Tri2 W4D1+2

D1 - Yesterday i ran and swam but didn't really feel like it went well. During my warm up i got a tight spot in this area right below my right glute but kind of on the outside. I say below, what i mean to say is that i think it was the lower edge of my glute, but i'm not 100% sure what muscle it was. It didn't feel good and worried me. I tried to stretch it out, but it didn't really give, so i decided to run tentatively. I simultaneously felt like i had started too fast and was going too slowly. I soon had a stitch in my left side that persisted throughout my workout. I ran 21 minutes (per the schedule) and felt like i did horrible only to later find out that it was a better pace than usual. But my swim felt weak, too, and was slightly slow for me (possibly because i did a lot of breaststroke). My shoulders just felt shot and the pain (in my butt/hip) was there my entire run and swim. Later that night my butt was killing me and the pain migrated to my hamstring. Today it seemed fine, merely a little twingy.

D2 - It was snowing this morning when i wanted to ride and i just didn't get it together and go. It's more convenient to go late on Tuesdays because i have my second job and a Bible study (usually Beth Moore).  I decided to try the spinning bikes out with mixed results. I had tried one before that wasn't working as far as cadence and distance. So i switched partway through my warmup to a new bike when it opened up. For the first half of my workout i didn't feel like i was pushing myself hard enough. I was spinning at about 95 rpm, and it wasn't too easy, but i couldn't figure out how to make it harder. I finally figured out that there's a knob that you have to physically turn, but i couldn't seem to get it to work right. The rest of the workout it would feel too easy but during the "climbs" the computer would want me to increase the resistance and spin at 60-80 rpm. I couldn't get it below 80 without the wheel seizing up/nearly stopping and bothering my knees. So for my climbs i had to keep going faster (85 rpm at the lowest) and i kept increasing the tension but it just didn't seem to be working well.  I also discovered that any time i tried to stand up the bike would stop and jolt, spitting one of my feet out of the toe cage. So i sat the entire time but my butt/sit bones were killing me by the end. Then during my cool down i reduced the tension and it got to the point where the bike seemed to be pushing my legs for me. By the time i got off of the dang thing it was very hard to walk slowly. I wanted to run. Save for my sore butt i felt like i could have gone farther, a 35 minute spin, for nearly 13 miles.  I seem to go farther faster on the spinner than on the stationary bike.  Next time i have to bike at the gym i will try one of the new bikes that i hadn't even realized were there until tonight (oops). It looks like they have a video game type experience where you're riding through an artificial environment during your workout. But hopefully it will warm up soon and i will actually be able to ride my own bike outdoors without freezing or being blown over. My baby needs a tune up desperately but i think it will do me good to actually ride a real bike. I finished off tonight's workout by weightlifting with my arms, chest, and back. I didn't have time for anything else and was one of the last people to leave before closing.

Fortunately that pain didn't come back in my glute today on the bike (i think that the stationary bike might be partly to blame for that). I would really be gutted if i hurt my hamstring again. I'm pretty sure i was stretching my glutes and hamstrings out in my sleep last night. Tomorrow i think i'm going to run instead of walking. I feel like i'm not working hard enough (have done the entire time i've been training save for that one 9 mile ride) but am hesitant to increase the intensity my workouts too much. Here's hoping that tomorrow will be even more awesome than today's workout was.

Tri2 W3 Complete!

So the internet was down at our house for a few days due to a faulty cord as it turned out. I'm just glad that we didn't have to pay for anything, my aunt used to work for phone companies and had a cord that we could use after she diagnosed the problem (confirming one of my two theories about what was wrong).

W3D3 - I walked first, seriously wanting to run instead, or go running the next day. I was still sore from my ride on Sunday but otherwise felt good.  On Monday's swim i had only swam the crawl (except for my cooldown). On Wednesday's i tried swimming a complete lap without pause or switching stroke for the first time since i've started training again. I did that twice and also swam two laps of crawl 25, breast 25 (without stopping/pausing). My heartrates have been staying in a great zone and my pace is improving.

W3D4 - I did Cto5k W3 for the first time since starting training again. That first three minute interval was brutal! But after the last one i felt like i could keep going...at least another 90s! I don't know about another 3min lol. I lifted weights instead. I should have skipped the legs probably, i was pretty tired by the end of the day (8.5h at work).

W3D5 - It was snowing yesterday, which is why i ran at the gym, but really wasn't that cold. Today was a different story. I got up early enough to ride but was intimidated by the weather--21F and windy--and the fact that i had to work another 8.5h shift. Maybe i should just move my long ride to Sundays? But i went to the gym after work and pushed through the fatigue for a 47 minute "10 mile" stationary bike ride. It wasn't very fun but it wasn't as hard as a real ride in wind and/or snow would have been. Looking forward to next week.

"Gun Control" Insanity

Since i renewed my NRA membership i'm in the loop for receiving news like these bills that recently passed in Colorado's House of Representatives.

