Triathlete or Mathlete

Hood to Coast 2010: Breaking Barriers

2010-10-11T13:23:00.000-07:00

Note: After the triathlon, I abandoned this blog. But I didn't abandon working out. In October 2009 I started a fitness program via my iPhone called, "Couch to 5K". Even though I wasn't really on the couch, I wanted to start slowly. It was a great program for me and I highly recommend it. This is what came next...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love trying new things. Last year it was hula hoop dancing and a triathlon. I had never done Hood to Coast before this year. Friends had participated in the 12-person, 197 mile relay race over the years so it was “on my list”. Subsequently, when an invitation came to run with the Aha! team, I said yes without hesitation. I never thought of myself as a runner. I played soccer for 25 years but training via running was never a part of my routine. I could run but I wasn’t a “real” runner.

I didn’t know what I was getting into when I signed up to do Hood to Coast 2010. I thought I was going to be running 3 legs of about 3 miles each and everyone else was going to do the hard legs. I was in for a big surprise. As far as I can tell, there are no “easy” sets of legs. Everyone pays. We pay in steepness (ascending or descending). We pay in distance. We pay in dust and gravel. We pay in exhaustion. Before June 2010, I had never even run more than 5K. That is 3.1 miles for the uninitiated. For Hood to Coast, I was signed up to do legs 10, 22 and 34. The mileage total for all three legs? 17.13 miles (the third highest mileage). I was terrified.

I am a good team player. I show up. I have enthusiasm. But honestly, when it finally sunk in that I would be running 17.13 miles in less than 24 hours, I realized that I would need to train hard. So, I showed up. I had enthusiasm. I trained. I listened to our coach, Angel. I ran and I ran and I ran.

Thank god for the bottom of Pamela’s shoes.

The trail runs in Forest Park were my favorite part of the training. My neighbor Pamela and I would start out running together. She is faster than me so she set out in front and I would watch the bottom of her shoes. But eventually she would pull away and I would be left alone. I got to know my playlist. I figured out which songs I needed more of and which type I needed to delete. I kept pushing myself and eventually was able to look at the bottom of Pamela’s shoes for longer amounts of time. I don’t know what it was but through some strange hypnosis brought on by the bottom of her shoes paired with just the right music I ran farther and I ran faster.

But really I was just trying to make it through.

When I heard that headphones were not going to be allowed for Hood to Coast, I panicked. Music and running are inseparable for me. I actually thought I wouldn’t be able to run without music pushing me along. I immediately ordered some clip on speakers that were allowed. When I realized I wasn’t going to get them in time I ordered a fancy external speaker the shape and size of a racquetball. How the heck was I going to run with that? Finally, at the exchange from Van 1 to Van 2, I copied Brett and got an inexpensive little external speaker. Then I “McGuyvered” it to make a handle and, bobbing to the beat, started running my first leg of 6.19 miles.

I have to admit I whined, wheedled and pouted about my second leg: Leg 22. It was 6.81 miles and classified as “hard”. The first two miles were straight up. Oh, and I had to run it at 1:30 am. I asked everyone in my van if they would run those first two miles with me. I really didn’t think I could do it. But it was the middle of the night and I had no takers. I cranked my music and went for it. I was determined. And I did it. I ran up the two miles and ran down the other 4.81 miles. Toward the end of my run, a song my friend Eileen recommended came on called, “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” by the Dropkick Murphys. It is a crazy, fast Celtic song about sailors with peg legs and it got me going. As I finished my run the song that was playing was a remake of “Pump Up the Jam” by Bomba Estereo. Perfect.

Even though my last leg was a mere 4.13 miles and classified as “moderate,” I was nervous about it. It was hot and I was queasy. I was feeling the mental strain of running farther than I’d run in my life plus the physical strain of trying to stay healthy in awkward conditions. Becky offered to run my leg with me. This was both a blessing and a curse. It was a blessing because she was positive and she kept me going. It was a curse because she kept trying to get me to go for some “road kill”. In Hood to Coast whenever you pass someone, you count them as your road kill. She kept urging me to go faster, pointing out all the easy road kill up ahead. Sadly, I didn’t get even one and eventually she encouraged me to finish the leg on my own.

The last part of that race was a turning point for me. I wanted to finish. I didn’t want to walk. I didn’t want to throw up. I was also curious. I wanted to know what it would be like if I did push myself. That moment was not the right moment for pushing. I did not push myself and I am still ok about that decision. But I was curious.

Cut to present day. The other day I ran 4.14 miles. Yes, I just ran it. It was really no biggie. Oh, and I ran it fast*. I can do that now; because I am a runner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you Aha! Easy Writers: Shari, Bryce, Lou, Pamela, Dan, Cory, Barbara, Angel, Becky, Britta and Brett. You provided the inspiration and reason to become a runner. I had a blast doing Hood to Coast 2010. And thank you for giving me a gift to take forward, a gift of being curious about finding my limits. Thank you also to all the volunteers – we couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you to my husband, Will, who helped me to make it happen.

Let me know if you need another runner for next year’s Hood to Coast and I promise to push myself. See you on the trail.

* Well, faster for me.

Triathalon completed!

2009-08-07T10:29:00.000-07:00

Ok - August 1st has come and gone and...I did it!!! I completed the triathlon. I had a lot of goals when I started training. One was that I actually complete the triathlon. Another, though I didn't realize it at the time, was not to come in last. Happily - I did not. I came in 9th in my age group (out of 23) and 53 (out of 183) overall.

