June!

June definitely went well, but not as well as I had planned. Things got really hectic with the end of the year at South, but I am off now and that means NO EXCUSES!

The month in review:
-Workout 25/30 days
-13 run
-9 bike
-1 swim
-1 row
-1 zumba
-1 chiseled
-Lift/Abs 23 days.
-Bricks weekly

I have 3.5 weeks to go and am finally getting nervous. New England has made it extremely difficult to swim with the daily sporadic thunderstorms, and hence, once again, my swimming is lacking. I REALLY need to work on it this month - I honestly don't want to drop out after my first event.

So swim I shall. I think.

ONE MONTH TO GO!

Lots to catch up on, but in the meantime, a map of my course!

Brick by brick

Most training blogs I have read suggest doing a weekly brick the two months before the big day. I kind of babied out last week, but went for it today, and damn did it go!

I actually did the brick backwards because Parker really needed to get out for a run, but nonetheless everything went well. I was able to do a 2.0 mile run (slightly under the 2.9 needed for the race) followed by a full 12-mile bike ride (complete with the evil hill) in 1:11!!

My success here has done more for my confidence than anything else in the last two months have, and honestly, if I keep working hard, I may just place somewhere respectable after all!

2 down, 2 to go!

2 down, 2 to go baaaby! Have you donated? If not, do so, http://www.firstgiving.com/megandkimtriathlon. $5 is good, we like $5, or more, your choice :)

May was sweet. I had 24 workouts in the month - 13 runs, 9 bikes (despite being without a bike for a week), aryingnd even 2 swims! I'm feeling good about everything, have avoided all injury, and am looking forward to the month to come. June holds many things, including weekly bricks (combining 2 events in one session), and trying out the actual course.

I've bought a Holden pool pass and that should help increase my swim times, but hey, I'll have adrenaline on my side, and I always have the back float, right?

I can't swim but I didn't drown..

Today, thanks to the supreme kindness of Laura and Courtney, I did my first full swim session. I used the pool at their complex and did a combo of freestyle and breast stroke for about 25 minutes. Honestly, despite the fact I've been working out 6x/week, I have never felt so out of shape. My arms ache, my lungs hurt, and I feel like a complete loser. I 'm going to go back tomorrow morning for another work out, and like with all things...this will come too.

One down, three to go

April was my first full month of training, and so far, so good.
I was able to train 23 out of 30 days, 14 running, 9 on the bike, 20 strength training additions. I'm doing full distances on both events and even swam one full lap at the pool in Vegas.
May is here and I have one goal - swim, swim, swim. I'm determined to hit the pool tomorrow, it will be raining out, I have no plans, and therefore no excuse. The one lap I did was painful and all the training I have been doing will be for nothing if I can't make it past the first event. So here we go, time to get wet!

Walk the Line.. barely

Well, the diagnosis was not what I was hoping. I was hoping for a pinpointed, specific problem with a simple solution. Instead, as always, it is wayyy more complicated than that. I apparently have a whole host of problems nagging me from head to foot (literally), which has caused a muscle/tendon in my left leg (which connects all the way down through the ankle and foot) to inflame and not properly supply blood circulation as a result of the left side of my body relying too heaving on said muscle. Something like that. However, this is along the long-sought explanation to my hip and knee problems. Solution: I need to be wealthy to keep up with maintenance, including regular physical therapy, fancy running shoes, orthodics and daily torture exercises to loosen the muscle on my own. I sort of wish it was just a broken ankle so the pain could be treated and healed and I would be fixed in a few weeks. No such luck. This negates all my previous hard work and I'll have to start over again when my ankle/foot/leg/whaetever the hell it is starts to feel better. After several days of the torture exercises which dangerously flirt with the highest level on my pain threshold, I can walk a little further before stopping and wincing and can even wear heels around at work! I guess during times like these it's the little things in life...

A great week..

