Triathlon Training Update

[katemn]

So I've been at this tri training for a little while now and for the most part I like it. 

Remember the facts, ladies:  I've been sedentary for a long while now, especially through pregnancy #2.  I was about rock bottom with regard to my fitness level when I started.  I started training just to see if I could do it, and I had all the confidence in the world.  The triathlon I'm training for is a sprint distance:  500 meter swim, 13 mile bike ride and 3.2 mile run.

Some really great things are happening to my body.  Part of the training is lifting so I've been hitting the little weight room at school twice a week.  Never thought I'd like it but I do.  I have a little circuit I do with the five different exercises.  I'm up to 10 pounds per hand on the incline dumbell press.  I'm really excited that I'm now squatting with 35 pounds, up from none when I started.  I can now do four sets of ten situps on the ab/hyper machine, and when I started I did three situps and pulled a muscle.   I can pull up with 85 pounds on the counterbalance, down from 105.  All this may not seem like much to some of you and to the Fitness Goddesses in my life, but to me it's something.   I can see definition in my muscles and I feel stronger when I lift the baby and carry all the junk I haul to work every day.

Today I finally got back into the pool after it was closed for cleaning and after a busy week.  It felt really good to get the laps in.  I'm doing the distance I need for the tri but my hope is that I can do as many laps with flip-turns in between as I can, without stopping to rest.   The pool I swim in is an outdoor pool, but it's filled with water from a deep well.  The water comes out of the ground at about 120 degrees and is cooled with water from a cold well.   When I first started swimming at the beginning of March there was snow piled around the pool and steam came off the water in big clouds.  Now that it's warmer I have to fight kids and other folks floating through my lane from time to time.   Morgan comes with me and jumps off the diving board while I do my laps. 

On the biking front, I've been riding an old mountain bike.  Some friends that moved away gave us a little trailer and I finally have a chance to use it.  Nothing like riding through deep sand on our road pulling an extra 45 pounds of Boy and trailer.  Andrew loves it though, he rides so happily behind me, commenting on things or else just hanging, watching the world go by.  When we get to a certain spot on our route, he always says, "What's that vehicle, mommy!!!!" referring to some kind of harvesting equipment parked in one of the yards.  I always say, "I don't know, we'll have to ask Daddy!!!"  It's our little ritual.  I can do 7 miles pulling Andrew, riding a mountain bike.  I have no idea if I can do 13 on my road bike NOT pulling Andrew.  But my road bike currently has a flat.  

So then that leaves the running.  For a while I was very discouraged about it.  I was way behind each week on the number of minutes I was supposed to run out of the total time.  Then I started catching up.  I did 13 minutes jogging out of a walk, and then I upped it to 20 minutes on the treadmill, and then 25.  I jogged most of 2 miles one day after a bike ride.  I was feeling really good about it.  Then last Monday I went out for a run, expecting to be fine and everything below my knees hurt like hell.  I didn't know what to do except finish the route walking and go get Andrew and Chloe and go home.  I haven't been out since.   I really thought I would be on to something, that I could do the 2 mile jog about twice a week and work up to being able to run three miles, whether by the tri or not and that would just be so cool.  Me, a runner!  But I'm discouraged about it now.  I'll be ok for the race, I'm just aiming to complete, not break the tape, but I'd like to have a respectable running time. 

So overall the training is going well and I feel strong.  I just wish the running were going better.  I also wish that I could do it all exactly as is on the schedule.  I usually skip one or two days a week because of my schedule or because I just feel so tired from my day or I just run out of day.  After getting home, making supper, doing dishes, and putting two kids to bed and then getting ready for the next day, the last thing I want to do is drive to the pool and fight for my lane.   I keep reminding myself that I am doing the best I can with the schedule and circumstances I have.

The great part is I'm now approaching 150 pounds, down from 177 at the beginning of November when I started back to school after having Chloe.  My size 12 WalMart jeans are slipping down a little and my favorite brown size 14 pants are now too big.  I still have a baby belly but I also try to remind myself that the reason I have a baby belly is because I have two beautiful, healthy and smart children.   And there's still lots and lots of time to see what I can do, just because the race is one month away, doesn't mean I'll stop working out after that.  How else am I going to fill my time all summer long?

May 18 is race day!!

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[MommaK2007]

Apr. 19, 2008 at 7:48 AM

WOW!!!!!  I'll bet you feel awesome!!!!  I'm so proud of you!!!  I know you've put so much work into this.  So glad you're seeing great results.  You rock!!!