Less than 5 months until the half iron..

So today I continued my training regiment. I biked for about an hour and then ran for 20 minutes. The weather has been pretty cool so it hasn't been super pleasant running outside. It probably didn't help that I had chinese buffet for lunch today...

I'm not going to lie, I hate biking. I absolutely dread it. You would think that biking isn't that bad, but WRONG! I feel like a slowpoke compared to all other triathletes. I tend to blame my failures on external issues, so in this case I blame it on poor fitting. However, I am super stoked because I'm going to get fitted by Coach Kameel. Hopefully there will be somewhat of an improvement on my biking.

On other note, I joined an Elite Tribe Mentoring Program and so far I can say that I really enjoy it. It's a forum where you can discuss different topics regarding cycling, triathlons, running, and swimming. I already posted and have gotten good response. It's always nice to know that you can have a place to turn to for triathlon tips. A lot of them are super hardcore and also very encouraging... Looks like I found a good site :)

My First Run in 2 Weeks!!!

I got to RUN!!!! My first run in two weeks actually happened in 30 degree weather which sucked, but I was so excited that I could get to run. It was only three miles and I'm sure I didn't finish in my 5K norm time, but hey I gotta start from scratch.

I realized that alot of my clothes isn't prime time for running in the absolute cold. I got a new Nike windbreaker which helped alot since it was so windy that it probably made the temperature closer to 20 something degrees, but I need alot more than that. Since Florida doesn't get extremely chilly I don't usually feel justified buying cold weather clothes, but I think its an essential (I should have learned my lesson after the half princess when it was in the mid 30s but I guess not). I think on my way back home from Georgia I might stop by one of those outlets I passed by :)

Biking

So I rode 30 miles on my bike last week.. and well it sucked to say the least. Trying to move up the seat, really hurt my butt. However, I did it!!! I'm not doing a long distance bike this weekend since I'll be out of town. Honestly though, I frickin hate biking right now. For the last two weeks I've biked almost every single day. I'm really not a fan of it... and it's not even because I'm slow... I'm a pure runner :)

Tomorrow... P90x Abs... I like it when my abs burn :)

I'm Back!!

So I've taken some time off of running as you can obviously tell, but I think I'm back for good :) I decided to take classes during the fall, and well.. let's just say that my time has been extremely limited for extra curricular activities.

So let me update you on what I've been doing... Well first off I am currently injured...I was starting off my 8 mile run when I twisted my ankle pretty bad and had to limp home. Luckily, I was only like .66 from where I started. My ankle is still hurting but veryyy slowly getting better... I've been biking so that I can get my heart rate up and not lose my cardio endurance. Tomorrow I'll try to ride my bike for 30 miles.. the most I've ever done.

Running wise, before the injury I was running 8-9 miles on the weekends (Saturdays) and then biking and running (Sundays) to practice how I would feel for the Half-Iron. The most I had gotten up to was two weeks ago when I biked 21 miles and then ran 5 mile afterwards. I was sucking wind but I made it!!!!!! I ran the whole way..We'll see what level I'll be at when I come back from injury..

Next weekend, I will be in Georgia and hopefully will be able to run the trails. If I could run while I'm on travel then I can possibly get my mileage back up quickly. However, I will keep spinning until then....

Sprint Tri

So I participated in the Sprint Triathlon this past weekend and well.... I did great on everything BUT the biking.. what the crap?? Really?? Biking?? So what does this mean.... well this means that I need to now focus myself on the biking instead of the running.... Exciting huh? Well Other then that I got 1:31 as my time. I signed up for the Olympic tri in August which is twice the distance... we shall see how that goes...

Half Ironman Registration

So I actually signed up for the Half Ironman today.. I'm not going to lie.. I can't believe I actually did it. I am all set ready to go and everything is in order... Signed up for the next two races (one of them happening to be tomorrow).... the other one next month... Need to get signed up for my next two half marathons and races and I'll be pretty much ready to go....

HOLY CRAP.. I really signed up.. I'm so excited but nervous at the same time.. I mean can I actually pull this off? I really want to. I mean I've always wanted to... I better. I can then wear half ironman gear proudly if I don't. The registration was definitely intimidating... you even have to put in your medical information since there is a high risk of injury.... I've NEVER had to do that... Well I guess this journey is starting now... and I can't wait :)

Hydrating with Spark is not a good idea...

So this morning I was drinking Spark to keep focus on my work.. Not too shabby and I felt like it served its purpose... However keeping hydrated with Spark during spin class with coach and running afterwards = sucky feeling in pit of stomach. Therefore, its safe to say I will not drink Spark while training.