House Bill 1224 – Bans magazines with a capacity greater than fifteen rounds. (Passed 34-31)

House Bill 1226 – Repeals current law allowing individuals with a concealed carry permit to carry a firearm for self-defense on a college or university campus. (Passed 34-31)

Are they taking stupid pills? Since the "No Gun Zone"s have proven to be not only ineffective, but disastrous, lets make more gun free zones! I heard on the radio that the shooters at Columbine and VTech used ten round magazines, they simply brought a lot of them and reloaded within seconds. And then someone subbing for Michael Savage tonight pointed out that young women are going to be defenseless on their campuses.

Which struck a chord in me since there were several rapes on my own campus during my education there. I took night classes more than once and found it to be a bit nerve wracking to walk across campus alone after dark. The administration's response to the danger? To install free 911 phone boxes with intercoms/speakers rather than handheld receivers outside a couple of buildings. I remember walking by two of these boxes and wondering how they were helpful at all. It seemed like everyone had a cellphone on campus. If you can't use your cellphone to call 911 how are you going to beat your attacker(s) to the emergency intercom? Not all students on a college campus would be old enough to conceal carry, but there are many older students who are legally able. Why should they empower the rapists and assailants and take away the rights of the law abiding citizen to defend themselves and their fellow students-turned-victims???

ETA: It's confirmed, Salazar is an idiot. He thinks the call boxes and whistles and cops' response time will save you if you're being raped. I don't care if he apologizes for offending, he stands by his opinion, which is inexcusable.

Tri2 W3D2

Today was a little strange because we didn't have Bible study. We watched my sister's basketball game, then had a late dinner. I was starving and ate too much...which left me feeling a little ill while i was lifting weights. I rode the stationary bike at the gym but it wasn't exactly easy. I stayed at a higher than comfortable resistance at the hardest point in my workout. On a real bike i would have downshifted and kept my cadence up even if it meant going slower. My sit bones are slowly recovering but were still pretty sore this morning. Tomorrow's workout will probably seem easy compared to tonight. I really pushed myself on the weights.

Cto5k W2 complete

Today was a little chilly but i pulled on a hoodie and ran farther faster than i had two weeks ago. Not by much...but still. I finished week two. I ran thirty minutes instead of twenty.  Later i went to the gym, swam 200 easily, and came home again. The real issue?  My butt is killing me from yesterday's ride. I have to ride 6 mi. tomorrow?!? Ouch....

The good - Today i paid for my first triathlon of the season and my USAT membership for the year.

The bad - I was so hungry last night around midnight that i kept eating. Today i didn't eat as much but i didn't log anything. It was getting to me. And the stupid scale at the gym says i'm back to 280. I need my own scale. And to be a good girl tomorrow.

Tri2 W2 complete

On Thursday i was asked to stay an extra "hour" at work and ended up working over ten hours. On Friday i worked nine. I had meant to go on my run before work, even got up early, but i ended up helping my mom get her running podcasts squared away on her cellphone's mp3 player and then didn't have time to run and shower. So after work i went to the gym and endured the smell of pizza (my favorite food) while it was permeating the entire building the entire time i was running and lifting weights. I didn't do most of the leg sets but i did all of the arms and did the seated row instead of the lateral pulldown.

On Saturday i finally took my NRA concealed carry class. It took longer than i thought it would...we didn't finish the testing until after 3pm. I thought we would be done shooting by that time. On Thursday night Dad had brought out some of his guns for me to potentially shoot and/or CC. I settled for two 9mms rather than a heavy revolver. I actually got excited about going shooting. Well it turned out that the 9mms kick too much for me and one kept jamming. In fifty rounds i don't think i hit the paper plate more than four times. The cardboard box was so riddled with bullets that i wasn't sure what i was doing wrong...too high, too low? It seemed frustratingly miraculous that i couldn't hit the plate at something like 20 feet. Then i pulled out my Grandad's old 32 and shot it for the first time. I shot 24 rounds and i dare say that at least 20 of them went into that plate. Then they let me borrow a 22 and it felt woefully weak after the glory of that 32 revolver (perhaps i exaggerate a bit, but it felt so natural after the struggle with the 9mms). I was a good shot with the 22, too (maybe not great, but more holes on the target). I had thought i might buy a 22 but it felt too small and inadequate. The 9mms felt a little bulky but are indeed concealable in at least one place on my person. But they're just too powerful for me i'm afraid. I think i'm going to fall back on my HS lab partner's advice and try to find a 38/357 if it isn't too heavy (i think that's what Dad's revolver was). I probably should have gotten advice about what i was doing wrong but i really just wanted to be self sufficient, become more comfortable loading the magazines, etc.

Today i went to church (but not Sunday school) and to my aunt's for Grandma and Grandad's birthday party. The tortilla soup was excellent. Later in the afternoon i went on a 9mi bike ride. I was aiming for 8 but the stupid app was freezing up on me. I wasn't sure of my distance until i got home and verified/corrected it at the MapMyTri website. It irritated me that the app said i had ridden only 6.5 miles when i knew there was no way possible that i hadn't gone farther. Thankfully i had ridden to a specific driveway before turning around (gotta love landmarks that show up on satellite photos). I think i'm going to have to get a bike computer. /: I feel so poor right now.

