Final Stats

Vacation Sports posted the final times for the triathlon yesterday, and I was thrilled at the results of my first race! I met all of my goals (finishing; not finishing last; and not walking at all during the run portion), and when I came around the final turn towards the finish line, I thought I was going to die of happiness. Six months ago, I couldn't run a mile without stopping. To see hard work truly pay off in concrete results such as a race time is so gratifying.

My overall time was 1:31:19, and I finished:

• 264 out of 476 total competitors (men and women) in the sprint distance. 
• 79 out of 211 women
• 12 out of 23 in my age group (women 20-24)
• AND I had the third best bicycle time in my age group

It was such a great experience, and I can honestly say that every second of the time I was competing was enjoyable! I have already started looking at more triathlons, but one of the bad parts about living in Minnesota is that triathlon season is really only from May to September. At this point I am planning on competing in another sprint triathlon in spring 2011, and I'm going to aim for a specific time. In the meantime, I have to continue working out and maintaining the healthy habits I've picked up along the way. Second triathlon, here I come!

Hugs from the #1 fan!

The Finish Line

 

I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!! More details to follow, including final race time and pictures.

The Final Countdown

The triathlon is tomorrow! I was emailed final instructions for checking in and registration along with some mildly complicated directions about each leg of the race. My new fear is that I will somehow go off course and be disqualified.

The past two days have flown by with my number one fan in town. She showed up on Thursday night ready with a cowbell and a big sign. I think I am going to have the loudest cheering section at this triathlon! I woke up early this morning and went on a 50 minute bicycle ride. The lakes were completely covered in fog and the early morning mist made the ride seem vaguely eerie. But my legs felt good, and I think Golden Eagle Jr. is ready for the race tomorrow! I removed my pannier rack last night and my headlight in order to streamline Golden Eagle Jr. in any way possible. I may not have the fanciest bicycle out there, but at least I won't be a complete embarrassment to the sport of cycling.

Today's activities consist of some outdoor yoga at Lake Calhoun for one final big stretch before the race, and then heading over to Lake Phalen to scout out the course. I started packing my race bag last night, and I am SO EXCITED for tomorrow morning.

Training in the Boundary Waters

Traditional triathlon training took a hiatias over the past four days, as I was roughing it out in the Boundary Waters on a camping/portaging trip with some friends. We did some canoeing and portaging, but I had planned on a lot more swimming. Unfortunately, the cold temperature and high winds prevented any of us from jumping into the lakes willingingly!

We got back into Minneapolis around 6 pm, and on the entire 5.5 hour drive back to the city, I went back and forth about whether or not I would work out once I got home. It was a beautiful evening, and eating some sugary road trip treats along the way gave me a second wind after that long drive, so I decided to run the loop around Calhoun. I did the loop in under 30 minutes, which really raised my spirits about Sunday! Lately, I have been a little worried about the racing - fearing that I won't finish or will have to walk during the running portion.

Running around Lake Calhoun has become a bit of a safety blanket. I really enjoy the loop, because it is a perfect 5k (the exact length of the run in the tri) and it is enjoyable, especially in the evening. But I also know exactly when I am halfway around the loop, I know when I'm a quartile mile away, and I'm concerned that not knowing where the end of the race is will detract from my time on Sunday. My number one fan arrives in Minneapolis tomorrow, and I'm hoping we can drive over to St. Paul on Friday or Saturday to check out the course! I think that will relieve some anxiety and get me even more excited about the triathlon on Sunday. So close to race day!!!

Second Open Water Swim

Last night I attempted another open water swim in anticipation of my upcoming triathlon. While I am hesitant to say it went well, I will say that the experience was much better than swimming in Cedar Lake. I drove up to Clear Lake, MN with my friend, Phillip, and after surviving torrential downpours and flash flooding in Maple Grove, we finally it there around 7:30 pm. The section of the lake we were swimming was .4 mile, and I thought once we swam that leg, we would have a leisurely break on the beach and then swim back. Just kidding. Because once you swim out the .4 mile across the lake, there isn't a beach or place to exit. So we just had to turn around and swim back immediately. It felt like we had been swimming forever, and for one of the first times in my life, the thought of drowning briefly crossed my mind. Then Phillip reminded me that we had only been swimming for 17 minutes, and I realized I was being a HUGE baby and started swimming again.

While I was swimming, I tried practicing sighting, which involves turning your head forward to see where you are on the course, as you take a breath. It is definitely a practiced skill, but I was happy to try it out in open water, because going off course means being in the water longer, and I would very much prefer to be in the lake the shortest amount of time as possible. As I was swimming back to the beach on the second leg of the swim, I found myself thinking how great it would be to be a dolphin and have sonar. While this lake was clearer than Cedar Lake, I still could not see anything in front of me while my face was in the water, and I was slightly, read majorly, fearful of swimming directly into a sunken tree or a school of piranhas. I definitely felt more confident when I was swimming beside Phillip, which gives me hope that during the race, I will actually seek comfort in the fact that swimmers are close to me, rather than claustrophobia, which I have been anticipating feeling. Plus, all that splashing from others will drive away any creatures in the lake, right?

OMG Race Info!

Scratch the part about Jennifer Lopez being the best part about my day today. I just got an email with more information about race day! I LOVE information, and I hope you do too, because I'm sharing whether you like it or not and also including my lunatic ramblings: 

RACE DAY SCHEDULE:

6:00 AM- Transition area opens with bike racks.  First come, first served for your placement. What is the best placement to have?! Mental note to do research on placements in transition area to make best strategic decision.

6:15 AM- Registration opens. There, you'll pick up: bib number to pin on for bike & run (we have pins)  velcro strap with timing chip to wear on your left ankle, swim cap provided in the color of your "wave" start group, helmet numbers to place on front lowest brim of bike helmet, and race memento t-shirt. Yes! Race t-shirt that I will wear ALL.THE.TIME. (as long as I get a small and if there are no smalls, then I get an XXL per usual, and give it to my dad). Also, I hope the color of my swim cap is green, because that's my favorite color.

6:15 AM- Body Marking- participants will get their race number marked on their arm and leg by volunteers. Amazing! Temporary tattoos! So many sentences to put exclamation points at the end of!!!!!

7:30 AM- International (Long Course) Race start.  Last year there were 10 starting "waves".  The International Course were the first 3 waves.  Next up were Short course males from youngest to oldest, and then females-with the last wave being the oldest short course females.  Waves were only separated by a couple minutes, so it goes fast, be ready to go.  Actual waves will be set closer to race date. 10 minus 3 equals 7 waves of short course participants. That's me! More people participated in the short course last year - interesting....

8:00 AM- TENTATIVE race start time for Short Course.  Actual time will be set after waves are set the week of the race. YES YES YES! This is when I become a triathlete!!!

11:00 AM-Estimated time of awards.  Medals for top 3 in each age group, or category of Elite, Athena, Clydesdale, Male Team, Female Team, and Coed Team. Also, stick around for your chance to win door prizes! I will be hosting my own awards celebration in the parking lot with bottles of champagne and orange juice. Mimosas, anyone?

One More Reason I am just like Jennifer Lopez

Guess what J-Lo did? She competed in a triathlon for the first time. JUST LIKE ME. This might be old news for some of you celebrity gossip mongers, but finding this out pretty much made my day. You might remember that J-Lo is on my ipod shuffle and her music (Let's Get Loud in particular) really gets me going. I can only imagine that J-Lo also listens to her own music when she works out, so again, the similarities between us are astounding.

For the past couple days I have been taking it easy and trying to get physically better before I resume training. My horse-pill-like antibiotics seem to be working, and I'm feeling a lot better than earlier in the week. I have been using my bicycle commutes on the Greenway as my workouts, and as long as I'm feeling good tomorrow, I'll be back into the swing of things. In the meantime, I'm going to spend the rest of my work day researching J-Lo's training routine and cute hairstyles for the triathlon. 17 days til race day!

