New Spinning music

At some point I'll get back in the habit of posting my Spinning playlists, I've been slowly modifying an interval class that has turned into a great profile, I'll get that posted eventually, along with my all classic rock class that the earlybirds seem to really enjoy. For now, though, I figured I'd post a few new songs I've added into my playlists.

(Note: "New" doesn't mean new, just new to me... or rediscovered!!)


Modest Mouse: Float On, warmup or climb

Every time I hear P!nk's latest song I think about this one... which made me want to hear it!


Flogging Molly: Don't Shut 'Em Down

Heard at a race. Thank you, Shazam.


Flo Rida: I Cry

All over the radio. But good for jumps.


P!nk: Walk of Shame

A little bit dirty but I found a clean version. Very catchy.


Walk the Moon: Anna Sun

Good for a slow, steady climb.


Rolling Stones: Get off of my Cloud

My latest classic rock obsession.


Hellsongs: We're not gonna take it

Not a spin song. But I enjoy it.

Downtown Fitness Club and the 1,000 burpee challenge

Burpees are the epitome of all that is evil in this world.

Which really doesn't explain why I accepted the "1,000 burpee challenge" at the Downtown Fitness Club.

I joined the DFC a few months back for one reason: They have a great pool void of the ear-piercing screaming kid problem rampant at so many other clubs (ahem, downtown YMCA).

I wasn't too keen on the rest of the club, the equipment was kind of old and on the particular day I visited I sensed somewhat of a meathead vibe in the weight room.

But the place has really grown on me. It's a neat club, huge in terms of square footage, and there's plenty of equipment. While some of it is old, most of it is well maintained, and the meathead thing must have just been an anomaly, the crowd has mostly been wonderful, and I've run into a lot of other marathoners which is encouraging.

They have something called the Athlete program -- basically crossfit without the trademark. It's something I'd love to do but time doesn't allow. I went to a meet a few weeks back, where we had to flip tires, beat tires with a sledgehammer, carry tires up steps and run dragging a tire behind us. It was pretty awesome.

The program is now hosting a 1,000 burpee challenge, to be completed over three weeks, and I took it. I still can't make the workouts, but I'm making progress on my own!

I started the challenge three days late, so on Thursday I had to play catch up. I was attempting to clean up my apartment, so I got little sets done in between chores. 200. BAM!

Friday was a lifting day. I did them between sets. Another 150. BAM!

Then Saturday my wrists hurt. So I took then and Sunday off. Today I got in another 50 after class.

So I'm sitting pretty at 400/1000 with nine days to go.

I've got this.

Race report: Fleet Feet Dirt Cheap Race Series, Stage race #2

This weekend was freakishly beautiful.

Fleet Feet Rochester had its stage races this weekend, three events in two days. I had wanted to do the 11-miler Sunday, but decided leading up to it that I was in no shape to do it. So, I made the split second decision to run the 5.5 miler instead.

Then I realized it was at a place called Devil's Bathtub at Mendon Ponds Park.

This is looking down from a steep grade. It looked brutal at first, but we came up in a spiral along a staircase so it wasn't bad.

The 5.5 miles turned out to be 4.6 miles and I felt great throughout. I finished in 54:55, 15 out of 22 in my age group. Not bad considering how little running I've been doing!

The hills weren't bad by any means. I walked it up a few of them, no sense in wasting energy given that I wasn't gunning for any kind of prize. Some of the downhills were also too steep. I managed one spill.

There was this really cool area around Mile 3 where we were hopping over logs.

To keep "dirt cheap" in the name (and it was!) there was no swag. Next year I must complete the full series, a 3 and "5.5" mile race Saturday and the 11 miler Sunday. Then I'll get a sweatshirt! :)

Playing catch up

See you in a few months, non-stationary bike.

Have I really not blogged since the Autumn Classic?

I'll use my usual excuse, I've been busy :)

This is one of four posts I'll have in the next few days... I need to write about my most recent trail race, the 1,000 burpee challenge I took on and some great new songs for spin I've discovered!

The election was... the election. Crazy busy up until the end, when we all got the results the pollsters said we would get. For a slight peek into my professional life, check out the fact checks myself and my colleagues were able to put together. I'm quite proud of what we were able to do!

But enough of that! Some updates on how my Musselman training is going (and other randomness that I feel like writing)!

There have been a few freak nice days but for the most part the bike has been shelved for the season (tear). I'm glad I got in as much riding as I did before it got cold and dark. But now it's cold and dark.

I set a goal of doing three lifting sessions, three swims and three runs or spins each week. Haven't gotten there yet, I will this week!

I've realized I'm not very good at resting. My initial instinct when I took some time off after the election was to pick up some extra spin classes. (I've got a song post coming.)

I am getting AWESOME in the pool. Well, nowhere near awesome. I'm still pretty pathetic, actually. Right now I'm up to two and a half laps without stopping, 25 lap total. Given that I couldn't even do the breathing thing three months ago, I feel awesome.

I'm really noticing improvements in my strength, thanks to my trainer. I can do 35 pushups, 47 decline crunches and hold a 4:00 plank. And some other benchmarks I can't recall at the moment.

I still haven't been running much, but every time I do it seems to come back naturally, so I'm going to keep focusing on swimming and strength and pick up on it in the spring.

Lizzie Dog is upset that I am not sharing my Wegman's salmon with her. I guess I could spare one bite.

Trader Joe's is finally open! Just in time for me to realize that I could find most of the things I missed there at Wegman's. But no matter! I got some ginger pear tea, frozen mahi mahi and cheap Gluten Free waffles. YUM!

McKenzie's seasonal reserve hard cider may well just be the death of me. And I have a P!nk song in my head.

Ok, that's all I got.

Race report: Rochester Autumn Classic Duathlon

A rainy morning. 

I am now a du-athlete. And once I get that pesky swimming thing figured out, this half-iron is in the bag!

