Showing posts with label tri training. Show all posts

Showing posts with label tri training. Show all posts

Three Things Thursday!

1. I'm putting together a new order from Amazon. I just got a couple new of my favorite bras (Fiona Bra By Moving Comfort), and now I'm putting together a new shopping list. So far....

Nuun Active Hydration Tri-berry, 12-Count Tubes (Pack of 8)

Nuun Active Hydration Tri-berry

and

Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews, Pomegranate Passion Fruit, 1.8-Ounce Bags (Pack of 12)

Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews, Pomegranate Passion Fruit,

What are your favorite running/triathlon staples?

2. I signed up for my next race! A week from sunday, I will be doing my next sprint triathlon at the Wilbraham YMCA. Last night, my friend Debbie and I wanted to get in an open water swim. I got my wetsuit ready, and after some research decided to head to the pond in Ludlow, since Spec pond in Wilbraham was listed as closed until next weekend. After driving over, we were stopped by locked gates! Closed here as well, how will we get a practice swim in before race day?

3. I have been debating over joining the Half Fanatics. Right now, I would qualify as a Neptune (1 moon) for my RnR New Orleans and Disney Princess halfs. I have also been thinking, "how can I qualify for more moons?" Here is my plan.....

I am already planning on the Hartford Half in October

I am pretty sure there is a Half in Monson, MA in November (although who knows after the tornados)

To earn 3 moon Saturn status, I would have to complete 4 half marathons in 4 different states in 51 days. I would have MA & CT, so I would like to find halfs in either RI, VT, NH, ME, NY in October or November. Could be a fun challenge!

Are you a Half Fanatics member?

Do you have a October or November race suggestion?

In bad news.... my brother is thinking of dropping out of his first full marathon since he's suffered a few injuries and his training has not been up to par. I am nervous for him, since I know it will make Goofy that much harder for him in January.

Hoping to get a run in tomorrow!

When bike love isn't enough...

Want some laughter in your day? Check out some of my race shots from sunday's triathlon...

I look ready to eat my armpit!

yikes! I thought I had been working on my form... I guess not!

Holy cleavage!

The only cute one!

Most race action shots are horribly unflattering in my case. Although I think triathlon is particularly unforgiving with tighter clothes, wetsuits, water, and that badass feeling that you have got to plow through 3 sports to the finish line.

After my last post on that killer bike ride, I loved all the comments you left me! It really made me feel like going on the group ride was the right decision, and that I will definitely make it a regular occurrence. Some of you are training for your first triathlon, or thinking of doing one, or wondering how you'd ride a bike. Once upon a time, I was there too (and it wasn't that long ago)!

I got my bike 2 years ago. Prior to that, the last bike I owned was a splatter painted Huffy in middle school. I hadn't ridden a bike in 10+ years, except for the occasional casual ride on vacation (once I think at Cape Cod). Kevin and I decided to buy bikes, and I figured since one day I would like to do a triathlon, I should get a road bike. We spent a couple weeks looking between the two bike shops in town, and finally I settled on my white & pink Specialized dolce elite.

I remember the first ride we went on. I had no fancy pedals or shoes, instead my running shoes and flat pedals were what I had to work with. My only extra gear was my helmet, water bottle, and padded shorts (I was told by a friend they were a necessity). I didn't even know how to shift gears, what made it harder, what made it easier, I made it up as I went. I got frustrated going downhill when I couldn't pedal & my feet would fly around, and angry that I couldn't get up hills without a struggle (that part hasn't changed). I remember wondering how in the world I would ever do a triathlon. I dedicated the first year to figuring out my bike (somewhat), which is definitely not a necessary step, but what I thought was best for me.

I had foot surgery last April, and rode once before it. While I was healing, I mostly dreamed of running, but I also longed for my bike. I started this blog while I was healing from surgery, and in my immobile stupor, I decided what my comeback race would be. I didn't just need to do a 5K, I would do a triathlon. I mean, swimming and biking are low impact activities, right? Plus I had spent a lot of time on the recumbent bike at the gym, keeping weight off my foot. Once my incision healed completely I started swimming, and after 3 months started with slow jogging, and rides. I became more comfortable with my bike, and a few weeks before race time I added my new pedals and shoes to the mix. Not to jinx myself, but I have not fallen off once (almost did monday night).

Now I love the bike. All winter long, I craved to ride. I don't think it will ever overtake my love of running, but I do get more rides in than swims, so I think its a close second.

Getting there...

I am happy to report this weekend has turned around.

