Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Weekend Update ( not by Seth Meyers)

The plan to get back on track has been working great but not without snags.  This past weekend I got to travel to Spokane for a lovely baby shower for a friend of mine.  For those of you out there with a 6 day a week training schedule with 9 workouts in it you know that traveling is hard on a schedule.
Friday:
 I did my swim during my lunch break I had pain in my shoulder that had been there all week and it felt a bit like over use so I am letting my arms rest for a few days after Friday's swim. I skipped the run but I kinda had to but I had a great trainer session on the bike the night before that lasted longer then it was supposed to so I went with it. Knowing I was going to be on the road I pushed it a little harder Thursday night on the bike.
Saturday:
 I needed to spend 2 hours on my bike..... Well I didn't have "my bike" so I asked my mom if I could used hers.  It is a nice Felt but the frame is a bit small for me but a any bike is a better then no ride. So I powered off for my scenic trip around Spokane WA.  Water consumption was a bit difficult because the cage felt like it was on the ground because the seat post was so high but over all  loved riding back home and on my mom's bike.  Things I discovered during this ride... I want a new Bike, Spokane is cold and I also want a new saddle.
Sunday:
This is supposed to be my long run day and long swim with a rest on Monday.  Someone was too tired for a run and had a bbq to go to in Seattle so my time ran short. so I had an impromptu rest day on Sunday. Did some birthday celebrating and headed to bed after the basketball was over.
Monday:
Time for my long run.  Now I believe I was only suppose to run for 50 mins but since I am training for a half marathon in May that training program called for 6 miles so I went for the 6 mile run.  The run was great and I lucked out with great Seattle weather.  I got home around 8pm and it took me about an hour and 20 mins to finish my run but I had a draw bridge break on the way that added some time in:).  Due to the arm pain I am swimming and biking on Tuesday so that I can get a little more rest for my shoulder.  All in all only one workout was postponed and it didn't seam to effect my long run so that is great to see.

I will sending another recap at the end of the week to make sure I keep up with this grueling but awesome adventure of triathlon.  Hopefully with my next update I will be able to tell you that I was a successful with the 8 lbs weigh loss challenge I entered at work. It was a pick your own goal challenge and I chose to lose 8lbs in March I have until the 29th so pray I made it. I am down 6 lbs right now so we shall see....
-RR-

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

The good, bad and the ugly.

The Bad:
Its has been some time since an official training update and I would like to say it is because I am so busy with my training that I have not had the time.  That however this is not the case.  Confession I have been a slacker at best in my last 2/3 weeks of training.  Yes I have run every week and only missed one swim workout but I think that someone may have done something to my bike that actually repels training all together.  I look at it and it looks like a foreign object, and my bike shoes what are those they do not look like sneakers or flip flops so I must not know how to put them on.
The Ugly:
 In short I have hit panic mode.  Like can I even do this? Why is triathlon even fun? I could be traveling and exploring the world but I spend money on this sport that literally feels like torture sometime ( lately all the time).  It does not help that in the off season I have put on some extra insulation ( that right I got fat).  And that, is never fun getting back at it and remembering you used to be faster or clothes used to fit a little different.  I am sharing this with you all mostly for some accountability and to help me snap out of the funk.   I am not sure if any of you have felt this way but its not fun feeling like you may have made a $360.00 mistake!!

The Good:
I have a plan!!!  I have added a few races to my schedule that are event specific so that I have small, short term goals to reach.
SWIM:
I will be doing a 1.2 mile open swim race on june15th. The point of this is be able to just focus on one event and when it is over its over no bike no traditions and no, I did the swim great but everything fell apart after that feeling. I still get the open water experience and this will bring some of the fun back to the sport and confidence. 
BIKE:
I will be doing a century ride( 100 mile) on June 9th.  This will give me confidence in the race because if I can do 100 I can do 56.  Again it is only a ride so I will be able to really focus on just one thing and practice nutrition, because a 100 mile ride should be about as long as the half iron give or take. Mentally is it nice to know it is just one discipline at a time.
RUN:
On may 19th I will be doing a half marathon. I am doing this to make sure I get my running mileage up because in triathlon training they measure training in time not distance.  For us slower runners this is not ideal because a one hour run is not going to be 6 miles it may only be 4.5 or 5, and for that reason when training I want to be sure I can tackle the full distance of the run.

TRIATHLON:
I will be doing 2 full blown races before my A race that will work out kinks in transition and doing all things together on the same day in race atmosphere. Along with all of these small goals I have joined a triathlon club which will help me with group rides and open water swimming. I will also get the comradery of being around other athletes.
I have the plan in place and now it is just time to do it.  I will be more active in my blogging about training reports and struggles of the sport to help me stay on track and I will also pray.  And I mean the quite literally right now I need some help and I know where I can get it!

"Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
-Isaiah 40:31

"Awesome Aint Easy" - Steve Gleason

-Rookie Runner Out!!