Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Changes Already
I am changing my mind about the event I'm going to enter. With heading back to work after maternity leave, finishing my grad degree and planning a week or so long vacation this summer, I'm looking for a triathlon that's closer to home. I've found two possibilities. The first one is a flat course, with a 1/4 mile swim, 14 mile bike ride and 3.1 mile run. The biking is a little further than I had wanted, but the event is also a little later so I have more time to train. The other one is a true try-a-tri with a 1/4 mile swim, 9 mile bike ride and 1.6 mile run. I might drive out to check out the course this weekend to see if it's flat or not. Part of me feels whimpy for doing such a short course. The other part of me says baby, work, school, it's still a huge accomplishment.
Bike Learnings
When you head out to try to bike around the lake twice (aka, ~5.4 miles) and right as you head out you think your bike feels "funny" and it's pretty chilly and you might want gloves do you think you should:
A. Check your tires
B. Grab gloves
C. All of the above
D. None of the above
If you guessed C you would be correct. If you guessed D, well, you guessed what I did. I did make the full 5.4 miles, but I'm certain that it will be a lot easier when my hands aren't frozen and my tires are not virtually flat!
A. Check your tires
B. Grab gloves
C. All of the above
D. None of the above
If you guessed C you would be correct. If you guessed D, well, you guessed what I did. I did make the full 5.4 miles, but I'm certain that it will be a lot easier when my hands aren't frozen and my tires are not virtually flat!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Jan 18 - 24 - Pre Week Update
While it would be fair to call this week 1, I'm still holding out hope that my friend K* will join me on this adventure, so I'm calling this first week a pre-week. This was a just get my butt off the couch kind of week, but I did and I'm thrilled.
Wed Jan 20 - 30 day Shred level 1
Thurs Jan 21 - 20 minutes of running (4 x 5 min)
Sat Jan 23 - 20 minutes of running (2 x 10 min)
Sun Jan 24 - 5.4 mile bike ride
I certainly wasn't setting any speed records, but I made it out of the house which was a good start.
Wed Jan 20 - 30 day Shred level 1
Thurs Jan 21 - 20 minutes of running (4 x 5 min)
Sat Jan 23 - 20 minutes of running (2 x 10 min)
Sun Jan 24 - 5.4 mile bike ride
I certainly wasn't setting any speed records, but I made it out of the house which was a good start.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Training Plans
While in Portland last week, I bought a book on training for Triathlons, geared to beginners. While I haven't read it yet, I've already started doing some exercise to get back into shape. I have just under six months to train so I have plenty of time to work up to this.
My initial plan is simple - exercise at least four times a week. Deceptively simple in a month when I return to work, have a five month old and take three graduate classes, but a critical part of being able to successfully complete a triathlon. I'm making January and February a high priority for exercise since it should certainly be easier now than it will be once I go back to work.
I am going to focus on running first for a few very simple reasons - 1) I can run with the baby, 2) I don't have a convenient place to swim, 3) I don't like biking in the rain and 4) it's a very easy way to get fitter quickly. Then soon, on the weekends, my husband and I can switch off with the baby so I can fit in some biking and swimming.
My initial plan is simple - exercise at least four times a week. Deceptively simple in a month when I return to work, have a five month old and take three graduate classes, but a critical part of being able to successfully complete a triathlon. I'm making January and February a high priority for exercise since it should certainly be easier now than it will be once I go back to work.
I am going to focus on running first for a few very simple reasons - 1) I can run with the baby, 2) I don't have a convenient place to swim, 3) I don't like biking in the rain and 4) it's a very easy way to get fitter quickly. Then soon, on the weekends, my husband and I can switch off with the baby so I can fit in some biking and swimming.
Inspiration
Once upon a time I was fairly fit. In high school it was a result of lots of swimming and soccer. Later I did a lot of ice skating kept me pretty fit. In 2005 though I had knee surgery, met my husband and well ate too much while my knee was getting better. My knee works just fine now (and has for a while), but I never got back into getting up early and vigorous exercise. I've done a decent amount of walking in the past two years, but nothing more.
Triathlons have always intrigued me since I love (at least used to!) swim, like to bike and well, I run occasionally just because it's an efficient way to exercise. Longer distance running like 1/2 and full marathons never really appealed to me, but to test myself by trying a triathlon does. I have a friend from school who ran a triathlon last year, less than one year after having her second baby. Hearing how Tonya was able to complete the race was inspiring - here was someone I know, someone with a full schedule of school, crafting and child wrangling who managed to do not just a triathlon, but an Olympic distance one. I decided I was going to complete a triathlon as well and set a goal of doing a sprint/super sprint one within one year of having my baby.
This blog will detail my training, my return to fitness and hopefully, my successful completion of the try-a-tri triathlon http://www.chelanman.com/ on July 18, 2010. The try-a-tri distance is a version of a super sprint distance - 400m swim, 13 mile bike ride and 5k run. All of those pieces individually are fairly manageable and distances I've managed within the last few years, but doing them all together will definitely be much more difficult than any exercise I've done in a LONG time, if ever. I am hoping to get one of my friends to do the event along with me as well, and that, along with my husband and this blog will help hold me accountable.
Triathlons have always intrigued me since I love (at least used to!) swim, like to bike and well, I run occasionally just because it's an efficient way to exercise. Longer distance running like 1/2 and full marathons never really appealed to me, but to test myself by trying a triathlon does. I have a friend from school who ran a triathlon last year, less than one year after having her second baby. Hearing how Tonya was able to complete the race was inspiring - here was someone I know, someone with a full schedule of school, crafting and child wrangling who managed to do not just a triathlon, but an Olympic distance one. I decided I was going to complete a triathlon as well and set a goal of doing a sprint/super sprint one within one year of having my baby.
This blog will detail my training, my return to fitness and hopefully, my successful completion of the try-a-tri triathlon http://www.chelanman.com/ on July 18, 2010. The try-a-tri distance is a version of a super sprint distance - 400m swim, 13 mile bike ride and 5k run. All of those pieces individually are fairly manageable and distances I've managed within the last few years, but doing them all together will definitely be much more difficult than any exercise I've done in a LONG time, if ever. I am hoping to get one of my friends to do the event along with me as well, and that, along with my husband and this blog will help hold me accountable.
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