Tonight i feel very warm because i've been straightening my room. I seem to have misplaced a letter. I hope i find it soon.I'm starving and tired. I'm not too sore but i got a headache while i was riding. I don't know if it was the fact that my helmet is really too tight, the sun was shining in my eyes, or that i was low on fuel 2/3 of my way through and had to pause for an energy gel. Anyways, my head's been twingy since my ride ended and right now i'm waiting for Advil to kick in. Looking forward to my run and swim tomorrow and seeing if i've lost any more weight since Friday (i lost eight pounds this week!!!). I hope the lovely weather stays around.

Tri2 W2D3+2

Last night i went to the gym after Bible study and lifted weights in addition to swimming. The scale at the church is apparently not as off as i thought it was: 4-5 pounds over rather than the 7-10 pound range. So it looks like i have only gained two pounds since i started training and i've already lost one pound since then. That's a pretty minor fluctuation for me since i usually gain 5-10 pounds when i start a new training/workout regimen. So my workouts went fine last night, i pushed myself, was exhausted, so i went home and turned out the light at midnight. Which is good since i had work at 8am.

Today i was working in the back. Days in the back are always more strenuous than cashiering so i was pretty tired and pretty hungry. I ate every 2-3 hours and seem to be doing well balancing calories between mini-meals. I got off work a little early, rushed home, and then had issues getting ready for my bike ride and helping my mom get ready for her run. It was a very intense workout. I was aiming for five miles but only made it four (which is actually a mile farther than i wanted to do). I got home and looked at my schedule only to realize that i was supposed to ride six miles. Riding a real bike is much more intense than in the gym! (Duh.) But i think i was just too tired from work to do well. I think i need a new chain (mine rusted over the winter because it was left exposed to the elements. ): I thought it was in the garage all winter, stupid of me to assume) but i did pretty well with my shifting. Right now i really need to eat. HUNGRY.

I'm so glad that tomorrow is a rest day. I'm still going to be on my feet for about eight hours.

sticker shock

There are so many things i would like to buy for triathlon training and competition that i simply cannot afford at this moment. Those new tires. A running skirt/skort (i really enjoyed this article about the "new trend" even though i was never really a girly girl). Some aero bars. A new helmet and goggles. Some new workout clothes. A wireless bike computer with cadence. And the newest want, one of those strap on computers that measures how many calories you burn a day. I hate being poor.

My feet were tired today, just a little sore in odd ways. I decided to run on an elliptical at the gym and then swim. I had to do a little carpooling to get there...which was a bit stressful. My sister realized after we got to town that she was supposed to have team pictures at her practice in ~45 mins. I got her home and back again about ten minutes late. It turned out that she didn't need to be there quite that early. I am out $2 because i had barely paid to watch a basketball game when we saw one of her teammates in a jersey and realized something was up (they weren't playing a game tonight).  Yay stress. However, i pushed myself in my workouts, my feet felt fine, i watched some Bond, i kept my heartrate in a good zone, and i discovered that my swim cap is probably too small. Oops.

Incidentally, the pool is going to be closed Wed-Sun so i figure i will swim tomorrow and bike on Wednesday. Day 1 of week 2...i did what i came to do, no more, no less.  I counted calories, ate what i was "supposed to", and of course i am still hungry. Need to get some sleep. ETA: On a side note...i got some spring cleaning and laundry done. Not all of it, but some. It was a good day but seemed kind of short. I got to sleep in. Insomnia, please go away.

Oh, btw, Tri2 W1D6...down

No, it wasn't perfect. Yes, i did it all. I'll try harder and do better next week (God willing).

my Saturday

Today was one of those days where it felt like Satan was throwing everything at me, trying to upset myself, but i didn't let it get to me really. It felt like i could handle it. I know my coworkers felt the same way, it was a very busy, very stressful, very long day. I spent nine and a half hours on my feet after riding my bike 2.56 miles. I was hungry, and my breaks were spaced out way too far from each other (i had to wait 3 hours for my first break), but i ate better than i had the day before when i was off work. See, work has breaks scheduled in for me, usually every 2-2 1/2 hours apart, that are perfect for snack breaks. I just wish we were allowed to have water at our stations. I had water at my station today anyway and i still didn't drink enough. 50.7oz water, 13.5oz Simply Lemonade, and 12oz Mexican Cola was perhaps barely enough liquid for me (and it should have all been water). I need to be eating more, i need to be drinking more water, and i'm probably going to feel more hungry before i feel less hungry.

