Repeat after me!

"Hello Milton, (Repeat after me) I dont have to Swim 2min/100yards or Bike at 21mph or Run 9min mile because all I have to do is to be the best triathlete I can be, because I good enough, Im smart enough, and dog gone-it people like me....." SNL

Getting Back up on the Horse

I am getting back up on that horse. Ran 5K this morning and swam 1200m this evening. Right now I am feeling pretty good. We'll see if I can motivate again tomorrow morning. That is the plan anyways. Although I have a 7am conference call that may interfere with that plan. Who schedules a call at 7am? Seriously.

Two New Training Buddies!

I know two more people who are joining us for the Half Ironman! Hooray! The first is a gal by the name of Suzanne. She is a kick ass swimmer, already road a 100 miler, already completed a marathon. She is going to sail through this race. Derrick is the other racer. He is a runner and rides a bike pretty regularly. He will be challenged by the swim and will have to get used to the road bike. I'm excited our group is growing!

Week 32 Report - Kate

This was a sad little training week for me. My report is below. My reasons will be posted soon.

• Monday = Run, 4 miles
• Tuesday = Bike, 8 miles at 17 mph
• Saturday = Run, 5 miles

Bratwurst, Beer & Funnelcakes

This was a Bad week of training for me! (Looks like Peter had a rough week too.) I've been out of town since Thursday. I went to my 20 year high school reunion and my hometown Bratwurst festival. I'm scared to get on the scale after my weekend of brats, beer, and funnelcakes. I did complete the "brattie run" on Saturday. 5 miles! This is my longest run of this training season. Besides the run my week was pretty weak.

It is funny how gross you feel when you slow down your work outs. I feel sluggish and tired already. My 20 year reunion really makes me want to push it even harder. Some of my friends look fantastic! If they can keep it together I should be able to as well. I'm motivated to work hard this month for our next race!

How Not to Train

I am feeling incredibly guilty. Since our long bike ride I have not swim, run or bike. Kate is a star! Plan number one - get in the pool tomorrow morning. Plan number two - stop listening to the incredibly persuasive lazy voice in my head. I've gotta get back on that horse and get ready for Nathan's. Only a month to go!

Weight Loss

One of the reasons I am doing the race is to lose weight. I have been overweight my whole life. I've seen my parents struggle with their weight as I grew up. I don't want the same for my kids. I want to be a healthy fit example for them. Right now about 30 pound overweight. Not good.

Since I started this process in March I've lost about 10 pounds. (Yes, I still have 30 pounds to go) I thought the weight would be falling off with all of the training I am doing but it isn't. Seems like I lose about a pound every other week. This training made me realize that my diet and metabolism are out of whack. I haven't figured out how to get them under control yet.

The cool thing is that my husband Ron has lost about 25 pounds. My activity level has been motivating him. He bought a road bike and has been riding with me. He has even been running a little too. I'm so proud of him.

This whole healthy living thing is a challenge. I'm going to start experimenting with different diets to figure out what works for my body. I also need to find a diet where i don't have to give up my red wine!

Week 33 Report - Kate

Done with week 33. I consider this a bad week. I had a lot of "rest" days. My body felt really tired and I'm scared of getting hurt so I just walked. I think that is a good route for an old woman like me.

Here is my recap.

Monday: Walk - 2.5 miles in 30 minutes
Tuesday: Swim - 1100 meters in 45 minutes
Wednesday: Run - 3 miles in 32:31 minutes
Thursday: Swim - 1600 meters/1 mile in 47:00
Friday: Walk - 13.5 miles in 1 hour
Saturday: Bike - 38 miles on Pecos road in 2.5 hours
Sunday: Recover Day

Our "30 mile" bike ride

So today was supposed to be a 30 mile ride. We miss calculated. It was actually 38.5. I made a mistake by looking at the mileage on my bike speedometer before we were done with the ride. When I saw we hit 30 and still had a long way to go I totally shut down. I was SOOO tired.

We rode down Pecos road and did two loops. The normal loop is about 13 miles. The first loop we added distance by starting further out and taking some additional hills. The second loop was the 13 miler. This ride is nice b/c it has a wide bike lane, few stop lights, little traffic and very scenic. There is something cool about being out in the Arizona desert at 5:30 a.m. working up a sweat that is very refreshing.

Each week I try to send out a large invite email to friends to try to get them to join us for the bike rides. I really want to peer pressure folks into doing races with me!! It usually works quite well. I have a lot of people thinking about doing races! I love it!! Today's ride was our largest group ride to date. We had 5 riders at the beginning and 6 at the end. We usually only have 3 during our normal rides - me, Ron and Peter.

Let me tell you about my riding pack. Five of us started the ride at 5:30 (wake up at 4:30). We were all excited to get in some good training. The sixth rider (the Pro - See below) started from his house 5 minutes after we left our meeting spot and 10 miles away from us and ended up catching us before we finished the first loop. He is fast like lightening!

It is interesting for me as a girl to ride with all of these guys. I like seeing all of their personalities come out. As a self-described people watcher, I really took note of who was with us today. It was pretty easy to "name" the boys. I described my fellow riders below.