One More Setback

This is the story of a girl attempting to train for her inaugural triathlon who continuously fights off sickness to prevail against all odds. At least I'm hoping that will be the story. I recovered from strep throat only to now have tonsillitis, and even though I began a heavy dose of antibiotics today, my throat is still very swollen and painful. I attempted to run 3.5 miles today, but I got to the 1 mile mark and my inner ear was hurting so bad I had to stop. I can't even express how disappointed I am in my body and in myself right now. Instead of pushing through and finishing my run, I came home, and I'm hoping with a lot of sleep tonight and lots of fluids, I will be feeling better enough to be back on schedule tomorrow.

My race is only 20 days away, and I'm starting to get very nervous about how I will perform. I have yet to do another open water swim and my transition workouts have been less than enthusiastic. I have been looking forward and working towards this race since April, and now that I'm less than a month away, I find myself wishing I still had more time. How is that possible?!

The Cutest Triathlete Of Them All

Anyone who has talked to me in person lately has probably become aware of my obsession with having a matching triathlon outfit for the race in August. I bought tri shorts off Bonktown a while ago, and I have been searching for a top ever since. Well, today I hit the jackpot! I randomly searched for the matching top on google shopping this morning, and instead of zero results, as have appeared in every previous search, I found one this time! One, sole, remaining matching tri top, in a size small on some random website in Texas. If anyone has ANY idea of how hard it is to find small sizes on sale, this fact alone should make you understand why this made my day. Normally, my disdain for Texas would prevent me from supporting the state in any way, but I had to put my personal feelings aside in the name of triathlete fashion. 

Even better, the tank top was on sale AND I found an online coupon for another $10 off. The combination of savings on top of savings nearly blew my discount-loving mind. In 5-7 days, the two pieces will be combined to create one super-amazing Captain Planet-like power field that will get me to the finish line!

"Watch out for lake rats"

My first open water swim didn't go so well last night. It began when we arrived at Cedar Lake, and Jihone pushed me into a patch of algae, yelling "Get started!" Things only got worse once I started walking to the edge of the swimming area and felt unknown substances and possibly lake creatures underneath my toes. I'm not going to say that I was scared, but I will say that I had a mild panic attack when I put my face in the water and realized I couldn't see anything, even when using my goggles.

Once I had actually calmed down enough to contemplate swimming, more disasters ensued. My stroke broke down completely. I'm used to swimming four strokes, then turning to breathe. In the pool this isn't a problem because I can see through the water at all times. But in the lake, I found myself swimming in complete green darkness for four strokes until I finally took a breath and sighted.

After a brief coaching session, Jihone and I agreed that I needed to take a breath more frequently in order to see where I was going. Once I started taking a breath every other stroke, things got a little better, and by the end my confidence was back up again. If nothing else, now I know I need to do a lot more open water swimming before August 22nd. 26 days until race day!

The Road to Recovery

All you readers out there have probably been anxiously awaiting my blog posts and concerned with the lack thereof. Sadly, your favorite triathlete was stricken with a bout of strep throat earlier this week and has been out of commission since Tuesday.

Being unable to maintain my training regiment has been very disappointing over this week, but the good news is that I am nearly 100% again and ready for action. Yesterday, I did one of my favorite bicycle rides to Hopkins with Erin. We took our time to enjoy the beautiful weather, and it was a good way to get back into the swing of things without going overboard the first day. If things go well today (meaning I leave the office at a regular time), then expect a post about my first lake swim very shortly!

Me: "I got mosquito bites last night on my bike ride." My boss: "You weren't moving fast enough."

Bike ride, schmike ride, my bicycling skillz are off the chain. Two recent bike stories for all you loyal readers:

After working 12 hours at the office on Monday, yes I said 12, I went on a long bike ride to work out some of aggression and manic feelings that had built up after sitting at my desk for so long. I did my typical ride to Hopkins, MN, home of beloved Cargill, and then looped back into the city via the Greenway. On the way home, I decided to do a bit more, and circled Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet before heading back to my apartment. Of course, once I reached my apartment, I ran into the infamous Larry, whose car btw, is no longer abandoned on the side of the street. I'm secretly dying to ask him about the engine fire, but don't care enough to get into a 20 minute discussion on why cars from the '80s randomly implode. Whenever I see Larry after a bike ride, he usually says something really intelligent like, "Looks like you missed the rain," (it hadn't rained in the past 48 hours and there was no future rain in the forecast), or "Looks like you went on a bike ride" (umm yeah thanks, Larry), or the all time classic where he says nothing at all, attempts to hold open my apartment door to "help" me inside and then proceeds to strike up a conversation about how I should go into elder law.

Which is a perfect lead-in to my next story. On Thursday, I was on the West River Parkway trail, heading from school to Erin's house. This trail is massive. It's super wide and is always in great shape, which is why, when I pass slowpokes, I do not feel the need to shriek "on the left." Flash forward to halfway down the trail, I pass Mr. and Mrs. Old People pedaling along without a care in the world. With no one else approaching, I glided by unannounced. THEN, 10 minutes later, at a stop sign, Mr. Old Person breezes through the requisite stop (illegal btw) and yells "On the left! This what you're supposed to say when you pass someone!!!" I only wish I had been able to explain to him that the "lesson" he was trying to teach me was completely overshadowed by the fact that he almost got hit by a car during his instruction. But judging from how he swerved uglyass recumbent in the face of near death, I'm guessing he knows that already.

Tacos: Triathlete Super Food

I swam laps today, and once I was in the pool, I realized I hadn't been there in a week. So what, you might think, one week, stop crying about it already. Well, I'm not crying, but my legs are, because this workout kicked my butt. I wasn't in the water that much longer than normal, but my workout consisted of longer sets with shorter resting periods. It's exciting on one hand, because it means I am a lot closer to the actual race. But on the other hand, I was in the water swimming laps for about 45 minutes and by the time I hauled myself out of the pool, my legs felt like jelly and I was as hungry as Michael Phelps.

I'm starting to seriously consider buying some of those awkward gel packets to squeeze into my throat during the swim/bike transition during the race. They are kind of like Go-gurt, but energy and not yogurt... I have been trying to avoid looking like a real big weirdo in this race, and staying away from high tech energy foods may or may not fall into that category. I haven't decided yet.

As for tonight, I pushed the thoughts of drinking vitamin Gak out of my head, because I already had dinner plans with great friends, Adam and Rachael, and I quickly devoured three tacos at their house in quick succession. Yum! Maybe I can patent my own taco flavored energy gel and pay off my law school loans?

#1 Reason Why I Couldn't Train for a Triathlon Indoors

I am really lucky to live in such an awesome city like Minneapolis where bicycle trails are abundant. The trails are all well groomed and maintained (even in the winter months) and provide ample amounts of rides with interconnecting trails to facilitate longer rides. The only potential downside to the trails are the number of rollerbladers that hog up space on the trail and always seem to be listening to their music loud enough that they don't hear the annoying "on the left" alert from me when I try to pass them. Or maybe they're just ignoring me. I'd probably ignore me too.

As my time on the bike increases in training, I realized how much I would hate having to be on a stationary bicycle in a gym for over an hour. Talk about boring! Instead I have been on some great rides lately. My new favorite, a little longer ride of about 90 minutes, takes me around Lake Harriet (photo above), out to Hopkins, MN, and then back on the Greenway to wrap around Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet again before heading home.

The best part is ending the ride on a beautiful evening like last night and seeing this sunset (photo below) over Lake Calhoun. Tres belle!

