Triathlon Completed! 4 hours and 1 min.
This weekend was so much fun. I can finally say I am a triathlete and I LOVE it! I did my triathlon this Sunday in 4 hours and 1 minute. My goal was 4 hours but with some obstacles in the bike and run part of the race I just missed my goal by a minute. I learned a lot about my body and what it can withstand this weekend. I also grew so much closer to my team.
The morning of my race, I woke up with some nerves. I had two hours to get something to eat, get my tri suit on and gear packed up, and head down to the transition area before my wave took off. It took me about 30 mins to get down in the transition area and set up my gear before my wave. The anticipation of waiting for my wave was a little nerve racking but overall I wasn't nervous at all. I was more excited to get in and do this event. I hadn't been able to workout the past week due to an emotional event in Ohio, so I was totally game to get this race started.
We started to suit up about 30 mins before our wave, getting the wetsuit on and taking tons of pictures..lol. Once our team was ready we headed down to the start of the swim where there were tons of athletes in their wave waiting to go in. All waves had their own color of caps so we found our light purple wave of girls and picked an area that we all felt comfortable in. The TNT men's wave was before us and when the horn sounded for them, us girls started to jump in and get some water in our wetsuits to warm our bodies up to the temp. of the water. Once we did that we all headed back to the starting line and waiting the 5 min before the horn would go off for us. At this point I still didn't feel very nervous. I was chatting with a teammate when the horn went off. I swear that 5 mins flew by. We all started a jog into the water, all 150 of us! The water felt great but the feet and arms hitting me and me hitting others was quite an experience. It wasn't until around the first buoy that we all started to spread out and get into a rhythm. BUT once that rhythm started the wave that started after us, the strong swimmers, had caught up to us and that started another cluster of chaos..lol. Needless to say, I enjoyed the swim and did it in 33 mins.
Transition 1. Getting out of the water we had to run up a ramp into the massive transition area where 3,500 athletes gear were all at. Luckily the transition area had flags around it and I remember what two flags I was near and ran in that direction. Once I got to my bike I hurried to put on my cycling shoes and top and grabbed my bike and ran it to the start of the bike portion of the race. My transition time was 5 mins 30 sec. A little slow but for my first one I will take it. Most pros do the transition time in a 1min... lol.
As I clipped into my bike and started up the first mile, which on this course is an uphill climb. I noticed that my bike wouldn't shift from my middle gear to my smallest gear. You need your smallest gear to get up steep hills. I rode my bike up as much as I could and jumped off and tried to move my chain myself to the smallest gear. I had oil all over my hands it was ridicious. I couldn't get it to shift over so I started to walk my bike up the hill. It was so frustrating walking up a hill as athletes are riding. And I had cycling shoes on so I couldn't walk on the top of my shoes so my calves were burning when I got to the top of the hill. Before I got to the top, at one point on the hill a man that was cheering on everyone asked me what was wrong with my bike and I told him. He took my bike and started to shift the gears for me. After about a minute of messing with my bike, he turned to me and say, "I am sorry but your f***" That was his exact words. I was like "What" I didn't want to hear that! I was only a 1/4 of a mile into the race. So once I got to the top of the hill I got back on my bike and started to play with my gears until for some crazy miracle my gears started to work. THANK GOD! The rest of the bike went really well. There were a lot of challenging hills and at one point on the bike, towards the end I started to space out a little. My body wasn't fatigued but I just felt "out of it" So at the last aid station of the bike portion I took a Gatorade instead of water and I cant tell you what a world of difference that made. I was lacking sodium and that did the trick. I did the bike portion in 1 hour and 56 mins.
Transition two. So I get to the line of the end of the bike portion where we have to get off of our bikes and walk or run our bikes into the transition area. Well when I got off my bike at the line and started running my bike in, my legs were so "jello" like that I almost fell down at the line.. lol. I shook my legs out a little and walked my bike back to my area and found out that someone had put their bike in my transition spot. I remembered what bikes where around me before the race and they were all there. So this person must have put their bike in the wrong row and forgot to move it. Well, I had to shift all the bikes down just to make room for my bike. After I bit I started to change my shoes and top for the run portion of the race. As I was started out of the transition area my ankle, which I have had trouble with for the past month started to throb. I knew right then that the run portion was not going to be very fun. My transition two time was 3 min and 44 sec.
