Tri'ing to Swim

What in the world was I thinking signing up for the triathlon when swimming is up first.

First of all. I don't...didn't...swim. I had one set of lessons growing up and never really learned how. There was a summer at Bear Lake when my aunt taught me to float on my back and so I have always and forever reverted to that. I hate having water on my face so swimming with my head in the water has never really been an option. I have a huge fear of drowning. And I hate holding my breath. Let's not even mention the things that you find floating in the pool.

Wow. Definitely should have signed up for this triathlon shouldn't I have. Oh man does not even begin to describe it.

My friend, Christine and I are bound and determined to swim and not just swim to survive but swim and do the best we can. We have swimming lessons with a competitive swimming coach once a week (aka neighbor who was suckered in, an amazing coach and swimmer that broke swimming records in high school). He and his wife are both amazing and do olympic triathlons.

Christine told him from the beginning that she was terrified of the deep end, that I was terrified of having my head in the water and that our other friend, Heidi, was just terrified. He just laughed and probably didn't think she was serious. She was dead on.

Our first lesson was..dare I say rocky. After swimming half a lap for him to see what our skill level was, he kindly told us that we were both at the same level and needed to start with the basics. Our first lesson was holding onto the side of the pool trying to get comfortable with the breathing. We left feeling less that enthusiastic and wondered if we would ever really figure it out.

After five weeks of swimming I can tell you...I now swim with my head in the water. I haven't drowned and am swimming full laps without drinking gallons of water (not so much the first few weeks, I assure you I drank more than my fair share of pool water). I am learning to separate the water and air and don't feel like I am going to choke or drowned when I get a mouth full of water or someone sends a huge wave over my head as I am taking a breath. I am slow but I make it across.

Christine and I have been swimming about 6 to 8 hours a week just to get comfortable in the water and to practice what we are learning with our coach. It is hard. Sometimes I don't know how I am going to do it and feel like I am taking ten steps back. But there is nothing better than coming out of the pool and being able to say that we did it. We are getting better, we are building endurance and somehow we are going to make it to the finish line.

I would never be able to do this without my friend, Christine. Seriously she pushes me when I just want to quit and move on. Hopefully I do the same for her. If we just keep tri'ing together we know that we can do it.

Tri'ing Hard

You may or may not have noticed on my side bar that I am training for the Women of Steel Triathlon at the end of May.

It is coming up quicker than I dare admit.

Let me back track a moment to the 1/2 marathon that my friends talked me into because that is really what got me started.

THE SHORT STORY

Our team didn't get into the lottery for the 1/2 marathon and I have to say that I was somewhat relieved even though I had already started the C25K. Some of our family (L's birth family) did get in and a few of my friends still ran in charity slots. They just amaze me.

I started cycling for some extra cardio to go along with the C25K for the 1/2 marathon training (which let's be honest...I should have started with the coffin to 5K. lol). I wanted a reason to get back into shape and it definitely gave me a reason. I fell in love with cycling and made some great new friends from class that I am so lucky to have gotten to known. These fabulous friends talked me into signing up for the sprint triathlon. And so the training began.

Cycling. Running. Swimming.

A few things you should know:

1) I don't know how to swim.

2) I hate having water on my face even in the shower.

3) Swimming is something you should learn as a kid when you have no fear.

4) Clip in shoes are hard to get used to.

5) You should always carry tools when cycling.

6) Running with "the girls" is hard.

7) Running shoes don't come girly in monster foot sizes. Especially when said running shoes should be a size bigger than normal.

I never thought in my entire life that I would be learning to swim in my 30's. Let alone signing up for a triathlon. It has pushed me to 'tri' things that I never would have. I am almost feeling like I may not drowned in the first 10 minutes and might actually make it to the parts that I feel like I can survive.

Oh the stories I have to share.

Canyonlands Half

Man oh man. I really can't believe that I actually just registered myself for the Canyonlands Half marathon coming up in March. I am sitting here wondering what in the world I am thinking and also telling myself that somehow I can do it. It is a lottery to get in and while a little part of me secretly (or not so secretly now) is thinking that maybe our group won't get in, it would absolutely be something so different for me to train and accomplish for.

I started the couch to 5K just over two months ago and seriously wondered how I would ever run a mile. Especially seeing that I haven't ran since highschool and even in highschool did it but didn't really love one minute of it. Needless to say, the C25K was hard for me. It kicked my butt. And I am sure I looked like a huge dork running on the track. What's a girl to do.

Five weeks ago, I decided to join our neighborhood gym to get my butt in better shape than I have been for the last 8 years. It is crazy how much I really can do and I am already feeling better and seeing results. I know I can push myself to do things that I never thought I could. And the half marathon isn't going to be any different. Somehow, I am going to drag my big butt acrossed that finish line and feel accomplished doing it. Even if I have to walk part of the way.