The yucky weather yesterday did leave me to skip my ride. What is awesome is that I had an amazing 9 mile run (1:43) today with Shelley. I didn't stop to walk the entire time and felt awesome at the end. We both felt like we could go another 5 miles if we wanted too. But we were looking forward to a change in our post race ritual.... a trip to Panera instead of Starbucks!

mine was minus the bacon

We had breakfast sandwiches and smoothies, which were fabulous. I had the low-fat black cherry smoothie, YUM! During our run, Shelley revealed her big news to me....

She is signing up to the run the Disney Marathon with me!!

I couldn't be more excited! Especially now that I will have someone to motivate me for long runs through the cold fall & early winter. sweet!

After doing some laundry, tv watching, and blog reading, I went out for a ride with my tri buddy Deb. She just got a new road bike, and wanted to show me the bike portion of the triathlon in 2 weeks. We didn't do the entire route (7.56 miles in 33 min), and she is a little slower than me, so overall I was satisfied with the time we made. The course was scenic and not too hilly. I know that for race day (and possibly one more practice beforehand), I can totally kick it up a notch and be ready for the run.

The best part? My legs feel fabulous! Not sore at all (knock on wood). The bad part? I can't figure out what I want to do with my hair for race day. My layers don't stay put with a low pony, and I can't wear a high pony with the helmet. Any suggestions?

I started reading...

Racing Weight: How to Get Lean for Peak Performance

Im hoping it gives me some motivation and information to loose some of these pounds to get myself in better racing shape.

On the personal side of things, stuff may be turning around for the better. Right now I'm not holding my breath that he will make the changes he promises that he will.

Don't forget to check out my giveaways!

Run to Home Base HERE

Optimum Nutrition HERE

Athena or Age Grouper?

Today I did this....

I registered for a USAT membership in preparation for Tri season, to avoid paying multiple "one-day" fees at each race. I got excited, so then I wanted to check out the info for my first trialthon of the year. A sprint tri with a pool swim.

Typically, I always sign up as an Athena if that category is offered. My brother thinks that this is using my weight as an excuse with racing, but it's hard to lug the extra weight around (he's technically a Clydesdale, but never registers as one). I was scoping out last years results for this race and discovered some interesting facts. If I register as an Athena, there is a decent chance I could come in first place. If I register in my age group 25-29, I have a decent chance of placing in the top 5.

I've never thought of myself as less of an athlete competing in the Athena category. I just feel like it compares me to other females more similar to myself. A lot of age groupers are super thin and fit, and while I know weight doesn't measure the level of fitness a person has, I feel more on an even playing field with other women my size.

Do you register as an Athena if your weight allows?

Which group would you register as?

Needless to say, the prospect at placing well in a very small local race has motivated me to seriously plan my training, so Olympic tri plan it is!

germs, vegas, and prizes!

I hate that just as I start to get my workout mojo back, I start to get sick. I'm thinking lack of sleep over the weekend, a crappy diet the last week, and everyone sick at work are to blame. Tuesday night I guzzled 3 cups of green tea, and wednesday morning I had DayQuil, Airborne, and green tea before heading to work. Today though, I'm feeling stuffy, headachy, exhausted, and have a sore throat. I'm skipping work in favor of more rest and healing. Mayyyybe I'll see if I feel up the gym later. But for now, after I get things straightened out, its back to bed. Then maybe I'll have some time to clean my bathroom and work on my tri training schedule.

Aimee @ I Tri to Be Me suggested I try following an Olympic training plan to keep my mileage base up. So I've searching around online for ideas on one I like. So far what I'm not liking is longer than an hour in the pool! I don't think I've ever swam for that long! I'll need to get the waterproof Ipod case just to keep me occupied. I am excited to use my new swim cap from REI though!

Guess what came in my email...

Shelley was already begging me to do this race, but it being so close to Disney 2012, I'm not sure if it will be a smart financial decision. My credit card is still hurting & waiting for my tax return to settle last vacations bills. I am reasoning with myself saying they are a month apart, and I have a coupon code for Disney & could probably find one for Vegas or wait to sign up till I'm at RnR Providence. I just think it would be extra awesome to run the beautiful strip at night!

I also got an email about the Danskin Tri in Webster. It is now scheduled for July 24, which may make it warm enough to go without the wetsuit!

In other news.... like my Power Balance giveaway!

We had 71 entries all together (with the bonus entries from my raffle donations), with the winner being Miss Zippy! Maybe the power balance mojo will help Miss Zippy get rid of her injuries and run happy again!

email me at sgrigely at hotmail dot com to claim your prize by saturday.

Another BIG Thank you to all of you who have donated to my Run to Home Base Fundraising Raffle!