The run portion of the race was horrible. My ankle started to act up the second I left the transition area. And of course this running course is 6.2 mi, 5 mi of it uphill and 1 mi straight downhill..FUN FUN..not! So I tried to jog down the rolling hills of the first 2 miles but I had to walk up the uphill parts. Miles 3 and 4 were all uphill which I walked. Even walking was painful. And in the last mile I tried my best to jog the downhill but the hill was steep and the pounding of my feet on the pavement just irritated my ankle even more and I had to walk the downhill part. As I was getting to the last corner before I would see the "shoot", where all the fans were standing on each side... my teammate Melissa caught up to me and we decided to run in together. When we got to the fans my ankle was to the point where I couldn't, well shouldn't have jogged any more.. but come on, fans are watching...you have to run :) So we jogged into the tunnel of fans. Melissa insisted we sprint into the finish line which of course my body couldn't do but me being competitive was not going to say no.. so the last 200 yds we sprinted to the finish line. This moment was suppose to be a "life changing" experience and I can honestly say it wasn't. I hate saying that but I was so concentrated on my ankle and getting it across the finish line that I didn't have the chance to absorb the fans cheering or the excitement of crossing the finish line. All I wanted to do was have someone cut off my ankle. lol. I completed my triathlon in 4 hours and 1 min, the run portion being 1 hour and 22 mins. If I didn't have ankle issues I would hope I could have completed the run in about an hour.
Even though I didn't have the "life changing" experience, I would 100% do triathlons again. I am hooked. But before I start training again for a triathlon in the fall I have to get my ankle fixed. I want to enjoy the run portion of the race and so after diagnosing my ankle I plan to concentrate more on my running then the other two events. I want to be strong in the run. I thought the swim and bike portions of the race were fun and almost not a challenge so I know that I can do a 1/2 Ironman in those two events. OR just really improve my time in the Olympic course. But until I learn to love running and mentally prepare myself for the run I will continue to do the Olympics course. And maybe sneak in an Aqua/Bike Race or Century Ride.
I am an endurance athlete now!
(pictures posted soon!)
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
11 days and counting!
This past week I have been concentrating a lot of my injuries. I hate that past injuries show their ugly face weeks before my race. I continue to see the chiropractor once a week for my high arches and for my shoulder. Everyday my foot continues to get better and this past Saturday was my first test to see if my foot is ready for the race.
Saturday we had swimming practice in the San Francisco Bay! Yes, the bay. I was super pumped about it and most of my team was fearing it. The water was cold, I will admit that but nothing like I thought it would be. It was very different swimming in salt water for the first time in my wetsuit. I felt like I could really glide through the water when I first started out to the first buoy. But to my surprise I was catching the current on my way out.... once I turned around at the buoy the current got rough and I drank a lot of salt water..hehe. It seems like it was only around the first buoy did the current throw off my swim. After the swim, we switched into our running gear for an 80 min run along the coastline. I had the hardest time transitioning into my running gear after the run. My body was so numb that I couldn't function very well...hehe. But once I started heading out it was all good.
For the run I did 2 min jog and 1 min walk. My doctor told me to take it easy with no running at all but a light jog/walk combo will do. The run was very successful. I didn't have any pain in my foot until the last 10 min of the run coming back. So at least I can run about 70 mins without pain. That should be enough for my race... expect the race is purely hills and there were no hills on this course. So we will have to see how things go.
Now with only 11 days left and counting I am starting to get really excited and anxious about the race. I feel like I have so much to do before the race and I don't want to forget anything! This Saturday is our last big Saturday practice before race day. I think after that is when I will start having some anxiety about the race.
Saturday we had swimming practice in the San Francisco Bay! Yes, the bay. I was super pumped about it and most of my team was fearing it. The water was cold, I will admit that but nothing like I thought it would be. It was very different swimming in salt water for the first time in my wetsuit. I felt like I could really glide through the water when I first started out to the first buoy. But to my surprise I was catching the current on my way out.... once I turned around at the buoy the current got rough and I drank a lot of salt water..hehe. It seems like it was only around the first buoy did the current throw off my swim. After the swim, we switched into our running gear for an 80 min run along the coastline. I had the hardest time transitioning into my running gear after the run. My body was so numb that I couldn't function very well...hehe. But once I started heading out it was all good.
For the run I did 2 min jog and 1 min walk. My doctor told me to take it easy with no running at all but a light jog/walk combo will do. The run was very successful. I didn't have any pain in my foot until the last 10 min of the run coming back. So at least I can run about 70 mins without pain. That should be enough for my race... expect the race is purely hills and there were no hills on this course. So we will have to see how things go.
Now with only 11 days left and counting I am starting to get really excited and anxious about the race. I feel like I have so much to do before the race and I don't want to forget anything! This Saturday is our last big Saturday practice before race day. I think after that is when I will start having some anxiety about the race.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
pes cavus
Last week I started to get sharp pain on the top of my foot, felt like a pinched nerve. It hurt when I ran, to the point where I couldn’t run more than a 100 ft before it drove me up a wall! Even at times walking I would feel the same pain. So last week I decided to see a chiropractor for this “pinched nerve.” I didn’t want to see anyone, I just wanted it to work its way out so I could continue to train since I only had 4 weeks left!
