I had a special treat yesterday. Dave, my husband, and I got to cycle together. Usually we take turns going for rides because one of us has to stay and watch the kinder, but we had a mini-weekend together while their local 'grandparents' watched them for us Sat night. We got up Sun morning, and instead of our old usual (going to a local breakfast joint and eating a big breakfast while reading the Sunday papers), we left the house at 8 am and did a 23 mile bike ride. Dave has been cycling a bit longer than me, and definitely has more endurance, but stayed back with me at my 13.5 mph pace for the ride. The countryside was beautiful, there was very little traffic, the hills were grueling, but it was fun to do it together.
We're going to the NC mountains to visit with some friends for the weekend of the 4th, and we might get to do another ride together, so we're taking our bikes with us. This necessitated another trip to the bike store to purchase a rack carrier for my car. I think we've definitely crossed over to enthusiast lately as we spend time in the bike shop every couple weeks. It is wonderful though to have an activity that we both enjoy and can do together (since we don't golf, fish, camp, play tennis or any other team sport).
Finally, I'd like to thank everyone who has offered words of encouragement - I do appreciate the support. I bought myself a heart rate monitor and I want to try to use that for training (especially for the run) for a while and see if it helps, especially since cardiovascular fitness is my weakness. I wore the monitor for the bike ride yesterday, but I'm still trying to figure out how to access all the data. I've been reading some guides that offer training programs using heart rate, so I am going to try to focus on that rather than distance or time for the moment.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
It's hot out there
I'm two weeks into this new goal, and I've learned a couple of things.
A. It's hot and humid out there
2. I hate running (okay, I already knew that)
I wrote this part last week (I haven't yet figured out how to date posts by when I post them, not by when I start writing them.)
I know I just started on this journey, but I have to whine a bit.
Why is running so hard? Is there something that I'm doing wrong? I know that it's June, I live in the south, it's hot and humid, but I've been exercising indoors.
I tried to run this morning, hoping to at least match last weeks endurance run of 12 minutes of continuous running. Despite the AC, the gym did feel a bit humid. I noticed it while I was doing weight training for the first 30 minutes of my workout. I hopped on the treadmill, walked for 3 minutes to warm up, and then started to run. I didn't even make it 5 minutes of running before I was DYING. Goodness gracious! I could barely breath. Why? Why can't I go the same distance that I went 7 days ago? I walked for a bit and tried again - nope. Seriously painful. I know I don't have a lot of followers yet, and I don't know if any of them are fitness experts, but this does seem to happen to me semi-regularly. Some days, despite my intentions, it's just impossible to push myself to complete what I wanted to do as a workout. I don't have similar issues with biking, it's really just the running. Is this something I can improve? How? Any ideas?
So, I gave it a try again today. I still really could only do about 5 minutes at a time. I ended up doing sort of interval workout to get the distance in - run 5/walk (and I try to crank up the incline and walk at a decent clip). I did do 1 minute at my goal pace (8 minute mile) - and it burned, oh man did it burn. I can still feel that in my lungs - but maybe that's what I need.
I do feel like I'm making progress with the swim and bike, but the run is still my weakness. At the moment I am just doing 1 intense workout a week with each discipline - I should probably add an extra run in there, but we've got busy schedules the next couple weeks, so it'll have to wait for a while. And I'm not running outside right now.
Any experienced runners are welcome to comment w/ tips!
A. It's hot and humid out there
2. I hate running (okay, I already knew that)
I wrote this part last week (I haven't yet figured out how to date posts by when I post them, not by when I start writing them.)
I know I just started on this journey, but I have to whine a bit.
Why is running so hard? Is there something that I'm doing wrong? I know that it's June, I live in the south, it's hot and humid, but I've been exercising indoors.
