First Month Totals

For the fun of it, I'm going to enter my mileage totals for each month of training.  So far for swimming, I've not kept track of anything except that I spent time doing it, as I'm just learning the basics and not swimming laps yet.  Regardless, here are the stats:

September 30-October 30
Biking: 29.78 miles
Running: 19.11 miles
Mileage totals for the two disciplines are 48.89 miles
15 total days logged for all three disciplines.


I'm thinkin' that sounds piddly.  

On Being a Fish: There's Hope

1970's.  Living in Western Canada, where the only outdoor pool was a rare heated pool.  I was terrified of it, and sat (in cold weather) on a cement thing in the middle of this pool, steam rising all around me.  I vividly remember this scene at probably three years of age.

Late 1970's.  Attending grade school in Michigan, we occasionally took a bus load from my school to a local YMCA.  I ALWAYS got stomach aches from anxiety pre-swim, and then near-drowned on the pool water, resulting in a worse-ever stomach ache afterward.

1980's.  Lived near a summer camp that had a pool.  Rode my bike to the pool and paid $1 to swim for the afternoon, once or twice a week during summer months.  Actually taught myself how to keep myself afloat and "swim", although there was zero form or style.  I floundered, and that was about it.  Attempted crawl stroke, but couldn't figure out how to breathe while stroking, so this was what happened:  DEEP breath, push off from pool and swim like mad till ran out of breath, then tread water while breathing, then continue on.  That hasn't changed over the years, except that it's embarrassing when someone is watching.

1990's.  Attended college, and made use of the free pool at my university.  Didn't learn anything new.

1996.  The year of my first and only full triathlon.  Husband and I were "just friends", and he was a former lifeguard.  In an attempt to help me prepare for the triathlon, he volunteered to teach me how to swim properly.  Major fail on my part.  I swam the entire triathlon 1/2 mile side stroke.  Nearly the last one out of the lake.  Made up for a poor swim with a decent bike and run.

October 26, 2011.  Husband swam beside me in the pool while I swam for the first time doing a crawl stroke AND breathing.  VICTORY!!!  Husband feels like he finally completed his job, and I am knocking down major barriers.  It feels incredible!  All the moves still feel robotic and calculated, and my brain is struggling to process and act out what I know I am supposed to do.  But it is happening!  I'm actually looking forward to my next swim, in anticipation of seeing this barrier be totally knocked out.  At 39 years of age, I am actually learning to swim!  Woohoo!!!

~Faster by Forty

* * *

Today I experienced some serious back issues.  I couldn't exactly call it pain, but it totally knocked the breath out of me, over and over again.  If I hold still, there is no pain, but twisting movements of any kind just made me catch my breath and gasp.  Husband thinks this may be because of the stretching of my back during biking.  I hope this is what it was.  Regardless, I wanted to swim today, hoping that a counter-exercise would help this problem.  I'm not sure that it made a difference, but I'm still going.  :)  Sitting in the hot tub after swimming couldn't have hurt things.  And truly, I do find it curious and encouraging that the different disciplines of triathlon training help my body.  One venue will create sore muscles in my legs, while another activity erases that pain.  It's all good, I tell you.  :)

Still Sampson

I rode that bike machine again.  (It was cold outside, and I am allergic to cold.  Husband tells me I have a personal thermostat that handles 77-78 degrees quite nicely, but above or below that doesn't work.  Thus, the gym.)  This time I couldn't get the machine to come ON.  I pushed all the buttons, trying to see if one of them carried the hidden "on" button, but to no avail.  So I finally went and asked.  Pedaling turns it on.  Duh.

The ride went much better this time.  I actually CAN keep my rpm's between 90-95!  I still walked out feeling like I had acquired Samson's legs, though.

The stats:  30 minutes pedaling at a pace of  15.6mph.

Spinning . . . Out of Control, or, Good-bye, Skinny Legs

Today I tried out the bike spinning machine thing.  Husband couldn't come with me, so he gave me a description of the bike I should look for, told me how to raise/lower the seat, etc.  "My goal," he said, "should be 90-95 rpm's."

