Race Week

Well it is finally here.  My first triathlon of the year is Saturday.  I am super pumped.  Pumped to test the legs and lungs .Normally I don't have good luck with a race when I write about it but I will take that chance.  I get to go up and spend the night with my best friend and go over to the race site Saturday morning.  Do people still have "best" friends?  Well I do.  I have pretty much known this guy all 34 years of my life.  He raced with me last year but isn't going to be able to give it a go this year.  He hurt his knee.  You gotta watch out for those door jams.  His brother will be racing and he is who I am going after.  He got me last year but I am gunning for him this year. I thought for sure I was ahead of him last year only to pass him while he was on the back of an out and back run. 

Of course I have some goals for this race. Don't we have to? A wise man once said that if you don't aim at anything you will hit it everytime.  I don't have a true race goal.  I have a bike and run goal so to speak.  My bike goal is to average above 20 mph .  I know to some of you that isn't very lofty but baby steps first.  I averaged right at 19 mph in this race this year.  I have been pretty upset at some of my bike averages lately but only to find that my Garmin has been screwing up.  Apparently I am not the only one having this problem.  I spoke to Garmin about it and it seems that the 310xt has had it fair share.  I also don't want to get passed on the bike.  I want my run to be in the 8's.  That's it.  It could be an 8:59 average but that will work.  If I hit my run and bike goal the race will take care of itself. 

I found my way to the pool finally and didn't drown.  I am swimming at the pool at the university gym.  I have missed that place.  I can't say I went to the gym much while I was in school but just being on campus makes me miss everthing about it.  Also, swimming in that pool brings back the memories too.  I took a swim class in this pool last year and I honestly think I can still hear coach Mary yelling at me about my breathing.  She would always tell me to look out of the corner of my goggle to keep my head in the right position to breath.  I need to remember that along with long gliding strokes, catch the water, continue to kick, and everything else to remember while swimming.  I have actually been pretty happy with my swimming.  I know the week of the race is not the ideal time to start back swimming for the first time since October but it hasn't been that bad.  That has more to do with my overall fitness than anything. My plans do include to go to the pool a lot. 

Well my bike is all clean and ready, my clothes are all washed and ready and my bags are packed.  Am I ready?  Yes no make that a YES!  I am ready to push myself to achieve some results and have some fun along the way.  Having fun really does work.  If I can muster up a smile when I'm out there on the run struggling I seem to find another gear.  Hey, it seems to work for Chrissie Wellington and she seems to be doing ok.

Race report to follow after the fact. 

Going good

So as you may know Jenn and I are in the weight loss challenge. I have to say that we are both doing good. I have lost more weight but not as much as a percentage hence she is winning. I cannot lose to her. Not that it is any big deal I just hate to lose. I will prevail. With competition pushing me along I have had a few good days. Let's just say I have crossed a bunch of workouts off of the list. I ran Monday night on the treadmill. I just did long slow distance for 35 min. I know that is really not long distance but it was slow and all I can take on the treadmill. I finished it off with 5o pushups. 3 miles/35 minutes. I really don't want to bore you with the diet but it was oatmeal and blueberries for breakfast, powerbar for snack, turkey bagel for lunch and mahi mahi, brown rice and butter beans for supper. Good stuff.



Tuesday was good too. I rode my bike on the trainer for 25 min (once again all I can stand on the trainer) and also had a short transition run on the treadmill. I have no clue how far I rode on the bike but only ran a fast mile on the treadmill. I also did some dips. I also had a good day on the diet. I won't go through the tedious details but it was good. I only have one small problem. When I was on the trainer my in-laws came by only to find my mother in law made some concoction with corn flakes, peanut butter and corn syrup. Not good. Last I checked none of that was on the diet. I am in trouble. Will power will have to prevail. I can do it.



For those of you that are reading my blog and commenting how not funny it is I am sorry. I just don't know how to make workouts funny. Although I am laughing alot while I am working out I just don't know how to transfer that to my blog. I mean what's funny about running on the tready or doing pushups. Sorry. But I will say this, those of you that did say it wasn't funny also happen to laugh at me all of the time. See that's funny. One last thing and Meg this one is for you. Hard work pays off in the future, laziness pays off now.