Saturday: I Flaked, but Pulled It Out in the End

So this morning, I hit snooze and then slept through the alarm the second time. I saw the clock at 7:00 AM when Ivan woke up, and realized that my whole running group was leaving out for the second round of their run. I flaked, and I don't usually flake on Saturday morning runs.

It has only happened maybe a couple of times, and usually when it does, I sit around on the couch all day feeling guilty and accomplishing nothing. Today, however, was different. Very different. I got up at 7ish and had breakfast (steel cut oats from the crock pot) while Ivan watched The Wiggles, and I read Andrew Jackson. I read Andrew Jackson for three episodes of The Wiggles, and then Ivan and I played around the house until it was time for his nap.

When it was time for Ivan's nap, I placed him in the crib and then I crawled onto the trainer for one hour and 45 minutes. I did the entire Spinervals Endurance Boost. It was not completely pleasant, but I was thrilled with myself that I made it the whole way through. Coach Troy had many intervals set up. As best I can remember it went like this:

• 5 minute warm-up
• 15 minute big chain ring interval with the back chain at 15
• 15 x one minute interval with 15 minutes rest in between each interval
• 10 x 90 second interval with 20 second rest in between
• 7 x 3 minute interval with 30 second rest in between
• 3 x 5 minute interval with 2 minutes rest in between
• 15 minute interval in the big chain with alternating cadence and postures
• 5 minute cooldown

It was a hardcore workout, and by the end I was hurting and really having to push to maintain Coach Troy's instruction. Also, Ivan woke up one hour and 15 minutes into the workout, and the final 30 minutes of the workout were somewhat compromised. I was forced to stop the bike on three occasions to chase down Ivan and firmly encourage him not to stand on the dining room table, dump Mommy's purse upside down, or terrorize the cat. I let him sit (bounce from knee to knee) in my lap while I rode my 5 minute cool down.

The second time I got back on the bike, I forgot to restart my Garmin and I cut off 15 minutes of my ride. So frustrating. All in all, I would say I rode 27 or 28 miles, which is really impressive right? It is the most I have ever ridden on the trainer, even in one of Todd's classes. I do have to say that I almost cannot fathom riding the 2 and a half hour Spinerval DVD. Good grief! Maybe I can recruit someone to ride with, because it would certainly help to have company so that we could gripe at Coach Troy and make up funny life stories about the people riding in class. Hhhmmm, must think hard about possible recruits.

After my ride, I loaded Ivan into the jog stroller and ran an easy three miles. It was really just to show my legs that I could run after a significant bike ride, and I could. Though I have to say, running with a jog stroller after a pretty hard bike ride does not see like an easy three miles.

Now, at home, my husband had brought home a Betty Crocker Brownie Mix, because a Publix grocery employee informed him that "if you like chocolate, you will like this". I have been trying to think of an analogy that I think is similar to this statement, and here it is: "If you like alcoholic beverages, then you will love Pabst Blue Ribbon". Pabst Blue Ribbon may be fine, but there are many alcoholic beverages that you may want to enjoy, and, truth be told, many that are better than Pabst Blue Ribbon. So I felt that the Publix employee statement was some sort of sarcastic oversimplification of the love of chocolate. Not that this stopped me from making the brownies and eating so many of them that I think there is a good chance that I will have to destroy the ones that remain, lest I eat them all. My husband has not eaten one, just so you know.

As for my goal of getting in some yoga, I achieved it. I am not yet finished with Andrew Jackson, but it is only 10:00 PM and I only have 35 pages left!!

Pics are of my leash walk with Ivan yesterday!!!