She's a Mainiac!

I crossed another one off the bucket list this weekend: I swam in the OCEAN. The big, bad Atlantic, no less. And guess what? I had a wonderful time. And although it was challenging, the swim was both thrilling and immensely satisfying.

But that's not all I did. The OCEAN swim was just the first part of my final race of the season: the Mainiac Triathlon in Biddeford, ME. Perhaps one of the most scenic courses on which I've raced, the Mainiac proved to be a delicious cherry on the top of my very first triathlon season.

So now, onto the recap...

4:45am - My alarm went off and I got up to finish packing and take a shower (don't ask me why). I made a decent cup of coffee this time and made it out of the house by 5:30 so I could get to Beckie's house (travel and tri partner) by 6:00am.

7:30ish - Beckie and I arrived in Wells, ME, to pick up Kimberly, a friend who drove all the way up from JERSEY to do this tri. I'm so grateful to Kim; she introduced me to Beckie who lives nearby and is a great training partner.

8:30am - Beckie's TomTom got us to our destination with time to spare; we were able to check in and set up transition before most of the other athletes arrived. Kim and I snagged end caps, which gave us plenty of transition space.



The downside to arriving so early? It gave us plenty of time to worry about the impending OCEAN swim. We took a walk down to the beach to grab a look at the course, but they hadn't set the buoys yet. But we saw the swells...and the waves...and just watching the water made me dizzy.


10:20am - I put in my ear plugs (great tip from cold water swimming article Kim gave me), donned two swim caps and dived into the OCEAN. I knew I needed to warm up; my last swim in cold water was tough and my lungs seized. I didn't want to make the same mistake twice. I swam out past the breakers and made it 2/3 of the way to the buoy before I turned around. The water felt like ice on my neck, feet and hands; it was THAT cold.

10:30am - Back in transition, I found Beckie and Kim and made final preparations. After a few race announcements and a sweet rendition of the Star Spangled Banner by a young girl (maybe 10 yrs old?), we were off to the beach. The course was a 1/4 mile counterclockwise swim with two main buoys and several smaller markers for sighting. With only four waves, it wasn't long until Kim and I were up. Beckie was in the Wave in front of us - the youngster that she is - and we got a good look at the swimmers as they plowed through the breakers and rounded the first buoy.

11:15 am - And then, we were off. I ran into the water about as far as I could manage and then just dove in and started my stroke. I sighted the first buoy but swimming through the mass of bodies and fighting the OCEAN waves made the race challenging at best. I struggled to stay close to the buoy markers for the first half but still seemed to drift out toward open water. And since many of the women in my Wave chose not to freestyle, I had a difficult time weaving through the breast- and backstrokers. I even had my goggles knocked to the side when I got kicked in the head. Thankfully, it happened with fewer than 100 meters to go.

Thinking back, I realize I stood up too quickly at the finish and had to wade through waist high water to reach the shore. I should've taken a few more strokes. And next time, I'll start closer to the front to avoid the mid-pack tangle of bodies.
Swim time: 10:18

11:25-ish- T1 went well. I threw on Beckie's Starter performance shirt, donned my bike shoes with new comfy shoe caps (purchased on-site) and raced out.
T1 time - 2:00 min

11:27-ish - I mounted the bike and took off. Best thing about the bike portion? I managed to keep my seat intact. Seriously, I consider that a major victory after Pumpkinman. The course was relatively flat, but the headwind was a major factor. Still, I maintained a nice pace throughout. As usual, I passed a few people and got passed by a few women from my swim wave; that's nothing new. My bike sensor had slid down too low so I didn't have my computer for cadence, MPH or distance. I felt like I was riding blind. But I finished the 14.85 mile course without any major mechanical mishaps, and for that, I am grateful.
Bike time: 52:46 (16.89 MPH)

12:20-ish - I made it back to transition and threw off the Starter shirt and kicked off my shoes. As I put on my running shoes, I felt both calves cramp up. I was clearly dehydrated, despite taking in plenty of liquids on the bike. Perhaps the dent I made in the Atlantic had something to do with it? No clue, but I started the run with cramped calves and BRICK thighs.
T2 time: 1:43 min

12:22-ish - I started down the run course and immediately began to worry. My legs were in bad shape and I couldn't get a good rhythm going. An initial steep hill compounded the problem. I really thought I was going to have to walk the course, but refused to stop.

Somewhere around mile two, my legs loosened up and I was able to open up my run a bit, but it was too late by that time; I was tired and couldn't pick it up enough. With 1/2 mile to go, I passed another woman in my age group and used a downhill to pick up some speed. And then with .1 miles to go, I hit the gravel and raced to the finish line.
Run time: 29:19

TOTAL time: 1:36:04 - good enough for 8th in my age group.

So that's it, I think. I don't have another tri on deck until next May. I'm considering an October duathlon and perhaps a few 5ks, but this was officially the end of my first tri season. Yes, I had my ups and downs, but overall, it was enjoyable. Best of all, I made some new friends through TriFury and was able to reconnect with a friend from the past who inspired me to Tri. Thanks, Kim.

Photos courtesy of Kimberly G. and Beckie M.

Tri Training - Week 24, Sept 20 - Sept 26

I am so incredibly unmotivated this week. I have no desire to do anything. At all. I'm not sure I'm over-trained; there are far more people who put in far more time than I do. But, perhaps I've been so consumed by triathlon these last few months, that I just need to put a brake on it. For a while. I'll still continue to train, but perhaps not with the intensity I have been.

But before I can take time off, I have one more challenge: next Saturday's Mainiac triathlon in Biddeford, ME. May the weather gods be gentle.

Sunday
Planned - 45 min Run
Actual - 50 min Run

Monday
Planned - OFF
Actual - OFF

Tuesday
Planned - 45 min Strength
Actual - OFF (JP canceled)

Wednesday
Planned - 60 min Tri Swim Class/45 min Spin Class
Actual - 45 min Tri class only (knee is acting up and I'm really uncomfortable about putting any pressure on it

Thursday
Planned - OFF
Actual - 45 min Strength Training

Friday
Planned - 30 min Swim
Actual - 30 min Swim

Saturday
Planned - The Mainiac Triathlon (1/4 mile swim, 14.85 mile bike, 3.1 mile run) - hope to finish in 10/55/28...we'll see. I have no expectations.
Actual - 10:18/52:46/29:19 - total time (with transitions) 1:36:04

TOTAL
Planned - 318 min
Actual - ~266 to date

The Facts of Life - Pumpkinman Recap

How does the theme song go?

"You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have The Facts of Life, the Facts of Life."