Well I sucked it up and saw a chiropractor last Friday. He bent and twisted my foot and my whole body. My body “cracked” several times, not my foot. After all the twisting and cracking he told me I have extremely high arches which is causes the pain in my foot. He told me to wear these special insoles of his, which you can get at the store, and to see him again in a week, NO RUNNING.
This past Tuesday I saw him again and he repeated the process over esp this time he bent and twisted only my foot and in several different areas. Wow was this painful. CRAP! He suspended me again for this week with no running. Last week I had to beg him to at less let me swim and bike and he thank God let me do that. He again told me that this week I am not aloud to run and to see him again at the end of the week, Now I love this doctor and he is a great chiropractor but at this point it’s a foot problem not a pinched nerve and I feel I should be seeing prodiatist now. So I have been asking around for recommendations and thinking that this Friday will be the last time I see the chiropractor. I don’t have time for him to bend and twist every week, I need a treatment and I need it fast.
It really stinks to be this close to race day and injured. Running is my weakest of the three events and not being able to work on it is very frustrating. But my foot is a serious matter and I need it to hear and correct itself so I can continue to do triathlons through the years. I mean I want to do an IRONMAN someday! So I am working on being patient.
In the meantime, in order to stay in shape I have invested in an Aqua Jogger. It’s a belt you wear in the water to keep you afloat. I will use it to run in the water as my conditioning for the run part of the race. I used an Aqua Jogger in High School when I tore my ACL and needed to find a quick solution to get back to playing basketball. The Aqua Jogger worked wonders for my knee so I am hoping to see results this time. It wont correct my high arches but it will keep me conditioned. Stay Tuned….. the race is less then a month away!!
Well I sucked it up and saw a chiropractor last Friday. He bent and twisted my foot and my whole body. My body “cracked” several times, not my foot. After all the twisting and cracking he told me I have extremely high arches which is causes the pain in my foot. He told me to wear these special insoles of his, which you can get at the store, and to see him again in a week, NO RUNNING.
This past Tuesday I saw him again and he repeated the process over esp this time he bent and twisted only my foot and in several different areas. Wow was this painful. CRAP! He suspended me again for this week with no running. Last week I had to beg him to at less let me swim and bike and he thank God let me do that. He again told me that this week I am not aloud to run and to see him again at the end of the week, Now I love this doctor and he is a great chiropractor but at this point it’s a foot problem not a pinched nerve and I feel I should be seeing prodiatist now. So I have been asking around for recommendations and thinking that this Friday will be the last time I see the chiropractor. I don’t have time for him to bend and twist every week, I need a treatment and I need it fast.
It really stinks to be this close to race day and injured. Running is my weakest of the three events and not being able to work on it is very frustrating. But my foot is a serious matter and I need it to hear and correct itself so I can continue to do triathlons through the years. I mean I want to do an IRONMAN someday! So I am working on being patient.
In the meantime, in order to stay in shape I have invested in an Aqua Jogger. It’s a belt you wear in the water to keep you afloat. I will use it to run in the water as my conditioning for the run part of the race. I used an Aqua Jogger in High School when I tore my ACL and needed to find a quick solution to get back to playing basketball. The Aqua Jogger worked wonders for my knee so I am hoping to see results this time. It wont correct my high arches but it will keep me conditioned. Stay Tuned….. the race is less then a month away!!
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Training Weekend!!
So this past weekend was Training Weekend at San Antonio Lake. Wow was it fun! We got to do the whole course just like it was the actual race. We also camped the whole weekend!
On Friday everyone headed down to San Antonio Lake and once we got there we started claiming our spots and setting up our tents. Once all the tents were up I started moving in the "less bit of things I brought." I wanted to have the whole camping experience so I just brought a Wal-mart sleeping bag and a light blanket with pillow. WHAT WAS I THINKING. The ground was hard and the temperature at night and in the early mornings were cold. Good thing this was a practice weekend...Note to self..bring an air mattress and several heavy blankets. Tova was my tent buddy and will be my tent buddy for the actual race.. I am excited! The first night after setting up tents we all had a potluck dinner and talked around the campfire...drinking a couple of beers.
On Saturday morning around 7 am we all got up and prepared ourselves for our first part of the triathlon; the swim and bike. I have to admit I was kinda nervous. This wasn't the real thing but it was pretty darn close. The swim portion wasn't too bad once I got in the water. The water was a decent temp but it took me forever it seemed to get a rhythm started. Once I finally made it to the buoy which seems to be moving backwards as I swam to it, I gave out a big cheer and turned around to head back to shore. The way back was so much easier... I finally found my rhythm!
Once I got out of the water I headed to the transition area to get ready for the bike portion of the race. No one was in a big hurry like the race would be so I took my good old time getting ready for the bike as well. Unfortunately while everyone was transitioning, one of our long distance teammates that went out earlier in the morning for her bike ride got into an accident. We were told she is doing fine but she did dislocate her shoulder. Things just happen when we do these crazy events.. you just have to take you chances.