I tried to run this morning, hoping to at least match last weeks endurance run of 12 minutes of continuous running. Despite the AC, the gym did feel a bit humid. I noticed it while I was doing weight training for the first 30 minutes of my workout. I hopped on the treadmill, walked for 3 minutes to warm up, and then started to run. I didn't even make it 5 minutes of running before I was DYING. Goodness gracious! I could barely breath. Why? Why can't I go the same distance that I went 7 days ago? I walked for a bit and tried again - nope. Seriously painful. I know I don't have a lot of followers yet, and I don't know if any of them are fitness experts, but this does seem to happen to me semi-regularly. Some days, despite my intentions, it's just impossible to push myself to complete what I wanted to do as a workout. I don't have similar issues with biking, it's really just the running. Is this something I can improve? How? Any ideas?
So, I gave it a try again today. I still really could only do about 5 minutes at a time. I ended up doing sort of interval workout to get the distance in - run 5/walk (and I try to crank up the incline and walk at a decent clip). I did do 1 minute at my goal pace (8 minute mile) - and it burned, oh man did it burn. I can still feel that in my lungs - but maybe that's what I need.
I do feel like I'm making progress with the swim and bike, but the run is still my weakness. At the moment I am just doing 1 intense workout a week with each discipline - I should probably add an extra run in there, but we've got busy schedules the next couple weeks, so it'll have to wait for a while. And I'm not running outside right now.
Any experienced runners are welcome to comment w/ tips!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
At the beginning
Everyone needs a place to start from, right?
So, here's what I can do right now - my starting baseline.
Swim:
I swam laps last week for the first time in a long time. I was reading some training guides for tri beginners, and getting a little freaked out by the specifics, but I did get a few metrics to measure myself by. The sprint race that I'm training for has a 225 yard swim, which is equal to 9 pool lengths. And it will be a pool swim, not open water. I managed to do a total of 800 yards in my first dip back into the pool -some of those with a kickboard. I did one time trial - the training manual I was reading referenced a routine that involved swimming 50 yards in under a minute, waiting the the 15-20 seconds until that minute had elapsed, and then swimming another 50 yards (repeat, etc). My first question was whether or not I could swim 50 yards in under a minute. To my surprise, I came in at 50 seconds. I'm not going to say it was pretty. My turns at the wall are U-G-L-Y and half the time I get water up my nose because I'm not judging turn radius or depth properly. I then tried to swim 100 yards at once. I managed that in 1:52 - out of breath, completely spent. I've got some work to do to get my fitness level to the sprint distance.
My short term goal for swimming is to work on my endurance primarily - swimming up to 250 yards continuously and maintaining some semblance of form. And to work on my turns and freestyle form - that might require some assistance/coach.
Bike:
I've been biking around the neighborhood for a couple of months now, and I've got 3 regular routes that I take (a short, medium and longer distance). There are lots of hills - nothing monster, but a near constant up and down. It's impossible to find a route from my home that does not involve hills. In general, my average speed is just under 13 mph.
My goal for biking is to bring my average speed up to about 15 mph. That means that I need to work on my strength climbing the hills and my endurance once I've reached the top of the hill. I also need to keep my speed up when there are non-hilly portions - right now I'm around 14 mph then. I should note that I am not riding a road bike at the moment - I have a Trek 7.3 FX WSD, a fitness level bike. I may consider strap in pedals or other modifications to improve my time, but I don't want to switch to a road bike right now.
Run:
This is my least favorite event, by far. I've never like running - I just don't have the breathing endurance, and frankly, I get bored. My knees or legs never bother me, it's always more a matter of cardiovascular fitness. But I'm working on it. I've been exercising in a gym regularly for 15 years, but it's only been in the last 5 or so that I've even attempted to get on the treadmill and run for a while. In the beginning I was doing a 10 minute mile - mostly walking. I've been working on extending my endurance (how long can I run for between walking breaks), as well as increasing my speed. I'm currently running a 9 minute mile, and running about 2/3 of a 5K distance. I've got lots of work to go before I will feel comfortable in this event, and I have serious doubts I'll ever experience that "high" or any feeling like I could run and run and actually enjoy it. I do occasionally run/walk outside, but not in the summer. It's too dang hot and humid here to do that.
