Wednesday May 19th

Its been a long time since i've updated the blog, but I've kept busy. I completed the first of a series of three triathlons at the same location just after my last post. Bonelli State Park in San Dimas is a gorgeous location for a triathlon, with a lake swim and beautiful (but big) hills. The swim portion was horrible for me. I couldn't put my head in the green, murkiness and I swam with my head out of the water the entire 500 meters. Not a good showing. Then, I managed to make an extra turn, going up a ginormous hill and costing myself a good 10 or 15 minutes on the bike. It wasn't pretty. It was a good ego check, however, and I trained to overcome my open water demons.

There's nothing better than swimming out into the Pacific Ocean to get over your fear of open water.

We're fortunate to live close to the beaches, so we took the family down to Santa Monica for the day. Tim kept the kids while I walked my orange capped self to the life guard station to inquire about the rules of open ocean swimming. I made it past the breakers after my second attempt. I only swam a few strokes back and forth while the surfers watched. It was kind of nice swimming near them. I felt like they would rescue a fellow wetsuit wearer if I got into any trouble. The waves were pretty big, but I felt pretty tough walking out into the water. The calm waters of Bonelli Lake were nothing after that swim.

We made another trek to the ocean on Mother's Day, this time to meet up with the LA Tri Club. There were about 20 people out for an 8 am Sunday morning swim, which was very encouraging. We broke up into groups by distance and hit the water. I probably swam about 800 meters when all was said and done, but my main goal was to get into the open water again.

Last Sunday, I worked out longer than I ever have before. In 3 hours, 3 minutes, and 41 seconds, I swam 1000 meters (a little over half a mile), biked 40 kilometers (24 miles), and ran 8 kilometers (5 miles). That's almost 30 miles, folks. Feels very good to have accomplished that. The bike portion and run portion were VERY hilly, but I managed to finish 9th out of 15 in my age group. I need to ramp up my bike and run for the next race.

The next one is an Olympic distance on the 13th of June. 1500 m swim, 40 k bike, and a 10 k run. I'm confident that I can complete this one, but I'd like to have a better bike and run pace.

Wednesday April 7th

I was able to swim 1000 m today. Thanks to Jesse for going with me...keeps me honest! Felt good to be in the water today and I felt like I could go 500 more meters. Today's goal was to work on both distance and technique. Swimming really is a lot about technique.
What I worked on...
- fully reaching out with my arms and twisting my body with every stroke...this becomes a challenge as the workout progresses
- making the proper s curve in the water
- breathing every three strokes...not sure if I'm ready, but I'd like to try every five one of these days

In other news, I just signed up for the Disneyland Half Marathon in September. Should be fun!

Off to bed to get in an early workout. Wasn't able to go on Tuesday morning since I didn't get enough sleep the night before. I can parent if I'm a little bit tired, but exhausted Mommy is a bear. Kids come first.

Thanks again to my wonderful hub for putting both kids to bed so that I could make it to the gym : )

Friday April 2nd

Swam 850 m nonstop in 19 min and 11 sec yesterday. Working my way to 1500 m. The tri in May has a 1000 m swim, so my goal is to swim 1000 m one month before. The tri in June has 1500 m, so I'll work my way up to that distance by May. That's the plan at least.

I ran with C in the jogger today. Short, but good (1.5 mi). Mommy is still my no 1 job, so I'm doing my best to balance it all.

Motivation still a struggle sometimes, but I've got to keep on keeping on. I'll get there!

Lesson of the week: I feel very good after a workout. I do NOT feel good after eating junk food. A little is good, but its hard to stop sometimes!

Bike ride tomorrow : )

Monday April 5th

My darling husband came home for lunch so that I could get a quick swim. Quick is the best word here, since I only had time for a warm up and two 200 m swims. Short, I know. Pathetically short. The good news is that my form is picking up. I was able to swim my first 200 in 4.28 and my second in 3.58. The trick will be to swim 1500 m in 30 minutes and still have energy for 24 miles on the bike and a 6 mile run. Sure is motivation to keep working out!