Breaking down the events:

The Swim:
Wow - for all the training I did, I was expecting the swim to go better than it did. Unfortunately, I had rented a triathlon wet suit and had not tried it before hand. Had I tried it, I may have realized that it was too tight in my neck and chest area. I just could not catch my breath. I spent a good portion of the time just gulping air. I did not swim freestyle like I had done for so many hours in the pool. Instead, I did some weird hybrid of a side stroke and a dog paddle. Sigh. In the middle of the swim I actually had a slight panic attack (not a good thing in water). If there had been a boat nearby at that moment, I probably would have asked for a ride (thereby getting disqualified). Thankfully, there was no boat close so I just decided to keep going. I un-velcroed my wetsuit and tucked it under and that did help. In spite of what I thought was a dismal swimming event, I came in 86 out of 183.

A point of irony - the water was very warm - 75 degrees. I could have swam without the wetsuit but I wasn't willing to give up the buoyancy.

Swim to Bike transition
The swim to bike transition was one I had been worried about. I was mostly worried that I wouldn't be able to get my wetsuit off. However, it went just fine thanks to the person at the wetsuit rental shop who showed me how to do it. (I also practiced). I just pulled on a shirt, shorts, hydration pack, socks, shoes, gloves, helmet and sunglasses. Wow! In retrospect, that was a lot! Then I had to run to the "mount line".

The Bike Portion:
Thank goodness the bike ride was awesome. I basically spent the entire time passing people. I swear I think I passed 50 people. I was just flying. It was the most fun part of the race for me. And even though I was passing people, I said, "good job" to everyone who I passed and gave a shout out to anyone who passed me. It was bliss. I am so grateful to my friends who helped me with the bike by lending me a road bike and getting it fit to me. It was really good. I came in 29th out of 183 on the bike portion.

Bike to Run transition:
This transition was also fairly quick. I just had to divest myself of all my bike stuff and start running. I wasted a few moments trying to find a handkerchief and ended up blowing my nose in my towel. (I know, over sharing). I left this transition in 28th place out of 183.

The Run:
This is where it all fell apart for me. I thought the swim was bad, but it was nothing compared to the run! I had definitely under trained in running and it showed. I just did not have the stamina to keep up a good pace especially as it was HOT with the sun just breaking as I took the running course. All those people who I passed on the bike? I think they all passed me. I even walked a few times when I could not catch my breath. It was dismal. I came in 110th out of 183 in the run which pushed my overall place to 53 out of 183.

After I ran through the finish I was handed a medal. My daughter was so excited! She asked if I came in first place and I told her I didn't. Then she asked if I came in second. I told her everyone got a medal. She was still pretty excited about the whole thing. She also got to witness the kid's triathlon which interested her. I told her that if she did it next year, I would do the triathlon again. This is just about the only way I would do it again. I think I may just be done. Don't get me wrong - I am glad I did it. But I haven't been bitten by the "bug".

I kind of lost track but I would like to go back and see if I can figure out what the total outlay of money was and how far I swam during my training.

In summary, the actual time that I raced was only about 1 hour and 35 minutes. I didn't even really feel sore afterwards. If anyone wanted to try a triathlon, I would definitely recommend it. Definitely train for it, but do it and enjoy it.

Dismal failure or unrealistic expectations

2009-07-08T08:25:00.001-07:00

Ok - I am not even going to discuss the title of this post. FYI - I am referring to this blog - not to my training.

The training for this triathlon has been a bumpy road. I started really fast and furious - working out two times a day some days. I kept that pace up for around 6 weeks. And then it feels like I got a little burned out. Adding to that I started getting migraines which I believe are related to stress. All that to say that if I hadn't told so many people about doing this triathlon, I probably would have given up! ;)

Seriously though, I am still plugging away - just not with the same fervor that I started with. Working backwards, here is what I have been up to:

* Rode my bike yesterday for 50 minutes. I forgot my water! Duh'oh!
* Swam 1/3 mile on Monday. Also did a 1.5 hour hula hoop dancing class.
* Sunday I went for a hike for about an hour.
* 6/30 I tried to go for a bike ride but only rode for about 15 minutes (I had tire issues).
* 6/29 Went for an hour walk.
* 6/24 Went to my first 1.5 hour hula hoop dancing class.
* Week of June 14th - went running two times. Tried to swim in the Pacific Ocean on the Oregon Coast. (Bad idea).

So - I have a little momentum which I am trying to continue. The race is on August 1st - gulp! My friend and I are going to do a mock triathlon on July 18th. Should be interesting. It will be good to know we can do the whole thing.

It was a great idea

2009-06-08T09:41:00.000-07:00

I think this blog was a great idea. However, I have not been keeping it up to date. Who knows? Perhaps this shows a normal journey of a first time triathlon. (OK, can I just tell myself that?).

My training has waxed and waned of the past month (which is when I last posted). My masters swim class was going really well...until work got in the way. I know now that I can swim a mile and so doing a 1/4 mile seems doable to me. I will be going to the coast next week and am hoping to get some open water swims in. I will probably need to rent a wetsuit though! (Pacific Ocean in Oregon is COLD).

I am enjoying biking when I get the time to do it. It is hard to carve out a decent amount of time to go on a good ride. But I really need to get my butt in the seat!!! I don't think I am particularly fast on a bike but I know I will finish.

Running is definitely my weakest link. I used to be an extremely fast sprinter. Time and 25 years of playing soccer has really slowed me down. My knees ache when I run. I suspect that part of my warm up for the actual race will be downing some Advil! I have intentionally minimized this in my training. I would love to get back to long walks with my neighbor but I need to actually make it happen.