So far I have raised $205 through the raffle to help support injured vets of war. Thank you to each & every one of you who have donated.

This past friday, Elizabeth @ Canyon Cairns won herself a pair of CEP compression shorts!

You can win some fabulous prizes and support a great cause by checking it out HERE!

The next winner will be chosen tomorrow.

I also noticed that I am over 200 followers!! Welcome to all new followers and thank you to everyone new and old for following. Knowing I have you all to keep me accountable and to support me, help me get better and stronger all the time. Thanks for reading, now back to bed for me!

This is it!!

It's here! Race weekend!

I can't believe that this time has flown by so quickly. Not only does it seem like not that long ago that I had my bunion surgery (a little more than 5 months!), but it feels like yesterday that I decided to train for this race. Now after all those hours of training, and money spent on equipment, I am getting ready for an extremely "big" moment in my life. I can't wait to call myself a triathlete!

The race is Sunday morning. We decided to stay overnight nearby since we have to be out there for race packet pick up on saturday, and my friend debbie and I want to try and get a swim in at the lake the race is at. We are leaving tomorrow morning around 10, will get there around 11/11:30 to get race packets and go to the seminars they are having on what to expect, etc. Then we will try to get in a swim before heading to the hotel. Haven't thought about dinner, maybe I should google healthy places to eat nearby.

Tonight, Kevin dragged me out to Oktoberfest in Springfield for an hour or so, and now we're back home so I can pack & get a good nights sleep. Check out my gear all laid out to pack, so I don't forget anything!

Now I haven't worked out since my double session on tuesday (AM run, PM outdoor ride), I've been reallly tired & busy. Hopefully its not too much of a taper? I'm sure it will all work out fine.

I will be back on either sunday night or monday to post results, pictures, race recap & announce the fabulous giveaway to celebrate my achievement! Wish me luck!

Help a Runner Out!

I want to start off by mentioning that fellow runner Courtney at Run Courtney Run is fundraising with Team in Training for the Leukemia & Lymphoma society. As a fundraiser she is having a MEGA raffle with TONS of fabulous running and fitness goodies HERE. She still has $1600 to raise by Sept 27, so please help her out & donate a tax deductible gift to a great cause, and possibly win yourself some goodies!

Today has been a good training day. This morning I woke up for a short speedwork run at the gym doing intervals. Tonight after work, I seriously contemplated going scrub shopping instead of out for a bike ride. Then I thought I remembered the forecast picture from the news showed rain tomorrow. So home I went to go on my ride, maybe scrub shopping tomorrow. 12 mile ride, with a bunch of stops at lights & a stop when I almost lost my water bottle and cage.

Time for Gossip Girl from last night and a shower, then Biggest Loser Premier! night!

Give it another try

I've never been the type of person to just give up. I was really bummed after saturdays wetsuit trial. When my friend Deb suggested I skip out of work early today, and we go swimming again, I adjusted my mondays schedule and told my boss I had an "appointment." We wanted to go to a lake/pond that was closer than the last one, and ended up driving out to Belchertown, but the pond was closed for the season to swimmers. We ended up at the pond in Ludlow we thought was off limits because of the boy who died earlier in the summer. But when we got there, there were no signs to steer us away, and I quickly stuffed myself into my wetsuit & in we went. Now, I should mention that I googled some help on open water swimming tips and talked with the ironman physicians assistant that I work with. I tried to relax & swim easy, and guess what? It worked! I felt sooo much more comfortable swimming and I feel so much better for sunday. I'm hoping that we can get a little practice in on saturday at the race site too.

This morning I went for a gym run. It was actually a nice morning, I considered running outside. I decided that since I would need to put my fuel belt together, and I was short on time, it wasn't worth it. I managed 30 min of running at 5.8mph with only 1 rest break walking halfway through. Felt great after the finish!

Checking over my work schedule, I noticed that I am only on for backup the day of the Hartford Half Marathon, so I am thinking that I could make it to the 5K. They have a new course this year, with the Full, Half & 5K all starting from the same start. My brother & friend Ashley are running the Half, so it would be good to cheer them on too. My goal in the next 2 weeks is to pick out a list of races to do over the fall, winter, and early spring.

Stay tuned this week for a wonderful giveaway that all you triathletes would appreciate!

tougher than I thought...

