Running Outside

The weather has been just a smidge nicer. I've been able to run outside. Running outside is the most glorious feeling. Today a storm was coming in so it was really dark and ominous. I got home just in time. It was pouring by the time I got out of the shower. I am so happy I went though because there is just such a happy glow you get from getting out and exercising. There's also a happy glow from tomorrow being rest day. :)

I was swimming!

Today I actually felt like I might have been swimming for like a whole lap. I was just gliding through the water. But that feeling was fleeting. The anti-fog spray appears to have worked. I had my doubts at first, but after a dip in the water, they cleared right up. My training book recommended Speedo, but it had bad reviews on SwimOutlet, so I bought the Tyr brand, which had good recommendations.

Also had my first massage ever today. It was nice. An hour just flies by when you're that relaxed. This could become addictive.

Gear Arrives!!

I got all of my gear on Monday. It was very exciting. The weather is still too cold to go riding outside however, so it looks like my new Pearl Izumi bike shorts with extra cool padding will just have to sit in the corner and wait.

I also got my swimming accessories. So now I have a swim cap. I thought it would protect my hair from the chlorine, but it looks like it's going to really tear up my hair by being rough with it. I guess we will just see.

Marc is back from GA, so I had my workout buddy back. He's been out for a while now with illness and travel. It was just a wonderful morning yesterday, so I did something unlike me, and went for a run, alone, outside of the neighborhood. It was a glorious run. I am sooo happy I suffered through the cold (35 with the wind chill) and trudged on. It wasn't a chore at all. It was sooo much nicer than the treadmill.

I'm exhausted, but tomorrow is my massage, so I trudge on....

Overload

I ate WAY too much this weekend. I guess it was just like the tight spring coming undone. I know that this is going to make training hard.

I finished one of my triathlon books - Slow Fat Triathlete. I am the slow fat triathlete. I started another one, and it tells me about how this weight will just shear off. I hope that's true. Cookies add up.

Marc is out of town, so I'm on my own for Mon and Tue. It will be hard to motivate myself. I'm really tired these days because of the prelims. It's important not to let the training slide over it I know. I just feel discouraged right now. I'll make it though. Week 2 here I come.

Swimming Day 2

So I took the goggles. I put them on. Had to redo the straps. Apparently more hair or a bigger head is plaguing me now. I managed to attempt 3 laps with them... then I was done. I don't know how other people do it. They look so calm and effortless in their movements. I look like a one-armed turtle or something.

I did find out I can use flippies in the pool though, so someone has some shopping to do!

Worn Out!

It was a bad idea to train and take prelims at the same time. I can already tell. I highly recommend Jillian Michael's book, "Making the Cut" however. The workouts are kicking my butt and I already took a test which declared me "in shape." I can't imagine if I was out of shape.

The good news is that my gear from Backcountry and SwimOutlet has shipped. I can't wait for it to arrive!

Swimming tomorrow. Maybe I'll even take the goggles.

Shopping for Gear

Today's swimming trip highlighted how much gear I am really missing, just for the swimming portion. When I bought my first goggles, I bought them from an on-line store called SwimOutlet. Their website is slow and seems to not load well sometimes, but they do have a good selection of basic products and reasonable shipping fees.

On today's shopping spree (if you could call it a spree with as little as I spent), I picked up a case for my goggles (impulse buy - saw a girl with one this morning and realized it would be handy), anti-fog spray, and a swim cap. All the guides are telling me the spray and the cap are a must. My first goggles were listed as anti-fog, but this has not been my experience with them. I have read you can use spit, but haven't had a chance to try it yet. I am going to try the spray and the spit both and see which one is more reliable. For $2 for the spray, I'm not out much if the spit is just as effective.

I have seem some, but not all sources suggesting a second pair of goggles. I have put this on the wish list with another case for them, flippers, and a new gym bag. Trying to haul all the gear plus clothes to the gym really put the backpack to the test. I've had the packback almost 5 years; it wouldn't hurt to upgrade.

First Day

The first day went OK. We rode the flat stationary bike for 20 minutes. Then we swam for 20 minutes. I did 10 laps, which is 500 yards. So it appears I can swim the required distance, just not very fast. This is good news!

The Day Before

Tomorrow is the official start of triathlon training. Marc and I still have to iron out a plan, but tomorrow we swim and bike for lack of a firm routine. We will sit down later and hammer it out, but there isn't time before 6 A,M tomorrow.

Looks like this is going to require me to purchase some new gear. I haven't got a full list, but I know I need cushy-bottom shorts for the bike. I bought my first pair tonight from Backcountry. I do love that store. I also need to get a bike overhaul, but that is next week's project.

We did a fitness review so we could start. At this point I am 23% body fat. Hopefully this will go down through this process, but if it doesn't happen, I won't consider it a failure.

Guess it's time to get to bed. Tomorrow is the first day of what is going to be a long process. Wish me luck!