Embrace the Suck

No pain no gain.
Embrace the pain.
Embrace the suck.
Suck it up buttercup.

These are things I tell myself on a regular basis. I think every single athlete has points in their training when something similar to the above runs through your mind on a continuous loop. Yes, some days really do suck. Right now nearly every muscle I have is sore. I've been doing pretty well sticking to the training plan, but 8 workouts a week is just exhausting. Some days I want to forget it all and go on a long vacation. A long vacation with sleep, chocolate, and martinis.

Then I have a great run or bike or swim, and realize its all worth it.

From Solo to Group Training... OH MY!

A while ago when registering for one of my summer triathlons, I searched google for a promo code, hoping to save a little money as registrations get expensive. I found one from a site called Together We Tri. After using it, I decide to check out the website. While purusing the site, I saw they offered a Swim Clinic where they teach drills and use video taping to analyze the swimmer's stroke. I've been wanting to get a video swim study done, but the only one I knew about was $80. This Swim Clinic was only $50, and not too far from my house. So I signed up for it!

The Swim Clinic was amazing! The coach said 10 people had signed up, but 6 had canceled at the last moment, leaving us with a wonderfully small group of only four! Due to this we had so much individual attention, tweaking arm placements, hand position, etc. Afterwards we all went to a classroom to review our swimming videos, taken in and out of the water. I've taped myself before but never with an underwater camera. It was very cool!

The coach of the swim clinic also happened to be the director of Together We Tri, which is dedicated to training triathletes. They have three different groups, and it just so happened that the 12 week Women's Group was just about to start that Tuesday.

Tuesdays have been my neighborhood drinking day.... My neighbor friends and I would get together with 1-3 bottles of wine, let the kids play outside, and relax, visit, vent, and do all the things three ladies do when drinking wine on a Tuesday. ;)

However, one of them just moved a few weeks ago, and the other is moving this weekend. :( So when the prospect of having something new to do on a Tuesday night came up, I decided to go for it. Plus, exercising IS healthier than drinking a few bottles of wine.

I'm not a "group" person. I'm pretty introverted. I've trained for three triathlons on my own, and I avoid group fitness classes like the plague. So training with multiple coaches and 20 other ladies is WAY WAY WAY out of my comfort zone. We've had three sessions so far, and so far so good. Everyone I've met has been really nice, and I'm actually enjoying the camaraderie and the commiseration. I'm not the fastest, but I'm also not the slowest.

In addition to the two weekly group workouts, we have a schedule of workouts for the rest of the week. Its very similarly organized to what I was previously doing: 2 swims, 2 bikes, 2 runs, and 1 rest (plus my own 2 weight training sessions). The difference is the volume! I was on Week 7 of my current 12-week program for my June 8th triathlon. Both of my runs were 30 minutes long. On Week 1 of the new training plan we were doing 30-45 minutes, and on Week 2 we're up to 45-60 minutes of running!

Saturday will be my first Group Spin Class..... I'm going to miss watching movies on the stationary bike.... ;)

We Run For Boston 5k

I'd never done a "virtual" race before, but I really liked the bling for this one, and it was a fundraiser for The One Fund for Boston. I just ran around the country club nearby while the kids where in school.

Race to Wrigley 5k 2014

Race to Wrigley is getting to be an annual tradition, but since we've had 5 months of winter, we decided to wait until the last day to register so we could see if it was going to be snowing or now.... Happily I couldn't have asked for more perfect running weather! It was cloudy and mid-50's, with the chance of sun or rain (it rained after we got home, and then the sun came out :) ). The drive getting there was easy, but when we arrived at our usual parking lot, it was closed! We went to the lot that was listed in the race website (yes, we should have looked that up beforehand), and it was already full! We ended up finding street pay parking a few blocks away, finally getting to packet pickup about 30 minutes before the race was to start.

I hadn't actually run 3 miles at once since my last race last year, so my only goal was to not "lose" to my sister. (She's training for a Half Ironman!) Plus, I think its nice to run with someone. My brother-in-law had his own PR goal, and he was ahead of us the entire race.

I have this "Are we there yet? How much looooonger?" mentality to my runs; I want to know how I'm doing and how much more I have left. My running app tells me my pace and distance every 1/4 mile, which is wonderful. Kate and I started running, and my first thought was, "This is fun!" My second thought soon followed, "I'm never going to be able to keep up for 3 miles!"

A quarter of a mile in the little voice in my ear says, "Distance 0.25 miles. Pace 9:15 minutes per mile." WHAT?! Wow. Yay us!!!! Similar sounds were heard at 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, and so on. Around 1.5 miles I lost my sister. She was behind me one second and the next she wasn't.

