I'm in Love!

I went on my first bike ride today.  It was so much fun!  I thought that the ride wouldn't extend beyond the local church parking lot practicing clipping in and out, but I did that for about 15 minutes and it was a piece of cake!  I tried stopping, unclipping, then pushing off and getting going again, so I figure I needed to do a real  ride.  I headed out of my nieghborhood and took off to the trails that I normally hit for my runs.  I  had a few stop signs to do some more clipping and unclipping at, all without incident.  I must say, I am so glad that there weren't any face plants involved!

I then ended the trail portion and then headed down some paved but very deserted streets just south of where I live and played around the with breaks, and saw how fast I could get it.  At the fastest, I hit 22 miles an hour.  That was so fun!  I can't believe how easy it is to get the bike that fast!  It is such an easy and responsive bike!  I loved it!  I averaged 17-18 mph for the whole ride, and ended up doing 12 miles in just 42 minutes.  I couldn't get over how effortless it felt, and neat to cover that much area in so little time!  I am so going to love this thing!  I am hoping that the weather cooperates next week for a few more rides as I don't have class next week.  My dad, who is an avid cyclist is coming out in May and wants to tackle Antelope Island on the bikes.  I have to work up to it and can't wait!

I think what I have loved about this whole tri training thing is the variety in the work outs!  It isn't just me hitting the pavement to pound out the miles as I have done with the marathon training in the past.  Every day it is something different and it is so much easier to stay motivated with the variety.  I start every day with some kind of Jillian video, then the evening is either bike, swim or run.  I love the variety in the work outs, and can't say that I have a favorite.  I have also loved how my fitness base from running has crossed over into the bike and swim.  Cross training has HUGE benefits I never imagined!

Happy training!

The hunt has ended!

Yes, the hunt for a bike has ended with the beauty pictured above.  For Valentine's this year,I got a bike.  It will probably end up being my birthday and Mother's Day present too.  Maybe Christmas.  But I don't care...I am so excited to finally have one!  It is going to be so much fun!  I have already bought plenty to go with it...from the helmet (very girly), some padded shorts and full tights, the shoes, a drink cage, a girly water bottle, and  gloves.  I am going to get out on Saturday and try a real ride on it.  I got it fitted to me, and I brought it home, and the funny thing is I can't bring myself to leave it in the garage!  There have been so many bike thefts in our neighborhood in the past year, I have it in the storage room in the basement.  Not taking any chances here!  It is way nicer than I thought I would be able to get, and I am just so excited I can't stand it!  I will keep you all posted on my entering the cycling part of my tri training!

Registered for another race!

I got a link on Facebook last week for an all women's bike event in late August.  It is for all levels of cyclists with distances ranging from 18-75 miles.  I chose the 50 mile one.  I signed up this week and I am doing it with a friend!  Can't wait! 

It leaves from Mountain Green and then goes south towards East Canyon, depending on what distance you choose.  There are several hill climbs and it is a fun supportive thing, not competitive.  It looks like a ton of fun and I am loving the idea of doing all of these different events!  Running has and always will be my first love, but the variety in my work outs, training, and events has been more fun than I could have imagined.

So, that makes my list of officially registered for races as follows for 2012:

4/21 Salt Lake City Half Marathon

5/19 Women of Steel Sprint Triathlon

6/9 Daybreak Sprint Triathlon

8/18 Wildflower Pedalfest

I have a  list of others on my wish list, but I have to be careful which ones I choose with family vacations, school conferences, and everything else going on in my crazy life!

Goals, training, and races...

I have been a horrible blogger lately.  The craziness of the holidays and everything else and getting back to normal has kicked my butt in many ways.  But, there is exciting stuff going on!  As far as my training goes, I have been consistently attending the Masters Swim group  I love it!  Seriously, such a good work out without the stress on joints and all that can come with running.  It is once a week, and for now with everything going on, that is the most I can do with it.  I swim a minimum of 2000 meters every time, and it is just fun!  I am learning alot from the coaches and other swimmers there and am growing more and more confident in the water since it has been such a long time since I have swam consistently.  About 14 years!  I have loved how my fitness gained from running has crossed over into swimming, and I can swim farther than I ever did in the past with not near the effort.  Awesome benefit!

I am also continuing daily strength training with a Jillian work out every morning.  I am currently doing her Killer Buns and Thighs, and the title is correct....it is killer!  I could barely walk the first time I did it, but it is becoming easier and I will move up to work out #2 on Monday.

Running is going well.  We have had some winter weather lately and I love running in it.  I had a long run about two weeks ago in the snow, and it was awesome.  I love being the first set of foot prints in the fresh powder on the running trails mornings like that was.  It reminds me of the simple joys of running you don't get all the time!

And, on the race front, my 2012 schedule is starting to take more shape.  For starters, I am now officially registered for the Salt Lake City Half Marathon in April and the Daybreak Spring Tri on June 9.  I am looking forward to both of these for various reasons.  The Salt Lake Half is a good race.  I did it last year and since it is in the city the whole course, there is tons of crowd support the entire race and it is awesome.  There is also a significant decline in elevation so it is a fast course as well.  Way excited that is how I will kick off my 2012 season!

The Daybreak tri will be fun, but it will be my first race with an open water swim.  I will have to rent a wetsuit for it.  I really wanted to sign up for the Olympic distance, but with it being my first open water, I figured stick with the sprint distance and then leave the oly for later in the summer.  It is also close to where my sister lives, so maybe I will have a cheering section other than Ken!