Even Independence Day Can't Stop this Triathlete

Over the weekend, I traveled back to the land of my ancestors to partake in 4th of July celebrations in one of the original colonies. Yes, of course, I am talking about the Keystone State, without which, this entire nation would crumble. Literally. That's what a keystone does. It was a great weekend, full of small town Americana. Local baseball games, fireworks, Pittsburgh accents, and some good old fashioned bug bites on my legs to round out the experience.

I was hesitant about working out while on my four day vacation. I have never worked out at my childhood home, nor did I belong to a gym of any sort growing up. Our house is located 25 minutes from the local Y, and I didn't know how my parents would respond to my taking the car and disappearing for a couple hours. But all my reservations were pushed to the side, when my number 1 fan, insisted that I maintain my training regiment. In fact, I was even treated to a new pair of running shoes!

I picked out another pair of Asics, because I was very happy with my old pair. So far these have been feeling great, and they are definitely giving me more support and shock resistance. I tested them out around the track of my old stomping grounds: the intermediate high school. A little under 35 minutes and 3.5 miles later, I was still pleased with my shoe purchase. The following day, I swam laps at the Y and successfully evaded paying the $3.50 visitor charge they attempted to push on me. Umm, I don't think so man-with-a-mullet-at-the-front-desk. I was supposed to bike the following day, Tuesday, but seeing as how Golden Eagle Jr. was in Minneapolis, and the bicycles at the Y were used to power Orville Wright's airplane, I decided to run on the treadmill instead. Thus, a very productive, yet relaxing trip. 46 days until race day!

News Flash: I still hate running

Oh hey, what's up lazies? Guess who woke up at 7 am this morning to RUN? No, not you. Yep, this lunatic. I was out there with all my friends, the gnats and the moms. First of all, let me stress how much I hate working out in the morning. A lot. Add in 45 minutes of running before I've had my morning cup of tea and voila! One pissed Irish girl ready to kick babies, yell obscenities at old people and stop at nothing until she gets a shower.

So that was me this morning, running to, around, and back from Lake Harriet. Lucky for me, Minne the Lake Creature is back to lurking around the waters, and I get a cruel kind of satisfaction at watching innocent bystanders round the corner and jump when they see the lake monster smiling sweetly through the tree limbs.

Today was the last week of week 5 and the workouts are increasing in intensity again. I did a 70 minute bike ride to Hopkins, MN and back last night. It was a beautiful outside, around 85 degrees, and my ipod was doing this awesome thing where it kept playing Johnny Cash followed by hip hop, then back to Cash again. I'm not sure how the technology fairy knew how to do that and that it would actually sound appealing to my ears, but I didn't question it.

I elected not to work out on Saturday, choosing instead of get over my Friday night hangover by making these cupcakes and shopping at the outlets. Yum, raspberry coconut cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are manna for a triathlete's soul.

REI Wonderful

So, as you might have inferred from my prior posts, I'm kinda obsessed with REI. Reasons why:
#1. Salespeople there are always nice to me (including the times when I have an attitude)
#2. Products are guaranteed for life
#3. They accept returns on anything
#4. The stores are pretty inside
#5. The stores are never crowded (even in MN, where people are actually willing to spend a lot of money on camping gear)
#6. Good Amazing sales (do I even need to tell you about the one time I got Uggs there for like $20?!)

Ok, those are just a few of the reasons that immediately came to mind. I bet that if I thought about it for a bit more, I could come up with even more reasons I <3 REI (like how the guys that work there are oh, so ruggedly handsome). But ANYWAY, the point of this ramble is that I returned my swimsuit and got a smaller size today. I'm not sure if my suit was no longer fitting well because it stretched, or because I lost weight, but you know what, I didn't even have to fully contemplate the "why" in this scenario, because REI takes back products, no matter what.

Oh, and what is that you say? The store didn't have a smaller size in stock? No problem! They ordered it for me, had it sent to the store, and then I show up a week later, give them the old suit, get a brand new one, and I'm on my way to the pool. Niiiiice! I'm happy to report the new swimsuit fits perfectly, and I had a great pool workout. This week's workouts are increasing again, so today I swam a total of 1,350 meters.

It felt really good to get in the pool and have a solid workout. I let my training fall by the wayside this past weekend and opted for nights out on the town, comedy shows, and beer festivals. But today was the first day of Week 5, and my excitement/anxiety about the race is beginning to grow!

Sky Rats

I was riding my bicycle to work this morning along the Greenway, minding my own beeswax, when I heard the evil screech of a sky rat above me! Pedaling faster to no avail, I soon felt a wet drip on my calf. Yes, that's right readers, your faithful triathlete was shat upon this morning by a maniacal sky rat.

Oh wait, but then what happened? "Spice Up Your Life" came on my ipod, and I instantly forgot the doings of the sky rat and proceeded to have an awesome ride to work. And yes, I still listen to the Spice Girls, and I LOVE IT. Shat was wiped off immediately upon entering the building and making it to the nearest restroom.

Above is a drawing of the sky rat in action.

"I stopped riding bicycles when they stopped making seats big enough for my rear end."

The title of this post derives itself from a comment made by an older gentleman I work with when I mentioned that I was going on a bicycle ride after work. I instantly thought "Oh I've seen people way bigger than you on bicycles," but something kept me from spouting that out, and in retrospect I'm happy that I just laughed nervously instead and returned to my desk. People are so weird.

I completed a quick 35 minute bicycle ride on the Greenway, and honestly, I am having a problem adjusting to this recovery week. After riding for over a hour last week on my bike, 35 minutes seemed so short that I felt vaguely unfulfilled at the end of the ride. But I'm far from an expert on triathlon training, so I'm sticking to this 12 week program come hell or high water. As long as my butt continues to fit in the saddle that is.

Recovery Week

I didn't mention this yesterday, but it was the first day of week 4 in training. Weeks 1-3 flew by, and after the completion of this week, I will be a third of the way to the triathlon! The book calls this week a "recovery week," meaning all my routines decrease in intensity and duration for one week. Today's swim routine decreased to 800 meters, which is 500 meters less than what I swam last week. It felt very easy, and I was in and out of the pool in no time.

On the way out of the gym, I stopped to ask two important questions: when does my current membership expire, and can I go to other YMCA locations with my membership? I need to remember to renew by July 17th, and I found out that I'll be able to work out at the YMCA in PA when I am home over the 4th of July. Awesome!

New Design

And, what do you think of this new blog design? I love that a bicycle design was available!

Sub 30 minute 5K!

Hey there readers! Guess who's favorite triathlete ran her first sub 30 minute 5K this evening? YOURS TRULY! I guess the trick to running faster is to head to Lake Calhoun, alone, around 8:30 pm just as the sun is setting, and then halfway around the lake remember that there was a shooting there just a couple weeks ago. Oh shit. Run faster. Claw the eyes out of anyone who approaches.

Don't worry Mum readers, I made it out of the war zone before it was completely dark and back into the safety of my car. It was then, when I checked my cell phone, that I noticed it was not even 9 pm. I left the car at approximately 8:30 pm and was back by 8:58 pm, which I don't know if you can keep up with the math, but that is less than 30 minutes! My miles thus far have all been around 10 minutes, so this was a really big deal for me. It means that I'm becoming faster and stronger, and I'm going to ANNIHILATE this triathlon and every contestant around me. Ok, I'm getting a little carried away. But really, I am hoping to at least smoke one person, even if that person is 60 years older than me. 70 days until race day!

Bicycle Ride to Hopkins

After work yesterday, I completed a bicycle ride to Hopkins, MN and back. The ride took about 70 minutes, including time spent stopping to take pictures. I wore my bicycle jersey that I purchased at the Microsoft campus when I was in Seattle in March. Actually, Giul and I bought these together - twinsies! As you can see, it's not nerdy at all and obviously something that only very sexy, cool people wear while bicycling.

