frogprincess72’s BodyBlog

Yesterday was full steam ahead on the triathlon training.. Not only am I still working with TJ 3x/week but now I’m swimming 3x/week.. Running 4x/week.. and biking 4x/week.. Somehow this all adds up to 6x/week triathlon training (excluding my personal training).. I’m no math major, so I’m leaving it to you to do the math.. I just know that I’m fixing to be vewy vewy hungwy over the next few months!

So i met with TJ at 0800 for our chest/back/arms all in one workout (cuz we’re only doing it once this week).. then I was off for an easy run of 45 minutes. I got bored just going at a steady pace, so I threw in 10 minutes of sprints .. Then I was off to the very frigid pool of the college to swim.. Warm up of 200 swim, 200 pull, 200 kick, 200 swim.. Main swim consisted of swim (crawl/freestyle) and pull.. I didn’t keep track of my actual distance cuz i was shooting for time (plus i lost count) but I did use a few tips off my triathlon website (no stopping against the wall.. no pushing off the wall..swim with my eyes closed to see how well i do going in a straight line.. fyi.. not so well.. haha.. treading water when i got tired.. )

When I was finished I was famished! I really need to stash a protein bar in my bag cuz by the time i showered and made it to hubby’s office to see if he wanted to treat me to lunch (haha.. i’m sneaky like that) I was so cranky he looked at me and said "i think i’ll pass"… wonder why???? (haha)

I finally made it to get something to eat and home for a nap, which got me thru the rest of the day…

I went to sleep on time, but little man woke up with a sore throat about an hour after i fell asleep.. Poor thing.. He finally took some medicine and fell back to sleep.. Then a few hours later hubby made it home from soccer, which meant another wake up call (the dogs like to announce his arrival by barking.. the Beagle is especially tuned up and ready to go).. Mercifullly, I didn’t have any troubles falling back to sleep.. Sometimes I do.. Sometimes not.. It’s a crap shoot

So 4 am came and up I got.. Off I went for bike 15 miles and run 2 miles.. Pretty light day all in all but considering the lack of sleep I struggled.. I took my Super Pump 250 and that helped… And the luv fest that was occuring over at the squat station was rather entertaining.. (there’s this couple that always comes in at 5:14 am and starts groping each other.. really, get a room.. don’t make me witness that!) …

And now I’m famished AGAIN!!! i think this is going to be rather common for the next few months…. And after work, I’m going back for legs.. Last day of training for the next few days.. AND I CAN’T WAIT!!! Saturday will be my long training day and I will be sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ready

OOOOOOHHH!! Big news.. I signed up for private swim lessons starting next month! I CAN’T WAIT!  but seriously, between the extra expense of the extra food I’ll be consuming AND the swim lessons, I’m gonna have to work a few extra shifts.. deep sigh…………

Today I find myself fully immerged in this website dedicated to triathlon training tips.. I"M HOOKED and SOOOOOO inspired to keep going! In this website, the author has included several quotes that I am really enjoying… therefore, i will pass them along.. Not all of these will be life changing or deeply philosophical, but I have found them inspiring and thought provoking to me, none the less.. (wow, ur thinking to yourselves… she’s not a deep thinker, is she?!? haha )

Fear and faith can’t occupy the same space at the same time….. Einstein

The Triathlon is a sport of the discontent.. Unknown

 I am only happy when I am swimming like a fish… Duke Kahanamoku

 If you don’t have a dream, how will you have a dream come true? …. Unknown

 Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly at first… Unknown

Running is as simple as putting one foot in front of the other… Common Sense (haha.. just seeing if ur paying attention)

Everybody dies.. Not everybody lives… Unknown

It’s ok to run and cry at the same time… George Sheehan (this happened to me during my last long run of hills.. i envisioned crossing the finish line of the triathlon and seeing all my family and friends who have supported me)

Life shrinks of expands in proportion to one’s courage… Anais Nin

The key to life is to find your unique talent, something you enjoy, and get paid to do it… Chris Davis

An idealist is one who, on noticing that a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes that it will also make better soup. — H. L. Mencken

Take you best pony and ride into your worst fear.. Unknown

Hope you enjoyed these as much as I have.. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have more reading to do… Thrilling stuff in the "how to de-fog your goggles" section…. RIVETING!