Well, it seems my newness to the sport of triathlon is manifesting itself in some serious inconsistencies. Sharon's Back was miserable; Timberman was a joy. Pumpkiman, unfortunately, turned into a mechanical nightmare, one that could've been easily remedied with an Allen wrench. But I'm getting ahead of myself....

3:30 am - Wake up call. Getting up that early isn't nearly as bad as you think and since I didn't have any of the cold symptoms I'd been suffering from in days prior, I was quite happy Saturday morning, er night, er morning. All of my stuff was packed and ready to go, so I just brushed my teeth, put on my club uniform (and three warm layers - it was 50 degrees), made my coffee and left.

4:30 am - I met Julie, another TriFury club member, at a nearby shopping mall so we could do the early morning drive together. I begged Julie to stop for coffee because apparently in my half sleep state, I managed to brew the worst pot imaginable. Thank goodness for 24-hour McDonalds.

6:00 am - We arrived in South Berwick, ME, registered and set up transition. It was overcast and quite cold so I was a bit concerned about what to wear on the bike, but I soon figured it out. And then it was 7:30 and time for the pre-race meeting and warm-up.

8:00 am - And they're off...sort of. The Elites couldn't hear the race announcer and just stood there as he yelled, "Go, go, go." A little confusion and a few seconds later and they ran into the water. I was in Wave 5, which started ten minutes later so I just watched the Elites swim the course. I noticed that the women in the Wave in front of me seemed reluctant to put their heads in the water and was surprised by that, until it was my turn.

I was hoping for a good swim and according to my time, achieved it, but it was difficult. The air was cold and the water felt cold; I struggled to breathe throughout the race. I just felt like I couldn't get a full breath, despite emptying my lungs fully AND breathing every other stroke. In any case, I made it out of the water in 9:54...and if there is true parity, it's a tremendous improvement over Timberman, which was also a 600 meter course (12:12).
Swim time: 9:54

8:20 am - The Great Hill Climb Challenge or a 250 meter transition ascent that apparently didn't count toward your total time (which I didn't know until afterward). Seriously, I couldn't figure out why people were walking up the hill; I booked up that hill thinking, look at all the people I"m passing! Chalk it up to another newbie mistake. But I came in first in my AG. ;-)
Hill Climb time: 1:20


8:25 am - After a longer than necessary transition (think: trying to catch breath after Hill Challenge), I hopped on my bike and flew on the course. I was thrilled; I seemed to be going faster than usual and although I was getting passed by the serious bikers, I was doing some passing myself.

Until mile 6.5. At that point, I felt my seat start to wiggle beneath me and knew I needed to pull over and check it out. Loose...and not just a little loose, but more like a very loose tooth that's just dangling by a thread and one slight movement would send it shooting out of your mouth...*that* kind of loose. An aid car stopped and asked me if I needed anything and when I asked for an Allen wrench, she said, um sorry.

At that point, I had a couple of choices: 1) Continue to ride and pray that I made it or 2) Yell down the line and hope someone would take pity on me and throw me an Allen wrench. I chose #1. I should add that while I was contemplating my options, a man came up behind me walking his bike. Apparently, he had a flat and didn't have anything to change it with. I offered up my flat kit and tube, which he gladly took. I then gingerly got back on my bike and continued the ride.

Until mile 12. Oh, that dreadfully steep hill at mile 12. You know, the one that forced my seat to GO FLYING OFF THE BACK OF MY BIKE? So, yes, I stopped, picked up the pieces and once again, considered my options. Do I run/walk the bike in? Do I try to ride it? Or do I DNF? I was losing serious time so I put the loose bolts in my seat bag, popped the seat sideways on the seat post and ran the bike up the hill. And then I did the craziest thing I've ever done - I rode 2.5 miles back to the transition area STANDING UP praying I didn't fall on the post.
Bike time: 59:27 (14.1 mph)


9:25 am- Do you even want to hear about the run? Because it was uneventful. I struggled with one hill and had to take a hit of the inhaler, but still managed a good run time. It was fairly flat at the start and hilly on the backside, but the final 100 meters were completely downhill, which was a pleasure.
Run time: 26:49 (just under 9 min miles)



Total Time - 1:41:14 (1/3 mile swim/14.25 mile bike/3 mile run)

I hate to think what I could've done had I not been saddled (literally) with mechanical problems. And yes, I am disappointed...but also thrilled that I didn't give up and that I finished.

So take that, Pumpkinman!

Tri Training - Week 23, Sept 13 - Sept 19

Sunday
Planned - 3-4 hour WALK for the Jimmy Fund
Actual - 3:30 Walk

Monday
Planned - OFF
Actual - OFF

Tuesday
Planned - OFF
Actual - OFF

Wednesday
Planned - 60 min Tri Swim Class
Actual - 60 min Tri Swim Class

Thursday
Planned - 45 min Spin Class/15 min Strength
Actual - 30 min Arc Trainer/20 min Strength/45 min Spin Class
* Knee is really bothering me so I am not planning to run until Sunday. Chiro told me to lay off the side lunges (we did a few) and keep knee iced. Hoping it's not a slight meniscus tear.

Friday
Planned - 45 min Strength
Actual - 45 min Strength

Saturday
Planned - 45 min Run
Actual -

TOTAL
Planned - 420 min
Actual - 410 to date

Tri Training - Week 22, Sept 6-12

This is a big week. I attempted (and succeeded at) a mile swim on Sunday and have Pumpkinman next Saturday. This will be a taper week since last week's workouts were so intense (think speed).

Sunday
Planned - 45 min swim - the Mighty Merrimack 1 miler
Actual - 43:48 swim

Monday
Planned - OFF
Actual - OFF

Tuesday
Planned - 45 min Strength/30 min Run
Actual - 45 min Strength

Wednesday
Planned - 60 min Tri Swim Class
Actual - 50 min Tri Swim Class

Thursday
Planned - 45 min Spin Class/15 min Strength
Actual - 50 min Spin Class/20 min Strength/10 min Arc Trainer

Friday
Planned - 20 min Run
Actual - OFF

Saturday
Planned - Pumpkinman (.33/14/3) - hopefully better than - 15/55/30
Actual - Pumpkinman (9:54/59:27/26:49) - 1:41:14 with transitions

TOTAL
Planned - 305 min
Actual - 320:02 (to date)

Tri Training - Week 21, Aug 30 - Sept 5

This is a tough week for the family. Petra starts first grade and Raya transitions to a new class. Also, it's the week before my classes (bike/swim) start, so I plan to take it easy. I think you'll find that what I plan isn't necessarily what will happen.