1. The Gentleman Rider - Ron (my husband) - Ron always waits for me and doesn't leave me to race the other guys. It is too cute. He never wants me to feel alone at the end of the pack. I really like that he is always looking out for me.


2. The Rabbit - Peter (Brother-in-law/training buddy) - Peter is fast and likes to take off. He then circles back and takes off again. We usually end up chasing "the rabbit" the whole way.


3. The Pro - Gary (My friends husband) - He is a cyclist. He rides to be fast and loves bikes. We really slow him down and ask him a lot of questions. He knows it all and gives us lots of tips. (Ex. After our last 20 mile ride, he rode additional miles b/c we didn't push him enough)


4. The Social Guy - Kyle (Our friend who is thinking about doing the Half IronMan with us. He just needs to sign up) - He is the social rider. Kyle is the guy who makes sure he rides and chats with every single biker on the ride. Just cute. He is a fun addition.


5. The Cool/Unique Rider - Eric (My book club friend/neighbor's husband) - He is a strong rider like Gary. Eric is training for a 100 mile ride. What makes him cool/unique is that he rode a bike with only 1 gear. He is a minimalist! The crazy think is he kept right up with all of our multi-gear bikes. There are very few bikers who can do what he did today!


6. Then there is me. I think others would describe me as - The Girl. I am the only girl trying to keep up with the guys. I am really hoping other girls will start riding with me.

Although today's ride was tough, I'm so proud of myself for doing it! I can see myself improving everyday.

Our upcoming Races

I have some races mapped out to get us to the half ironman. The goal is to do something about once a month to keep us moving. Here is what's on the calendar.

1. 9/27 (Sunday) Nathan's triathlon in Tempe
   http://redrockco.com/nathan-triathlonsprint
   sprint distance (750m swim/ 12.4 mile bike/ 3.1 mile run) or
   olympic distance (1500m swim/24.8 mile bike/ 6.2 mile run)
   This is a big race in Tempe. Longer open water swim. 750m will be very challenging.
   
   
2. 10/4 (Sunday) Mission Bay triathlon in San Diego http://www.kozenterprises.com/Triathlons/missiondf84.htm
   sprint distance (500 open water swim in bay with a wetsuit/ 15k bike/ 5k run)
   This is the Frank race. I want to support my friend in his first triathlon. I also want to try a short race in a bay with a wetsuit before the half ironman.
   This race is SOLD OUT!
   
   
3. 10/17 (Saturday) Powell3 in Page, AZ
   http://www.powell3.com/
   Olympic Distance - 1500 m open water swim/24 bike/ 6.2 run
   (This also has a sprint distance 750/12/3.1)
   I really need to do a long open water swim before the half ironman. This race will also require a wetsuit. This swim distance is pretty close to the half ironman swim distance.
   
   
4. 11/21 (Saturday) Tour de Tucson in Tucson
   http://www.perimeterbicycling.com/!ETT/ETThome.html
   109, 80, 67 or 35 miles
   Rosiers are riding 67 miles, Sanchez family is riding 30 miles with Frank pulling the kids behind him
   
   
5. 11/26 (Thanksgiving) Goodyear triathlon http://www.active.com/page/Event_Details.htm?event_id=1651810&assetId=41910ac6-2781-4225-bb18-42755ededede
   Reverse sprint tri - 2 mile run/ 13 mile bike/ 400 m swim
   Individual: $69 until 11/8/09; $79 thereafter
   ** This depends on if I can walk after 67 miles on the bike ride.
   
   
6. 1/17 (Saturday) PF Chang's Full Marathon in Phoenix
   http://www.rnraz.com/
   26.2 mile run
   
   
7. 3/6 (Saturday) Valley of the Sun Half Marathon http://www.valleyofthesunmarathon.com/
   13.1 miles
   
   
8. 3/27 (Saturday) California 70.3 Ford Half Ironman
   http://www.ironmancalifornia.com/
   1.2 mile swim/ 56 mile bike/ 13.1 mile run
   

Peter is considering adding the Pabst Blue Ribbon triathlon on October 10th. He is intrigued by the slip n slide finish. (Boys!)

Week 34 Report - Kate

We just finished week 34. I'm pretty happy with how it went. I did something everyday. Here is my recap.

• Monday: Swim - 1200 meters in 35 minutes
• Tuesday: Run - 4 miles in 45:41
• Wednesday: Swim - Swim Masters training 45 minutes
• Thursday: 3 miles in 33:31
• Friday: Swim - 1000 meters in 27:56
• Saturday: Bike - 30 miles through Fountain Hills in 2 hours
• Sunday: Run - 3 miles in 32:12

The highlight for me was the bike ride. It was beautiful out around Fort McDowell. It was a great work out too. The route had rolling hills the whole way and a couple decent climbs. I can tell I'm getting stronger on the bike. Thank goodness.

I am not a Master

I was totally humbled today at my first Swim Masters workout. I thought I was really improving because I can swim 1000 meters without stopping. Today I learned I'm not as good as I thought I was. When I arrived my adrenaline level was sky high. It is much different swimming with a group of REAL swimmers.

