Updated: I'm low on motivation.

I'm low on motivation to get out there and start training. I was supposed to start yesterday, but as it was Memorial Day, and I had Nick around, I just didn't. (For the record, it's not that Nick is not encouraging. He is always supportive of me training/working out. It's just hard for me to motivate with him around because I hate to leave, even for an hour, when I only get to see him on the weekends!) Instead, we played tennis Sunday and Monday. The tennis actually put me in a less lazy mood each day, and I was feeling really good after it. It's just getting there that's the problem.

Now, I'm pretty concerned about already failing to get out there to train on day 1, but really, this can be day 1. I just need to motivate this afternoon. (I have been productive with other things, though.) Any advice?

I think I'll bike. I was supposed to swim yesterday, but I'll just skip it all and move right into Tuesday. Perhaps I'll go about 10 miles and make sure I take Marley and Me back to the Redbox while I'm at it...

Note: I did in fact make it out for a ride. A rode a little more than nine miles in a little less than an hour. It was good, solid ride, and I didn't struggle too much. I actually even did abs (including the dreaded plank), a few push-ups and some inner thigh exercises before I left and what's further, I went for a quick run around the apartment complex after the ride. Running after my ride = suck, so per Kayle's suggestion, I decided to try a little after this bike (and try to keep that up). It was a tiny run, but it was really hard for me, so I guess it's much needed practice!

What have I gotten myself into?

So, every time I think about the distances and the magnitude of this Olympic I want to do, I get all nervous and freaky and worried.

My solution?

I registered. I'm doing it. I've committed nearly $100 (stupid processing fees!), so there you have it.

I also found a duathlon in Tulsa at the end of July and a small Sprint at the beginning of August, so if finances allow, I'm going to do both of those in prep. The duathlon will help me with my distances and my brick for sure, and the Sprint will give me a little more practice in a race situation without going too crazy a month before my tri. Again, if finances allow, I'd like to sign up for some 1ok or 5k races as practice, too. I mostly need practice in open water in a race-like situation, but in Oklahoma, you just don't have a lot of options. (People have offered to get in the water and kick me in the face to practice...Is that nice?)

In my last post, I said I would be getting a last Zumba and elliptical work out in. I didn't do either, but I did swim and bike and run. Guess I know I'm ready to jump into training full force! I was rusty at all three, to say the least, but nothing I'm too worried about. I expect my body to bounce back nicely. I ran today, and honestly, I can't say I cared much for the heat. I really felt like it zapped my legs of all energy. Still, I ran for 17 minutes straight before walking. It's not great, but when you think of how I could barely run for one minute when I started this thing, I'm not starting off badly. Of course, I have just as far to go, and in less time, since I'm increasing my distances.

Someone told me I shouldn't really do focus weeks, but I should concentrate on my run during this whole thing. I feel like that didn't get me where I wanted to be last time around (I didn't concentrate on my run at all, but I was pleased with it.), but experts know more than I do. I'm torn.

Next week will be real training, but will still be a "feeler" week to kind of see where I'm starting. This week helped that, but next week will for sure show how quickly I'll bounce back...We'll just have to see...

It's gonna be tough

I went swimming today. It was hard to motivate to get there. It's going to be tough to get started again. While I've been working out, it hasn't been with the same motivation behind it, if that makes sense. Harder to get there, and that will again be tough to break. Eating, too.

I'm going to get all three tri disciplines in this week, and hopefully do the elliptical machine and one last Zumba class before training starts again. Then ext week, I'll do a workout plan much like what I had for the Sprint (with one day of doubling up and two days off), to get back into the swing of things. I'm thinking I do want to do two-week focus groups, focusing on one of the three, while still doing the others a little. I think I've worked it out to do those, plus I have two weekends of vacation in June, so those weeks will be a little more relaxed, and it should get me to where I'm balancing all three with eight weeks left until the tri! Do you think that will be enough time? I'm really hoping to focus weeks can get me prepared distance-wise for the tri. I thought the last tri was going to be the hardest, and doubling the distances would be cake, but I am terrified. The whole things is going to be tough...maybe the hardest thing I've done.

My preliminary schedule is a little tough to explain. I'll basically do one of each for three days, then double up, then take a day off and do it over again. This way, the off days and doubles will rotate. Most weeks, I'll only have one day off, but every once in a while, I'll have a week when I get two days off. (Week 1: Run-Swim-Bike-Run/Swim-Off-Bike-Run, Week 2: Swim-Bike/Run-Off-Swim-Bike-Run-Swim/Bike, etc.) Make sense? That's the plan, obviously, for the last eight weeks.

I'm still working out the schedule to make sure it fits with my life (I'm out of town lots of weekends, etc.), plus I want to review more professional plans. I need to add weight training in there somewhere, too. Definitely still a work in progress...

What do you think?

Semi-update

So, I haven't posted in a while...

I've heard some "truths" about myself lately that have been hard to hear. Its sort of sent me into a mini-tailspin and I've definitely had better months. I don't want to go into a lot of detail for various reasons, the most of which is because I hate looking like my life isn't totally put together. Anyway, I'm dealing with some things personally, and I'm really not sure about what my near-to-mid future is going to look like. What I do know, however, is that I'm doing that Olympic in September. It was my New Year resolution, it's my personal goal for the year, and I'm going to do that. Nothing will stop me (if I need to eat ramon for two weeks straight to pay for it...so be it!). Basically, that will be one constant in my life and I look forward to it helping me through this all.

On such a cheerful note, I will briefly say that I have yet to get on my bike since my triathlon. If you're living in the center of the United States, you probably understand that there's been about three beautiful days in the whole past month, none of which fell on convenient days for a ride. I do plan on getting on it soon, however, since I've got a 50k bike at the end of this month! I may start training for real a bit next week, too.

Quick question for the experts (everyone who's done more than me)...should I do "focus groups" of two weeks where I focus on one of the three (while doing maybe one of each of the other two each week) to improve? I've read this is good for all triathletes, and I think I could use it, but I'll only have about 16 weeks of training total before the Olympic...suggestions?

A moment like this

So, I heard Kelly Clarkson's, "A Moment Like This," yesterday in the car. Naturally, I first went to thinking of great moments with Nick, like when we danced on the pier in Padre on our first anniversary. But I never like to think of songs one-dimensionally, so I quickly started thinking of my tri. Some people wait a life time for a moment like that. Really, crossing that finish line is just an amazing rush. I immediately thought I couldn't wait to feel that again, to do another triathlon. Like tomorrow. I think I've joined the ranks of those other crazy folks who are addicted to the sport...If only every training session could be like the tri...

Anyway, I thought I'd share that moment with you. Of course, doing one today would have been a disaster! I was not prepared, by any means. I did go swimming today. It's the first time I've done any of the three since my tri almost two weeks ago (I've been zumba-ing and elliptical, etc.). It was fun. It was indefinitely a feeler workout. I had done some weights before, so my arms were a little tired. It went well, though. I got to sport my Playtri bag and swim cap! That was exciting. Yes, I know, I am a bad ass.

I've decided to officially start training for my olympic-distance no later than May 31 (exactly 16 weeks before the tri). I may start a week before that of just getting back into the swing of things -- not real intense, but practicing the three sports. Thoughts?

I'm running tomorrow...wish me luck!