clipless baby

so today i asked hubby to put my clipless pedals back on and i went around the block a few times and i practiced getting in and out and i did it. sooooo happy, looking forward to my first ride (probably monday am) with them on. wahoooooooo

after googling clipless pedals i found this and i love it. isn't this family GREAT !!!!

Goals

After my 9 mile run in the heat where I nearly cried, I was feeling real down about my racing. I had written an email to ironlady explaining that, as well as explaining my wondering mind during the recent DU I did.

I saw her and she had some advice for me. She said first I need to set some goals for a race BUT I also need to set some goals for my training. I thought that was really smart. As a lot of my training is go out and run 3 miles, go out and bike 10 miles. I do intervals when I am with her but that is about it.

Now I am thinking I need a more structured REAL training plan for my sprint tris. Anyone have a training plan of a sprint tri, it would not be a beginner plan but more of an intermediate plan.

taking a race number

There is a big race a bit south of me, every memorial day weekend, it gets 10k runners, it is a 5 mile run in a beautiful NJ shore town. We forgot to sign up this year and won't be running. What happens a bunch with this race is folks get a number way back in Feb, then maybe they realize they can't run (for any number of reasons) so there are folks like me who didn't get a number and would take someone's number and run under their name.

I don't like this, i want to run under my name so i don't do it. would you ?

swimsuit wash

What do you wash your swimsuit in ?

Do you use any special hair care of skin care b/c of being in the pool a lot ??

planks

i hate planks.

they are hard.

i try to hold for 1 minute.

it is hard.

talk to me about planks, what do you do, what can you do, what do you try to do.

to talk or not to talk

This am I arranged to meet up with someone from my tri group to bike before the group run. I had never meet the woman. We meet up and started biking. I use to hate running with other folks b/c I didn't like to talk and run. However, I enjoy it now. It makes the run go faster. But biking. Biking is just too hard, when we slowed down we wound up talking and then i felt like we were on a sunday beach cruise as opposed to a workout. I really think I will pass on any future bikes one on one, at least in a group it is more about just keeping up with the first person. Plus I really want to figure out this biking thing and get better at it. Learn how to shift better, focus on speed more etc. I wound up buying the cadence computer - a wireless one for 100 bucks. I need the hubby to put it on and then I can work on cadence as well.

The run with the group was good, all different levels of folks, love watching the folks who aren't runners get out there and do it. very inspiring.

We had 3 showings today, house went on market today, just to add to the normal stress of daily life. fun fun fun.

Tomorrow the plan is a spin class.

cadence

Today the bike is in the shop for a tune up. I have some old computer thingy on my bike that tells me how fast i am going as well as how far. but it does not have cadence on it. Iron lady was talking about cadence while we rode and said we should be in btw certain numbers. I asked about getting a cadence computer on my bike and it would be 100 bucks....yikes, the tune up itself is 100 bucks so forget that. this tri stuff gets expensive.

do you have a cadence computer ? do you love it ? need it ?

emotional eating

i eat when stressed and i am stressed. tonight i had a friendly's butterfinger sundae and it was effing good, but i came home and found out it is about 800 calories. holy mother of god, that can not be good. I am really having a hard time with trying to get this eating under control. I have done WW in the past and I really liked how you had to track your points. I do not want to do it again b/c I believe that it is just that - you track your points, lose the weight and then you stop tracking and gain the weight. But I would like to start tracking my calories and at least feel accountable for the sweets and what they are doing.

My Du report and how the mind works

So I did the Du and I am happy that I did it. It was run 2 miles, bike 9.5 and run 3 miles. I was hoping to do it in less than 1:30 and I did it in 1:27. I was under 10 minute miles for both runs. My bike was about 38 (for some reason some splits are not up yet) i am taking this from my garmin which has some transition time in there.

The bike was interesting since I really have not been on my bike outside (did not use my clipless). I found that I was very distracted and still do not know how to shift properly and that takes a bunch of time away. I was in the zone once or twice and that is when I would fly but other wise I felt like I was distracted and not riding that well.

The other thing is that I am always battling my mind. My mind is saying ugghh too fast, slow done. I had my garmin and was able to check my pace. this was good b/c i could see i was under 10 minute miles BUT sometimes on the run i would see 8.30 minute miles and that made me slow down. So my mind is saying ughh too fast, you are going to die and puke, save yourself some energy. Then my mind will look around and see all the folks around me and I wonder how are they faster than me ??? How come that 50 year old is running faster than me ??? WTF do i work out for, I am not getting better. blah blah blah.

