Day 1 of Training

So it begins!! Unlike a year ago, I'm so excited to start this time around. I was very scarred last year. I was so out of shape. Now, I'm not the peak of physical fitness right now, but I'm doing pretty well.

Today was strength training. I didn't do much for this last year. I do understand now how important it is this time around. Especially since I don't want my knees to blow out on RAGBRAI. I really don't like strength training though.

I was very unmotivated today. But, I did my Power Yoga tape today. This was the first work on my abs in since January. It was tough, but good. Next week, I will go into the gym to lift weights. I really need to work on my legs and arms for the upcoming events.

All in all, a good first day!

Swept Back Handle Bars

I was going to go for a run with Skeeter today, but he was a sick puppy last night. He woke up barking at 3am, and Chris discovered that he had pooped all over his kennel. Poor thing!

Anyway, it was a BEAUTIFUL morning! So, I decided to take the bike out for a spin. I rode from my house, down to the Malt-O-Meal plant, over to the next town (Dundas) on a trail, then back home. It was about 8.5 miles. I didn't do it very fast (42 min), but it felt really good.

I love my new swept back handle bars. My lower back doesn't hurt, and I'm not numb in those special places. My shoulders are tight, but I think I just have to get them used to riding. All in all, I'm thrilled with the updates to the bike!

Tomorrow is Easter, and I'm taking the day off from working out. Monday is the official beginning of my triathlon training! I can't wait to see how it goes!!

And I Ran, I Ran So Far Away...

Today was another day of running, because it was just too cold and windy to try the bike again.

I wanted to run for 45 minutes today. My thoughts were to run further than 2 days ago, which meant adding 5 more minutes to my time.

The first 1.5 miles was tough, really tough. I just wanted to go back home. My foot hurt, my running bra is too loose (yeah weight loss), I was just tired, etc. I shrunk it down to a 30 minute run in my brain. If I could just do 30 minutes then I'd be happy.

At 20 minutes, my brain switched. I thought I could do this! So, 45 minute run here I come! In the process, I figured I ran a 5K in under 35 minutes. That is my fastest time in 5+ years!

At 45 minutes, I'd run just over 4 miles. It felt amazing! I did it! I couldn't believe I did it! I was tired, but so happy. I came home, let the dog out, and hit the hammock chair in the sun porch to celebrate. It felt so good to sit in the sun and watch Skeeter run around the yard. So relaxing. Just what I needed after 4 miles!

I want to ride my bicycle

Yes, I want to ride my bike! So, I did. It felt really good, but man was it cold. It was 46 degrees and more windy than I thought it would be. My ears were freezing!! It was hard to ride faster, because that made the wind stronger and me colder.

This is the first time I've worn my helmet since June. It was big. I thought I just made it loose, but realized half way through the ride that it was bigger due to the weight I've lost. I've lost my 3rd chin... still working on that second one :)

I downloaded a free application for my iPhone that tracks my mileage and time. It worked great, but also told me that I went shy of 5 miles. Sad really. Oh, I went for 20 minutes.

When I put my activity into my Weight Watchers tracker, it gave me only 1 point for those 20 minutes. What the heck?!! I earned 7 for my 40 minute run yesterday. This stinks! Oh well, I need to get ready for RAGBRAI, and I can't worry about those points. I'll make it up tomorrow.

And I was RUNNING...

Today, I wanted to go for a good bike ride. Well, it was supposed to be in the 40s and windy. Not what I had in mind. So, I decided another day of running was in order. Since I ran for 3 miles yesterday (33 min), I thought I'd run for 40 minutes today.

The run was great! There were only 2 students up at the track (I still don't know where they all went). It still amazes me how much easier it is to run with so many pounds off of my frame. I could have run longer, but didn't want to push it too hard. I'm still nervous about my abdomen. It doesn't hurt though, so I really need to not worry about post surgery pain (1 1/2 months now). The thing is though, I want to be in good shape for my triathlon training. I don't want to screw that up. So, I'm working on improving, but not killing myself in the process. It's working for me so far.

Tomorrow, I want to ride my bike. It will be the first ride with my new swept back handle bars! I rode around my driveway the day I got it back from the bike shop. It feels so good. I have high hopes that it won't hurt my back anymore. We'll just see what tomorrow brings...

Where did all the students go?

Today, Greg and I went for a great run at the Carleton College gym. I decided I'd run for at least 30 minutes, figuring I'd get in 2.5 miles. We'll I still had time left when I hit the 2.5 mile mark. So, I decided to keep running for a full 3 miles. I don't know if Greg was so excited though, because I'd promised a meer 30 minute run and extended it without telling him.

Greg did so great today! He's decided to run a lap, jog a lap, run a lap, etc... He's getting so much better. He'll be beating me on my 5Ks and 1/2 marathons soon!

Next week begins the training for the Danskin Triathlon. It's going to be so much fun and I can't wait to really get into the training! Soon, I'll have daily posts on my blog. Until then, thanks for the support!

Thunderbirds Baby!

So today I went running with Greg on Keesler AFB. Tomorrow is the first day of the airshow here, and many different groups have arrived. The most popular is of course the Thunderbirds. Each of the performance teams practiced today, so it was a great chance to see the show without the crowds. The Thunderbirds only had 3 of their planes up for practice today, but it was still a great show.

Because it was practice though, the Thunderbirds display was a bit slow. So, Greg and I decided to go running on base. It was so motivating to run with the sound of jets above me. It was very "Highway to the Danger Zone" "Top Gun." Cheesy, but true. I think I ran faster, and it was so much easier. I LOVED IT! Greg did amazingly well too. What a great day! I can't wait to run outside for the next few days before we head home to the snowfalls.