A little bit blah...

I've been feeling a bit "blah" the last few days. For one thing, I feel exhausted for no reason...it's 7:30 pm and I already want to go to bed. I also haven't been much in the workout mood since Sunday. I've noticed that Sunday is a critical workout day for me, for some reason I allow it to set the tone of my workouts for the entire week. Well, this past Sunday was not the best workout. When I got home from Nels', I cleaned the house some and did a total deep clean of the bathroom. I threw practically every cleaner under the kitchen sink into the tub/shower, and the fumes made me really dizzy and gave me a BAD headache. At around 6 pm, my mom was starting to cook dinner and the gym is only open till 8 on Sundays, so I made my way over there for a short workout. Felt awful. Forced myself to get through 10 minutes on the Stairmaster and 10 minutes on the crossramp, then I went home and called it a night.

Last night, my workout was pretty good. I had boot camp for an hour, which is always great. Then I did the crossramp for 25 minutes, but I was not feeling as energized as I was last week after class. I was feeling WIPED OUT!!!

To back up a bit (since I haven't blogged in over a week), I had some GREAT workouts last week. Here's a recap:

Sunday - the triathlon, of course!

Monday - boot camp & 30 minutes of cardio

Tuesday - abs, Stairmaster (15 minutes), rowing (10 minutes - borrrrrring), and jogging on the treadmill (15 minutes)

Wednesday - break

Thursday - biceps, shoulders, abs, 15 minutes on the Stairmaster and 30 minutes on the crossramp

Friday - woke up early because we had to move my brother up to NIU. It was a good thing I decided to run outside and not go to the gym, because when I opened the front door...






My brother's friends Saran-wrapped his car and decorated it for him leaving for NIU! He was both annoyed and amused:



Since he was parked behind me, I wasn't going anywhere! Anyway, back to the run - this was one of the most AMAZING runs I've had in a long time. I felt great!!! I ran for 5 miles, but it felt like only 2. It made me wish that I had done morning runs all summer. I've been meaning to get up and run in the mornings this week, but going back to that whole tired thing...yeah it hasn't happened.

We got my brother all moved into his place, he's so excited to be away at school and have his own apartment. I'm happy and excited for him too, but it's weird with him gone. It just feels like he's away at camp for the week. I miss him today.



I'm going to take it easy tonight and just relax, maybe finally fold my laundry I washed last week (or maybe not, ha).

The Day After

Post-race, I feel so empowered now. It's a wonderful feeling! I went to boot camp tonight and told the instructor about the race, and some girls talked to me about it after as well. Boot camp was awesome tonight - it was a really challenging class, but I didn't feel like "I can't do this" at any point. I used the heavier set of weights, 7.5 pounds, for the ENTIRE class. When I started this class back in the winter, I'd use 2.5 pounds as my light set and 5 as my heavy, so to be at 7.5 now is awesome. That might not sound like a lot, but the class involves doing high repetitions rather than heavy weight - trust me, you feel the burn!!! After the class, the instructor told me "By the way, you're looking awesome lately!" That made my night : )

After class, I did the cross ramp for 30 minutes. I usually have this machine set at an incline of 10 with a resistance warm up of 8 working up to 10. Tonight I warmed up at 10 & 10, then built up to 12 & 11.

Class ends at 8, and I was so sad to see that it was already pretty dark outside. Summer really is coming to an end : ( The weather is absolutely gorgeous though, loving the break from high heat and humidity!

Triathlon triumph!

The race is over! It was awesome. I loved it and I want to do more next summer! I exceeded every single one of my goals - my swim time, bike time, run time, and the total time. The official results are posted, here's how I finished:

Swim: 5 minutes, 59.2 seconds. For the swim, I ranked #234 out of 353, so still slower on that compared to everyone else. Since I trained myself with no other help or coaching, I'm darn proud of my time : )

Bike: 26 minutes, 2.6 seconds. For the bike, I ranked #169 out of 353.

Run: 19 minutes, 32.5 seconds. Very excited that I kept my normal running pace even after swimming and biking! For the run, I ranked #121 out of 353, so did very well here compared to other participants. I'm sure a lot of people were worn out by the end.

FINAL TIME: 51 minutes. 34.4 seconds! My goal was to finish in an hour, and I made it! I placed #151 out of 353 participants.