On Sept. 30 I finished the Rochester Autumn Classic Duathlon in 2:15:02 (had I not forgotten to take my helmet off at one transition I could have been under 2:15... gah!!! Yes, I know my goal was 2:30.) Many apologies to the few who care about taking forever to get this report up, as mentioned in my previous post, life has been busy busy busy!

The du was a 2 mile run/10 mile bike/2 mile run/10 mile bike/2 mile run.

Here's the breakdown:

• 2 m run - 19:17
• Transition - 40 seconds
• 10 m bike - 37:35
• T - 60 seconds
• 2 m run - 18:43
• T - 41 seconds
• 10 m bike - 38:38
• T - 28 seconds
• 2 m run - 17:58 (negative splits wee!!) 

I wake up to the clank clank clank of rain pounding against my air conditioner. Always encouraging on race morning :-/ I got there, caught up with a friend, and it's still pouring. But as time to line up nears the rain is down to a light drizzle. 

I size up the competition. Lots of hardcore looking people there. I was one of the few on a hybrid. For the Formula 1, the longer race that I did, it was mostly men. They yell go and everyone takes off. For the first tenth of a mile or so I'm at the back of the pack running an 8:00 mile. Crap! I don't want to finish last. Panic sets in. I ease up to about a 10 minute pace and since they started the sprint distance people five minutes later it was hard to tell where I ranked. I run most of the two miles with another guy who kept saying "yea, I run a 10 minute mile I know I'm slow". We're running just under a 10:00 pace and all I kept thinking was "slow down slow down slow down or you'll never make it." But the pace felt comfortable. 

We get into transition, I go through seamlessly, and the guy I was running yells "hey, Ohio!" as he whizzes by me on the bike. I'm riding in a steady line of people so my fear of being in last place subsides. I get over the hills without a problem, and go back to transition. This is where I almost ran off with my helmet, thank you awesome guy working the transition area who stopped me! I take a Honey Stinger, kick it up and...

Owww.

This does not feel good. I knew what to expect from practice but I didn't account for the hills. I cannot feel my legs. My quads are burning. It was a weird sensation only comparable to the last six miles of a marathon. I have no sense of how fast I'm going. I feel like I'm barely shuffling along, but when I look at my watch I'm still running sub-10s. I get through the first mile, and my legs ease up and then the second mile is quite pleasant. 

And then, just as I'm back to the running groove, it's time for the bike. In the 18:43 I spent running some sinister jacka$$ went out and doubled the size of the hills. This bike was rough. I was shifting on hills that I hadn't shifted on the first time.

Further, all the sprint distance people were done, and I'm all by myself. Fear of last place sets in again, until I pass someone fixing a flat. Thanks to the wonderful Fleet Feet crew I didn't get lost since I could no longer use my usual follow-the-person-in-front-of-me strategy. 

The whole 10 miles are a struggle. I just want to be done. I run in my bike, barely stop and kick it out for the run.

Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. 

It's even worse than the second run. I feel like I can barely control my legs and my knees are knocking together, something I have never felt before. The only thing that's keeping me moving is me wanting to be done, "you haven't walked yet don't do it now" I keep telling myself. Somehow, some way, I find the energy to make it through the two miles and kick in in. Matt the trainer is there cheering, yay! 

Age group award! 

I catch up with David, who finished 15 minutes ahead of me and is up on the results. He tells me that he didn't see any women my age ahead of me... hmmm.... There weren't a lot of women, period. I stay for the awards ceremony.

They call my age group and go immediately to second place, which means there was only one other woman. They call a name, and it's the girl in pigtails I passed during the final run. Then they call first place for my age group and it's me! I never win anything... and first out of two is still first :)

It was all in all a great race, I'll definitely look for the spring classic! 

Getting my ambition back... and my next race

I know.

I know.

I know.

I've been a real bad blogger lately. (Yet somehow I eeked out 2,200 hits in September.)

There are many reasons for this: Work has been insane. My home computer is on the fritz. I'm trying to get outside as much as I can before the long winter sets in. And, well, I've kind of been addicted to this tv show (which I finally finished)...

(Warning: Long, ramble-y, probably pointless post ahead.)

Anyways, I've got a race report on the Rochester Autumn Classic Duathlon coming after I write this (though I'll probably space them out to autopost). I also have a doozy of a cycling playlist to share. But a brief Facebook conversation with an MIT friend inspired this post which I wanted to get done first.

My running hit an understandable lull during and after the move. The fact of the matter was, running was not going well even before I took the new job. In Ohio I was in a rut but my running buddies kept me moving. I left them to come to New York, and without a group or a race to train for I didn't look forward to running. It felt like a chore. Plus I was getting slower, not faster. Not encouraging.

I knew I was burned out but I've never been very good at resting. So I did what any clinically insane person endurance athlete would do and set my sights on a half ironman. You know, because a sprint tri would be too easy logical.

So for about three months now (has it really been that long?) I've hardly been running at all. I've been on the spin bike. I've been biking. I've been swimming. I've been working on my strength. I've been stashing my pennies away so I can buy a road bike in the spring (what does it say about me that that's a bigger priority than a computer?).

In three months of very little running (occasionally I'd toss in a 3 or 4 miler) here's what I've been able to accomplish:

• I can do 30+ pushups in one shot. When I first started focusing on my strength, I could barely do 8.
• I can hold a plank for three minutes (I'm no Kimberly Bouldin). When I started getting back to core work I was up to maybe a minute.
• I can do 200 squats in one shot on the BOSU with 5 lb weights. I remember struggling with 50 before.
• I'm up to 20 smith rows, again in one shot. I think 8 was my limit before.
• I completed a century bike ride with killer hills. Before moving here my distance PR on the bike was 40 miles all on a flat.
• In general, I kill it on the hills on the bike, where I used to struggle with the slightest incline.
• My trainer said my balance has improved substantially.
• I can now do three lengths nonstop in the pool, and I'm totaling just over a half mile in the pool for each workout. I know on the surface that's not impressive, but when I moved here I didn't even know how to breathe correctly. 
• I'm becoming a much better spin instructor. The bikes at Rochester Athletic Club have computers so I'm using RPMs in my teaching and learning so much. 
• I'm learning how to teach a new class, total body sculpt. It's your basic, full body lifting class, and I'm learning lots as I slowly get my routine together.