So today was a regular tri-club day. Spin class followed by a run. The run was only 20 minutes 5 minutes threshold and then minutes 10-15 at threshold. My tummy hurt the whole time but I kept a steady pace the whole way through.

On another note, yesterday I planned to do swim then bike but the chance of rain ruined my plans and I ended up spinning indoors followed by P90X ab ripper. My abs hurt today thats for sure. For the next couple days I won't be training too hard... I've got a race on Saturday :)

Looking forward to my three mile run tomorrow with the girls!

6.5 Miles... Yes please

So yesterday was my long run day. I enjoy my long run days because I don't try to go race pace, just the distance. I still "try" to do race pace but fail miserably. Joining me on my run was Viola and SP. However, they wanted to do a shorter distance so I ran from my house and picked them up along the way.

The run wasn't that bad and we only stopped a couple of times. SP wasn't feeling well and asked me to leave her behind (note I felt awful leaving her behind). I finished at about 6.5 miles and felt pretty decent. This is the most mileage I've done in a while so it felt good to be able to do it. The sprint tri is next week and so I also been trying to do some "tri-workout" instead of just straight running.

On a side note, I had to get a bottom piece for my speedo bikini (their sizes are whack as a side note). The bottoms felt too tight and didn't make me feel comfortable wearing on the course. However, problem solved! We tried to go to the outlets and were completely surprised they had no options for me. However, TJ Maxx came to the rescue and surprisingly I found a speedo bikini whose bottom I could match to my top :) I also bought a speedo super absorbent towel so we shall see how that goes.

I'm not going to lie I am actually pretty nervous about the sprint tri. Even though I'm more then sure I can do well in it, the fact that I haven't done one in over a year and a half is in my head. Hopefully this goes well. If not, then this half ironman is going to be a hell of a lot harder.

Registering for Races :)

Soo the Half Ironman race just opened up recently and I can't stop checking the site paranoid it might fill up. I am going to register soon... probably in the next couple of days.... I know I can do this. I even came up with a game plan in order to conquer this beast.

First race coming up is next Saturday, its just a sprint tri but I haven't done one in over a year and a half.. I hope it goes well :) After that is an Olympic tri ... we will see how I do. On the bright side, I swam this afternoon and did a little over half a mile.... and owned it lol... I haven't swam in months so that was a big deal lol...

Yesterday, was running day with the tri club and it was absolutely miserable, but pain is weakness leaving the body right? As much it sucked I pulled it through thinking I'm going to be feeling miserable during the half ironman.

My apologizes for slacking!!!!

So its not that I haven't worked out...because I have.... I'm just bad about logging it in. This is especially because I was out of town for work the week before, however, like a good little athlete I worked out while out of town...

So this morning, I ran for about 4 miles....well I'm not really too sure how long it was because my treadmill is whack (I bought it from a pawn shop and its speed gauge is very off). The run this morning felt good. I had a good pace and pushed it at the end. I'm planning to do a sprint tri in about two weeks and hope that I can do well. I think I need a little bit more swimming (maybe two more time) before the race :) We shall so how I do.....

PS The Garmin 205 rocks.... I've run with it the last couple of times and it is absolutely amazing. I like how accurate it is and all the info it gives you while running (speed, time, distance).

Just Another Day :)

Today was such a good run with Sarah!!! She did so amazing.. I always feel great when we conquer small challenges and take joys in the little victories!! She ran pretty much the entire 3 miles without stopping!! We're slowly training for a 15 K and will be ready probably alot sooner than the race, which will be good because that way we're more than mentally prepared for the race.. The race we are doing has pretty much killed me every year... At around mile 7 my body says no thank you and shuts off and its hard for me to keep running.....However, this year will be different since I conquered my first half marathon and had almost a better time than my usual 15K time lol....

Sarah and I also had one of our heart to heart talks about life... I feel like running with someone creates a certain bond and sometimes you admit things to each other that you usually don't admit to anyone....So enough of my cheesiness :)

On the crazy side, I am still incredibly sore from my Thursday workout.. This is probably the sorest I have been in years... ugh just need to make it through tomorrow lol...

Free Smoothies :)

So this morning Viola and I decided to do a 3 mile jog, thus really starting off our half-marathon training.