So now that I already gave away the info you wanted, if you'd like to read my experience of how it all went, here you go : )

On Saturday, we were emailed our swim start times - the fastest swimmers went first and everyone's BIB number was ranked y time. The race was scheduled to start at 7 AM, and my swim time was 8:12 AM. I was freaking out a little - I had to wait over an hour to start the race?! Although I had moved up to the faster 7 minutes and under pool, I was the slower of the fast swimmers, so I was towards the end. I was mostly worried that my excitement (and breakfast) would wear off by the time I'd get in the pool. The email also said that due to construction, we would not be able to bike in the street, so we'd be on the bike path I practice on. The bike path isn't very wide. I was also concerned that the path would be packed and it would be difficult to get a good time.

The night before the race, I was feeling very, very nervous. It took me well over a half hour to fall asleep. I woke up around 1 AM and couldn't fall back asleep for over an hour. My alarm clock went off at 5:20 AM. Now, a lot of times during the week I set my alarm for this time with the intention of going to the gym...and usually, I just hit "snooze" and save my workout for the evening. This was one workout I couldn't skip, though.

I got dressed - sports bra, swimsuit, tank top with my number pinned on, shorts & shoes. I made myself some scrambled eggs out of Egg Beaters with some cheese mixed in, and my Thomas' 100% Whole Wheat Bagel Thins with Philly whipped cream cheese and peanut butter. I don't know where the time went, but before I knew it, it was 6:05 and race instructions were at 6:30. I put the bagel in a baggie and threw that in my bag with my goggles, ear plugs, and flip flops. Since I leave 3 minutes away from the pool where the race was held, I rode my bike.

As I turned onto the main road and saw all the race set up and people, I started panicking a little. "What am I doing?!" I thought. No turning back now, though. I checked into the race and got in line to be marked up -they write your race number on your arms and the back of your legs.

The bike racks were split up according to your BIB number, so I hung my bike on the rack (you just had to lift it a little bit and the front of the seat hung across a metal bar) and set up the rest of my stuff - untied my shoes, laid out my socks and clothes. After race announcements (which were pretty much pointless, it was all of the information from the emails), there was nothing to do but wait.

My parents, brother, Nels, best friend Lisa and my aunt Debbie arrived around 7:30. I talked to them for awhile, then went to line up at about 7:55. As each swimmer went into the pool and I got one person closer, I couldn't believe this race was really happening and that I was participating in it!!! I don't know how to dive well, so I sat on the edge of the pool and dropped myself in when it was my turn.



"5...4...3...2...GO." I pushed off and could feel that my whole body was very nervous, but I focused on the laps. The pool was roped off into 5 lanes, and on the odd numbers (they were labeled clearly on construction cones as well as cement slabs at the bottom of the pool) you had to swim under the rope and then down and back up the next lane. The swimming felt a bit more difficult than practicing in the pool at my gym because of the waves from all the other swimmers. When I'd bring my head to the side for air, I often got a mouthful of water. By lap 5, I was feeling rather fatigued but kept pushing the best I could.











After the swim, you run out to the bike area and get the rest of your gear on. I honestly don't even remember running to the bike area, putting my clothes and shoes on, or getting on the bike haha. It's all a blur. The biking felt a bit more difficult than I expected, too. My nerves were still going crazy and I was feeling hungry/weaker than I was expecting to. To my surprise, the bike route was not crowded at all. I was pretty much alone the whole time. I did pass 3 bikers along the way back, when I was really pushing myself.

It didn't take me long to put my bike back on the rack and start running. The first mile of the 2.1 mile run felt like the longest mile of my life.

Water grab:


Alright, so the story about my finish is pretty hilarious. There was a woman ahead of me who I wanted to pass, so I started sprinting.



I succeeded and passed her...



I saw the construction cones, and my family, and I figured this was the finish line, YAY, so I stopped.

Almost the end, but not quite. I was supposed to run through this little roped off lane. You can see everyone pointing and you can also see the woman I passed grabbing my shoulder and pushing me out of the way.



Oh well, I know I totally had her. My mom has the whole thing on video, it's really funny.

So proud of myself that I finished with a great time for a beginner. Using an online training plan, I completely coached myself. I want to do more races next summer, maybe even some longer ones! It's a little scary to think about doing even further distances, but then again, this race seemed scary at the start too.

I'll be running an 8K on September 26th for PAWS (Pets Are Worth Saving) Chicago, the largest No Kill Humane & Adoption Organization. Training for that is next!

Triathlon training: Week 8, Day 5...