So Newbie Me arrives at the gym, and I stop at the desk to get help in selecting the right bike.  The gentleman who helped me was ever so polite and helpful.  He moved the seat up.  And up.  And up.  Finally, it was adjusted to my height, and then I asked him about measuring the rpm's.  Huh.  Not on that bike.  So we walked down the line.  There were bikes with bench seats.  Not those.  Eventually we got to the end of the line where the bike "with the uncomfortable seat" (according to Husband's description) was.  And it could measure/show rpm's.  We decided this must be the bike Husband was talking about.  So the gentleman got the bike all set up to my height, showed me how to set the levels, and encouraged me to start slowly and build up.

And off I went!  I worked the levels up after five minutes of spinning at 70 rpm's and thinking I was going to topple right off that bike.  Something did NOT feel right, and my legs could not possibly go in circles any faster than they were currently going.  There was no counter-resistance to my pushing on the pedals, but I still felt like my legs were going to fall off.  How in the world was I supposed to keep up this out-of-control feeling for 30 minutes?!  I increased my level, and thankfully got distracted by a friend coming to chat to me while I spun.  When she walked away, I happily realized I had completed about 25 minutes, and my rpm's were now hovering in the upper 70's.  The last five minutes I decided to give it all I could, and actually got the rpm's up to 86 for a short time.

At 30 minutes, my mileage was 7.1.  I hopped off that bike feeling like I'd had plastic surgery while I blinked, receiving Sampson's legs.  Solid steel carried me to my car, and all I could think was, "This is not going to feel good tomorrow."

Oh, the learning curve of a newbie!

Mechanical Track

I spent nearly forty minutes watching a little green ball go around a computerized track.  That green ball represented me.  Mesmerizing, I tell you.  But first I received a T-shirt to wear over my modest but barely sleeveless exercise top.  The "T-Shirt of Shame", as my trainer stated.  It wadded up between my knees as I ran, and the massive sleeves caught the sweat dripping off my elbows.  If I wasn't hot before, this definitely was cause for my near-faint at running's end.

My dazed gaze at the green ball was interrupted briefly by Dr. Martin.  Through the great world of Facebook, I have seen pictures of him running marathons with his son, who I went to college with.  He hopped onto the mechanical track two down from mine.  (We were two of a total three runners in the gym.  It would have been difficult to NOT see him.)  He adjusted the speed on his track so that it sounded like a jet going down an eternal runway. I tried not to think what his numbers said as I watched mine rise in slow-mo.  And I wondered how many years it would take me to get to where he is.  I pushed the button to make mine go faster.  And I pushed it again.  And again.  (He doesn't know this, but he and his family have been an inspiration in helping me get on this triathlon trail, so I by no means speak lightly of my admiration of him.)

After plodding off three miles on that track, I slowed the pace in anticipation of return to "solid ground" for a final lap.  I knew I didn't like doing these mechanical tracks for a reason, and one reason returned abruptly to my memory as I stepped off the machine:  lack of balance.  I felt like I was moon-walking.  I peeled off the "dress" shirt as I swayed and stumbled to the front desk, trying desperately to stay in an upright position so I didn't look the newbie fool that I was.  It seemed like forever before that feeling finally faded.  Will it always be like this?

* * *

As an aside, finding balance and prioritizing LIFE is a difficult thing when it comes to exercise.  We are doing a ton of adjusting, daily, to find the time to squeeze in the training.  Something is always sacrificed, and someone is always disappointed by this.  It is hard.  I keep telling myself it will be worth it.  It will all be worth it.  Truly, this is not just about the race next October.  It is about the daily choices between now and then, which will make the race worth doing.  . . .  Deep thoughts.

~Faster by Forty!  :)

Sometimes

. . . it just doesn't work.

"It" being the run.

I NEVER get shin splints.  And I RARELY ever get side stitches.  Well, the side stitch sneaked in on me tonight, and I could not get past it.  So, I forced myself to run 1/2 mile before giving up to walking the rest of the two miles.

