<img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: 0px;" title="151" src="http://ionlyweardresses.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/151.jpg" border="0" alt="151" width="525" height="384" />

<span style="font-size: x-small;">{Cardio Bunny </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdaggar/1702979796/">floats</a></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">!}</span>

<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">First, my WEEKLY MILEAGE is below:</span></strong>

<span style="font-size: x-small;">6/21/2010    4 Miles
6/22/2010    0 Miles
6/23/2010    8 Miles
6/24/2010    6.25 Miles
6/25/2010    0 Miles
6/26/2010    0 Miles
6/27/2010    7.25 Miles
<strong>Total Miles    25.25 Miles</strong></span>

<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">WEEKLY RECAP:</span></strong>

<span style="font-size: x-small;">I definitely didn’t hit my mileage goals and to be prepared for the end of the summer races, I need to step up my game.  I was sad to miss the United Race for the Zoo because of my swimming lesson but I have found the perfect race:  the Elvis is Alive 5K.  I’m been obsessed with Elvis Presley since I was two and would listen to all my dad’s records.</span>
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<div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89MihWd6zKk&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0" target="_new"><img style="border-style: none;" src="http://ionlyweardresses.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/videoa243e86d639c.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">{"Don’t want to be a tiger, ‘cause tigers play to rough, don’t want to be a lion, ‘cause lions ain’t the kind you love enough!"}</span>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span>

<span style="font-size: x-small;">{The original version of <em>A Little Less Conversation</em> – which re-emerged in 2001 as a hit song.  Check out the classic 60’s dresses in the clip!  If your mom has those in her closet, get in touch with me:D! }</span>

<span style="font-size: x-small;">On average, I run about ten miles a week but that was cut in half the last week.  I’m pleased with my progress but stay tuned for my training – cardio bunny sees a half-marathon in her future!</span>

<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">MEMORABLE MOMENT THIS WEEK:</span></strong>

<span style="font-size: x-small;"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: 0px;" title="article-1265954-092192FD000005DC-697_634x441" src="http://ionlyweardresses.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/article1265954092192FD000005DC697_634x441.jpg" border="0" alt="article-1265954-092192FD000005DC-697_634x441" width="525" height="365" /> </span>

<span style="font-size: x-small;">{Cardio Bunny </span><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1265954/Is-bunny-hopping-mad-Its-time-rabbit-whisperer.html"><span style="font-size: x-small;">floats</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> some more!}</span>

<span style="font-size: x-small;">I’m sure the picture gives it away but that’s right – Cardio Bunny floated for the first time.  It was a surreal lesson – I was just not performing well with my breathing lessons, when my coach, Amie Krueger, decided to try something new and have me get acclimated to floating.   I assumed I never learned how to swim because I didn’t want to and that I wasn’t afraid.  I disliked putting my face in the water but heck, I couldn’t be afraid.  I was so wrong.  Apparently, I was very afraid, and tears, clawing (poor coach!), and thrashing ensued when she was carrying me on my stomach.  I’m not the kind of person who likes to make a scene but I didn’t notice the obvious throng of people who were staring and enjoying the show.   No amount of whispering “sea turtles" to myself would get me to calm down (even my coach tried to remind me of what I would see in South America once I was swimming) but I’ve never felt so helpless or scared in the water. </span>

<span style="font-size: x-small;">Coach Amie calmed me down and helped me practice the position until I got it right.  Constantly hearing <em>relax</em> and <em>loosen your muscles </em>also helped but finally she dunked my head ever so slightly in the water which seemed to make all the difference.  I was having trouble figuring out her instructions to push my head in by leading with my chin (remember, to a first time swimmer this is completely unnatural for the body so the natural inclination is to just <em>not</em> do what you are being asked) but when she dunked me, my body just gave in and I held my head under water for eight to ten seconds looking at the blue stripe.  I was so shocked it was happening – I was floating with my face under water.  I wasn’t scared and my body felt like every muscle from head to toe was working together – now I know why people find swimming so relaxing.  At the end of the lesson, my longest time underwater was a little over twelve seconds. </span>

<span style="font-size: x-small;">Floating on my back is even more fun – the quiet of water sloshing about your ears is something I have never experienced.   I am also excited about the core strength that swimming required – she had me kick around the pool whilst holding onto her shoulders and yes, it was a killer workout (this explains her fabulous, lean legs). </span>

<span style="font-size: x-small;">I’m really pleased with myself.  There’s something in most platitudes, especially in the one that reminds us to go after the things you are especially afraid of.  And let me put it out there for the universe to process, even though I just floated at most for twelve seconds, I can’t ride a bike, and I can only run a mile and a half really fast – I plan on completing a triathlon some day.  That’s right.  Cardio Bunny will be completing a tri. </span>

<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>WEEKLY GOALS</strong> </span>

<span style="font-size: x-small;">My goals are diverse for the coming week.   I want to end the month with 15-20 more miles completed even though I will be under for the monthly mileage goal.  I’ve been mostly concentrating on running 12-minute miles but would love to see that get significantly lower by the end of the summer.  I plan on running four times this week and concentrating on my 10K program. </span>

<span style="font-size: x-small;">I’m giving a lot more time to my swimming – I am going to practice breathing under water three more times before I see Coach Amie.  It’s a weak point and by the end of July, I want it to be my strong point!</span>

<span style="font-size: x-small;">What fitness goals have you set and reached that you never thought you would?  What’s your goals for the coming week?</span>

<span style="font-size: x-small;">*  I’m obsessed with the health blog of a culinary student, Emily Malone, and you should be too.  <em><a href="http://www.thefrontburnerblog.com/">The Front Burner</a> </em>is a great read and I’m sure will provide hours of running inspiration. </span>

<span style="font-size: x-small;">*  If you live in the Chicago area and are looking for a swim coach for any level of swimming (triathlon or adult or infant), Coach Amie Krueger is the best.  I’m a firm believer in private coaching over groups (although she will do both), and I have not seen a more patient sports coach than Coach Amie. You can e-mail her at <a href="mailto:coachkrueger@gmail.com">coachkrueger@gmail.com</a>. </span>