December 3, 2011

Time to start thinking of race season 2012!

As of now, I am doing 2 sprints and one olympic distance. I am doing Delta Lake, Iron Girl and Cooperstown. Cooperstown is the Olympic distance. It is a new race to the area so it will be interesting to see how it goes. I was going for the 70.3 but realistically will not be ready until 2013.

The three races I am on the fence with is Musselman, Old Forge and Cazanovia Tri. If races were free, I would do them all. IG was $125, DL is $85 and Cooperstown is $150. Maybe someday I will be good enough for a sponser.....LOL.

My big Christmas gift this year will be a snazzy new bike trainer. I did a lot of research and went with the Kurt by Kinetic. It is supposed to be a really good one. Now if I can just get hubby to spring for a new bike seat and wetsuit!

Skinny Man 2011

I made myself get out of bed at 6 a.m. this past Saturday to check out the Skinny Man triathlon in Skaneatles. This is a race I plan on doing next summer so I wanted to see what the course looked like and to cheer on the racers.

Skinny Man is a 800 meter swim, 12 mile bike, and 3.1 mile run. Piece or cake, right?

The swim looked a bit scary. I only had to swim 600 meters for Iron Girl; going from 600 to 800 meters is a big jump. However I have to remember that the bike is 6 miles less. Go figure; I am much stronger on the bike than I am on the swim.

After watching the swim waves go off, I ran to transition to watch people whip off their wetsuits and ride off. Right where I was standing, there was a girl who looked extremely organized and calm despite the chaos around her. I caught a "4" on her body marking so I thought she was 24. No, the girl was 14!! Talk about impressed.

Abbie is 10 now and I am strongly encouraging her to start out with the kids triathlon that CNY tri club offers during the summer. She has zero desire to now, but I am hoping that eventually my love of the sport will rub off on her. It would be a great daughter/mother bonding experience.

I already have my race schedule for 2012. Will post it soon.

August 30, 2011

I totally admit it. I fell off the wagon and I hit HARD. The party is over. If I am serious about doing a 70.3 in 2012 than I need to get back on track NOW.

Okay, I am not going to beat myself over it. Why look back when you can look forward?

So I had my first bike ride in 2 weeks last night. It was the first bike ride since July that I tackled the hills. Oh, I was hurting today.

Despite the sore lower thighs, I got on the treadmill this morning. It was not pretty. I was able to hang in until about mile 4. Then I just stopped and asked myself WHY am I doing this to myself. 70.3 involves a 13 mile run. The most I have run is 6 miles. I have a long way to go.

This all is supposed to be fun, right? I'll let you know when it becomes "fun" because it sure is not right now.

Iron Girl Race Report

Okay, I have had over two weeks to think about and process my race. I needed this time to become objective about my performance.

I was so filled of self doubt that last week before the race. Any confidence I gained from my Cato tri was long gone. Luckily I had a big family reunion the day before the race to stress over. The only training I did that week was a few bike rides and my tri-swim clinic. I did not even bother with a last minute run.

I had to rack my bike and pick up my timing chip/bib number the day before. It was a long 45 minute wait. I tried to be strategic about where I racked my bike. I wrapped up my seat and bike computer in plastic in case it rained (which it did). The expo was fun, but we could not stay long. The kids were cranky about the wait and it was just so humid out. We were late for the family reunion; it was in Sackets Harbor. Despite having to dash quickly, I was able to make it to the the merchandise tent to buy a cool shirt.

Race day; 4:20 a.m. I woke up nervous but excited. I ate a piece of peanut butter toast and had some coffee. The kids were spending the night with my parents so it was just Kevin and me. We left the house at 4:45 for the 20 minute drive to Oneieda Shores. Surprisingly, it was not busy. It was still dark out when we got there. I made my way over to the transition to set up my gear. I was a little bummed to see my bike was in a huge puddle. There was nothing I could do about it, so I just set out my gear and a towel and hoped for the best.

The race was to start out in waves. They broke it down by age group, starting with the older athletes going first. The race started at 7 a.m. but my wave (35-39, a-k) did not start until 7:25. Officials took a water temp to determine if the race would be wet-suit legal. The temp reading came in at 77 degrees to the relief of many racers. I had zero intention of wearing a wet-suit regardless of the temp, so it did not effect me.