Saturday morning I packed my "tri" bag (I'll take a picture of it during race weekend), got my wetsuit & bike ready, and jumped in my friend Barbie's ride. She drove me & my friend Deb to Russell pond for our first open water swim. We shimmied into our wetsuits, grabbed the goggles, and waded out into the water. Brrr! a little chilly, but not unbearable. The wetsuit was so buoyant (I went with the ORCA one), and warm, I felt pretty good. There was a small swimming area, so we decided to swim laps in it. Let me just say, open water swimming is a lot tougher than I thought it would be. I felt like I was working so hard, in fact my heart rate was skyrocketing up there. When I got home, I googled some tips, and basically what I got out of it was to try and swim as effortlessly as possible and not worry about speed. I'm going to creep out of work early tomorrow (3pm) since my caseload is light, so we can all go practice another open water swim.

Me, Deb & Barbie after our swim!

The roads around the pond made us nervous to ride on. Narrow, sharp, winding roads with steep hills. Barbie mentioned a park nearby, so we went there. Unloaded the gear from the car, and Barbie had a flat. She decided to run while Deb & I rode. Problem was, the area was so flat, and filled with people we felt like we couldn't really work hard enough or pick up enough speed to get anything out of it. We took off a little while later for home.

Overall I'm reallly glad we went with the wetsuits! and I definitely need to get some more runs in. I had to work all day today, but I am going to the gym in the morning for a run, maybe a ride too. Especially since I just ate a mint chocolate chip sundae with reese's pieces my roomate brought me home.

I decided today that I really wanted to make something with Quinoa. I have a HUGE bag of it I bought at Costco that has barely been used. I just don't have any recipes for it. I googled around and settled on this...

Quinoa & Butternut Squash Gratin

by Stephanie Gallager (HERE)

8 servings, 5 points each

what you need
1 20oz. package of peeled & cubed butternut squash or 1 1/2 # whole
1 cup organic quinoa
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil divided
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp shallots
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1 slice italian bread
salt & pepper to taste

Make it

1. Preheat oven to 400 deg F

2. For pre-cut squash, pierce package with a fork and microwave for 4-5 minutes until tender. If using a whole squash, peel & cube, and place into plastic bag and seal. pierce with a fork and microwave as above.

cooking in the saucepan

3. Rinse quinoa and place in a large saucepan with squash, water & salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 15 min. Until all water is absorbed and quinoa blooms into spirals.
4. Meanwhile heat 1 Tbsp olive oil, with shallots for 3 min. Add garlic and gook 2 min. Pour over quinoa and squash, mixing thoroughly. Add egg substitute, 3/4 cup of the cheese, salt & pepper to taste.

5. Transfer to baking dish. Pulse bread in a food proccesor or blender until bread crumbs form. Sprinkle remainer of cheese and bread crumbs over the gratin. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil.

finished result

6. Bake 35-45 min until top is golden brown

enjoy!

I thought it was delicious, I love butternut squash. It was just enough cheese, and the quinoa combination was just fabulous. This will make for excellent leftovers after my swim tomorrow night. Wish me luck!

Why Tri?

As I've detailed in a previous post, I started learning to run because of marathon weekend at Disney World & my desire to get that elusive mickey mouse medal. Probably a year after my running journey began, I head about triathlons. It sounded like a challenge. I had been a lifeguard for 5 years in my college years, and was a pretty strong swimmer, and now I was a decent runner, but one thing was missing. I didn't know how to ride a bike!

Well, I knew how to ride a bike, but I hadn't ridden one since my early biking days as a kid, when I had a white with grey & pink splatter painted Huffy that I rode around the neighborhood. I couldn't even decide if a triathlon would be for me, since I didn't even currently own a bike. I put a triathlon on my "to-do someday" list, and moved on with my running. Last year, I started seriously thinking about it again, but the bike thing was really getting to me. I decided to buy a road bike & woah, did I realize they were expensive! I wanted at least a year to learn to ride it before trying to do so in a race type setting.

I was not anticipating a triathlon this year. I rode my bike once in april, then had major foot surgery April 19. I was in a special boot, unable to fully weight bear for 2 months, out of work for 3 months. I was originally told that I wouldn't be able to run for 6 months (I had a small panic attack & cried), but I started at an easy jog about 10 weeks post op. As I worked up my jogging, I started looking for a 5K to do in august or september. When I had trouble finding one, I happened to peek at the Danskin Triathlon website which I had visited in the past & realized they had the new england race in late september.

I figured since biking & swimming were low impact activities on my foot, the running combined with them would be ok. I contemplated signing up for a week, then bit the bullet & signed up for my first Triathlon! While I've spent a lot of money, and maybe haven't trained as much or as hard as I would have liked, I'm really excited for it all to be here.

I'm a competitive, goal oriented person. Having races to look forward to motivates me. I like having that deadline, the knowledge that someone is waiting for me to finish a race. Now lately, I'm motivated by all of you keeping me on track (don't count the cake I had at lunch today!).