Sunday
Planned - 60 min Bike/30 min Run - BRICK
Actual - 59:30 Bike/30:02 Run - BRICK with Beckie

Monday
Planned - 45 min Swim (Tri Swim Class)
Actual - OFF

Tuesday
Planned - 45 min Strength
Actual - 45 min Strength

Wednesday
Planned - 30 min Open Water Swim
Actual - 60 min Swim (Tri Swim Class)

Thursday
Planned - 30 min Run
Actual - 35 min Run

Friday
Planned - 45 min Bike
Actual - 50 min Bike

Saturday
Planned - 20 min Run
Actual - 30 min Speed workout

TOTAL
Planned - 305 min
Actual - 309:32 min (to date)

Tri Training - Week 20, Aug 23 - 29

Sunday
Planned - OFF
Actual - OFF

Monday
Planned - 45 min Swim (Tri Swim Class)
Actual - 45 min Swim (Tri Swim Class)

Tuesday
Planned - 45 min Strength/30 min Run
Actual - 45 min Strength/31 min Run/Walk (legs were still brick-y...had difficulty with back half)

Wednesday
Planned - 30 min Open Water Swim
Actual - 24 horrible minutes of Open Water Swimming.
Panicking halfway across? Not. a. good. idea. Not sure what's going on, but this swim freaked me out. Elated (not) that I get to go out and do again tomorrow. Areas of improvement - not freaking out.

Thursday
Planned - 45 min Open Water Swim/45 min Bike
Actual - 60 min Open Water Swim/60 min Bike (class with Sharon Johnson)

Friday
Planned - OFF
Actual - 31 min Run

Saturday
Planned - 45 min Run
Actual -

TOTAL
Planned - 285 min
Actual - 296 min

Redemption.

The Timberman Triathlon 2009 might go down as my favorite race - marathon, tri or otherwise Despite the iffy weather, Timberman didn't disappoint. Set in one of the most beautiful parts of the state - the Lakes region - the short course offered arguably the most scenic, but challenging race routes out there. A two-day festival drew thousands of people to swim, bike and run (either the Sprint or Ironman 70.3) or cheer for their favorite athletes. And this race wasn't just for amateurs - two-time Ironman World Champion, Chrissie Wellington was back to defend her Timberman title (and ostensibly prepare for Kona in October).

Best moment? Finishing the bike. I know I had a grin from ear-to-ear, and rightfully so; it's a challenging course and I'd given it my all.

But let me take a step back...

My mother, Petra and I drove up Friday afternoon to avoid the nightmarish Lakes traffic and to register (great idea)/rack my bike (needless). We arrived at the hotel in Tilton, checked in and then rushed out again to head up to Gunstock, where the Timberfest (note: not tri) was taking place. And although it was raining, there was quite a crowd. Registration was fast and painless - no long lines - and we happened to arrive in time to hear the newcomers' Q&A. There was a bit of concern about whether wetsuits were going to be legal (temp had reached 77 degrees), but since wetsuits had been allowed the last twelve years, it was highly unlikely they'd be banned. Water temp on race day: 75 degrees.

After registering, we visited the merchandise tent where I purchased a Timberman bike jersey and bought Petra a teddy bear. A woman dressed as a devil gave Petra a Timberbuck to spend at the general store (which we couldn't find) and a tattoo, which she sported proudly on race day.

After dodging rain drops between tents, we went to Ellacoya so I could rack my bike (recommended by race directors). I spread a tarp over it to protect it from the rain and spent about ten minutes vacillating over whether to leave it. I did.

We then headed to Patrick's Pub to meet other TriFury (my tri club) members for dinner. There were a few glitches - reservations were not allowed and a nearby concert filled the restaurant with pre-concert goers - so after hanging with club members for about an hour, we took our food to go.

I'm thankful I slept well Thursday night because I didn't get a wink Friday night. Call it anxiety over missing the wake-up call, pre-race jitters or just a foreign bed, I rested little.

4:00 - Wake up call. We were on the road 15 minutes later. Surprisingly, Petra woke up and stayed up until the ride home later that day.

4:50 - We arrived at Ellacoya State Park (a few miles from Gunstock) and made it in in time to get good parking (a huge concern). I set-up my transition in the dark (note to self: flashlight in gear bag...not a bad idea) and pulled the soaking tarp off my bike. Since we had to rack by number, there was absolutely no need to rack the night before; you couldn't better your position. Lesson learned.

(By the way, as I write this, I have the webcam up so I can watch the 70.3 start.)

7:00 sharp - The start of the swim. I was in the sixth wave so I had to wait approx. 30 min to get in the water. Oh, and here's the craziest thing about this tri. You could water walk the entire swim, it was that shallow. Even at the buoys, which seemed so far out, the water was only chest-deep. It didn't make the swim any easier, though. The Wave was big and didn't spread out as much as I'd thought it would. We were very tight and I kept getting bumped, pushed or grabbed. Not fun. But it was only 1/3 mile, so I dealt. After rounding the last buoy, I tried to stand too early and had to start swimming again, so I probably lost some time there.
Swim time: 12:13.

Coolest feature of the Timberman Tri? WETSUIT STRIPPERS. There was an area in the transition chute where you just flopped down and let someone rip your wetsuit off. It was quick and I was back to my transition area in no time.

T1: 2:34 (long chutes, big transition area made for (what felt like) a long transition.

7:45-ish - The bike. What can I say about the bike course, but wow. Breathtaking views, lots of challenging hills and plenty of company. This was a no-drafting race, but let me tell you, it was impossible to keep three bike lengths between any two bikes. There were so many people on the course. I did my share of passing, and of course got lapped by the serious athletes, but felt very good about my performance. People had mentioned the grueling hill at the turnaround (it was an out-and-back) but I was shocked by how hilly the course was overall. Still, I felt good and entered the finish chute with a smile.
Bike time: 56:55 (15.8 mph)

T2: 2:10 (I don't bike with socks so I tend to take a bit longer than others at T2 when I have to wear them for the run.)

8:45-ish - The final leg of the race was a blur. The out-and-back run course was wonderful. The street was blocked to traffic so the entire road was filled with runners. With triathletes on both sides of the road, I got to see many of my clubmates either finishing before me or following just behind. I had been told the run was 1.5 miles up and 1.5 down, so I was entirely prepared. I was conservative on the way up (hit the turnaround in about 15 min) and then let myself fly on the way back down. I felt like the run was over almost as quickly as it began. Don't get me wrong: it was grueling on the way up and I didn't get rid of the brick legs until well after the first mile, but I was still happy with my performance. I had a tri run PR with a pace of 8:49/mi.
Run time: 26:27

Total race time: 1:40:18 and I couldn't be happier.

