Beginning of Week Two

Today is Monday, and also Memorial Day.  So far, in the last several days, I have gone for a swim, biked and run.  I have also eaten twice my body weight in junk food, a glaring departure from my normal diet.  Hey, who doesn't need ice cream twice in one day to cancel out the effects of the 14 mile bike ride?
On Saturday, we did what will likely become a weekly occurence, a half mile swim followed by a half mile barefoot beach run.  This swim was tough.  I managed to put my head in the water, and find a rhythm for q couple brief periods, but the waves were rough, and I was using borrowed goggles that didn't fit my face quite right.  On the plus side, I was able to move and lift ky arms, which was not the case the weekend before.  O really, it drove home the realization that I definitely need to invest time in strength training for my left side.  The beach run felt good too; I really enjoy barefoot running.  Running on your forefeet, the swiftness and lightness it garners you, are wonderful.  Granted, I also get sore on different places on my calves.
Bike ride yesterday.  Rode 14 miles, seven south and seven north.  There was a strong wind out of the south.  I wore a heart rate monitor, and practiced slowing down a bit every time it got too high, so by the end of the ride, I felt like j had a good solid workout, but wasn't about to keel over.  Bonus! 
Today was slated as a rest day, but due to the aforementioned junk food, I thought a little run couldn't hurt.  I did an easy two miles on the beach.  Very string wind out if the south, which was the direction I ran in first.  My right shin splint felt a little aggravated by the time I was done, so I need to make sure I am careful and maybe KT Tape the rest of the week.

Week 1 Halfway Point

So far this week, I've completed all three disciplines once.  Tomorrow morning I will swim, and tonight will be my 3 mile run.  I've barely started, and already, I am excited about the level of fitness I will be getting back to!

The other night was my first swim, which was a lot of me relearning how to swim, and how to go underwater without holding my nose.  Despite always loving being in the water growing up , getting into a strongly chlorinated pool and swimming in a straight and energy efficient line back and forth is completely different.  I have have my oh-so-attractive flowered TYR one piece and small speed goggles.  I think my favorite part about my swim was probably the fact that several kids swim classes were going on at the same time, so the bleachers were overflowing with bored parents.  Great feeling like I had an audience.  Especially when I know a couple of strokes consisted of the front half of me going underwater, and my butt bobbing up in the air.

Last night I did a 7 mile-ish (my computer doesn't work when I use the trainer, so I have to guesstimate time/distance based on my typical speed) ride.  I also wore a heart rate monitor which I have not done before, and as I thought, I really liked it.  There is something about find that edge between effort and ease, and being able to maintain it because you can see how your body is responding.  One of things I struggle with when I do any type of cardio workout is maintaining the level of effort, and being able to look at a number and know where I needed to stay was awesome.  So, it looks like that is a purchase that will be in my future.

So onward to my run tonight, and my first real swim tomorrow.

In the Beginning

Around the middle of last year, I first heard the phrase "Triathlon" and a little later I learned of the crowning distance of these events, the Ironman.  While I have no desire to compete in the unfathomable distance that is the Ironman, my interest was piqued.  I already cycle and run, so why not combine the two and add in swimming?  Accordingly, I signed up for the Lake Logan International Triathlon, which will require that I swim .9 miles, bike 25 miles, and run 6 miles.  The plan is also to compete in some local sprint distance triathlons (750 m swim, 20 km bike, 5 km run) over the summer, so I can have some real time practice for transitions and (gulp) swimming with a huge group of people, all of whom possess flailing limbs and occasional sharp nails. 

My boyfriend recently completed his first Ironman 70.3, and used a training plan that came in a book on basic triathlon training.  I have decided to use this book's Olympic tri training program...if nothing else, I know these plans work!      

The decision to compete in tri's has also led me to the realization that I could not have picked a sport that needs more stuff.  When I first starting cycling last year, I was amazed by the number of accessories required:  helmet, gloves, padded shorts, jersey, hex key, tire kit, tire pump, bike rack, extra tubes, water bottles...and the list goes on.  Of course, now I can spend hours, quite happily, in my local bike shop, perusing the latest products and chatting with the staff. 

Helping support my boyfriend through his Ironman training introduced me to the accessorized world of triathlon. Transition bags, transition mats, cycling computers, heart rate monitors...granted, a lot of training can be done without these things, but the farther you delve into it, the more it somehow becomes critical to know what training zone you're in during mile 6 of your long run.  

So, this week I started.  It's going to be a long road, but I am looking forward to welcoming a truly fit mind and body back into my life.