T Minus 9 weeks!!!

Nine weeks sounds so much closer than 10 weeks!!
This will be my first full week with the new coach - so lots of time trials.  I also have a 5k (if the weather holds) Saturday.
Mostly this week, though... I am focusing on nutrition.  I had a blatant example Saturday of how garbage in makes me feel like garbage.  I know this - it isn't revolutionary... but donuts for breakfast haunted me the whole day.
By the time I got to the gym at 5pm, I was exhausted already!!  I cut my swim session short AND my bike session.  But of which were very difficult to do just the portions I did.
Today, I have shopped, cleaned, menu planned so this week I can make better choices.
I am looking forward to learning from the new coach and making sure the time I spend training is adding value and not just grinding minutes - wahoo!!! NINE WEEKS!!!

T minus 10 weeks.... Progress

Here is the plan for T-10 Weeks to my first triathlon

Monday

Rest Day

Tuesday

26 minute run  One of the easiest fastest runs I have done.  I kept a 10 min mile pace and totaled 2.5 miles

Wednesday

88 minute bike Had to force myself on the bike, which is rare... but I got it done and kept a cadence around 80 pretty consistently... which was good.

Thursday

Rest Day... or spend all the money, eat all the food day... I hired a Tri Coach... more on that as time moves along.

Friday

26 minute swim & 53 minute bike... good swim and GREAT ride... like the kind so good when you done you realize you are crying happy tears.  I love my bike!!

Saturday

44 minute swim & 70 minute bike... I made bad food choices for breakfast with my son.  Then we went ice skating for a while.  By the time I got to the gym at 5pm I was exhausted!  I only managed a quick 20 minutes in the pool.  I straddled the bike for 60 minutes - it wasn't pretty, but better than not showing up at all.

Sunday

44  minute run   So, I hired a coach... and this was her first day!  Of course, that means time trials this week.  Today I swam 500 y in 16:35... executing a non-embarrassing flip turn at the deep end on each lap - go me!!

Total for this week

Miles Moved

56.5

Time Trained

5 hours 20 min

T minus 10 weeks... Plan

Here is the plan for T-10 Weeks to my first triathlon

Monday

Rest Day

Tuesday

26 minute run

Wednesday

88 minute bike

Thursday

Rest Day

Friday

26 minute swim & 53 minute bike

Saturday

44 minute swim & 70 minute bike

Sunday

44  minute run

T minus 11 weeks!!

I have been training for my first triathlon since September... however, I am now within 12 weeks.  I picked out a 12 weeks to Tri training planning from beginningtriathlete.com.  I went with the Olympic distance since that is my A race goal for the upcoming year.  However, the Tri in Sullivan in April is actually a Sprint. 

Here was the plan and how I did against it for the first official week:

Monday

Rest Day

Tuesday

24 minute run: Knocked this out quick and easy on the dreadmill during lunch at work.

Wednesday

80 minute bike: Worked from home due to extreme weather and might have taken a very long conference call from the trainer :)  Also... attended my first tri club meeting.  I am so excited to become active in that group and have some friends who are equally as crazy.  Just sitting there listening to what people were training for, how they make time... I felt a little less crazy than I usually do with my 'real' friends!!

Thursday

Rest Day

Friday

24 minute swim & 48 minute bike
Nothing remarkable - got it done :)

Saturday

40 minute swim & 64 minute bike
Actually did this on Sunday due tot he 5k flopping around.  This was the best swim set I have had so far.  I think I have found my race pace and that felt great.  The bike... whoa... up until now I have been watching Netflix from the trainer, but for these 1 hour and under sessions I am going to start using youtube cycling videos that guide you on when to up cadence and resistance.  TMI WARNING... I puked a little.  It was TOUGH.  For the record, I didn't stop - just did my business, threw my sweat towel off to the side and kept 'moving'.  MUCH better work out than Grey's Anatomy ..obviously :)

Sunday

40  minute run
I had planned on racing a 5k Saturday, but it was about 15 below zero with the wind and I was worried about icy (read I am klutz... slip and fall) kind of conditions.  Instead, I ran on the treadmill.
Skipping the 5k race was a real bummer for me.    With only 11 weeks to go a sprained ankle or twisted knee would be devastating to my plan right now.  So, I opted for safety.

I flopped the Sunday/Saturday plan to accommodate the race that didn't happen


Total miles for the week - 49.2
Total time training - 5 hours 20 minutes

New Years Day 5k race Report

I love a good New Year's Eve party - the friends, the promises, the drinks.... I even kind of like nursing the hang over on the sofa while half watching college football.
So I surprised myself when I decided to sign up for a New Years Day 5k.  I did go out to dinner ... AMAZING prix fixe at The Girl and The Goat with some very dear friends (that deserves its own race report!!)  I was a very good girl and had less that two glasses of wine... even when I was flipped off for being lame - whatever :)

The race was in Lincoln Park south of the zoo, an area I love to walk/run and enjoy - when it is warm!  It was about 24 degrees when I got out there at 10:30 this morning.  I kept walking and actually stayed quite warm.  How many layers does it take???
-full length leggings
-fleece lined leggings
-fleece lined knee high socks
-stretchy knit gloves
-thick warm gloves
-sports bra
-long sleeve tech shirt
-20 year old college sweatshirt
-super warm but thin running jacket with hood up
-hat (boys size 8-10 cause I have a super small skull!)
-and a scarf
I shed the hood and one pair of gloves before I finished, but honestly, was quite toasty the whole time.
Now... enough stalling, on to the run...
This wasn't as good as the 5k I did in November.  I have not been running enough.  I have been biking and swimming hard core, but the run is the hardest and most injury prone for me... so I don't do it enough.
Mile 1:Pace 14:40  The first mile was pretty good I ran the whole thing.
Mile 2: Pace 14:53 I walked the water station and had to really convince myself to keep running.  I am getting a small twinge on the top of one foot that flared up. 
Mile 3: Pace 15:11  This mile I walked the whole thing... and yes, my walk pace is only 18 seconds slower than my run pace... BOO!

I have got to get out and run on the pavement, even if it is only one single mile.  Even if it takes MORE time to bundle up than I spend running.  It wasn't a bad day... I did it and I finished... that is good.  But the next one will be better.

Goals for 2015

I have already recapped what was a pretty good year... So let's look forward!

There is a page here on the blog for the races I have planned, so I am not going to make this a race list.  Rather what I plan to achieve by participating in those events:

• First and Foremost... I am going to make a triathlete out of me!!
• The focus on fuel and training as opposed to weight and grueling gym hours - I want to continue this.  It has been an amazing mental change and I look forward to riding this wave through 2015... and beyond
• I will swim a mile
• I will learn how to change my bike tire and a few other bike maintenance things.  I won't be 'that girl' who needs help!
• 5k goal of 35 minutes.  
• One new thing a month... physical - be it a new class, a new experience - something I have never done before... once a month
• I will log several 100 mile weekends on the bike
• Training hard is the goal, for sure... but most importantly I want to learn to listen to my body to avoid injury... while not using minor tweaks as an excuse
• Learn to clip in on the bike!!
• Become an active member of a local Tri Club.  I love the on line support, but I need some real bodies to interact, laugh, drink... oh, and train with.  My dear girlfriends are about worn out with my 'Crazy Talk'.

I feel these are achievable and stretch me enough to challenge but to not discourage.  I will check back in against this list as the new year rolls along.
What about you?  I would love to see the goals of others!!