For those considering Timberman - this is a very well-supported race and was a lot of fun for me and my family (can you say, Kids' Zone?). I can't wait for 2010 registration to open; I plan to be first in line.

Oh, and did I mention? Free margaritas to all finishers. Enough said.

Tris, Trips and Tetanus - The Sharon's Back 2009 Recap

Did I get your attention? Because let me tell you, Sharon's Back was a doozy. And not necessarily in a good way. I've waited so long to write this and I plan to keep this short and sweet:

• It was hot and humid,
• I crashed my bike in T2 and gashed the top of my foot,
• I nearly passed out after crossing the finish line.

Actually, the race wasn't all bad...just the run. The swim was 1/2 mile and therefore the farthest I've raced. I was happy to have finished and had I not veered of course TWICE, I might've had a stronger swim time. Still, I was satisfied with 21:29 (2.67 mins/100 meters).

T1 - 1:44

The bike was flat and fast, but as Carol mentioned in a recent blog post, flat means a lot of work. There is no coasting; your legs are moving and working the entire time. It's more tiring than you might think. I went the 12.3 mi distance in 42:07 (17.52 mph).

And the race went downhill from there. Figuratively. Why? Because I'm a complete idiot. I've been doing rolling bike dismounts where I unclip and swing my right leg over the back of the bike while it's still moving for a while now. It didn't work so well this time, however, and I went over on the "clean" side of the bike (i.e., no gears) and caught my right leg on one of the sprockets (which meant there was a tetanus shot in my future). I didn't realize I had hurt myself to such a degree until I reached the transition area; I was far more upset...actually embarrassed...that I had dumped the bike in front of so many people. One of the volunteers in T2 offered to look for a bandage, but I didn't want to wait. I threw on my sock and ran/limped out of T2.

T2 - 1:59

Oh, the run. What can I say except it was horrible. With all the excitement in T2, I had forgotten to eat a gel or take one last gulp of my gatorade/water mix, so I started the 4.4 mile run with no energy, an injured foot and wobbly brick legs. I ran/walked the first half. I was fortunate then to find one of my clubmates who kindly offered me a gel, which I gratefully took although it was too little, too late. I managed to run most of the back half of the race until the very end when I just felt too exhausted to move. At that point, a man ran up behind me and yelled, "Hey Tri girl! Start moving." So I did and he and I ran until we could hear the cheers of the crowds at the finish line.

And then I made my second stupid mistake (and arguably the bigger of the two). A younger woman who had been just behind me for most of the race decided to make one last push to the finish. Well, I couldn't let her pass me, could I? Could I? Nope. So I raced her in. RACED. HER. IN. After I had gassed out. And did I mention that it was 90 degrees with high humidity? Well, I beat her by tenths of a second (hurrah), but the minute I crossed the finish line, I started seeing stars and went down. I managed to grab the arm of a woman in the crowd (you should've seen the poor woman's face at that moment) before I was picked up by a volunteer. Not my finest moment, for sure. I was taken to the medical tent where moments later I was right as rain (thanks to some coconut milk and an ice compress). And although my girls saw me cross the finish line, they didn't see me (almost) collapse, for which I am eternally grateful. Run: 46:15 (10:51 pace).

This was a tough race, but one in which I learned many painful lessons. So Sharon, I will be back. And next time, I will get the best of you.

Tri Training - Week 19, Aug 16-22

I'll post an official recap, but suffice it to say, Sharon's Back was tough. To make a long story short, I fell off my bike, gashed my leg, and then didn't hydrate or eat properly on what was, without a doubt, the hottest day of the year and ended up in the Medic tent.

Yes, I will do Timberman on Saturday, but my training between now and then will be practically nil. I need to rest and recover in a major way.

Sunday
Planned - Sharon's Back! Hoping to do fewer than 2 hours
Actual - Swim - 21:29, Bike - 42:07, Run - 46:15; TOTAL - 1:53:32

Monday
Planned - 45 min Swim (Tri Swim Class)
Actual - OFF (had to get tetanus shot and shoulder is very sore)

Tuesday
Planned - 45 min Strength/30 min Run
Actual - 45 min Strength/15 min GRUELING rolling session (no running - foot needs to heal)

Wednesday
Planned - 30 min Swim
Actual - OFF

Thursday
Planned - 45 min Open Water Swim/20 min Run
Actual - 45 min Open Water Swim only

Friday
Planned - OFF
Actual - 20 min Run

Saturday
Planned - Timberman Sprint! Hoping for sub 1:45, but we'll see.
Actual - Finished the Timberman. Met my goal with a 1:40:18

TOTAL
Planned - 434:30 (unrealistic given Sunday's turn of events. Will modify in actuals)
Actual - ~323

Tri Training - Week 18, Aug 9 - 16

This is taper week, so I'm going to reduce my training by approx. 50%. We'll see how successful I am.

Sunday
Planned - OFF
Actual - OFF

Monday
Planned - 30 min Swim
Actual - 25 min Swim

Tuesday
Planned - 45 min Strength/30 min Run
Actual - 45 min Strength/40 min Run (ladder)

Wednesday
Planned - 45 min Bike
Actual - OFF (incredibly sore from yesterday's workouts)

Thursday
Planned - 45 min Open Water Swim
Actual - 45 min Open Water Swim

Friday
Planned - 20 min Run
Actual - 44 min Bike

Saturday
Planned - OFF
Actual - OFF

TOTAL
Planned - 215 min
Actual - 199 min

Tri Training - Week 17, Aug 2 - Aug 8

I am planning to be pretty aggressive this week since I just had a nice (although not necessarily relaxing vacation). Since I have a race on the 16th and another on the 22nd, this will be the last *hard* week before I taper back.

Sunday
Planned - 60 min bike ride (Route TBD)
Actual - 47 min RUN - speed workout (bike is in the shop with bad derailleur. Won't be able to ride until Thursday)

Monday
Planned - 20/45 min Swim (20 in Silver Lake in the am/45 in swim class that evening)
Actual - 30 min Silver Lake/50 min Triathlon Swim Class, YMCA

Tuesday
Planned - 45 min Strength
Actual - 45 min Strength/10 min Stretching

Wednesday
Planned - 20 min Swim (Silver Lake)
Actual - 30 min Swim (approx. 1050 m at Silver Lake)

Thursday
Planned - 70 min (Try the Tri)
Actual - 45 min Open Water Clinic AND 9:25 Swim/35:33 Bike/18:21 Run - TOTAL: 1:05:15 - Try the Tri

Friday
Planned - OFF
Actual - OFF

Saturday
Planned - 120 min (30 mile TriFury bike ride)
Actual - 107 min (25+ bike ride with Cara-Jean)

TOTAL
Planned - 380 min (aggressive for me)
Actual - 419 min (um, can you say....holy crap!)

