Getting Back in the Groove

Even though though I still have that that nagging deep chest cough, I could put it off no longer and went to a spin class somewhat hesitantly today. Not only did I live, but I was exhilirated, joyful, and thrilled to be back in the land of the living! I think reading all of the blogs that I talked about in my previous post helped my motivation too. After reading that every had struggles and doubts getting to their first triathlon, I know that I can do it now. It will not be perfect and it will not be fast, but I can get it done. And I will be proud of myself when I get there! So now back to the pool. I am going to try the saline nose spray that was recommended and hope that clears up any problems I had before and just keep swimming! (I love Dory the Fish)

Inspiration by Blog

Ok, so while I am on this slug like recovery phase and therefore am very boring, please note that I have now added links to other blogs that are way more exciting and knowledgeable than mine. These ladies give me inspiration everyday even though I don't know any of them. For me, since I don't know anyone personally to give me advice on this triathlon journey, this is where I get most of my information....a lot of times in a humorous, trial by error way. Anyways, check them out. I am still adding all of the ones I read, but if I should be reading yours, let me know!

Ready for a Comeback

Ok, so I have been off due to my pool allergy turning into a full blown chest cold. Which actually was a good thing because now I am thinking that all of this was not caused by the pool but really because I was a late bloomer in the winter cold department. I am hoping to get back into a workout tonight, but I think this is going to be a slow come back. It amazes me how easily it is to get off routine from just a few days off!
I have been looking at some Triathlon books and it seems like there are lots of good ones out there. I have read a few, but if anyone has any good suggestions, I would love to hear about them! Since I am running (jogging, crawling, etc) into this blind I want to read up as much as possible to try to get prepared!

Allergic to Water?

A very large wrench has been thrown into my training plans. It seems I am allergic to water. More specifically, the water at the YWCA where I have been attempting to swim. The first sore throat and congestion I blamed on my boyfriend and his constant cold. Now, after repeated sore throats that only occur AFTER I have been swimming, I have to think that the water is slowly poisoning my will to swim. I am guess the chemicals in the pool are a little much for me. I am hoping that will time, I will get used to it....especially since I bought a set number of swim tickets. However, any advice would be greatly appreciated!! And in case you are wondering, I am not gulping down the water in the pool glass by glass. There is a possibility I am swallowing some of it as I flail from one end to the other, but I seriously don't think I am getting that much in my system. I am thinking it is the breathing in of the chemicals, but I could be wrong. Still, any helpful hints would be great!

Getting out of the zone

My workouts this weekend, although not triathlon focused, were still really good. I did a Power/Step class with a friend and while I felt like the geeky kid at the Junior High dance that has two left feet, it was really a lot of fun. This was at a different gym owned by the same company as mine that I have access to, but never go to because it is out of my comfort zone. This was another good reminder to go out of my comfort zone because people there were so NICE! People at my gym are certainly not rude, but not overly friendly either. This was nice to be around people who were very helpful and accepting.
Saturday afternoon, I went back to my gym to say goodbye to my best friend, the Arc Trainer. (another comfort zone item) I thought my gym was getting rid of all of the old equipment and getting all new stuff, but luckily it was just the weight machines they were replacing. My obsession with the Arc Trainer is secure for awhile!
Overslept again and missed the spinning class this morning, but this evening I will regroup and try something else! Maybe even something new. I could be pleasantly surprised!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Wimped Out

Did I mention that in addition to wanting to do a triathlon this year, I also want to do a race up the Sears Tower in November? Glutton for punishment I know. Luckily, I work in a building that has 15 flights of stairs for me to practice on. Unluckily, my poor calves were mooing so badly from the run up the stairs that I wimped out on the spinning. Today is slightly better so I am going to go to the gym and do some cardio on the elliptical trainer. I am keeping my fingers crossed for gorgeous weather this weekend so I can do some biking and try our my new road shoes! YAY! Oh and I have a fully functioning bike computer thanks to my brother so I can actually see how far I go!

First Swim, then Spin

The swimming portion is not something I have ever had any concerns about when thinking about doing this triathlon (except for maybe the whole bathing suit thing). I have really been worried about the runs and put the swimming on the back burner. While I still believe that run is going to be the hardest portion for me, I am no longer unconcerned about the swim. Let me preface this by saying that I can swim, but I have never swum laps except once for my Scuba test. I have always enjoyed swimming but have never really worked at it.
I got my membership to the YWCA over a week ago but have procrastinated about this ever since signing up. I have no idea what the rules are for swimming laps, staying out of peoples way, etc and so therefore have "accidentally" overslept for the past several days. Until today. I figured that I would get there as soon as it opened at 5:30 am, beat the crowd and get to figure this out on my own without the other kids pointing and laughing at me. I arrived at 5:31.....and the pool is packed. Seriously? When I go to the gym this early, there is never anyone there. Swimming in the morning is popular apparently.
It did not appear that people were sticking to lanes so I squeezed in between two older ladies who were just bobbing along and (gulp) a serious looking swimmer. I quickly slipped into the pool (whole bathing suit thing again) and started out. The first four laps or so started out pretty easily, but then it started getting harder....and more depressing as I realized I had only gone half of the length of the swim for the first triathlon I wanted to do. This was actually going to be work. AND I got hot while swimming. This was really a first!
I managed to get about 14 laps in...only because no else was getting out so I kept pushing myself to do one more in hopes someone would come out before me. Silly I know. I finally gave up and quit after 25 minutes which I was semi-embarrassed about, but again, this is all for fun. If I just can go 5 minutes longer each time, I will have it made! Oh, and form. I am going to have to work on that. Like I need to have some semblance of it. I suppose eventually I will need to get to the point where it does not feel like I am thrashing like a fish fighting the line, but all in good time. I think a coach is going to have to come into play at some point, but for now, my main goal is to just not sink!
I have a spinning class planned for this afternoon which will be a highlight for my day. While they are tough, I feel like I grin like an idiot through most of the class because I love the high energy and just the fun in taking a class instead of just working out on my own. When I first started bike riding, I did not have a lot of time before it got dark to ride my bike on the weekdays so I took 2 or 3 spinning classes a week....and I sailed through my first 100K. I was shocked because I really did not feel like I had trained enough, but obviously those classes paid off. I have not done one in awhile so I would imagine that tomorrow I will be feeling it!

Once upon a time.....

I am a 27 year old female living in Texas. I began road biking a few years ago, but not seriously at all. I decided that biking was going to be my hobby that I enjoyed when I wanted to with no pressure to really succeed. I have enjoyed it and when I don't, I put the bike away for awhile. I have been very slowly learning more about biking, but decided this year instead of just doing long distances, I wanted to try my first sprint triathlon. I have a few tentative dates for ones I would like to attend, all depending on how training goes. I am determined not to stress too much about this and just enjoy the experience. Of course, there have been times when I was biking that I repeated a mantra of "If I live, I will never do this again". Luckily, I did not follow through when it came to this.
I feel like there is more I should say, but I plan on this just being a record of my training and experiences. I tend to take a slightly sarcastic approach to most things so you have been forewarned. Please do not take me seriously! This whole thing makes me slightly nervous so joking about it seems to help, or at least convinces me that I am really not as petrified as I feel like I should be. Wish me luck because I may need it!