I did buy "fast laces". Sadly, I bought the wrong size and have to exchange them. (They work great on my 3.5 year old son's shoes though).

There are only 7-8 weeks to go before the triathlon. The week or at least couple of days before the actual race you are supposed to take it easy. So I have 7 weeks to ramp up my training. Gulp.

Maybe this is a trend?

2009-04-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

Interesting a week has passed since my last "catch-up post". Maybe this will just be a weekly blog? I am not sure. I think it is better if I post every day...especially since I did not write down what I did last week. Sigh.

April 6 - Did not swim, went for 50 minute fast walk.
April 7 - Walk/ran for 20 minutes.
April 8 - Pretty sure I swam 28 laps, walked 50 minutes.
April 9 - Off.
April 10 - Swam 32 laps, did not bike.
April 11 - Went for a multi-hour (2 I think) hike with my family and a friend.
April 12 - Off.
April 13 - Started master swim class. Swam 3/4 mile! Wahoo! That is a personal record. We did work to get faster which is what I need. I think it looked something like this:

200 warm up
200 kick only
100 kick only
50 swim
100 kick only
50 swim
100 kick only
50 swim
200 swim
200 cool down

It was a good work out. Can't wait until next week.

Another Catch Up Post - Sigh

2009-04-06T09:17:00.001-07:00

I am still here - training in fits and starts. Here is my catch up post:

March 27, 28, 29, 30, 31st: Took all these days off due to an event that I had on the 28th plus a minor lack of motivation.
April 1: Swam 22 laps. Walked for 45 minutes.
April 2: My official day off and I took it.
April 3: Swam 28 laps. Biked 5 miles (and looked at bikes at a bike shop).
April 4: Short hike in the morning and then rode 7 miles along the Columbia River. Beautiful.
April 5: I was supposed to do something today but I hung out with my family. Sundays should really be my day off. (I did sand and paint two doors though!).

I signed up for a Master Swim class which starts April 13th and I am looking forward to it. According to the bike shop, I actually need a 56cm woman's frame. I am not sure how that translates to a men's bike.

Week 8; Day 4: Thursday (plus catch up)

2009-03-26T09:27:00.000-07:00

Daily learning / random notes: As I suspected, I have not had a lot of time or energy to train this week. I have a big creative event happening on Saturday and my energy is going into preparing for that.

I got a whole bunch of books from the library and have been working my way through them. As someone who is training for her first triathlon, some books were less meaningful than others. One of these books, which is more appropriate for someone who is not on her first triathlon, is called The Triathlete's Training Bible by Joe Friel. I did find a great quote in this book that really struck me, "Swimming, cycling, and running reduce life to its most basic elements---breathing and movement." The quote is in a section called "Training to Go the Distance" and is all about why people do triathlons. What it says is that it is less about the races and more about the training. Having not actually competed in a triathlon, I cannot comments on this but it resonates with me.

I signed up for a Master Swim class at my pool. It will be only one of the 3 swimming training days each week. I do think it is exactly what I need to make sure that a) I am swimming correctly and b) I can figure out how to get faster (I am s-l-o-w). This added to the total training cost but I think it will be worth it. It doesn't start for a couple of weeks though. I will report back after it begins.

Total training cost: $198.50

Total distance swum: 11150 yards. (6.33 miles!)

Results of past few days:
Monday - Swam 32 laps, ran/walked for 15 minutes as my partner couldn't go.
Tuesday - Supposed to bike but did not because I had to watch kids for spring break.
Wednesday - Swam 22 laps, ran/walked for 60 minutes. Not motivated today but trained anyway.
Thursday - Today is supposed to be my day off but I need to change my training schedule because I am not getting to work out on Sundays. According to that, I should do a 10 mile bike ride. Ok - done. It took me 48 minutes and 40 seconds. I was in traffic for part of that. And coming home there was a huge headwind. Yuck. This is the first time I have ever timed myself. I really like riding by the river.

Week 7; Day 7: Sunday

2009-03-23T13:47:00.000-07:00

Daily learning / random notes: All right...so this is more of a catch up post than anything else. I will say that posting this week is going to be spotty as I have some other stuff going on. I am definitely not biking enough times a week or running long enough. I need to up my training. I am not sure it will happen this week.

Total training cost: $154.50

Total distance swum: 9800 yards.

Results of past few days:
Friday - Swam 32 laps - Personal Record! Did not bike as we went out of town.
Saturday - Ran 20 minutes on beach.
Sunday - Took the day off (due to exhaustion).

Week 7; Day 5: Thursday

2009-03-19T23:04:00.000-07:00

Daily learning / random notes: I like biking but I am having some neck pain. Is that normal? Technically this was my day off but I wanted to make up the bike ride I missed on Tuesday. I am thinking of mixing it up a little.

I am also thinking of doing a run - Bridge to Brews. I would run over the Fremont Bridge (which I have always wanted to do) AND get two beers at the end. What could be better?

Total training cost: $154.50

Total distance swum: 9000 yards.

Activity	Distance	Results
Swim	Off	n/a
Bike	6 miles	Biked 6 miles.
Run / Walk	Off	n/a

Catching up...

2009-03-19T22:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, it may seem like I gave up on this whole endeavor. But I haven't, really! I have just had a few obstacles. The last time I wrote was March 9th. Here is an update on what I have been doing since then.

As you may remember, I had fallen on March 8th. This ended up causing all sorts of problems which were fixed (?!?) by rest and chiropractic appointments.