Vacation Week!

Actual training will be limited, but I think I'll get some good time in. After all, I'm on VACATION! The weather isn't supposed to be fantastic, but we have several exciting things planned including a trip to the Mystic Aquarium, a visit to Block Island - for a day of bike riding - and a few hours of beach time, here and there.

There will be no planned activity this week. All times are actuals.

Sun - Run - 41 (4.2 miles)

Mon - Run - 42:27 (4.15 miles) - went slower and had a much better time.

Tues - Bike - ~30 min (6 miles on Block Island)

Wednesday - OFF

Thurs - Run - 31:30 (3 miles) - muggy weather made for a difficult run

Fri - OFF

Sat - OFF

No totals - it's vacation week!

Will it ever go away?

I'm speaking, of course, about the nasty poison ivy that's been plaguing me since the July 4th weekend. I was able to get rid of the worst of it - thanks to a lovely prescription from my allergist - but something I own and wear regularly still has Urushiol oil toxin on it because I. keep. getting. itchy. poison. ivy. spots.

After washing almost everything, I believe I've found the culprit - my wetsuit. I wore it prior to two new breakouts and the new spots have only appeared on my arms and in a ring around my neck...right where my wetsuit wraps.

Looks like I'll be spending my evening shampooing my wetsuit. With gloves on. Even better, I'll have my husband do it.

Tri Training - Week 15, July 20 - July 26

Monday
Planned - Swim - 45 min - class
Actual - OFF (overtrained last week. Must. take. break.)

Tuesday
Planned - Strength - 45
Actual - Strength - 45

Wednesday
Planned - Swim - 30
Actual - Swim - 45 (went to class)

Thursday
Planned - Try the Tri (1:05:00)
Actual - Try the Tri (1:09:05)

Friday
Planned - Swim - 30
Actual - OFF

Saturday
Planned - OFF
Actual - OFF

Total
Planned - 215 min
Actual - 159 min
__________
Note: I've removed Sunday's training. Next week, I'll start with Sunday and end on Sat so I can line up my blog posts with my training log at BeginnerTriathlete. So yes, between taking it easy because of over-training and removing Sunday, this week will look light.

Try the Tri Recap

I recognize that I'm posting this rather late, but I've been too busy OVER-TRAINING. Yep, I think I might've overdone it this weekend and am paying for it now - muscle aches, exhaustion, random sharp pains (calf). Anyhoo, this post is not supposed to be about my woes, but instead my second turn in the TriFury Try the Tri series.

The series, which takes place Thursday evenings , has suffered because of nasty weather. Two of the six races scheduled have been canceled because of storms and I was fairly worried it would happen again. Thankfully, the rain held off and just left us with the nastiest humidity possible. ;-)

Though the pond felt like bathwater, I decided to buck convention and wear my wetsuit anyway. I'd never trained in open water without it, and I didn't want to test my abilities in a race. Did I care that I was the only person in a full wetsuit? Not a bit. Because I performed three minutes better than my previous attempt - 7:39/.25 mile vs 10:55/.25 mile a month ago.

Despite the wetsuit, I still managed a decent transition (1:14) and was on the bike in no time. Once again, I knew how fast my swim time was by the number of people who passed me on the bike. I. really. need. work. And while my bike performance was better than my last outing, it was still only 1 mph/avg better. Oh, and did I mention? I was drafted the entire time. And I'm not talking about a questionable draft. I'm talking about his front wheel on my back wheel THE ENTIRE RACE. I couldn't even spit for fear of hitting him in the face. Had it not been a young teenager who was probably not aware of USAT drafting rules, I might not have been so tolerant. And despite a warning re: spacing, he still drafted. I think it threw me off mentally. Bike - 35:57/9.5 miles vs. 38:29/9.5 miles a month ago.

My second transition was very fast (:56) and I needed that time. (Note: I went sockless for the 2 miler and had no issues. I tried to run 3+ yesterday without socks and ended up with several blisters. So, socks it is).

The run was challenging (as all Tri runs seem to be for me). My drafter (fortunately) found someone else to shadow and loped after her. I ran my pace and didn't stop (except to throw back some water) and managed to come in at 19:06 vs. 20:44 a month ago.

Overall time:
July 16 - 1:04:52
June 11 - 1:12:58

I managed to knock more than 8 minutes off my first tri. I don't expect to make those types of marked improvements in the next few races, but if I could lose a few minutes on the bike and get out of the water just a wee bit faster, I'll be happy.

Not bad for a newbie triathlete, no?

Benefits of Triathlon Training

As you probably know, I started on a lose-the-baby-weight program (notice I didn't say the word "diet") almost a year ago. September, actually. I saw a friend at an industry conference who had lost 16 lbs by eating healthy foods and was inspired by her commitment and progress.

So I started. JP and I developed a nutrition and weight-lifting program and off I went. I lost 20lbs by the beginning of this year, but then hit a big plateau. I had two choices - eat an entirely clean diet (um, no) OR add in cardio.

In March, on a whim, I signed up for a triathlon swimming class at the local Y, which is incredibly funny because I was never a swimmer. I mean, I've always known *how* to swim, but had never really done it...not since I was a small child. The first class was impossible (I almost quit) and the following six were not much better. I managed to finish the Spring Fling triathlon only because the swim took place in a pool and I was able to stop at the end of each lane. I realized I wouldn't have the stamina or skill to compete in open water and I was discouraged.

I hit the pool the the following Monday (presumably for the last time) and struggled as I always had. Fortunately, I met Mary. A strong swimmer, Mary had been doing laps and stopped to watch me swim. She saw my visible frustration as I struggled to complete a 75 meters straight and offered up the best piece of training advice I'd been given - SLOW THE HELL DOWN. Apparently I was trying to sprint every pool length and gassing myself out quickly. Best. advice. ever.

Long story short....I've since improved my swim (see Mill City results) and lost another 10 lbs. I had a health screening at work and the numbers showed that all of my hard work is indeed paying off:

Total Cholesterol - 172
HDL (the good stuff) - 59

Glucose - 95

Blood Pressure - 90/62

BMI - 21.3

And weight...well, let's just say I'm the lowest I've been since my mid 20s.