I'm off to pack for my practice run tomorrow. I tried on my wetsuits and came up with a winner, I'll update you all tomorrow on that, and how the rehearsal went!

Where to go next?

Yesterday I had a great run. I ran at 5.8mph on the treadmill, which is faster than my speed pre-surgery. Maybe my bad foot was holding me back before? I was wicked tired this morning & skipped my morning scheduled brick, which means I DEFINITELY have to get up tomorrow no matter how tired I am. I did WI today, at 185 again, no change from last week. After the foodie weekend I had, I'm lucky. I need to work harder this week.

Heres this weeks journal, didn't track every day....

Tomorrow, I want to talk a little about what got me interested in running and triathlons, since people have asked me a bit of that lately. Also a little about the race (where it will be, the distances, etc).

Kevin and I talked about our next vacation this past weekend. We both love to travel, our favorite places so far being our most recent trip to Cancun, Mexico & our Royal Caribbean cruise we took almost 2 years ago. What tops our list?

Southern Cali - we have a friend in San Diego we'd love to visit
Mediterranean cruise - LOVE to go to greece, italy, spain, turkey!
Australia
Aruba - Hoping on this for the Honeymoon
Another cruise to anywhere
Florida is always a cheap option for us

Hopefully we can save up a little cash & book a trip somewhere for this winter. We usually try to go away once in winter or once in summer. Last winter we went to Disney with a large group of friends for marathon weekend, where he cheered us on to complete the half & we all cheered on our friend Ashley who did the full. I love getting out of new england!

Kevin is making dinner now, Teriyaki chicken burger from Stephanie Cooks (a different Stephanie, not me!) check them out HERE . off to eat, YUM!

11 days left until it counts!

Skipped my morning workout today. Yesterday I hurt my back at work lifting a patient, and I was hoping that with a little ice & sleep it would feel better in the morning. No such luck, and since I didn't want to completely throw my back out with 11 days until race day, I slept in. Luckily at work, said patient moved a little better and one of my coworkers was able to put me back into alignment. Tomorrow I am planning on a swim and a little strength training.

Lucky for me after all the wetsuit drama, I got my shipping confirmation emails from both companies with the estimated arrival for both on friday. Just in time for my wetsuit trial! Now, we are trying to figure out where to do our trial. Originally, we were going to swim at a pond in Ludlow, but they aren't letting swimmers in since a boy drowned there. We're still looking for a new place to go.

I stepped on the scale today for a peek (I know I shouldn't but I can't help it!), and I was happy to still see the 185 from last week. Now, I still have a few days to drop it lower for a loss on weigh in day. I feel like nutrition wise I have been doing pretty well, I need to keep up on the exercise and stay focused on my training.

On that note, I made a yummy dinner tonight. Eggplant Parm with eggplant & basil from my backyard garden!

Delicious dinner!

Eggplant Parmigiana

from weight watchers

4 servings, 3 points a serving (I had 2 tonight!)

what you need

1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp italian seasoning (I also added fresh basil)

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 medium raw eggplant

2 large egg whites, lightly beaten

1 cup canned tomato sauce (I used homemade organic)

1/2 cup part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

How to make it

1. preheat oven to 350 deg, coat 8x8 baking dish & cookie sheet with cooking spray & set aside.

2. Combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, italian seasoning, and garlic powder in a medium bowl & set aside. Remove skin from eggplant and trim off ends. Slice eggplant into 1/2 inch thick slices.

3. Dip eggplant first into egg whites and then into bread crumb mixture. Bake eggplant on cookie sheet until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

4. Place a layer of eggplant on bottom of baking dish, then add 1/3 of tomato sauce & 1/3 of mozzarella cheese. repeat with 2 layers in same order. Bake until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling, about 10 minutes more. Slice into 4 pieces and serve!

Now, I'm sitting back, enjoying a glass of wine, DVR of bachelor pad & dating in the dark & planning my weekend. Have a good night!

Wetsuit Anxiety....

Today began like any other monday. Scratch that, like a monday should be since I actually made it to the gym this morning. I got in a great 20 min speedwork run, working on intervals of 7.0 with recovery at 5.5. Did the elliptical a little after since I had more time for a total of 500 calorie burn. Had a good breakfast, packed a good lunch and everything was going ok......