We officially started Wednesday, but todays run was very good and I was super proud of Viola. Although we walked a little while, I pushed her to run and was really impressed on how much mileage she did running. My goal is to push her a little bit each time to get her prepared for the half and feel good when she finishes. I like to start at 3 miles also. I think after running for years without really taking breaks can make running not as fun as it used to be. However, I really enjoy coming back to doing low mileage and slowly building up from there. I do allow myself to take walk breaks with my partner and talk, and I enjoy our runs that much more. I'll be running through the weekend making my mileage total about 20 miles this week ... not too bad :)

The plus side today was definitely the FREE SMOOTHIES at Tropical Smoothie Cafe. Yes, free. Today is their National Flip Flop Day. So if you are the first 500 people to walk through their doors with flip flops you get their regular sized Jetty Punch.... Definitely a nice way to end your workout :)

Sprints

So yesterday's weather mildly reminded me of a monsoon....

I was contemplating going to tri-club because I knew coach would make us run in the cruddy weather and I was right. I was running late to meet with the group and once I got to the gym I had to ask someone where they were meeting. I found out they were in the exercise room and that they were doing some sort of insane circuit training.... It was hardcore and I could instantly feel myself get sore. It was a mixture of fast cardio with some weights and abs thrown into the mix. A high-intensity workout for a good 30 minutes. In my head I was silently thankful that I decided to come and this would probably be the worst of our workout... Well I was very wrong.... After the class coach said we would go for a quick run and stay local since it was storming.... Well a quick run meant a 5-10 minute warm-up with 18 sprints at 30 second intervals with 30 seconds of rest in between and 5-10 minutes cool down with stretching.... Really? The crazy thing was I thought my body would shut down after the third one but as I started my last one I pushed through it hard and was glad it was over. In the middle of the sprints, however, I secretly prayed to get struck by lightning lol...Anywho was I glad I did it... Sure ... lol Regardless, I know this will make me stronger and I won't be working out with the group for over a week. Hopefully, I'll get the workouts and be doing them on my own....

Morning Run

Yay for running in the morning!

Running in the morning makes me so much more awake in the morning! Viola and I ran a little over 3 miles and it wasn't that hot! I felt great after our run and it was fun. I think social runs are always the best for runners mentally. You get to take your focus off the course and just talk... Plus it gives you and your running buddy a common bond :) Although we came in late, it was well worth it and I now don't have to run after work. I am super tired though....

On another note, I got my Advocare Spark that I ordered. I pretty much ordered it so I can get a complimentary race entry for this Olympic tri I wanted to do. It ended up being cheaper to order this stuff and then get a free race. I thought about selling it off on ebay, but I think I'm going to end up trying it. It's supposed to increase your mental sharpness and wake you up... I hope it works :)

Building my Base

So yesterday working out with the tri club was pretty challenging to say the least lol....

I have been getting a little annoyed with myself for the last couple of months... I feel like I have been not doing as well as I should be for the amount that I train. I know that I shouldn't feel like this, or better yet take a break. However, I don't think I can come to that point. On the bright side, yesterday was the first time that I felt like I enjoyed running again.

For the last couple of weeks I dreaded working out, and when I looked up runner's burnout, I realized I wasn't too far from it. Runner's burnout makes you have anxiety before a run- making it completely less enjoyable than you realize. However, with the tri club yesterday I felt good. We did "hill" workouts and they were steep. Afterwards, we only went for a 20 minute run but me and another girl kept a good pace. After the run, I still felt like I could function and made a slamming meal AND swept the dining room- shocking I know. Now this morning, I'm going for a 3 mile run with Viola. We are starting to train for a half-marathon... I'm excited lmao..

Social Run with SP

Today was the hottest day ever!!!!! It was 99 degrees when I got back into the car. However, I really love my social runs with SP. Its nice and enjoyable, unlike most of my workout and it gives us a chance to catch up.

Even though it was blistering heat we ran/walked a little over 3 miles...

Florida Heat

So I tried to go running this morning in 88 degree weather (feels like 95- stats by weather.com lol) and died a little bit.....

I set my goal up to about 5 miles..... At around mile 3.5 I stopped for a little bit, tried to walk it off (and catch my breath) and then went on and off for the rest of the 1.5 miles (more running than walking...) It was soooo ridiculously hot.... and to top it off I still feel like I'm not breathing deep enough.... The oxygen doesn't feel like its going to my chest which is not very good. I also feel like my legs are weak... like they don't know how to run..... It was so frustrating. On the bright side, at least I went 3.5 miles without stopping. I think that I am super hard on myself. The whole time I was thinking that I was a weenie and I could do more than this but my brain couldn't relay that message to my legs....Hopefully, I'll regain all my strength back soon but until then I might have to hit the weights once a week from now on....

I LOVE Recovery Week

Today was a slow run... and it felt great lol. I ended up probably running 1.5 miles at an extremely slow pace lol... I think my body was silently thanking me since it had a shock this week with all my crazy stunts. Tomorrow I'll probably bring my trainer indoors and ride my bike for about an hour.....