Swim Masters work out results? I was a hot mess. (1) I couldn't keep up. (2) I lost count of laps. (3) I got passed several times in my "slow" lane. What a rough work out day.

At this point in time I am swimming 100 meters in about 2:30. I figure I will suffer more of this embarrassment so I can improve that time. It has to get better right?

Swim Masters

I am a poor swimmer. I admit it.

I have been taking lessons for months now. Although I have improved my skills quite a bit I have a long way to go to be ready to swim 1.2 miles! I realized that I need spend a lot more time in the pool.

Today I bit the bullet and I signed up for a Swim Masters workout group. I can't believe I did it. Basically, I can choose between 3 or 4 workout times a day to train with a group of swimmers. (6:00 a.m., Noon, 6:00 pm., and 7:00 pm) All of these times are at pools less then a mile from my office. A coach will be walking along the side of the pool to yell out drills. I will have to try to complete the drills within a certain time frame. The coach will assign you a lane based on your level of swimming. I was told Lane 1 is the slow lane. I have a feeling that will be my home for a long time.

I'm hoping the coach will give me some feedback on my stroke and the drills will help improve my form. I'm really scared to do this, but I'm even more scared to drown during the Half Ironman so I need to suck it up! My first swim is tomorrow at Noon.

Info About Peter

I thought that I would follow Kate’s good example and also start with some basics.

Name: Peter

Triathlon Training Name: I don’t yet have a triathlon training name. I am certainly open to suggestions though.

Age: 36

Height: I say 5'9”, although there has been some dispute about this. There is a possibility that I may fall into the 5’8” category.

Weight: Just shy of the Clydesdale mark.

Athletic background: In the last 8 or so years I have run a couple half marathons and a number of 10k and 5ks. Last month I completed my first sprint triathlon up in Chino Valley. The Good news on that one is that I did not finish last in age division.

Why the Half Ironman: Kate talked me into it. Actually it sounds like a fun goal. I like the idea of training for multiple sports simultaneously, rather than just training for a marathon. That being said, I am kind of excited about training for a marathon and doing my first marathon as training for the Half-Ironman.

Weakest leg of the triathlon: I am also weak in all three sports and, just like Kate, I am concerned about the swim. I re-started swim lessons in March of this year. That was kind of crazy because I hadn’t really swam since I was a kid. As of today, and based upon my time in the Chino Valley triathlon, my weakest leg is the bike.

Toughest Challenge: Consistently getting out there and exercising. Getting out there 2-3 days is not that bad. It is hard to get out there 4-5 days though.

Biggest Fan: Theresa Rosier (my wife).

What color is your bike helmet: Black.

Did you name your bike: “Strawberry Sizzler” in honor of my wife’s bike when she was a little girl.

What have you enjoyed most so far about training: Seeing myself really progress in my swimming technique and endurance. Very satisfying considering I couldn’t swim 25yds without stopping just 3 months ago.

What have you enjoyed the least about training: I haven’t gotten to that point yet. Probably because I am not training enough.

What is your Half Ironman goal: To finish.

Info about Kate

OK. I thought I'd start this blog with the basics.

1. Name: Kate
2. Triathlon Training Name: I gave myself the name "Chocolate Thunder!" for training purposes. No one thinks this is a good name for me but I love it!!
3. Age: 38
4. Height: 5'11
5. Weight: Big enough to compete in the "Athena" division for races but not big enough to be a "Clydesdale" (look that up!)
6. Athletic background: I'm a former Division 3 college basketball player. I have run several half marathons and one full marathon. I've also done 4 sprint triathlons. Three of the four were done so Badly they shouldn't count. (Race 1) Got a flat tire in the bike but they let me finish without a time. (Race 2) During the open water swim I started to back stroke and turned myself around. I ended up going the wrong direction. The lifeguard had to boat out to me to let me know I was going the opposite direction. Embarrassing! (Race 3) I didn't train properly and it took 18 minutes in the pool for a 400 m swim. Embarrassing!
7. Why the Half Ironman: Why not? I love setting a goals for myself. I figure if I didn't do this I would just sit around and not exercise. I need to get fit and healthy for my family. I figure by doing the races I would have to exercise and eat better.
8. Weakest leg of the triathlon: I am weak in all three sports but I am most scared of the swim. I started adult swim lessons in January 2008. When I started I could only doggie paddle. After months of lessons, I can now swim 1000 yards without stopping.
9. Toughest Challenge: Losing weight so I can gain some speed. I've logged hours and hours of exercise and the weight is just now starting to come down a little. I know if I was about 20 pounds lighter I could do better.
10. Biggest Fan: Probably my daughter. She always thinks I am going to win the race no matter how many people are competing.
11. What color is your bike helmet: Bright Yellow so people see me coming.
12. Did you name your bike: Not yet. I'm trying to think of something witty but nothing is sticking.
13. What have you enjoyed most so far about training: Taking long bike rides with my husband Ron. It is like "date night" on wheels!
14. What have you enjoyed the least about training: Having my body not able to go as fast as I want it too!
15. What is your Half Ironman goal: I want to finish the triathlon and meet all of the cut off times. I'm afraid I might be too slow for the race.