My wave entered the water at 7:16. I was calm and ready to go. The beach was full of spectators and the music was rocking which made it a lot of fun.

The gun went off at 7:25. My swim strategy was to stay to the far left of the markers so that I did not get crushed by the other swimmers. That seemed to be the strategy of everyone else so I quickly abandoned that plan and stuck to the fastest path. The swim felt like it took longer than it did. I passed a lot of swimmers who were in full panic mode, holding on to the markers. I would not be surprised if these women even attempted to swim in open water before. They looked like how I felt at my first open water swim.

Oneida Shores is a very shallow lake. I was able to touch bottom about 50 meters from shore. It was tempting to just stand up and run through the water to get out, but I swam until my fingers grazed the bottom. I felt strong enough to get out of the water and run to transition 1 (many women were just shuffling along like zombies). Kevin was waiting for me at the top of the small hill; it was so nice to be able to see him. The crowds were so large I did not think I would be able to find him.

Swim time: 21:51 600 meters (it was actually measured at 656 meters)

Transition was fast and easy. 3:25

The bike portion was my best leg, therefore making it the most fun. I easily passed 40 or so bikers. About 8 miles in, it started to rain but I did not let that slow me down. As I was passing an intersection, I heard a very distinctive cheer. I looked back over my shoulder to see my mother-in-law going crazy. I did not know that she was going to be there so I was surprised. She did not recognize me, so I yelled out to her as I passed. Since it was a rural road, many people came out to their driveways to watch us race. Some people were offering water bottles to the bikers; many had signs. It was really cool.

Bike time: 1:03:09 18.63 miles; 17.1 miles per hour pace

I came in fast to the transition area. Since I do not wear bike shoes, it did not take long. I did have to ask someone which way we ran out; I was a little disorientated.

Transition 2: 1:18

My legs felt like rubber coming off the bike. The first few steps out of transition were challenging. I just wanted to walk a bit to stretch my legs, but I forged ahead. As I was making my way to the path, I saw my parents with the kids and Kevin. The kids were going crazy; jumping up and down with their signs. I gave them a quick high five and kept going.

I alternated between running and speed walking. I am just NOT a runner. At all. But I tried as best I could considering I just biked over 18 miles. The run was a flat out and back 3.1 miles. As I was running I just kept reminding myself to smile and take in the moment. After I passed the 2 mile mark I was just so excited to be almost finished. The final stretch was about 300 yards. I finished strong, passing my family and a few friends that had stopped by. I actually turned around and jogged backwards for a bit trying to speak with them. Silly me, that probably took 10 seconds off my time!

Run: 37:43 12.10 mile pace

Finish time: 2:07:26 640/1053 overall and 124/187 for age group

When the announcer yelled, "Rebecca Alder, YOU are an Iron Girl", I pretty much lost it. I crossed the finish line, took my meddle and a bottle of water and went to find my family.

I can honestly say that I gave the race 110%. I have not looked back and thought I could have pushed harder on the bike or go faster on the run. I gave it my all and it showed. I have zero regrets.

It was a lot of fun and I can't wait to do it again next year.

August 17, 2011

Yea I am back on track! Was able to get in a long run and it felt good. I think I am over the post race blues.

I am taking a two month break from my tri-swimming clinic. The instructor told me that he was going to kick my ass with super challenging drills when I get back. Scott is convinced that he can turn me into a very competitive swimmer. We will see!

Off to vacation; plan is to run Friday and Sunday. Right now I am at the 18-20 mile point for biking. When the kids are back in school, I will work on adding 5 miles weekly, with the goal of being "comfortable" (as if that is ever going to happen on my torture seat) with a 60 mile ride.

Race Report

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/training/races-edit.asp?raceid=200597

Iron Girl 2011; I did it!

I do not even know where to start. I have accomplished a goal I set over 14 months ago. Why do I feel so down?

The race was AMAZING. Leading up to it, I was so sick with anxiety and self doubt. However I woke up at 4:15 the morning of the race surprisingly calm and at peace.

I smiled the entire time (okay, not after I got out of the lake). Every picture shows a gal who is loving every second of it. The crowds were amazing and made the race just that more magical.

I am very happy with my times. A year ago I did not think I would be able to finish in three hours. My finishing time was 2:07:26. I came in 640 out of almost 1100 strong, supportive women. I am very proud and happy with my results. I actually cried after I crossed the finish line. The day was magical.

