Last year I talked about my two beautiful intelligent little humans and what a blessing they are to have in my life. Generally they are a joy to have around and they help me remember how to love unconditionally, how to teach/mediate, and how to bring out my inner child to play and giggle and explore with them.
It is hard though when working full-time, with busy schedules, and personal goals for Joe and I not to struggle with how we interact with them when their behaviors are less than ideal. June was a very full month with traveling and racing and 1/2 birthday parties. Every weekend was busy and Joe was traveling some so it is easy to get worn down and for the kids to get off schedule and for us all to get cranky.
Needless to say rolling into July we had two more weekends away from home scheduled with visits and family. We were all wearing a little thin the last couple of weeks. Last night I sat down with Abigail who hadn't had a decent/smooth night of going to sleep in a couple of weeks and asked her what was going on. She said sometimes her room is hot (south facing), she's hungry, or afraid and that she worries that if she isn't sleeping that she is afraid of getting in trouble from mommy and daddy. It nearly broke my heart.
In my last ode to little humans I talked about how my kids help me smooth my rough edges, and little JJ is great at that with lots of hugs and silliness. Big sister Abby gets lost in the shuffle sometimes and she is such a good helper especially with her brother. She told me a couple of weeks ago that JJ is the peach and that she is the pit... I don't know where she got that but it makes me sad that she thinks that.
Anyway... I am learning... when she wanders into my room at 2:30am telling me she can't sleep, I don't always operate out of my rational brain... usually it is dino brain telling me to get this kid back to bed and resume much needed precious sleep and my rough edges are out. So Joe and I talked and both vowed to come to her level and talk things out with her before we end up with the whole house awake at 2:30.
So I talked with Abby and we came up with a plan to talk each day after dinner time and come up with a sleep plan. Last night she wanted to sleep on the couch in the basement with the dogs (pick your battles right... sleep is sleep). I told her it was ok if she decided she didn't want to stay down there, and sure enough about 30 minutes after I left her she was back up stairs. She asked nicely if she could sleep on the floor in our room and since it was 8:45pm I was still using my rational brain and said it was ok.... obviously not for the long-term, but it about building a relationship... even with your child and learning for both of us as we go. We all got a good night sleep last night and so we progress and see what another day brings.
I look forward to heading home at noon today and picking up my kids. We plan to work on our scrap-book from our vacation, play the WII and go to the library. Tomorrow Miss Abigail will get to spend 24 hours with just Daddy and they have a date planned. These days when they are little and look up to us are numbered so I keep working along on my quest for more smooth edges, hugs, giggles and wonderful memories with my kids.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Life is short and precious...
After having a nice dinner last night with my folks and children, the kids and I were on the way home and upon entering I-80 eastbound I could see a huge billow of black smoke. By the time we got to the next exit I could see it was a vehicle on fire blocking four lanes of traffic. Turns out it was a semi burning and by the time we got to it about 20 minutes later there wasn't much left of the cab or trailer and I could not help be feel sorrow for any lives lost.
While I sit here the next day plowing through another set of data listening to my Ipod the song "Live like we're dying" by Kris Allen came on. The Lyrics go something like this...
Live Like We're Dying Lyrics
Sometimes we fall down, can't get back up
We're hiding behind skin that's too tough
How come we don't say I love you enough
Till it's to late, it's not too late ...
... Yeah, we gotta start
Looking at the hands of the time we've been given
If this is all we got and we gotta start thinking
If every second counts on a clock that's ticking
Gotta live like we're dying
We only got 86,400 seconds in a day to
Turn it all around or to throw it all away
We gotta tell them that we love them
While we got the chance to say
Gotta live like we're dying
And if your plane fell out of the skies
Who would you call with your last goodbye
Should be so careful who we live out our lives
So when we long for absolution,
There'll no one on the line, yeah
Yeah, we gotta start
Looking at the hands of the time we've been given
If this is all we got and we gotta start thinking
If every second counts on a clock that's ticking
Gotta live like we're dying
We only got 86,400 seconds in a day to
Turn it all around or to throw it all away
We gotta tell them that we love them
While we got the chance to say
Gotta live like we're dying...
... You never know a good thing till it's gone
You never see a crash till it's head on
Why do we think we're right when we're dead wrong
You never know a good thing till it's gone...