Yesterday was a good day!! The Worst Day of the Year Ride was finally upon me.

 It started off cold… wet from over night rain but no actual rain at race time.. and windy!! And as i had no idea what to expect for my first bike race, I was a bit tired from lack of sleep the night before.. But i’m used to that so i didn’t let it stop me.. I ate my usual breakfast of champions (oatmeal, egg, egg whites and berries) and doned my oh so attractive biking gear.. My husband gave me my pep talk.. "this is your race.. your hills.. just like janice says babe.. u OWN those hills.. push yourself and prove to yourself what janice, your friends, your family and i already know!!"

 So my step dad and i load up our bikes and take off for the race.. He and I have already discussed "our" racing strategy but I’m pretty sure that it won’t be implemented for one reason and one reason only.. I’ve been training and he has not.. But since this is my first race ever I am not expecting too much, so we agree to see how we feel on the course…

We take a few blocks to warm up.. Visit the Honey Bucket (btw… there’s nothing in those things that smells like honey.. resembles perhaps… but not smells like.. haha)… and drink my Super Pump 250!! YUM YUM.. I’m looking at everyone around me and i’m thinking "i need cycling shoes.. I’m such a poser right now in all my borrowed gear.. ie, padded bike shorts, gloves, windbreaker..BIKE!!" But i don’t let it get me down.. I’m here for a purpose.. Not a fashion show..

We are near the front and are the 2nd wave of riders to start.. Butterflies are in my belly and my nerves have almost gotten the best of me until they say "OFF YOU GO!" and we pedal up and start off… only to get stopped a block later for a red light.. YES.. apparently we have to obey traffic laws and stop for red lights.. oncoming cars (what a bummer ’bout that) and pedestrians (well shoot.. guess i can’t add them to my road kill count)… And That was perhaps the most difficult part of the beginning of the race-just getting out of Downtown Portland!! But my step dad was hanging tough with me for several miles..

and then it finally came.. No more flat terrain…. OUR FIRST HILL!!!!  I didn’t even look back.. I knew what i had to do.. I had to do this race for myself and for all of those people who have been supporting me.. and encouraging me.. DESPITE thinking I’m the nuttiest fruit cake on this planet!! I HAD TO OWN THIS HILL!! and i did.. Up i rode with the greatest of ease.. Heart was barely pumping.. Breath thru the nose.. Out threw the mouth.. Own this hill athlete.. That’s what i kept telling myself… There were hills and hills and more hills.. Up to the Rose Garden.. Forest Park.. and the Zoo.. Just 2 men passed me at this point.. One woman passed me on the hill coming down from the Zoo, which was quickly followed by a very steep hill… GOTCHA HONEY!! anyone can pass going down, i thought to myself.. Athletes pass UP hill.. haha.. Apparently, i have a competetive side and it was in full force…

Finally worked my way out to Beaverton, pretty much cruising by myself.. No worries.. I’m used to spending lots of time by myself, therefore, I’m used to having one sided conversations.. Hey, I’ve got a captive audience for once And finally more lights.. WOO F"IN WHOO! And it was at this light, that there was a man who was also waiting.. I came up along side him and he looked at me and he said "i gotta give u props sister.. U are one hell of a rider".. I was shocked.. Utterly shocked.. I had no idea anyone even knew I was there (except my step dad and who in the hell knew where HE was..) so I blushed and smiled.. And he and I rode together for a bit.. He said "ur one of the top females and you’ve earned it… Let me do some work for ya on the next hill" and bless that mans heart to pieces, he let me draft and pulled me up that hill! I could have kissed him, but that would have been awkward, not to mention would have broken our zone, so I chose not to but I told him I would have under different circumstances and we laughed, then he bid me farewell and off he rode…… And this was great timing cuz I was coming up on the 27 mile mark, which meant REST STOP!!!

And once at this rest stop, I didn’t want to rest.. I felt good.. I wasn’t hungry.. I didn’t need to pee (pardon my french) and i didn’t want my muscles to cool…. But I chomped on 1/2 of my protein bar anyway and chugged some more SUPER PUMP and found a few riders who were ready to go and off i went with them.. Still no females in sight.. I know I started wtih some but where were they???