Here's to the triathlon.

No formal training week

I will workout and probably do quite a bit of training, but I've decided not to set targets ahead of time. I just finished the Mill City sprint and I really want to relax this week (as much as I can). I also (apparently) need to get used to my new asthma medication (for my mild condition), which should improve my performance.

Times below are actuals:

Mon - Swim - 45 min

Tues - OFF

Wed - Swim - 30 min

Thurs - Strength - 45; Try the Tri (7:39 - swim, 35:57 - bike, 19:06 - run) - Total TRI - 1:04:52

Fri - OFF

Sat - Bike - 2:00:31

Sun - Swim - 35 min, Run - 30:46

TOTAL: 336

Um...not really a post-race week at all. This was way too much activity and I can feel it now.

Mill City Triathlon - Recap (7/12/09)

So beginning with the end in mind (and I'd hate to have to make you wait), here are my official times:

Swim - 14:40 (wave issue resolved)
Bike/T1 - 47:13
Run/T2 - 43:08

TOTAL TIME: 1:45:00

Note: the race directors didn't break out transitions separately and I didn't wear a watch so I have no idea of my exact bike and run times.
___________

Now for the recap. I woke up early (4-ish) and forced myself to lie in bed until 5. Call it nerves or just a natural propensity for waking up early, but I had a difficult time sleeping past 4.

5:30 am - I downed my normal breakfast - Odwalla bar and coffee - watched the news and got dressed.

6:00 am - Jumped in the car and headed over to the race site. It only took 15 minutes to get there, but since I knew parking was going to be a problem (i.e., two little lots and more than 150 athletes), I decided to arrive early. Thankfully I did; I got an ideal parking spot and an even better transition set-up (read: end cap).

I had picked up my race packet the day before and with a lot of time on my hands (1 1/2 hrs) and little to do other than pump up my tires and lay out my transition, my nerves got the better of me. I ended up setting/resetting my transition area at least three times and going to the bathroom four times. Did I mention, I pee when I'm nervous?

7:45 am - I donned my wetsuit and headed across the street to watch the OLY group and acclimate to the water. Temp was about 68-degrees - not bad at all - but the river current was visibly strong. And although I've yet to turn 40, USAT rules required me to race in the 40-45 age group...and (best of all) wear a silver cap. As in Centrum Silver.

8:05 am - I watched the OLY waves head out and was surprised how many people swam close to the buoys (middle of the river). I swam the Merrimack on Friday and was given some great guidance (thanks, Joe!) about swimming close to shore to minimize the impact of the current. Apparently, quite a few folks didn't think it necessary because only a few swam close to the wall.

8:20-ish - And the Centrum Silvers hit the water. The water was fairly murky but fortunately I was able to see well enough to avoid several near kicks to the head. The Wave was rather small (20?), but everyone must've been in the mood for a group hug because we couldn't seem to get out of each other's way. I swam with two men and easily bumped into them four or five times. I managed to catch a few of the folks in the Wave ahead of me, which was encouraging and all seemed well....UNTIL I had to make the turn. See, I had been swimming quite close to shore and realized at some point (when I saw the lifeguard, perhaps?) that I needed to cross over towards the middle of the river to round the buoy and head back. Had I been thinking, I would've swam well past the buoy and then swam diagonally down, which would've made for a much easier ride. Instead, I tried to make forward progress AND swim diagonally so I could hit the buoy and turn. Big mistake #1. I expended a lot of energy and ended up grabbing that damn buoy and flinging myself around it. While the downstream wasn't difficult and took me 1/3 of the time as the trip up, I was tired from that last bit of work.

I finally made it to shallow water and while running towards the shore, I pulled off my swim cap and goggles. Big mistake #2. I dropped my goggles in the water and when I couldn't find them easily, I abandoned them. Note to self: take off swim cap and goggles AFTER exiting the water.

8:35-ish: I ran across the street into the Heritage Ice Cream parking lot for T1. Stripping the suit was easy, but I did get a bit dizzy putting on my bike shoes. I grabbed a Gu and started the bike ride with little effort. But here's where I figured out I must've done well on the swim - throughout the bike portion of the race, I was passed by just about everybody. And I thought I was riding fast in the 17-18 mph range. I mean, even a 20-something on a HYBRID passed me (in my defense, he was young and strong and had handily passed me in the Spring Fling two months back, so it wasn't much of a surprise).

The course was familiar enough - half of it was the Try the Tri course - and there were only a couple of challenging hills. I managed to get the bike up to 29.9 mph on one downhill and (overall) wasn't disappointed with the bike...I mean, yes I got passed by quite a few folks, but still, it was *my* best showing.

And still later in the race...no clue on time: T2 wasn't any more difficult than T1, but I was dreading the run. Oy, the run. I had really pushed myself on the swim and bike and knew the run (all four miles of it) would be challenging. I grabbed a Gu and water and managed to get out of T2 in good time. What can I say about the run? It was hot. Not a cloud in the sky and no shade protection at all. I could've sworn I was at mile 2 when I passed the one-mile marker. And what's worse? You could see all of the people ahead of you heading back on the other side of the road. I kept searching for the 2-mile marker and the turnaround and it seemed so far off. I finally made it and managed to pass two people along the way. At mile 3.5, my chest started to tighten and I got a bit panicky...I could tell I was done physically. I walked for a moment and then started back up again. Breathing at that point was rather tough and labored (as it has been in the past, especially towards the end of a race) and I decided at that moment to have it checked later in the week. And then I saw the finish line. And managed to cross before sitting down to catch my breath.

All in all, it was a good first race. There is so much upon which I need to improve - most notably, the bike. While the run was tough, I managed to keep my pace and expect I'll improve as time goes on. I believe, though, that more time on the bike could yield greater improvements.

So that's it. My first Sprint tri is now in the books. Looking forward to the rest of the season, which includes the Sharon's Back, the Timberman and the Pumpkinman.