I think of things I have heard this week like the woman in such a hurry that she takes a chance running in front of a train only to be hit. Or the young woman whose last act was to attempt to send a text message while driving. I don't know what happen on the interstate last night, but someone made a mistake and it probably cost a life.
So to get to my point which really isn't all that morbid...
I will be the first to tell you that taking calculated risks is a good thing, and that putting yourself out there to experience life is a good thing. But when it comes to self preservation we all sometimes need to make better decisions. We need to focus more when we drive, wear helmets when be bike, get some sort of exercise and balanced diets to keep ourselves healthy.
We need to do a better job (we means me...) to yell less and play more with our kids, to tell the people we care about how much we love them, to try to live each day to the fullest... for me that meant quitting a job that stressed me out, moving across the country on a chance that a better option would present itself, and surrounding myself with people who love me unconditionally.
I try to reflect each day and remind my kids how good things are, how precious our time together is. I try to reach out to my friends and family as often as I can even if it is a silly ecard for some random holiday. I try to find activities that help fill me up so I can be a better person, a better mommy, daughter, and spouse.
Last year I listened to the book The Secret which is probably classified as self help... the premise of the book is that we bring about the things we fixate on... if we think negative thoughts than negative things happen, if we focus on our ailments than our ailments will consume us, but if we focus on the positive, set SMART goals and put a plan in action and follow it, we can make our lives what we want them to be even when faced with a horrible illness like cancer. We can choose to fight and to stay positive and help others see how precious life is like my wonderful Uncle Jim.
So I put forth this challenge to you... sit and reflect on what is important to you. What would devastate you if it were suddenly taken from your life... and vow to do a better job of growing as a person, of letting the people who are important in your life share in your thoughts and your love. Never stop growing as a person...
To my family and my friends I love you dearly and value having you in my life.
As always comments are welcome... thanks for listening to me my friends.
While I sit here the next day plowing through another set of data listening to my Ipod the song "Live like we're dying" by Kris Allen came on. The Lyrics go something like this...
Live Like We're Dying Lyrics
Sometimes we fall down, can't get back up
We're hiding behind skin that's too tough
How come we don't say I love you enough
Till it's to late, it's not too late ...
... Yeah, we gotta start
Looking at the hands of the time we've been given
If this is all we got and we gotta start thinking
If every second counts on a clock that's ticking
Gotta live like we're dying
We only got 86,400 seconds in a day to
Turn it all around or to throw it all away
We gotta tell them that we love them
While we got the chance to say
Gotta live like we're dying
And if your plane fell out of the skies
Who would you call with your last goodbye
Should be so careful who we live out our lives
So when we long for absolution,
There'll no one on the line, yeah
Yeah, we gotta start
Looking at the hands of the time we've been given
If this is all we got and we gotta start thinking
If every second counts on a clock that's ticking
Gotta live like we're dying
We only got 86,400 seconds in a day to
Turn it all around or to throw it all away
We gotta tell them that we love them
While we got the chance to say
Gotta live like we're dying...
... You never know a good thing till it's gone
You never see a crash till it's head on
Why do we think we're right when we're dead wrong
You never know a good thing till it's gone...
I think of things I have heard this week like the woman in such a hurry that she takes a chance running in front of a train only to be hit. Or the young woman whose last act was to attempt to send a text message while driving. I don't know what happen on the interstate last night, but someone made a mistake and it probably cost a life.
So to get to my point which really isn't all that morbid...
I will be the first to tell you that taking calculated risks is a good thing, and that putting yourself out there to experience life is a good thing. But when it comes to self preservation we all sometimes need to make better decisions. We need to focus more when we drive, wear helmets when be bike, get some sort of exercise and balanced diets to keep ourselves healthy.
We need to do a better job (we means me...) to yell less and play more with our kids, to tell the people we care about how much we love them, to try to live each day to the fullest... for me that meant quitting a job that stressed me out, moving across the country on a chance that a better option would present itself, and surrounding myself with people who love me unconditionally.
I try to reflect each day and remind my kids how good things are, how precious our time together is. I try to reach out to my friends and family as often as I can even if it is a silly ecard for some random holiday. I try to find activities that help fill me up so I can be a better person, a better mommy, daughter, and spouse.