So off with the bike ride... SO MANY SLOWLY INCLINE HILLS!! It kinda sucked. But I have some man thighs..hehe so I was able to get through it. The hardest part of the bike ride is the first mile which is straight uphill.. no joke.
That afternoon everyone was so relieved to get the hardest part of the race done, we had a huge dinner with all the San Francisco teams, some entertainment by most teams and then we all headed back to our campsites and continue to drink some and chat it up.
Sunday morning was the run portion of the triathlon. Again the course was all hills. But I survived. After the run everyone packed up and headed home!
This weekend was definitely worth doing. We got to do the whole course to prepare us for the actual race, we know what we need to sleep perfectly when we camp and now I believe it when they say this is the SECOND HARDEST TRIATHLON IN THE WORLD...first being somewhere in Europe. Perfect race for a newbie! lol
On Friday everyone headed down to San Antonio Lake and once we got there we started claiming our spots and setting up our tents. Once all the tents were up I started moving in the "less bit of things I brought." I wanted to have the whole camping experience so I just brought a Wal-mart sleeping bag and a light blanket with pillow. WHAT WAS I THINKING. The ground was hard and the temperature at night and in the early mornings were cold. Good thing this was a practice weekend...Note to self..bring an air mattress and several heavy blankets. Tova was my tent buddy and will be my tent buddy for the actual race.. I am excited! The first night after setting up tents we all had a potluck dinner and talked around the campfire...drinking a couple of beers.
On Saturday morning around 7 am we all got up and prepared ourselves for our first part of the triathlon; the swim and bike. I have to admit I was kinda nervous. This wasn't the real thing but it was pretty darn close. The swim portion wasn't too bad once I got in the water. The water was a decent temp but it took me forever it seemed to get a rhythm started. Once I finally made it to the buoy which seems to be moving backwards as I swam to it, I gave out a big cheer and turned around to head back to shore. The way back was so much easier... I finally found my rhythm!
Once I got out of the water I headed to the transition area to get ready for the bike portion of the race. No one was in a big hurry like the race would be so I took my good old time getting ready for the bike as well. Unfortunately while everyone was transitioning, one of our long distance teammates that went out earlier in the morning for her bike ride got into an accident. We were told she is doing fine but she did dislocate her shoulder. Things just happen when we do these crazy events.. you just have to take you chances.
So off with the bike ride... SO MANY SLOWLY INCLINE HILLS!! It kinda sucked. But I have some man thighs..hehe so I was able to get through it. The hardest part of the bike ride is the first mile which is straight uphill.. no joke.
That afternoon everyone was so relieved to get the hardest part of the race done, we had a huge dinner with all the San Francisco teams, some entertainment by most teams and then we all headed back to our campsites and continue to drink some and chat it up.
Sunday morning was the run portion of the triathlon. Again the course was all hills. But I survived. After the run everyone packed up and headed home!
This weekend was definitely worth doing. We got to do the whole course to prepare us for the actual race, we know what we need to sleep perfectly when we camp and now I believe it when they say this is the SECOND HARDEST TRIATHLON IN THE WORLD...first being somewhere in Europe. Perfect race for a newbie! lol
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
"Take a Break" says the body
This past week started off good but by the weekend my body was telling me to TAKE A BREAK!
Wednesday I went on my scheduled bike ride with my mentor Megan and we went a different route and a bit farther then last ride. The ride was great and having more sun light really helps out. Thursday I finally made it back to the dreadful track practice..lol. We did a variety of agilities and then did some interval running. My ankle, which only hurts when I jog, definitely hurt the most on Thursday. I iced it when I got home that night and all day on Friday. I managed to get up early on Friday to do a swim workout, man oh man did my butt hurt from all the lunges we did the night before. The rest of the day at work on Friday I continued to ice my ankle.
Saturday morning we were having our last Finley swimming pool workout b/c next week we are in OPEN water! Well Saturday morning I woke up and was so stiff and in much pain that I had to give me body a day rest. I felt so guility for missing a practice but I need to learn to listen to my body and it was definitely not moving that day. I spend the whole day icing the ankle and thank god we have a hot tub at my place. I spend a lot of the day there as well.
Sunday morning I woke up and still felt weak but I wanted to make it to the 30 mi bike ride we had planned. Normally on the bike practices I join the group that tends to be a bit faster and goes a bit farther then the other groups but today I was sticking with the other group. The bike ride was really nice if you take out the ridiculous headwind and rolling hills.. lol. But this bike ride gave us a glimpse of what the route will be like on race day and made us stronger of course. After the ride we had a 10 min brick workout which wasn’t too bad. My ankle didn’t start hurting until I was almost back to the starting point. Mary Jane, a teammate of mine told me we burned 1500 on that ride!! That’s crazy, I was so hungry after that ride, Melissa and I went to Mary’s Pizza and I ate a whole pizza all to myself. Small of course. Its so nice to anything I want and not have to worry about a thing!