Why oh why am I now so depressed? Did I build this race up too much? I spent 14 months training for this. The day came and went and then...........that's it until next year.

I really am trying to get out of this funk but I am struggling. I am kind of tearing up just writing this. I guess I just have the post race blues.

I have chosen three tri's to compete in next summer. This was not a "1 and done" deal. I am hooked. In the meantime I will keep training. This is all I can do. My goal is to do a 70.3 (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and a 13 mile run). I am truly pushing to do it one year from September.

I will at some point write a race report. I just somehow need to process the experience and go on from there.

July 25, 2011

I have not blogged in a few weeks because I have been on vacation; unfortunately I took a little break from training as well. We rented a house on Loon Lake in the Adirondacks. It was awesome! I was able to get in lots of open water swims; not too much biking or running. Okay, actually no running. I brought my mountain bike with me, but only went out a few times. Now I remember just how much I hated that bike. My wrists were killing me after riding 5 minutes. As much as I complain about my road bike seat, I will take that any day over a mt. bike.

One of the high points of vacation was an overnight in beautiful Lake Placid. Our hotel was on Mirror Lake; swim site for Iron Man. We were there on a Tues/Wed and the town was already buzzing with excitement! It was so much fun to watch the athletes train in the lake or on their bikes. We were able to get into the transition area and walk around. It really was so cool. Our rental was up the day before the race. I so badly wanted to stay an extra night, but did not even attempt to find a hotel room (many hotels were 5 night min. stays). Also, we had our dog with us so it just was not feasible.

Anyway, back to the real world. I allowed myself a 36 hour transition and now I am ready to go. I have two swim clinics and two open water swims before the big race. I plan on getting my bike rides in daily. I will attempt to run a few times, but do not want to chance my foot injury.

Ready or not, Iron Girl is in less than two weeks. Bring it on!

July 10, 2011

I participated in the YMCA training triathlon. I was able to shave 18 minutes off my time from last year! The bad news is that I came in dead last in the swim (15:17 for only 400 meters), but I made it up by flying by everyone on the bike leg (came in 2nd!). I shaved over 2 minutes off the swim, but came in 2 minutes slower on the run. My overall time was 1:07. Last year it was 1:24.

I am extremely happy with my performance. I know my swim and run are weak, but I am working hard to make it better. If there is anything at all I have learned over the past 12 months is that I need to be patient and just keep up the training. This is all a work in progress.

Iron Girl is only 4 weeks away!

July 8, 2011

Open water swimming is HARD. Harder than I thought it would be. I went out last night with a group from the YMCA. OMG, I can't even begin to write about how hard it was. I panicked. If it was not for my tri-swim instructor, I would still be bopping in the middle of Oneida Lake! Every time I attempted to put my face in the water to swim,I could only go about 3-4 strokes before I hyperventilated. I flipped on to my back A LOT. I also tried to breaststroke but felt like I was going no where fast. The waves kept me in place. I could not see the second life guard raft, let alone the shore! It was a truly awful experience. I did come away with one important conclusion; I need to stick with women only triathlons for a LONG time. I was clearly struggling, but it was only a few women to stop by me to see if I was okay. The men just flew by without a care in the world. I was also only 3 people out of 47 without a wetsuit, but whatever. A wetsuit is not in my future so I just need to deal with it.

I am trying to maintain a positive attitude, but am feeling a little defeated. According to last year's Iron Girl results, the slowest swimmer took 15 minutes to complete 600 meters. At this rate, I am at the 20+ minute mark.

Tomorrow is my my training tri. Other than the bike section, I am not feeling too confident. :-(

June 23, 2011

Ouch times 100. I am still having a hard time with my bike seat. I only biked for 14 miles today, but am just so sore. It still hurts to urinate. Kevin adjusted the seat for me (angled the front down a bit) but it did not help. I am not sure what to do; buying a new bike seat is not going to happen. I figured it out; I have already spent over $2000 getting ready for Iron Girl. Here is how it breaks down:

Gym fees: $50 a month = $650
Race registration: $100
Tri shorts: $75
Tri top: $70
New helmut $40
One personal training session: $30
Swim cap/goggles: $35 (yes, I "need" to have the more expensive goggles
3 pairs of running shoes: $240 (each pair lasts about 4 months)
Used road bike: $800

Yes I realize that it is an investment in my health; you just can't put a price on that. I went from a 200+ lbs lump to a 160 lbs healther person. Yes, I am still lumpy but it is a work in progress.