I also was thinking about possibly getting those shoes.. I think they're called vibrams.... I'm going to do some research before officially buying them or maybe I'll ask for them for my birthday... Maybe that will help me improve my form and also get me to move a little bit faster :)

5 Mile Jog

My body is hurting a little from yesterday's workout not going to lie...

Today at work was snack day and it was amazing. For anyone who knows me, you know I eat.... ALOT. There were all kinds of snacks- breakfast snacks, lunch snacks, healthy snacks, not-so-healthy snacks, and super unhealthy snacks. I chose not to discriminate and went with a snack from each category. I like to think my workouts speed up my metabolism. Needless to say, I was well fed at work today.

In other super exciting news, I WON A GIVEAWAY. Yes, I am super excited it. I have never won a giveaway and so this was a big deal. The prize was a Louis Garneau Race Belt. I'm sure I'll be using it and give you all a review :) WOHOO... That pretty much made my day.

After work, I gave myself a 4-6 mile range for my run today. In general, if I'm training by myself I like to give myself a range instead of a set distance. The reason being, you might be having a great run and feel great when you hit your target distance, but instead of going a little bit further you stop yourself short. Now, I might be an overachiever but hey.. thats what I do. I ended up running a little over 5 miles and it wasn't so smooth. I think yesterday's workout made me not at my "race pace" fast and I tried to push as hard as I could. I think I ran a little over 5 miles at a sub 9 minute pace. I definitely could feel my "training limit". My "training limit" is pretty much around a 5K run, making me very aware that I need to up my mileage. Tomorrow's workout will be running only, but hopefully it will be mildly difficult since alot of people are racing on Saturday.

I Didn't Fall off my Bike!!!

I made it!!!!! I didn't fall off my bike :)

Today was my second time biking with my clips on and it scared the bejesus out of me.... On top of that, I went biking with the tri-club. Tri-club = insanity. They wanted to do a hill workout (5X) and a bunch of turns...I NEVER do hills. So to say the least, I was so nervous and made sure that everyone around me knew I was a biking hazard. I did pretty well, and surprised myself with my "biking skills". I definitely feel alot more confident now and am excited to ride more with my clips!

After getting off the bike, we had to go ahead and do a two mile run. I got my first mile in at around 9:17 which was pretty decent considering that I am still not at my 100% healthiness level. It was still a struggle for me to breathe, but its getting better. When we all got in we stretched and called it a day. It was definitely hard.... and not just because I'm still not 100% healthy, but also because the workouts are pretty hard and my body is still not used to it.

As hard as that workout was, I realized that I still need to step it up a notch if I plan to do a half-iron its going to be alot harder. I think this group is going to take me where I need to be and I'm excited. I also like working out with a group. There are a couple of people who push me to the next level which is what I need.

Taking a Day Off

So... I felt like poop today and decided to let myself rest.... I know... its surprising.. I never let myself rest lol... I slept alot.. and it felt great...

I tend to try to do other stuff around the house when I don't work out to make myself feel like I did something.. I know it sounds weird but I feel bad if I don't work out... Not in an "omg I gained 5 pounds" kind of bad.. but more of like "there are people who don't have legs in this world" and I want to take advantage of being active. Plus I like knowing that I can run 3 miles without feeling like totally garbage or pushing my limits to attempt to do an ironman. Regardless, it's my thing...

On a fun note, I went to Viola's belly dance recital and it freaking rocked. She looked great and it was super fun!!! Plus belly dancing is a freaking work out... Ugh, I feel better tomorrow so I can go running....

Off to the Start

So I guess the main reason why I wanted to create this blog is to track my progress through running and all the adventures I have along the way. Since running is a pretty big piece of my life I thought this would be fun. The irony of this whole situation is that I probably had my worst race ever today. 27:30.... yup frickin awful for me... Ugh I feel like I've been getting slower and slower which is bizarre because in practice I feel like I'm going faster and faster.. I'm sure the fact that I am pretty sick and couldn't breathe and was so weak I wanted to fall over the whole time ... contributed to my awful race time....The good thing was I wasn't super hard on myself like I usually am.. I mean I cried after the corporate 5k because I felt like I was such a huge disappointment. Sure, its just running and I probably psyched myself up but who doesn't?

Well after my run I felt like a 2 ton truck hit me... a good indication I shouldn't have run the race. I got to relax for the rest of the day though and even though my hubby was sick... he still helped take care of me (He probably feels guilty since he contaminated the house to begin with)...