Wednesday I went on my scheduled bike ride with my mentor Megan and we went a different route and a bit farther then last ride. The ride was great and having more sun light really helps out. Thursday I finally made it back to the dreadful track practice..lol. We did a variety of agilities and then did some interval running. My ankle, which only hurts when I jog, definitely hurt the most on Thursday. I iced it when I got home that night and all day on Friday. I managed to get up early on Friday to do a swim workout, man oh man did my butt hurt from all the lunges we did the night before. The rest of the day at work on Friday I continued to ice my ankle.
Saturday morning we were having our last Finley swimming pool workout b/c next week we are in OPEN water! Well Saturday morning I woke up and was so stiff and in much pain that I had to give me body a day rest. I felt so guility for missing a practice but I need to learn to listen to my body and it was definitely not moving that day. I spend the whole day icing the ankle and thank god we have a hot tub at my place. I spend a lot of the day there as well.
Sunday morning I woke up and still felt weak but I wanted to make it to the 30 mi bike ride we had planned. Normally on the bike practices I join the group that tends to be a bit faster and goes a bit farther then the other groups but today I was sticking with the other group. The bike ride was really nice if you take out the ridiculous headwind and rolling hills.. lol. But this bike ride gave us a glimpse of what the route will be like on race day and made us stronger of course. After the ride we had a 10 min brick workout which wasn’t too bad. My ankle didn’t start hurting until I was almost back to the starting point. Mary Jane, a teammate of mine told me we burned 1500 on that ride!! That’s crazy, I was so hungry after that ride, Melissa and I went to Mary’s Pizza and I ate a whole pizza all to myself. Small of course. Its so nice to anything I want and not have to worry about a thing!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Note to self: No cliff bars to be eaten 15 min before a hard workout!
This past week we had some fabulous workouts! Throughout the week I did my scheduled workouts and even got to do some workouts with some of my tri-team friends! It’s so much more fun working out with friends.
On Wednesday Megan, my mentor, who kicks butt, and I planned an evening bike ride through the countryside. I was totally game because that meant I didn’t have to get up a 6 am that day to workout. Whoaa! The ride was very nice. The weather was a bit chilly and the sun was starting to set. We went 25 mins out and turned around and came back. It was a nice ride with bumpy roads and a few hills to make the quads burn a little.
On every Friday my tri friend Melissa and I get together and do our swim workout at a local gym we both go to. It’s a nice 7 am swim with a couple of old men swimming too..lol. I love swimming.. its so nice on your muscles and makes me feel really good throughout the day sitting at my desk.
Now to the best workouts of the week…the weekend training! Even though weekend training starts at 7:30 am I love seeing everyone. This Saturday we had a swim/bike workout. We did consistent laps that equaled almost what we would be doing in the race. I actually wasn’t tired at all doing over 40 laps in the pool. Whoaaa! After the swim we all got ready for the bike workout. I grabbed a Cliff bar for some energy and got my bike off my car and started to stretch before we all took off. Today my group, who really cruises through each workout which I love, was scheduled to do 22 mi today! In the race its 24.8 so we almost did that whole length too. As we started, I got a huge stomach cramp a mile into the bike workout. It was so painful and on top of that my quads, which you use to bike cramped up. I was dobbed over the whole 22 mi route and at the end of the pack because I was in too much pain to keep up. One of the mentors, Scott stayed back with me and let me draft off of him for a while. THANKS SCOTT! I tried to not show that I was in pain and tried to brush it off. I couldn't’t drink water without it hurting. Thank God we got back to the facility when we did because my stomach really told me it was time..lol. I told the coach was I was experiencing and what I ate before the route and she told me that cliff bars are heavy on the stomach and that I should have just drink some power aid or not had anything since I had a good breakfast. So note to self: No cliff bars before a workout! The whole day I felt like crap and had a hard time eating anything.
Sunday's workout was a different story. We had our captains run in Petaluma and it was a FLAT COURSE!! WHOAAA! The scheduled run was for an hour. For the first time in a long time I ran 2 1/2 miles without stopping. I know that might seem really easy to some ppl but to me its impressive.. b/c I hate to run. The rest of the 3 mi I did that day I did some interval training which I think is harder then just a straight jog. I felt really good after that run and I did the whole thing CRAP free.. lol.
On Wednesday Megan, my mentor, who kicks butt, and I planned an evening bike ride through the countryside. I was totally game because that meant I didn’t have to get up a 6 am that day to workout. Whoaa! The ride was very nice. The weather was a bit chilly and the sun was starting to set. We went 25 mins out and turned around and came back. It was a nice ride with bumpy roads and a few hills to make the quads burn a little.