I was happy with how I did while I was doing it BUT the minute I am done I feel like I could have pushed harder and I get mad at myself b/c I see all the folks ahead of me when the times come out.

So here are my questions

How do you keep your mind in check ? how do you stay positive ? and how do you PUSH yourself ??? this is really important to me, I feel like I am too conservative and not sure how to cure this problem ? How do you get over that the minute you finish you start comparing your times to others ???

and lastly, when training for a sprint tri what are you doing with your days ? run twice a week, bike twice a week, swim twice a week, one day of strength ??? please share

run bike run

Today I did my first DU. It was fun, I felt good, but I have to say I need to get my head straight. I swear I need some lessons in getting my mind in the game, as well as am I really pushing myself enough.

I will expand on those topics next time...for now i am resting.

sports moments/memories

what sports moments in your own life or watching something else, tv or friend, family made you get out there and just do it ?

I clearly remember watching julie moss stumble, crawl, claw her way across the finish line of the ironman. This image sticks with me every day of my life. I just thought what guts, courage and determination can one person have.

I recall Mary Decker Tabb and her running, as well as the Zola Budd barefoot incident.

I remember watching the USA Olympic Hockey Team beat Russia when I was only 12 years old. My Dad and I cheering in amazement.

As for my own, I did the 800 meters after much coaxing from my coach (in high school) I was a sprinter and really the 400 was too much for me, never mind twice around the track. But I did it and came in first in my heat and did a really good time.

What are some of your inspirational moments ?

breaking my nightly sweets problem

every night i have to have a snack. EVERY NIGHT. Right after dinner I am already craving it. Tonight I had a chipwich right after dinner. Later while watching tv I needed something else. Did my stomach need it ? or my hands ? I have no idea. I just know that I can NOT stop this habit. So I had a small peanut butter cup and a small bowl of popcorn.

I am eating well through out the day. NO sweets and I am having fulfilling meals and healthy snacks. I really would like to feel like I had some control over this snacking problem.

I know biggest loser mentions the gum trick. Have a piece of gum and you quench the sweet craving. I hate gum, there is something about it that annoys me and makes me feel like I am ruining my teeth. Plus I tried some sugarless crap and it was gross and left a bad aftertaste in my mouth.

I am starting to think that maybe I should get watermelon jolly ranchers. I love that flavor and maybe if I take 1 or 2 and suck on that it will quench my sweet desire ???

Any other tricks you got out there ???

overbooking my training plans

Last summer when I started training for my first sprint tri I joined a wonderful group of ladies. That was my only training, working out with them on weekends (bricks and ocean swims) and then I would work out during the week at the gym. It went very well.

This winter I started training with ironlady at my gym, and that has been working out nicely.

Now, the group from last summer is starting their bike rides and training. I am not sure what I should be doing. Do I stay with ironlady ? move back to the group ? My personality is that I want to do ALL the workouts with both folks b/c I don't want to miss anything. CRAZY i know. Add that this summer hubby needs to be training too and I need a few more hours in the day.

Do you think you could eat too many tomatoes ? I love them. I love them in my salad, I love them roasted, i love them cooked in the skillet with pasta. I swear I am thinking of starting to eat them as a snack !!!!

bike talk

So today I continue my sloth like behavior. Yes, yesterday I accomplished a ton b/c my folks came and I was able to organize and declutter more. But as for working out. zilcho. ironlady was out of town and sent us a workout but i had zero incentive to go and do it on my own. This am hubby ran a 5 mile race, I choose not to as someone has to watch the kids and i ran last weekend.

I finally took my bike into the shop and was going to get a tune up. They are booked till next week ??? So I talked with the bike show owner and explained that I wanted my pedals loosened for the clip ons, which he kindly did for me, then I said something of how bad I am about filling my tires with air after each ride, so he filled my tires up. So I have a bike that I can start riding and practicing getting in and out of the clips. But there is a duathlon this weekend that I would like to do and i think i really need to have teh cages on the bike again as I am pretty sure I won't be confident enough to race in the clips after just a week (that is if i even get to practice). I found it quite humorous how i interact with the bike guy. I don't use proper terms and i sound so green, i wonder if that bothers them ? I feel ok on the bike and I actually did quite well on it last season in my tris (time wise it was my best portion) but i do not feel like a biker - ever. what about you do you feel like a biker ? if so why or why not ?

