Welcome to my new addiction!

I did my first triathlon this weekend and I am totally in love with this sport. It was a mix of everything that I love all wrapped up in one. The beauty of the tri is that when you start getting sick of one element it is usually time to switch to the next element.

The first section is the swim and it was a distance of 250 meters. I was not excited about this at all as I just learned to swim 8 weeks ago. I managed to do 25 meters freestyle and then I rolled on to my back and did the back stroke the rest of the way. Better to be warmed up when you get out of the pool than dead tired. I didn't drown and I think I might have passed a couple of people. Thanks go to my friend Tanna who followed me lane by lane and kept me focused.

The next was the bike and it was a beating for me. Lots of hills and a cold north wind in my face all the way for the first 8 miles. Did I mention that I just got out of the pool and jumped on my bike and was still wet. It was 45 degrees no less! Not fun!

The final leg was the run and it was tough getting my legs going from being on the bike. I did a combo walk/run and by this time I had totally checked out mentally. I was just ready to get done. Thanks to my sweet friend Erin who taught me to swim and ended up running with me for the last 200 yards or so.

All in all this was a wonderful experience. I am pumped and can't wait for the spring so that I can tackle another one. I will train harder because I know in my heart that I didn't train as I should have for this one. I know that I can get to where I can swim freestyle the entire distance, I know that I can get that bike moving faster, and I know that I can run faster. Some things you just know and I know I can do better.

I would like to thank my sweet beloved Joe for getting up with me at 4 AM and for lugging my stuff uphill and for videoing and photographing this special day. He was such a sport and I know that he could so train and so do one of these events as well.

I only had one negative thing and I feel the need to write about it. I arrived at 5:30 and was the 3rd person in the transition area racking my bike. I wanted to be on the end so that I could have plenty of room to change shoes, etc. So I wanted to give a shout out to the jerk jacka** rider number 186 who moved my bike over and planted his bike and back wheel right in the middle of my gear. You know buddy I could so totally report your cocky a**, but I won't because I believe what comes around goes around. If you chose to treat people with disrespect like that then you deserve what you get in life. Just walking around acting like that is punishment enough. Just be glad my big redneck husband wasn't able to get in the transition area near your bike, because trust me you would not have been able to recognize it when he was done with it! Just sayin'!!!

Show up and make it count!

No longer afraid of the monster

Completed my first triathlon and this is the video at the finish. My beloved Joe somehow magically made me go really fast. For those of you who know me well you know that this is trick editing, but I will take it. Thanks Joe for being such a great photographer and videographer. I love you dearly!

Show up and make it count!

7 Minutes 49 Seconds

I went to the pool yesterday for one last swim before the Monster Triathlon tomorrow. It was a great day to go because I was totally inspired by one of the other swimmers there. No it wasn't the lady that was obviously training for her next Iron Man event or the guy who swims like a fish wearing his Speedo. What inspired me most was this little old man. I swear this guy had to be in his late 80's. He shuffled up to the pool with assistance from both his nurse and the LISD supervisor and an additional lifeguard. He wasn't able to jump in the pool or lower himself in by using the ladder. No this guy had to be lowered into the water using the automated chair lift. With tremendous effort he was loaded into the chair, strapped in and lowered into the pool. He was then unstrapped and assisted to the side of the pool. He started his pool work-out from the side complete with his 1972 flippers. No he didn't swim a million laps, he just did his work-out by staying on the side of the pool. His work-out was just the simple act of getting INTO the pool and moving. Plain and simple.

I had one of those moments in life where you just have to get a grip and suck it up. I thought to myself if this little old man can go to that much trouble just to get into the pool then I can most certainly suck it up tomorrow. I will admit that I am totally doubtful about tomorrow and the triathlon. I so want to just finish and not be dying along the way. I hate the pool with a passion. I am dreading getting in the water with lots of other swimmers who are going to be swimming over me. I am totally dreading getting out of that pool and hopping on that bike, cold and wet and riding in the cold wind for 16 miles. Then I still have to run for 3 more miles. I feel totally in over my head. I am fearful of being the last one finished. I am fearful of drowning in the pool, wreaking on my bike and tripping on the run. People who know me KNOW that all of these are possible if not probable. I am fearful that my hamstrings will bunch up and that my lower back will be killing me.

I am fearful of all of these things, but I keep thinking of that little old man. He went to all of that effort, just to get INTO the pool. I am going to go tomorrow and participate in this triathlon for HIM not me.

By the way, I did get into the pool yesterday and managed to swim the 250 meters in 7 minutes and 49 seconds. You can do anything for 7 minutes and 49 seconds!

Show up and make it count!

Just a numbers game

I continue to struggle with the whole numbers game again this week. I have decided that I could just live my life without having to deal with numbers in any form or fashion. Here is a lists of numbers that just seem to be getting and staying on my last nerve!

1. The Dirty Dozen total reps numbers in Keller. We did the dirty dozen on Monday. It consists of 6 exercises done twice for one minute each time doing as many reps as possible. My goal for the day was 700 reps and I got 698!!! 2 tiny reps short! Ugh!!!
2. Quantitative math numbers...I will just say I hate this math class. I could care less how to put numbers in scientific notation or how to scale a map. Geez! Just give me the GPS and Carly Jo to run it and I don't need no stinkin' map scaling. Duh!
3. 25 pound weight plates versus 2 10's and a 5. You put the 25 pounders on each side of my bench press bar and I freak. You put 2 10's and a 5 and I can jack the thing in the air no problem. Go figure!
4. The five pound difference I see on the scale from this time last year. 130 or 135 ain't now big deal when you consider you once were 194!
5. Test scores: 64, 68, or 96. Is the world going to end if I fail math! No!!!
6. 5K time of 34 minutes and 41 seconds. Yes I can run it in under 30 minutes, but that was a knee surgery ago so get over it Cindy.
7. Anticipating that it is going take me over 2 hours to finish my first triathlon. I just need to show up and finish. My dear friend Tanna is running the dang triathlon anyway so I know she ain't leavin' til I am done anyway!

Anyway, I am obsessed with numbers today and so need to get over it. One more important number is the amount I love my dear children and my Beloved Joe. You can't even measure it!

Show up and make it count!

Will run for wine

Today was a great day as I was able to run with my most favorite running buddies in the whole world Runner Susan and Deana the Rabbit. We did the Grapevine Vineyard Run and it was awesome. It was a cool crisp morning which is for perfect for running, on purpose, no less!

I was a little concerned when we came around the corner of mile 2 and realized that a majority of mile 3 was UPHILL! That is just wrong on so many levels. The payoff was a dixie cup full of Merlot from Delany Vineyards so it wasn't all that bad.

My dear friend Runner Susan took some wonderful photos of us as well. I think we might have spent just as much time taking pictures of ourselves as we did running! I finished in 34 minutes 41 seconds which is slooooow, but it was a great run!

Show up and make it count!

Finally a 9 before a 6

Well peeps I would like to report that I have finally gotten a 9 before a 6 and I don't mean anything dirty. I know what you are thinkin'. Anyway, I am happy to report that after the chemistry exam (score 64) and the math exam (score 68) I finally got the 9 as the starting number. I managed to pull off a 96 on the food prep exam. Hey I know my food and I have enough junk in my trunk to prove it.

I am hopeful that I just might be able to recover in the math class as our professor really seems to care and is doing everything she can to help us recover from this first exam. I love her for that kind gesture. It is a good thing she is young and THINKS she can possibly save me from me! I am going to hang tough with math and just let the chips fall where they may fall!

Show up and make it count!