On every Friday my tri friend Melissa and I get together and do our swim workout at a local gym we both go to. It’s a nice 7 am swim with a couple of old men swimming too..lol. I love swimming.. its so nice on your muscles and makes me feel really good throughout the day sitting at my desk.
Now to the best workouts of the week…the weekend training! Even though weekend training starts at 7:30 am I love seeing everyone. This Saturday we had a swim/bike workout. We did consistent laps that equaled almost what we would be doing in the race. I actually wasn’t tired at all doing over 40 laps in the pool. Whoaaa! After the swim we all got ready for the bike workout. I grabbed a Cliff bar for some energy and got my bike off my car and started to stretch before we all took off. Today my group, who really cruises through each workout which I love, was scheduled to do 22 mi today! In the race its 24.8 so we almost did that whole length too. As we started, I got a huge stomach cramp a mile into the bike workout. It was so painful and on top of that my quads, which you use to bike cramped up. I was dobbed over the whole 22 mi route and at the end of the pack because I was in too much pain to keep up. One of the mentors, Scott stayed back with me and let me draft off of him for a while. THANKS SCOTT! I tried to not show that I was in pain and tried to brush it off. I couldn't’t drink water without it hurting. Thank God we got back to the facility when we did because my stomach really told me it was time..lol. I told the coach was I was experiencing and what I ate before the route and she told me that cliff bars are heavy on the stomach and that I should have just drink some power aid or not had anything since I had a good breakfast. So note to self: No cliff bars before a workout! The whole day I felt like crap and had a hard time eating anything.
Sunday's workout was a different story. We had our captains run in Petaluma and it was a FLAT COURSE!! WHOAAA! The scheduled run was for an hour. For the first time in a long time I ran 2 1/2 miles without stopping. I know that might seem really easy to some ppl but to me its impressive.. b/c I hate to run. The rest of the 3 mi I did that day I did some interval training which I think is harder then just a straight jog. I felt really good after that run and I did the whole thing CRAP free.. lol.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Fun Filled Weekend!
So this past weekend was so much fun! On Saturday I drove to Sonoma for my first BRICK workout. When I pulled into the park there were TONS of people. Everyone was apart of Team in Training just for different endurance races. Everyone from triathlons to marathons to cyclists came to practice this past Saturday. Before we got started on our hour bike ride we had a couple of different clinics such as how to change a tire. I have never changed a tire so I was very interested in this clinic. One of my teammates earlier that morning got a flat tire while riding his bike to the restroom so he got to be the "example." Tire changing, esp a road bike looks a little challenging and I really hope I don't have a flat in the race! But before race day I hope to have practiced a couple of times.
On with the bike ride...we split into two groups of Olympic racers and heading out to the countryside of Sonoma. It was GORGEOUS! I love it out here! The weather was a bit cold...well to Ohioans it was warm..lol, but after riding on the bike for a little while it warmed up. My group went on a 17 mi bike ride and we flew through the hills!
Before we got back to the starting point we were instructed to transition into the run once we got back to the parking lot. We were warned that our legs would feel different but to keep pushing ourselves. OH MAN.. were they right...once I got off the bike I felt like my legs have Bricks in them.. I guess thats why they call it a BRICK workout, well I think its B for Bike, R for Run and ICK for ICK..(this sucks...lol) I felt like my upper body was dragging my legs on the run.. it was crazy weird!
After the quick run I definitely had thoughts about the race. Can I really run 6.2 mi after biking when my legs feel like BRICKS!?! I need to really practice that transition so it become easier in the race.
Later that day we had a honoree potluck! And not only were there tri-athletes and honorees but also the cycling and marathon teams! So many people.. I loved it! During the potluck I got to meet a little boy named Jackson who just got his port out and hopefully will be CANCER FREE for the rest of his life! I also got to meet HANK who I have been emailing but have never put a face to a name. It was really nice getting to meet some honorees that I am raising money for. It really put things into prospective and gave me an extra push to fundraising.
Sunday was a run practice... MY FAVORITE!!.. NOT!.. lol. We did a route in Petaluma that was straight uphill! It was a rough 30 mins but I got through it and felt good the rest of the day!
Team in Training continues to be so much fun! I love being surrounded by so many positive and happy people. It really helps me feel at home and I dont feel so alone moving here from Ohio on my own 2 months ago! I LOVE TEAM IN TRAINING!!
On with the bike ride...we split into two groups of Olympic racers and heading out to the countryside of Sonoma. It was GORGEOUS! I love it out here! The weather was a bit cold...well to Ohioans it was warm..lol, but after riding on the bike for a little while it warmed up. My group went on a 17 mi bike ride and we flew through the hills!
Before we got back to the starting point we were instructed to transition into the run once we got back to the parking lot. We were warned that our legs would feel different but to keep pushing ourselves. OH MAN.. were they right...once I got off the bike I felt like my legs have Bricks in them.. I guess thats why they call it a BRICK workout, well I think its B for Bike, R for Run and ICK for ICK..(this sucks...lol) I felt like my upper body was dragging my legs on the run.. it was crazy weird!
