I feel OLD

My joints are creaking. On a 20 mile bike ride with my sister, my knees were aching. My back was aching. My neck was aching. I think the only thing that wasn't aching was my face. I hobbled off my bike, and said to my sister, "I'm getting too old for this!"

My lovely sister didn't say, "No, you're not." or "You're still young."

She tells me, "Hah. Some people don't even START triathlons until they're in their 40's or older!"

Yeah, that made me feel soooooo much better, knowing I'm going to be passed by 50 year olds. LOL

Bummed...

I haven't posted much lately, and I'm sorry. It's been a rough couple weeks.

I pulled a muscle in my lower back June 28, and aggravated a nerve in that area June 29 on an obstacle at the Dirty Girl run. For nearly two weeks I had lower back pain, fluctuating from OUCH to "just aware of it." I finally succumbed and took a week off from training. I swam once but no running, biking, or heavy weight lifting.

Today I realized I could finally bend over without pain!! I ran/walked a little and still feel ok!

Now, the bummed part....

Thanks to plantar fasciitis for months in the spring, and now over two weeks with back pain, my running is about 50% slower than last year. :(

I pulled up an old post from last year... June 20, 2012 I was running 2 miles in 20-22 minutes. Today it took me over 30 with all the walking I had to do.

BUT! I have a plan! I'm adapting the run portion of my sister's Tri training plan to HOPEFULLY get me back to at least being able to run the course in 5 weeks. :D

I also have two, yes 2, 5k's next week. I'm not going to attempt a PR, but I think they'll give me a good idea if where I'm at right now.

Our New IDs

The little guy started school a few weeks ago, and with a severe speech delay, I was freaking out. What if he got lost? Wrong bus? Wrong class? He can't talk: he can't say his name, my name, or phone number.

I started looking for some ID bracelet or tag I could put on him with our numbers in case something ever happened. I found some kids ID dog tags from My Precious Kids for $10, and ordered them for all three of my kids. The little guy's tag is on his school coat right now, and when we went to Pump It Up I hooked it on his belt loop. :)

While searching for kids' IDs, I came across many options for adults. One that kept popping up was the Road ID bracelets. What I liked the most was all the options. I can get multiple bracelets in fun colors, and just switch the ID plate to whichever bracelet I wanted to wear that day. :) At the moment I only have bright yellow, which matches my running shoes and bike accessories.

Pretty Swimming?

Doesn't exist. This what swimming 1320 meters does to a 1-day-old manicure:

New Running Shoes

I've been running for, what, a year and a half now? In the beginning I went a running store, walked, ran, tried on shoes, and was "fitted" for the Brook Adrenaline GTS. Loved them! Used the first pair for a year, then bought another pair after I wore my first in a Mud Run in June. I've been in pair #2 since.

Lately I've been trying to improve my running form by following the diagram. *Running* has gotten better, but now I get a low backache afterwards. I suspect it's the shoes.

I went to a new triathlon/running store, and talked to a nice young man. Tried on a few pairs, ran, he critiqued me and gave me MORE pointers, and I picked up Newton running shoes. They're shaped differently, like the part under the ball of foot is elevated, so my toes point up higher than in my Brooks.

I went for my first run in the Newtons today. The first mile was nice, very comfey. The second mile started to hurt. I quit around 1.9 miles with a painful right arch. I biked afterwards to continue my workout without the impact of the running.

A Plan!

Thanks to "1st Time Tri" (although it's technically not my first), I have a 12 week triathlon training plan. With small changes, the first 12 weeks are all running and biking. Then I'll do it AGAIN with all the swimming. (No pool until March.) That puts me at the end of June, with two more months to prepare even more before the Chicago Triathlon.

I'm excited! Plus, I still have monthly 5k races starting in March or April too! 2013 is going to be a great year!

Nothing Beats a Semi-Custom Wetsuit

I called Promotion a few days after getting my wetsuit with concerns about the fit. They were so amazing! The size I wanted was out of stock (8T), and within minutes they offered to make me one, customizing the size slightly just for me! :-)

Seriously?! Who does that anymore?!

I'm thrilled to report that it fits wonderfully! Very snug but not to the point of "I can't breath." And with enough length and flexibility to FIT.

Now I need an unseasonably warm day for a test swim. ;)

Wetsuit Test Flop

The Lake was a nice 63°, with 4-6 foot waves and rip current warnings.

My sister was hungover from $1 drink specials, and there was no way I'd consider swimming alone. :(

Attempt #2 scheduled for the coming weekend.

Otherwise I may order the smaller size and see which one fits bests....

My new super blue Catsuit!

Has arrived! The fit is not quiet perfect, but it will definitely do nicely for the next 2-4 triathlons on the docket, and weekly summer swimming practices. I love the ankle zippers and the colors! It feels very sturdy too, like the Desoto I rented.

Still having sizing issues though. The first time I put in on these was extra fabric/air pockets at the crotch, chest, and under arms. I was afraid to really PULL and risk ripping it.

So after doing laundry, I tried it back on, this time using the plastic bag trick for my feet and hands. Much better! Once I got the legs pulled up to where they are supposed to go, the torso was higher up, getting rid if the underarm pockets, and the chest fit better. I'm sure it could be tighter, and only a few practice swims can check that.

Planning a swim Sunday morning. Water is a balmy 65°. :)