Friday, January 20, 2012

This is only a test.....

Hey everyone!!!

I apologize for not keeping y'all up to date over this past week. We will consider this a test to see if any of you followers were going to contact me to be sure I am on track!!!! I am on track still and I hope that you guys are ready for a full week's worth of updates and my progress.

Last Saturday I met with Jeanetta and John Mark at the YMCA. We actually swam a few laps (12 laps) then hit the bike for about 20 miles and finished with a 5 mile run. The weather started out pretty cold and then by the time we started the run, it was manageable. It felt great being able to have a multi-sport training day. I really am thankful that I had two others join me. It was a nice and easy day. I did not push myself to the extreme, but I definitely enjoyed riding the hills. Thanks guys for joining me.

On Sunday (1-15-2012) I ran 6.93 miles with a 7:56 avg/pace and it took me 55:01 minutes of running total. I also included a few speed running drills with my workout at the Y. I also did a few crunches and push ups. I officially completed my first week of training. I am really proud of myself for knocking the dust off of my body and my bike. It was a wonderful first week. I really love being back in the training mode. I am gradually easing into this whole experience and really glad that I have friends to help motivate me and yes that includes those that are following me. If for some reason you guys do not see that I have updated my blog within 5 days or so, please, please, please check in with me and make sure I am on track. I need to be accountable and you guys help to hold me accountable. We can do this journey together and I definitely need the support.

Now for this week. I will admit that this week has been a struggle for me. Not in terms of training, but emotionally. I also have not been eating appropriately and weighed 147 yesterday a.m. I weighed 145 today. That is the heaviest that I have weighed in over a year. I say this to you guys, because I want y'all to know exactly what this journey is about for me and eating the appropriate food is critical to training. I think that I have tried to cope with what all I have been dealing with personally through comfort foods which include chips and queso, chocolate, and a margarita. Needless to say, I must get back on track to a healthy and balanced diet. I know that eating the appropriate diet also helps me mentally feel better and it makes training much easier because of the energy produced through food intake.

On Monday (1-16-2012) I swam 24 laps in the pool. That equates to 1200 yards. I really enjoyed this swim because I completed a few different swim drills to help with my swimming stroke. I did 50 yd kick, 120 yd freestyle, 600 freestyle, 50 yd rt arm, 50 yd lft arm, 100 yd kick, 50 yd side kick, and 50 yd kick. This definitely worked my legs the most.

On Tuesday (1-17-2012) I went for a bike ride and managed to get a flat tire about 26 minutes into my ride. I stopped and changed the tire and made one of the biggest mistakes that a biker can make- I did not check for particles in my tire as in glass. I changed the tube and began riding and then it popped again because I found glass in my tire. I was able to fill it with my second CO2 cartridge and ride to the Jackson station area on the Trails and have John Mark come and pick me up. This is a great lesson for training. I know that I can change a flat without the help of others and I also know that I will check for particles in the tire FIRST from here on out. These instances are exactly what could happen on race day and I am really glad to have the opportunity to test myself even though it was a bummer to stop riding only after 26 minutes.

On Wednesday (1-18-2012) I swam 27 laps which equals 1,350 yards and that is 3/4 of a mile. It felt great and my arms were a little sore, but loosened up after about the 7th lap. I then ran 4.61 miles with a 7:55 avg/pace and it took me about 36:28 minutes. I had eaten chips and dip the day before and it definitely did not sit well for training. It is important to eat healthy foods to be able to get the most out of my training and yes, I realize that and know better. After running, I did a few line drills at the gym (5 to be exact). This brought back memories of playing basketball in Junior high and High school. I must say that I run them much slower now. It was a great change though. I really enjoyed Wednesday especially the swim portion.

On Thursday (1-19-2012) I swam 12 laps (600 yards) and then had to stop because they were giving swimming lessons. I jumped out of the pool and ran 4.80 miles at a 7:40 avg/pace and that took me 36:47 minutes to complete the run. It was a really easy day. The weather was over cast and it was pretty dark when I began my run. It was a nice change of scenery too because I switched up my running route.

Today......has yet to occur. I am just about to head out the door to go to the YMCA for a swim and then i am planning on running a long run today. I went to the Bike Shop and purchased new tires for my bike along with new tubes. I hope to teach John Mark how to change a tire tomorrow prior to our workout. This is great practice for me and any of you out there that need a tire changed especially the rear tire, I would love to tackle that for you. I need all the practice I can get and the rear is the challenge because of the chain. I will keep you all posted about my training activities for the weekend.

I want to let you all know that at times I can struggle with my emotional state and this is one of those challenges that I am taking on through this process. I have had a few things that have crept up in my life and battled a large amount of anxiety over the past two weeks. I am thankful that I have been able to train through this anxiety and truthfully it has been a wonderful outlet. I am thankful for each day that I have been given and each day is a new day for me. I must focus on today and let tomorrow worry about itself. This of course is easier said then done for me. I am trying to take it one day at a time and be thankful for the accomplishments within that one day. I am very proud of myself for nearing the end of the second week of training. If you have any resources of quotes that might help with worry, anxiety, depression, etc. please feel free to post. We are all humans and we all have emotions especially when triggered by events in our lives. Thanks for following my blog and remember to keep me in check if I appear to be drifting away or isolating. Sometimes I might just be busy, but please still check in on me. Thanks for all that you guys do to help keep me motivated. It takes a village to create an IronMary!!!!  

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