I will be running the half marathon with a group of some of the best friends a girl could ask for. They have promised me that they won't leave me laying on the side of the road and that I can do this. They are such an inspiration to me for so many reasons.

First of all there is Nakia...she is such an inspiration to me. She is bound and determined and is constantly inspiring me to keep going and to just give it a try. When I am feeling like there is no way I can ever do it, I just have to talk to her for two seconds, read her blog or FB her and she makes me feel like I can do it and we'll be there for each other cheering each other on.

Then there is Kimmie. Kimmie ran her first half marathon last year and it was her idea that we all get together and run a half marathon this year (Kim, what were you thinking. lol). I totally thought she was kidding until she started talking to me about running shoes and shorts and all sorts of other things that I really would have no clue about. Kim is a quiet giant. She has been through more than a person should really have to endure over the last year and a half and yet is always there for everyone else when they need it. She is such a wonderful friend to me. More wonderful than she will probably ever know.

And Lindsey. Lindsey is a runner. She has ran her fair share of half marathons. She is constantly telling us all that we can do it and that it is going to be so much fun. She does it in such a way that I almost start to believe her. lol She makes it so that I can envision it...all of us cheering each other on and waiting for each other at the finish line.

So as crazy as it sounds (which it still does for me) I think I can do this. We'll see how it goes and maybe by the time the lottery comes around I will actually really be hoping that we get in.

Is that Me?

Please tell me that I am not the only one that pictures themselves differently than they really are. I really don't picture myself as the overstuffed person that I am. In highschool, it was the other way around. I thought for sure I was fatter than ever. I really wish I would have realized then that I was just perfect. Now, I will walk by a mirror in the store or see a reflection and think, ewwwww. That's me?!?!?!?!

A while back, I had The Gent take a lovely, lovely Biggest Loser picture of me (you know in a sports bra like they wear on the show). No, I am not about to share. I would scare you all away. And well. . .it is scary. It scares me and it is me. That was about 18.5 lbs ago. I always get to the 20 or 30 lb. mark by changing my diet, and randomly exercising and then I just quit focusing on it. Well, this time is going to be different. Since we are scheduling and planning everything else around this place, we now have a new workout schedule/routine (we, as in The Gent decided to do it with me). I am excercising my butt off every night (hopefully literally). I just need to keep the motivation going.

I'm thinking life size biggest loser picture right in front of the treadmill? What do you think?

Goals

Does anyone have a fabulous quote about goals? I could really use one to just keep me pushing through.

(Make it a good one, it is going on my motivational board right in front of the treadmill)

No More!

Today I've had it.

Enough is enough.

Last night I joked with my MIL that it was totally fine if the oven melted some of my bumm off. I was half joking. Really, it would have been fine to melt that and more. If only it were that easy. I can think of a million and one reasons of how I've gotten to this point but I won't because really, they are all just lame reasons/excuses. Although that won't keep me from taping them all to the punching bag and getting them out of my system.


So, tonight, the treadmill, eliptical and punching bag got the better part of me. My legs are jello, my hair is a sweaty mess, my arms ache. It feels so good. I am already imagining the motivational board for the wall and the lovely chart.

Get ready because I am.

50.

That is the goal.

(and no ladies, this does NOT mean I'm all in for the craft night weigh in)

I've decided that once in a while, I need to move to the top of the list. I need to be the priority rather than everything else being the excuse.

Midnight Snack

No, it's not really midnight yet but I totally have a sweet tooth. Big time sweet tooth. Too bad The Gent and I have been eating healthy. So healthy. You would be proud :-) Anyways, here I sit gathering the last tidbits for my sharing time tomorrow and wanting to snack. I could seriously go for something sweet, something bad, something that wouldn't really be worth eating. Instead, we are having Quaker Rice cakes and ice water. Gah. I know it's a good little snack but are they kicking the sweet tooth? NO. Sad. I'm trying not to miss my Dr. Pepper and sweets. At the moment it is hard because, well, I love me some Dr. Pepper and I love anything sweet. :-( Go away cravings, go away sweet tooth! As much as I've loved your friendship it is time to go our separate ways.

Let's Be Friends

You've been around for years on end yet we have never really been good friends. Sometimes I try and yet somehow we always go our separate ways. It's not that I don't like you once we are together. It's the getting together that is hard. I think this this week I will dust you and your BFF, the eliptical, off and rekindle our relationship. I need your friendship and you, well, don't you think we'd all be happier if you weren't just stuck in the basement without any visitors. Let's go for it Mr. Treadmill. Let's make our friendship work.