Last year I listened to the book The Secret which is probably classified as self help... the premise of the book is that we bring about the things we fixate on... if we think negative thoughts than negative things happen, if we focus on our ailments than our ailments will consume us, but if we focus on the positive, set SMART goals and put a plan in action and follow it, we can make our lives what we want them to be even when faced with a horrible illness like cancer. We can choose to fight and to stay positive and help others see how precious life is like my wonderful Uncle Jim.
So I put forth this challenge to you... sit and reflect on what is important to you. What would devastate you if it were suddenly taken from your life... and vow to do a better job of growing as a person, of letting the people who are important in your life share in your thoughts and your love. Never stop growing as a person...
To my family and my friends I love you dearly and value having you in my life.
As always comments are welcome... thanks for listening to me my friends.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Starting off the season with ... WIND AND RAIN!!! (Part two)
Leading up to Hy-Vee I had a birthday... ever practical I asked for gifts to do upgrades to the house... ever normal Joe is and said what do you REALLY want for your birthday. I said 'aerobars (the goofy things that mount on your handle bars to make your more aerodynamic...see the photo at the bottom of the page) for my bike' so he said go get some installed. So I did... I got a short ride in with them on the Monday two weeks before Hy-Vee but that was it since the rains came down.
Iowa was planning to float down the Mississippi to the gulf again, or was sticky humid in the weeks leading up to Hy-Vee. The Hy-Vee Triathlon is becoming a pretty big deal in the world of Triathlons. It brings in the best athletes from around the world (to race after the 2000 age groups folks like me) and is run by professional race planners. Needless to say it was pretty exciting to be a part of all that.
Two days before the race the park where the race was to be held was having high water issues, but they said the race must go on so I went down to Des Moines that fine sticky hot Friday to pick up my packet. This race has a higher fee, but I am pretty sure I made most of that back in swag (a nice race jersey, a great running hat, a backpack, etc.)
Saturday I had to cram in activities like Abigail's super fun 6 and a half year birthday party with 10 kids running around Reiman Garden's in Ames looking for gnomes and chasing butterflies. Then I had to pick up my super cool TriRacers of Iowa team race outfit (a one piece thing that I wear for all three parts of the triathlon). Then back down to Des Moines to drop my bike off to transition and then over to my folks for my last meal.
The next morning I was up a little after 4am to head over to the mall and catch a shuttle to the race venue. It was overcast (well dark when I got on the bus) and as we walked in to transition the PA announcer was saying they had changed the race from an Olympic distance (1 mile swim, 25 mile bike, 6.2 mile run) down to a sprint distance because a major storm was due to hit before we would have all been out of the water.
Obviously many of us were disappointed. People came in from all over the country to do this race and for a lot of us it was to be our first Olympic distance race. It was a bummer set back, but I was feeling really good so just had to go with the flow. The race was wet suit legal but the water temperature even with all the rain was still around 74 degrees so I decided to go with out. I had to wait on the beach for almost an hour for my turn at the start which they had changed from large group wave starts to a time trial start where you go in one at a time in a continuous stream every 4 seconds.
I had never done a time trial start so that was new to me and it turns out that did not play in my favor. When I do a wave start I usually have a good 3-5 minutes to get out in front of the pack before I hit the wave in front of me, and it gives earlier waves a chance to spread out so I can usually get through easily. This start had us all swimming over each other and I had to sight a lot more often so I wouldn't run into anyone.
I got through the swim knowing it wasn't as quick and smooth as it could have been and ran through the ankle deep water in transition to my bike and hit the road. The bike course is a pretty flat (a couple medium sized hills at the start) ride so I was able to get down into the aerobars and just grind away. All in all the bike felt good and the five brick workouts (bike with a transition to run) made all the difference when I started running.
I was able to get into a decent rhythm once I got my race number belt under control and plodded along comfortably for the first 1 2/3 miles... then it was up a big hill. the same hill I had uncomfortable dreams about leading up to the race, but alas we only had to run 2/3 of the way up the hill and back down to a flat home stretch. At this point I was pretty fired up and ramped up my speed. I ended up averaging just over a 9 minute mile for the run and finished in the middle of the pack for my age group... and then the skies opened up and I started looking for an arc because I was certain to need a boat to get out of there.
My folks had come to watch once they got the very early message that the race was going to be heck of a lot shorter and I would be finished an 1 1/2 earlier than anticipated. Joe stayed home with the sleepy kids and stayed dry.