Anyway, this was the first time I had ridden to Hopkins and back by myself, and I was mildly nervous about getting lost. But with the help of my friend, Lee, I wrote down some detailed directions on a scrap of paper, stuck it in the nifty back pockets of my jersey and was off. I referred to the directions a couple times on the ride, but really they served as a safety blanket, because I was always going the right way and recognized the turns and trail changes from my previous rides.

As evidence of my dedication to this blog, I remembered to bring my camera along for the ride and capture one of my favorite parts. This is a beautiful tunnel on the North Cedar Lake Trail (obviously), and it's a lot of fun to ride a bike through. The temperature drops, you're momentarily sheltered from wind and outside sounds become muffled. It also separates two distinct worlds: the forest you can vaguely see at the other end of the tunnel and a series of baseball fields and starter homes on the other side out of view. The baseball fields were packed last night with kids in uniforms and parents perched on top of coolers. Summer in Minnesota really is one of my favorite times of the year. I mean it's not Christmas or my birthday, but it really is a close third.

Swim swim swimming

My swim workout increased today from 1,100 meters to 1,300 meters, and though the increase was fairly small, I was tired at the end. But not too tired to be eternally grateful that I finished my workout just as a man with a HANDLEBAR mustache and a speedo asked if he could share my lane. Dude, doesn't that thing give you major drag in the water? And I'm not talking about the saggy junk you are so eager to show off.

In other news, I continue to be very satisfied with the training program I'm following in The Complete Idiot's Guide to Triathlon Training. Every time I begin to feel comfortable in a workout, be it running, bicycling, or swimming, the workout increases just enough to bring that challenge back. I love that the workouts are easy to understand, and I trust the authors' advice because they are both Ironmen. In the past, I avoided following workout routines because the instructions were confusing, and I typically forgot what I was supposed to be doing halfway through the workout. That hasn't even happened to me once in the past three weeks of following the 12 week program in this book.

Plus, guess what readers?! In addition to building stamina and muscle, I have also lost weight. I stepped on the scale for the first time since making the decision to sign up for the triathlon, and I have lost seven pounds! It felt awesome to see success in one solid number.

Tomorrow is my "day off" from training. I won't be doing anything in an official capacity, but I'll still ride my bike 12 miles to work and back. I might have to step it up on my ride home to make it to Gigis in time to meet Erin for happy hour. Although, I can't think of many things that are more motivating than a glass of wine with a great friend!

The Night I Won $4

See the horse coming in second? That horse won me four freaking dollars the other night at Canterbury! I know, pretty amazing. I bet you've never heard of anyone cleaning up like that at a race track. Next time I will have to make more of an effort to place bets. Figuring out whether the odds made it worth it to place a bet combined with semi-complicated betting machines made me less than enthusiastic to place bets. Too hard. I just like watching the horses.

I felt vaguely guilty for drinking beer and eating nachos and hotdogs instead of working out that night....nah actually I didn't feel that guilty at all! But I'm back on the path of straight and narrow now. I ran 35 minutes yesterday, and swam laps today. I have been following the swim workouts without adding up the total meter length of each workout, and I realized today that I've been swimming over half a mile already! Horray! A half mile (the length of the swim in the triathlon) is approximately 805 meters. I swam 1,100 meters today, no problem.

Looking back on the workouts from week one, I am already feeling a sense of accomplishment. The first week I swam 800 meters and felt sore and tired. Three weeks and an additional 300 meters later, I'm feeling confident and strong in the pool. I signed up for this triathlon to challenge myself and to have a reason to work out other than being obsessed with losing weight. I still have a long way until race day (78 days!), but I am extremely happy with my decision to sign up and have already seen the positive mental and physical effects of training. It's a good feeling.

The End of Week Two

So today's 40 minute run wrapped up week two of the twelve week training program, and to honest, I was pretty frustrated with my run today. I have felt really comfortable so far progressing with bicycling and swimming, but running continues to be a HUGE hurdle for me, and the hurdle gets bigger as each workout time increases.

I asked Rachael to go running with me today, and I was thrilled when she said yes, because I knew the run would go faster with a friend. Thank god she was there, otherwise I would have stopped a quartile mile in and withered in embarrassment as all the super fit bodies passed me on the running path around Lake Calhoun. I pushed through the workout, and we ended the run stretching in the shade. Stretching is another reason I was grateful for Rachael's company. It feels totally awkward to stretch by myself, vogue-ing it out in front of the rest of the seen-and-be-seen crowd at Calhoun.

Week three begins tomorrow with another 25 minutes in the pool, but that might be prolonged until Friday seeing as how I'm going to Canterbury to bet on horses and drink $3 beers tomorrow after work! And I wonder why I am still having problems running...c'est la vie.



Cheers!

Summer Is Officially Here!

I went on my usual 45 minute bicycle ride yesterday and the day before that I did a 35 minute run on the treadmill. Both felt pretty good, even the run! The only interesting thing that happened was running into a flock of 20 Canadian geese on my bike ride near Lake of the Isles. Groups of them were gathered on either sides of the path, and I had to cycle through the gamut. I fully expected one of them to snake its head around and snap at my legs, but luckily rider and birds kept to themselves. One would think that this much exercise would be enough for me, and I would spend the rest of the time eating chips and watching Law & Order re-runs, but I have been surprisingly active otherwise.


As promised, here is a picture of the Greenway, my route to school. Riding to work two days a
week gives me an additional 24 miles of road time and time to improve upon my RPMs (revolutions per minute). I have been able to maintain 80 RPMs pretty easily, but getting closer to 90 has been a little difficult. I'm supposed to be between 80 and 100 RPMs, so 80 is by no means a failure, but with a higher RPM I would obviously increase my speed as well.




Today's activities involved a canoe trip to Lake Nokomis with Erin, Caleb, Sogn (the golden retriever) and Jihone. The lake was pretty empty and we found ourselves a nice secluded spot on the beach. At one point, Jihone and I took the canoe out on a little adventure to explore the other areas of the lake. Long story short, after jumping out to swim, he attempted to get back in the canoe...and we flipped. Ha! The canoe filled partially with water, and on our attempt to get back in, the canoe flipped again and filled COMPLETELY with water. Onlookers from the shore began to gather and watch as Jihone and I laughed our heads off and wondered whether this canoe was going to sink to the bottom of the lake. After getting a good laugh in, Erin came to our rescue and helped us swim the canoe to the shore so we could dump it and paddle back to our original location. All's well that ends well right?

Back in the Pool

I drove directly from work to the gym last night to get some laps in before meeting friends at the fabulous Tin Fish for dinner on Lake Calhoun. Normally I swim much later in the evening, and for some odd reason, the compulsive planner in me did not check the lap pool schedule for the earlier times in the day.

I had just finished the work out portion of swimming and had started on my cool down laps, when something happened...swim practice. These little brats took up every lane, and I was forced to dogg it out in the open water portion of the pool. Luckily I only had 200 meters left, so it really wasn't that bad.

Swimming has by far been my favorite portion of training, and I think the biggest reason for that is because I don't sweat. Well, to clarify, I do sweat. It is a cardio workout, people. But I'm not sweaty because I'm underwater. Very unlike the experiences I have running or biking where when I begin to sweat, I quickly start to hate the fact that I have clothes on, or skin, or the world in general. Like today on my bike ride to work. My head was so warm, and I only can push the helmet back so far off my brow until I start to feel guilty and slam it back into place! AND speaking of, I FINALLY remembered to bring my camera, so I'll post a couple pictures of the Greenway tonight.

Rainstorm!

I rode my bicycle home in a complete downpour today. I'm talking all out thunder, lightning, and rain the entire 7 miles. At one point, I was crossing the Stone Arch Bridge when lightning lit up the sky, and I could see clearly (maybe a little too clearly) how fast the water was rushing below.