Well, that wraps up my training till Sunday. A few updates:

I reported my final swim time to be 8:40. This still seemed pretty crappy to me...so I searched Google for what the average time for a 250 yard swim should be, and it was saying 5-6 minutes for most people. What the heck? When I've been in the pool, I usually glance at the clock at my start and finish and then estimate the time. I decided to re-time myself tonight. I brought a stopwatch with me and gave it my best shot for the 10 laps - but didn't go so fast that it would be something I couldn't repeat Sunday.

My end time? 6:03. This makes a BIG difference. There are 2 swimming pools that will be used during the race, one 7 minutes and up and one for 7 minutes and under. I have to admit, I'm nervous about being transferred to the "faster" pool. But it is better that I be accurate and challenge myself then be stuck trying to pass people in the lanes and mess up my time.

Then I went for a 30 minute run, and only ran 2.6 miles, which is pretty crappy compared to my normal pace. The last 2 weeks or so, I've been getting terrible cramping in my side. I don't know what else to blame besides the humidity, so let's just blame that : )

Here are my anticipated times for the race:

250 yard swim - 6 minutes
6.5 mile bike - 30 minutes
2.1 mile run - 19:40

This puts me at just about 56 minutes. My goal is to finish in under an hour, but I think this is going to be pretty hard with the transitions - getting from the swim area to the bike area, putting your bike on the rack before the run part, etc. I'm going to wear my sports watch and time myself at the start to try and stay on track.

At this point, I'm not nervous about my physical abilities with the race - I am more nervous about crowding in the pool...someone hitting me on my bike and sending me flying...trying to pass people while biking...etc. I HATE biking in a group.

My Aunt Debbie, best friend Lisa, Nels, my parents & brother will be there Sunday morning. I'm so excited for them to see me do this!

The next blog post will be post-race : ) I'll have pictures & all the details for you!

LET'S DO THIS!

Triathlon training: Week 8, Day 3

Yesterday, I went to boot camp and did 30 minutes of cardio on the crossramp, so a 90 minute workout altogether.

Tonight I went on a 35 minute bike ride, a little over 8 miles. I practiced riding with my helmet, just to get used to it since I've never used one before - wasn't difficult to get used to. As soon as I rode into my driveway, I hopped off the bike and took off the helmet and went running. Didn't even stop for water or my iPod - had to do an iPod-free practice run since I won't have it during the race! It's a lot tougher without music - it seems so much longer. At one point it felt like I had already run a mile, I checked my watch and it had only been 4 minutes. I still got through running 2.25 miles after my bike ride. The race is a 2.1 mile run. I'm sure it will be easier without music with the crowd cheering and the competitive feel of the other participants around you.

Triathlon training: Week 8, Day 1

THIS IS IT, FOLKS!! The final week of training! Ahhhh! Can't believe it's finally here.

As far as workouts go, it will be a pretty easy week, as you're supposed to taper off your training so that you don't burn yourself out on race day. Here's how things went yesterday, and how they'll go the rest of the week:

Day 1 (Sunday): Swam for 30 minutes and was supposed to run an hour. Made it 50 minutes. Felt pretty good, haven't run that far in quite awhile.

Day 2 (Monday): Boot camp class followed by some cardio (20-30 minutes)

Day 3 (Tuesday): 30 minute bike & 30 minute run

Day 4 (Wednesday): 30 minute swim & 30 minute run

Day 5 (Thursday): 30 minute run...but I might add an extra bit of bike training before that. We'll see.

Day 6 & 7 (Friday & Saturday): The plan calls for 2 days rest before the race. I'll gladly take it!

I printed out all the instructions for the race, as there are quite a bit. I'm really nervous about the transition parts, like hanging my bike on the bike rack and things. The transitions are going to eat up a good chunk of time. Like after the bike part, you have to take your bike back to the rack and you must hang it up by its seat...and things like that.

Got my bike helmet yesterday. It's actually a "Youth" helmet, Nels went shopping for one with me and was like "Well, your head is pretty small...maybe you can save $5-10 bucks by getting a youth helmet." Haha, sure enough, it fits fine! Was only $18.

Triathlon training: Week 7, Day 5

Breakfast obsession! Many of you know how much my boyfriend and I love breakfast...especially breakfast skillets (which are dangerous, I know). Lately I'm loving the Weight Watchers Smart Ones frozen breakfasts - I've been eating them in the morning AND for lunch.



When I get to work, I cook up this one or the eggs & potatoes one. Then I have these awesome Thomas' 100% Whole Wheat Bagel Thins that I pop in the toaster. I spread Philly whipped cream cheese on one side and chunky peanut butter on the other - LOVE that combo!!! These bagels are perfect because they aren't as large as regular bagels. They're just right : ) I've noticed that by eating more in the morning and earlier in the day, I eat less later on at night.