The super duper scale at the gym says that i weigh five pounds more than i thought i did. To be fair i had just eaten a pretty big meal before my workout. I was eating on a budget and aware that the place i wanted to eat would be closed before i was done riding 20 minutes and lifting weights. I didn't feel ill exercising so soon after eating. I hadn't really felt hungry when i ate but i felt tired and i knew that i needed to eat something sooner rather than later.  I probably have gained muscle this week, so a weight gain isn't shocking. But i feel a little lost with my diet. I'm not used to eating a lot of carbs anymore. I eat way more protein than is normal. I'm not sure that the calorie counter i'm currently using isn't assigning me too many calories (while i felt the last one wasn't giving me enough). I don't know what to do to lose weight, i never have, it's always felt like some secret that no one will let me in on.

On face value, losing forty pounds in four months might not sound that ambitious. If you break it down that's ten pounds a month, about 2.5 pounds a week. Totally doable, right? Only i have never been able to lose weight. Maybe this is because when i was first trying to lose weight i didn't really need to, but the most successful i have ever been at losing weight is when i lost some of the jump that put me over 200 pounds. That was over thirteen years ago and i lost far less than all that weight. It's hard for me to even imagine every being that thin again, in the 200-225 range.  It just seems insurmountable.

But that isn't why i'm training. Even today, the bike kicked my butt, but i could have done all of it had i had another half hour and no sisters following me.  But at the gym i felt so strong. The stationary bike was pissing me off because first it wouldn't go above resistance level 4 and then it was at 15 when it was supposed to be a rest interval, but i kept pedaling.  Then i lifted weights, and instead of feeling weak like i thought i would i felt like i could have done more if it weren't for the fact that the gym was closing for the night. I feel surprisingly ready for harder workouts. The bike is going to kick my butt no matter what but i'm doing the runs, i'm swimming farther than the workout is asking, i am handling this.  I feel invincible right now.

Of course, tomorrow or the next day will probably be complete crap, and i'll fail at holding the lion that seeks to devour at bay, but i'll deal with that when it comes. I'll probably be laughing, too.

Argh

I wanted to get out there and attack this ride, but alas it was not meant to be. I set my alarm for nine but asked one of my sisters to make sure i was up. She woke me up at 9:40. I changed, went to the bathroom, grabbed a Clif Bar, aired up my tires, and then had to wait for her.  Then when we're finally leaving she mentions that our youngest sister thinks she's coming, too. The sister that was coming can keep up with me running, but i was pretty sure she was going to hold me back on the bike because she only has one gear (turns out i was right).

We set off, have a hill to go down first, i get to the bottom and look back.  Sure enough, there's a pink blur way behind us on the hill. So i turn around at the y in the road, and head right back up the hill i just came down. As i pass her she is walking the bike. I ask her if she has a flat, no, she's just crying.  I get up the hill, pull off on a side street. Go to the end, turn around, she's running into Mom's arms for a hug. Home safe.

I push on the opposite direction from where i immediately set out. This entire time i have been holding back because i don't want to get too far ahead of my sister.  I ride to the next side street, go down it a bit, turn around, cross the street, ride up a hill, turn to go home, cool down a bit more on the street across from our driveway. 2.5 miles if the computer is to be trusted. I'm not sure it could map right while it was in my hoodie pocket.

I guess i'll finish up at the gym after work. I am so frustrated right now.

Tri2W1D5

It was windy and cool today during my run. My hands got a little chilled, so i was missing my gloves, but the rest of me was comfortable once i got warmed up and started running. Gray clouds were rolling in so the sun was hiding out. I ran the Cto5k week 2 workout for the first time (since four years ago) and was fatigued for the final interval but completed it. I held back on interval four then pushed myself on interval five. It was a good workout. My left arch was a bit twingy during the warmup but gave me no problems. My feet are tired but not in any pain to speak of.

Afterward i went to town to look for a more compact camelbak knockoff than the one i already own (it's a full backpack that i use for traveling/camping sometimes). They had one at Wal-Mart that was too long, another that was more substantial than i wanted but probably the right size. I bought a Cobb Salad and some Popcorn Chicken. I was pretty hungry but not famished. I know i didn't eat enough today (i still have over 1000 calories left according to the MapMyRun App). I shared half the chicken with my sister and ate the salad. Then i watched my sister's basketball game. It was their first win of the season and she made a three pointer during warm ups. She has improved a lot this season. Then i went to REI and bought some energy gels/squares, one of those cooling bandannas on clearance, and a TYR silicone swim cap in silver. They only had two colors of the one cap in stock. They had some sick looking TYR goggles, but i really don't need new goggles right now.  I looked at their clearance tri tops/bottoms but was pretty sure that a 2X wouldn't fit me right now (or right ever).  I saw a top that i liked in XS. Yeah, didn't even take that off the rack.

I am planning to buy some new Kenda bike tires off Amazon. They seem to be half the price that i would pay at REI and are the same brand of tires that i already have on my bike.  They're well reviewed slicks that claim to be hybrid road/off road that i figure will work really well for my training. If i go mountain biking i can always change back to my old tires if need be. I figure i'll take my bike in for a tune up on Monday.