__________

Oh, and I did see a doctor today and was diagnosed with a mild case of asthma. Nothing a little Flovent won't help. But I was relieved to learn it wasn't all in my head. The NP gave me an Albuterol inhaler as a precaution but believes it can be well-controlled with the Flovent. Oh, and talk about lung capacity...apparently mine is well over that of the average person my age. So there is something positive in all of this. ;-)

Tri Training - Week 13, July 6 - July 12 (TAPER/RACE WEEK)

Monday
Planned - Swim - 20 min, Silver Lake; 60 min - class
Actual - Swim - 30 min, Silver Lake; 45 min - class

Tuesday
Planned - Strength - 45
Actual - Strength - 45

Wednesday
Planned - Swim - 20
Actual - Swim 22 (made it across Silver Lake)

Thursday
Planned - Bike - 20, Run - 10
Actual - Bike - 49:30 - Run - 15:23

Friday
Planned - Swim - 20 (Merrimack)
Actual - Swim - 23:47/600 M

Saturday
Planned - OFF
Actual -

Sunday
Planned - RACE! Swim - 600 meters (20 min), Bike - 13 miles (52 min), Run - 4 miles (42)
Actual - 17:40/47:13/43:08 (no transition splits - they were combined with the bike and run)

Total
Planned - 309 min
Actual - 338 min

Tri Training - Week 12, June 29-July 5

Monday
Planned - Swim - 60 min
Actual - Swim - 15 min (pool closed due to thunder/lightening)

Tuesday
Planned - Run - 30
Actual - Run - 29

Wednesday
Planned - Bike- 60
Actual - Swim - 28 (CaraJean couldn't meet this morning so I opted for the team swim)

Thursday
Planned - Try the Tri (hoping to beat 1:13:00)
Actual - RAINOUT

Friday
Planned - Strength - 45
Actual - Strength - 45

Saturday
Planned - Run - 30 (will do July 4th Sparkler race)
Actual - Run - 31:35

Sunday
Planned - Bike - 60, Run - 35, Swim - 20
Actual - Bike - 74, Run 35:23

Total
Planned - 383 min
Actual - ~258 min

Tri Training - Week 11, June 22-28

Monday
Planned - Swim - 20 min, Silver Lake
Actual - Swim - 15 min, Silver Lake (yay!)

Tuesday
Planned - Strength - 60, Run - TBD pending calf pull. Injury is bothersome. Might push run entirely.
Actual - Strength - 45 (spent a good 15 minutes stretching and rolling legs)

Wednesday
Planned - Swim - 60
Actual - Swim - 62 (2,000 meters)

Thursday
Planned - OFF (Petra's graduation)
Actual - OFF

Friday
Planned - Swim - 20, Bike 45
Actual - Swim - 24, Bike - 58:50

Saturday
Planned - OFF
Actual - Strength, 45

Sunday
Planned - 60 Bike, 35 Run (BRICK)
Actual - OFF

Total
Planned - 300 min
Actual - 249:50 min

Tri Training - Week 10, June 15-21

I can already tell you that I won't get near enough training in this week; I am traveling to Denver Mon-Wed and will be lucky to get in a run. That said, I hope the time off does wonders to heal the various aches and pains I've incurred in the past few weeks...in particular, that stitch/pull on my right side.

Monday
Planned - OFF (travel)
Actual - OFF

Tuesday
Planned - Run - 30
Actual - Run/Walk - 39 (struggled in the altitude)

Wednesday
Planned - OFF (travel)
Actual - OFF

Thursday
Planned - Try the Tri (.25 mi Swim - 10:30 min, 9.5 mi Bike - 37, 2 mi Run - 20) - 67.5 min
Actual - Argh. Try the Tri was canceled so I went to a spin class - 55 min

Friday
Planned - TBD
Actual - OFF (feeling very sick)

Saturday
Planned - 60 Strength
Actual - 60 Strength

Sunday
Planned - 60 Bike, 35 Run (BRICK)
Actual - 62 Bike, 32 Run (pulled a muscle behind my left knee at the end of the run. Will see how it impacts next week's training)

Total
Planned - 252.5
Actual - 248

Tri Training - Week 9, June 8-14

Monday
Planned - Swim - 30
Actual - Swim -25 (possibly the worst swim EVER. Only got in 30 laps. I couldn't catch any air. Perhaps something about a 6am swim? My body was NOT happy.)

Tuesday
Planned - Strength - 60, Run - 30
Actual - Strength - 60, Run - 40

Wednesday
Planned - Swim - 60
Actual - Swim - 60 (1,600 meters only because of next day's race)

Thursday
Planned - Try the Tri (.25 mi Swim - 15 min, 9.5 mi Bike - 40, 2 mi Run - 20)
Actual - Try the Tri (Swim - 10:55, T1 - 1:39, Bike - 38:29, T2 - 1:06, Run - 20:44) - 1:12:53

Great news! I survived my first open water swim. I pulled an ab muscle while backstroking my way to shore and that hurt my run, unfortunately. Will move my tri class to Monday, which should help with fatigue. Look forward to the next event. Oh, and thank goodness for wetsuits.

Friday
Planned - OFF
Actual - OFF

Saturday
Planned - OFF
Actual - OFF

Sunday
Planned - 60 Bike, 35 Run (BRICK)
Actual - 59:38 Bike, 35 Run

Total
Planned - 350
Actual - 352+

Bacteria Swim

Um, should I be nervous now? I mean, it's not like I'm swimming in the Merrimack or anything. Oh, wait; yes, I am.

Number of Sick Triathletes Increases...

Tri Training - Week 8, June 1-7

Monday
Planned - OFF
Actual - OFF

Tuesday
Planned - Strength - 60
Actual - Strength 60

Wednesday
Planned - Swim - 60
Actual - Swim - 70 (2,100 meters)

Thursday
Planned - Run - 35
Actual - Run - 33

Friday
Planned - Bike - 45
Actual - Bike - 62

Saturday
Planned - Swim - 30
Actual - 60 - Bootcamp

Sunday
Planned - 60 Bike, 30 Run (BRICK)
Actual - OFF

Total
Planned - 320
Actual - 285 (4.75 hours)

Tri Training - Week 7, May 25-31

Monday
Planned - OFF
Actual - 25 min swim

Tuesday
Planned - Strength - 60, Run - 30
Actual - Strength 60

Wednesday
Planned - Swim - 60
Actual - Swim - 70 (2,100 meters)

Thursday
Planned - OFF
Actual - OFF

Friday
Planned - Swim 30
Actual - Swim 27

Saturday
Planned - Strength - 60
Actual - Strength - 60

Sunday
Planned - 50 Bike, 30 Run (BRICK)
Actual - Bike - 57, Run 31

Total
Planned - 320
Actual - 330

Tri Training - Week 6, May 18-24

This should be a busy training week for me. I'll be happy if I can get in all of the planned activities; it will be a first. I did a brick on Sunday and was pleased I made it through...even though my legs felt like lead the entire run. I know that, at the very least, I can go the distance.

Next Sunday's Test Tri should be good prep for the July real deal. Sunday's race is legit, but I'm not thinking of it as the first, but instead as a warm-up or test. The swim takes place in a pool and is 1/3 the distance of some of the other tris I'm considering. But, it gives me the opportunity to get my feet wet (pardon the pun) and to work out some of the kinks associated with triathlon (e.g., transitions, fueling, attire, etc.)