Some of the highlights for me on this second race of the year was the strong finish and personal best time for a sprint race. The kind woman giving out dry T-shirts under the shelter while the rain poured down for 30 minutes and we all waited. My folks for coming out and trying to stay dry through it all to cheer me on. My two training friends Laura and Jill who volunteered for the race, wandered through the flooded expo with me to get more free swag, and then gave me a ride with my bike back to my car....
Leaving me with these thoughts. The weekend warriors who try to squeeze in 4-8 hours a week in training and go out and do what they do on the weekends are awesome, and it was great to be wearing my team gear and be part of something bigger than myself for the Hy-Vee race and races to come this summer. I know now that I can be flexible, learn from my experiences, and still go out and have a great time no matter what mother nature throws at me because in the end it is all about showing up. I have a 10k run tomorrow and two more sprint races in August and September. Then I will wrap up my season with a charity Olympic distance race in my ol home town so until then... I need to figure out how to get motivated again and back on the training wagon.
Iowa was planning to float down the Mississippi to the gulf again, or was sticky humid in the weeks leading up to Hy-Vee. The Hy-Vee Triathlon is becoming a pretty big deal in the world of Triathlons. It brings in the best athletes from around the world (to race after the 2000 age groups folks like me) and is run by professional race planners. Needless to say it was pretty exciting to be a part of all that.
Two days before the race the park where the race was to be held was having high water issues, but they said the race must go on so I went down to Des Moines that fine sticky hot Friday to pick up my packet. This race has a higher fee, but I am pretty sure I made most of that back in swag (a nice race jersey, a great running hat, a backpack, etc.)
Saturday I had to cram in activities like Abigail's super fun 6 and a half year birthday party with 10 kids running around Reiman Garden's in Ames looking for gnomes and chasing butterflies. Then I had to pick up my super cool TriRacers of Iowa team race outfit (a one piece thing that I wear for all three parts of the triathlon). Then back down to Des Moines to drop my bike off to transition and then over to my folks for my last meal.
The next morning I was up a little after 4am to head over to the mall and catch a shuttle to the race venue. It was overcast (well dark when I got on the bus) and as we walked in to transition the PA announcer was saying they had changed the race from an Olympic distance (1 mile swim, 25 mile bike, 6.2 mile run) down to a sprint distance because a major storm was due to hit before we would have all been out of the water.
Obviously many of us were disappointed. People came in from all over the country to do this race and for a lot of us it was to be our first Olympic distance race. It was a bummer set back, but I was feeling really good so just had to go with the flow. The race was wet suit legal but the water temperature even with all the rain was still around 74 degrees so I decided to go with out. I had to wait on the beach for almost an hour for my turn at the start which they had changed from large group wave starts to a time trial start where you go in one at a time in a continuous stream every 4 seconds.
I had never done a time trial start so that was new to me and it turns out that did not play in my favor. When I do a wave start I usually have a good 3-5 minutes to get out in front of the pack before I hit the wave in front of me, and it gives earlier waves a chance to spread out so I can usually get through easily. This start had us all swimming over each other and I had to sight a lot more often so I wouldn't run into anyone.
I got through the swim knowing it wasn't as quick and smooth as it could have been and ran through the ankle deep water in transition to my bike and hit the road. The bike course is a pretty flat (a couple medium sized hills at the start) ride so I was able to get down into the aerobars and just grind away. All in all the bike felt good and the five brick workouts (bike with a transition to run) made all the difference when I started running.
I was able to get into a decent rhythm once I got my race number belt under control and plodded along comfortably for the first 1 2/3 miles... then it was up a big hill. the same hill I had uncomfortable dreams about leading up to the race, but alas we only had to run 2/3 of the way up the hill and back down to a flat home stretch. At this point I was pretty fired up and ramped up my speed. I ended up averaging just over a 9 minute mile for the run and finished in the middle of the pack for my age group... and then the skies opened up and I started looking for an arc because I was certain to need a boat to get out of there.
My folks had come to watch once they got the very early message that the race was going to be heck of a lot shorter and I would be finished an 1 1/2 earlier than anticipated. Joe stayed home with the sleepy kids and stayed dry.