March 10th was a bike ride which I skipped because I had a sprained wrist.
March 11th was a swim and run. I did swim 16 laps (and bought another 10 swims for $65).
March 12th was my day off and I took it.
March 13th I swam 30 laps but did not bike because of wrist.
March 14th and 15th I had no childcare and didn't exercise at all.
March 16th I went to Boot Camp which ended up being a mistake and within that hour I ran for 13 minutes. I also went swimming but sadly I didn't track how many laps I did. It would have been at least 20.
March 17th I was supposed to go for a bike ride but I was too tired.
March 18th I swam 20 laps and walked but mostly ran for about 30 minutes.

Which brings me to today. I definitely was de-motivated in general and more so by my fall. But I feel like I am back. I understand that these ups and downs are a normal part of training.

Week 6; Day 1: Monday

2009-03-09T21:23:00.000-07:00

Daily learning / random notes: Last night I fell and wrenched my right side (neck, arm and hit my wrist). I decided to skip swimming today because of the pain in my wrist. But I did get to go run/walking! Yay

Total training cost: $89.50

Total distance swum: 6850 yards.

Activity	Distance	Results
Swim	Warm up, Freestyle 300 yards, Cool down 100 yards	Skipped swimming today.
Bike	Off	n/a
Run / Walk	35 minutes	Walk 4:30 minutes / jog 2:30 minutes. My friend and I both forgot our watches but we walk / ran anyway. It was all good.

Week 5; Day 7: Sunday

2009-03-08T15:11:00.000-07:00

Daily learning / random notes: Because I got a cold, this week was not a very intense week for me. But I feel like I finished strong...

I am struggling with what to do about the cost of swimming. It may actually make sense for me to join the health club where I have been swimming. I need to do the math.

Another question I have is about neck tension while riding a bike. How do you not get it? Where are you supposed to be looking? What is the proper neck angle. More research to do.

Total training cost: $89.50

Total distance swum: 6850 yards.

Activity	Distance	Results
Swim	Off	n/a
Bike	4 miles	Biked ~9 miles today. I biked to the path that runs along Marine Drive which was almost 3 miles just to get there. I did have to go over a bridge where there is not much room for a bike but it was ok. I am sure I will be sore tomorrow.
Run / Walk	Off	n/a

Week 5; Day 6: Saturday

2009-03-08T15:10:00.000-07:00

Daily learning / random notes: Today was another sick day.

Week 5; Day 5: Friday

2009-03-06T15:46:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: I am feeling super sick today so I made a decision not to exercise. I hope I get better soon. I know the race is a long way out so missing a few days here and there isn't going to mess everything up but I had been in a good groove I don't want to lose.

Total training cost: $89.50

Total distance swum: 6850 yards.

Activity	Distance	Results
Swim	Warm up, Freestyle 200 yards, Cool down 100 yards	Did not swim.
Bike	4 miles	Did not bike.
Run / Walk	Off	n/a

Week 5; Day 4: Thursday

2009-03-06T15:44:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: Today is my weekly day off and I celebrated (?!?!) by getting sick. Groan.

Total training cost: $89.50

Total distance swum: 6850 yards.

Week 5; Day 3; Wednesday

2009-03-06T15:40:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: My walk/job partner thought I was busy tonight and went early. I didn't feel like going out in the dark by myself so I did not go. I guess this is one of the bad things about waiting till night time to exercise. My shoulder was sore in swimming but less than on Monday. I think switching my mouse to the other hand has helped.

Total training cost: $89.50
Total distance swum: 6850 yards.

Activity	Distance	Results
Swim	Warm up, Freestyle 200 yards, Cool down 100 yards	30 laps of 25 yards = 750 yards.
Bike	Off	n/a
Run / Walk	Walk/jog for 20 minutes	Did not do this today.

Week 5; Day 2: Tuesday

2009-03-03T07:20:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: I think I need to move my mouse from my right hand to my left hand. I can't believe that I didn't talk about bike fit yesterday! My friend C offered to help me fit my bike. I brought my bike into work and he helped me get the seat set up and checked the pedals. There are a few issues. One is that my seat is quite a bit higher than the handlebars. About 10 cm actually. The top stem (?) is at it's maximum height so I won't be able to get height there. Unfortunately, it is also an older style so it would be very difficult to change out. I am going to try putting my pedals on the bike and just try it out. Basically if it hurts to ride it, it is not right. I will test it out today.

I am grateful to C and all the others who are helping me to meet my goal of doing a triathlon.

Total training cost: $89.50

Activity	Distance	Results
Swim	Off	n/a
Bike	5 miles	Rode 5 miles. My hands definitely got numb at points which I don't think is a good thing. I also had to be a little careful because in some positions my right knees was hurting. I still have to put my pedals on.
Run / Walk	Off	n/a

Week 5; Day 1: Monday

2009-03-02T18:30:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: I got a book on Triathlon from the library but it doesn't appear to be the right book for me. I am hoping that one of the other ones I reserved will be better. I was flagging last week but I feel like perhaps I am ready to get back to it.

Total training cost: $89.50

Total distance swum: 6100 yards.

Activity	Distance	Results
Swim	Warm up, Freestyle 250 yards, Cool down 100 yards	26 laps of 25 yards = 650 yards. My shoulder is still bothering me a tiny bit. I tried a variety of strokes today to minimize using my shoulder.
Bike	Off	n/a
Run / Walk	20 minutes	Walk 5 minutes / jog 2 minutes. This is the first time I have jogged in this whole training plan. I did cycles of walking 5 minutes and jogging 2 minutes. My friend P and I did this for about 40 minutes. My knees are sore.