Training could not have gone better this week! I pulled a full 6 days, 3 on the bike, 3 running, 5 strength training. My bike time is just at the one hour mark, but I can feel my legs strengthening, and with my new water bottle holder, I am going to be much, much more comfortable.

The run is going much better than expected, I'm keeping an 8-minute mile and my knee has held up all week. I still haven't gotten in the pool, and I honestly need to make that my goal for next month - swim, swim, swim!

I'm off to Vegas on Tuesday, but am looking to train today, Monday, and Tuesday morning so even if I don't get into my hotel's gym at all I've still got 3 days under my belt.

First casualty... lesson learned: don't diagnose yourself or ignore it until it hurts too much to walk

Test riding my brand new shiny purple bike is going to have to wait... I have unwillingly placed myself on the disabled list. My nagging ankle injury won't go away no matter how much I ignore it, and because I ran on it last week, I think I made it worse and now it hurts to walk. I pretend I'm 50 cent.. I walk around with a limp but make it look cool. This is the same foot I had trouble with in the fall but after resting it, it went away. Maybe I should not have diagnosed myself and addressed it back then. This time I'm going to play it smart (thanks to Steph's wise advice!). I have an appointment with an ankle doc on Friday (whom she referred to me). Apparently he has done triathlons, so maybe while I'm there I can ask him for some tips! Hopefully the news will be good and I will heal up fast. For now, I'll sit on my ass and repeatedly apply cold compresses until my ankle turns purple.

In the meantime, maybe I'll finish buying equipment.. jeez this has become an expensive idea!! Good thing I found a cheap bike at Wal-Mart! And its pretty cool looking too ;) Too bad it'll have to wait :(

"You see, it's a problem of motivation..."

I probably just had one of the best workouts I've had in a long time at the gym. However, even I don't undertand why I couldn't make myself lace up my (awesome new) sneaks and go there until almost 9pm. Back when I was working 2 jobs I had an excuse; at the moment I'm working 0 jobs so really, what is my problem? I used to love working out; I used to go for ridiculously long runs every day because I truly enjoyed it. I still enjoy doing these things - and one would think that this imminent triathlon would give me all the motivation in the world to get out and train hard. Maybe next week when I start working again my attitude will change; I have a feeling it will. Being busy helps me stay motivated.

Tomorrow I plan to wake up early and go purchase a helmet (never got around to shopping this past weekend) so that I can start biking! I also plan to find a pool to use, that task may not be so simple as I'm not willing to pay for a membership somewhere just to use their pool; and I'm not about to give up my $10 a month membership and pay $90 a month just so I can have access to a friggin pool. Hopefully it will warm up outside SOON so that our outdoor runs and bike rides will be even more gratifying. : )

My Ipod reads my soul...

Today, I completed my first full 12-mile bike ride in a little over an hour, and this time I knew where I was going. I had mapped out that it was exactly 6 miles to the center of Hubbardston and since Lent was over, owed myself a little treat :). Since I am still car-less, I figured I'd test out my 12-mile endurance while rewarding myself at the same time.

Most of the ride are simple, rolling hills followed by flats until I hit THE MONSTER at about the 5 mile mark. This hill is over .3 miles long at just goes up, and up, and up. I was almost ready to de-bike when the end of Clapton's "Layla" came on about 3/4 through the hill. My soul was placated and I crested the monster.

The ride home features a steeper, yet not as long hill, but after about 8 miles of biking, it is just as daunting. Again, ready to quit, "Sound of Silence" begins to pump through my ears, I take a deep breath, and bam, I've reached the top.

It's funny though, all the "little" things I've told myself I would not need I am currently dying for. I thought sunglasses were just ridiculous until I was picking nats out of my eye doing 25mph down a steep hill, and when my toes went numb around mile 7, I started thinking bike shoes might not be such a bad idea after all. I may need to start a seperate funraiser just to get my through all the supplies I am going to need!

Lots of good weather ahead and a lead on pool time=a great training week for me!