Monday
Planned: OFF
Actual: OFF

Tuesday
Planned: Strength - 60, Run - 30
Actual: Strength - 60, Run 30

Wednesday
Planned: Swim - 60
Actual: Swim - 70 (2,000 meters)

Thursday
Planned: Spin Class - 45
Actual: Spin Class - 45 min

Friday
Planned: Strength - 60
Actual: OFF

Saturday
Planned: OFF
Actual: OFF

Sunday
Planned: Test Tri - 6.5 min/50 min/35 min (250 meters/10 mi/3 mi)
Actual: Completed Tri 6:40/43:29/26:02

TOTAL
Planned: 346.50
Actual: 281 and change

UPDATE: Sunday's field was quite small - 68 competitors in total...and yes, I finished in the bottom third at #58. My swim was horrendous, but I made a breakthrough on Monday, so we'll see if I can improve there. And my ride was slow. But my bike is slow, so improvements can (and will) be made. BUT I KICKED IT IN THE RUN. People, I ran a 3 miler in 26 minutes AFTER swimming and AFTER biking (through what felt like mud). And remember, tris are not won by swimmers. There is much hope for me yet.

Tri Training - Week 5, May 11-17

So, this week started off with a bang: Raya was in the ER Sunday night into Monday...so I'm starting the week with a serious sleep deficit. The good news is the child is much better; the bad news: I'm really, really tired.

Monday
Planned - OFF
Actual - OFF

Tuesday
Planned - Strength - 60, Run 30
Actual - Strength 60, Run 20

Wednesday
Planned - Swim - 60
Actual - Swim - 75

Thursday
Planned - OFF
Actual - OFF

Friday
Planned - Strength - 60
Actual - OFF

Saturday
Planned - Bootcamp Class - 60
Actual - OFF (Petra's Camporee)

Sunday
Planned - 45 Bike, 25 Run (BRICK)
Actual - 50 Bike, 35 Run

Total
Planned - 340
Actual - 240

Tri Training - Week 4, May 4-10

I realize I skipped a week, but I had to head out of town unexpectedly. I did end up running and swimming a bit, but the circumstances were unusual and, well, I didn't get to as much as I'd planned. That said, I did the Walk for Hunger on Sunday, May 3rd and clocked 20 miles in 4 hrs 35 min (4 hrs 20 min if you exclude the 15 min break at the midway point).

Monday
Planned - OFF
Actual - OFF

Tuesday
Planned - Strength - 60, Running 30
Actual - Strength 60 (legs are still *way* too sore from Walk)

Wednesday
Planned - Swim - 60
Actual - Swim - 70 minutes - 1850 meters. I thought I did more than that, but we had quite a few breaks between drills. Good news is that I can go 100 meters without stopping...something I couldn't do two weeks ago. I need to get more pool time in.

Thursday
Planned - TBD pending legs
Actual - OFF - my legs are still sore and I'm doing a 6k on Sun.

Friday
Planned - Strength (back) - 60, Run - TBD (30)
Actual - Strength (chest) - 60, no run...again with the legs. That 20-mile walk did my training no favors.

Saturday
Planned - Bootcamp Class - 60
Actual - Bootcamp Class - 60 (much harder this week; think it has something to do with sprinting with sandbags)

Sunday
Planned - 6k Road Race (3.7 miles approx) - sub-40 hopefully
Actual - 6k Road Race - 36:08 (not too bad)! For full race results, go here.

Total
Planned - 340
Actual - 286:08

Tri Training - Week 2, April 20-26 (it's official now!)

I'm traveling this week, so once again, it might not look exactly as I'd planned. But I *will* workout.

Monday
Planned: Swim
Actual: Swim - 75

Tuesday
Planned: OFF (traveling to Orlando)
Actual:OFF

Wednesday
Planned: Bike, Run
Actual: Bike - 25, Run/Walk - 25

Thursday
Planned: Run
Actual: Run - 25

Friday
Planned: OFF
Actual:OFF

Saturday
Planned: Bootcamp Class
Actual: Bootcamp - 60

Sunday
Planned: Bike
Actual: Bike - 60

TOTAL: 270

Tri Training - Week 1, April 13-19 (it's official now!)

You'll notice this week looks nothing like it's supposed to. Mid-week travel and a Girl Scout meeting have forced me to switch my workouts around. So despite my best intentions...

That said, I should be able to hit decent numbers this week. On Wednesday, I'll work out twice - once with JP in the am (strength) and with Melanie in the pm (cardio).

Monday
Planned: Off
Actual: 75 minute swim (2,050 meters)

Tuesday
Planned: 60 min Strength
Actual: OFF

Wednesday
Planned: Swim
Actual: 60 min Strength, 60 min Cardio Pump class, 20 min Run/Walk

Thursday
Planned: Run #4
Actual: OFF

Friday
Planned: 60 min Strength
Actual: 25 min Run/Walk

Saturday
Planned: Bootcamp Class
Actual: 60 min Bootcamp Class

Sunday
Planned: Optional Swim, Run #1
Actual: 120 min Walk - 7.5 miles (prepping for Walk for Hunger)

TOTAL
Planned: 330 min
Actual: 420 min

Tri-ing, Week 0 (2)

Monday
OFF (still incredibly sore from Bootcamp Saturday morning)

Tuesday
60 min Strength

Wednesday
70 min Swim - Triathlon Swim Class (1,900 meters)

Thursday
25 min Run/Walk Combo

Friday
60 min Strength

Saturday
60 min Bootcamp

Easter Sunday
OFF

I'm tri-ing

Here we go folks! It's the start of my training...I hope.

Week 0 (I'll start the real count 13 weeks out):

Monday
15 min Bike, 20 min Run/Walk

Tuesday
60 min Strength

Wednesday
60 min Swim (triathlon swimming class)

Thursday
OFF

Friday
50 min Strength

Saturday
60 min Bootcamp-style Workout

Sunday
65 min Walk

It's worth noting that I completely overdid the workouts this week. I went all out for the Bootcamp, and although I enjoyed myself, I am paying a horrible price now - I can barely walk. I thought I'd do a bike/run combo today (Monday), but I need another day or two off my legs. I'll save that workout for Thursday. Sigh.

Evolution of Dance

The YouTube phenom is back! Judson Laipply will premiere his Evolution of Dance II on the Today show tomorrow morning. If it's as good as the first, it's sure to garner more than 100 million views.

Enjoy