I usually hate the rain on all occasions, and that is because it's always raining when I need to reach a destination for an event. Example, riding my bike to meet someone for happy hour and it starts raining. Then I show up with crazy hair, generally feeling angry at the world. However, on rare occasions when the only place I am riding is home, I LOVE the rain. I think bicycling in the rain is exciting. I roar through as many puddles as possible, relish in being soaked down to my underwear, and generally just enjoy the overall experience. Tonight's experience was topped off by the fact that I had the foresight to bring my new Cannondale jacket, purchased from the REI Outlet and it was AWESOME. It kept my upper half completely dry and protected from the wind. My arms did feel a little warm, but I think that had a lot to do with the fact that I was wearing a tank top and my bare skin was sweating against the fabric.

I was supposed to run 37 minutes today as part of training. After that ride, I quickly changed (it was 9:15 and my gym closes at 10), drove to the gym in the storm, and ran for eh, 20 minutes before I said eff this I'm tired. I only feel sorta bad for skimping on the run because I did so much bicycling today. But I'm justifying my laziness, which needs to stop immediately. As much as I thought I had fixed my mental block about running, it is still the activity that I dread the most out of the three.

First Transition Workout

So for any of you who don't live in Minneapolis, it was about 90 degrees outside and HUMID. Not exactly the best weather for exercising, but riding a bicycle outdoors is so much different ie, better, than riding a trainer inside, that I waited for the sun to begin to set and headed out on my bike around 7:30.

I keep meaning to stick my camera in the back pocket of my jersey to take some pictures along my ride, and I really wish I would have remembered today! There were a ton of sailboats on Lake Calhoun and cute ducks waddling around everywhere. Plus I saw a family of Canadian geese, little fuzzy yellow babies and all. And some straight-up-off-the-chain-people-watching. Old guy riding his bike without a shirt, stop it. Your nipples are scaring everyone. So, if you can, just imagine that scene, and I promise I'll start remembering to bring my camera on future rides!

Bicycling felt great. I did my usual 45 minute ride around the Chain of the Lakes and then headed home. I stashed my bicycle in my apartment, exchanged my helmet for a headband and was out the door again for a 10 minute run! Running was...eh...not so fun. By this point I had literally sweated through my tank top and was feeling the heat. But I ran for 10 minutes and completed the workout. From what I understand, the running portion was meant to be focused more on becoming comfortable transitioning activities, as opposed to experiencing a great running workout. I have really enjoyed the various workouts in this week's plan, and I'm looking forward to turning up the intensity dial next week.

And, if any of you were wondering, I succumbed to the evil Comcast giant and signed up for internet at my apartment. Downside: no longer sticking it to the man. Upside: regular blog posts!

Days 3, 4, & 5

Friday, Day 3, consisted of a 45 minute bicycle ride around the Chain of Lakes. It was a cool, overcast evening so the trails weren't crowded. After a quick shower, I spent the rest of the evening working on my upper body strength with three games of bowling at Memory Lanes. I could barely shift gears on the drive home, but it worked somehow.

On Saturday, Day 4, I swam laps again, adding one more lap to the warm up and changing the workout to 6 x 100. It was a windy day, so I wore my new jacket on my bike ride to the gym. Sidenote, I didn't buy that jacket from that website, I got it from REI. A totally normal store.

Anyway, swimming felt pretty good. I am still working on bilateral breathing. I breath on my left side, so transitioning to my right has been difficult. But the books I've read have suggested bilateral breathing, because it allows you to sight better when in the water so you don't go off course, which adds time to the swimming phase. Right now I'm adding time because I keep sucking down pool water every time I try to breath on the right side. I'm hoping balance will happen at some point soon. Also, chlorine makes my hair feel like sheep wool. Solutions?

Today was Day 5, and guess what I did today? Nothing! Day 5 was a resting day. Pfffff. This triathlon training is going to be a freaking breeze. I am the best at resting. I had brunch with some awesome friends at the Herkimer and drank wonderful beer brewed by Gustavo. Then I watched 30 Rock and The Office, and THEN went to Rachael's house and ate delicious grilled cheeseburgers. Day 5 resting - check!

And, as a special treat for reading until the end of this post, here is a picture of my new favorite dinosaur: Protosaurus. Photographed at the Field Museum in Chicago.

Day 2: Not so great of a run

Today's training regiment called for 30 minutes of running. Piece of cake, I thought to myself. A quick run around Lake Calhoun, and I'll call it a day. Yeah, right.

It was hot. It was humid. A bug got in my eye. My crappy shorts that I've had since high school kept riding up. And I kept getting stomach craps, which I know are a direct result of not drinking enough water today, for which I can only blame myself. Augh. Not enjoyable. I thought I would be over these sorts of things by now, but today was just proof that I still have a long way to go before August 22nd. I stopped to walk 3 times, but then forced myself to run the hills on my way home, so I think it evened out.

But you know what, readers? This will NOT get me down. First of all, today was also the first day of my summer job, and I had an absolutely wonderful day and am so happy to be working there this summer. Second of all, I had an even better hair day! And yes, having a great hair day really is THAT big of a deal for me. So bring on the challenges triathlon gods! I am owning this summer.

First Official Day of Training

It begins today: Week 1, Day 1, of the 12 week training program I am following to prepare for the triathlon. I'm really excited to begin a strict training regiment, because I think it will provide structure to what has been a very unstructured work out routine.

I swam laps today and did the following work out:
4 x 50 warm up
6 x 75 workout
6 x 25 cool down

Swimming felt great! I was able to keep a nice pace and finished the workout in about the twenty minute time span that the book indicated. My arms are a little sore, but I think that will wear off by tomorrow.

And best of all, I managed to get to the pool at a time when there weren't a lot of other lap swimmers, and I got my own lane! I know, I know, I should be prepared for swimming in a group seeing as how I will be swimming en mass in Lake Phalen during the triathlon, but I'm just not ready for human contact yet. When I am swimming and someone brushes against my arm, I tend to use my former lifeguarding skills to knock them unconscious in an effort to survive. Nevermind that we're in a lap lane no deeper than 12 feet, I'm fighting for my life here people! So as you can imagine, its better for everyone when I get my own lane.

Hiatus

Hello devout readers!

This post is to inform you not to expect much from this blog for the next couple weeks, because I am about to enter into the black hole known as finals. I rode my bike to school yesterday and got a nice workout from that, but my activities have begun to subside into sitting at my desk for extended periods of time eating Easter candy I bought from the clearance section at CVS.

But get excited, because beginning May 17th, I am starting my official 12 week training program! Check back then for updates, stories and sarcasm.

Sometimes not exercising can be a good thing

Remember that time you decided to study instead of going on a run, and as you were sitting at your desk, the maintenance guy that works for your building pulls up in his 1990 clunker and parks outside the building.

Then, remember when you saw all the smoke pouring out of the hood of the car, and you saw him jump out and open the hood, and then you saw FLAMES erupting out of the car! Yellow, bright, fiery flames! And you watched as he swore "shit!" and then ran into the building to grab a fire extinguisher. You thought about taking cover in case the car exploded and shrapnel came through the window you were gawking out of, but you decided that a car would have to burn for at least a minute before it exploded, so you grabbed your camera instead to take pictures in order to document this craziness that was happening.

Then he ran back out with the fire extinguisher and doused the entire engine in white crap that covered the car and the surrounding block. And you thought, ok well, that is as crazy as its going to get, until you saw him open the door of the car (it's still smoking btw!), and you thought, "Oh great. Now he's going to try to turn on the car and really blow this whole place to smithereens." But instead, you watch in complete amazement, as he reaches over to the passenger seat, grabs his Club, and securely locks it to the steering wheel. Yeah, because NOW the car is in real freaking danger of being stolen.