Regardless of the stats (they're sad), I'm glad I got OUT.

Stats:  2 mi. walk/run in 28.44 minutes with pace of 14.22min/mi.  Ugh.

Any great secrets for getting rid of a side-ache mid-run???  Please share!

First Brick

I will admit it up front:  I feel too "immature" in my training to claim that I did a brick.  But I did.  (For those of you not into triathlons, don't feel bad if you don't know what a brick was.  I didn't know a year ago what it was, either, and I don't feel bad.  ;)  But here's the explanation:  "Bricks refer to training on two disciplines during the same workout, one after the other with minimal or no interruption in between, just as you would in a race."*)

Husband and I unexpectedly and simultaneously had a window of time open up today, so we dropped the bikes onto his car, drove off to a nearby park, and rode 8 miles.  I will admit to feeling exhausted.  I will admit to being afraid of little yappy dogs that came out and chased us.  I will admit to discovering the back of my throat being a great gnat-catcher.  And I will admit to being sore at the end of the ride.  So what did I say?  "I need to run and get rid of this bike soreness!"  Husband did not have running shoes with him, but he was a good sport and ran along side me wearing his Crocs.   Yes, I was even more tired after the run/walk, and had even more gnats stuck all over me, but I am physically relaxed tonight and that feels GOOD.

So, for the stats:  bike 8 miles in 36 minutes at 13.12mph average; run 1.3 miles in 16 minutes at 12.3 minutes per mile.

*Quoted from Beginner Triathlete.com

How a Choleric Learns Swimming . . .

. . .  "Get to the point.   Just tell me the bottom line."

How a melancholy teaches swimming . . .  "Well, you need to angle your elbow out about an inch more.  And you should cut the water with the top of your head, not your forehead/hairline, at a 45 degree angle.  Keep your wrist well bent.  Straighten out your waist and point your hips; don't bend at the waist.  Align your body like it's being pulled from the top of your head.  Shove your arm in front of you like you're pushing it down a sleeve."

"Ugh.  Just get to the point, alright?!  What is the bottom line?  I want to know that.  We'll fill in the details later, okay?"

That's about how the lesson tonight went.  All the instructions leave me cross-eyed and scratching my head.  I mean, pushing one arm while pulling the other and immediately rolling to the side all the while kicking my feet is worse than that old trick of patting your tummy while rubbing your head.  And WHEN do I breathe?  It's just not that easy, especially when one is 39!  I should have learned swimming when I was 8.  It would have been so much easier!

Regardless, we bought membership.  Me and gym memberships just do not go together.  Till now.  Sigh.  Running on a piece of stretchy fabric to the unchanging scenery of walls and sweaty people just has never held any appeal for me.  Give me the fresh air, the pebbles under my feet, the trees and skies, even the rain on my face and the cold air that scars my throat as I gasp for breath.

I am learning a lot about sacrifice while starting to train.  In the end, when I stick with it, I know I will be better off.  And on those good days, I WILL be outside!  But the swimming?  Well, here comes a tummy-ache of pool water, thanks to that membership.

First Bike Ride

So I went around a parking lot for my first ride.  Really.  Around and around and around and . . .  16 times, to be precise.

Fridays are difficult days to squeeze in anything extra, but Husband was kind enough to clean the bathroom sinks for me and help Daughter finish up the dishes, thus freeing me up to go ride.  He really, really wants me to do this.  I couldn't let the guy down, so I hopped on my ready-prepared (by Husband) bike, and got in my ride.

So, 16 times came out to . . .  a whopping 6.88 miles.  Woohoo!!!  Considering much of the time I was going around corners, I will be satisfied with a 13.68mph.

I hope to not take every ride around a parking lot.

I have to say, I continue to be surprised at how GOOD I feel.  Yes, I feel fatigued after exercising, but after a good night's rest, I wake up feeling refreshed.  And those mid-life mood swings are not nearly as severe.  I'm not sure if I'm still on a high from starting all this, or if this is a new trend.  I'm hoping it's a new trend, as I could handle feeling this good on a regular basis!

