My first triathlon

I have been envisioning this day since the summer of 2012. It has taken me a long time to increase my fitness level, acquire the equipment, and gain the confidence to get to this day, but it's finally here! June 14, 2015.

I started my morning at 500am to allow adequate 'digesting' time after my breakfast of champions.

A nice little oatmeal and tea delight to fuel this cardio machine. 

We arrived at the lake with plenty of time to spare. The whole place was buzzing with energy. I checked in, got my timing chip, and began setting up my stuff. You need a lot of stuff for a triathlon... More than I had thought. I had my cycling shoes, running shoes, socks, sunglasses, lip stuff, my helmet, my bib number, and my foot towel all laid out nicely, ready to go. 

My total time was 3hrs24mins19secs. This isn't a super spectacular time, but for my first one, I'm happy with it. I plan on doing this race again next year to see how much I can improve :) 

The swim ( 1500m in 32m57s) went great! I made a last minute decision to take off my wetsuit and just swim in my tri suit. I'm so glad I did. The lake was unbelievably warm for mid June, and I don't know how the majority of the wetsuit wearers didn't over heat. 

Transition #1 3m46s

The bike (40km in 1h38m41s) was the longest ride I've ever done. My ass was sore and I earned a decent sunburn but nonetheless it was a lot of fun. I have quite a bit of work to do to improve my time, but I think it's doable. The course was definitely more hilly than I expected which contributed to my slower time. 

Transition #2 2m36s

The run (10 km in 1h6m21s) started off a bit shaky. My legs felt like jello getting off the bike and I was seriously doubting my ability to run 10k! Luckily the path was a beautiful winding trail around the lake which made the time pass quickly. 

Crossing the finish line the announcer said my name and recognized that it was my first tri... I couldn't control my emotions and started crying happy tears... I was overwhelmed with pride, happiness, and exhaustion. 

I had such a positive 'first' triathlon experience and I'm really looking forward to the next one. It'll only get better from here! 

Calgary Marathon - 10km

Why would I pay to run 10km, when I could just as easily run in the park for free?

There is just something about running with 2899 other people at 7am on spectacular Sunday morning that makes the entry fee totally worth it... (and obviously, I do it for the shirt).

I really need to work on my 'running-face'... 

I successfully achieved my goal for this run... finish in under 1:00 hour. My time was 59m42s and I finished 74/201 in my gender/age group.

My next goal... run 10km in under 58 minutes by the end of August 2015. I imagine I'll be quite fatigued by the time it comes for me to run my triathlon... I'm hoping for my tri run to be under 1h10m.

Bicycles and sweat

I tried out my new kicks a couple of days ago and I loved em! This was my first time trying out clip ins on the open road and contrary to all the 'advice' I previously received... I didn't fall! There was one close call with a civic, and another time I forgot that my shoes were attached to the bike so there was an awkward wobbly situation. But after an hour exploring the wonderful trails of Calgary, I got it figured out. 

Some advice for new cyclists:

1. If you can, practice clipping in and out of the pedals on a trainer first. 
2. For the sake of your pride and well being, practice in a low traffic area. 
3. Don't make any sudden movements... 
4. Avoid steep hills... I don't know what I'm going to do if I have to dismount on a steep hill. 
5. To dismount on flat ground, you unclip one foot then swing your leg over to the other side and hope like hell your other foot unclips :) easy peasy... 

I need a new seat....

I want to love cycling... I really do. But my ass hurts!

Yesterday was a swim and bike day. The swim was great, as per usual. However, 59 of my 64 minute ride was uncomfortable and very 'shifty'.

Next step in my cycling journey... buy a new seat and clip ins.

... do people even say this???

Here's to a Healthy 2015... right after this heaping plate of Nachos

I kinda, sorta, took a month off... and I'd highly recommend it. Over the holiday season I was travelling in Costa Rica and soaking up as much sun as possible. Turns out that flipping myself over every 20 minutes to ensure an even tan, leaves no time for working out. 