I'm working with a trainer who's helping out tremendously, and I credit him with all the improvements to my strength. The strength has helped my speed. I've also been trying to eat cleanly and cut most processed foods out of my diet (some days are better than others).

Going into the du, I had the biking down pat. A few hills, no problem! I  was nervous for the running. I had practiced on and off the bike to get ready for the transitions. My garmin is on the fritz (some days it works, some days it doesn't) so I haven't had much sense of my pace.

A week ago Sunday, I surprised myself big time.

Before my little hiatus from running, I was running at about a 11-12 pace. At the du, I was consistently doing sub-10 minute miles! My 3 2-mile splits were: 19:17, 18:43, 17:58 (sub 9!!!!)

Two work friends just did the Chicago Marathon. At work, inspired by them and still reeling from my du, I decide, "I think I'll run tonight."

I found myself super-excited about it. The same way I used to get so excited for every run. All the time. I went for three miles, the 10:40 pace felt easy. It was a wonderful night.

Friends, I have my running mojo back :)

So time for the next challenge: Fleet Feet Dirt Cheap Stage Race, Nov. 11, Mendon Ponds State Park.

11 miles. Time to ramp up the weekend distances in a hurry.

I'm mega excited.

Spin playlist: Digging up some classics

Tomorrow (Saturday) my spin students are going to suffer the consequences of one undeniable and unfortunate fact: I was a student of the late 90s/early 2000s.

Translation: Jessica got bored Friday night and dug into the trenches of her music collection.

I pulled out a few gems, mixed in with the same old same old (because I'm a creature of habit). This is intended to be a rolling hills class, with grueling uphills and super-fun downhills :)

I will be a better blogger... soon... life has just been a little crazy lately!

Pink - Trouble: Warmup

Walk the Moon - Anna Sun: Start of a long uphill, start easy and slowly add, use all three hand positions

The Doors - Hello, I Love You: Grueling two-minute uphill in standing 3

Pat Benatar - Hit Me with your Best Shot: Speedy downhill, pickup from 1:15-1:45

Matt & Kim - Good Ol' Fashioned Nightmare: I use this song too much but it's so perfect for JUMPS!!! :)

My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade: Another song I use way too much, but perfect for ROLLING HILLS :) :) :)

Glee Cast - Halo/Walking on Sunshine: Speedy downhill in 1 and 2!

Rolling Stones - Honky Tonk Woman: Back to the climb

Cake - The Distance: Keep climbing with 3 pickups by 5 RPMs

Gina G. -- Ooh Aaah Just a Little Bit: Quick downhill

Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling: More rolling hills, with more jumps!

Matt & Kim - Spare Change: Short recovery

MC Lars - This Gigantic Robot Kills: Quick downhill

Big & Rich - Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy (laugh all you want, LOVED THIS SONG in college) - Uphill

Nelly - Just a Dream - Cool Down

Upcoming races

Now that the unplanned century is done, here's what's on my plate for upcoming races:

Sept. 30: Rochester Autumn Classic Duathlon, 2 m run, 10 m bike, 2 m run, 10 m bike, 2 m run

Nov. 3: Mendon Trail Run, a 5K, 10K or 20K, whatever I think I can do :) 

It looks like there's an indoor triathlon that goes in March that I may want to try, but this website isn't updated :( 

Race report: Highlander Cycle Tour Corkscrew Century

Best swag ever.

Observation #1 from my first organized bike ride: Cyclists kinda speak a different language. "Hey flat handlebars, nice." "I did that whole hill in the big chain ring." There was no t-shirt involved either (just a bottle of wine, which more than makes up for it!)

I asked someone there, "where's the starting line?" "The starting line?" "Yea... where we start?" "Oh, there's no line, persay, just roll out whenever you want. Go that way."

Observation #2: After waiting in long, long, long ladies room lines before MIT and running events watching men walk right in and out of an empty bathroom, I learned that distance cycling is more men than women, sweet revenge, muhahaha.... :)"

Observation #3: Once they're done bragging about their equipment (ah-hem, Mom ;) ) they are such a wonderful community! I was lucky to not get a flat, but my chain popped out (shifting too quickly) and three people stopped in the middle of this massive uphill to see if I needed help. And everybody I saw changing a flat had others helping.

I did the Highlander Cycle Tour Corkscrew Century Saturday. I rode 101 miles in 8 hours and 7 minutes at an average of 12.5 mph.

(This will be a long post, but it was a long ride. The short version.)

First Century complete!

Well, the blogging from the road thing didn't work out so well because once I was within 10 minutes of Bristol Mountain there was no cell signal and it remained that way the few times I checked during the ride.

Here's the short of it! I'll do a full race report tomorrow and upload the few photos I took. Right now it's Netflix time.

The course: Rough! So hilly! (And my course was the easier of the two Century options.) I actually had to walk my bike up a few hills, and according to my Garmin (no clue if it's accurate) I hit speeds of 30 mph going downhill. Now that was fun.

The event: The Highlander Cycle Tour, Corkscrew Century. I highly recommend it, they did a great job from start to finish.

My time: 8:07, a 12.5 mph pace.

The weather: Miles 1-50 - cool, light rain; miles 50-70 - pouring rain, I could barely see at some points! Then at Mile 70 it cleared up and at Mile 90 the sun came out -- glorious!!

More tomorrow:)

Corkscrew century: It's go time!

Maybe ill get a new sticker for my car today :)

Follow me on my bike ride tomorrow! (maybe)

I'm going to attempt to blog/Tweet/Facebook photos and updates from my bike ride tomorrow. I'm doing the Highlander Cycle Tour starting at Bristol Mountain in Canandaigua, starting at 7 a.m. I might be riding 41, I might be riding 100, I really don't know yet :)

I say attempt because:

• I might not get cell phone signal
• My cell battery might not last the entire trip
• I might get too preoccupied and forget
• I'm not sure if I set up TwitterFeed right

So if you don't hear from me by midday tomorrow don't worry. If you don't hear from me by midday Sunday please kindly come to about mile 80 of the course and scrape my remains off the side of the road :-P

We'll see what happens!