After the quick run I definitely had thoughts about the race. Can I really run 6.2 mi after biking when my legs feel like BRICKS!?! I need to really practice that transition so it become easier in the race.
Later that day we had a honoree potluck! And not only were there tri-athletes and honorees but also the cycling and marathon teams! So many people.. I loved it! During the potluck I got to meet a little boy named Jackson who just got his port out and hopefully will be CANCER FREE for the rest of his life! I also got to meet HANK who I have been emailing but have never put a face to a name. It was really nice getting to meet some honorees that I am raising money for. It really put things into prospective and gave me an extra push to fundraising.
Sunday was a run practice... MY FAVORITE!!.. NOT!.. lol. We did a route in Petaluma that was straight uphill! It was a rough 30 mins but I got through it and felt good the rest of the day!
Team in Training continues to be so much fun! I love being surrounded by so many positive and happy people. It really helps me feel at home and I dont feel so alone moving here from Ohio on my own 2 months ago! I LOVE TEAM IN TRAINING!!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
I love talking to the people I am helping fight cancer
Just finished my 3 week of training! I am started to feel strong again and my energy level has really spiked. I am just such a happier person when I get to workout/play sports and be apart of a team again.
This week's I made it to only one team practice, but on Tuesdays I have to run on my own due to my schedule and this past Thursday it was raining really hard and I wussed out and went to the gym instead to get my workout in. Saturday's practice was super fun like always. The swim was great, it rained a little while we were in the water and the run surprising went well. Running is my least favorite out of these three sports. I tend to psyche myself out. So that's one thing I want to work on this next week so I can push myself a little harder next practice. Also on Saturday we had a nutritionist come in and speak to us on the type of foods we should be eating before and after practice as well as what we should eat doing the day. She was so good and I learned a ton from her on Saturday. After Saturday's practice the team had a potluck lunch to refuel ourselves after a hard morning practice. And sadly our team cycling practice got canceled today due to high winds and crappy weather.
This week I made it a priority to contact some honorees and check up on them and tell them how much an inspiration they are to my training. I talked to Hank who was diagnosed with CLL in 2003. He has done several TNT events with his wife over the years while battling CLL. He is such a trooper and I really enjoyed talking with him. And I hope to see him out at some of our practices. I talked to Erica's mother this week as well. Erica is finally home and doing really well. She sadly can't be out of the house for 6-9 months and the family has to be extra carefully to keep the house clean and bacteria free. Please check Erica's website from my TNT site. I want to continue to get in touch with as many honorees as possible throughout my journey with TNT.
My fundraising isn't going as well as I would like. I sent my letters out last week and I hope they got to all my friends and family this week. I pray that I start to see money come in this week. I know when you get letters in the mail asking for money you just want to cringe. And if you don't know anyone that has that certain disease or cancer you feel like you don't have to donate. But you might have a friend you work with that has a family member with cancer. There are people out there that I haven't talked to in ages that have had cancer and fought it or know someone close that has it. I don't want to guilt trip you into donating but I am going to..lol. Every little bit counts. If you don't want to donate, just donate 5 dollars. That way you don't feel guilt. Or donate money because you want to see me complete this triathlon. Ok I am getting off of my soapbox and picking up on other things I am doing to raise the money...........
I am not relying souly on the letter writing to carry me to my goal even though that would be WONDERFUL! I am starting to talk to companies around the town and I am setting up some dine and donate nights at local restaurants. It's just really hard to set up events here when I don't really know anyone here yet. But I truly believe I will make my goal and I will continue to think and do anything I can to reach it!
I promise to start posting pictures on my TNT website and on here. I have never brought a camera to a practice so it's hard to remember now. But I really want you all to see my wonderful journey with TNT. I can't describe in words how happy I am to be apart of this organization!
GO TEAM!
This week's I made it to only one team practice, but on Tuesdays I have to run on my own due to my schedule and this past Thursday it was raining really hard and I wussed out and went to the gym instead to get my workout in. Saturday's practice was super fun like always. The swim was great, it rained a little while we were in the water and the run surprising went well. Running is my least favorite out of these three sports. I tend to psyche myself out. So that's one thing I want to work on this next week so I can push myself a little harder next practice. Also on Saturday we had a nutritionist come in and speak to us on the type of foods we should be eating before and after practice as well as what we should eat doing the day. She was so good and I learned a ton from her on Saturday. After Saturday's practice the team had a potluck lunch to refuel ourselves after a hard morning practice. And sadly our team cycling practice got canceled today due to high winds and crappy weather.