 But, here we are early in 2015 ready to have the most healthy year yet. Some of you may not think that January 21 is 'early' however, my birthday is January 18, and therefore I start my year after treating myself to treats such as this ridiculous plate of nachos. Happy Birthday to Me!! 

What we see here is sour cream atop turkey, con queso, tomatoes, re-fried beans, guacamole, and yes chips are in there! This was my birthday dinner. It was lovely.

So, yesterday was my first official day of training for the triathlon on June 13, 2016. I went for a run outside (which I haven't done since summer!). While I did miss watching trashy TV on the treadmill, it was sooooo great to be outside in the fresh air. Not that muggy, sweaty gym stuff.  Sidewalks were a little slippery, but the weather was glorious.

(... I wish I took this picture...)

I didn't run very far, only 3.2 km (24 minutes), but that's what this training plan called for. I've chosen a 3X/week training schedule which I'm hoping isn't too hefty, but I've got 20 weeks to make some serious changes. Alright, now that we've got the nachos out of the way... let's get healthy!

Run - 3.8km

This pretty much sums up my workout today... #nuffsaid

Run - 5.1km

4/5 days this week I've made it to the gym! Before I started this whole 'go to the gym in the morning' thing, I made a goal for myself that if I went to the gym for 6 morning over two weeks, I will buy myself some luon! I've got my eye on some yoga shorts, capri tights, and a new bra. Can't wait!!

Swim - 1.5km

I didn't make it to the gym this morning. My body was TIRED!

I went for a 1.5 km swim last night and it was such a wonderful end to the day. The contentment and empowerment I get from being in a pool all by myself is second to none. Knowing that all the ripples in the pool are because of me and the fact that I could swim in a zig zag pattern and hit NO ONE is a cool feeling.

Another, not so cool feeling, is this weird mystery hair I get on my face after I take off my swim cap and get out of the pool. It feels like I have one strand of hair stuck on my face about mid cheek. Every time I try to grab it or wipe it off it never goes away. I even looked in the mirror right after I got out of the pool and couldn't see any hair... but I could still feel it. I probably had this happen to me 9 out of the last 10 times I've been swimming.

Could it be a nervy thing? Anyways, it's strange...

Bike - 5km

I did not want to run today. I barely even made it to the gym. I tried to run and only made it 1.6 km. After that I switched to the bike and finished the rest of my cardio while watching the news.

Regardless of my lack of 6am gym enthusiasm, at least I looked good. These paisley beauty's always make me feel fit! (both "fitness fit" and "British fit"). 

It's the little things... The guy working the front counter absolutely made my day today. He saved me a month worth of gym membership due to a small typo that was made at registration. Talk about a nice guy!

Bike: Training Tire

I can finally start cycling indoors!!

I know very little about cycling... but I figure there is no better way to learn about it than to just do it! A couple days ago I got online and starting looking into different types of training tires for indoor trainers and I ended up with this blue rimmed gem.

I still know very little about training tires, but at least this is a start.

Let the living room sweaty-session begin!

Let's just say shipping isn't cheap... I wish I had a cardboardy craft to work on. 

Run - 3.5 km

YAY!!! Second day I've made it to they gym at 6am!

It was a much better run than yesterday. I didn't do any floor exercises but I did spend 5 minutes walking at a 'brisk' pace.

I ran at 6.5 today as well. Slowly getting up to 7.0. I took a 1 minute walk break at 10 minutes (which is a surprisingly refreshing break.)

If you are new to running I would highly recommend the 10:1 run-walk ratio. The running room recommends this 'pace' for a lot of their training programs. However, I prefer to do a 9:1 ratio. Using a 9:1 ratio means that every time you reach a number that ends in '9' you walk, and '0' you start running again.

Run - 2.5km

First morning run of December!!

A friend and I are attempting a two week, morning exercise commitment. Basically we both want to work out in the morning, but we hardly ever do it. Most days, it makes no sense to peel ourselves out of a perfectly comfortable bed, therefore sleeping in beats going to the gym 9/10 times.

