Holidays are here......

Tis the season..... and it is a lot of fun.   Family, food, wine, pie, biking and swimming note the absence of running.    JD came home for 27 hours for Thanksgiving and it was great to see him. Short and sweet but all family.  We hosted Thanksgiving and it was nice.  

We had the usual holiday stress when the Turkey was done, not done, but out of the oven.  Dad, John and bystanders offering advice.  My father handled it all with grace and the meal was sensational.   Combining friends and family is the best.   

Turkey week was a lot of riding... well a lot of riding compared to what I have been doing. Coming back from injury, surgery and time off it it a long road back. I am trying NOT to look at power and just put in the miles.   I am frankly happy to be riding with my friends and husband.   I rode nearly every day, some easy, some hard and then all hard because I was tired.   I am sleeping well and feeling good. 

Clothes are still snug....but with time probably post holidays the extra padding will come off.   I am officially waiting until Jan 1 and then I will have to dial it back and focus on what goes in the body.   Although I am going to experiment with some healthy holiday cookies.  The one I cannot falter on are classic Sugar Cookies- My Grandmother' recipe with buttercream frosting.  YUMMMM!!  That is motivation to train more.... eat more cookies. 















Sunday was mega fun... 100 x 100's in the pool.  Fun stuff.... I did this last year and it was brutal- Sunday we did it on a reasonable send off and while it was long and tiring it was manageable.  Dead arms and major chafing were the issues.... but it was what I love.  A big goal, camaraderie and team work.  11 of us finished the 10K but many more did between 0-75.  A big success for all.  So much fun in fact....we already planned the next adventure 12/22.  Tis the season to log swim miles :) Swimming 100 x 100 is "fun" ....but is really fun when it is over, bragging rights and all.

I logged another 3 swims this week. 1 ez 2000, a solid 4500 yard masters and then a 5300 self workout- which was NOT fast, as my arms are tired so i did all long slow and easy with intermittent toys - paddles, fins.. Today I went for a 4th swim and had nothing- after 1500 I called it a day.  23,800 yards for the week -  I am okay not making it to 25,000.   If you can't run....may as well swim a lot.  Dry skin, bleachy smell, itchy- just like the old days.  

As for the taboo subject.... running or not running as it remains.   My knee is coming along just dine.... my foot and the Plantar Fascitis are angry.  I am beyond angry, for the 10th time, I don't deserve this. Standing in bad shoes = no running for 8+ weeks.  I am sooo old.  Yeah....more swimming and biking.  I will run  soon, I will run soon....aggressively treating the PF!  

And am crazy busy ramping up coaching.  My Oceanside 16 week group kicks off Monday!  15 people for fun and adventure and my individual coaching is near max.  I have to limit how many I can take on in order to maintain the personalization that I am committed to.  I love love it and am eager to be working with so many new athletes and many who are embarking on their journey of their first Ironman.  Gets me excited thinking about it.