My aunt decided she would do the Open Hits Tri if my mom would do it with her. So tonight i worked on my mom a bit and she said she would do it. She is most hesitant about the run. Now she wants my sister to agree to do it, too.  My sister claims to hate biking and swimming. We shall see what happens.

Vibram(s)

I've been feeling weird about calling Vibram FiveFingers "Vibrams." It sounds right to my ear, but the name of the company is Vibram. I don't call my Converse Chuck Taylors "Converses" (my British penpal does, but that sounds wrong to me). I rely on the way a sentence "sounds" inside my head a lot. That's how i learned proper grammar, by hearing it spoken and reading it in books. So i am going to attempt to start using Vibram and drop the s entirely.

On Wednesday i put the Yankz in my KMDs. I am about to go running in them. It sounds very windy outside at the moment so i hope i don't regret not going to the gym.

hmmm

I didn't realize that there was yet another triathlon on Highline Lake at the end of the season... the Desert's Edge in "Fruita." They're even adding a mountain bike version this year with a swim across the lake rather than a loop. The catch? October 5th and 6th might be too close to October 26th.  Can i stand to compete in Loma three times in one season?  It would be wonderful to travel to Las Vegas for a triathlon but it would also be expensive.  Loma is technically close enough for me to sleep at home and get up extra early (though i would greatly prefer to camp or get a hotel room closer). What can i afford? What is a reachable goal? I have a feeling that it's still too early in the season to know, but it would probably be cheaper to register now rather than later.

Tri2 W1D2+3...and Tri3?

So today i went into work at 8am, worked in the back for 4 hours (which is exhausting, standing on concrete, lifting heavy merchandise, etc.), and then got sent home early.  Instead of going home i headed to the gym at my alma mater (it sounds so weird to say that) and invested in a one month membership. The last time i was in training for a triathlon this gym and pool were in the process of being remodeled (i.e. torn down and start over from scratch, expanding in the process). I started (tentatively) swimming in the new pool after pulling my hamstring running but i'm not sure that it opened soon enough for me to swim there during my training. I know that the gym was only open in a limited capacity at the very beginning. But now it's state of the art. The stationary bicycles (of which there are at least three varieties) purportedly generate electricity for the school. Which seems amazing when you consider that most of them have a TV screen w/cable.  The pool is beautiful, so much cleaner than the pools run by the county Parks & Rec, and overall it's much more enjoyable except for the fact that i change in a teensy bathroom stall (i don't think anyone wants to see me change in the locker room).

So today i got my membership completed without too much difficulty. He looked me up in a directory of alumni, took down my address and phone number, took a picture of me with a digital camera, and gave me a card to scan when i come in, not unlike how it was at the Life Center when i first signed up twelvish years ago (only there they require you to have an intro session with a trainer at additional cost).  So i got my water out of my bag, checked it at a desk in the gym, and got on a new spinning bike.  First i had to figure out how to adjust the seat (hey, i'm short). Then i set it up (touch screen was sluggish).  And i start peddling.  The only trouble was that it was not registering my cadence or distance. So after ten minutes i switched to an old recumbent bike. Twelve minutes later i had ridden 2.5 miles and was certain that i had probably ridden farther on the first bike (though i have no proof of this) and called it five miles. The heartrate sensor insisted that my heartrate never went above 161 bpm. My rpm seemed pretty decent at 75-85 throughout the work out. The second bike said me speed was 13mph most of the time... which means it would take me 23 minutes to ride five miles but i am pretty sure that i was faster on the first bike.

Next i got into my swimsuit and got into the pool. It was relatively quiet with only two or three other swimmers in the lap area. I paused at the end of each length to take my pulse. My heartrate was about what it was on the bike (slightly higher after one length, but in the 150-160 zone) but it felt a little too high. It's like the water insulates you and you can feel your heart beating in your chest, almost like it's going too hard. Plus having your face i the water can be intimidating. I warmed up with 1 lap of breast stroke. After that i would swim 1 length of crawl, 1 length of breast. Over the course of the workout i went from breathing every third stroke to every other while doing the crawl. On the breast stroke i breathed every stroke hoping to keep my heartrate stable. And then to cooldown i swam a lap of sidestroke. So all together that was 150 breast, 100 crawl, and 50 side. I didn't end up doing the back stroke, my breathing and heartrate never felt out of control. I felt i did very well considering it had been so long since i've seriously done laps, my hair was in my face the entire workout, and my goggles were fogging up. Sometimes hair on my face freaks me out while i'm swimming. The swimming felt more intense than the biking, though that wore out my hands, i could tell my form was getting a bit sloppy at the end.

Downsides - i wasn't as prepared as i should have been for post-workout. I barely stretched and probably should have cooled down more. All of my clothes were gross. I had old shampoo and conditioner that i don't want to use anymore. I didn't have clean clothes with me. I had worked out in my work shoes, didn't think to bring vibrams or sneakers. I didn't drink enough water even though i had it with me. I forgot to weigh myself on their awesome scale.

