Due to Holy Week and Maundy Thursday commitments I only did the running portion of yesterday's workout. So, today, I did the assigned four mile bike ride, the 300 yard swim and added the 300 yard swim from yesterday. I didn't swim the entire 600 yards at one time. I swam 300 yards, rested for a few minutes and then swam the next 300 yards. It felt good.
I am averaging the following:
- five minute mile on the bike
- 15 minute mile running
- two minutes for 100 yards swimming
Yesterday, I mixed up my running from what I have been doing. Prior to yesterday, I was running as long as I could (usually four minutes) and then walking for about a minute. However, my runs were really slow. Yesterday, I ran two minutes and then walked for about four minutes. My running pace was faster and overall I covered the same distance in the same amount of time.
This has left me wondering if it's better to run longer times and slower or run shorter times and faster. Which way leads to the strongest, fastest running in the end? If anyone has any insight to this I would appreciate you sharing it with me.
Friday, March 25, 2016
Monday, March 21, 2016
Super Day!
I missed my Sunday bike ride. So, today I doubled up my workout to include both yesterday's and today's activities. I ended up running for 30 mins (about a 15 minute mile), biking for four miles and swimming for 300 yards. It was challenging, but it felt really good! The full tri will be a 5K run, 10 mile bike ride and 600 yard swim. So, today's was close to half of that. Pretty awesome!
I was thinking about the calendar and I believe I have 17-18 more weeks to train. It seems like a lot, but at the same time July 30 doesn't seem that far away. I worry about what type of shape I will be in, but I know I shouldn't dwell on that. My goal is to finish the race in under two hours. So, if I keep working hard like I did today, then I am well on my way to meeting that goal.
I was thinking about the calendar and I believe I have 17-18 more weeks to train. It seems like a lot, but at the same time July 30 doesn't seem that far away. I worry about what type of shape I will be in, but I know I shouldn't dwell on that. My goal is to finish the race in under two hours. So, if I keep working hard like I did today, then I am well on my way to meeting that goal.
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Running is Fun
So, I got back on the exercise wagon, today, after a four day absence. I decided to start back on last Saturday's schedule since I have an extra week built into my plan and am trying really hard not to push myself too hard. I don't want to get injured or burnt out. The only difference in my training was last Saturday was a 25 minutes walk and I decided to make today's workout a 25 minutes run/walk. I ran about 16 of the 25 minutes. Again, slow running, but it was running. I missed the distance results on my Fitbit, but I believe it was about 1.5 miles.
I am listening to Serial Season 2 while I run. It's a good program and it makes me stay away from the little voice in my head that tells me my lungs are burning and my legs are tired. Listening to the program really does seem to make the time go faster than when I am listening to music. It will be interesting to see if, once I am finished with Serial, I go back to listening to music or if I decided to download podcasts of things like The Moth Radio Hour.
I don't believe I've lost any weight, yet. Although, I must admit I'm not trying very hard. I haven't changed my diet at all. I need to be drinking more water and eating fewer processed foods, but mentally I'm not there, yet. I'm trying to do this whole thing with gradual changes so it's not a shock to my body and my mental fitness. One thing at a time.
I am listening to Serial Season 2 while I run. It's a good program and it makes me stay away from the little voice in my head that tells me my lungs are burning and my legs are tired. Listening to the program really does seem to make the time go faster than when I am listening to music. It will be interesting to see if, once I am finished with Serial, I go back to listening to music or if I decided to download podcasts of things like The Moth Radio Hour.
I don't believe I've lost any weight, yet. Although, I must admit I'm not trying very hard. I haven't changed my diet at all. I need to be drinking more water and eating fewer processed foods, but mentally I'm not there, yet. I'm trying to do this whole thing with gradual changes so it's not a shock to my body and my mental fitness. One thing at a time.
Friday, March 18, 2016
Good Week, Bad Week
The beginning of this training week was awesome. I got some biking, swimming and actual running in. The weather was beautiful and so I ran - real, actual running, but very slow running - on the Trolley Trail. My running sessions were for 30 minutes and I ran on and off about half of those minutes.