However, money does not grow on trees; especially for a one income household. There has to be a line somewhere. My husband has officially drawn the line. With the exception of new running shoes every few months and race regisration fees, we are DONE spending money for this hobby. Of course if I need new goggles or a work-out bra I will get them; just no more big ticket items. It is a good thing that I love my road bike; I will not be upgrading for a long time.

I am already plotting for Christmas, my birthday and Mother's Day 2012. My wish list includes a wetsuit, bike shoes and a bike trainer. I am sure I could think of some more things I could add to the list if I thought about it. :-)

June 22, 2011

Another week of training has flown by.

About 2 weeks ago, I returned back to my bike shop so that I could get the bike re-adjusted. My seat was way too low. They ended up raising the seat about 3" which makes a huge difference. The good news is that I feel faster. The bad news is that I hurt down there. A lot. Today I tackled a very hilly road; first time riding it this year. When I was done, I was in lots of pain. About 30 minutes after the ride, it hurt to urinate. Not sure what is up, but am hoping it is just the matter of getting used to the new position.

I am participating again this year in the YMCA practice tri (400 meter swim, 9 mile bike, 1.5 mile run). This was the bike course I had a painful ride on. Last year it took me 60 minutes to complete the very hilly 9 mile ride. Today I rode it in exactly 30 minutes! It was a real confidence booster to improve that much. It is most likely due to the bike but I would like to think that I am stronger than I was last summer.

Tonight is tri swim clinic!

June 16, 2011

Wow, where to start? My training is kind of all over the place right now. I tend to do really well for 4-5 days in a row, then take a 2 or 3 day break. Not good, I know.

I started a tri swim clinic last week. What a humbling experience that was. I thought I was a decent swimmer. Nope, not at all. It did not help that everyone in the class was younger, faster, and thinner. I stood out like a sore thumb. What really sucked is that I tried to make small talk, but people did not want anything to do with me. They had this look on their face that screamed 'I do not want to be stuck talking to the old fat lady".

My second tri class went a little better. I worked on drills I have never done before. The instructer was very positive despite my lack of swimming skills. He said that if I stick with the class, I will kill the swim at Iron Girl. We will see!

On a happier note, I went for my first group bike ride with women from the YMCA. They had three levels of riding which was nice. It is funny though; I did not say anything but it was assumed that I would be in the slow group. That is okay; I did really well. I was faster than the girl riding in front of me so I was afraid of running into her. The roads were flat and I felt I coasted a little too much to stay at the back of the pack. I have to say though, I am totally hooked on doing group rides. I actually felt safe riding on the roads for once.

After I finished the group ride, I hit the pool for some drills. I have a long ways to go but IG is only 7 weeks away. I am back to my original goal of just finishing the race. Of course I will shoot for that 2 hour mark, but I will not let myself take away the excitement of the day if I don't.

The Cato half spring tri is in a few weeks. Can't wait to compare my split times from last year to this year. Now that I have a better fit on the bike (they raised the seat THREE inches) I feel a little faster. We will see!

June 8, 2011

What a week! It is crunch time. The big race is 8 weeks away and I have a lot of work to do.

Saturday was the Paige's Butterfly 5k. I beat my time from the last 5k in November; 36:39. I came in at about 1240 out of almost 1500. I'll take it! Prior to the race, I kept telling myself that I would be happy if I came in under 37 minutes. I met my goal but yet I kept beating myself up for not coming in a little faster. It seemed like I walked a lot. Not sure if I was dehydrated or what, but I was just so dizzy when I was running. Considering how bad my foot was I am just glad that I got to participate at all. I ran the entire first mile at a 11:33 pace which is good for me. Next race I am shooting for under 35 min.

I started a triathlon swim clinic last night. Holy moly. I thought I was a decent swimmer with a semi-sold base of fitness. Um, no. I was able to keep up, but just barely. I started with the intermediate class but am wondering if I should have started at the beginner level. All the other participants looked like hard core athletes. I stood out like a sore thumb. It just goes to show that I have a long ways to go in my fitness goals.

I am now starting to doubt my ability to finish IG in under 2 hours. The LAST thing I want to do is put all this pressure on myself to finish in a certain time and then beat myself up if I do not meet my goal. Even though I have been biking/swimming/running for a year now, I am still just a beginner. The race is supposed to be fun and I think I keep forgetting this.