Week 4; Day 7: Sunday / 1 Month Recap

2009-03-02T18:18:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: Today marked the end of the first month of training. I wish I could say I went out with a bang but I am afraid I am going out with a frizzle. Sundays are just not good days for working out. I think I may have to trade my "off" day so that it is on Sunday. Up to now I have been unwilling to change the plan at all but I think I will be more successful if I do.

I have been feeling a little bit down and it is reflected in my motivation. Hopefully I will be able to get it back together.

Total training cost: $89.50

Total distance swum: 5450 yards.

Activity	Distance	Results
Swim	Off	n/a
Bike	5 miles	Biked zero miles.
Run / Walk	Off	n/a

Week 4; Day 6; Saturday

2009-03-02T18:13:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: I really enjoyed a hike at Hoyt Arboretum with my family. This is the second week in a row and I love it there. It was much more fun than just going for a walk.

Total training cost: $89.50

Total distance swum: 5450 yards.

Activity	Distance	Results
Swim	Off	n/a
Bike	Off	n/a
Run / Walk	Walk / jog for 25 minutes	I did not "walk" to walk today. However, I did go for a hike for about an hour. In the middle of it, I did three sets of stairs.

Week 4; Day 5: Friday

2009-03-02T18:04:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: I was actually driving to swim when I realized that my shoulder was hurting so at the last minute I decided not to go. I think I made a good decision.

Total training cost: $89.50

Total distance swum: 5450 yards.

Activity	Distance	Results
Swim	Warm up, Freestyle 200 yards, Cool down 100 yards	Skipped swimming today because my shoulder was hurting. I am hoping it is only because I did a bunch of push ups yesterday and not because I am swimming improperly.
Bike	4 miles	Biked 5 miles on bike a gym.
Run / Walk	Off	n/a

Week 4; Day 4: Thursday

2009-02-26T22:31:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: Today is my weekly training day off. For some insane reason, I looked up a program some friends were telling me about called "One Hundred Push Ups". And then I did a bunch of push ups. And now my right shoulder hurts. Arg. As if training for a triathlon wasn't enough.

Total training cost: $89.50

Total distance swum: Update: 5450 yards or a little over 3 miles.

Week 4; Day 3: Wednesday

2009-02-24T21:54:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: Never had a chance to walk today. Bummer.

Total training cost: $89.50

Activity	Distance	Results
Swim	Warm up, Freestyle 200 yards, Cool down 100 yards	22 laps of 25 yards = 550 yards.
Bike	Off	n/a
Run / Walk	Walk/jog for 20 minutes	Did not do this today.

Week 4; Day 2: Tuesday

2009-02-24T10:46:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: I am very sore from yesterday's swim. I am not sure how I will fit in a bike ride today as I am really busy during the day and have an event tonight. I may have to go for another evening bike ride (with lights!).

I did fit in a quick ride today. I also checked to see if my bike seat post would fit on my friend's bike. I am happy to say that it does fit. However, I know I don't have it adjusted properly so that is what I need to work on next. I know bike fit is very important.

Total training cost: $89.50

Activity	Distance	Results
Swim	Off	n/a
Bike	4 miles	Rode almost 4 miles exactly. That was all I had time for.
Run / Walk	Off	n/a

Week 4; Day 1: Monday

2009-02-24T10:38:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: I am going to order some triathlon books from the library. I did a boot camp class at work and I feel that it is a little easier. Well, as easy as someone intentionally kicking my butt can be. Maybe a better measure is to say that I am complaining less. :)

Total training cost: $89.50

Activity	Distance	Results
Swim	Warm up, Freestyle 200 yards, Cool down 100 yards	28 laps of 25 yards = 700 yards. Today I tried to go a little faster and not take so many breaks. It is all well and good to push off from the wall to get a little break but there are no walls on a lake so I better be sure I can do the whole swim!
Bike	Off	n/a
Run / Walk	25 minutes	I skipped this today just because of the way my schedule worked out. However, I did go to boot camp class again which kicked my butt.

Week 3; Day 7: Sunday

2009-02-22T21:52:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: I really, really, really, really, really didn't want to go for a bike ride tonight. I was tired and grumpy and very demotivated. My DH gave me a pep talk and a shoulder rub and I decided to go anyway. (Thanks W!). I am still tired and grumpy but at least I rode my bike.

I cannot believe that I am at the end of Week 3! I feel that I have done pretty well with my program so far. I am worried about money and I know that I will continue to have expenditures. Swimming in a pool will cost $234 - $507 depending on which pool I go to. Sadly - I am not crazy about swimming in the lakes and rivers around here. And even if I wanted to, I would need to wait until the weather gets warm enough so that I would not need a wetsuit. Also, there is an entry fee of $60. I am not counting anything else at all and I am sure there will be other expenditures (for example, I suspect that before this is over, I will need a new bathing suit). I wish I could find a free lap pool close to home open hours I am available...sigh.

Total training cost: $89.50

Activity	Distance	Results
Swim	Off	n/a
Bike	4 miles	Biked 4 miles on my mountain bike because I was biking at night and I have lights for my bike.
Run / Walk	Off	Hiked today with the family. While stopping for a snack ran up and down a hill a few times for the heck of it.

Week 3; Day 6: Saturday

2009-02-22T21:49:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: Never got around to doing my walking training today. But I did get some exercise so it wasn't a total bust.

Total training cost: $89.50

Activity	Distance	Results
Swim	Off	n/a
Bike	Off	n/a
Run / Walk	Walk / jog for 25 minutes	Walked to the grocery store and back and ran around at the park but no intentional walk today.

Week 3; Day 5: Friday

2009-02-22T21:42:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: I tried to keep track of my laps in the pool by moving my shoes around on the tiles. Sounds weird? Well, it didn't work any way. LOL.