Had an amazing swim Thursday. I swam 42 laps again, with virtually no pauses inbetween. I felt like I could have swam all night. I really want to keep up with my swimming even after the race is over. I'd love to build up to swimming for an hour. It's such a great way to mix up your workout and burn a lot of calories without being drenched in sweat. Good for the arms and back, too : )

Then I ran on the treadmill 2 miles. Would have gone a little longer, but had to get over to a friend's house and time was just running out.

I packed some workout clothes in my weekend bag with the hope that I will do some working out by Nels this weekend. I'm scared to run around the area, because I don't know it. But he has some FitTV channel and stuff OnDemand, so maybe I'll do one of their workouts Saturday. I wish he had a gym in the area that lets you pay like a daily fee or something so I could just go there when I'm in the area.

Just about one week till the race! Sooooooooo excited!!!

Triathlon training: Week 7, Days 2 - 4

Having a tough time keeping up with the blogging lately!

Monday (Day 2): I went to boot camp, as always. My pal Kelli joined my gym a month or so ago, and I was so excited to see her come to class on Monday! She did awesome for her first one : ) it was fun to have someone I know in the class with me. After boot camp, I did the elliptical for 20 minutes to get some extra cardio in.

Tuesday (Day 3): Had a 60 minute workout - 30 minutes on the Stairmaster and 30 minutes running on the treadmill. My legs were SO tired and sore after that.

Wednesday (Day 4): Took a rest day, which I'll swap for Friday's rest day. My legs were just feeling too sore and tired to want to do anything. I took my bike to get the back tire repaired - had to have the inner tube replaced. There was a small staple in the tire poking into the inner tube, causing a slow leak. Thanks, Mr. Staple for costing me $20. At least it was a quick, easy & cheap fix.

Triathlon training: Week 7, Day 1

TWO WEEKS TILL THE TRIATHLON!!!

First, gotta catch up on last week since I disappeared from blogging:

Week 6, Day 4: On Wednesday I had to do a 15 minute swim and a 40 minute run. First I did some weight machines, then I swam for about 20 minutes, did a 30 minute treadmill challenge (alternating between sprints and different inclines) and then wrapped up 10 minutes on the crossramp. Normally I'd run outside, but I wasn't able to get to the gym till after dark.

Week 6, Day 5: Went to the gym Thursday morning because I had to leave for Moline right after work. I was supposed to do a 40 minute run, but instead I did 45 minutes on the crossramp at level 10.

Nels' birthday was Friday, but I was so excited to give him his prezzies that I had him open them Thursday night. Forgot my camera, so had to take a photo with the Droid:



Nels with his loot - a kabob rack and skewer set for the grill, a grill cover (he needed one), and then an assortment of jerky and meat sticks. Nels loves beef jerky and also loves trying different foods, and I happened to find a meat shop in Elgin that carried different beef, venison & elk jerky. I checked out their site and also found they had a sampler pack of different meat sticks - including wild boar, ostrich, alligator and...kangaroo?! I knew he'd be psyched to try these, and he was : )

Saturday we had to drive back from Moline to Woodridge for Brittney's wedding! I love weddings, especially ones where I know a handful of people who will be there...makes it a lot more fun! Brittney and I met in 7th grade science class and were really good friends throughout junior high. We got split up for high school - I had to go to DGS and she went to DGN - but thanks to Facebook we kept in touch a bit throughout college. It wasn't until after we both graduated from college though that we started getting together - but I'm so glad we did! Brittney looked beautiful and the wedding was an absolute blast. Here's some photos:











Congratulations, Brittney & Brent!

Week 7, Day 1: Today my training called for a 30 minute swim and 60 minute bike ride. I went to the gym around 6:30 to swim and be able to bike before dark. I did a great job swimming today, swam for 35 minutes and did 40 laps. Got home and changed to ride my bike, get on my bike, and....why am I so low to the ground? Get off the bike and see my back tire is flat as a pancake. I have no idea if there is a leak/hole/tear or what the deal is. Last week when I was riding my bike, I was having an unusually difficult time pedaling. I thought my legs were just tired from boot camp, but now I'm wondering if it was low on air then and now has completely run out. : ( I'm really sad, this bike is 2 months old, I don't know what could be wrong with it. I'm taking it out by Nels this weekend because the shop he bought it from will check it out. I would have gone back to the gym for some other cardio, but they close at 8 on Sundays. Grrrr.

That about wraps things up for now.