November Round Up

November was a down month unintentionally. Thanks, flu. You're the best. *rolls eyes*

Swimming: 5497.28m (3.42 mi)
Cycling: 44.48 mi
Running: 11.55 mi
Lifting: five sessions (1:52)
Other: one session sled hockey (1:15), three walks (5:00), one session yoga (:10)

The month started off just fine. I even managed well with some travel days and visiting Katie in Indiana (getting to swim in an amazing collegiate (yard*) pool). But the day coming back home turned into a giant shitshow, where I was supposed to go, simply, IND-MSP-DEN, back home by noon. Instead, it was IND-MSP-JFK-DEN, back home in bed well after 10pm. I managed to wake up early to do something I've wanted to for ages - sled hockey - but the rest of the day was rough. I cleaned the house and had to take an hour break in between dusting and vacuuming due to feeling weak.

I took a day or so off and then got back in the pool and the gym. And then ... it all came to a screeching halt. I texted a nurse friend my symptoms asking if it was the flu - yes it was the flu. Ironic as I had my flu shot scheduled for that week. I was praying and hoping I'd be better enough to try our scheduled trip over Thanksgiving to Belfast to see my college hockey team play in a tournament and, while still a mucusy mess (still), I felt strong enough to go. So we did. Although I brought workout clothes, I didn't manage to do anything but walk ... partially because Brandon got sick, too.

While I wasn't still in the thick of the flu, I definitely still wasn't well. 

(though if you know Europe and restaurants you know that leafy greens aren't really the biggest thing even though it's kind of getting better but it's still a lot of dense heavy salt-filled foods that made me super bloated despite how much water I guzzled down.)

I still wouldn't consider myself 100%, but I did manage to get back at it yesterday. A swim and a lift then, a bike and a run today. I'm taking it easy, but I'm getting back at it. I have no idea whether I'll be able to hit the goals I was hoping for (100k swimming, 1000 mi cycling, 400 mi running) especially while walking the tightrope of trying not to get sick again, but I will certainly try.




* so in theory, the two main pools I swim at are 25m length as that's what the front desk people have said and as there's no signage anywhere (or a set length at 24 pools), I've gone with it. But the swim at IU made me think that maybe I've been swimming yards all this time. Who knows.

October Round Up

Still not racing. Still apparently just doing these. Kind of wondering if it's even worth blogging.

Meh. Although I enjoy this if it's read, I really started this more for me, you know?

Maybe. Maybe that's another lie I keep telling myself.

Onward!

Swimming: 3800m (2.36 mi)
Cycling: 95.33 mi
Running: 40.65 mi
Lifting: 12 sessions (2:48)
Other: one hike (:30), one game hockey (1:00), one walk (:45), two yoga sessions (:32)

Did not even come close to hitting my swim goal. The pool has been a struggle and a half lately. I've even gone so far as to ask for accountability from the world of social media. So, if you follow me on the Instagrams (@tgeist23), and you haven't seen some picture of a pool in my stories in a few days and I am very clearly not traveling somewhere ... please please pleasepleasePLEASE yell at me. Kthx.

I for some reason thought my cycling goal was 150 mi (since I guess I changed it to 100 in my planner but couldn't tell). If I had remembered that it was 100 ... I totally would have forced myself on the trainer for a small ride to hit the stupid 100 miles.

Running ... it took until the last day, but I hit my 40 again.

Hiking really hasn't been a thing thanks to weather and life and ... whatever, but I did get a small one in. More importantly, we actually played an actual game (well, drop-in) of hockey for the first time in either 8 or 9 years! And we didn't die! And we'd in theory like to try it again!

******

I don't know why October got so rough. Or why it was so hard to hit the pool. The end of the month went downhill thanks to me getting sick - we babysat my niece and nephew and the little germ factories put me down for the count for a few days. I'd been successfully running every other day since ... mid-August, I think? ... and I actually missed two this month thanks to feeling like death.

I let myself take it easy, though, and take the mental break, hoping it'll help get me through the end of the year.

As I mentioned last month, I have no specific monthly mileage goals from here on out. All I want to do is hit 100k in the pool (~34k away), 1000 mi on the bike (~ 200 mi away), and, if possible, crack 400 running (~80 miles away). All are doable ... even with the planned travel we have in November. The first is probably the hardest to do, but it just requires some focus.

I may toss in a random 5K or two as well, but also maybe not. We'll see.

In the meantime, I'm also doing a lot of work planning for next year, since it's going to require quite a bit of it.

Hopefully see you here again before December but if not ... well, I'll be here to tell you how this month went.