Upsides - i actually swam farther than i was supposed to (oops) and rode on the same day. Most of my soreness has faded. I was not wiped out like i am sometimes after a swim (or starving). I feel like i'm coping well with the level of workouts that i'm attempting, which are challenging but not too strenuous. I have now completed a workout of each type. I can sleep in tomorrow (working late). I have now have someplace to lift weights, swim, and work out if the weather gets colder again.

Thoughts - I am really wondering if i can manage two triathlons three weeks apart. I am curious to see if i could improve upon my time each time and if i will be stronger on the road run or slightly longer trail run.  The first bike will be shorter (if the HH has the old course) and part of it is different, too. I'm undecided and will probably hit up some forums and articles before i decide for sure. But i need to decide soon to take advantage of the cheaper price.

Doing some admin stuff, sitting around feeling drowsy, feeling accomplished. I know, i have a long road ahead of me, but i can't help it. I'm doing great so far. I need to be more careful about pacing now.

delayed ride

I tried, seriously i did. I overslept (which isn't really a surprise since i've been having heinous insomnia), i get geared up, i go to pump up my bike tires...and my pump breaks in my hands.  My like-new bike pump. Yeah, i've had it for four years, but it's barely been used. It wasn't left out in the sun or anything. So i haul my bike through mud to my dad's air compressor, plug it in, turn it on, and it refuses to work. ARGH.

So not only do i need to buy a new air pump but i've missed my window and there's no way i'm going on a ride today. This is going to push my whole training schedule back a day.

ETA: I'll probably just ride and swim on the same day. This is assuming that i can get my gym membership set up tomorrow. So my first ride is probably going to be on a treadmill.

a new race!

An Ironman triathlon is coming to Grand Junction this upcoming May along with a Half, Olympic, Sprint, and Open distances.  It will be less than a month before the Highline Hustle, so i don't know if i can actually do both.  The bike portion is shorter, so that's something.  The Open is very short, so i'm not sure i'm even interested in doing that length unless family members participated with me.  It will certainly be interesting to watch, if nothing else.

Goals

Swim - improved form and sighting, the ability to do the open water swim using the crawl instead of the breaststroke, less than 15 mins in the water on race day (i did 17:17 my first race)

Biking - above 15 mph avg on race day (i need to put the computer on my bike to see where i am on it compared to with my Mom's bike, which was 11.5mph on race day). To complete the bike portion in 3/4 of the time it took me during my first race.

Running - Sub 15 min mile on road and trail by and on race day

Additionally - Better focus on nutrition during the race.

Weight - Back down to my race weight?

Analysis: I feel that the most ambitious of these goals is the biking one. I could have swam faster but was stuck in the pack. Which was probably good as it forced me to pace myself. But i am hoping to improve upon my last triathlon.

Tri2 W1D1

Once again i am using the TriNewb Sprint program as a guideline as well as Cto5k for my runs (starting on W1D1).  Today was my first run since November and i ran half a mile farther.  The conditions are cool but sunny (43F feels warm after a month with only one day above freezing and most below 20F).  The side of the road was a bit muddy but the graded road was in good conditions (my heel came down on one pebble that hurt, but i was really on my toes so i didn't miss a step).  My lungs are a bit raspy but i did well (though of course i still run more slowly than i'd like). I was only supposed to run for 15 minutes but the entire workout was about 32 minutes.  I'm not entirely sure that i didn't run an extra interval, i didn't hear the chimes to stop, but a truck drove by at about the right time so i'm not sure.  Tomorrow i will bike 5 miles.

And i did wear the new Vibrams.  Last night the KMD Sports felt tight but when i put them on this morning they felt fine.  Maybe my feet were a bit swollen last night. I have yet to change my laces out and didn't even notice that one had come up/loose until just now. *blush*

New Vibrams

I went to the local REI today intending to try on the Women's KMD Sport LS.  They only have Grey/Black/Pink right now and i was sizing in hope of ordering the Violet/Light Violet/Grey ones online.  I figured i'd try out Bikilas and Spyridons while i was at it.  I wear a 41 in the Sprints so i figured that would be the right size for all of the other models as well.

Perhaps it would be pertinent for me to point out two facts about my huge hobbit feet right now.  There are (at least) two things going against me when i am trying on shoes to buy.  The most pressing in this instance are the fact that i have wide feet and a high instep.  This is why i went for Sprints when i started buying Vibrams.  When you don't have full coverage of your instep you're more likely to get burnt buy you also have more room for the top of your foot.  The straps on my Sprints are barely long enough, really.  The toes are snug but spread to accomodate my big boned toes.  When i first bought my first pair of Sprints almost all of the seams felt too snug.

This doesn't bother me as much as it once did.  I think that i've both broken them in and gotten used to it.  But unfortunately i have the same problems with the lace systems.  The instep of these shoes is barely big enough for me to ease my feet into, too tight for comfort and proper circulation.  All of the women's models i tried on today clearly did not fit me, and the Bikilas with the strap were so tight that i couldn't even really try.