My running goal is to ultimately achieve an 8 minute mile pace and run at least a 5K without walking, but that is a long term goal. I've been using the couch to 5K program information to push myself to new levels of endurance, and I will continue to do that until I reach the 5K distance. Then I will try to work on my speed and running at that pace outdoors.
Coaching - I'm looking into a couple of options for training advice. I have one lucky connection - one of my neighbors (our kids are at the same bus stop) is a triathlon training coach. I haven't formally talked to her about training yet, but that is there as a resource. The YMCA offers a tri training program in the spring, and I'm looking into other local options. I've considered trying a master's swimming program to work on that aspect, but right now the time commitment involved is more than I can devote. I really decided to do this only about 2 weeks ago, so I haven't spent much time looking into all the options yet.
So, here's what I can do right now - my starting baseline.
Swim:
I swam laps last week for the first time in a long time. I was reading some training guides for tri beginners, and getting a little freaked out by the specifics, but I did get a few metrics to measure myself by. The sprint race that I'm training for has a 225 yard swim, which is equal to 9 pool lengths. And it will be a pool swim, not open water. I managed to do a total of 800 yards in my first dip back into the pool -some of those with a kickboard. I did one time trial - the training manual I was reading referenced a routine that involved swimming 50 yards in under a minute, waiting the the 15-20 seconds until that minute had elapsed, and then swimming another 50 yards (repeat, etc). My first question was whether or not I could swim 50 yards in under a minute. To my surprise, I came in at 50 seconds. I'm not going to say it was pretty. My turns at the wall are U-G-L-Y and half the time I get water up my nose because I'm not judging turn radius or depth properly. I then tried to swim 100 yards at once. I managed that in 1:52 - out of breath, completely spent. I've got some work to do to get my fitness level to the sprint distance.
My short term goal for swimming is to work on my endurance primarily - swimming up to 250 yards continuously and maintaining some semblance of form. And to work on my turns and freestyle form - that might require some assistance/coach.
Bike:
I've been biking around the neighborhood for a couple of months now, and I've got 3 regular routes that I take (a short, medium and longer distance). There are lots of hills - nothing monster, but a near constant up and down. It's impossible to find a route from my home that does not involve hills. In general, my average speed is just under 13 mph.
My goal for biking is to bring my average speed up to about 15 mph. That means that I need to work on my strength climbing the hills and my endurance once I've reached the top of the hill. I also need to keep my speed up when there are non-hilly portions - right now I'm around 14 mph then. I should note that I am not riding a road bike at the moment - I have a Trek 7.3 FX WSD, a fitness level bike. I may consider strap in pedals or other modifications to improve my time, but I don't want to switch to a road bike right now.
Run:
This is my least favorite event, by far. I've never like running - I just don't have the breathing endurance, and frankly, I get bored. My knees or legs never bother me, it's always more a matter of cardiovascular fitness. But I'm working on it. I've been exercising in a gym regularly for 15 years, but it's only been in the last 5 or so that I've even attempted to get on the treadmill and run for a while. In the beginning I was doing a 10 minute mile - mostly walking. I've been working on extending my endurance (how long can I run for between walking breaks), as well as increasing my speed. I'm currently running a 9 minute mile, and running about 2/3 of a 5K distance. I've got lots of work to go before I will feel comfortable in this event, and I have serious doubts I'll ever experience that "high" or any feeling like I could run and run and actually enjoy it. I do occasionally run/walk outside, but not in the summer. It's too dang hot and humid here to do that.
My running goal is to ultimately achieve an 8 minute mile pace and run at least a 5K without walking, but that is a long term goal. I've been using the couch to 5K program information to push myself to new levels of endurance, and I will continue to do that until I reach the 5K distance. Then I will try to work on my speed and running at that pace outdoors.
