Road to a Triathlon

New Goal

2006-06-02T09:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I've taken a month or so off after my first triathlon and I'm ready to set a new goal.

The Los Angeles Triathlon.

It's in the first week of September and the Olympic level course if well within my reach. The distances are .9 mi swim, 24 mile bike and 6.2 mile run. My first triathlon I swam .5 miles, biked 15 miles and ran 6.2 miles so I'm pretty sure I can be ready for the L.A. one in three months. This time I am really going to have a buy a bike though. And I can't train for that run on a treadmill (too boring!) so I'll have to do my running at night on the streets after Adam gets home.

I feel excited and relieved to have a new goal. It will be good to have another concrete goal to keep me excercising. Completing an Olympic level triathlon was my original goal for the year so I'm anxious about accomplishing it. Wish me luck!

My First Triathlon

2006-04-29T22:34:00.000-07:00

I DID IT!!!

Today I completed my triathlon that I've been training for since January 6th. There was an official triathlon an hour away, but I was getting frustrated with logistics and hefty fees and decided to just do one by myself. Adam babysat Penny at home and I headed over to the YMCA. It was great! The best part was that I was able to do the distances I wanted and not worry about comparing myself to other athletes. I didn't get a t-shirt, any pictures of myself at the finish line or have anyone giving me water and encouragement along the route but I still feel like a champion. I guess I came in both first and last but I'll concentrate on the first part. Mostly I just surprised myself at how well I did overall even though my training has been non-existent for the past 3 weeks.

I knew when I started that I wanted to swim .5 miles, bike at least 11.5 mi. and run 3 mi. but once I started biking and running, it was really easy to do a bit more. I was mostly worried about the running. I haven't done much of it lately and wasn't sure of myself. I have never really run outside and have never done more than 3 miles, but once I got outside for the running segment, I had a ton of energy and once I finished the 3 miles, decided to do another loop to get 6 mi. My knees and hip joints are killing me right now, but it was totally worth it.

People seem a little disappointed with me for not doing an "official" triathlon, but it's not like it's any easier doing it all alone! Even though I did the bike segment on a stationary bike, I had it set to a really tough level with about 20 hills of varying intensity and was sweating my rear off. I KNOW the biking is easier in a group and most of the official triathlons have relatively flat biking surfaces so this was definitely harder than it would have otherwise been. I have a feeling I could have pushed myself a little harder on the run if I had someone to pace myself to. But I feel a huge sense of accomplishment. I want to do another, but will probably just do another by myself since it's way more convenient and less stressful. Plus, I can keep it flexible if I feel like going farther. My most compelling competition is myself and I push myself incredibly hard so this was the perfect way for me to do it.

Here are the nity gritty details for anyone interested:

I started at 10:09 am at my YMCA

Swim: 900 yards (a little more than 1/2 mile) in 14:38 (in the 25 yard indoor pool - 36 laps)

Transition: I didn't time my transitions, but tried to keep them under a minute. I jumped straight out of the pool, put on shorts, shoes, socks and headphones and got on the bike. I did the whole tri in my swimming suit.

Bike: 15 miles in 44:09 - approx 20 mph (on the upright bike - set to frequent steep hills the whole time. Very tough)

Transition: Grabbed a power bar, hit the street. It turns out I couldn't eat the power bar so I chucked in a trash can around mile 2.

Run: 6 miles in 1:04:24 (outdoors on the sidewalk - ran a 1.5 mi. loop twice. Had really bad cramps from miles 2 through 3 but had committed NOT to walk so I was able to run through it. My run time was a lot slower than I've been doing on the treadmill, but my legs were pretty mushy from the challenging bike and I was able to keep running the whole time so I'm not disappointed. Plus, I was able to double my distance so that made me feel pretty good! So I ran a little over 10 minute miles. Not bad, but I'll do better next time :)

I finished at about 12:15 pm and called Adam to get ready to EAT! I must have burned 1500 calories and we had a big Oreo cookie party when I got home to make up for it.

I'd like to thank:

Shonen Knife and The Crystal Method for giving me a soundtrack to compete to. When I started the run and Get Busy Child came on my mp3 player, I took it to heart and stepped it up a notch.

Adam for taking Penny so I didn't have to worry about the people in childcare getting me out of the pool to change a diaper.

Jared for all his encouraging comments - who also happens to be training for a marathon of his own and is full of good advice.

Everyone who I told to bug me constantly about doing this triathlon until I completed it. You guys kept me on task and reminded me why I wanted to do this in the first place. THANK YOU!

My neighbors who when I went over today to tell them about my finishing, were too exhausted to talk because they had just finished a 16 mile run of their own! Covingtons, you guys inspire me. Maybe I'll try a marathon one of these days as well. For now, thanks for being good examples to me of physical fitness and for all your encouragement.