Duathlon practice

I'm a little nervous for the Rochester Autumn Classic Duathlon Sept. 30, mostly because it's going to be my first multi-sport event. So this weekend I got a little practice in.

My mom came to visit this weekend bearing gifts! She brought me some cycling gloves, clip in shoes that fit my hybrid, and best of all -- smaller tires! Now I can go faster. If I'm pushing, I'm riding around 16 mph. If I'm taking it easy I'm going around 14. Before it was 11 and 14! This made me very happy. Thanks mom :)

I did two rides with my mom while she was here. On Saturday we rode the canal trail to Pittsford where we got dinner and gelato. Then Sunday, via my mom's suggestion we rode the duathlon route at Mendon. The hills were killer. Absolutely killer. I loved it!

The main thing I'm nervous about, though, is transitioning to running. I haven't been running much lately, so this morning on the advice of some Facebook friends I went out for another brick workout. I rode to Pittsford and back, which is 20 miles, and got off the bike 5 times to run -- 3 times running one mile, twice doing a half mile.

Running right off the bike reminded me of the last few miles of my marathons. My legs were completely numb and I had no sense of how fast I was going. I thought I was chugging along at a 12 minute mile, but when the laps on my watch reset I was running closer to a 9:30! Ooops! (At least I'm getting faster again).

But each time I feel like I'm recovering and getting into the groove of the run faster, definite plus!

I'm a little sleepy now... hello Netflix.

41 or 70 next week?

UPDATE: I SIGNED UP FOR THE 70!!!

Sept. 8 I'm signed up for the Highlander Cycle Tour through the Finger Lakes (Canandaigua). I've never done an organized bike ride before so I'm pretty stoked about it. At the end of the month I'll be doing my first duathlon at Mendon. I'm also swimming regularly and getting into the groove of a regular strength training program, so things are shaping up nicely for triathlon training.

My distance PR on the bike is 56 miles, done on all flat surface, with a nice stop for ice cream/flat tire fixing halfway through.

I signed up for the Yodeler ride at the Highlander tour. It's 41 miles. Here's the description.

"The Yodeler was redesigned last year with two objectives in mind. To provide a sample of cycling in the Finger Lakes to the recreational cyclist not ready for a century ride and to provide friends and relatives of the century riders the option to ride the last five miles together. The Yodeler Tour has three route options that meander the Bristol Valley and Canandaigua Lake scene. The full 41 mile ride involves 2200 feet of climbing, with shorter options of 11 or 16 miles with less climbing, about 400 and 1000 feet respectively. They all have the Scenic Overlook rest stop on County Route 12 on their routes, with a great view of Canandaigua Lake as seen on our home page. At the rest stop the riders can meet up the century riders and ride together the last five miles. We’ve packaged as much vista and flat terrain as possible in these short but sweet rides. With just enough challenge to create that mountain-top experience, you’re sure to come away singing. Riders will enjoy the same amenities and many of the same scenic views as the longer riders."

But now I'm wondering if I can push myself a little further and go for a 70-mile option. According to the description, the short course in the Corkscrew Century is about as tame as it gets as far as hills go in Canandaigua. The description:

"We received many accolades last two years for this scenic course and last year the majority of Highlander riders chose this ride so we made no changes to this ride. You might want to bring a camera to save some of the scenic views if not a wine glass and stop along the way. In keeping with objective of this ride, it features the scenic beauty of the Finger Lakes while taking the gentlest route possible in this hilly terrain. It is a 100 mile ride, with a cumulative climb of about 6000 feet but nothing above 10%. You can also take shorter 70 mile option."

Hmmm.....

Highest month yet!

5 days left in August and I'm already having my highest month in traffic yet, with 2,414 hits. The previous record was May 2012 with 2,288.

To be fair, a lot of that traffic came from a since-expired Chicago Craigslist link to a post I did last month about Craigslist scams.

Friday I worked with the trainer, Saturday I spun then rode, today I did spin again then swam a half mile. Now I'm enjoying some much needed couch and TV time right now with Lizzie, who's a happy greyhound because I had a definite eyes-bigger-than-stomach moment when I made brunch not too long ago, and she's a big fan of eggs and sausage.

I love love loved both the classes I taught this weekend. Today's was huge!! 28 people, I've never had a class that big! They were all really enthusiastic and worked really hard (and, as I've become accustomed, thanked me for favoring the Rolling Stones over anything techno.)

Congrats to all my Columbus friends who ran the Emerald City Half Marathon in Dublin! I'm loving all the photos and race recaps on Facebook.

Now, in reruns of Lost, Sawyer just challenged the rest of the camp to a ping pong match and Hurley got the van running.

Zzzzz...

Foodie Friday: It's 5:00 somewhere

It's Friday which means it's time to talk about food. But we're talking about something far more important than food (but can be found in a food store, so I say it still counts.)

I, of course, am talking about beverage :)

On my new and improved Foodie Friday feature, I'm comparing two glorious grocery stores, Wegman's (because I like to brag to my friends in Ohio), and Trader Joe's (which will be here in October. I may or may not be counting down the days...)

At Wegmans

I'm no longer a beer drinker. While I'm happy in my Gluten Free life, I miss my wheat ales terribly (yes, I know they make GF beers, but they're just not the same). Wegmans has a great selection of hard ciders though. One I've found is McKenzie's Black Cherry cider. Nice, dry, refreshing and yummy.

But, for all the beer drinkers out there, one beer I recognized right away is Brewery Ommegang Witte, brewed in Cooperstown. I loved the white ales and this one was especially delicious.

At Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's is known for their wine selection, although they do have a small selection of unique beers. I sincerely hope the new TJ's strikes a deal to stock more wine (otherwise I'll be really sad). There are too many wonderful wines I've gotten there, but this one stands out in particular.

2009 Cocobon. It's light, and has hints of coconut, mocha and cherries. So wonderful.

Another week almost done. Cheers!

Run bike swim run bike swim

I'm going to do the Rochester Autumn Classic Duathlon at the end of September. It will be a 2 m run, 10 m bike, 2 m run, 10 m bike, 2 m run. Naive me posted on Facebook "I can do that! That's easy!" To which my more experienced tri friends responded: "No, that's absolutely not easy." (I'm cross posting this first part from the Daily Mile with a few revisions because I'm lazy)

I'm still trying to build my running back up, it suffered during the move, so on Sunday I decided to do my own mini dual -- 1 m run, 5 m bike, 1 m run, 5 m bike, 1 m run. This was all after riding 20.

The first run felt great! I was under a 10:00 pace and sure that voice was there "slow down or you'll never make it" but silly me ignored it. Then I was off on the bike for 5 miles... which turned into just over 6 because I needed a place to lock it up.

I then went to run again. And wholly hell. My body was so confused. My legs did not feel right. But slowly I got back in the groove... just in time to get back on the bike.

The bike ride started out rough but then started to feel good, but by this point I am so tired and just want to be done. I'm dreading the run at this point.

Most of the run was rough until the very end, when I was just so happy to be done!!

Next time will be easier :)

Now back to that whole swimming thing...

After my swim lessons last week I realized that RAC's teeny tiny pool isn't going to cut it (plus it's way out in Perinton), so I'm back on the market for another place to join. I'm looking for a reasonably-sized pool with reasonable hours at a reasonable cost.

The first place I scoped out was the Y. I really liked the staff there, but unfortunately joining is impractical. I'd be paying $62 a month, and most of the stuff there I get at RAC.

Yesterday evening I went to Downtown Fitness Club. This seems like a good option. The rest of the club did not impress me, but I really liked the pool. It was quiet and a good size, and not crowded (and no screaming kids!) For $30 a month it's a pretty good option.

There are two other places I need to check out. The first is the Adams Street Recreation Center. It's a stone's throw away from my apartment and it's only $2 a session to swim. But the hours are extremely limited. There's another club called Harro East, but I can't find any information about it online.

Foodie Friday: Super size me

Last week I brought back Foodie Friday with a little catch :) Moving to Rochester means shopping at Wegman's, which ranks right up there with some of the other Greatest Places On Earth.

But I'm missing one of the other Greatest Places On Earth, Trader Joe's (and Earth Fare... and Whole Foods...) But alas! My beloved TJ's is coming in October!

So Foodie Friday now serves a dual purpose: Bragging to my Ohio friends about my new grocery chain, and educating my new Rochester friends about the glory that is Trader Joe's :)

Today's edition: Things you can buy in massive quantities

One of the most glorious things about Wegman's is the club pack. All around the store, you can get big packs of items at really good prices.
My favorites so far:

• 2 lbs of strawberries for $5 (once I consumed an entire pack in a single day)
• (A lot) of sweet cherries for $7
• A big pack of chicken (that's not inflated with antibiotics) for $2 a pound
• A big pack of 90% lean ground beef for $3 a pound
• 2 lbs of tilapia filets for $10

I'm working on my upteenth club pack of strawberries right now so I was going to compare produce, but the fact is, produce isn't Trader Joe's strong suit. But then, when I started thinking about buying in bulk, I thought of the perfect thing.

Like any good Italian, I go through olive oil like CRAZY. And it's not cheap. But at Trader Joe's you can get an entire liter of cold pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil for $6 (disclaimer: I have not compared the price to Wegman's yet, but you must believe me that this stuff is awesome!!) 

As you can see, I'm 1/4 of the way through the bottle. I wonder if the rest will last until October :) 

Swimming lessons Day 3

I've had my third swim lesson, and today I feel like I graduated from hopelessly-thrashing-around-in-the-water to "you actually look like a real swimmer!", as my instructor pointed out.

I still can't do more than a lap before getting winded, but when I started I could only do a half lap before I had to tread water and cough the water out of my lungs. It's still a long way to go before 1.2 miles but it's progress!

I got insanely lucky with the lessons. They're supposed to be group lessons at the Y, but I'm the only one in the class. The first day the instructor really didn't know what to do. Even though I had asked for Red Cross Level 4 she said the only thing she could really teach was how to help people get in the water and do basic movements. But, the lifeguard on duty does Ironmans, so they switched places, and he was awesome! Then the instructor Tuesday does triathlons. Both Alex, the new instructor, and Randall, the lifeguard, have been teaching me with an open water swim in mind, so all the form and technique I've been learning is specifically geared toward what I'm training for. They taught me to rock back and forth and extend my arms more.

Monday and Tuesday it was hard to focus on anything else but breathing. They tried to teach me about strokes but it was hard to focus on my form because I was more worried about, well, you know, not drowning.

But today, the breathing came easier! Alex helped me form my stroke so I move faster in the water, and it worked.

One swim lesson left in this session but I'll probably do more down the line. Yippee!!!

Swimming lesson Day 1

I'm already over 1,100 hits for the month. Traffic actually has been way up the past three months, even though I had several lulls where I didn't post often during the move. Thanks for reading, all :)

This week I'm taking swim lessons at the Carlson Metro Center YMCA in Rochester. Tonight was my first one, and all I must say is: Swimming is hard! I left the Y feeling kind of defeated, but after chatting with a few Facebook friends I realized that the only thing holding me back is the breathing, then it will get easier! So tomorrow I'm going to go to the pool before my lesson to just practice that (maybe alternating with some quality time in the sauna) and hopefully by the end of the week I'll have it down!

I'm getting nervous about Musselman, mainly because there's an eight-hour cutoff time. It took me 4.5 hours to do the bike, I know I can get faster but... I'll need 2.5 for the run and at least an hour for the swim. That cuts it close! Maybe I should find another race... but I so want to do this one!!