And to think you were going to go running today, and would have missed being a witness to this complete and utter chaos that happened DIRECTLY OUTSIDE YOUR APARTMENT. Remember, when that happened? Man, that was so crazy. It's probably the funniest thing you've seen all week. And it's only Monday.

Weekend Wrap Up

This weekend was packed full of activities, but between studying and some socializing, I also managed to get in some great workouts.

Saturday morning, I woke up at 7:30 to go to the gym. In doing so, I conceded to myself that I was totally insane, because no sane person would wake up that early on a Saturday to work out. Or so I thought until I got to the gym. The parking lot was PACKED. Who are these people? I had a nice 2 mile run, watched some of The Hills re-runs, and then wrapped it up with some weights. After swimming the other day, I thought I should probably lift some weights to build muscle in my arms because they were dragging by the end of my laps. I wish there was a girls only weights section though, so I didn't feel like such a dweeb with my 15 pound weights next to the guy on 'roids throwing down his barbell yelling "rarrr!" Again, at 8 am. Chill, dude. Roid rage is so 2001.

Today, I first spent an hour on my own attempting to install my bicycle computer that I bought a year ago to track my speed and cadence. After numerous failed attempts, I remembered why I had put off installing the computer so many times. I called my friend, Lee, bicycle extraordinaire, who came over and helped me finish the job. A dozen zip-ties later, I had all the sensors hooked up to my bike and was off on a 20 mile bike ride to Hopkins, MN and back. The bike computer definitely made me work harder on the ride as I struggled to maintain a constant RPM (revolutions per minute) on flat surfaces and inclines alike. It was a chilly day, but the ride was great, and I'm looking forward to more long bike rides as my training progresses.

p.s. Kerri Strug got married this weekend! Childhood flashback right here!

Books!

I ran on the treadmill at the gym today, and then attended a yoga class. My low expectations for the yoga class were fairly accurate, and my obsession with CorePower continues...

But who cares about that crap, because I also stopped at the public library and picked up a load of triathlon books I ordered! LOOK!

Notice the two books for "idiots" and "dummies." The titles of the books are demeaning, but I suppose I am an idiot when it comes to training for a triathlon. For instance, I have already learned that if you wear a wetsuit, you also need to cover yourself in some kind of lubricant (kinky, I know) because apparently you get some rough sorts of chaffing! Sick! I'm not sinking $300 into a wetsuit anyway, so I guess I don't need to hang on to that piece of information, but maybe it will come in handy someday. Nah, probs not. I paged through a few of the books on my bus ride home, and I'm excited to read them after those five pesky finals. Oh, May 15th - how I await your arrival!

Tricks for not appearing lazy whilst swimming...

I went swimming today at the Y, and I think I swam about half a mile. I didn't keep an exact count of my laps, but I know I swam at least 16 laps, and the lifeguard confirmed that a half mile was 18 laps. So I was somewhere around there.

Now I'm home, freshly showered, and exhausted. Swimming is something that I really enjoy, but it is an activity that is energy draining. I swam 10 laps freestyle without stopping, and then I did a little trick I like to call the goggle check.

The goggle check is a way to catch your breath in between laps without looking lazy. Instead of stopping at the end of my lap and just hanging out by the edge of the pool. I take off my goggles and attempt to "adjust" them. Sometimes I even take it a step further and pretend like they leaked mid-lap, and I really need to fix them before I begin again. Ha! My goggles don't leak. They are made by TYR, cost $15, and I purchased them at Midwest Mountaineering. Believe me, they are top notch.

And yet, I continue this charade in my attempts to fool anyone who may be observing that I need anything but a break. After a well timed goggle check, I finished up with some more laps consisting of backstroke and breaststroke before heading out. I felt a lot better swimming this time around, and hope my comfortableness level continues to increase.

Kickass Bike Ride!

So today, I found myself making excuses for not wanting to work out. I was worried about school work, I was tired, I was hungry, etc. Then I mentally slapped myself, put on my sports bra and took Golden Eagle Jr. out for a spin. I made one rule for myself today: no coasting.

Typically, I have biked for leisure or to commute. Well my friends, welcome to a new era. You will stand and applaud after reading this story.

I decided to tackle the Chain of the Lakes route and made my way towards Lake Harriet. Halfway around, I was fast approaching a man on a decked out super pricey looking road bike, complete in matching gear, clipped in shoes, etc. Hmm, I decide, I wonder if I can match his pace.

OH AND I DID AND MORE! I smoked him going up a hill and then did. not. quit. Golden Eagle Jr. was so on top of it, and I silently took back any thoughts I had of buying a new bicycle. Finally, I arrived at the intersection where the trail crosses to meet Lake Calhoun, and as I sat at the stop light waiting for the green, my defeated bicycle friend pulled up beside me.

"Nice pace," he said.

"I know," I replied.

"This is the first time I've been out this year," he said, trying to make himself feel better after getting smoked by a girl on a hybrid bicycle with a pannier rack.

"You should really get out more," I said, silently gearing up to race out of the stop light. I could see old people approaching, and I didn't want to get stuck behind their wrinkly old butts on the bike path.

"Yeah, you know work gets in..." he began and then his words fell to the wayside as I took off into the sunset, not really caring to hear excuses.

The rest of my bike ride was equally awesome. The lakes looked beautiful at night, and I was really happy I forced myself to get out there and ride. I won't be working out at all tomorrow because I'm going to the Twins game after school! What up Target Field?!

Treadmill Turnaround

Day 2 of gym membership: I went to the gym today with full intentions of running and then doing a fitness yoga class. But then I discovered something. I can run faster on the treadmill than outdoors.

Try this equation on for size.

Lack of wind + lack of french bulldogs for me to covet = faster running times! Amazing!

I pushed myself at the end of my two miles and sprinted the final quarter mile, which felt really good. Then I still had 45 minutes until yoga...hmm. So I did some leg press machines, drank more water, considered doing the elliptical, and then I still had 30 minutes to wait. So I went home instead. I just felt too bad about wasting another half hour before the hour class when I still have loads to do before school tomorrow. At least I know now to give myself less time to run before a class. I'm excited to try out a spin class this week.

Investments

I took two major steps in my triathlon training this weekend: I bought a new swimsuit, and I signed up for a YMCA membership. Both ended up being more expensive than I initially expected, but I have been putting off both for too long already. Having signed up for the gym this morning, I lost no time in taking advantage of my membership, and I headed over to swim some laps this afternoon.

I've already mentioned that I consider myself a decent swimmer, having been a lifeguard and such, but in reality, I haven't swam laps in years. And today was proof of that. Even though I looked pretty awesome in my sweet reversible swimsuit out of the water, once I was in, and after 8 laps, I looked sloppy. I continued swimming for about 20 minutes, switching to backstroke once I was tired, but this workout totally kicked my butt.

On the plus side, my new swimsuit felt SO much better than the old, half deteriorating one from high school that I randomly used for laps last summer. Satisfied customer, right here!

The next time I swim, I need to calculate how many laps = half a mile. Right now, I'm really thankful that I still have 126 days to prepare for this race, because I am no where near ready!

Not Feeling It

I had a really hard time running around Lake Calhoun tonight. It was very windy at the beginning of the run, and I think running against the wind took a lot out of me right from the start. Augh, but whatever with these excuses. I was really disappointed in myself, and even worse, I was running with Jihone, so there was a witness to my suckiness!

Tomorrow is an off day, and I haven't decided what to do for Saturday yet. I still need to join a gym, so maybe I can accomplish that this weekend. In other news, I have been hydrating more before running and haven't been having the swollen hands issue. Thanks to Giul, who gave me the heads up on that trick!