So that's it. I think I would like to do another triathlon, but don't know when. I'm not sure what will happen to this page. My original goal was to complete an Olympic level tri and I would still like to do that. There is the Los Angeles Triathlon in September that I would like to compete in if I'm able. I'll take a break from tri training for now and just focus on yoga, pilates and weights. Those are the things I really enjoy right now.

Finding my One Rep Maximum

2006-04-26T07:17:00.000-07:00

April 26 -
I read an article the other day saying that most weight lifters are not lifting enough to actually improve their muscles and to find the ideal weight you had to be lifting consistent reps at least 75% the weight of your one rep maximum weight. I had never found my max on any of the machines before so this was enlightening. Some machines I am WAY underlifting, but a lot of the I was doing really well.

Workout:

Weights: I found my max weight on each of the machines to make sure that I'm lifting engough to actually improve. I was very surprised to find how much I could bench press - Here are my results:

Squat:
Was lifting 155
One rep max: 195
75%: 146 (fine)

Calf Extension:
Was lifting: 155
One rep max: 270
75%: 202 (need improvement)

Leg Extension:
Was lifting: 55
One rep max: 60
75%: 45 (fine)

Leg Curl:
Was lifting: 56
One rep max: 75
75%: 56 (fine)

Bench Press:
Was lifting: 65
One rep max: 97
75%: 72 (need improvement)

Fly:
Was lifting: 33
One rep max: 50
75%: 37.5 (need improvement)

Seated Row:
Was lifting: 50
One rep max: 80
75%: 60 (need improvement)

Shoulder Press:
Was lifting: 30
One rep max: 57
75%: 43 (need improvement)

Bicep Curl:
Was lifting: 15
One rep max: 26
75%: 19.5 (need improvement)

Tricep Extension:
Was lifting: 23
One rep max: 28
75%: 21 (fine)

Back Extension:
Was lifting: 115
One rep max: 135
75%: 101 (fine)

Abdominal:
Was crunching: 75
One rep max: 80
75%: 60 (fine)

Lat Pulldown:
Was pulling: 70
One rep max: 95
75%: 71 (need improvement)

Yoga Class: 40 min - I don't like this yoga class. We lie on our backs the whole time and the instructor is very disconnected. I have to remember not to waste any time on this class again.

4/25

2006-04-25T07:59:00.000-07:00

Obviously, I'm taking it easy on the area specific tri training activities, but like I mentioned last week, I'm basically just trying to enjoy working out so it was another light day.

Workout:

Yoga Class: 60 minutes - intense balancing and strength poses. REALLY good class!

4/22/06

2006-04-22T22:49:00.000-07:00

I showed up this saturday with my baby and forgot that childcare closes at noon so I only had 15 minutes to workout. Lame, but my fault as usual.

Workout:

Eliptical: - level 16, VERY intense, 250 calories
Yoga: 10 minutes

4/21/06

2006-04-21T22:48:00.000-07:00

Workout:

Eliptical Machine: 35 minutes - hill level, 450 calories

Weights: Full set, 11 machines, 2 reps each - went easy on the right shoulder

4/6/06

2006-04-06T09:54:00.000-07:00

My new goal is to NOT OVERDO IT! The reason I wanted to do this tri in the first place was to enjoy my workouts more and have more focus at the gym and I ended up totally overdoing it. So I'm back to just trying to enjoy working out. That means I'll end up doing the easier tri on the 29th of this month, but I will also not burn out.

Workout:

Eliptical Machine: 20 minutes- level 14 hill, intense - 300 calories
Circuit Weights: Full set - eased up on the leg press and shoulder press since it's been a few weeks but otherwise I've kept my strength pretty well.

4/5/06

2006-04-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

Workout:

Eliptical: 35 minutes - 500 calories, hill, level 13

4/4/06

2006-04-04T14:36:00.000-07:00

I'm totally out of my routine. I of course have all kinds of excuses why I haven't been the the gym consistently in the past 3 weeks, but they all ring hollow. I'm trying hard not to feel like a total loser but can't seem to get myself back to the gym. It's such a disapointing feeling to get back and see how much progress I've lost. Lame.

--I was able to get to the gym today!

Workout:

Eliptical Machine: 35 Minutes - 500 calories - 2.8 miles - intense

3/30/06

2006-03-30T21:41:00.000-08:00

I was babysitting and being social all day so was planning on running this evening after a 7:30 meeting. The meeting went late, the gym closed at 9. Poor planning. I'll make up for it tomorrow by a really hard run.