334 days til the race!

1/3 of the way to a half iron

I had a great bike ride today, 56 miles in four and a half hours! I'm happy that I got the distance in but I would like to get faster, I averaged 13.1 miles per hour (coincidence, I think not!) I also need to get better on hills.

On the downside, I discovered that the canal path is not all paved, so I went up to Greece, then down to Pittsford, then back to Greece, then home.

On Saturday I'm going to a flat tire clinic, because today I got insanely lucky! I got a flat right in front of a bike shop in Pittsford. So I got a bit of time to explore the Pittsford waterfront, which was beautiful!

I got lucky again, where minutes after I got home it started pouring! Oh, and I also saw someone walking a cat on a leash :-/

I've decided on two events I'm going to do before the year's out.

The first I've already mentioned, the Highlander Bike Tour in the Finger Lakes Sept. 8. There's a 41 mile ride with optional 11 and 16 mile loops.

The second is the Rochester Autumn Classic Duathlon Sept. 28. It'll be a 2 m run/10 m bike/2 m run/10 m bike/2 m run. Should be interesting!!

Foodie Friday: I love Wegman's, I miss Trader Joe's, I heart nut butters

I've never been very good at remembering to post something like this weekly. Usually I'm good about it for a few weeks then it fizzles out.

Living in Rochester means shopping at Wegmans, and the place is a palace. There's a whole Gluten Free aisle and so many great food finds!

On the other side of the coin, I'm missing my Trader Joe's :( But it will be here in October so I feel I must educate my new Rochester friends on the glory that can be found there. (But what will they do about their wine selection??)

So, I'm bringing back Foodie Friday with something I love, and then something I miss, for as long as I decide to keep it up :) !!


WHAT I LOVE AT WEGMANS

My parents can attest to this: I hate peanut butter. Hate it hate it hate it hate it. It makes no sense! I like peanuts, I like peanut butter when it's mixed with other things, like soy sauce or chocolate. I like almond butter and cashew butter and sunflower seed butter. But by itself, or with the trusty sidekick jelly: Eww.

I was craving some sunflower seed butter when I went to Wegmans last week (I'll get to that in a minute). After getting a "wait what's that" from the clerk, he spoke into his walkie talkie then directed me to the organics section.

There was a small selection of nut butters that contained this gem: Earth Balance coconut and peanut spread. "81% peanuts with extra virgin coconut oil". Creamy. $5.

To buy or not to buy? I hate peanut butter. I love coconut. I took the plunge.

I was a little afraid of it at first. I brought it to work with some rice cakes to eat instead of my protein bars, which I'm trying to give up. Like clockwork, my tummy started to rumble around 4 p.m. Snack time! I fished out a plastic knife, ripped off the seal and spread it on the rice cake.

Total deliciousness.

I'm not a food writer, but it was just a little bit sweet, a little bit salty, and very filling! It has agave syrup but no added sugar, 190 calories and 6 grams of protein in two tablespoons, vegan, naturally Gluten Free

It doesn't need to be refrigerated, so it's going to live in my desk with my trusty pack of rice cakes.


AND NOW, WHAT I MISS AT TRADER JOE'S

So what kept me from buying the sunflower seed butter at Wegman's?

It was $8!!!!!

At Trader Joe's, you can get a jar of sunflower seed butter for $5.

As much as I enjoy non-peanut butters, sunflower seed butter is the only one I bother to dig in and eat directly from the spoon (or whatever utensil is most handy). Before I give the empty container to Lizzie, I make sure every salvageable bit is gone. So yummy! Very creamy, sweet and salty. And addicting!

So, Wegmans, your peanut and coconut butter will tide me over, but I can't wait for decently priced sunflower seed butter! 

Putting my money where my mouth is

File this under: "Did I really just do that?"

I know I've talked the big game of completing a half ironman time and time again. The process often went like this:

1) Say I'm going to do a half ironman.
2) Jump in the pool.
3) Realize swimming is hard.
4) Get a flat tire on the bike
5) Realize bikes are complicated
6) Look for another marathon

But I've done three things this week that will get me on the track to 70.3:

1) I signed up for swimming lessons. Next week Monday to Thursday from 7 to 8 p.m. I'm going to be taking adult swimming classes at the Chester Carlson Metrocenter YMCA in Rochester. It wasn't expensive, and hopefully it's beneficial.

2) I hired a personal trainer. Rochester Athletic Club has a variety of trainers available, it's affordable and one of them is an experienced tri- and dualathlete. We'll see how it goes.

3) Saturday I'm going to a flat tire clinic.

Right now my goal race is the Musselman Triathlon. It's through the Finger Lakes, which will be amazing, but it's in July, which makes me nervous. I don't do well in the heat.

If I flub it or if something happens like the extreme heat warnings at Muncie, my backup will be the REV3 race at Cedar Point in September.

There's more to write, namely what I'm going to do in the next 6 months (teaser: bike ride in the Finger Lakes and possible Ragnar fun in the Adirondacks). But I'm teaching a spin class in seven hours and someone hasn't made her playlist yet ;) (Don't be confused, I set things to autopost in the morning even though I write them at night.)

#whatdidigetmyselfinto

I found RAC, and I'm back to teaching!

I have really, really missed teaching Spinning!

I was going to wait until after the election to find some classes. But then I got here, started taking a few, and realized that I wanted to be in charge again (it's the only way to guarantee that I'll like the music, after all!!)

There are a lot of gyms here, and I'd really like to say I did my due diligence and scoped out them all, but as it turned out I found a new fitness home in the second place I went to, Rochester Athletic Club.

I was impressed by RAC for a number of reasons. They came highly recommended when I asked around. There are five clubs, some for women only. Their equipment is modern and in great shape. I like the atmosphere inside the clubs, nobody makes me feel intimidated or stared at like many of the storefront meat markets around.

