I got the nod from my coach Noa to do the criterium in Oak Bay this coming Sunday. I didn’t race at the Bare Bones duathlon in Penticton due to illness, so I was super eager to do SOME sort of race. I have never done a crit before, so I am predicting that I will be cautious and basically just avoid crashing and getting lapped.

I will do my first open water swim of the year tomorrow in Thetis lake. I am SO excited to swim outside instead of the usual long&hard Saturday swims. I will be swimming in the Orca Alpha again this year. This suit is incredibly flexible and the material in the shoulders in paper thin that I often think I am close to ripping it. But I am not! This suit is next to bomb proof- you can really tug on it (sans fingernails of course), and it fits like a glove.

This morning at Crystal Pool was my first LC swim in over 2 weeks… and Yes I find it makes a difference to how quickly you fatigue in a workout. Coach Noa put us through, what was close to the 7th circle of heck this morning. The MS was lots of band only (which I suck at- but AM improving), then 5×200 from a dive in as 50 fast, 150 tempo. I tightened my goggles, and was prepared to really just work til my arms and legs gave out. Not going to lie I was slightly shaky/excited when I told myself this is the start of a race, and tried my best to imagine there were others beside me.

OK, to me, tempo after fast just means don’t pass/black out. The 50s off the get go I often saw stars and felt like my lungs were on fire. The 150s felt better- relatively. This was incredibly exhausting and we did it 2 times thru. The 10th one I was told I needed to pick it up. Never before in training have I swam so afraid… but hey it worked!

I entered the most intense swim fog after the session, and once home and fed I listened to the Shins and just savored the tired yet buzzed feeling. Off to make some coffee then take my mom for a ride around the Waterfront!

Thanks for reading :)

I’m moving in a couple weeks, and hoping to get rid of some stuff. Please email me if you are interested emma.lujan@gmail.com I can deliver within Victoria.

Couch I got 2 years ago. I have it as a bench and chair in my house, but can be changed into a couch and ottoman. $200 OBO

My queen bed and boxspring. Sealy, about 3 years old. No stains or rips. Not a pillow-top. $100

I also have a small desk that is free to anyone who wants to pick it up.

“Never underestimate the importance of your ability to self motivate and learn. Even the most exciting projects contain mind numbing tasks.”

I took this from Leif’s site. I thoroughly enjoy reading everything Leif posts. And this particular quote really stuck with me the last few weeks.

Today was this first day in YEARS that I have not had to set an alarm to wake up. OK over-dramatic; not years, but rather exactly 5 weeks or so since the last day off training. Honestly, since it’s light outside at 6 it is not as hard to get up. And once you start doing that backtobacktobacktoback days it just becomes routine and not a such painful thing.

I have successfully finished off one enormous block of training. By far the most I have ever done. It really blows last year out of the water, and has allowed me to learn that 3 workouts a day is standard, 4 hour bike rides are not as scary as they once were, and I can swim over 6k in one go. It’s crazy what you can do sometimes.

Swimming is the one area that I spend the most time- with mileage flirting with 30km/week I have gotten accustomed to wet hair pretty much all the time.

Cycling has no more trainers attached! Unless it is full-blown hurricane season outside like 110km/h winds the other week… well then I’m on it.

Running. There is lots of running.

I have much more confidence in my ability to handle the training load and not be nervous by what might happen. I would often feel tentative during warm ups of what the main-sets would consist of. And even during the first few minutes of the WO I would fear it. I’ve grown to start anticipating the workouts and to be excited to start them… whatever they may be.

I’m thinking that attitude can translate to anything (ie. Racing): don’t be afraid, just do what you’re told & whatever is in front of you, AND have fun with it.

My Saturday routine consists of coffee, breakfast and riding from my house to Oak Bay bikes to meet the OBB group for their loop of the Saanich Peninsula. After the 90km session with the group I usually finish off around the waterfront (wind depending), sometimes the gallooping goose and always the Mt. Doug waterway. The group riding is really fun, and with no ride ever being the same, it mixes up my routine a manageable amount.

I then pop home for lunch, change and pack some food and eload for the swim. I have been meeting Claire and James at Crystal pool at 2:45 for a long aerobic swim. Something like 10×200 on 3:00 or 6×300 on 4:40 have occurred. Today, was 50s! lots of them.

We were slightly scared going in. A normal amount of scared, and a great deal eager to get some excellent swimming in and really punch out this set.

OK I don’t look that scared. I was hiding it.

I find my legs to be fatigued after the morning’s long ride, so this swim really forces me to use my arms. And if you have ever seen me swim, you will know that I’m all about the legs. So today I used my arms a lot more. The three of us worked well, and hard together.

Finished the 5300m off in just over 90 min (yay SC). We were exhausted, elated and excited for more. Well more- on another day.

I feel like a lot has happened from January until now, and a lot has, but its been a lot of the same stuff.

I guess its not news to anyone who sees me regularly, but I have opted to take a term off from University to train (and work occasionally). I plan on returning in Sept of 2012 to finish up my BSc with a major in Psychology and focus in Sports Psych.