3/29/06

2006-03-29T21:38:00.000-08:00

I know I shouldn't be using the Eliptical Machine to train, but it's so easy and burns more calories than anything else so I did it again today. Better than nothing. I'm balking at getting back in the pool again but it needs to be done.

Workout:

Eliptical Machine: 40 minutes, hills, intense, HR sustained at 175. Even got to read the whole issue of Rolling Stone while I was at it.

Yoga/Strech: 10 minutes. My hips got tight in the past two weeks. Need to work them out.

3/28/06

2006-03-28T08:23:00.000-08:00

I wore appropriate footwear today so it's back to running I go. Urgh.

Workout:

Treadmill: 25 minutes, 2.3 miles including warm up and cool down (2 miles in 18 minutes). Manual, 1.0 incline. Max sprint speed 8.5 for last 1/4 mile.

3/27/06

2006-03-27T08:21:00.000-08:00

Whoops! Two weeks of not going to the gym and already my pants are getting tight. Intertia kills me. I went back today but accidentally wore two different running shoes so I had to do something else that wouldn't hurt my feet.

Workout:

Eliptical Machine: 35 minutes, Hill, Level 13 - 600 calories

3/15/06

2006-03-15T11:39:00.000-08:00

It's been almost a week since I ran and boy am I feeling it. I need to take some of Jared's tips for next time so that the 3 mile run doesn't always kick my rear.

Workout:

Treadmill: 3 miles, 29 minutes. This time includes a 3 minute warm up walk and a walking break for 1.5 minutes after 1.5 miles. I ended with a 1/4 mile sprint going 8-9mph. I thought I was going to die.

3/11/06

2006-03-11T11:37:00.000-08:00

I had a wedding to attend this weekend but thanks to a well planned reception, I was able to get a butt-kicking workout in on the dance floor!

Workout:

Dancing like a maniac: Approx 2 hours - medium intense

3/9/06

2006-03-09T11:36:00.000-08:00

Workout:

Upright Stationary Bike: Approx. 35 minutes, level 13, maintained intensity and level. 11.5 miles

3/8/06

2006-03-08T22:29:00.000-08:00

I joined the USAT finally. You have to be a member with them to do most of the races. Also, a guy at the gym is going to lend me Triathlete's Training Bible by Joe Friel. It's supposedly a really good book to help with training. All the tri people I meet keep asking me if I'm reading. I'm not but they all seem to think it's the key to competing well. I'm sure they are right but it's enough just finding time to train without reading about training. But I'll do it.

Workout:

Treadmill: 3 miles in 28:10. Manual, incline of 1.5. Ran 1st two miles at 6.5 mph, slowed to 5.5 for a few minutes to catch my breath and did the last mile ranging from 6-8. I ran the whole time. I remember now that I'm really running why I haven't done it in the past. My asthma is surprisingly bad. Adam said I can have one of his inhalers. I hope that helps because it's like I'm breathing through a coffee straw and I feel like I'm going to die. But it was a good run and I'm very happy with the time. Just a little more improvement needed to get to my 25 minute goal.

3/7/06

2006-03-07T14:07:00.000-08:00

Great day at the gym. I was able to go almost 2 hours thanks to careful planning with Penny. My friend met me at the pool and gave me some tips on how to swim better and some good drills to practice. I even managed to IMPROVE my time by using my legs instead of the opposite. It wasn't drastic, just cutting 1 second off my time, but it's good progress.

Workout:

Swim: 1/2 hour class with Laura analyzing my stroke and drills. 1/2 hour my time. I swam 18 laps in 7:49 minutes. Pretty good compared to the competition at the triathlon. I'll be at the top of the swimming crowd for sure.

Upright Practice Bike: 11 miles, 35:25 minutes level 13-14. I was carrying on a conversation with my trainer the whole time so I wasn't able to fully concentrate on the workout, but it was still a pretty good time I think. I'm going to try and get it under 30 minutes though.

3/6/06

2006-03-06T10:19:00.000-08:00

Good day at the gym. With only 4 weeks to go, I need to get serious about decreasing my run time. I looked at last year's results for running, and I'm definitly one of the slowest. I am going to try and run 3 miles in under 25 minutes which means I need to get going. Today I decreased my time by 4-5 minutes. It's a good start.

Workout:

Treadmill: 29.5 minutes, 3 miles 1-2 incline. Walked at 2 miles for 3 minutes, then tried to run the last mile without stopping, but didn't do very well. Bad cramps the last mile.

Hatha Yoga Class: 30 minutes - I was a little too keyed up from the crazy running to really benefit. Oh well.

