Thursday, June 23, 2011

Couch to 100 miles in 3 months


I can not believe that a mere 3 months ago I was just an average gym attendee doing basically the minimum that would make me feel as though I was doing "something".  When I started training for my first sprint triathlon, that all changed.  I started running on March 27th, 2010 and today, June 23rd, 2011 I have completed 102 miles total in running alone.  The picture above was taken right after my three mile jog with my marathoner friend.  It was a rough one this morning and I wanted to stop, but I made the choice to keep picking up my feet.  A big thanks to Marissa who helped to keep me going. 

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Three More Weeks

Thanks to two wonderful ladies, this morning I ran the farthest and longest I have ever run! I ran for a total of 64 minutes! I’m guessing it was about 5.5 miles (perhaps a little less). Although this wasn’t my first time running with others, this was my first time to talk and run. It was so enjoyable to have the distraction of talking / listening while running. It kept my mind preoccupied so that I wasn’t able to focus on, “I can’t do this. I’m tired. I want to stop.”

I woke up this morning quite nervous about the run. I thought that their pace might be too fast for me, I wouldn’t be able to go the distance, my breathing would be off, etc. Surprisingly, however, just the opposite was true. Their pace was quite nice, I was able to nearly double the distance I am use to, and my breathing was so spot on that I was able to join in on the conversation!

On top of the high from running, I biked for 80 minutes, and then saw a number on the scale that I hadn’t seen in about 10 years! Last Saturday I was feeling a little discouraged since there was a gain of a pound (I blame it on the previous night’s long “happy hour”). This week’s 3.5 pound loss, however, more than made up for it!

Three weeks from today and I’ll be in my gear swimming, biking, and running in my first ever sprint triathlon! I can’t wait to cross that finish line and call myself a “triathlete”!
Biking around Isla Mujeres in April 2011.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Triathlon Training

That’s it. I’m addicted. I’m addicted to the excitement, the high, the people, the joy, the thrill, the unknown, etc. What is it that I’m addicted to? It’s the world of triathlons. Have I completed my first triathlon yet? No. But the moment I cross that finish line on July 9th, 2011 I know that I will be a full-blown addicted triathlete.
I have toyed with the idea of completing a triathlon ever since winter / spring 2010 when I found out that some of my friends had successfully completed triathlons of their own. I thought, “I could do that!” I didn’t get the motivation to start training, however, until March 27th, 2011 when all of the sudden I asked myself, “What are you doing? What are you waiting for?” That same day I joined beginnertraithlete.com, found a training plan, and headed out for my first training run.
To start I was only able to run for about 8 minutes before feeling as though I was going to die. Yesterday, however, 10 weeks into my training I ran for 34 minutes straight for a total of 3.26 miles. The wonderful part of it all is this was completed after my 45 minute swim training. During the run I felt calm, comfortable, and in control. Three months ago I never thought this was possible.
Websites I now regularly check include runnersworld.com, traithletecompetitor.com, and of course beginnertriathlete.com. I read articles, join forums, and watch videos all related to the triathlon world. I’ve learned so much, but know I still have so much more to learn.
One of the things I enjoy about the sport of triathlons is that there are three different events involved; swimming, biking, and running. This allows me to mix it up throughout the week so that I do not get bored doing the same thing day in and day out. Someone once asked me which event I enjoyed the most and my response was, “It’s hard to say because each event has its pros and cons. I like them all.”
running

biking

swimming
I am so excited and nervous about my upcoming Triathlon (exactly one month away), so much so that my dreams have been taken over by triathlons. Last night I dreamt mostly about the open water swim portion. I dreamt that the swim course was a straight out and back. I did not have a wetsuit, but still found myself quite calm and smooth in the water. The swim went very smoothly and so did transition 1. This was all that I remembered.
I feel more confident in my body than I have in a very long time. I have my training to thank for that. With running, biking, and swimming I do not have a choice about eating healthy or not. Whatever I put in my body is how my workouts are fueled. A year and a half ago I was out of shape, obese, and not very happy in my own skin. Today I have shed 43 pounds, am starting to see some definition, and am feeling quite confident. I look forward to seeing where else my triathlon journey takes me.