I popped on the trainer for a 25 minute spin after the kids were in bed. Biking sure burns some calories and I certainly need to improve...a lot. I think I need to pop on the trainer a little more often. T suggested that I sprint a minute, rest a minute, for 10 minutes. It was more like sprint a minute, rest for two...time flies when you want your heart rate to slow down and crawls as your heart is about to beat out of your chest.

Managed a tiny bit of yoga, but we're about to watch Chuck. Its the ONE show that we watch together. Its all about balance.

Off to the gym for an early morning workout before T heads to work : )

Pasadena Triathlon

My friend Jules and I completed the 2010 Pasadena Rose Bowl Reverse Triathlon a few weeks ago. We spent a night (sans children) in Pasadena and we both enjoyed taking care of only ourselves : )

Just bought a wetsuit for my next triathlon, an open water (lake) tri in San Dimas. Should be fun!

500 m swim - 24 k bike - 5 k run

Motivation

I run to be faster, stronger

I run to be strong, fit, sexy

I swim because I love the feel of floating on top of the water

I swim to be faster than the woman next to me

I ride because I love speed

Not as glorious as riding a horse, but it burns more calories

I do all of these things to be strong for my son, my daughter, my husband, everyone that loves me

I do it all for my body, for my mind

Just Do It

First Tri of the Season

I just completed my first triathlon of the season and I loved it. Okay, I didn't love the run this time, but I love the feeling that I get when I finish a race. Tim, Ollie and Charlotte were there waiting for me with a sign. Its important for me to set a good example for my kids and the feeling of accomplishment was that much sweeter when I saw my family's pride. Thanks for all of the support Tim!!

Results:
1:16:17
Run - 24:18.4
T1 - 2:24
Bike - 42:55.8
T2 - 1:46.7
Swim - 4:51.8

The Good:
Finishing under my goal of 1.30. The race director said that the course was fast (running/biking around a runway), but I didn't think that it would be THAT fast. Just over 8 min/mile is really fast for this Mommy

The bike was strong for me and I finished under my goal. I need to push it a little more during my next race...I could have given a little more, I think. I need to do a little course evaluation next time also. I really need to take advantage of the wind and use it for all its worth, especially when I have to face the wind head on the other side of the loop.

The swim wasn't super great, but I managed to stay mostly together. My goal is to breath on both sides of my body (not just my strong side) to prep for the open water swims (April, May, June, and October)

The Bad:
The sky opened up on us right as we began the run and continued to pour down on us through 2/3 of the bike. That wasn't actually as bad as the downpour that soaked the dry clothes that I put on after the race!

Lessons Learned:
Warm-ups matter. The gun fired for the run start and I went from zero to full on running. Folks just passed me from then on until I picked up the pace at the end. My run definitely needs some work. I need to get off of the treadmill and get out on the streets.

I'm also going to tweak my transition time to see if I can shave off some time there. A mere ten minutes separated me and the winner of my age division and its sure easier to shorten the transition than it is to shorten the run!

What's Next:
The next race is on March 20th in Pasadena. We'll be racing around the Rose Bowl, which should be fun. Its an early morning start, so another racer and I will make our way down the night before. While I wish that I had a night away from the kiddos with my husband, I will no less appreciate the break!!

Once again, a huge thanks to my fabulous husband for all of the support and to Amber, my race buddy. It was way more fun to have someone to hang with : )

My Motivation

So, here I am in California. After living in the UK for four great years, it was time for the family to relocate to the desert of So Cal for our next adventure. I know that there are those military spouses who relish change and love to move, but I am NOT one of them. I like my friends, I like knowing where to go without using a GPS, and I LOVED living in England (most of the time). Change is hard and moving sucks, but its a part of my life. I made the choice to make lemonade out of lemons and find the good things about southern Califor.blpnia and the opportunities here (very Pollyanna, I know). My bright idea to make this move a good one was to run some triathlons!

Here's my motivation:

1) After two kids, I need to get into shape. My BMI is not where its supposed to be. Its not about my weight, but my overall body composition.

2) Healthy Mom = Healthy Family. Exercise is great for many reasons...there is the obvious physical gain, but there are also great mental benefits. My mind clears and I feel like I can tackle the world (or at least my two small children) after a good workout.

3) Believe it or not, triathlons are fun. The nerves, the adrenaline, the atmosphere...I LOVE it!