3/3/06

2006-03-03T10:23:00.000-08:00

I tried today, I really did - I had company in town and wanted to bring my friend with me to the gym so she could do a class while I worked out. I got there at 4 with my friend and Penny and realized that they didn't open child care for another hour, and I had gotten the time wrong on the class. We had to go back home because there was nothing we could do with my baby.

Drr.

3/2/06

2006-03-02T14:12:00.000-08:00

I ran into a friend at the Y today who gave me a great recommendation on where to buy a bike, offered to lend me her bike rack for race day and is going to meet with me next week in the pool to help me with my swimming problem! I'm very relieved. She used to be a competitive swimmer and was very generous about offering to spend some time with me in the pool helping me get ready. She does the one kick per pull technique that I desperately want to learn so I'm pretty excited. It was a good workout - cut short, as usual, but the fact that I have a crabby baby in childcare. But a good day.

Workout:

Upright Stationary Bike: 35 minutes, 11 miles, hill interval, level 12

Run: 12 minutes with warm up and cool down - mile sprint, 9 minutes. I need to start increasing my running speed!

3/1/06

2006-03-01T22:47:00.000-08:00

Only 28 days till the tri. I am getting nervous for good reason. I still haven't gotten a bike, ran on the road, or done a real transition practice from biking to running. I talked to another tri guy today and he said that was the most important thing as the bike/run transition is what kicks most people's rears. I'll start looking for a cheap bike tomorrow.

Workout:

Treadmill: 40 minutes - ran 3 miles in 33 minutes - constant 1.5 incline - level 12
Weights: 8 machines - no shoulder or calf extensions (time constriction - had to cut out a few)

1/28/06

2006-02-28T13:46:00.000-08:00

Totally strange day. I got back in the pool today after a bit of a break from the water. I bought a new waterproof watch with a timer so I thought I'd time my laps. Here are the weird results:
25 meters Kicking only: 40 seconds
25 meters Arms only: 23 seconds
25 meters arms and legs: 27 seconds.

So my legs are slowing my down! I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but it's got to be something major. I'm going to talk to the swim lesson lady at the Y and maybe get one or two personal lessons so that she can help me use my legs to cut down on time instead of increase it.

Workout:

Swim: 1/2 mile, 30 minutes, drills, timing
Yoga Class: Kundalini - 60 minutes - awesome! I really needed a good mind makeover. I was able to do some stomach exercises that I've never been able to before. Mind over matter.

2/27/06

2006-02-27T20:44:00.000-08:00

I did another great yoga class today. There is an intermediate class that I should take though since this one was pretty easy for me.

Workout:

Yoga Class: 60 minutes - floor stretches
Circut Weights: 9 machines - easy on the shouler and insole.

Rest Day

2006-02-26T19:49:00.000-08:00

Sundays are my Rest Days. Judging from the way my workouts have been going in the past few weeks, I'm in major need of some encouragment. I was getting bored of the bike/swim/run workout every single day and am starting to put some fun yoga, pilates and strength classes in. I just have to try and not do ONLY classes even though they are so much more enjoyable. I love lifting weights probably because of the instant gratification of seeing results. But the tri is at the end of March and I have to make sure that my running and biking are under control. It's nice not to have the pressure to win, but I certainly want to make it across the finish line.

My body is feeling great. I have good muscle definition and am limber and I've ever been. So it's all good even if I can't get 6 days in every week. I'll be fine.

2/25

2006-02-25T19:45:00.000-08:00

Workout:

Total Fitness Class: 60 minutes - free weights, ab work, lunges, arms
I had never tried this class before but it was pretty intense. I was surprised at how much work my abs need compared to a lot of the other women in the class. My arms are pretty strong because of all the weights I've been lifting but I realized today that I need to spend a little more time on my core.

2/24

2006-02-24T19:48:00.000-08:00

Workout:

Full set of Circuit Weights: 12 machines, 2 reps. Still feeling a little pain/crunchyness in my shoulder but am trying to be more moderate in my maximum weights. It's hard to not lift the max but I don't want to kill myself :(

2/21

2006-02-21T19:41:00.000-08:00

Workout:

Circut Weights: Full set, 2 reps. I have overloaded my shoulder and am going to have to lay off a few of the arm machines for a week or so. Plus I've strained my insole on the calf extension. Why do I always have to push everything past its resonable limit?

2/20

2006-02-20T19:40:00.000-08:00

Workout:

Yoga class: 60 min. Gentle but strenuous. This is why I like yoga. You always go to your maximum no matter how "easy" the position is. I'm going to try and change up my workout a little bit so I don't get too sick of working out.

2/16/06

2006-02-16T08:56:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to take it easy at the gym. My old theory was do bike, swim, run and weights each 3x a week but I can't maintain that with Penny and my schedule so now I'm trying something more realistic like each area twice a week. We'll see. I don't want to keep missing days!