Support System

Breaking news, fans! Triple Torture's biggest fan has just announced that she will be flying in for the St. Paul Triathlon to show her support. She's taking a jet plane all the way from the East Coast, she's waking up at 5 am with me, and she better be bringing her camera to document my domination of this course. That's right, my mother! See the resemblance - I know you do.

I am really lucky to have such supportive parents, and now the pressure is on to perform well. I can't bring shame to the family. Just kidding. We're Irish, not Asian.

I went running tonight with Rachael, and even though it was humid and disgusting, we finished our loop around Lake Calhoun and then stretched while watching a beautiful sunset. I typically run earlier in the evening, but with the warm weather upon us, I might start running later just to see more sunsets like tonight.

The Good and the Bad of Today's Ride

Best part about long bicycle rides: bike jerseys! I love wearing bike jerseys for longer, purely for exercise, rides. My favorite things about bike jerseys are the pockets built in the back and the elastic that keeps your shirt from riding up. The jersey I wore today is from bonktown.com and it's made by Giordana in case you can't tell from the picture. It has mesh sleeves, which I love for keeping cool, and soft fabric. The designers were also smart enough not to include an itchy tag, so all around its a great jersey! Bonktown.com is my favorite place to buy discounted cycling gear, although I guess I have only used it to buy this jersey and my tri-shorts... but I feel like I am on the site all the time scoping out deals!

I decided to switch it up today and go on a bike ride when I got home. I rode around Lake Harriet first and had planned to ride the loop around the lakes (Lake Harriet, Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles), but by the time I got to Lake Calhoun, I was so into the ride that I missed the turnoff to Lake of the Isles. oops. So I just finished Lake Calhoun, then went back to Harriet and rode around there again. The weather was nice with the exception of some strong winds.

HOWEVER, something is going on with Golden Eagle Jr. There were some awkward sounds coming from my chain, and when I switched gears there was unnecessary clanking. Unfortunately, I no longer live in DC and can't take my bike to Revolution Cycles <--- the best bike shop ever. So now I need to find a new place to go, or bike-knowledge friend to give me a diagnosis. I probably just need some oil, grease, etc. but I'm pretty ignorant in that department so I'd rather leave it up to the experts. I just found out that I got a job for the summer, so my former stance on not buying a new bicycle for the triathlon has already begun to waiver. eek!

Looking forward to a run with some friends tomorrow, but the forecast is calling for thunderstorms. We'll see what happens!

Today's Run From Hell and Sibling Love

Today I remembered how much I actually hate running. I hate it. It sucked. And I need to remember to drink more water before I start running. Finishing the loop around Lake Calhoun was agonizing.

So instead of talking about that, let's look at this picture of my brother and laugh...

He told me I should make sure to talk about him more on this blog since he loves to work out and considers himself to be my fitness role model. He came to visit me in March, when I had just decided to enter the triathlon. We went running together a few times and my ability to keep up with him was laughable. At one point, he ran ahead of me for a mile, yelling over his shoulder, "Don't stop running until I come back for you!" The first time I made it around Lake of the Isles without stopping, I called him immediately after so he could tell me "congratulations." It would be really great if he lived here so I could have a steady running partner, but alas, I have to suffice with calling him instead to report on my workout schedule.

So here's to Chauncey - my goofy inspiration!

Ipod Shuffle Takes Her First Bike Trip

My new neighborhood poses a difficult problem of not having a direct bus route from my apartment to school on the weekends. Rather than drive and pay for parking, which is #1 on things I hate to pay for (#2 is shipping and handling and #3 is sales tax on clothing, just in case you were wondering), I decided to bike. My ride is a mile longer now, which makes it a 12 mile round trip ride. Luckily the weather was beautiful yesterday, so I packed up my panniers and headed towards the Greenway!

Normally I don't listen to music while bicycling, because I want to be aware of cars, other cyclists, potential homeland security threats, etc. But I always take an ipod when riding on the Greenway, because the paths are wide and free from obstructions. Cyclists and walkers alike also tend to be a lot more considerate on the Greenway as opposed to the Grand Rounds.

The new ipod was perfect! My workout music selection is pretty awesome and I pushed myself faster with every beat. My goal is to bike to class one day a week, and it looks like Thursday might be my lucky day this week. Now if the rain can just hold off so I can go jogging tonight...

Recovering via Yoga

You know what makes the thought of running 3 miles sound even worse than normal? The thought of running 3 miles after spending the previous night on a party bus....

So yesterday, when I eventually woke up around noon, I decided to forgo running in favor of a 90 minute yoga sesh at Core Power. Initially my plan had been to run before yoga, but I justified my laziness by taking into account the amount of dancing I had done the night before.

Plus, keeping your balance on a pimped out school bus (painted bright pink and called the "Busweiser") that's going 60 mph on the highway out to Minnetonka is a really good core workout.

I thought yoga would provide some detox in addition to exercise, and it was that and so much more. First of all, I'm mildly obsessed with Core Power, but I have neither the commitment nor the capital necessary to purchase a real membership. So I stick to going on days when they have their free classes. Secondly, for some bizarre reason, practicing yoga in a 90 degree studio always feels good. Even on hangover days. This is coming from a former lifeguard who frequently fainted/passed out, off her stand, during the summer heat. No, that's not a joke.

I drank two Nalgenes of water in under 90 minutes and felt like a normal person by the time class was over. This week, I am forcing myself to shape up and buy a Y membership. I'm hoping the yoga classes at the Y will be just as good as Core Power, but something tells me not to get my hopes up.

"For someone who hates running, you sure run a lot."

The title of this post pretty much sums up my run last night. I ran around Lake Calhoun with Jihone and really hated the experience. I don't know if I was tired from running a little longer the day before or what, but around the halfway point, every part of me was thinking "screw this."

This is where it was really helpful to be running with a friend. It forced me to continue running for two reasons:
1. I didn't want to ruin his workout by making us stop
2. I didn't want to look like a fat baby who couldn't finish something she easily did yesterday

So yes, I finished the run, yelled "thank god" and went home to eat some peanut m&ms.

Today is an off day. No, this has nothing to do with a training regiment, which I still have to create btw. It's simply because I don't have enough time in the day. Between work, networking, and oh yeah, the PARTY BUS I'm going on tonight for a friend's birthday, working out isn't making the schedule today.

Check back tomorrow when I attempt to run and then attend a 90 minute hot yoga session at Core Power. Hopefully some of the hippies decide to wear deodorant this time.

Celebration!

Triple Torture has over 200 views as of today!!! Thanks, readers! And now, a little treat for you....



mmmm homemade Easter Bunny cupcakes

Question of the Day

Hello, readers! Here is my question: do your hands ever swell when you are running? If so, what do you do to prevent or alleviate this?

I had this problem today when I was running around Lake Calhoun. It doesn't happen to me every time I run, but frequently enough that it is annoying. This has also happened to me when I have been hiking, but I cured the problem by using hiking poles, and I think the constant motion of my arms makes the blood flow better. What should I do when running? Move my arms more? Higher? Lower?

My run was pretty uneventful other than that it was the first time I have run with my new ipod. It worked marvelously, and I'm really happy with my purchase! I was feeling pretty good (and listening to Lets Get Loud!) at the beginning of my run, so I increased my speed. Suddenly, augh! stomach cramp, and I had to slow down to a jog. Maybe I'll be able to run a little faster tomorrow.

One more thought: can training for a triathlon give me a body like J-Lo?

Triathlete Magazine

Before I flew to Seattle, I went to Barnes and Nobles and bought this magazine to read on the plane. I have to admit, its pretty cool that there is a magazine (and this isn't the only one) dedicated to triathletes. The magazine makes triathlons seem more like a sport and less like an activity for exercise affectionados.