Hopping on the blog wagon...

I have always wanted to participate in a triathlon, I've just never had the motivation to do it. The only type of formal race I've ever done is the occasional charity 5K here and there; so when Kim asked me to join her and Meg on this adventure I figured now is as good a time as any!!

Of course I'm nervous about the biking and swimming, as I haven't been on a bike in years. I was on swim teams in high school and it comes pretty naturally to me but I also know that my (almost) daily runs won't prepare me for the type of shape you need to be in for swimming. It's a whole different kind. I did feel some reassurance on Wednesday night when my Pilates instructor told me that she is also doing this tri and that she's done it before. She basically said not to worry, the swimming part isn't as long as they say and it's really not that bad. I guess the worst part of the entire race is going from biking to running...soooo we'll see!

I'm super excited to begin training - it's an excuse to get in amazing shape for the summer; and not just for bikini season! Knowing that the race is for a good cause helps with the motivation : )

I have a shopping list prepared and hopefully Kim and I will get to tackle that this weekend (right Kim??). So far on the list: helmet, odometer, new sneakers (a trip to the New Balance store is in order), biking shoes?!, maybe a new racing [bathing] suit, road bike (my mountain bike isn't good for road races apparently)...that's it for now, I think.

Time to head outside for a run on this beautiful day!

15 Day DL already?

Last night I worked til 7 p.m... another late night. However, I couldn't decide if I was being a dedicated employee or just avoiding the gym. I eventually made it there (thanks to some girl scout cookies and an ice cream cone feast at work.. bad Kim), and hit the treadmill. I managed 3.25 miles, which assures me I can do the running leg of the triathlon, but I am worried about my nagging left ankle soreness/injury. I have no idea where this came from, but it's been sore and stiff for a couple months now. It was the worst it ever felt running on the treadmill last night. I hope an ankle brace will help and I won't land on the 15 Day Disabled List!

I can bike 9 miles?

When I get lost. I totally meant to just extend my route by a little bit, but somehow ended up in Hubbardston/Fitchburg somewhere because I figured rt 62 was just around the corner. Eventually, my phone began to die, and that's when I called it quits and decided to turn around. An hour later, I was home, sore, and thirsty (note to self, get water bottle holder ASAP), but safe. After a google map adventure, I determined that I had just biked 9 miles. Suck on that triathlon!

Yay for Meg!

I would like to give props to Meg! You are doing great! :) This weekend I plan to get all my equipment.. a bike, a helmet, an ugly ass bathing suit, etc. My spinning instructor recommended I get biking shoes because my feet cramp up a lot during spinning class. He said running shoes are meant to be flexible, so the foot tries to grip the pedal, causing it to cramp. The flat, hard bike shoe will solve the problem. Here comes the feeling of: what the hell did I get myself into?? Sigh...

No car, let's bike!

Yesterday, Jesse took me to tune up my bike and ensure it was road ready, today, I rode it. It took me all day to muster up the guts to get out there, 40 degrees and snow flurries is not exactly the best motivation in the world. Around 5pm, I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and to do something about it.

I extended the course I usually take to jog, and made it 3.6 miles or 1/4 the distance I will have to run in July in about 20 minutes. I did ok and only got out of breath on one hill and accomplished my goal of not having to walk my bike at all!

I will definitely have to invest in a water bottle holder and a seat cushion ASAP, my butt can't take 12 miles on that thing! After just trying to walk from my mailbox to my garage, I absolutely understand why everyone says the transition between the bike and the run is the hardest, my legs felt like complete jelly!

But it's a start, and for now, being able to ride a bike is a skill that transcends tri training, it is a true necessity.

Let the games begin!

If lugging boxes and dragging mattresses up three flights of stairs was a sport, I'd be the number one seed. After yet another move (eighth location since graduation, second in the last seven months), I am once again done with a move and settling in thanks to my awesome family :) (their efforts were rewarded with lobster.. it's my plan to spoil them this time so they help me again!)