Workout:

Treadmill: 40min, 3 miles, walked at 20 min for 3 minutes. I lost a lot of momentum here but hope to gain it back quickly.

2/15

2006-02-15T08:55:00.000-08:00

Workout:

Recumbant Bike: 45 minutes, 16.5 miles, level 12, hill (moderate intense)
Full Circuit weights: Had to ease off the back extension - maybe taking on too much weight.

2/13/06

2006-02-13T11:15:00.000-08:00

I got back into running for real today. I think I may be overdoing it with weights. I can lift a lot, but I don't know if I should be. It's really hard for me to restrain myself if I know I could be doing more. We have been watching the Olympics and I'm hoping that will get me fully out of my slump of last week. Plus, we don't have company for a full 4 days so maybe I can get some good workouts in!!

Workout:
Treadmill: 40 min, level 12, hill interval, medium intense, high 7.0, low, 3.5mph. Total dist: 3.2 mi. Legs seemed to hold up well.

Weights: Full set of circut weights. Had to take weight off the back extension. Was at 120 lb. but feel this may be too much of a strain.

Rest Day

2006-02-12T10:10:00.000-08:00

Not that I deserve a rest day after my spotty workouts last week, but we still have company and I wouldn't feel good about going to the gym on a Sunday anyway.

My foot is good after my short run yesterday. I'm going to try and get back up to speed this week on my running and hope that my foot will hold up. And biking, that shouldn't be a problem either. I've got the swimming down, but unfourt, it's the shortest part of the competition by far so it doesn't really make a difference.

2/11/06

2006-02-11T10:08:00.000-08:00

Good workout today. We had company so they were able to keep PJ at home while I went to the gym. It's nice not to have to worry about the childcare people interupting me. I am really trying hard to avoid the burnout that crept up on me last week. Hopefully this coming week after our endless company parade is over, I'll be able to really dig back in. I'm getting a little nervous about the upcoming Tri. End of March doesnt seem so far away anymore.

Workout:

Treadmill: 1.1 mile, 12 min
Weights: Full set, double reps, increased most machines

Is Burnout One or Two Words?

2006-02-10T18:11:00.000-08:00

I'm totally off the horse. We had more company arrive today. Can I blame it on them? I have intentions of getting back to the gym ASAP!

1/7/06

2006-02-07T18:51:00.000-08:00

Back on the bandwagon. I had a great morning, ate a yummy breakfast, Penny didn't nap, so we had tons of time at the gym. I even got to finish my workout without the childcare people coming to get me because of crabby baby.

Workout:
Swimming: 2,000 yards, drills, 45 min., arm stroke down to 12.5! (I shared a lane with an awesome swimmer and got to check out her technique the whole time. It was really helpful)
Weights: Full set except for biceps. 30min.

2/6/06

2006-02-06T18:49:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay, somebody kick my butt because I didn't work out again today. So lame. Penny slept for about 3 hours this morning and then until 5pm this evening so honestly, there wasn't time for me to go to the gym. I guess I could have done yoga or pilates at home, but I didn't know she was going to sleep that long so I didn't plan it. Sorry, commitment. I have failed you today.

Rest Day

2006-02-05T19:12:00.000-08:00

A day of food, family, friends, and feeling my gut ache from a really really good workout yesterday. I need to get a bike. I need to get a bike. I need to get a bike.

2/4/06

2006-02-04T19:09:00.000-08:00

Great switch up today. I went to the gym and just did a hard core pilates class. I should be feeling that tomorrow. The instructor had really good energy and I realized that I haven't been working my core much in all this training.

Workout:
Yoga/Pilates: Class - 50 minutes

2/3/06

2006-02-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

Our company is here for a few days. Luckily, my cousin was interested in doing a yoga class at the Y so I did my weights while she did the class. It was a short, but sweet workout. I'm going to take her advice (long time runner) and give my ankle a little more time to heal before starting running. I can still swim fine though.

Workout:
Weights: Circut, full set, started calf extension as well. (apprx. 17K lb total)

2/2/06

2006-02-02T20:18:00.000-08:00

I didn't work out today. I should have, but just didn't even feel like getting out of my pjs all day. So lame. I had no excuse. Running and biking today just sounded unpleasant so I sat around my house playing with my kid all day. Hopefully I'm not going to do this often although I've got to say, it was a pretty nice day. I also missed an introduction meeting with the Pasadena Triathlon Club tonight. They only do it once a month and I went to dinner with Adam instead. I'll be kicking myself about that one. Hindsight...