What isn't cool is that fact that halfway through reading, I had a minor panic attack about owning a bicycle that costs less than $4,000. Umm, I know Golden Eagle Jr. (my bike) isn't the flashiest piece in the pan, but it is still solid gold in my book! I'm committed to competing in my first triathlon on Golden Eagle Jr. for two reasons:

1. I'm too poor to buy a new bicycle
2. I don't want to spend thousands of dollars on a new bicycle if I end up hating this race - better to wait until after August 22nd to make this decision

But, I will be investing in some new gear for the triathlon. I've already purchased a pair of tri-shorts (awesome deal on Bonktown.com), and I'm planning on purchasing a tri-top at REI this weekend with my rebate check and 20% off members-only coupon. Holla! Members of REI say whatttt to savings!

In the meantime, its back to the library to check out some triathlon books and read more about brick workouts that were hinted at in Triathlete. Overall, I thought this was a nice magazine, but I won't be purchasing the May issue because it is written for a far more advanced athlete than I.

Oh, and it rained today so I still haven't had a chance to test out my new ipod on a run. Blue skies tomorrow? Check back tomorrow, Mum fans!

Woah

So small...

NEWS FLASH

I just ran for a second time today! Yes, that is correct - two workouts in one day. Has the whole world gone crazy? Did I ingest crazy pills along with my marshmellow peeps this morning? Who knows! But the idea of running around Lake Calhoun with my friend, Jihone, and enjoying the last few minutes of sunshine in the day made me realize I. Had. Not. Had. Enough.

This means I ran about 6 miles today. I'm not sure if I could have done it consecutively, but I am going to start pushing myself for more speed now that I know I have built up more endurance.

Benefits to Running at the Lake: No Shortcuts

I plotted a three mile course around my neighborhood this morning, and set off with full intentions on completing the course. Flash forward 25 minutes later, and I really just want to take a shower and eat some Easter breakfast. If I were running around the lake, I would HAVE to finish the loop, or else start swimming (hmm have I just found a new brick exercise strategy?)

Ok ok, fine, I admit, once - just once! - in February, I was running and just felt like going home, so I walked across the frozen Lake of the Isles and went home early....

So today, I cut four blocks off what I was originally supposed to run. Yeah, ok, whatever, keep your disappointment to yourself. I'm still proud of myself for getting out there and running as soon as I woke up this morning. Exercising before breakfast, or even before noon, is something the old me would never have done. Things are on the up and up.

Plus, I get my new ipod shuffle in the mail tomorrow! I ordered the pink one (obvi), and I'm loading it up with tons of Gaga, Britney, and Cher. I have been running with my old ipod, and it just hasn't been working out for either of us. When I say old, I mean ancient in Applespeak. It's six years old *gasp!dinosaur technology* and it's so fat that it won't even fit in those new-age arm bands they make for the kids. So for the sanctity of our six year relationship, old ipod will be reserved for buses and planes, while new ipod will become my electronic running partner.

Now that the weather has officially turned the corner for spring, I will be riding my bike more often and prepping for the 12k ride. Can't wait to wear my superdork Microsoft bike jersey I bought in Seattle!

First Timed Run

I ran another lap (5k) around Lake Calhoun tonight, and for the first time I actually paid attention to my starting and stopping time. I made it around again without walking, although I must confess, it was harder to do on my own and with the 25 mph wind gusts. My time per mile was what I expected: 10 minutes. I'm not sure how to decrease that time, other than running faster. My hope is that the more I run, the better my time will become. I will have to read some books about this.

I don't think I have explicitly stated my goals on here for my first triathlon, but they are as follows:
1. finish the race
2. don't be last

Although I am far from swimming, biking, and running a complete course, I looked up last year's race times to get a general idea of where I need to be in 142 days. The top woman finished in 1:08 and the last place woman finished in 2:51. I would love to finish right around the 1:30 mark, but unless I buy a new bicycle, I don't think that's happening. Some time under 2:00 is realistic. More about getting psyched out about expensive triathlon gear that "makes you faster" later.

And on a final note, I haven't exercised this much in a week since high school - and that was because we had gym class daily....

Peer Pressure Made Me Do It

Last night I reached another goal: running around Lake Calhoun (5k) without stopping! I have no idea of my time per mile, but I kept a constant pace and finished strong. But I didn't do it alone! I can attribute much of this success to my friend, Rachael. We ran around the lake together, and running with her forced me to keep a steady pace and to continue going when I really felt like stopping. If I had been alone, I likely would have stopped to walk at least once. Thanks, friend! For the first time I see the benefits of having a running buddy, and I hope that we can go running together often.

Today's lesson: peer pressure can be a good thing!

In other news, I saw the homeless clown on Nicollet Mall again yesterday, but he wasn't assaulting anyone this time. Keep on the path of straight and narrow clownman.

Cemetaries, Lakes, and Clowns

The perils of moving apartments include learning the buses that stop near your new apartment. In my haste to get home last night after eating free Punch Pizza, I boarded the wrong bus and wound up by the ghetto Kmart near midtown. Umm what. The letters after the numbers on the bus line actually mean something? Next time a friend offers me a ride, I'll swallow any guilt I have towards wasting their time and accept the offer. Fast forward an hour later, after taking another bus and walking over a mile, I finally arrive at my doorstep. The entire walk home, I had been attempting to convince myself that my walk constituted exercise, which meant I wouldn't have to go running later. Well, guess what, evil part of my brain, NOT THIS TIME. I put on my running shorts and headed out the door.

The next challenge involved in living in a new place: not knowing a running route. I'm attempting to stick to my guns and not pay for internet, so without the aid of Google maps, I decided to run in the general direction towards Lake Calhoun and run for about 30 minutes.

The good news: I ran for 30 solid minutes and felt really good about it when I got home.

The bad news: I ran past a cemetery and saw way too many freshly dug graves. creepy!

Oh, yeah, and the bonus that I got for taking the wrong bus: I saw one homeless man dressed as a clown, slap another homeless man in a wheelchair across the face on Nicollet Mall.

Progress!

Who ran all the way around Lake of the Isles today without stopping? THIS GIRL!!!! yes! sweet, sweet victory! Prior to this date which will live in infamy, I had NEVER, I repeat, NEVER, completed an outdoor run without stopping or walking at least once. Not once! Unless, that is, if you count the times when I time myself runnig from my car to my apartment at night, but that's just basic survival skills training in case I'm being attacked by kidnappers, so I don't count that as exercise.

ANYWAY, It was a 2.74 mile run, which is just short of the 3 miles I'll need to run in the triathlon. This is by no means the end, but it is progress with a capital P. The craziest part of it all, is that afterward, I didn't contemplate killing myself. Yes, yes, that's right folks, I think *gasp* I am actually starting to enjoy exercising. Who knows what I'll start liking next - children? snakes? Taylor Swift? I'm loving this exercise high so much, I'm even considering running again tomorrow. That would make another first for me: working out two days in a row.

Now I'm off to the liquor store to buy a bottle of Belvedere to take to the Chelsea Handler book signing.

Moving = Exercise?

Working out this week has been seriously hindered by the fact that I'm moving to a different apartment this weekend and have been slowly but surely packing up all my stuff each night after school. I had been feeling really badly about not running as planned, BUT THEN my cousin told me about this fun moving company in Chicago called Move-tastic! The movers are triathletes who run back and forth from your apartment to their truck. It's a speedy move and it sounds like they get a lot of exercise too. GENIUS.

Therefore, this Saturday, I will be re-creating my own Move-tastic company as I run back and forth to my Uhaul trailer. And it won't just be for exercise. Oh, you haven't seen the forecast? Yeah, it's supposed to rain...


Have I ever mentioned how much I HATE rain?!