Some of the highlights for me on this second race of the year was the strong finish and personal best time for a sprint race. The kind woman giving out dry T-shirts under the shelter while the rain poured down for 30 minutes and we all waited. My folks for coming out and trying to stay dry through it all to cheer me on. My two training friends Laura and Jill who volunteered for the race, wandered through the flooded expo with me to get more free swag, and then gave me a ride with my bike back to my car....
Leaving me with these thoughts. The weekend warriors who try to squeeze in 4-8 hours a week in training and go out and do what they do on the weekends are awesome, and it was great to be wearing my team gear and be part of something bigger than myself for the Hy-Vee race and races to come this summer. I know now that I can be flexible, learn from my experiences, and still go out and have a great time no matter what mother nature throws at me because in the end it is all about showing up. I have a 10k run tomorrow and two more sprint races in August and September. Then I will wrap up my season with a charity Olympic distance race in my ol home town so until then... I need to figure out how to get motivated again and back on the training wagon.
Starting off the season with ... WIND AND RAIN!!! (Part one)
So in April I was feeling a bit under-trained but well on my way to my first triathlon of the year. I did an eight week training class through Late March into May to get ready for my first race. Nothing like a little incentive to keep up... as the coach said "A little peer pressure". I made connections with a great group of local triathlete 'weekend warriors' who have full-time jobs, kids and a love for the sports.
Anyway the two hours of training every Sunday along with the realization that I wasn't getting enough done got me on my way at the end of April and into May. I was finally getting a couple runs, a good long bike and a short bike or two, and at least one swim in each week.
I was still feeling a little short in the training department when the day came for my first race of the season (Bluff Creek Triathlon in Ogden Iowa), but of course I went anyway. The sprint distance race (400m swim, 25k bike, 5k run) was May 23rd and we lined up for the bus to the swim start on what began as an overcast morning. I finally made it to the beach and waded in with the wetsuit as it was May in Iowa... lake temp around 65 degrees. My swim with is normally my best leg got off to a rough start as I had a bit of anxiety for some reason and was 1/3 of the way through the swim before I calmed down.
I still managed to pull myself out of the lake around 5th in my start group. Then the fun really began. The bike was a gently rolling out and back on a N/S road... I knew something was wrong with my average speed on the N route was around 28 miles per hour... granted it was pretty flat but that was super fast and I was having trouble finding a gear to keep up with the wicked tail wind. I knew the ride S was going to be rough and adjusted my gears coming into the turn around to anticipate... It was hard to anticipate the feeling of going from 28 mph and barely breaking a sweat to 9 mph. UUUGH!!!
At the time I just said uugh, this is what I have to deal with and kept praying 'ok if I have to ride this out please let Hy-Vee be without a wind like this!' I survived the bike and managed to make it out on to the run course. The second transition from bike to run is usually a rough one but whew is all I got to say... happy to be off the bike, but knowing going into the run that speed was not an option.
It was a beautiful day so I just enjoyed the run, chatted with some old acquaintances on the run as we passed and re-passed each other. In the end I knew I could have probably pushed a little harder, and I it was in fact a personal worse on a course I have done two times previous, so humbling it was... but I learn and look forward to the next race which was Hy-Vee.
Anyway the two hours of training every Sunday along with the realization that I wasn't getting enough done got me on my way at the end of April and into May. I was finally getting a couple runs, a good long bike and a short bike or two, and at least one swim in each week.
I was still feeling a little short in the training department when the day came for my first race of the season (Bluff Creek Triathlon in Ogden Iowa), but of course I went anyway. The sprint distance race (400m swim, 25k bike, 5k run) was May 23rd and we lined up for the bus to the swim start on what began as an overcast morning. I finally made it to the beach and waded in with the wetsuit as it was May in Iowa... lake temp around 65 degrees. My swim with is normally my best leg got off to a rough start as I had a bit of anxiety for some reason and was 1/3 of the way through the swim before I calmed down.
I still managed to pull myself out of the lake around 5th in my start group. Then the fun really began. The bike was a gently rolling out and back on a N/S road... I knew something was wrong with my average speed on the N route was around 28 miles per hour... granted it was pretty flat but that was super fast and I was having trouble finding a gear to keep up with the wicked tail wind. I knew the ride S was going to be rough and adjusted my gears coming into the turn around to anticipate... It was hard to anticipate the feeling of going from 28 mph and barely breaking a sweat to 9 mph. UUUGH!!!
