Monday, July 27, 2009

Completion of Training Week 1

I am pleased to report... I survived week 1! Wednesday nights yoga was a life saver! It helped stretch out my muscles and left me feeling calm. Though I looked like a drown rat from the sweat from the heat/humidity. I have to say I really enjoy yoga. And I think it does both me and my friend, Robin, that goes with me good!!!

Thursday it was back to the training grind. The weather was less than co-operative I had an hour with the trainer in the gym. I have to say my trainer is a great support system for this whole process. He is helping me with my training plans talking me through my trials and tribulations! After a little chat about the week so far, and surviving my first brick, we did a lot of back, abs, and upper body. I could feel the stress of the 1st week of training wearing on me. After he and I finished it was onto a treadmill. Can I just say this now I HATE TREADMILLS. I will deal with them in the cold winter months in Mass but once I get a taste for running outside it is hard to go back to them.

I pushed as hard as I could do finish the 30 min run on my training plan for Thursday. It was tough post training with the trainer. My gym's AC is broken and fans don't even come close to helping with the amount of sweat that was pouring off me. I pushed through, even though I was counting every minute down on the treadmill. I just kept thinking about how great I would feel after!

Friday morning was the 5K at work. Every year on Organization Day they have a 5K, I signed up this year. In the past I haven't thought I was in good enough shape to let my co-workers see me running by. The weather was awful. Still rainy like the night before. I had a goal of 28 something. My boss, and a few co workers came out to support me. My boss even made a "Go Julia" sign. It was a good push. I have to say the best push is to have my friend, Dutch, who has run every 5K "with me" sprint me into the end. When I say "with me" that means we run the same race. I say "later" when he takes off at the beginning and I don't see him till somewhere around the end where he shows up to push me to sprint hard to the finish. His famous words are "you can puke when you are done". He pushed me and I think I achieved my goal but we will see when the results get mailed out in a couple days!

After my max effort on Friday morning I couldn't bring myself to do the 30 min swim on Friday night. I just didn't have anything left. So I went off with Robin to a party hosted by my friend Susie. It was a Nintendo Girlfriend Guide to Gaming party. It was at a swanky hotel in downtown Boston. We sipped champagne, ate great food, played with the new Nintendo DSi and chit chatted for a few hours. After playing all 4 of the games you got a coin. Once all coins were collected you received your own Nintendo DSi to take home. I am not kidding, I took home a Nintendo DSi with no catch! I don't have to market for them, I don't have to go to another party, I don't have to host another party, just straight up free! Let me tell you I am no gamer but I love it! I am having fun with it!

Saturday was my off day. I spent the day with a friend who was in town for an interview. We drove around Boston looking for neighborhoods for him to live in when he gets the job. I took him to the airport in the afternoon and then spent the rest of the night RELAXING!

I have to say I can't believe I made it through week 1. I am starting to think I might be able to do this. Now onto Week 2....

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Training week 1 starts

Training Plan Week 1:
Monday- Trainer 25 min run
Tuesday 25 min swim/30 min bike
Weds- rest (yoga)
Thurs- Trainer 30 min run
Friday- 5k at work then 30 min swim
Saturday- rest

Monday was a real test. I train with my personal trainer on Monday nights for an hour. Luckily he is all on board with my triathlon training so he is working with my training plan. We did an hour with the TRX trainer http://www.fitnessanywhere.com/ and some resistance training. Mostly core and a little arms and legs. He really wants to make sure my core is ready for the trail bike. And I mean lets be honest who doesn't want a flat tummy? So after that hour it was still nice outside and I needed to do my 25 min run.

I decided to go outside the gym and do loops around the plaza my gym is in, there is a nice steep hill. So doing hill loops. Let me tell you at about loop number 5 with 2 min left in my run I didn't want to hit the hill again. But I gave myself the don't be a chicken speech and went for it. Did the loop 5 and a half times in the 25 min.