I’m the type of person who does really well in a highly structured environment. And the past 10 weeks have been just that. My coach Noa has been steadily increasing the volume of my training and I feel I have adapted and conquered all she has planned for me. Lets just say I have yet to cry into my goggles, but tis only March, so I won’t get too ahead of myself. I have encountered zero speed bumps due to injury or illness, and because of this gratifying consistency I have noticed advances in fitness and form from week to week.

I have started helping Jason Ball lead the Monday night Run clinic out of Peninsula Runners Shelbourne. It is nice to be on the other end of the training/coaching relationship. Not to say that I am coaching by any means, (I don’t know the first thing of how to coach) I am there to give support & encouragement during the hill sessions and basically make sure people don’t get lost! I like it a lot.

Honestly there is really nothing else to say about what I have been up to. Lots of training, eating, sleeping and watching Senifeld and Modern Family. OH, last night was rather magical because post-run Alex, Geoff, Eva and I stopped at the store to get chocolate milk. Yes that was the highlight of my day. And it was a great one.

Oh yeah Snow Day!  Because it never snows in Victoria.. this is a big deal for us!

Snow day officially started for me on Tuesday afternoon.  I finished up my 1^st yoga class at 1:30 ( I am now ridiculously sore), whipped out to a couple appointments, and met up with Geoff at 4:45 for a 70min run.  We decided to take our chances with the cougars and run Uvic for a warm up and then do our main set around the Henderson chip loop.  This route proved to be perfect for running because the trails were neither frozen/icy, but rather were quite soft and relatively clear of deep snow.  I was pretty happy with the way I executed this workout because I have a tendency to start things too fast and then die a slow and painful death by the end.

Geoff and I took turns leading the efforts.  This was nice as I started them slightly faster, whereas Geoff ended them faster.  I also noticed I preferred following instead of leading.  I find I my mind wanders less, and I don’t think as much when someone else is setting the pace.  Don’t get me wrong, concentration is key, but I am talking about over-thinking.  By the time we finished it was dark, yet the sky was this pretty pink color which made it seem like twilight.  And it also made me really want some pink lemonade.

I slept in Wednesday morning because I was not about to drive to Commonwealth at 5am… at least not with my little car.   My Honda Accord truly is the ‘little-engine-that-could’, but I don’t want to push my luck.  I then received a text saying that Peninsula Runners would be closed, so no work for me.  Instead I spent some time on the trainer, then some many minutes in the water, and finally some time on foot slogging through snowy trenches.  I guess it was a pretty average past 2 days when it’s all said and done, but it felt magical and made me super excited to get up and MOVE!   Guess it really is the mindset you have about the conditions.  Please take care out there, and don’t go driving.

Well I think my body and mind are finally in the same place at the same time.  It took me over a week to get into the swing of a consistent and predictable routine.  Time off is nice, but being back to a normal schedule is more my comfort-zone.  I really like being told what to do, as well as following instructions so after 10 days of time off I get an itch to do things.

ANYWAYS, I feel that today was a turning point for me in the water.  I cannot quite explain what happened but something is different with my swim.  It is more relaxed.

Of all things it occurred during a pull set.  Normally when I stop kicking I will slow down and start sinking or swimming backwards, but not today.  I am uncertain of the specifics that changed, I believe that it was minor improvements everywhere, but all of a sudden I clicked on.  It was a magical thing, because not only was I moving faster, but I felt more relaxed.  And swimming felt easier.  I let the tension go from my shoulders and neck, took long breaths and tried to only focus on being relaxed. I felt loose and challenging 5k flew by before I knew it.

Another bonus was that I could keep up with everyone today!  OK they did a lot more IM while I did free but, regardless I noticed an improvement with myself, and at the end of the day that’s what I am happy with.

I am back into the swing of things here in Victoria.  And although my mind is super eager to tackle the task at hand, my body seems to be lagging behind; still stuck in vacation mode.

This morning I had my first swim back with Island Swimming.  I have absolutely no swimming pride when it comes to my Wednesday morning swims, because I know I will get my butt handed to me.  If I can make it through the warm up without falling too far behind – I feel good about waking up at 5 am.  This morning’s set had a lot of mixed strokes (I did free for most of it), and lots of kick.  So I figured it would be ‘easy’ for me.  Nope, it wasn’t!

I have been calming myself down since because I tend to over analyze things and go totally OCD crazy when I don’t have a good training session, race, exam etc.  At the end of the day, it is only one swim.  And an early January swim at that.  Geez, even writing those words it is hard to accept them.  I think the best thing, for me, in these situations is: decide on what the problem is, plan how I will change/improve things (be specific!), and then do something else- like paint some cute little Christmas crafts.

Or, read my book!  I have started the book ‘The Help,’ and I absolutely love it.  I am hoping to have it done by Friday so Noa and I can watch the movie.

OK all for now, thanks for reading!

Where I’ve been running…