At the time I just said uugh, this is what I have to deal with and kept praying 'ok if I have to ride this out please let Hy-Vee be without a wind like this!' I survived the bike and managed to make it out on to the run course. The second transition from bike to run is usually a rough one but whew is all I got to say... happy to be off the bike, but knowing going into the run that speed was not an option.
It was a beautiful day so I just enjoyed the run, chatted with some old acquaintances on the run as we passed and re-passed each other. In the end I knew I could have probably pushed a little harder, and I it was in fact a personal worse on a course I have done two times previous, so humbling it was... but I learn and look forward to the next race which was Hy-Vee.
Old Posts Like New...
So I have moved all my old posts over from my previous blog location and will soon be adding to the list now that it will be easier for me to access the blog. Stay tuned for more... if you have a topic you want me to ramble on about feel free to add a comment to this post.
On Happiness 12/10/09
The other day I was snuggling my youngest (who hates to be put down when I am in a hurry) while frantically tossing together my daily bag, herding my oldest (who hates to be rushed while I am in a hurry) and thinking about my marital milestone of 12 years this past October when a revelation hit me... I am truely happy with where I am in my place in this world.
Sure I wish I had more hours in the day, a live in nanny, a man den for my husband, money and time to travel and give to those in need...
I am not saying that baby snuggly bliss, or spending a week with friends & "family" in the tall trees and high terrain (as I wrote this blog on paper in October) didn't have an impact on this high that I am riding...
But I will say that past health issues, job dissatisfaction, anxiety of relationship issues with hubby, friends, family, budget issies... the weight of the issues of the world.. all used to have me wound up, stressed and sick in mind and body... but they don't have as much of an influence on my ability to be happy an more.
I think the quote "I reserve the right to get smarter" which I keep on desk at work next to the quote "be polite with yourself when learning something new"... has be learning to be more relaxed about the things I cannot control, and hopefully more organized and thoughful about the things I can.
I know I am truely blessed for my household to be in good health as I watch several friends and family struggle through cancer and diabetes. I am blessed to (finally) have a job that challanges me where I am surrounded by people who respect my experience and knowledge while there are so many without work. I am blessed to have a spouse that also enjoys his work and helps provide what our family needs while there are so many without food or shelter to take comfort in. I feel blessed to have a family and a few friends who love and appreciate me... and really that fills me up and makes me happy.
All the rest, beautiful sunny days, majestic mountains, the wind talking through the trees... it is all just the frosting on the cookies of lift...
Sure I wish I had more hours in the day, a live in nanny, a man den for my husband, money and time to travel and give to those in need...
I am not saying that baby snuggly bliss, or spending a week with friends & "family" in the tall trees and high terrain (as I wrote this blog on paper in October) didn't have an impact on this high that I am riding...
But I will say that past health issues, job dissatisfaction, anxiety of relationship issues with hubby, friends, family, budget issies... the weight of the issues of the world.. all used to have me wound up, stressed and sick in mind and body... but they don't have as much of an influence on my ability to be happy an more.
I think the quote "I reserve the right to get smarter" which I keep on desk at work next to the quote "be polite with yourself when learning something new"... has be learning to be more relaxed about the things I cannot control, and hopefully more organized and thoughful about the things I can.
I know I am truely blessed for my household to be in good health as I watch several friends and family struggle through cancer and diabetes. I am blessed to (finally) have a job that challanges me where I am surrounded by people who respect my experience and knowledge while there are so many without work. I am blessed to have a spouse that also enjoys his work and helps provide what our family needs while there are so many without food or shelter to take comfort in. I feel blessed to have a family and a few friends who love and appreciate me... and really that fills me up and makes me happy.
All the rest, beautiful sunny days, majestic mountains, the wind talking through the trees... it is all just the frosting on the cookies of lift...
On Fitness Goals Friday, April 2, 2010
I was just reading the blog of another triathlete in training and was inspired to finally log into my own blog and ramble a bit. My friend is looking to complete an item off her bucket list... Ironman Triathlon Arizona in November 2010. Sure she is a personal trainer and in generally kick ass shape as it is, but training for an IronMan is nothing to 'sneeze at'. It is a grueling race ... 2.4 mi. swim • 112 mi. bike • 26.2 mi. run... yeah that is right... it has a marathon strapped to the end of it. While I personally never aspire to even contemplate running a marathon let alone doing an Ironman I do have a more modest goal in mind.
