Web of lies

This past week, my youngest daughter, Cheese, and Captain Destruction (with her encouragement) created a web of yarn that ensnared four chairs, the trampoline (doesn't everyone have a trampoline in their living room?), two tables, a toy fire truck, my bike trainer, stretched over three rooms, and used up two skeins of yarn (over 200 yards of yarn). I initially had thought that Captain Destruction did this on his own as he is very capable and very devious. I promptly scolded him, informed him about his lack of treat after dinner, and had him sit on the stairs for his time out. Then, as I was unwinding and wondering how many calories an hour rage burned, I started to notice the workmanship of the web. The delicate placement of the yarn on the items and tight areas in which the yarn was woven demonstrated fine motor skills that were far beyond the fine motor skills of a two year old. My wheels started turning and calories from rage started a burnin' when I realized what actually had happened...

Cheese made the web and let Captain Destruction take the fall for it!

I promptly called Cheese and she confessed to the crime. Her punishment was to spend the rest of the afternoon in her room up until dinner and was to go bed promptly after dinner. For Cheese, time away from me is a fate worst than death!!!

Other than my little spiders, things around her have fallen into a loud routine. Training is going well, only a few more weeks of making it up as a go along until I actually start a plan. Things will get a little shaken up this weekend however as signed up for a triathlon training clinic. The clinic is focusing on HIM and IM distances. Sunday's session is the second session. I missed the first one about choosing/creating a training plan.

Sunday's focus is "Technique - The First Building Block"

Here is the itinerary:

15 min - Introduction, explanation of importance of technique work
75 min - Swim - freestyle technique work in the pool
15 min - Changing time
60 min - Running form drills and discussion of good running form, short run
15 min - Changing time, set up bikes
120 min - Bike workout including technique drills

I am super excited about the information that I am going to gain from the clinic, but scared to death to go as I will not know a soul there. I am going to focus on my goals for the clinic and try to keep my fears and feeling at bay (i.e. mild social anxiety disorder).

Goals:

1. Gain valuable information on how to make me faster and/or more efficient in the swim, bike, run.

2. Get a good work out.

3. Receive semi-individualized instruction from a local professional triathlete and coach

4. Meet people (make (a) friend(s)?) that share same interest and possibly find a training partner or two (three hour bike rides are pretty lonely on your own).

There are two more sessions in the series that I hope to go to as well --Building a Strong Athlete -with the focus on strength training (ba-bing!! one of my weaknesses that I want to address) and Nutrition and Hydration Planning (something I totally need as I have raced most of my sprint distances and marathons on empty or fruit snacks!)

I will attempt to report after my session. I know it will only be positives and all of my goals will have been met.

I hope that your weekend will be a success as well.

There's a foul on the plate..

As I become more embroiled in the “multi sport” lifestyle, I find myself gravitating towards certain things.

I search for leaner sources of protein such as ground turkey. I am buying more organic items. I have contemplated buying bison and almond butter. I eat more fruits and vegetables, and have the desire to do yoga in order to build core strength, promote flexibility, and prevent injury. I pour over my sport specific magazines and intently read various training books to see how they are different than the plans I am using. I am informally researching coaches and planning my seasons years out as I serious consider attempting an Ironman the year my youngest is in kindergarten.

I also avoid things.

I don’t drink soda. I try to avoid caffeine. I don’t eat chips, candy. I rarely partake in fried foods. I avoid "scary" food such as hot dogs, chicken nuggets, patties, fast food. I don’t stay up late.

I did not know all of the ramifications of such decisions. Sure, I am gaining strength and speed in training. I am able to rebound quicker from hard workouts. Yes, I know that I am not packing on the pounds during the hibernation months. But, my recent discovery is too much….even for me.

It all started going awry a few weeks ago when I made chocolate chip cookies for my in-laws visit. My FIL likes all courses of the meal, including dessert. Chocolate chip cookies were quick and easy and the dough is good (only in moderation – see a previous post). Not able to resist a cookie (or 10), I had a few. The evening the in laws arrived we went out to dinner to a buffet. My FIL loves a buffet. I ate conservatively: salad, baked potato with a little bit of chili, and some soft serve ice cream. All these I considered to be safe foods. Throughout the night, my pipes were cleaned out. Okay, I reasoned, it must be the chili.

The next day, I had more cookies (let’s be honest, my son and I finished off the cookies) and homemade lasagna for dinner. That night, the pipe cleaning occurred again. I rationalized that my problems were due to left over affects from the chili.

Fast forward a week. Mr. Spie was invited to a chili cook-off party on Saturday. Friday, being a good guest, I made S'mores brownies to bring. Brownie batter is good too and the brownies were delicious. I will just leave it at that. What do you think happened overnight again? Yup.. Roto Rooter came a knocking. This time I could not possibly blame the chili.

Now, I am aghast (or a gassed). Have I turned my body against baked goods? Could it be that I can no longer enjoy (within moderation) chocolate chip cookies, brownies, cake, apple crisp, pancakes???? (Yes, pancakes caused distress the other night.)

The scientific part of me wants to bake a few things (chocolate chip cookies and brownies) and test for distress. The rational part of me is saying that there must be some other explanation. Your body just doesn't decide to reject baked goods. The nutritionist/triathlete part of me is saying "WooHoo! Another temptation gone!"

What to do, what to do? Has anybody else ever experienced this? What did you do?

PSA

Concerned about all members of the blogging community, I have decided to issue the following public service announcements.



PSA #1
Remember as a child when you watched a sitcom and someone put too much soap in the clothes washing machine and soap suds spilled out everywhere and you wondered if that really happened?

IT REALLY DOES.

PSA #2
If your two year old finds you and tells you that he "Put soap in the washing machine for you. Welcome!"

BE ALARMED. VERY ALARMED.