That is until my friend Debbie who is doing the triathlon with me (not the preggers one), informed me that the wetsuit rental was really $40/weekend & not $30/weekend, as we were originally told. Since we were planning on a run-through this weekend with wetsuits, that would be an $80 total. She told me she looked online & ended up buying one for about the same price. I started to panic! I've already bought so much for this one race. I do plan on doing more Triathlons in the future, but I really did not want to add any more expenses. But paying $80 for something you don't even get to keep seems, well kind of stupid to me. So I came home & panicked. Luckily my friend Amanda(triathlete) & Brian(Ironman) were online, and helped me narrow the field down to 2 wetsuits.

Orca Wetsuit

I was in a panic from 5:30pm when I got home from work, until 7:45pm when I actually placed my order. A good chunk of that time was asking my friend Amanda more general Triathlon questions since she has completed the same course I'm about to do. Which one did I order? I ended up ordering both, then I will return the one I don't like or doesn't fit. The trouble is, since I decided so late in the game to buy one, I had to pay LOTs extra to ship the Xterra, The Orca did ship for free. I need them by friday to decide which I want to use for the practice run on saturday. I still feel slightly panicky... did I make the right decision? I'm worried about fit for a chubby girl like me, and the pink one is super cute, they ended up being around the same price after adding on the Xterra shipping fees. wish me luck!

I didn't even eat dinner until 7:45pm, after the orders were placed. I'm probably under points, even though I chowed some Popchips Barbeque Potato Chips, but I didn't bother to count, & now I'm too stressed to bother. I need to unwind so I can sleep tonight and get to the gym for another run in the morning. Hill workout tomorrow!

Babies & cocktails...

Babies. It seems like just as the weddings are slowing down, the baby showers begin. Today I spent the morning at brunch with my work girlfriends for Debbie's baby shower. I had plenty of Bellinis, an omelet, potatoes, and fruit, plus a little dessert.

All the current & former Healthsouth girls

The preggers & Me!

Came home tired, and decided on a nap instead of a run. Plus who wants to run after downing a bunch of cocktails at 11am? Tomorrow is another day! I managed to make it to the grocery store to get supplies for some healthy eating this week.

Its the final 2 weeks before the triathlon. My focus is going to be on running this week, since I feel like that is my problem area. I haven't done a swim in almost 2 weeks & I'm hoping to fit one in wednesday morning. I'm starting to think about my packing list since I'm doing a dry run on saturday, I figure I'll do a dry run with the checklist & packing too. Heres what I have so far:

compression shorts, sportsbra to start
wetsuit
cycling/running tank
long sleeve race top in case its cold
cycling shoes
running shoes
flip flops
goggles
body glide
socks
towels
small bowl for water
racing sunglasses
hairclips, ponytail holders & elastic headbands
post race clothes
waterbottles
sport beans
fuel belt
bike

Anything else you can think of?

I am the blog of the week at Forward Foot Strides! Check out Katherine's site for fabulous giveaways & running words of wisdom.

New Tri wear?

I decided that after my post on exercise yesterday, I HAD to get up and fit in a good workout today. I decided to do an outdoor bike-run brick since I haven't done one outside yet, and it is a beautiful day (the downside of training at 5am is indoor training). I laid out my running shoes & fuel belt by my front door. I put on my tri suit (long sleeve over top for the bike), got my racing shades, helmet, shoes, bike & water bottle, and headed out for a ride. I did 10.36 miles, slower paced because I hit a TON of stop signs/lights, and there was a lot of traffic. I came home, stashed the bike in the garage, changed my shoes, put on my fuel belt, and off I went. Even though I huffed & puffed through my run, I came home to map it out and was pleasantly surprised to see I went almost 2 miles at a 10:17 pace, which is pretty quick for me. I'm glad I did the bike-run outdoors, it was good to practice that transition. My legs felt great, just the endurance that is still working its way back.

getting ready to head out

Came home and made myself a Banana Almond Smoothie from Jillian's Master Your Metabolism Cookbook which I love. Banana, milk, almond butter, flax feed, vanilla & ice. delish.

I decided something about my outfit. I LOVE my TYR compression shorts. But the top, I just don't feel comfortable in. I was running and I felt like all my fat was just pouring over the top of my fuel belt. I know the tank is meant to be tight, and I am working on losing the weight, but I just felt disgusting. Now that I am swimming in a wetsuit, I think underneath it I will wear a sports bra & the compression shorts, then put on a tank or tee for the bike/run after. Any suggestions? My coworker has Women's UA HeatGear® Tank Tops by Under Armour & they are cute, so I'm thinking of checking those out. Maybe a field trip to Dicks Sporting Goods is on my agenda today. Also wondering what people wear for underwear during the race? do they go without? Since I'll be swimming are there kinds that dry quickly? advice appreciated.