2/1/06

2006-02-01T14:50:00.000-08:00

Got back in the pool today finally. My foot didn't seem at all affected so it went well other than the fact that I didn't quite get to do my full 2100m routine. Did a really fast weight session that has left me a little shakey, but I wanted to get as many machines done before childcare closed for the afternoon. Good workout. I need to drink beforehand though so I don't get shakey.

Workout:
Swim: 1750 yards, 30 minutes, drills (warm up, breathing, arms only/legs only, 12 lap sprints, 2 lap sprints, cool down)
Circut Weights: All machines except triceps, biceps and back extension, 25 minutes)

source photos

2006-01-31T12:26:00.000-08:00

1/31/06

2006-01-31T08:23:00.000-08:00

I started running again today. I was able to go for about 30 minutes before my foot started thinking about hurting, so I stopped there but I'm still satisfied with the workout. It's hard to get back into it even after such a short break! We'll have company in town for the rest of the week, but I'm going to try and keep up my schedule.

Workout:
Treadmill: 30 minutes, hill interval, level 12, avg. 5.1 mph, total dist: 2.3 miles. Walked at begining and end.

1/30/06

2006-01-30T08:35:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure whether or not to work out today. Maybe I'll just go in and do weights. I want to make sure I'm not going to make my ankle worse and I can tell it's not 100% yet. So frustrating! The spirit is oh so willing but the body is weak.

---

Okay, so I went to the gym and just did weights then took a short swim with my 1 year old in the pool. I think I'll be ready tomorrow for slowly getting back to running.

Workout:
Circut weights: full set

Rest Day

2006-01-29T08:33:00.000-08:00

Thank goodness for my weekly rest day! I just hope my ankle tendon gets feeling better by tomorrow so I can start working out again. I think I can attribute some of my lousy feeling to the fact that I've been eating very poorly all week. I'll try and make a fresh start on Monday.

1/28/06

2006-01-28T18:37:00.000-08:00

Lamest Day EVER!! I noticed yesterday that the tendon up the back of my calf was a little sore, but today when I went to the gym, it was really acting up (clicking, really painful) so I decided I couldn't run or bike today or I would aggravate it. I went to the pool, but of course they were doing lessons and by the time lanes would open for lappers, the Daycare was closed. So I checked out the pilates class but it was all full. It was really tough for me to even get to the gym today and so that just made everything that much worse. I'm in a pretty sour mood. Hopefully by Monday, my leg will be feeling better so I can get back to running/swimming. Even walking right now is painful.

Workout:
Run: 30 seconds! Leg hurt too much!

1/27/06

2006-01-27T12:20:00.000-08:00

Had a normal, good workout today. Tried the transition from bike to running and couldn't really handle going full speed straight off the bike. I'll keep practicing it. I guess you need to start out slower running and then work up to your running speed eventually. I'm making great progress with weights and Adam is starting to notice how buff I'm getting.

Workout:
Weights: Full set of circut weights
Recumbant Bike: 40 minutes, 14.5 miles, hill interval, level 12, moderately intense
Yoga/stretch: 5 minutes

1/26/06

2006-01-26T12:43:00.000-08:00

Another workout that ended prematurely due to Penelope giving the childcare a hard time. I don't know what do to about her. I really wanted to lift weights today but had to skip it. But my swimming went really well and I am satisfied that I still got a good workout today.

Of course, any good that I did working out today was undone by the cupcake eating contest I had last night. At least I won!

Workout:
Swimming: 2100 meters, Intense, drills. 45 min

1/25/06

2006-01-25T09:33:00.000-08:00

Great run today. I would have gone farther, but after 45 minutes, the childcare lady came and said Penny throwing a fit so I had to go. But I'm really encouraged about meeting my goal of running an 8K in the next few weeks. The key is just to maintain a reasonable pace. And having a copy of US Weekly to look at! It's amazing how reading about fashion do's and don'ts make the running hardly noticable!

Workout:
Treadmill: 45 minutes, 3.7 miles, hill interval, level 12 - no walking. Pace 5.0 constant.

1/24/06

2006-01-24T10:26:00.000-08:00

My workout wasn't a breeze today, but it didn't kick my rear either. It took 2 hours and the childcare lady was all huffy when I picked up Penny, but that was just as fast as I could go. I am making progress with weights, but am really starting to feel the need to get a real bike and practice on the road. My running is making infintesimal progress.

GOOD NEWS! I went shopping for new pants yesterday since all of mine are now too big and I am now in a size that I have never even shopped for! I haven't worn this pants size since I was 12! That's a big confidence boost :)

Workout:
Upright Bike: 35 minutes, speed training, level 8, dist: 8-9mi?
Treadmill: 33:45 minutes, 3 miles, walked twice. Max speed 7mph. Need to figure out my pace and keep it even.
Yoga/Stretch: 10 minutes
Circut Weights: Full set - making good progress on increasing weights on all machines.