This week I made it a priority to contact some honorees and check up on them and tell them how much an inspiration they are to my training. I talked to Hank who was diagnosed with CLL in 2003. He has done several TNT events with his wife over the years while battling CLL. He is such a trooper and I really enjoyed talking with him. And I hope to see him out at some of our practices. I talked to Erica's mother this week as well. Erica is finally home and doing really well. She sadly can't be out of the house for 6-9 months and the family has to be extra carefully to keep the house clean and bacteria free. Please check Erica's website from my TNT site. I want to continue to get in touch with as many honorees as possible throughout my journey with TNT.
My fundraising isn't going as well as I would like. I sent my letters out last week and I hope they got to all my friends and family this week. I pray that I start to see money come in this week. I know when you get letters in the mail asking for money you just want to cringe. And if you don't know anyone that has that certain disease or cancer you feel like you don't have to donate. But you might have a friend you work with that has a family member with cancer. There are people out there that I haven't talked to in ages that have had cancer and fought it or know someone close that has it. I don't want to guilt trip you into donating but I am going to..lol. Every little bit counts. If you don't want to donate, just donate 5 dollars. That way you don't feel guilt. Or donate money because you want to see me complete this triathlon. Ok I am getting off of my soapbox and picking up on other things I am doing to raise the money...........
I am not relying souly on the letter writing to carry me to my goal even though that would be WONDERFUL! I am starting to talk to companies around the town and I am setting up some dine and donate nights at local restaurants. It's just really hard to set up events here when I don't really know anyone here yet. But I truly believe I will make my goal and I will continue to think and do anything I can to reach it!
I promise to start posting pictures on my TNT website and on here. I have never brought a camera to a practice so it's hard to remember now. But I really want you all to see my wonderful journey with TNT. I can't describe in words how happy I am to be apart of this organization!
GO TEAM!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Survived my first 2 weeks!
I started Team in Training the first of February and ever since Kick off Day I can't describe how happy I am that I joined such an amazing cause. Everyone is so friendly, full of energy, and positive about life....the kind of people I want to be surrounded by and the type of person I consider myself. I love being apart of a team again, just like in high school. We are provided with coaches and each week we have 4 optional practices we can attend. Every practice pushes me harder and gets me prepared for my triathlon.
My very first team practice was on a Saturday morning at 7:30 am. I am becoming a morning person with Team in Training..lol. The practice was a 4 hour practice, half swim and the other half bike. It was so much fun. Everyone was encouraging all day and helping each other get through the practice. One memory that really made me realize that we are all in this together was on my bike route. I was almost done with my route when I accidentally dropped my water bottle after trying to put it back into the holder on the bike. Well I ended up running over it and having to backup and go get it. As I stood up after retrieving my water bottle I noticed that everyone in my group had stopped and made sure I was ok. I just dropped my water bottle...lol. I was expecting to get back on my bike and see the group in the distance.. lol. But no matter how small the problem we are a team and a team sticks together!
I have survived 2 weeks of practice since the first team practice and I am incredibly sore but love it. I love Mondays because it's my day off of training which my body needs a much deserved rest.
My fund raising is coming along. I have sent out letters this past week and hope to see some gracious people donating through my website or through mail. I am starting to plan events around the area to help out and I have my wonderful ladies of Alpha Gamma Delta in Richmond KY helping me put on an event to raise money as well. I am still a little scared of Fund raising just because fund raising will be the only thing that might prevent me from completing the triathlon. Raising a large amount of money in a short period of time is challenging but I know I can do it... I want to do it so that we can find a cure and so I can complete a personal goal of mine, to run my first triathlon!!!
My very first team practice was on a Saturday morning at 7:30 am. I am becoming a morning person with Team in Training..lol. The practice was a 4 hour practice, half swim and the other half bike. It was so much fun. Everyone was encouraging all day and helping each other get through the practice. One memory that really made me realize that we are all in this together was on my bike route. I was almost done with my route when I accidentally dropped my water bottle after trying to put it back into the holder on the bike. Well I ended up running over it and having to backup and go get it. As I stood up after retrieving my water bottle I noticed that everyone in my group had stopped and made sure I was ok. I just dropped my water bottle...lol. I was expecting to get back on my bike and see the group in the distance.. lol. But no matter how small the problem we are a team and a team sticks together!
I have survived 2 weeks of practice since the first team practice and I am incredibly sore but love it. I love Mondays because it's my day off of training which my body needs a much deserved rest.
My fund raising is coming along. I have sent out letters this past week and hope to see some gracious people donating through my website or through mail. I am starting to plan events around the area to help out and I have my wonderful ladies of Alpha Gamma Delta in Richmond KY helping me put on an event to raise money as well. I am still a little scared of Fund raising just because fund raising will be the only thing that might prevent me from completing the triathlon. Raising a large amount of money in a short period of time is challenging but I know I can do it... I want to do it so that we can find a cure and so I can complete a personal goal of mine, to run my first triathlon!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