Total training cost: $89.50

Total distance swum: 4200 yards (I will go with my lower estimate).

Activity	Distance	Results
Swim	Warm up, Freestyle 150 yards, Cool down 100 yards	28 or 30 laps of 25 yards = 700 or 750 yards. I lost track which I why I am not sure how many laps I did. How to people keep track?
Bike	3 miles	Biked 5 miles on the course I discovered last weekend. Not to many starts and stops and fairly level.
Run / Walk	Off	n/a

Week 3; Day 4: Thursday

2009-02-19T13:22:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: Today is my weekly training day off. Today it is my intention to add a new section which is "distance swum". I do this for no other reason than it seems fun. Perhaps I will add other sections as I go.

Total training cost: $89.50

Total distance swum: 3500 yards or in other words almost 2 miles.

Week 3; Day 3: Wednesday

2009-02-19T13:11:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: I decided against walking today because a) we had company and b) I thought 3 workouts in one day was too much. I want to be smart about this whole thing and I don't want to get burnt our or hurt.

Total training cost: $89.50

Activity	Distance	Results
Swim	Warm up, Freestyle 150 yards, Cool down 100 yards	26 laps of 25 yards = 650 yards.
Bike	Off	5 miles as part of Boot Camp class.
Run / Walk	Walk for 20 minutes	Did not do this today. What I did do was a Boot Camp class which was very intense. During the class I actually biked 5 miles (plus a whole lot more).

Week 3; Day 2: Tuesday

2009-02-18T09:30:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: It took me a while to realize that I don't have to ride around every time I have to do bike training. I can utilize the stationary bikes at the gym. They are not optimal but it is nice to have options.

In three weeks of working out (actually longer since I was working out before I started training) I have not lost a bit of weight. This makes me sad. But perhaps I am turning fat to muscle. Right?

Seriously, I think my body is trying very hard to maintain its current weight. It is where I have been for 2 years and I think it is used to that weight. Consequently, I find myself unconsciously eating when I don't need to.

A few years ago I stopped eating after 7:30 pm at night (except on special occasions). This worked well for me to make better food choices and not eat for the wrong reasons (boredom, feeling low). I need to re institute this. I think it would really help.

Total training cost: $89.50

Activity	Distance	Results
Swim	Off	n/a
Bike	3 miles	Today what worked for me was to ride a bike at the gym. I rode for 6 miles. I chose the "racing bike" and I realized afterwards that is was really uncomfortable. I will not use that one again.
Run / Walk	Off	Just to test what it would be like I walked fast on the treadmill for 3/4 of a mile.

Week 3; Day 1: Monday

2009-02-16T16:20:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: I got some more tutoring on swimming. B told me about the kick in breaststroke. It was hard but I practiced it quite a bit. I also practiced "grabbing water" which my brother was telling me about. It is interesting how that changed my freestyle stroke. I can't believe I just started week three of training!

Total training cost: $89.50

Activity	Distance	Results
Swim	Warm up, Freestyle 150 yards, Cool down 100 yards	26 laps of 25 yards = 650 yards. Another personal record. I practiced bilateral breathing today along with freestyle and breaststroke.
Bike	Off	n/a
Run / Walk	25 minutes	Walked very fast for an hour. Good conversation and a nice night. What a way to train!

Week 2; Day 7: Sunday

2009-02-15T14:30:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: Today I tried out John's bike. I felt like I was flying!!! It was a very fun bike ride (even though I wasn't that motivated to go). I do think either it is too small or I need to adjust it. My hands hurt a little bit. I guess I am just not used to leaning on them.

I am excited that I have made it through 2 weeks of training. This coming week the swimming continues to increase and the program says that you can choose to start adding in some running now. I am worried about my knees (too many years playing soccer) so I will likely take it very easy with the running. The bike distance also keeps increasing.

Total training cost: $89.50

Activity	Distance	Results
Swim	Off	n/a
Bike	2 miles	Biked a little over 5 miles. Felt like I could have done more but am glad I took it easy.
Run / Walk	Off	n/a

Week 2; Day 6: Saturday

2009-02-15T08:19:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: Today I picked up my friend John's bike to try out. It feel much different than my mountain bike (obviously) but I fear it may be a tiny bit small. I am hoping to get my bike friends to help me fit it, if possible. I am very excited to try it out tomorrow.

Total training cost: $89.50

Activity	Distance	Results
Swim	Warm up, Freestyle 100 yards, Cool down 50 yards	22 laps of 25 yards = 550 yards. Wahoo! This sets a personal record for me in my training. I tried practicing bilateral breathing but it was fairly difficult.
Bike	Off	n/a
Run / Walk	Walk for 25 minutes	Walked 20 minutes to J's house. Also walked around the mall so I figure I am good.

Week 2; Day 5: Friday

2009-02-13T12:25:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: I am inextricably hungry today.

Total training cost: $89.50

Activity	Distance	Results
Swim	Warm up, Freestyle 100 yards, Cool down 50 yards	22 laps of 25 yards = 550 yards. Wahoo! I broke a personal record today by doing 22 laps. I practiced bilateral breathing but I don't think I did very well.
Bike	2 miles	Combined an errand with my bike ride today. I rode down to the library and back up for a total of 2.5 miles with a big hill.
Run / Walk	Off	n/a

Week 2; Day 4: Thursday

2009-02-12T09:18:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: Today is my weekly training day off. I am still sore from my boot camp class on Monday but it is starting to subside. I know that having a day off is a good thing but I am eager to keep training. I think this is a good thing. I am super excited to try out my friend's bike this weekend. I hope it is a good fit.