Green lakes Tri is this weekend. So excited to get out there and volunteer and cheer everyone on. Hopefully next year I will one of those getting cheered!

June 3, 2011

First race of the season tomorrow! Just doing a 5k but am using it as a bench mark for how far I have come from last season. I an a bit nervous about it since my feet have been killing me lately. Last time I ran was 1 week ago.

I have really been focusing on the swimming while I am waiting for my foot to get better. It is so gratifying to chart my training and to see how much I have improved in both endurance and speed.

The YMCA is going to hold another 1/2 sprint Tri in July. So excited for it! I bet my bike time will blow away last year's time. My swim will also be faster; just worried about the run.

I need to get better with my diet. Bad carbs have been sneaking in a little too much. I am okay with not losing anymore weight for now, but I want to get toned. I can start to see a little bit of muscle definition in the legs.

I have been sitting around too much this morning. Time to get off my ass and go for a workout!

May 27, 2011

A little bit of background; when I am not taking care of my family or working out, I volunteer for a very special organization called Make A Wish. I am a "wish granter" which means I work directly with the kids in making their wishes come true.

My latest case is wrapping up right now. An 11 year old girl with congestive heart failure who wanted to go to Disney. I tried to make this trip extra special as this girl comes from a very low-income family.

We threw her a big going away party for her friends and family. This is when we announce the wish (children give us 3-4 wishes and then I determine what they will get). The "announcement party" was a surprise held at a local Appleebee's. When she walked into the restaurant, everyone stood up and clapped for her. She burst into tears and came and gave me a huge hug. There was not a dry eye is the house. See pic above (wish child and my wish partner).

As a wish granter you get to know your wish child very well. I have been visiting this girl for over 3 months; each time bringing her something small like a "Tiger Beat" magazine or some Judy Mooney books. I wanted her to feel extra special. She is one of 4 children and probably does not get the attention she deserves. I was even able to take her and her family on a shopping spree to Target for some new clothes.

As with all wishes, this one is almost complete. The family left yesterday for their dream vacation (limo ride, hotel suit,all meals plus spending cash to boot). This little girl feels like my daughter (Abbie is only one year younger). I am going to miss her big smiles and her Justin Beiber obsession. Even though it is kind of discouraged, I hope to get together with her from time to time. I understand that she is very ill and may not have many years to come. I am having a hard time accepting life's cruel fate.

Already working on my next case; a 16 year old boy with inoperable brain cancer. We need to work at advanced speed in this case. His big wish is to cook alone side the white house chef and then eat lunch with the Obama's. I have a lot of work to do!

May 25, 2011

11 weeks to go. Where has the time went? It seems like just yesterday that I made the commitment to get healthy and start a new chapter in my life. At the time, Iron Girl just seemed so unattainable. What a difference a year makes!

I made a major breakthrough with my swimming today. To be able to swim 1500 meters without a break is a huge accomplishment for me. I am becoming stronger and faster in the pool.

The biking has been good and the running is so-so. Plantar fasciits is just a nasty condition. It even flairs up when I am biking up a steep heel. However, this is where the positive thoughts come to play.

I am strong.
I am happy with my body because I am strong. My weight will not determine my happiness.
Plantar fascittis will not deter me from achieving my goals.
I WILL finish Iron Girl in less than 2 hours.

May 6, 2011

Random thoughts while suffering through a spin class.

"I forgot to put on deodorant. Wonder if the dude next to me can smell me"
"I want to get a pair of cool bike shoes"
"I hope the spider that was lurking near the computer desk went away"
"I wish the class was only 45 minutes long"
"I should take Maisey to the park and let her run around for a while; better yet, I can run with her"
"Yikes, I am running out of water. Need to bring 2 bottles next time".
"Does this ever get easier?"
"Why do I seem to be the sweatiest one here?" "I think I overheat too quickly".
"Why do I keep glancing at the clock? I am just torturing myself".
"I really want a margarita tonight. Damn! To much sugar"
"What am I going to eat when I get home? So sick of eggs"

As you can see it is easier to let your mind wander off when you are not 100% focused at the task at hand. When I wasn't talking to myself, I was in the zone. It felt good. My tush is finally getting used to the small seat. My girly parts still bother me a little but not half as bad from when I started.