After a quick audition, I was brought on as a sub. I'll probably just sub until after the election, when my work life will get considerably easier, unless an early morning time slot opens up. Getting hired there allowed me to peek inside the inner-workings of the club, and I was impressed by the professionalism and organization!

So, my first classes are Wednesday and Thursday and I'm stoked! Albiet a little intimidated by the microphone (at the LCFYMCA I got away with just shouting half the time lol!)

To half marathon or not to half marathon?

I'm in a total quandary over whether to shoot for a fall half marathon.

I'm thinking about it because I miss it! I miss racing! I want a new medal!

But I just can't run in this heat, and we all know how I feel about the dreadmill... (>:-O)

Here are my race options, if I do decide to go for it:

Rochester half marathon, Sept. 23
Pros: Close to home, cheaper, a good way to see my new city and get to know the running community
Cons: Too soon, would already be behind in training, might be really hot out race day

Wine Glass half marathon, Sept. 30
The ultimate pro: I mean, "wine" is in the title... come on now...
Other pros: Close to home, beautiful, easy course
Cons: Still sooner than I think I can be ready for, a bit pricey

Columbus marathon, Oct. 21
Pros: I was already planning on going to volunteer, the time frame works, it's cheaper
Cons: I've done it before, if I run it I can't volunteer and cheer everyone on

Ideally I'd want to do something in November or December... but there aren't a lot of options near me. Las Vegas in December would be amazing, but it's a bit out of reach. I found this half marathon that was done last year in Corning, but their website hasn't been updated so I don't know if there will be a race this year. There also appears to be some kind of trail race on Nov. 3 at Mendon Ponds, but I can't find much on that, either...

Another option would be to find some kind of bike ride! Must research :)

Update! I found a bike ride! The Highlander Cycle Tour through the Finger Lakes has a 41 mile option. Not expensive, perfect!

(I'm just in it for the bling.)

Beyond my running dilemma, life is good. I'm getting more and more settled and a learning my way through Rochester's spaghetti-like highway system. The job is just nuts. The days fly by so fast because I'm so busy. I've found a good gym and signed on as a substitute cycling instructor (when I sat down at my computer I meant to make my playlist but instead killed an hour writing this blog. Ooops.) More on that later!

NEW GOALS: Getting back to training

Hereby, I am announcing it. Jessica's marathon training blog is going to have a new name shortly. Because I'm giving up on marathons. At least for the time being. (Keep reading, keep reading.)

I've had a few other priorities the past couple months. All in all, I totally dropped the ball on my training.

It's kind of hard to admit. I excited about training for another full only because I was coaching with MIT. I wasn't looking forward to weekday runs, but I powered through them to get to Saturday mornings, which I lived for. It wasn't about me or what I could do. It was more about getting a group of first timers through. But I had to give that up when I took the job here in Rochester.

Since then, I haven't been that excited about running. The few times I've been out, it's felt good, but I haven't felt the motivation or drive to get it done. A big part of it is the weather, I just don't do well in the heat.

So I've decided that next year I want to earn another sticker on my car beyond the 26.2. So next year I'm going to go for the 70.3. (I will find a shorter tri to do first, of course!)

This is the one I have my eye on right now, the Musselman Triathlon in July in Geneva, right in the Finger Lakes. My other option will be the REV3 race at Cedar Point in September.

Most training plans are about 20 weeks long. So, if I'm going to do the July race, I need to start training in February. If I'm going to do the September race, I need to start training in March. That gives me plenty of time.


I have a lot to learn. First: How to swim. Second: More about the bike. I can ride, but I can't change a flat. Third, I need to get settled and in with a group here. There's a beginners womens' riding group that goes out on Wednesday nights, and Fleet Feet runs Tuesday, Friday and Saturdays. There's a triathletes group but they seem beyond what I can do.

Learning to swim will be the top priority. I'm trying to settle on a health club right now, and once I do, I'll see about lessons.

I also am going to try to run a half marathon this fall. I found a 3-day-a-week training plan to go off. It won't make me fast, but it will keep me going. I'll either run the Columbus half at the end of October, or find one here (no luck yet). Maybe I'll go for another half in early spring.

Lastly, a big priority for me right now is finding a new club to teach at. Finding a health club is hard when you have options! I miss teaching and am eager to get back to it. More on that later.

So, with a new goal comes a new focus. Stay tuned for more on my adventures learning to swim, learning more about the bike, and keeping the miles up on the Asics!

There's one more goal, but I'm wavering on if I want to make it public or not :)

I'm still alive, I promise

Phew! It has been a crazy week and a half.

I have all kinds of updates I'm wanting to do, including a long-overdue thank you to an awesome moving company that totally bailed me out. But, in between learning how New York government works (or how it doesn't work, as I've learned in some cases), finding a new gym to teach at (lots of options... I miss the bike), continuing to get myself and Lizzie settled, and continuing my obsession with the Walking Dead...

Maybe this weekend :)

A big shoutout to my Columbus friends! My weekend just wasn't the same without MIT Saturday morning. I did do a great 20-mile bike ride along the Genesee River and the Erie Canal trail. Beautiful! I haven't run much. I'm toying with the idea of doing a fall half on a 3-day a week schedule, but I have other plans in the works... must learn to swim and build up the arm muscles first :)

Exhausted but in my new home :)

It has been a long, grueling few days but I am now safe and sound in my new apartment in Rochester, NY.

I am now accepting applications for people to come put my apartment together for me. ESP skills are required, as I tend to like my stuff arranged in a certain, cluttered way yet I have no idea how to articulate what this way might be :)

My mom will come tomorrow to help me get settled, and she'll be bringing Lizzie dog back to me.

My blog will probably be dark for a few days as I get settled, explore then start a new job.

So far, though, so good!

Review: Gluten Free Palace and Kaia Foods

Recently I used the daily deal site Gluten Free Saver to get coupons for Gluten Free Palace and Kaia Foods. Both coupons were $30 worth of stuff for $15.

These are sites I was both very impressed with, the stuff I have tried from both has been very good, but at the same time I likely won't be ordering from them again because their prices were so high. I think they might have been related because they looked similar.

