training update

Well, I'm a week and a half into my triathlon training and it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be! Some people have asked for me to keep them updated on how it's going so here goes...

We're using a training schedule from an online website for beginning triathletes which is proving to be very manageable. Granted it's based on "back of the pack" times which probably means we're all going to come in dead last but that's ok. Here is how my first week looked:

Monday: Swim for 12 minutes, Bike for 24 minutes.
The bike was no problem. I still don't have a bike yet so I was in the gym for this portion. Easy! I watched The View, listened to my IPod every once in a while. It was a breeze! I even hopped on the treadmill and ran for 1/2 mile just to stretch out and loosen up after the bike ride. I was feeling good. Then, later in the day I went for the swim at my friend's pool and discovered something I never knew about myself. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM! I never took swim lessons but I thought "how hard can it be? I've seen Skyler at swim lessons. It's easy. Breath. Use your arms. Kick. Simple!" WRONG! I now see the reason they put the swim first. Because it's the hardest!

Tuesday: off

Wednesday: Swim for 20 minutes.
More of the same. This time I didn't even try to put my face in the water. I just tried to swim, anyway I could, for 20 minutes. I used a kickboard part of the time, fins part of the time, and the rest of the time I just struggled. It's going to be a long 4 months of this way of swimming! I hope something clicks.

Thursday: Run for 12 minutes.
I got on the treadmill at the gym and ran, and ran, and ran. I did it! Twelve minutes of running without stopping. I didn't think it could be done but I did it and felt fine.

Friday: Bike for 40 minutes.
This time the bike was a little more painful. I still watched TV, listened to my IPod, and tried to relax but my butt was hurting about 3 minutes into it! Why don't they make these seats more comfortable? Then I realize. They probably make them for MEN not WOMEN! Oh well, I power through. Then after the bike I hop on the treadmill again for another 1/2 mile run to loosen up.

Saturday: off

Sunday: Run for 20 minutes.
I had just gotten back from Vegas and I was exhausted! My plan ws to go to the gym and do my run while Steve was putting Skyler down for bed but it just didn't happen. I promised to make up for it the next week.

Monday: Swim for 13 minutes. Bike for 26 minutes.
For me, I felt like run training is more important right now than the bike so today I opted to skip the bike and do the run from yesterday instead. I headed for the gym at 6pm. Not a parking space in sight! So, I left and went to the local middle school to run the track, in 90 degree heat! Even though I was supposed to run for 20 minutes, I was meeting a friend to swim at 7pm and only had time for about 14 minutes so that's what I did. Then drove over to the pool and struggled through the swim.

After my run on Monday, I noticed that I was coughing a LOT! Like I couldn't even finish a sentence without coughing. The next day I was still coughing. My boss thought I was sick. I told her "No. It's just because I ran." She's an ex-nurse and suggested I might have Exercise-Induced Asthma. What? I've never heard of such a thing! Long story short, I now have an inhaler to use before or after I run to see if it makes a difference. I'll keep you posted!

Oh, there are now 11 of us doing this triathlon! The fever is spreading and it's great! Stay tuned...