I just have to keep going; one day at a time.

May 5, 2011

I am an Athlete.

Okay, say it again. I am an athlete. Wow, what a powerful statement.

Today I went to this great seminar called "Training the Mind". It was specific to triathlon training and races. Basically what it all comes down to is positive thinking; never saying the word "can't". Turn your negative thoughts to positive statements. When I am having a hard time in the water, I can't say "I suck at swimming". You have to turn it around and say "I am a swimmer". Or if I miss a few days of "training" (I am not working out; I am "training" for a race) then I say I am training; some is better than none". I could write about a book with all of the negative comments I need to turn around. It was a valuable seminar; it will do me well in the future. I will try to hold myself accountable by this blog. No more negative thoughts!!

May 4, 2011

Right now I am having a hard time keeping up with my training schedule. My goal is to do a morning workout and then a mid-afternoon workout. Not happening! My mornings get crazy for one reason of another and I end up working out between 12-2.

The problem is that my 45-60 minute bike/swim/run is over, I am spent. As in the whole rest of the day. Needless to say, it is rare that I actually workout twice in one day.

I have been experimenting with my pre and post workout nutrition. I started adding carbs back in my diet (greek yogurt, luna bars and dried fruit) but the pounds are coming back. Since I have added carbs back in, I have gained 3-4 lbs. My pants are tighter; it is not muscle gain! As someone who really needs to lose about 20 lbs, this is upsetting.

I borrowed a great book on endurance nutrition but I just don't think I can follow these plans. Way too many carbs!! I know they are essential to fuel your body for exercise but they are packing on the lbs. I guess I will figure this all out somehow.

April 28, 2011

Wow, the weeks are flying by! I can't believe that we are almost into May. Time to get my training in gear.

I have been tracking my workouts on a calender website. It is nice to be able to glance at the calender and see my hard work. However there are two many blank days. I tend to go hard for 3-4 days and then take 2-3 days off. I know that is not optimal. It just seems like something always comes up (sick kids, kids vacation, injury). I am getting a little frustated. My bike time has increased dramatically. Last year it took my almost an hour to go 9.3 miles. Now it takes me 35 minutes. However my run time is stagnent (heel spurs in both feet!) and my swim time has taken a downturn. The worst part is that I have gained 5 lbs!

Who would have ever thought that my strongest leg would be the bike?

I know I just need to keep plugging away. I am still trying to balance my nutrition with my workouts. I incorporated carbs back in my diet. Not sure if they are helping my performance, but I KNOW they are not helping my weight. I am going to start back up with yoga to increase my upper arm strenth.

Group rides at the YMCA start next week. I am a little intimidated to join the group however it is probably the only way I will meet people. We will see if I chicken out or not!

April 12, 2011

I did my first official long ride of the season! Since I am getting used to a new bike, I decided to make my first couple rides about 9 miles. I biked on Sunday night and then again on Monday morning.

Let me just say, that I can't believe how quickly I became sore. By 9 p.m. Sunday night, my legs were aching; especially above the knees. Then when I woke up on Monday I had the saddle area pain.

Despite this, I attempted to go for a run later that morning. Did not go so well. So instead I bit my lip and biked again for 9 miles. Very hilly route. The good news is that I only stopped briefly for a water break (am afraid to reach down to grab water bottle; not steady enough on the bike). The bad news is that I could only bike 15 miles per hour on the flat section and 5-9 miles an hour climbing hills.

I realize I am still a beginner, but I am frustated just the same. Not sure if I am biking again today. It is a long swim day plus it is a little chilly out. I realize that at this point I should try to get in two workouts a day. Iron Girl is 17 weeks away and I have a ton of work to do if I want to reach my goal of completing the course in 2 hours of less.

April 4, 2011

This is going to be a bit of rambling since I have not posted in a while. Sorry if it is hard to follow.

Okay, back to the grind of hard core training (at least hard core to me). Today was the first day I was able to get in a decent bike ride. Wow, it is going to be a challenge to get use to a road bike. I do not have the shifting down yet. My goal is to bike an hour a day with the exception of rainy days. I will also stick with spinning a few times a week.

For the first time, I was able to swim 1500 meters with only a small break here and there. However it has been 4 days and my shoulder is still really sore. How do athletes do it? I am already running with two bad feet; I can't handle a shoulder injury as well. Do you just fight through the pain? I am going back into the pool tomorrow, so we will see how that goes.