From Kaia Foods I paid $15 for the coupon, $0.55 in additional costs, and $5 in shipping. For $20.55 (what would have been $35.55) I got:

Jessica's lack-of-power struggle, Wednesday

NOTE: This harrowing tale was originally recorded using the ancient methods of a pencil and paper. It was transcribed Monday night in a format easily readable by others (because no one can read my handwriting) and set to autopost throughout the week.

Translation: Jessica was unable to watch “My Name is Earl” reruns on Netflix after a nasty windstorm knocked out power for several days, so she continued to blog on paper. She watches too many apocalyptic movies, so the second she has access to Netflix you will find her motionless on the couch rewatching “The Stand”, because that’s what she’s been comparing her experiences to all weekend (even though they didn’t have smart phones or iPods). Oh, and also the #Anniesmove episode of Community.

See all parts here.

 

Power lines caught in downed trees on Church Street -- likely why I'm still out.

Wednesday, 11 a.m. – I am now the 31%.

Most of Licking County has power and I still don’t. I kind of wish today was a work day. Can’t I just take my holiday when the lights come back on? I dropped my phone off at work to charge for a bit. Time to keep packing, one week until the move!

An Alabama Power worker on Church Street, near me.

Wednesday, 3 p.m. – It’s one thing when the whole city is out. You get into a “we’re all in this together, let’s go get a bottle of wine” mindset.

But when AEP is celebrating 70% power, you want to yell at each passing utility truck: “Hey!! Me next!”

I felt a glimmer of hope as an AEP pickup rolled slowly through the alley and stop by the neighbor’s. I went inside to get two bottles of water and snack bars, the best bribes I could come up with for information, but when I came back out they were already gone.

My neighbor tipped me off to some crews working on Church Street, one block over and two blocks up. Armed with my self-appointed “Official Advocate Tweeter” title, I went over to scope out the scene and take some photos.

It was ugly, tree trunks in yards and power lines snarled up in branches.

My buddy’s here. Time to go seek out a cold beverage.

Bad damage to another house.

Wednesday, 5 p.m. – Nothing yet. But now that I’ve had some hard cider and good food I’m feeling a bit better. 

It’s been 120 hours. I need to pack, but I’m climbing the walls. It’s 87 degrees in my apartment, so I can only get a bit of packing done at a time. Upstairs is completely uninhabitable. I’m so over this.

Time to run my phone to work to charge again.

Wednesday, 6:00 p.m. – Arg.

Perhaps the worst part? The sign in UDF’s window: “We are out of ice cream.”

Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. – I was picking out all the hoodies from my closet to pack and loud cheering erupts across the street. I try the light switch. Nada.

Seconds later, I hear a click.

Then there’s cold air blowing against my heels and the light above me illuminates.

I squeal loudly, then I see the neighbor in his yard. “We’re back!!!” I yell. Then I punch the down button on my thermostat all the way to 65, and close all my windows. “Isn’t it great to have power,” someone walking down the street says as I close my living room window. “Yep,” I say. Once I’m sufficiently sealed from the noises of my neighborhood, “Now I don’t have to listen to you clowns anymore.”

Time to zoom to work to get my phone to broadcast the good news to the world on Twitter, go to Brandie’s to get my food, then spend the evening comatose on the couch.

My favorite episode, and quite appropriate.

The epilogue: 121 hours without power. That’s longer than I’ve ever had to go – by about 118 hours.

I spent last night watching the Walking Dead and Community under a blanket. I was cold and I was loving it. 

I posted celebratory posts on Facebook and Twitter, but knew I couldn’t gloat too much. Lots of people I know are still out.

I offer up my washer and dryer and AC to those that need it, as others did for me. Now it's back to work -- lots to do before I skip town next week!

Jessica's lack-of-power struggle, Tuesday

NOTE: This harrowing tale was originally recorded using the ancient methods of a pencil and paper. It was transcribed Monday night in a format easily readable by others (because no one can read my handwriting) and set to autopost throughout the week.

Translation: Jessica was unable to watch “My Name is Earl” reruns on Netflix after a nasty windstorm knocked out power for several days, so she continued to blog on paper. She watches too many apocalyptic movies, so the second she has access to Netflix you will find her motionless on the couch rewatching “The Stand”, because that’s what she’s been comparing her experiences to all weekend (even though they didn’t have smart phones or iPods). Oh, and also the #Anniesmove episode of Community.

See all parts here.

TUESDAY 1 p.m.: The lights came back on at the Advocate this morning. We were able to move back upstairs a couple hours ago.

I got my hopes up after I got a text from my landlord, so an hour ago I ran home to check. Still no lights on at home L I’m getting anxious, mostly because many areas of Newark are coming back up but I’m still in the dark. If the lights are still off tonight I’m going to go to Brandie’s to do laundry and take a long, hot shower.

Breakfast was melon and a protein bar. Lunch was almond butter on rice cakes. I really want some real food, something that doesn’t have a bar code or come in a package.

Jessica's lack-of-power struggle, Monday

NOTE: This harrowing tale was originally recorded using the ancient methods of a pencil and paper. It was transcribed Monday night in a format easily readable by others (because no one can read my handwriting) and set to autopost throughout the week.

Translation: Jessica was unable to watch “My Name is Earl” reruns on Netflix after a nasty windstorm knocked out power for several days, so she continued to blog on paper. She watches too many apocalyptic movies, so the second she has access to Netflix you will find her motionless on the couch rewatching “The Stand”, because that’s what she’s been comparing her experiences to all weekend (even though they didn’t have smart phones or iPods). Oh, and also the #Anniesmove episode of Community.

See all parts here.

PART 5

Dark newsroom.

Monday, 1 p.m.: I have limited computer and Internet access here at work, but no time to play online, so while they have us shut down to install and ultra-mega-generator, I’m going to continue to “blog” on paper.

There’s still no power at home, and we were working off a smaller generators at work, sharing computers and phone lines.