Team Support

Tonight's run at the track:  3 miles in 35.11.03 minutes with pace of 11.7mph.

Husband ran the first mile with me, then took off for a speedier second mile.  Our kids were hanging out in the middle of the track, observing progress.  After husband had lapped me twice, Son said, "Mommy!  Daddy is SO far behind you!", to which Daughter retorted, "He's running so fast he's running circles around Mommy!"  Nice to know we each have some support.

* * *

I'm starting a mileage log in the margin to record my workouts, largely for my own benefit of quickly seeing progress.

Swimsuit Shopping

In one word:

Ugh.

Who knew that "racing and training" swimsuits don't in any way match your clothing size?  The one I got is 3 even sizes bigger than my normal dress size.  (Great for the ego, I tell you!)  And can you make any guesses as to how many I struggled to get into before I figured that one out?  Good thing they're made of stretchy fabric or I might have had to buy all 8 of them!

Sigh.

I now have one of those racer-back ones that's supposed to make me fast, fast, fast.  Oh, and goggles to match.  Hopefully  my eyeballs don't pop out when I suction-cup them off my face.  

A Putz Run

I met my trainer* at the track tonight for a run.  He kept telling me to slow down.  I didn't want to slow down!  This is the difference between a strong melancholy who follows every "law" to the detail, and a choleric who wants to "get the job done".  Any guesses as to which one is me???  ;)

At any rate, we ran 2 1/4 miles, and then did a short sprint followed by a short cool-down run.  I actually felt better than I had anticipated.

The stats:  31 minutes and 2/12 miles with a rate of 12.48mph.  Ugh.

* * *
Husband

First Swim Lesson

So I watched Husband do the Cohutta Tri today.  As he ran to the transition from swim to bike, I ran along beside him on the other side of the boundary ribbon and hollered and cheered for him.  He was fairly-well ignoring me as he stripped his wetsuit off mid-run, so I yelled at him, "Come on!  Enjoy the cheering, 'cause this is my last time to cheer you on!"  He grinned in recognition of what this means and picked up the pace as he continued on.

Being at a Triathlon event is very inspiring to me.  It is not unusual at all for me to have tears running down my face as I think of all the effort and determination that has gone behind most of the athletes represented, to say nothing of the amazing bodies God has given each one of us!  I come away wishing I was one of "them".  Today was no different, except that I actually TOLD people that next year it would be me as one of "them".  For awhile, early on in the process, I considered telling no one about my goals, as, if I copped out, I would not be breaking my promise to anyone.  It's truly been a hard mental decision to determine to do this.  It's not like the goal is only a week or a month away.  I am committing to a full year of training, which will hopefully be one step along the path of the rest of my life.  So telling people of my goal has been a way to cement the decision to go down this road.

Coming home from the triathlon, we changed into swimsuits, got into the car, and drove to the pool.  Yes, my first drowning  --  I mean swimming  --  lesson!  Husband had told me that for my first lesson he would teach me how to float.  Yes, float!  Admittedly, I have no style or form, but I CAN doggie paddle, and I CAN float!  So I was a bit miffed about my first lesson's plan.  But we did indeed work on floating -- properly.  And surprisingly, Husband thought I did quite well.  Ha!  We moved on to some more things, like how to turn and breathe while keeping the body in alignment.  There IS a science to this, apparently.  Husband thinks I will be a natural.  "WILL" and "BE" are the key words I heard.  I told him that if I didn't have to breathe, I was sure I could do quite well at this sport.  Hey!  How about a snorkel?!!  (I HAVE actually seen this in a triathlon, believe it or not!)

Aside from snorting several cups of pool water up my nose and obsessing over the water droplets in those wicked goggles that give me the coon look and suck out my eyeballs, I think I survived my first lesson.  Feeling satisfied, we happily enjoyed the hot tub till I almost passed out.

* * *

Aunt N is following my progress and encouraging my attempts.  In an email of "harrah's", she ended with a phrase that I'm adopting as my mantra through this process.  Here it is:

~Faster by Forty!