Last night I went to Brewfest with Kevin & our friend Evan. $30 admission for all you can drink samplings of over 20 microbrews. I told Kevin I would be the responsible one and drive. I probably had 4-6 samples, and Evan made us these fabulous "pretzel necklaces", which people kept trying to buy off us. Afterwards I drove them to taco bell (don't worry I didn't get anything, YUCK!), and we went to Evan's house for a quick dip in his hot tub before heading home.

Beer & Pretzels

Tonight I have nothing extravagant planned. Maybe we can get some takeout sushi or something and relax. You may have noticed a couple changes on my blog. The first is, since I've been browsing through other blogs of other inspiring people, I have found a few that do giveaways for fitness & running equipment. I want to share those with you, since everyone loves free stuff, so check them out on the right side of the page. The other part is, that I want to be a blog that does giveaways too! Maybe thats a lofty goal, but I want to share some of the fabulous products that are out there with you guys. You may see some advertising on my site now, pretty much I have signed up for this as a way to make some money to begin funding giveaways. So when you click on a advertisement in my blog, it helps me earn money to pass along goodies to you guys. Also, having more followers, or visitors will entice people or companies I am hoping to supply us with some fun stuff. Don't be concerned, I'll still be blogging about all the same things, but isn't a freebie every now & then awesome? Have a fabulous saturday!

More Pain = More gain?

This week I wanted to talk about exercise. Everyone has heard that exercise is an important part of living a healthy and active lifestyle. The American Heart Association recommends getting 30 minutes of moderately intense activity daily. As the next season of Biggest Loser begins, we know that the torture Bob & Jillian put them through is a big chunk of how they lose the weight. I know that eating healthy, and keeping portions smaller are big parts of the picture, but so is exercise.

Lately I've seen a few posts on the Weight Watchers 20s board on getting started with exercise. Asking about running habits, C25K, zumba, biking, etc. I think when you are first getting started, people get discouraged if they can't do a lot. The way I think of it is, if you are walking 20 min a day now, that's 20 min more exercise than you were getting before! Start slowly & talk with your doctor before starting if necessary. With my profession in life, being a physical therapist I know that certain physical impairments can make exercising difficult, but exercise is good for everyone. It is what I preach to my patients every single day. Start with what you can & increase from there. Get support from your doctor, a physical therapist or a personal trainer if needed.

I never really exercised until college. Well, I was a cheerleader in high school, but I was a HEAVY person. At college my best friend and I discovered the gym and dropped some weight. I never thought that I could be a runner. I HATED to run. When I was at Disney World January 2006, and saw everyone walking around with their post race medals, I just had to have one. I promised myself that I would get back home & learn to run. I also rejoined weight watchers after that trip.

I started running a little at a time. 1 minute run, a couple to rest, then increased it as I could. That spring I ran my first 5k, about 3 months after starting running & I finished in under 36 min. That lead to a few more 5ks, then I signed up to do the Hartford 1/2 marathon in 2007. Unfortunately due to family issues, I ended up skipping out on it, but decided to run in the Kona 1/2 marathon in june of 2008 with Train to End Stroke. A cause I'm passionate about because of my family & my work, I raised over $5,000 & with the help of the program & my trainer at the gym finished my first half marathon. Since then I've complete 2 other half marathons and have been training for my first triathlon.

Now, with all that running and exercising you may wonder, "why is she still struggling with her weight?" For me, weight control is always a tough thing to deal with. My nutritional balance varies where sometimes I'm right on track, and then I'll go completely off program for a few months. Sometimes, I just don't have the motivation to work out. I LOVE exercise, and I feel great afterwards, but sometimes I get in a slump where I'd rather just sleep in. I'm in a slight slump this past week.

I skipped my workout this morning. My race is creeping up (2 weeks away!), and I should be more focused than ever, but I find myself dragging. My goals this week:

Get in all my scheduled workouts
Eat clean & healthy when possible (track it allllll)
Get to sleep earlier at night
Not let stress get the best of me

Tonight we are heading to Brewfest (fabulous microbrews), then hot tubbing at a friends house. Tomorrow I have an unexpected day off, so I'm planning an extra workout I think. Maybe all 3 sports even. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend filled with exercise and fun times!

Also check out Running Diva Mom's blog for a fuel belt give away!

And..... Keep on Keeping On for a giveaway on the most stylish way to display your race medals! If I don't win, I think I'll have to buy one!

Lighting stikes? & sock review!