However, in an effort to end the year on a good note, we will be attempting to exercise in the morning. (Or at least for two weeks, before I leave on Vacation).

Her and I live over an hour apart so we will be supporting each other by being an additional alarm clock. We call each other each morning, and we cant' hang up until the other is dressed and ready to go to the gym.

Day 1 = success.

As for the run... I only got in 2.5km. My body felt stiff, and I was hungry. However, I was so proud of myself because I was actually at the gym at 6am.

I have been consistently running at 6.0 mph, which used to be a struggle for me. I am now feeling quite confident at this speed, so I'm thinking I'll bump it up to 6.5 mph by mid week. My tri goal pace is 7.0 mph for 10km. :)

I also did some body weight/floor exercises this morning which was a great wake me up (tomorrow I think I'll start with these). The gym I go to is great! They provide sample workouts posted on a bulletin so gym-goers don't have to think about 'what to do next'.

Basic Total Body Warmup:

50 squats w 15 lbs 

40 bicycle situps

30 push ups

Broken down into 3 sets

Run - 4.3km

Second run in a hotel today. This one went much better. I had the whole place to myself.
I cranked up the TV and ran alongside some Duck Dynasty adventures.

Near the end of my run a guy came in and started running at what looked like a fairly leisurely pace... however, when I sneakily glanced over he was running at 12mph!! Meanwhile there I was prancing along at an easy 6mph. Somewhat discouraging and motivating....

Run - 3.2km

Running in a hotel tonight... and it wasn't the best.

I don't know if was due to the fact that the treadmill was super noisy, the others in the gym were older men that were, for-a-lack-of-a-better-term 'creepy'. Or maybe it had something to do with the carb loaded, sugary, cheese-nation food I had on the weekend (bonspiels have a tendency to do that to a person). Either way... it was great to get on the treadmill and put a couple km's on.

I put on some lbs & age this past weekend

Swim - 1.2 km

It's been about 1 week since I've swam and it felt so good to get back in the pool.
I went for a fairly easy workout today just to get back into the swing of things.

400m - warm up; continuous fr
4 x 100m - I.M. with 1min rest
400m - cool down; continuous fr

Total 1200m (48 lengths)


Swimming is such a nice break for your body if you regularly hit up high impact activities such as running. Even if you're not a strong swimmer you can still hit up the pool. Use a flutter board or pull bouy to assist you in the water while not compromising your workout.

Run - 5.1 km

Another fabulous run today! I went faster than I usually do which felt great... I ran at 6.5 for 20 minutes and then slowed it down to 6-6.2 for the last 10 minutes of my run. Nothing feels better than running for longer than you expected... having that desire to keep pushing your body is something that is hard to explain, but one of the greatest feelings in the world.

If you've already pushed yourself to get to the gym, you may as well make it worth while and give yourself the proper work out you deserve. No sense going to the gym only to quit 5 minutes short of your run time, or to drop that last set just because you don't feel like doing it.

When I get the urge to stop running, I have to ask myself why?

Am I stopping just because it is easier than running? Or am I stopping because I have to (pain, time, etc). Nine times out of ten I want to stop just because it's easier. Keep Pushing....

Run - 5.0 km

I'm starting to enjoy running on a treadmill. It's a rather new thing for me... but I prefer the treadmill over cold wintery weather. Not to mention, today I was able to watch a Dr. Phil exclusive on the Honey Boo Boo scandal. (Secretly, I think the only reason I enjoy the treadmill is because I get to watch my fair share of trashy television.)

My run felt awesome today! I kept up a consistent pace of 6.0m/hr and loved almost every minute of it... for some reason when I hit the 20-25 minute mark I struggle, but persistence never fails.

Some Treadmill Running Tips:

1. Don't hold on to the hand rails (you'll look silly... and it may actually make running more difficult.)
2. Focus on keeping nice long strides. 
3. Trashy TV never hurt anyone ;) and I'm pretty sure it's been proven to make your run seem easier. 

Maybe tomorrow I'll incorporate this dance routine into my workout... :)