1/23/06

2006-01-23T12:38:00.000-08:00

I did my first real "routine" in the pool today and swam longer than I have yet. I got a routine from an internet site and tried it out - it went relly well! Then I was pretty exhaused so I was only able to get 1 mile in for running but it's better than nothing. I am going to try and do one long swim, run and bike each week.

Workout:
Swim: 2100 meters, drills, 55 minutes - medium intense. Need much more stroke practice
Treadmill: 12 minutes, 1 mile, manual setting incline 1.o - run/walk
Yoga/Stretch: 15 minutes

Rest Day

2006-01-22T14:20:00.000-08:00

I really needed this break today! I spent a lot of time last night and this morning reading up on more training methods and am very encouraged. I need to have a more structured workout so I don't get lazy and forget to push myself. The most useful website I've found so far is hulaman.com. He's just some guy who loves tris and gives very specific training advice and day of race advice.
I'm having a hard time trying to decide whether or not to do a Sunday tri. Typically, I don't do anything other than church-related activities on Sundays but almost every tri is held on Sunday. The only LA area tri on a Saturday is very very easy and later in the summer. I wouldn't have to stretch myself at all to prepare for it. So I don't know what the right thing for me to do is. The other option is to travel to St. George, UT for a Saturday tri - but it looks like it may be too difficult for me to prepare for in time. I guess I should probably just do that one though. Our friend will be competiting in it and it would be good to see him.
I'll keep looking for local Saturday tris. And I need to get my workout routine figured out to maximize my benefits.

1/21/06

2006-01-21T17:32:00.000-08:00

I was AWESOME at the gym today! I biked first then went straight to the treadmill and I was able to do both in record time. But now it's 5:30pm and I feel really tired and ready to drop. So I probably pushed it too hard today, but it was good to see what I can do if I set my mind to it. I am really excited about my running. It must be the new shoes :)

Workout:
Recumbant Bike: 32 minutes, 11.5 miles, level 13, medium intense Hill interval
Treadmill: 35 minutes, 3.04 mi. No walking! Hill interval, level 12
Yoga/Stretch: 10 min.
Circut weights: 1/2 hour

1/20

2006-01-20T15:17:00.000-08:00

I got a new swimsuit and running shoes today. I didn't have as much time as I wanted at the gym because childcare closed at 2, but I got a really satisfying workout in the pool. I'm still short a swim cap, but I'll find a good one eventually I guess. That's not too pressing. I talked to another guy who does tris today and he said that the hardest part is getting off the bike and starting to run so I'm going to change my workouts to doing bike/run on the same day and do bike first, then run so I'm prepared for the hardest transition of the tri.

Workout:
Swim: 35 min. Swam 250 yards in 8.5 minutes. That's a pretty good time for me. Then did 10 minutes of working on stroke efficiency. My best was 13.5 strokes across. Then I did another 10 minutes of continuous laps.

1/19

2006-01-19T09:54:00.000-08:00

Big breakthrough on running today! I only stopped to walk once. The change was I just found a comfortable running pace and maintained it through both the hills and the intervals. I'm very excited about that. Once again, however, I have planned poorly and after running I went to the pool only to find it filled with water aerobics people. Someday I'll figure out that places schedule! Instead I put in 1/2 hour on the bike. Horray for inconsistency!

Workout:
Treadmill: 30 minutes, level 12, interval, 2.4 miles (only walked once!) Felt good!
Recumbant Bike: 32 minutes, level 13, then 10 at the end, 11.5 mi. Still difficult but I can do it alright.

One Week Mark

2006-01-18T10:26:00.000-08:00

My biggest obstacle in this whole thing is poor planning. I went to the Y today to bike and swim and of course, I left my swim suit and towel sitting on my table at home. All the treadmills were being used so I just did a longer session on the bike, and then a bit of yoga. I swear - my head isn't in this like my legs are. But I feel like I'm making progress. Small, but I still have a little over 2 months till my fist tri. I still need to get a bike. I'm going to try and join the Pasadena Triathlon Club. The YMCA guy said that you can pay their small membership fee and get 20% off savings a lot of bike stores/athletic supply stores so it should be financially worth it. I'm going to check it out today.