Tuesday is another tough day. It is the double block day. I did swim 25 min and bike 30 min. The weather decided to not behave so I had to hit the gym. I thought I would start my swim proving to myself I could do the swim distance of the triathlon. So I started with a 400- did it in under 5 min. I think I will be okay :) So here is the rest of the swim workout:

400 free
6x100 Free (kick, kick, pull, sprint by 100)
200 free

total 1200 yds in 25 min

I hopped out of the pool and changed as fast as I could into my biking clothes in the locker room (approx. 5 min) then got onto a spin bike. Luckily (and not so luckily) my gym has limited spin classes so I could use the bike. I threw my ipod on and did one song sitting one song standing. At about 15 min in my legs started burning I didn't think I was going to be able to finish the whole 30 min. But somewhere in the area of 20 min in I just stopped feeling any pain, at that point I decided to do 2 songs standing to finish my set. When my 30 min was up I thought I would try to run a lap on the track at the gym. Everyone says that is a hard transition with the leg to leg work. So I ran a lap, legs felt like they weren't even attached. But hey I survived. I have to say it proved to me that I think I can handle this- I just gotta keep that feeling in my head!

So, onto my review of the Under Armour bra from Sunday. I went to Dick's Sporting Goods to try on the D-support and compression sports bras. I have to say the D-support failed miserably in the locker room. It did not pass the jump up and down test! But the compression one did pass. So I spent the almost 50 bucks- because lets be honest for good support I will pay good money. The problem is, you don't really know until you run in it!

I took it for a spin on Sunday. First off it was tough to get on, being that it is compression it is hard to pull down over everything. I finally did get everything into place and I was ready to really run in it. I have to say it passed the test! I don't like there to be ANY bounce when I run and this bra passed that test. It was comfortable with wide straps and is made of heat gear so it doesn't stay wet with sweat. Let me tell you it is a good day when I can go for a run in only 1 sports bra! So I have to say it totally gets a double thumbs up from me!

Interesting I double checked which bra it was... It was the C-shaper. Maybe that is the key... it is a cup size or 2 smaller than usual! http://www.underarmour.com/shop/us/en/womens/apparel/sports-bras/high-impact/pid1001174-Women-s-Endure-C-Cup-/1001174-001

today is rest day... so I am continuing with my hot room yoga tonight. Should help me stretch out and relax! makes me feel zen

Monday, July 20, 2009

Triathalete?

I decided to start a blog to share my training experiances. Everything from the workouts to the gear. I took to running in the early spring, running my first 5K in April. Did a second 5K in June. And last Thursday I decided to take on a new challenge and registered for a triathalon. I was a swimmer in college and running seems to be my new thing, its the biking and the transitions that scare me!

The other thing I want to do with this blog is....I discovered a week or so ago, that I share a common issue of women athletes. Finding a sports bra! I am really sick of wearing 2 or 3 of them to run. I am on the search for some sports bras that will keep up with my activities. So I will add reviews of new and my old faithful sports bras in here too!

Well, anyways back to the training. I signed up for this triathalon on Thursday which meant Friday started a whole new training regiment. I have been working with a trainer for about a year, 2x a week. And 3 to 4 days a week of running. Time to kick it up. This triathalon is a .25 mile swim, 5.5 mile trail bike, 2.3 mile trail run. http://www.munitrack.com/haletri/haletri_main.htm

Friday's workout was swimming... 35 min. From my days of US Swimming and college swimming I can't seem to just get in the water and do long and slow strokes. I made myself do a real workout.

4x100 free
8x50 IM order (30 s rest)
4x50 sprint free
200 free
100 cool-down

1300 yds.

Saturday was rest day

Sunday training... 30 min of running. It was nice to get out on my regular run route. I added a little jump onto a trail in the middle. That killed my legs but gotta get used to it!!

Next post will have a review of the new UnderArmor sports bra I bought....