This morning I set my alarm to get in a swim, but as I got up to get dressed I could hear thunder in the distance, and see flashes of lightening behind my window shade. I decided to go do a workout on the elliptical & treadmill, I just wasn't in the mood to do strength training. I saw some wild strikes of lightening on my way out of the gym! Tomorrow I have a bike-run brick scheduled, I'll do it at the gym in the morning. I did manage to call this weekend and book a hotel room for the night before the race. They ran out of room blocks, but the AAA price was only $20 more. I need to call tomorrow to reserve my wetsuit for rental for my trial run & for race weekend!

Now, last week I mentioned how much I loved my new socks, the Pearl Izumi Elite LTD Low sock (in pink of course!). They come in 3 sizes, and clearly with my ridiculously large feet I went with a large. The specifications read as the following:

1. Elite transfer yarns provide superior moisture transfer
2. Ultra-Smooth toe design provides superior comfort
3. Anatomic arch compression for a performance fit
4. Left and right specific ventilation chambers
5. Low cuff height

The socks are thin, which I loved, because I hate too much fabric in my shoe bunching up around my toes. I loved the arch compression since sometimes with cotton (yuck!) socks I've gotten blisters there. I loved that they are low enough so they are not sticking up over my shoe looking funny. And I loved that my feet were clean, dry & felt fabulous afterwards. I may have to have a giveaway so one of you can experience them!

Tomorrow is WI day! I *promise* that I will WI, and I will also post my online tracker, even though there were many days I really didn't track. Still thinking of tomorrow's meeting topic to discuss, any suggestions? have a good night!

wine anyone?

wine was the culprit on Sunday. Well, I guess in reality it was the gateway to unhealthy eating, to continue with my poor tracking and eating theme of the week. Managed a 19 mile ride in the morning with my brother who kept me working hard to keep up with him, shouting encouragements along the way as we traveled a pretty route he had mapped out. Then it was off to the wineries with Kevin. I packed us a picnic, organic PB&J sandwiches, grapes, cheese & crackers (along with a few waters), and off we went. The first place we stopped at, we did a tasting, then had lunch at one of their picnic tables. Then off we went to 4 more wineries, nibbling cheese & crackers as we drove. We ended our day with dinner at the cheesecake factory, where I got a pomegranate mojito, a salad with dressing on the side, and white chocolate macadamia nut cheesecake to go.

The view from winery #4

view on the car ride there

My salad at Cheesecake Factory

Monday morning I made organic, whole wheat french toast as planned, with maple apple chicken sausage. I spent a few hours after that cleaning the house, watering the lawn, & watching TV, before getting my butt in gear to exercise. I decided it was a beautiful day for an outdoor run, which I need to get more practice with, so off I went for a 3.35 mile loop which I completed in less than 39 minutes, a sweaty, panting, mess. That night my college roomate, who was in town to see her family, came over to visit & we talked about doing the A1A half marathon in florida together in february. Score! Another goal to work towards after the triathlon is over!

Kevin and I were "discussing things" aka arguing last night into the early morning hours, which meant no gym this morning and a cranky girl low on sleep the whole day. He told me that he didn't want to re-propose at the wineries (despite the killer romantic atmosphere), because it wasn't something that was "our thing". I can't figure out if he is making up excuses still, or what. I don't understand then why he hasn't created a moment of one of "our things" and done it already. Its been over a month since he asked for the ring back to re-propose, and over 3 months since I've had it on at all. I am getting frustrated without knowing when things will improve or an action will take place. Stressed beyond words.

Today has been a good day eating wise, in fact I have a delicious dinner in the oven right now!

Foil Pack Chicken Fajita Dinner (from Kraft foods)

makes 4 servings. 6 points per serving

what you need

1 1/2 cups whole wheat instant rice

1 tbsp taco seasoning mix

4 small boneless-skinless chicken breasts (1#, I use organic)

1 green & 1 red pepper, cut into strips

1/2 cup salsa (I use organic)

1/2 cup mexican style reduced fat cheese

make it

Heat oven to 400 deg F. Fold up all sides of each of 4, 18x12 inch sheets of heavy-duty foil to form an inch rim. Spray foil with cooking spray. Cook rice according to package directions, after cooked combine with taco seasoning. Spoon rice into the centers of foil. Top with remaining ingredients.

Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to seal each packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Place on cooking sheet.

Bake 30-35 min or until chicken is cooked through. Let stand for 5 min. cut slits in foil to release steam before opening packets. Enjoy!

all 4 foil packs after coming out of the oven

The inside, YUM!

I am on target to stay on track today, and hit the gym tomorrow for an morning swim and possibly some lifting, we'll see what I have time for. I'm counting down the days until tuesday night is Biggest Loser night again (14 days)!

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)