My How Time Flies

Sunday, it's now post-Thanksgiving.  Enough said? lol  Well, I have not been that bad, but I've not been a dedicated die-hard either.  Blizzard came Tuesday night - it was only whiteout conditions and bitterly cold temps - not really a lot of snow, so no real excuse there.

• Wednesday ~ bundled up for the single digit temps and braved a 2-mile walk through the snow with Jax.  We followed up with a 1-mile walk later in the evening.  Mostly just stayed indoors, but I did do some situps.
• Thursday ~ turkey day, I got in a 3-mile run before fixing the meal, but I ruined any benefit by having a wonderfully delicious ( read fattening ) meal and dessert.  City of Draper gets Kudos for clearing the running trails! 
• Friday ~Gretchen saved me from staying at home and gave me Endermologie.  I followed up with two hours at the gym. 
• 1 hour on the treadmill
• 30 mins of weight training
• 30 mins of bike
• Saturday ~ 3-mile jog with Jax followed by beer and football ;-)  Probably safe to say no gains there.

So far today Jax and I did our 2-mile walk and I am going to the gym once I've posted here.  I am.  Really.  I do have to admit that winter temps make staying indoors way too attractive.  Just the thought of getting dressed in all the layers, scraping the windshield, facing the cold - it's all quite challenging in itself, let alone adding the workout ;-)
Well, even though we have winter storm warnings AGAIN, I am off to warm up the car and brave the elements to keep pushing forward (though I did make a lot of backward steps this holiday week).  February may seem far off, but I've now started on the 2 months + countdown toward D-day.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.  Now go work it off!
~Erica

Almost 1 week into this...

Hiya, still doing the do, just not a lot noteworthy for the daily grind. Sunday, day following the 5k, was an easy day:

• 2mile walk in the snow with Jax (with weights on)
• 45 mins of Endermologie with Gretchen
• 30 mins of weight training
• 30+ mins of cross trainer/elliptical

Lol - I have to add that the plus sign was due to a very awesome football game between Colts and Pats. Peyton almost pulled off a phenom comeback which was very much worth staying on the machine with no idea of time or distance beyond my initial set.

Yesterday, Monday, I did a 2-mile morning walk with Jax and then an afternoon 4-mile run just before dinner.

Yes, I know I've been denying/dreading the pool.  It's cold and I believe/fear I will continue to stink at the swim.  How can that be when I am Pisces?  :-) Regardless of signs, my breathing is all awkward and I cannot get a rhythm.  I will go today - no matter what - just muddle through it.  Maybe I should have just done a duathlon, but I'm told it's healthy to go outside your comfort box...

Today, so far, Jax and I did a 3 mile run and a1.5 mile cool down walk.  My brave running buddy came up limp right as we were heading home.  He won't let me look at it, but I am hoping it is nothing more serious than a burr caught in his pads. 

Expecting more snow - blizzard they say - today or tomorrow so I may have to switch over to the treadmill for running.  Poor Jax.   I think I see Gretchen today, so I will get pics to post for later with stats.
Any suggestions for a training watch?

Have a great day ~ Erica

99 Days to go - 5K Results

Short Post - I'm beat! l;ol

Shocker - I gasped my way to take overall women's 3rd place in the Freedom House 5k today!  My pace was not going to inspire anyone, catch the eye of any sponsors, or gain me recognition for form and style... However, not having any idea what pace Jax and I do our runs, I was tickled pink to come in under 24 minutes.  Really - sub 8 minute miles is not that bad and the adorable medal gives me a little ego boost and hope for even better timing after some actual training ;-)

Went to the gym afterward and did 10 miles on the stationary bike but only 10 laps -lol- felt like I was moving in slow motion by that point.  Definitely a lot more winded trying to keep steady, so my endurance will need some major work. 

Started snowing this evening - should be a fun run for Jax and I in the morning. Thanks again for the emails, texts, and Facebook posts of well-wishes.

Good night all. ~ Erica

100 Days to Go!

Okay! It's official: Scottsdale, AZ -  Sunday, February 27th, 2011 is my first triathlon!

• 500 yd. swim
• 12.6 mi Bike
• 4 mi Run

OMG!!!  What am I thinking!  ha ha 
Etymology of Triathlon:  from Greeks - tri meaning "three" + athlon meaning "contest" (I keep spelling it wrong and adding an extra 'a'  - Hmm, there really should be another syllable to eloquently break up that 'thl', right?  ;-)

Day 1 Workout:

• Ran Jogged 2 miles outside with JAX, 1/4 sprints for 1 mile, walked 1 mile - Total 3 countable miles.  Even though running with Jax is occasionally a stop and go process, he is a great motivator and, I found out, a fabulous sprinter!
• Biked 10 miles at the gym
• Swam 15 laps (down AND back :-) but only did breast stroke and back stroke (still trying to visualize myself doing the front crawl - or is it the freestyle?!  idk ha ha) 

It is Gretchen's fault that I committed myself before my 40th birthday, therefore pitting myself against younger women!  I love the double entendre of the word committed...  Anyhoo, the age bracket changes at 40, so maybe if I do even remotely well, I will be especially psyched to enter into the next age group, with perhaps a little easier time - i.e. like a whole minute slower than the 35-39'ers!
I will post my before pics and stats maybe tomorrow?  Idk, I am running a 5k tomorrow just to see how it goes.

To Do:

1. Find out what is a good lap time in the pool?
2. Stretch and oh yeah, get measurements, ugh
3. Get pics from Gretchen - yes - she already took those lovely befores - yikes!
4. Find out when spinner classes are at the gym...

Thanks for the well wishes and support!  Please keep them coming - ask friends if they have any advice for me - especially on transitions and techniques! 

Erica

Day 1

Decision: Do a triathlon.

It may seem crazy that it was just a simple decision, but there it is and here I am.  What? -no movie about endurance or courage or even an inspirational magazine article that motivated me?  No, sorry, but maybe there is something about the month of November for me... I quit smoking four years ago in November.  Any astrologists out there to give insight into planetary alignment and my motivation? 

In any event, I hope the reasons do not need to be epiphany-like to get to the end result.  I do know the most important move for me - telling someone else.  Make it a promise to myself, sure, but more importantly, share the news so I can't sneak off and deny it in three months...

So, I've told my daughter and one of my sisters - and now posted it here.  The plan is to blog the whole training process: before/after photos, setbacks, speeds, and achievements that happen along the way.  I'm open to, actually I'm hoping for, tips and criticisms and will let you know the results of any suggestions that I attempt.

Perceived Advantages: 

• I am pretty active in the outdoors several times a week
• I used to be very athletic, so running/biking/swimming are not foreign concepts
• I have a great family – so support will always be available

Known Challenges:

• Not a great swimmer – I can only recall the basics of a few proper strokes
• I’m a mountain biker. My very old road bike is not tailored to my frame and probably needs a lot of work– definitely not a great Triathlon bike- but it’s all I have for now
• I just moved to Utah and I don't have a lot of money to throw at this endeavor
• Turning 40 has the potential to be such a psychological tumor,  maybe not Hannibal Lecter damaging, but I'd be lying if I said it's just a number

To Do Today: 

1. Find and register for a triathlon in early spring.  March 7th is my 40th birthday - before or after the big 40?
2. Buy a scale and get measurements - probably need to shave off more than a pound or two ;-)
3. Buy swim goggles - maybe some cool reflective blue?  lol
4. Check out the local gym - maybe join a run club?