My cousin Stephen and I have been batting around the idea of doing an Olympic distance Triathlon for the last year. He started racing sprint triathons last year... the average sprint race is 400-600 yards swim, 12-15 mile bike, and a 5k run on the end. Well this being my fourth season racing I have had only mixed success... I can say oh the first year I was the fittest until my adrenal glands shut down and forced me to do my first scheduled Olympic Distance race as a team (thanks honey for doing the run). The second year while training in the spring found me pregnant for both sprint races I entered. The third year was post baby and i didn't even start training until late May.
So that brings me to this year... Stephen and I talked about doing HyVee together, or as a team with Joe bring up the rear again. Then Stephen was sidelined with foot surgery so it was decision time. I have wanted to do the HyVee triathlon since I volunteered at it two year ago. It is a big deal in the area and the year I volunteered elite athletes that raced were trying to qualify for the summer olympics there. The race is 1.5k swim (a mile), 40k bike (25 miles) and 10k run (6 miles)... which is a lot for a non runner like me.
So what did I decide to do? I signed up to do it... solo! June 13th if you are in the Des Moines area come to see me finish my first Olympic Distance race.
Just to make sure I don't blow it... I have actually been working out pretty regularly. Up until last week I was getting in a couple swims a week (mind you swimming is my best sport), a run (I have been working on my technique to make running easier) and if lucky a few miles on my bike/wind trainer combo in the basement. I am in the process of ramping up to two workouts of each discipline a week. To meet my goal I signed up for an eight week triathlon clinic where I have meet other who are going to compete in HyVee so I have people to train with for two hours every Sunday plus a few coaches to look to for support. I also joined the Triracers Tri club out of Ankeny to find more folks like me.
So far I am feeling good about where I am at... I need more time on the bike, but I am getting 5k runs in twice a week. I did almost two miles in the pool this week... just need to get a core workout in an another roll on the bike and I am meeting my goals for the week. Follow along on my journey as I post more about fitness, nutrition, days with many ARGHS! as I muddle along to check this activity off my list.
Best to you all.
Shawn
My cousin Stephen and I have been batting around the idea of doing an Olympic distance Triathlon for the last year. He started racing sprint triathons last year... the average sprint race is 400-600 yards swim, 12-15 mile bike, and a 5k run on the end. Well this being my fourth season racing I have had only mixed success... I can say oh the first year I was the fittest until my adrenal glands shut down and forced me to do my first scheduled Olympic Distance race as a team (thanks honey for doing the run). The second year while training in the spring found me pregnant for both sprint races I entered. The third year was post baby and i didn't even start training until late May.
So that brings me to this year... Stephen and I talked about doing HyVee together, or as a team with Joe bring up the rear again. Then Stephen was sidelined with foot surgery so it was decision time. I have wanted to do the HyVee triathlon since I volunteered at it two year ago. It is a big deal in the area and the year I volunteered elite athletes that raced were trying to qualify for the summer olympics there. The race is 1.5k swim (a mile), 40k bike (25 miles) and 10k run (6 miles)... which is a lot for a non runner like me.
So what did I decide to do? I signed up to do it... solo! June 13th if you are in the Des Moines area come to see me finish my first Olympic Distance race.
Just to make sure I don't blow it... I have actually been working out pretty regularly. Up until last week I was getting in a couple swims a week (mind you swimming is my best sport), a run (I have been working on my technique to make running easier) and if lucky a few miles on my bike/wind trainer combo in the basement. I am in the process of ramping up to two workouts of each discipline a week. To meet my goal I signed up for an eight week triathlon clinic where I have meet other who are going to compete in HyVee so I have people to train with for two hours every Sunday plus a few coaches to look to for support. I also joined the Triracers Tri club out of Ankeny to find more folks like me.
So far I am feeling good about where I am at... I need more time on the bike, but I am getting 5k runs in twice a week. I did almost two miles in the pool this week... just need to get a core workout in an another roll on the bike and I am meeting my goals for the week. Follow along on my journey as I post more about fitness, nutrition, days with many ARGHS! as I muddle along to check this activity off my list.
Best to you all.
Shawn