Weight has been an issue. I have been gaining and losing the same 5 lbs for months now. My diet would be great all week and then be shot to hell on a Saturday due to my weakness of margaritas. Alcohol is a huge downfall for me. Get a drink or two in me and it is munchie time. Not to mention all that sugar and carbs in the alcohol. I am best to avoid it all together.

Bummed out that my racing partner bailed on me. I was really hoping to do this race with someone. I joined the CNY Triathlon Club in hopes of meeting some other newbies to the sport.

Time to get tough with myself. No more excuses. 4 months to go for Iron Girl!

March 21, 2011

Yikes, it is almost April! From here on out, I will be consistent with the blogging.

I just celebrated my 39th birthday with a wonderful surprise from my husband. A new road bike! New to me any way. Initially we were on a budget of $400. We quickly learned that $400 does not go far w/bikes. Even used. I was stalking Craig's lists for months now for a bike that would fit my 5'1 frame. We went into a few bike stores and found out that the entry level bikes started at $800. I was getting pretty discouraged. At one point, I was just going to order a cheapie Dawes Sheila from Ebay.

My awesome hubby called around, and found this great little bike shop owned by a cool hippy guy (I'll bet $10 he is a Phish fan; my kind of guy!). I went in with an opened mind. Low and behold, he had just gotten in a 2010 Fuji Road Series. I fell in love at first site. It was the absolute perfect size for me. It was also in pristine condition, never had ridden by the previous owner. However, my hopes were dashed by the $800 price tag.

The bike store owner was super nice, spending a lot of time with us going over the features of the bike. I was totally drooling over this bike. It was perfect in every way. It even had a fancy $50 water bottle cage (I kid you not; it was top of the line). All this time, I kept glancing at my husband, giving him pleading eyes.

For the hell of it, I decided to take it for a test drive. Since I was wearing wedge heels (what was I thinking?), the owner swapped out the cage peddles for regular peddles. It was at this time that Kevin whispered to me, "if you really want it, you can get it". I was pretty excited at that point.

We went outside and all of the necessary adjustments were made. I straddled the bike. It felt perfect; like it was built for me. I was initially shaky on it, but quickly found my groove. It was FAST. To go from a heavy mountain bike to a road bike is just crazy different. I raced around the neighborhood and headed for a hill. Not only was I able to climb the hill with ease, I was STANDING UP ON MY BIKE while doing it. Sure, I could do this in spin class. But on my mountain bike? Hell no!
From that moment on, it was a done deal. That baby is now mine. $800 is a lot of money, but I look at it as an investment in my health.

Here is a link to the 2011 model.

http://www.fujibikes.com/bike/details/newest_1_0

I am scared to death that I am going to fly over those handle bars! That is just a mental block that I am going to have to deal with.

Training is going to be a lot of fun this summer.

January 11th, 2011

2011; this is going to be my year!

It is official; I probably was one of the very first people to sign up for Iron Girl this year. Registration opened up on the 31st and I was just so excited to put my nme on the list.

I ran another 5k; this was in November, called 'Jinglebell Run". I did it with a few friends and had a blast. I really wish that I had someone to do IG with me. They are opening up the race to 1200 participants this year. It will be crazy! The race is a 600 meter swim, a 18 mile bike and a 3.1 mile run. The challenge I am facing right now is to train without becoming overwhelmed. For some reason I am having a hard time getting motivated to get myself to the pool. I have been going here and there but not enough. Same for biking. I need to get myself into spin class atleast 2x a week. The only thing I have been doing on a regular basis is running.

Here is the schedule I am thinking I am going to impliment:

Monday: 1 hour spin
Tuesday: 45 minute swim
45 minute run
Wednesday: 1 hour spin
Thursday: 45 minute swim
Friday: 60 minute run
Saturday: off
Sunday: 90 minute run.

I am really flirting with the idea of signing up for the Boilermaker run this year. That is a 15k (9.3 mile) run. So far the longest I have been able to run is only 6 miles. I will see where I am milage run in April, and if it looks like I can do it within a semi-reasonable time, I think I will.

I have decided to just do 5k runs that are fun. Either a big event or if I have a friend running with me. I am really not ready for any competitive running. If I could get me 5k running time to under 30 minutes, I would be really happy.

Off to go swimming!