So i turned to the men's versions of the shoes.  I tried on the Men's Spyridon, which were too loose in the toes and too tight in the instep, and bought the Men's KMD Sport in Castle Rock/Navy/Gray.  The KMDs are still tight, but loose enough for me to hope that i can break them in to a comfortable level.  The toes are looser than i am used to in Vibrams but i don't think they're too loose.  One of the things that i find odd is that the laces aren't elastic, so i bought some Yankz thinking that i'll probably replace the laces that came with the shoes.

The tread is thicker and looks more like an athletic shoe which is why i wanted to get some new Vibrams. I don't feel like i'm ready to run barefoot, not really.  I've been wearing shoes to work and am not barefoot as much as i would like.  Sprints are a bit uncomfortable at the arch where the strap system restricts motion and the tread is completely smooth.  I want more traction for trail running. The Highline Hustle was a trail run and part of my run near my home is graded but unpaved road with a lot of loose gravel.  I hiked in the Sprints this summer but would have appreciated more traction than i had.

The arch in these shoes still has more rigid support than i'd like but i'm hoping that these will provide a good transition from running shoes to barefoot running. My current running shoes were bought to wear at work (Vibrams aren't forbidden but are slightly frowned upon) made my feet cramp because they were too narrow in the instep. The jury is still out on these. I might be taking them back tomorrow.

Triathlete frustrates me

I don't know why but i checked out a couple of issues of Triathlete from the library after reading one.  The first one i read didn't bother me, and i even found a few tips that i thought were helpful hidden on pages surrounded by other mini-articles.  But overall Triathlete deluges one with images of athletes that are too thin.  The man who won Kona, for instance, is shockingly skinny, doesn't look muscular so much as skeletal, and reminds me of a creepy Albert Nobbs.

I feel that in any endurance sport one needs to have a certain number of calories held in reserve that are actually held inside the body.  Perhaps training for an Ironman for years strips all of that away until there is nothing left in reserve.  I don't ever want to become that. I'm not sure that's physically possible but it is not a goal that i have.  When i see people walking around who are that thin i am not attracted to them so much as repulsed. I'm not saying that to be mean, and realize that they probably feel the same way about me, it's just that i do not find thinness to be attractive.  When i see skinny jeans clinging to someone's protruding joints i truly gag.  I'm not going to toss my cookies, i have strong control in that area (i actually have trouble getting sick, truth be told, i could never be bulimic), i just find it to be sad and gross that they would starve themselves enough to look like that. Maybe they don't have to starve themselves, but i would probably have to be on a diet of broth and nothing but broth for a long time before i would look like that. And that's part of it, that they don't look like they have any muscles.  They are not active.  I'm not into weightlifters, either, in a way it's the other extreme.  But i'd rather look at someone who is extremely thin and muscular than someone who is extremely thin and has no muscles.

I've probably lost most of you now and you're telling yourselves "she is such a snob."  I, for my part, feel sorry for these people (empathy, in a way), and irritated that our culture is force feeding us this perception that skinny people are cool and fat people are stupid, lazy, and ugly.  What do most people see when they look at me, for instance?  They don't see the volleyball and softball player that i was in high school, who felt huge in size 17. They don't see the girl who lifeguarded one summer, eating far too little and hovering between a size 12 and 14.  They don't see the girl who kickboxed to Tae Bo six days a week.  They don't see the young woman who weight lifted three days a week and couldn't seem to get the hang of cardio on a treadmill, who got back aches every time she took a step aerobics class.  They probably see me sitting on a couch stuffing my mouth with chips and ice cream which is almost entirely fictional.  I do occasionally indulge in those snacks but i certainly don't eat an entire carton alone.

I knew a girl in high school that played volleyball, softball, and lifeguarded with me.  She was tall, and seemed thin, but in retrospect i don't remember thinking she was grossly thin.  We knew girls who were too thin, some of which had eating disorders. But this one girl ate a lot, far more than i did.  One time we went to a pizza restaurant after a (softball?) game, a greasy spoon that made HUGE pizzas that had to be at least 24" in diameter.  She ate more than one alone.  And she never gained weight.  Even when she got pregnant when she was a junior she was very thin. No one could tell by looking at her waist until she was at least six months pregnant.  Her baby at full term weighed little more than half what my mother's babies did born around the same time.  I have no idea what this girl looks like now, if she can still eat like there's no tomorrow.  But at the time she filled the binge eating stereotype more than i did and was an incredible athlete.

What i'm saying very poorly is that i think it is a huge disservice for anyone to act like people who are overweight cannot be impressive athletes in their own right. This is a disservice to everyone, the assumption that thin=fit and fat=unfit when nothing is so clear cut.  I think i will always be a fat girl inside, feeling judged by others, feeling like i'm clawing to get out, feeling like i am strong and beautiful but invisible.  This isn't about losing weight (though i won't be upset if that happens) it is about physically overcoming how sedentary i've allowed myself to become (which is not as sedentary as people may think but is too sedentary for my liking).  I like to feel strong and overcome obstacles.  And i don't think that i'm the only fat person who is a triathlete, it just isn't reality.  I am somewhere between fitness nut and couch potato and i'm okay with that, i'm just moving it back towards the fitness side.