Coaching - I'm looking into a couple of options for training advice. I have one lucky connection - one of my neighbors (our kids are at the same bus stop) is a triathlon training coach. I haven't formally talked to her about training yet, but that is there as a resource. The YMCA offers a tri training program in the spring, and I'm looking into other local options. I've considered trying a master's swimming program to work on that aspect, but right now the time commitment involved is more than I can devote. I really decided to do this only about 2 weeks ago, so I haven't spent much time looking into all the options yet.
Jumping into the deep end
My husband has been pestering me for years to start a blog. I finally decided to - because I finally have something to talk about (besides the hum drum of daily life).
Let me start at the beginning. I'm 37 years old. I live in North Carolina. I have a husband, two beautiful girls, a dog, 2 cats, and a lot of motivation. I have never, ever done competitive sports before. I have always hated running. I swam for fun - tried out for the swim team in high school and made it to 3 practices before I quit. Never did more than bike around the neighborhood as a kid. But I've got a fire in my belly to try something new.
My husband and I decided that we needed to make a serious change at the beginning of this year. We joined Weight Watchers, and in the past 6 months I've lost 35 lbs. I have always been active - even at my heaviest weight I was still going to the gym about twice a week and doing some exercise. But I love food too much, and it took a strict program for me to see the benefits of that exercise. As I've lost weight, my fitness level and intensity has increased. I've added more weight training, and I've started running more on the treadmill. And about 2 months ago I bought myself a new road bicycle - the first bike I've owned in about 15 years. I've been riding around my hilly neighborhood since then, gradually increasing my distance and endurance (as well as my comfort level with 2 ton road companions). All of these changes have inspired me to take my new body and new fitness to the next level.
I've decided to try to run a triathlon. I'm planning to run in a sprint triathlon that will be held next spring - in May 2012. And perhaps do a full triathlon annually held a few weeks after that. I've got lots of time to train this old dog to do some new tricks. I know I'm not the only one who has ever contemplated going from minimal fitness experience to a triathlon, so I decided to start a blog and take you on the journey with me. I hope to log my experiences trying to balance training and daily life, trying to understand what training involves, what are all these strange looking pieces of equipment, how to make sense of triathlon training guides written for folks who obviously understand the details of training, when my whole sense of training involves putting on shoes and running.
So join me in this adventure. I aim to learn a lot along the way - and hopefully inspire others out there.
Let me start at the beginning. I'm 37 years old. I live in North Carolina. I have a husband, two beautiful girls, a dog, 2 cats, and a lot of motivation. I have never, ever done competitive sports before. I have always hated running. I swam for fun - tried out for the swim team in high school and made it to 3 practices before I quit. Never did more than bike around the neighborhood as a kid. But I've got a fire in my belly to try something new.
My husband and I decided that we needed to make a serious change at the beginning of this year. We joined Weight Watchers, and in the past 6 months I've lost 35 lbs. I have always been active - even at my heaviest weight I was still going to the gym about twice a week and doing some exercise. But I love food too much, and it took a strict program for me to see the benefits of that exercise. As I've lost weight, my fitness level and intensity has increased. I've added more weight training, and I've started running more on the treadmill. And about 2 months ago I bought myself a new road bicycle - the first bike I've owned in about 15 years. I've been riding around my hilly neighborhood since then, gradually increasing my distance and endurance (as well as my comfort level with 2 ton road companions). All of these changes have inspired me to take my new body and new fitness to the next level.
I've decided to try to run a triathlon. I'm planning to run in a sprint triathlon that will be held next spring - in May 2012. And perhaps do a full triathlon annually held a few weeks after that. I've got lots of time to train this old dog to do some new tricks. I know I'm not the only one who has ever contemplated going from minimal fitness experience to a triathlon, so I decided to start a blog and take you on the journey with me. I hope to log my experiences trying to balance training and daily life, trying to understand what training involves, what are all these strange looking pieces of equipment, how to make sense of triathlon training guides written for folks who obviously understand the details of training, when my whole sense of training involves putting on shoes and running.
So join me in this adventure. I aim to learn a lot along the way - and hopefully inspire others out there.
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