An odd thing happened to me Monday. I am in physical therapy right now for my right arm for an injury stemming from a fall I had in May.The therapy is mostly for my elbow on down. I went to PT Monday morning. After work, I went for a 30 minute run on the trail. At the end of the run I noticed that the muscle on the top of my right forearm had completely seized up. There were no spasms or real pain - just a very hard muscle that did not want to move. I massaged it for several minutes to loosen it up slightly before I got in the pool for my swimming session. Fortunately, the issue did not affect my swimming, but the arm was sore for the next couple of days.
The ending of this training week has been fruitless. Life got in the way and I missed training Wednesday, Thursday and today. Fortunately, I knew this would happen from time to time and so I've got some cushion built into my schedule and will start back, again, tomorrow with a good, full length workout.
An odd thing happened to me Monday. I am in physical therapy right now for my right arm for an injury stemming from a fall I had in May.The therapy is mostly for my elbow on down. I went to PT Monday morning. After work, I went for a 30 minute run on the trail. At the end of the run I noticed that the muscle on the top of my right forearm had completely seized up. There were no spasms or real pain - just a very hard muscle that did not want to move. I massaged it for several minutes to loosen it up slightly before I got in the pool for my swimming session. Fortunately, the issue did not affect my swimming, but the arm was sore for the next couple of days.
The ending of this training week has been fruitless. Life got in the way and I missed training Wednesday, Thursday and today. Fortunately, I knew this would happen from time to time and so I've got some cushion built into my schedule and will start back, again, tomorrow with a good, full length workout.
Friday, March 11, 2016
Feeling Good
I got my workout in over lunch due to having plans this evening. It was just a three mile bike ride and 250 yard swim. I feel good. I can definitely tell my swimming is improving. I think it's a combination of getting endurance back and just feeling more comfortable in the water. Also, although I'm not happy with the way my body looks right now, I am feeling less like I don't belong in the pool with the fit swimmers. I am learning to appreciate my body and what amazing things it does for me and worrying less about how I look while I am performing. It's a good feeling. I like the way this attitude fits my skin.
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Weeks 1 - 3a
I've started training for a triathlon. I've decided to use my blog to write about the challenges and successes of said training. The WIN for KC triathlon is July 30, 2016, at Smithville lake north of Kansas City. It's a sprint-tri - 600 meter swim, 10 mile bike ride and a 5K.
I'm sorely out of shape - 5'11" and weigh 275 as I type this. The training program I found is for beginners. It's a 22 week program and began with a very basic 100 yard swim, 20 minutes walk and two mile bike ride. If I follow the plan I will be doing distances further than what constitutes a sprint-tri before the race gets here. That being said - I expect to be in excellent shape for the length of triathlon I signed up for.
The first two weeks of training were pretty tough for me. Not really hard, but they tested my endurance. And, it was frustrating because I wasn't even doing that much. It just showed me how horribly out of shape I am. Even the swimming part was challenging for me - and I was a competitive swimmer for 12 years.
Week three began Monday (today is Thursday). Tuesdays are my rest days. So, today was day three of exercising this week. I feel like I had a breakthrough, tonight. Not a huge "a-ha" moment, but for the first time I didn't feel like I was struggling and I swam 250 yards without having to stop and catch my breath.
To top it all off, on my way back to the locker room a complete stranger complimented me on my swimming form.
I'm sorely out of shape - 5'11" and weigh 275 as I type this. The training program I found is for beginners. It's a 22 week program and began with a very basic 100 yard swim, 20 minutes walk and two mile bike ride. If I follow the plan I will be doing distances further than what constitutes a sprint-tri before the race gets here. That being said - I expect to be in excellent shape for the length of triathlon I signed up for.
The first two weeks of training were pretty tough for me. Not really hard, but they tested my endurance. And, it was frustrating because I wasn't even doing that much. It just showed me how horribly out of shape I am. Even the swimming part was challenging for me - and I was a competitive swimmer for 12 years.
Week three began Monday (today is Thursday). Tuesdays are my rest days. So, today was day three of exercising this week. I feel like I had a breakthrough, tonight. Not a huge "a-ha" moment, but for the first time I didn't feel like I was struggling and I swam 250 yards without having to stop and catch my breath.
To top it all off, on my way back to the locker room a complete stranger complimented me on my swimming form.
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