Total training cost: $89.50

Week 2; Day 3: Wednesday

2009-02-11T15:52:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: I may have found a bike!!! My friend John is going to let me try out his "old" bike. I get to pick it up this weekend. If it works out he will let me borrow it until the race. Thanks John!

I met the lifeguard at the pool today formally. She is super nice and gave me more tips on swimming. I was doing breaststroke today (to mix it up) and she corrected something I was doing which made it much better. I appreciate all of these people who want me to succeed. Thank you B!

Total training cost: $89.50

Activity	Distance	Results
Swim	Warm up, Freestyle 100 yards, Cool down 50 yards	16 laps of 25 yards = 400 yards. For the race I will need to go 1/4 mile or ~450 yards which is 18 laps in a 25 yard pool so I am actually close. My training is for a 1/2 mile so I am hoping I will be in good shape for the race.
Bike	Off	n/a
Run / Walk	Walk for 20 minutes	Walked exactly 20 minutes. Alone. In the dark. Not doing that again.

Week 2; Day 2: Tuesday

2009-02-11T09:17:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: I need to remember that the first part of a ride is a warm up. Today's ride was uncomfortable for the first 1/2 mile and then lovely for the rest of the ride. I rode on streets with light traffic and was able to cruise along Alameda. Fun stuff. I am really glad that it was not snowing!!!

Total training cost: $89.50

Swim: off

Bike: 2 miles
Bike Results:
Got my bike map out and figured out a 3 mile route different than my last route. See notes above.

Run: off

Week 2; Day 1: Monday

2009-02-09T15:18:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: I am still not sure what I am doing with respect to a bike. I continue to monitor Craigslist but don't really know what I am looking for. I had an idea that perhaps I can trade my Thule rack for a bike. I need to figure out what all the parts and pieces are.

I am definitely feeling tired today in spite of a great night's sleep. Am I overdoing it?

Total training cost: $89.50

Swim: Warm up, Freestyle 100 yards, Cool down 50 yards

Swim Results:
14 laps of 25 yards = 350 yards. It appears to be getting a little easier every time I go.

Bike: off

Run / Walk: Walk for 20 minutes

Run / Walk Results: I did a boot camp class this morning which had my heart rate up for a solid hour. Then I walked for 45 minutes at night with my neighbor and her dog. I had drank a bit of wine and wasn't totally motivated. Thankfully, P got me to go.

Week 1; Day 7: Sunday

2009-02-07T22:03:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: Sometimes you just have to go with the flow. I knew I couldn't do my bike ride late at night because I was having a band jam so I had to figure something else out. I like the solution I came up with. It got my butt in the seat anyway.

Total training cost: $89.50

Swim - off

Bike - 2 miles

Bike Results: Ended up riding my two miles on an upright bike with my daughter on her "tag-a-long" bike. LOL. I thought it would be easier with her pedaling but I didn't factor in the very heavy extra bike plus her weight. It was a good workout and I got to spend time with my daughter as well. Plus we ran an errand and bought a kid's birthday present as well.

Run - off

Week 1; Day 6: Saturday

2009-02-07T21:55:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: I am glad I have friends to exercise with!!!

Total training cost: Holding steady at $89.50
Swim - off
Bike - off
Run / Walk - Walk for 25 minutes

Run / Walk results: I thought that I would get a walk in during the day but it just never happened. So I called my walking friend and she was available to do a late night walk with her dog. It was a little cold when we started but ended up being a beautiful night. Thanks P! We did a brisk 45 minute walk. I have been trying to stick to the program but in the area of walking, I have already been walking about 1 hour two times per week. It seems silly to walk less because the program tells me to.

Week 1; Day 5: Friday

2009-02-06T14:06:00.000-08:00

Daily learning / random notes: There is so much to learn about training for a triathlete that I don't know where to start. I mean, how do I keep from turning into a dried prune after swimming? Will my hair get all weird if I don't do special things to it? How do I stay motivated? How do I put on a swim cap and what is it really for? How do I keep my ears dry and healthy (and what does that even mean)?
I got my body fat tested today. I don't think I will share it but now I have a baseline. I promise to share the delta after I get it re-tested after the race.

Total training cost: Today I purchased a punch card at the super nice pool. It cost $65.00 for 10 visits. This brings my total up to: $24.50 + $65.00 = $89.50

Swim:

Warm up
Freestyle 50 yards
Cool down 50 yards

Swim Results:

14 laps of 25 yards = 350 yards. It seemed a tiny bit easier today. I am so surprised that I get sweaty from swimming - don't ask me why. I used my goggles today (which were awesome) and my swim cap (which I don't know how to use).

Bike - 2 miles

Bike Results: Oh, how I did not want to do this. I thought that today was a run / walk day and realized late that it was a bike day. I had a hard time getting motivated to go. But you know what? I love riding my bike. Once I actually got on my bike (with my 2 lights in front and flashing light on my seat stem and my very bright biking jacket with reflectors) tonight, it was wonderful.

Run - off

Week 1; Day 4: Thursday

2009-02-05T09:36:00.000-08:00

Today is my training day off. Sigh. I am very sore and happy to take this day off....But of course I didn't exactly take the day off. I wanted to determine what size bike I need. So I rode my mountain bike to the bike shop and then I test drove a road bike. Probably all in all 3 miles - not enough to make me crazy.

Daily learning / random notes: I believe I need a size 52cm bike. They didn't have a 53cm bike for me to compare. I will try out some other bikes at other places so I can get an idea. My friend, N, said she tried 75 bikes before she found her current bike!!!

