someone finally invented time travel in the future and my future self came back to mess with me.  I could totally see myself doing that to myself.


But wait, Special Agent Garcia is hot on the case.

She tells me to go in the garage and check the windows and sure enough as soon as I look in my garage and see that one of the windows is no longer broken I crack the case. 

Garcia hacks into Jonny's email and finds out that he's made a 9:00 appointment with a window guy to repair one of the garage windows that was damaged in one of our zillions of wind storms this past winter.  Now why has he taken it upon himself to vacuum in this short window of time that he's home while the window guy is here?

Unsub #3 - I knew he was somehow responsible.

Wait, I thought I was innocent.

Strummer attacks the vacuum which makes vacuuming super fun so Jonny has taken advantage of his absence to run the vacuum in peace.  Case closed.

Week in Training

I know this was supposed to be a rest week but things got a bit ridiculous towards the end of the week.  Tuesday was a scheduled, much needed rest day.  Friday also ended up being a rest day because by the time I was done with clients, the wind was blowing at 45 mph and I wasn't going out in that.  I had big plans for the weekend anyway and figured another rest day couldn't hurt.  Then Saturday morning I came home from walking the dogs and turned my ankle when I stepped off my deck stairs.  Not sure what happened but next thing I knew I was lying on the ground.  I thought I was o.k. so didn't bother to ice anything but within the hour I could barely put weight on my knee.  Must have landed on it when I hit the brick pavers.  I had a huge bruise and another smaller bruise, lots of swelling, very stiff and sharp pain.  No way I could do anything on it.  Even just sitting on the couch Saturday night it was painful and throbbing away despite lots of icing, compression, etc.

It felt much better when I woke up Sunday and I was able to walk the dogs but biking was still out of the question since the range of motion required caused pain.  Wasn't sure if running was a good idea either and I figured at this rate just one more day of rest and it would be back to normal.  Was such a gorgeous day though, couldn't sit around so we went for a short, easy 1 1/4 hour hike at Betasso.

You can see the burn area from the Four Mile Canyon fire on the far hill.

Was a nice hike but I was jealous of all the people out on bikes.

Ah well, these things happen.  Then I twisted my other ankle on nothing in particular while we were hiking.  It occurs to me that the past couple of weeks I've had this occasional fleeting thought that since my training is going so well that I'm just about due to have something bad happen to me.  And of course having those types of thoughts is a great way to manifest having something bad happen to you.  I think this comes from about 6-7 years ago, this same time of year I was also in a very good place training wise and was planning on doing a half Ironman distance triathlon over the summer then got hit by a car, fractured pelvis, was out most of the summer, etc. so now every time I feel like I'm starting to get into good shape I feel like something should happen.  So I've been doing some mental re-programming and today while running I started to twist my ankle again but before it could really twist I managed to re-center myself and straighten my foot out before hitting the ground no problem.  The mind is a powerful thing.

Good news is that the knee is about 90% back to normal this morning and I had a good run with the dogs and I'm guessing that swimming later will be no problem.  I knew resting it one more day would be all it needed.

Strum had one agility practice last week and it went o.k.  I set up a handling exercise and it felt good to be practicing again.  I spent way more time setting it up then we spent practicing though.  I didn't want to overdue it so we only did 3 of the 6 possible exercises.  The dogwalk was down low and I couldn't be bothered raising it so I thought I'd let him do the low dogwalk and have some easy success but it was quite the opposite.  I got a couple good hits and decided to leave it be.  Looks like we need a remedial refresher course, maybe even some back chaining and the treat gizmo.  We've got a half day/3 runs at an ASCA trial at the end of the month for fun and to get us back in the ring before the 2 USDAA trials in May.  It's the same weekend as USDAA Regionals so I'm guessing it won't be too crowded and it's in one of my favorite parks in Denver so it should be a fun, relaxing trial.  I decided on only one day so I don't lose too much training time and so Strum doesn't overdo it.  He's shown no signs of lameness but I'm still being careful with him focusing more on conditioning (ie running with me) than agility.

WEEKLY TOTALS

Swim: 7,050 yards/3 hours

Mountain Bike: 0

Run: 3.1 miles/42 mins.

Total Training Hours: 3 hours, 42 mins.

Swim

Finally went to a regular masters workout as opposed to the less intense, less distance skills/drills workouts that I've been going to.  I love working on skills but this month I want to have at least one workout of harder, longer intervals so that I'll be prepared for the open water next month.  I was curious to see how I would do, it's been ages since I've been to a regular workout and feared I was getting soft.  But in the end I easily managed the intervals on a tough set of 200's.

Here's the workout for any swimmers out there who want to play along.

250 yards warm up

6x100 yards, 1st, 3rd and 5th are free with 5 secs rest, 2nd,4th and 6th are choice with 10 secs. rest

6x25 yards on 40, 35, 30, 40, 35, 30 secs

200 yards on 4:00 mins.
25 yards non-free on 35 secs.
200 on 3:55
2x25 non-free on 35 secs.
200 on 3:50
3x25 on 35
200 on 3:45
4x25
200 on 3:40

50 yards easy

50 yards non-free on 1:20
50 yards choice on 1:10
50 yards free on 1:00
Repeat 3 times for a total of 9

I did the first 200 on 3:20, the fourth on 3:30 and the fifth on 3:23, forgot to keep time on the other two.   I think the fifth was faster than the fourth because of the extra rest due to the extra 25 non-free.  I think the second and third were probably the slowest but again I forgot to keep track.  All of the workout was without drafting.  So happy with those times, especially since I haven't been pushing hard speed wise in the pool lately.

Looking forward to more 'kick your butt' masters workouts this month though I'll still go to one or two skills/drills workouts.