At 2.25 miles the voice told me "Average pace 9:08 miles per minute." A full minute per mile faster than my usual race pace! At this point my heart was beating 1,000 bpm so I decided to walk a little bit. A few minutes of walking and who runs up next to me? My sister! So off I go with her again for the final stretch. I thought it would be pretty cool to cross the finish line together and hopefully get a picture of it.

But then this crazy thing happened.... something I've heard about but never had experienced.... Speeding up at the end! Usually by the last 0.1 miles my legs are lead and it takes all I have left to get to the finish line. But here I was running through the concourse and I knew the end was so deliciously near.... and I had this energy burst and my legs moved faster!

Final time 30:10! New PR!!

Next race is a Virtual 5k to raise money for The One Fund Boston.

What a difference two years makes!

Three years ago my sister decided to do a triathlon. I thought she was crazy. She wanted me to do it too, and I said, "He'll no! Never happening!" I'd just had a baby, and I rarely went to the gym.

I was so proud of her. Kind of started thinking, "I wonder if I could ever do something like that." Oh, wait, I can't swim! And I don't own a bike.

After a copious amount of alcohol one night, I signed up for the Super Sprint triathlon. Shortest distance. Least likely to drown. Heck, I figured I could doggy paddle it if I needed to.

I took swimming lessons from a teenager at the Park District who had to look up what a triathlon was. My first lesson was in April 2012.

I bought a bike. I remember telling the bike guys "it's mostly to bike with my kids. And I'm doing a short triathlon. Maybe." I honestly thought it was going to be the only triathlon I'd even do. It was such a stressful purchase... I spent months looking at bikes, reading reviews, and texting my sister. She thought I was crazy until she started shopping for a new bike too. Then she understood the copious research.

Now I'm eight weeks away from my first triathlon of 2014. I have FOUR planned this year! FOUR! Possibly a fifth depending on how the other ones go first. How I wish I had bought a road bike... if only I'd known I'd still be doing "these crazy things." I'm doing less 5ks- probably only 4 planned- and no "mud runs" this year because I can't afford to get injured.

First 5k is next week... I'll post a report afterwards!

Back in the Saddle Again

I've been lazy and gym-less for some time now. First it was the "post tri" recovery/blues. Then it was "I'm not training for anything right now." Then I put my uber gym on hold, saving me $125 a month! 

I finally went back. A new gym. Close by but small. Different stuff, which is kind of nice after seeing the same equipment for nearly a year. Plus, due to a 3 month membership deal I'm only paying $99. Total. Way less that a month at my uber gym.  It's only for the next three months - then I'll be back over to LT.

First visit, I hopped on the first bike I saw and did 30 minutes, while people watching. In general, I'm 10-20 years younger than most clients working out. 

Honestly, since I'm there on weekend mid mornings, I'm probably one if the few that are under 60.

I actually like it. There's no hot bodybuilder to complete against. No one looking and thinking "what's she doing here?" In fact, the first visit on the locker room someone quietly complimented me and asked about my shirt. 

The HUGE downside is child care. This one costs $7 per child per visit. Taking Kellan a few times a week adds up; having all the kids and paying $21 for one workout, just isn't worth it. I only pay $30/ month for all three kids at LT! Figure in the summer we'll switch back.... Going 5 days a week, I could pay $30 a month at my über gym, or pay $330 at the new place just for child care!  

As for my training, I have written it all out. I have a 12 week plan in gym #1 focusing on running, biking, and overall fitness with a few swims. Then I have a 13 week plan at the new gym, focussing more on my swimming. 

First triathlon is June 8, 2014. It's an hour drive but I think I'm going to just deal with the drive that spend $200 on hotel. The morning coffee will wake me up, and I'll sleep better in my own bed.

I wrote myself a reminder to get to the gym tomorrow....

Chicago Lifetime Triathlon 2013

Official time 2:15:09! I beat my little sister's time, and came in under all my "worst case" times, even in the swimming portion!

I decided to swim boat to boat, and while it was slow, I wasn't panicky or scared, since I knew I could swim boat to boat. I felt so proud when I got out of the water, even with two events left to go.

The bike was so enjoyable. I didn't race to kick butt; I raced to enjoy the skyline, the waterfront, the perfect weather, and to save my legs for part 3. It's here that I realized I was having a great time! I truly enjoyed this portion-- up the coast and back-- much more than the super sprint's "round and round in circles". 

The run was barely that. Lol. I had my GPS running app on my phone, my bottle full of Zym, and I took off at a speed walk. Super speed walk. I only ran at the photo spot halfway through, and then the last 1/4 mile or so, when all the people where cheering me on. I finished with a 12:30 pace, and I finished feeling strong and good! 

I flew through the finish area and ran back over to the start line, just in time to see my little sister start her Olympic distance triathlon. 

Looking forward to next year!

~Crazy eyes~

~Pause for a picture~

~2 medals in 2 days~