I really wish there was a publication or forum where i could find people who have the same struggles i do.  Which is the main reason i am considering making a vlog of my experience, not because i want fame, but because i want people to see that i really am fat and i really am a triathlete, the two are not mutually exclusive.  That and they say a public diary like this keeps people motivated. I want to be honest, my last time around was far from perfect, there were days i skipped workouts.  But in my mind training was like being in a boot camp. I spent two months preparing for one thing, and i completed that task, and that will always be a part of me.  Just as those in the military will always be a veteran, i will always be a triathlete. I just hope that there are triathletes out there that aren't as elitest as that one jerk on Twitter was.

Goal = first tri longer than a Sprint?

As i recall, the IronGirl Las Vegas used to be a race that was earlier in the season (late spring?).  It turns out that in 2013 the race will be in October and that this year there will be an "International" length event as well. Their Sprint is 500m/22.5k/5k, the International will be 1.5k/40k/10k.

I haven't even started training yet (plan to start next week and probably take my bike in for a tune up) but i really like the idea of making this my first Olympic length tri if i do well at the HH Sprint in June.  Even if i don't feel that i can do that long of a race i would like to do the Sprint in LV.  So right now there are two races this year that are on my radar.

Highline Hustle (Sprint) - June 8
IronGirl Las Vegas (Sprint or International) - October 26

i am a triathlete

On January 21 i was flamed on Twitter because i "claim" to be a triathlete and admit to being overweight.  I have always been open about this, though i know not everyone has read everything i have ever written (in fact, i know that no one has, because there are many things i have written that are as of yet private or unreleased for general viewing).  One of the persons flaming me was another triathlete, which i thought was a little odd, but i suppose that there are jerks in any sport.  Oddly enough, calling myself a triathlete is one of the few things that i don't feel like a poser/fraud for doing.

To start off with, i didn't simply get up one day and decide to complete a triathlon, go out, and then do it. I didn't even know what a triathlon was until i watched the Sydney Olympics of 2000. I spent a few of years boggling that anyone could do such a thing, still entirely ignorant of what an Ironman was, but intrigued and pulled in a way.  I mostly scoffed at even daydreaming that i could ever do such a thing.

Then i tentatively started learning how to run.  I started the Couch to 5k program on a whim, really, in September, 2008, but didn't finish it in nine weeks.  For some reason (school and holidays?) i simply stopped for nearly three months and picked it up again midstride by repeating the last week i had completed.  A couple months later i decided to take the plunge and added biking and swimming to my training regimen.  I ran my first 5k in the middle of two months of  training for to compete in my first Sprint triathlon.

I didn't win that triathlon, not even for my age range, but i did finish, and i didn't come in last. I beat one of the groups of competitors even, which i found to be odd.  I mean, if you're going to only complete one leg then hopefully you excel at that leg and are going to be able to push yourself harder, go full out, rather than pace yourself.

I feel that completing even one triathlon makes me a triathlete. It was only a Sprint, not an Olympic or an Ironman, but i finished it.  I exercised 5-6 days a week for over two months.  After that i kept training.  Even after i had a running injury i kept training. The only reason i stopped training was because it was interfering with my homework and my primary goal was to graduate from college.  Even at that time i would have been riding my bicycle three days a week had i been able to get my bike to campus.

Now my thoughts are turning to preparing for the same Sprint triathlon that i once competed in.  It will be four years since i competed in it for the first time.  That date is about four months away and i weigh more now that i did when i competed in it the first time. My goal has always been to be healthy and persevere far more than it has been to lose weight or improve my time.  I have always figured that those last two would come on their own.

Six months ago i think i weighed more than i ever had before, but i kept hiking and riding my bike.  I didn't let myself go and break 300, i tried to keep active.  I tried counting calories and have been reading about various diets.  The thing that i always remember is that the times when i lost the most weight was when i was very active and ate however much my body told me i needed to.  I have been told that "All things in moderation" is cliche and a platitude but it's what i live my life by.  Even when i feel hungry all the time i don't want to let myself overeat. By the same token, any time i diet i don't want to let myself get/stay so hungry that i give up and binge.  I don't want to exercise too hard and injure myself.  Food + water = fuel that i need.

Things that are going to be different w/training this time around. One, i weigh more and have had several injuries since i stopped training.  Two, i am not starting this journey while already running three days a week, so i may need to ease into it. Three, i am older. Four, i don't want to just prove to myself that i can do this anymore.  I will always be competing against my former self, but this time i want to also do it to prove to the naysayers that it's possible and to inspire those who are too afraid to try.  I might not be able to give insight or encouragement to anyone on a spiritual front, but on a physical one i am here to tell you that it is possible, you do have the power in yourself to do it, and you really have to just take it one step at a time.