Alas, moving is not a leg of the triathlon... Today not only marks opening day for the Red Sox, it also marks the official start to my training. My spin instructor told me on Friday that I needed to get outside more to train for the bike part of the race because it uses a whole different set of muscle groups than spinning class does. Awesome, well at least I will have the endurance part in check.

I have decided that I would like a bike for my birthday (hint, hint mom and dad!) so that I can start ridin' dirty through the streets of Somerville. Just make sure it's not pink... and I could do without the handle bar pom poms :)

Progress already!

Today I increased my run by .5 mile and am up to 2.6 miles without having to stop to walk at all. I'm not too sure about Parker though, he's already deep into his nap! :)

I think I can Tri...

Not too long ago I was thinking, I think I'll do a 5K, so I quickly googled races in my area this summer. I was disappointed by the lack of races, but the Danskin Tri caught my eye. I had already been running a 2.1 mile course for the past couple of weeks, and knew I could conquer the bike ride - and that's when it hit me - I can DO this.

I'm lucky that my brother-in-law is a heck of a swimmer, because without his training, I'd certainly be floating at the bottom of Webster Lake 10 strokes in. I took all the requisite swim lessons as a kid, but as soon as I feel in love with the feel of the suns hot rays cooking my flesh, the beach became a haven for tanning, not swimming. Needless to say, I am quite out of practice!

I hope to use this blog as a forum to track my progress in each of the three events, have mild whatamidoing freak outs, and to gain wisdom and advice from anyone who has undertaken this kind of challenge before. Kim and I have been friends for many years, and if there's one thing I know about us, its that we really can do anything we set our minds to, and this race is certainly a testament to that.

With that, I'm off for a run!

My first post.. what were we thinking?

Thanks for visiting our blog. Recently, Meg and I decided to sign up for the New England Triathlon, an event that is part of the Danskin SheROX series. Now that we are signed up (it took us a few days and a couple false starts halted by nerves to do it!), we are committed to proving to ourselves and others that we can really do anything we set our mind to. We are also wondering what kind of crazy juice we drank this week!

When Meg first sent me the link, I recognized the name because I wrote an article for Pulse Magazine last July about women who were participating. At the time I thought maybe someday I could do this, but was focused on the Falmouth Road Race first! With that under my belt, I figured I'd step it up a notch (I must have a very large belt!). I am proud that we have taken this step to even start training for an event like this. It truly will be a life accomplishment that will help me get through my mid-twenties life crisis. If anything, it will help keep my mind off of it for a while!

I embark on this journey with more nerves than I have ever had before. Swimming? Biking? Running? I run occasionally but don't touch the other two! When I was little, my nickname was Kimmer the Swimmer. That was years ago and from what I recall most of that time I was wearing a lifevest! Unfortunately, there are no swimmies, lifevests, water noodles or other flotation devices allowed, so I am all on my own (I have already investigated the possibilities)! I am most nervous about the swimming leg of the race, but hope with a LOT of training, I can manage the half mile without drowning. Seriously, even writing this makes me nervous. I can picture myself drowing in a lake I can't even spell, choking on disgusting pond water.

And I don't even own a bike. I recently took up spinning classes at the gym, and love them. I hope that will aid me in the pursuit of finishing the 12 miles of the bike race. If anyone has any bike suggestions, let me know. I will surely be purchasing one now! I laugh every time I think of this, because the only thing that pops in my head is the line from The 40-Year-Old Virgin, "I hope you have a big trunk because I'm going to put my bike in it!" Humor is probably the only thing that will help me get through this training.

As soon as I finish moving this weekend and settle in, the training will commence! I'm counting on everyone to help me stick with it when the going gets tough. I signed up to do this for a reason and refuse to be a quitter (and will need to be reminded of this often). As Meg and I have told each other, it's not about winning, it's about finishing the race. As long as we have a good time doing it.