I watched a bunch of videos on YouTube.com and totally freaked myself out about the transitions. I guess I have to remember why I am doing the triathlon. I am doing it to try it out (and to finish it). I have to make sure my competitive nature doesn't take over and have me looking for ways to shave seconds off my transitions (especially since I know my swimming will be S.L.O.W.).

Total training cost: Same as yesterday = $24.50. I got my goggles and cap! Yay!

Week 1; Day 3: Wednesday

2009-02-04T14:29:00.000-08:00

Week 1; Day 3: Wednesday

Swim

Warm up
Freestyle 50 yards
Cool down 50 yards

Swim Results

Swam either 16 or 18 laps (over 300 yards). I lost count! I swam at a pool where my kids used to take swim lessons and saw the teacher. She gave me a few pointers which I practiced while I was there. She also let me borrow some goggles since mine won't be here till tomorrow. I realized that I am going to have to get used to goggles. Also, it looks like I will need to wear a wet suit in the actual race and some information I read says to practice in it ahead of time. This seems like a good idea.

Bike - off

Run

Walk for 20 minutes

Run Results

I walked to the grocery store and walked to the soaking pool and I figure that added up to 20 minutes. It was not 20 minutes of brisk walking which is what I would like to start doing.

Daily learning / random notes:
I feel like people want me to succeed. When I contacted the person who runs the gym at my work and told him about what I am doing, he was very encouraging. He is going to check my body fat on Friday (gulp).

I had assumed I would swim freestyle but the swim teacher said she thought you just had to get to the finish line. I will need to check into this.

My friend, N, might do this with me and she was wondering about transitions from one race to the next. I am curious too. Since tomorrow is my day off, maybe I will spend a few minutes trying to find something on You Tube.

Total training cost:
This pool costs $4.00 per visit so my total is now up to $24.50. If I buy a punch card, I will be able to swim for $3.00 per visit but I am not sure if this will be my primary pool or not so I am going to wait to make that decision.

Week1; Day 2: Tuesday

2009-02-03T15:43:00.000-08:00

Week 1; Day 2: Tuesday

Swim - off

Bike

2 miles

Bike Results

Got my bike map out and figured out a 2 mile route then I rode a little over 2 miles

Run - off

Daily learning:

Don't wear wide leg pants while riding. I didn't have an accident but I was very focused on not getting my pants caught in my bike.

Total training cost:

Didn't spend any money today so still $20.50 total. I am worried about what I will do for a bike though. I currently have a mountain bike which I understand will not cut it for a triathlon. Right now I am trying to manifest borrowing a perfect bike for the event.

Do you have a road bike to lend me until August?

Week 1; Day 1: Monday

2009-02-03T15:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Week 1; Day 1 in my triathlon training program. I downloaded a free training program called "Michael Pates Total Sprint Program" which I decided to follow. The subtitle of the program is called "22 week program taking you from the couch to the finish line". While I do not think of myself as a couch potato, I did think that it would be a good idea to be gentle with my body in preparing. I may find as I get into it that I can step it up but for now, this is my program.

Week 1; Day 1: Monday

Swim

Warm up
Freestyle 50 yards
Cool down 50 yards

Swim Results

Swam 10 laps. I thought this would be easy but it was not easy at all. The nice lifeguard at the pool gave me some pointers which is good since I have not had swim lessons for about 30 years!

Bike - off

Run

Walk for 20 minutes

Run Results

I did not actually do this. What I did do, which totally kicked my butt, was a one hour boot camp class. I don't feel like I cheated.

Daily learning:

Some gear is worth purchasing. I have a swimsuit but I did not have goggles. Since I wear contacts, I really need goggles. I ordered them last night and they were very reasonable. I also ordered a swim cap which I am not at all sure I will need but only cost $6.

Total training cost:

$20.50 for goggles and swim cap. Swimming was free the first time. (I am taking fee based boot camp class but I am not going to factor it in here as I would do it anyway.)

Where am I now?

2009-02-03T15:08:00.000-08:00

Everyone has to start somewhere, right? So where am I starting on this journey to a triathlon? I am a 41 year old woman who has three small children and a super smart, funny DH. I work almost full time and am at least 20 pounds overweight. I live in Portland, OR. Because I have three small children and a cool job, I have not made it a priority to work out. I also love to eat. Subsequently, the weight has snuck on. I am conscious of it and I know it is not healthy. I am drawn to the idea of a triathlon because I believe cross-training will be good for my body.

My goals:
* Reduce my percentage of body fat. (It would be easier to say that I wanted to lose 20 pounds but I don't think that is the best assessment).
* Create long term work out habits. (Ones I can carry with me after the race.)
* Compete in a triathlon. (Date is set for August 1, 2009).

Have you ever done a triathlon?

Triathlete or Mathlete?

2009-02-03T15:01:00.000-08:00

This year I am training for my first triathlon. One of the first things I had to do was to learn how to spell "triathlon". I kept putting an extra "a" in the word.

Anyway, my DH tells me that Tim Ferris says that the best way to make a big change in your life is to set a goal. The goal that I have set is to do a triathlon on August 1, 2009. I wanted to have a journal to track my training and progress. When I looked online, nothing popped out. (I am sure there are cool things out there, probably for the iPhone (sigh) but I didn't find them at first glance). Instead of creating one from scratch or using a super old one downloaded free from the web, I decided to utilize a blog as a journal. My plan is to discuss my experience training for the event and track my training at the same time.

Why is this called triathlete or mathlete? Well, partially because I am an engineer by training and therefore am a geek. Also, cause it rhymes. :)