Workout:
Recumbent Bike: 40 minutes, level 13, 14.4 miles -H.R. avg: 168 - Max: 183
32 minutes to go 11.5 miles (tri distance)
Stretch/yoga: 10 minutes

1/17/06

2006-01-17T18:19:00.000-08:00

I always have trouble getting the schedule of the YMCA down. They seem so arbitrary when they do and don't provide childcare. Today I showed up at 3:15 (already running a little late) and they said that childcare didn't open until 4pm. So I had to blow an hour roaming around town with my already-crabby kid. The hardest part about training is going to be making my daughter accomodate all the time I'm now spending at the gym. I feel like a bad mom. I didn' t get my workout done until 5:30 and that was really pushing it for my 1 year old. Anyways, I feel like I'm making small progress on running, but it's encouraging to be making progress at all.

Workout:
Treadmill: 30 minutes, hill interval, level 12. Ran hills, walked intervals. Went 2.4 mi.
Weights: Full circut except for (time crunch today) biceps and whatever the ones on the back of my arms are called. I'm adding weight on each machine each time I come in. I should make quick progress on weights. I hope this helps my three areas.

1/16/06

2006-01-16T11:33:00.000-08:00

Today was really hard. I don't know why, but I just didn't have the fuel to feel like I had a good workout. But maybe it's the hard that makes it good. Before I started training for this tri, I would go to the pool about three times a week and swim my 70 laps (1 mile) with relative ease in about 35 minutes. Now that I'm focusing on breathing less, and making my arm and leg strokes more powerful, I can barely do 2 consecutive laps without having to take a break. I can only hope I will see some progress soon.

Workout:
Recumbant Stationary Bike: 25 minutes, hill interval, medium hard, level 12
Swim: Didn't count laps. 10 minutes of stroke counting. 10 minutes of only arms and only legs laps, and 10 minutes of normal laps. Medium hard intensity.

Rest Day

2006-01-15T08:56:00.000-08:00

I'm going to have Sundays be my days off. Hopefully this will be my only day off. I want to do swimming and biking on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and running and weights on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. I know I should spend more time on running since it's the weak point, but I just can't stand the thought of running every day. Suggestions? Maybe I'll run instead of bike on Mondays.
Also, maybe I shouldn't do as many weights but I can't help think it will help me in stuff like swimming where it really takes a lot of muscle to stroke effectively. Maybe I'll tone it down after I feel like I've got my stroke under control.

1/14/06

2006-01-14T16:38:00.000-08:00

I got a call from the guy at the YMCA yesterday. He gave me lots of good information about other local tris and suggestions for training clubs, where to find gear, training book recommendations and everything else. It is all still pretty overwhelming but I'm still positive about it. It's so fun to have a goal that is actually tough to reach so I can relish each and every accomplishment and know that nothing but determination and sweat got me there.

Workout:
Running: 30 minutes - hill interval. I walk between the tough hill runs. This is very difficult still. I went about 2.3 miles in the 30 minutes. Need major improvement.
Weights: Full set of circut training. 12 sets, 2 reps.

1/13/06

2006-01-13T14:03:00.000-08:00

I am pretty sore from doing weights yesterday. I've been pretty good about stretching though and I think that has made my sudden increase in activity less painful. I am feeling really motivated to do this. Response from Adam, family and friends has been very positive. I feel a little guilty spending 7 hours a week working out since it seems like there are many better things I could be doing with my time but I'll just have to get over that.

Workout:
Stationary bike: 25 minutes, hill intervals: med-high intensity
Swim: Practiced decreasing the amount of strokes to get across the pool. My normal stroke took 20 strokes to get across. After focusing on really maximizing my arm strokes and kicks, I got down to 14 today. If that's as much progress that I can make in only one day, I am very optimistic to improve much more by race day. Swam 25 yrds followed by 30 sec. rest. Didn't count laps, just arm strokes.

1/12/06

2006-01-12T13:59:00.000-08:00

I told friends and family about my intentions and hopefully that will motivate me to follow through. I am a little intimidated by the amount of equipment I'll need to actually compete (wet suit, road bike). I don't know how much money is worth spending on this whole random resolution. Plus, each event has an entry fee ranging from $85 to $185. I hope this is the right place for me to be investing my time and money at this point. They say you should be training about 7 hours a week. I can do Monday through Friday, but I'll have to modify my Saturdays a bit to get extra time in.

Workout:
Run: 30 min: interval - high intensity
Circuit weights: 40 min.

The Beginning

2006-01-11T13:51:00.000-08:00

I decided to compete in a triathlon today. I didn't know where to start with training or even where/when events would be though. I spoke with some employees at the YMCA and they said one of their employees does tri's all the time. I left my number for him to call me. Maybe he can help me train and get ideas for events to enter.
I also looked around on the internet for local events and training ideas. There is an easy one in March and an Olympic style one in July. Hopefully I'll do both of these.

Workout:
Swim: 25 yrds x 20 breaststroke
Eliptical: 30 minutes - 170 heart rate