 AND NOW LET THE FUN BEGIN!!!!  Time to go throw some neighborhoods.. No big deal.. A few hills.. Nothing bad.. OR SO I THOUGHT!! I get to the intersection of Thompson road and I have forgotten the other road because it is not important.. What is important is THOMPSON ROAD.. I’m thinking it’s a hill just like any other hill that i have made.. OH WAS I MISTAKEN!! But i had no idea that i was… So up the hill i go.. I can’t see anyone in front of me.. And no one’s behind me… Up…. Up….. Up…. Up…. Up…..UP……UP….. holy cow there must be a flat… Nope.. no flat.. Up.. UP…. UP…. Up….. surely some flat.. no???? … UP…. Up…. OWN THIS… up…. Up…… WTF???? UP…. UP…. UP…… they must be kidding, right???… NO??? no joke??? UP…. Up…. Up….. ok, after this next turn… Up…. UP….. gear down.. up…. up….. Stand up…. Up…. up……. this turn flat?? up….. up…… FINALLY a person… catch him… up…. catch him… up…. catch him… up….. GOT HIM! … hey, how much longer is this hill??? up…. up…. almost there sister…. up …. up….then get ready for the ride of your life DOWN!!… up…. bend in the road… up… up…. up…… (ok.. i have carpel tunnel.. u get the idea.. i still have 1 mile of up to go at this point)…. AND FINALLY!!!! A STOP SIGN!!! EUREKA I"M AT THE PEAK…. I MAKE THE CREST TO THOMPSON AND SKYLINE!!!!…. I just made the 2.0 mile climb and i didn’t stop once.. I didn’t walk.. and i was sitting most of it!! I SOOOOO OWNED THAT HILL!!

I cross the intersection and stare down at the most incredible descent i have ever seen short of a mountain top! TIME TO GO SWEETHEART!! and down i went.. 35 MPH of fear, let me tell you.. No shoulder and cars all around me.. I’m thinking "this little helmet ain’t gonna do pooh if i get clipped" so i tucked down and said "let’s do it sista!" and i make my way back to Downtown.. But just before i get there, I have to make it past the Audobon Society and ANOTHER HILL!! and for a split second i think about stopping… then i mentally slap myself silly and tell myself this is not an option.. I have not literally worked my bum off to walk a hill! so I muster the strength and power in my glutes and quads and look down and repeat "you are not a housewife.. you are an athlete.. and you own this hill.. own it.. own it.. own it.. own it.." and i did…

And now I am close to downtown but I still have about 13 miles left once I’m down there.. Back to the city riding.. But it’s pretty uneventful.. I mean, COME ON!!

So i make my way to the finish line and just before i get there one of the riders I started with from the first group caught me and said "it’s the smiling triathlete!! i can’t believe u still have it on! now ride like the wind and get across that line!" To which i did…

All in all, I finished 45 miles in just under 3.5 hours.. Would have been less minus all the red lights, cars and pedestrians.. But I did have 10 road kill.. 1 woman… 9 men.. Not too shabby…. And I was told I was top female finisher!!!

So today, the only places I am sore is the outside pad on my left hand and the peaks of my calves.. Truthfully, I’m more sore after working with my trainer!! But i am physically exhausted.. I am also back at it tomorrow!!

Today was my 2 week weigh in/measurements…

So after all was said and done, I lost 1.5 pounds of fat.. Gained 0.5 pounds of muscle.. Lost in my calves and waist.. And gained in my chest and hips (yay for bum lifting!!).. oh, and thighs.. And down 1.0% body fat.. All in all, in 2 months/21 sessions with TJ, I lost 5.5 pounds of fat.. Gained 8.3 pounds of muscle.. Not sure the exact  number of inches lost.. And down 4% body fat…Not too shabby..

My new sessions start with her on Monday.. I have 31 to go, which is about 10 weeks.. And our goal is to try to gain another pound or 2 of muscle but definitely NOT lose any while dropping the fat another 8 pounds..TJ gave me some tweaks to try with my diet.. and believe it or not, i get to ADD a carb.. oh, and another egg and 2 more egg whites.. I"M SO EXCITED FOR THAT EXTRA OATMEAL!! funny how things change.. I’m excited about oatmeal..