Also, hubby kicked ass in the 5 mile race today. He has been cross training but really he has not been running hard...and yet he did sub 7min/miles. He just has it, and that is hard for me. I get jealous of how easy it seems to come to him. He did mention he believes he is 10 lbs lighter and says that makes him faster. I am wondering if I lost 10 lbs it would help ??? I have such a hard time NOT eating sweets I just can't even think about it. I think I feel super deflated after such a bad run last weekend. Is my training worth it ? can I really get better/faster than I am ?

Happy Mother's Day

I hope you have a wonderful, relaxing Mom's Day, take some time for you...no errands, no workout, nothing productive, just reflect and relax and breath, smell the roses.

just once this week

i have only worked out once this week. tuesday a boot camp and that is it.

tomorrow tri class to get me back in the mode

one bad day

this was one of the worst days ever.

weak ankles

i have poor balance. yes my core needs help but i also believe that my ankles need work. i swear when i do a balance/exercise move where you hold a weight (or not) and stand on one leg and touch the weight down while one leg goes up. my ankles burn.

what about you ??

race report

I went to bed early and finally feel asleep. Woke up at about 5.30am, had my oatmeal and fruit and took my time getting ready, left the house around 7am and drove towards the race. They were having shuttles from a parking lot but I figured I was so early that I was going to try and get close and I scored. However, I think I got there too early and by the time I ran I was hungry. I got there around 7.30ish and the race went off at 9.

So I went and looked around, drank some water, went pee. Then I went back to the car checked my phone, txted the hubby, drank more water. Left the car, went pee again and walked around again. YES i went BACK to the car one mo time (i forget why at this point).

I then waited on a very long potty line, I didn't have to go but by the time i made it to the potty I did. Then ran over to start line and got in the mix. There were 10,000 runners and 2 start waves. I hung in the back and didn't pass the start line till 9.09am. It was hot but the start was along the ocean so you had some breeze. Mile 1 was ok, moved in and out of the crowd, as soon as we turned away from the ocean the heat hit me, and I started thinking bout water right away. My first mile was 10.02, i looked at my garmin a few times and saw 9.30 and told myself to slow down b/c i had 9 miles to do. Mile 2 was ok, as well still felt the heat and felt I was pushing to hard. I stopped at every water station and drank water, i did not drink the gatorade they had but i think i should have. Mile 2 was 10 as well, mile 3 went to 10.20, mile 4 went to 11 and so it went. The heat was unbearable and I had to walk, I stopped at the water stops and walked but i was stopping at many other points. I have never walked in races.

Hubby said if he came it would be for mile 5, so i tried to keep running then, of course i didn't see him and that played some mind games, he said he was there and he didn't see me ??? which sucks b/c i could have used his help. mile 7 was the worse....13 minutes it took me !! I was seriously thinking i was going to walk the rest of the way. finally saw mile 9, of course i had that stupid problem i do where i think when i see 9 miles i have to run one more mile to get to 9 but really i just did 9 ?? does this happen to you ? it sucks. saw the transition area and the volunteers were super helpful. they had walkie talkies and started announcing our bib number so they could call out to my team mate. She ran out and we high fived and i told her to kick butt.

Then i went searching for food and there was nothing ??? i can't recall i race i have been to that did have bagels spread out ?? They gave us a banana and granola bar ??? wtf. I then went to my car and got out of town, the rest of the day was not good, i was worthless.

Overall I am proud that I did it, as most folks did not fare well with the heat. I am disappointed in my time and how i felt, my mind was getting be beaten, hated it. But I need to chuck it up to the fact that I did 9 miles in the heat.

I got a great Tshirt and a great hat.....

results

I am a huge analyzer of results, i love to look at people's time, my own time, various what if ..

so I am always annoyed when you run a race and the morning after the results are STILL NOT posted. pisses me off, in this world of tech why can't they get the results up ????

today is rest day, i plan on devoting some time to my mess of a house - poor hubby had to handle everything. i also plan on trying to continue to get H2O in my body and some fruits and veggies.

9 mile suckage

it was hot and humid and i had to walk, a lot. it sucked, it was the first race where i have walked and it is the first time i thought i might cry.

give a more detail report later.....trying to quench my thirst

Nine

9 miles tomorrow in a marathon relay.....tired today, long day. hope it goes well.