I am also eyeing the Little Red Riding Hood ride in June as well.  You can either do an 18, 36, 50 or 100 mile ride.  I am looking at the 50.  It would be way fun, but also the week before the Daybreak tri.  I also saw a banner add on Facebook for the Star Valley Half in July, and it might be added to my schedule for a July event.  As far as running is concerned, I am focusing on the half marathon this year as one of my resolutions is to hit a sub 2 hour half marathon, so I want to give myself lots of opportunities to do so.  And Star Valley is just slightly south of the Tetons, so it would be a gorgeous race!

Will I do a full marathon this year?  Only if I get into the St. George.  I will throw my name in the lottery and if I get in GREAT!  It is a race that is well worth the training.  If not, I am okay with that as well.  After all, come fall I will be back to school and work full time by then, and won't mind easing up a bit on the training that I will be able to do over the summer.  But, I love the St. George Marathon, so if I get in, I am TOTALLY there.

What are your race goals this year?  I set two for myself.  The first one mentioned above it to have a sub two half marathon.  And the other is to do a triathlon.  Well, assuming I show up for the two I am registered for, I will be good there!

Way excited for what is to come.  I am LOVING the variety that comes from training for multiple sports, and it keeps things fun and interesting.  I can see how this tri thing could be addicting, and I haven't even started yet!

Happy training!

Excuses? We all got em!

Well, my work outs for the last two weeks have been pathetic.  But then again, I had a good reason. I was sick with strep throat.  I FINALLY started feeling better on Thursday of this week.  Then yesterday, a friend facebooked me and asked if I wanted to join her on a 10 mile run this morning.  I said yes immediately.  I got off the phone, and was like "What am I thinking?  I haven't run in 2.5 weeks, I haven't worked out PERIOD in 2, this will kick my butt!"  I figured even if it did, I was going.  What better to put me back in the routine, right?

Then I was really tired last night.  I wasn't feeling it.  I realized the morning temperature was going to be around 18.  I was going to have to go really early, while still dark.  Yada, yada, yada.  I was glad I knew a friend was waiting for me, so I got out of bed at 5:20 on a Saturday to go meet her.  We had a great time!  I was so glad I went, it wasn't bad at all, and the miles FLEW by!

My gloves turned out to be not quite warm enough and my fingers did lose all feeling the last hour.  I had frost forming on my eyelashes.  I got a side stitch towards the end.  BUT  I also felt really good that we got it done!  I was on with my day feeling good about myself, proud of what we had done, and the important thing was  I SHOWED UP!

I have heard that more than half of the battle with running, working out, training, etc, is just SHOWING UP.  I was so glad I did that today. I felt good that after a dismal two weeks I could still crank out 10 miles like it was nothing.  That is something to be proud of, dangit!  Another quote that I love it by Bob Harper and he says, "True motivation comes when excuses cease to exist".  So true. 

Happy training!  Just do it!

Ironman Kona - What is my excuse?

I watched for the first time coverage of an Ironman event, which happened to be the coverage of the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.  AMAZING!  They of course put alot of the coverage on the pros competing, but I was more touched by the non-pro people the covered.  You know, the more every day people that are all completing it for one reason or another.  They had one man that was a double leg amputee from a car accident that finished.  Another woman who had just 3 years earlier been well over 300 pounds.  A 50 year old who had spent the year battling aggressive stage 4 colon cancer.  There were a ton of people 70+ that were doing it!  If you can watch that with completely dry eyes and not be touched you are not human!  It made me think, what the heck is my excuse?  I don't have one.  Mark my words.  I will complete an Ironman someday.  My goal is by the time I am 40, so it gives me a few years.  I still need to get a bike for my first sprint for Pete's sake! 

One thing that it did accomplish for me was to really motivate me to get back to my off season training.  I have been sick this week, pretty sure it is strep throat, and have just felt like crap, so the work outs have been non-existent.  This just gives me extra motivation to shake it off and get back to work!  I am just that much more fired up and ready to get into this whole tri thing.  I can't wait for Women of Steel in May!

So what about you?  What is your goal?  What are you working for?  Even if it is to work out regularly, do your first 5k, or complete  as many push ups as you can in a minute, the key is JUST DO IT! 

Happy training all!

Santa, I have been SOOOO good this year!

I have been thinking about what I really want for Christmas this year, and BOY!  I hope Santa has a big sleigh to bring me the stuff I want!  Yeah, this is the "if money is no object" list.  But a girl can dream right?

Yeah, basic, but I need a bike helmet.  Not necessarily this one, but it might be nice as I enter the cycling world...

And, what good is a bike helmet with no bike?  That would be just silly, right?  Yeah, this is my dream ride below, except in red or pink...LOL

And, I wouldn't mind a new Garmin, since mine has been dead the last few months.  I soooo miss it!

 And I am sure seeing this butt picture is weird, but these are padded bike shorts.  The last bike ride I went on, I remember being quite "saddle sore" for days after.  So, this might help a bit...but I wouldn't mind the butt that they are on either ;)

 I think Ken is getting tired of me hanging all my race medals on the corner of our bedroom mirror.  One of these would be cool!

 Yes, I want this coat in this color.  I would love to be as bright as a Christmas tree when I do my evening/early morning runs, and if all I had to do was put a coat on (minus the reflective vest, the flashing LED light, etc) I would be a happy girl!

Just a fun kinda wish list.  If you have a triathlete on your Christmas buying list, take note!  Whose going to send this to Ken?  LOL