Thanks to A Moment in Time Photography for taking photos at the Claytor Lake Triathlon a couple weeks ago. Here are the ones I found of myself. I raced the dude to the finish line…and won! My time was 1 hour and 33 minutes, a personal record for me. Maybe I can do TWO races next year!
I loved the New River Trail last week, so we’ll meet there again this week. Anyone who wants to come at noon for a short prayer and then we’ll take off to walk/jog/run or BIKE if you like. This week, I am going to bike hard 30 minutes, then jog 15 minutes immediately following (this is called a “brick” in the triathlon training world). BUT, you do what is best for you!
There is no cost for this, but there is a $4 parking fee for the State Park access. Just bring something to drink and think of your goal before you arrive so you know what you want to do for the day!
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I just registered for the Claytor Lake Sprint Triathlon that will be held September 12, 2015. It’s a half mile swim, 12.5 mile bike, and a 5k trail run. I have work to do!
My favorite resource for triathlons is “The Woman Triathlete” book. I need to get it out and make my plan for training. I have about 6 weeks till race day and my base fitness is good, but I need to work on intervals on my run and swim. The book has great workouts. I am going to pencil in my workouts on my calendar or I know I will not get to them.
I blogged on my personal blog a while back about Triathlon FAQs. Check it out if you have a minute. 🙂
I have missed blogging so much (among other things). My life is moving is warp speed, which I’m sure is the case for most of you. Since November, I’ve been Acting Director at the fitness facility where I work. It’s been challenging, both professionally and personally. The holidays were good and I tried to separate work from home life, but I did find myself thinking about work too much while at home.
My boys are growing up so quickly and they seem to change daily. The oldest will be 3 at the end of the month and the baby will be 6 months in a couple of weeks as well. They’ll be 18 before I can blink, I’m sure. I really am trying to enjoy every minute with them. Don’t get me wrong, there are moments that are trying when your two year old screams, “No, mommy!” when you try to tell him something to do, but thankfully those moments are fewer than the good ones.
I did manage to set some 2015 goals for myself a week or so ago. If I don’t get them down on paper and in my face this month, they aren’t going to happen. This is what I have on tap for me this year:
I looked back over my 2014 goals and I’m happy to report I met most of them! These are the ones I missed…
What’s goals have you set for yourself this year? I hope to make it back to blog before February…at least by Groundhog Day!
We all remember the line from Forrest Gump where he said he just felt like running. Well, all of a sudden, I do too! I haven’t ran any distance really since September, but I feel like trying to run a 5k in February.
Now, when I say “run”, that is really a “jog” in most people’s standards. I’m a slow 5k gal. I think my fastest time was 27:30 and my slowest was probably 32 minutes, so I’m not that quick. The messed up part is that I can run a 5k during a triathlon (keep in mind that’s the LAST part of the race) just as fast as I can run a 5k all by itself. I think I’m stuck on one speed.
Anyway, here lately, I’ve been throwing some jogging in my workouts here and there and it feels pretty good. I actually have a baby bump now (photo coming soon!) and I know it’s going to grow pretty quickly, so I don’t want to plan too far out. I’m hoping I can find a local race in February on a pretty day. I can jog/walk it, but I just feel like being part of a competitive event. I guess I know that I won’t be doing any triathlons this year and by the time I recover from having this second baby, most racing seasons are over. However, I could look toward some cyclocross if I recover quickly. But, then you throw in another child and when is a mama gonna have time?
Who knows what I will be doing in the fall, but for now, I’m feeling ambitious and think I’ll see what I can find close by on a warm, February day (ha ha).
We worked hard in my 6:15 morning class today. I had my folks warm up walking around the gym while I set up this circuit:
We did 90 seconds each the first round, then 60 seconds the second round. They were troopers! It’s a hard little workout if you put your best foot forward.
I won’t be teaching this class for the next three weeks since I’ll be taking a lifeguard instructor course. In a way, I’m sad, but in a way, I’m looking forward to the break. I have to get up at 5:15 on Wednesdays, but I won’t have to for a while. It’s nice not having to go out in the freezing cold dark! Hopefully, by the first week of December, I’ll be certified by the American Red Cross as a Lifeguard Instructor. That will make me even more valuable, eh?!
My son splashing in his kiddie pool this summer. He’s gonna learn how to swim at a young age!
I also had a swim lesson with a lady this morning. She’s probably in her 60’s and wanted to learn how to swim with her face in the water. We started out with basic flutter kicking, then progressed to blowing bubbles in the water, some side kicking, and then a catch up pull & kick with the board. She didn’t have goggles, so it was hard to get her whole face in the water, but she’s getting there.
Before she and I had our lesson, I swam 20 laps. I’m so glad I can easily swim! Now, I’ve been at it for over 9 years and I’ve had lots of practice, but I’m so glad it’s a skill I have gained. I started swimming when my friend asked me to do a triathlon with her. Neither of us had ever done one, so I started practicing swimming on my own. Thankfully, the lifeguard at that time put me in my place by telling me I wasn’t going to swim a triathlon very well if I couldn’t swim with my face in the water. He gave me some pointers and lent me some DVDs to watch (this was before youtube was popular). It wasn’t an easy thing to learn, but I’m so glad I did. I really feel good when I can teach folks how to swim. Not only could it save their life at some point, but it also gives them a new way to stay healthy and fit.
It’s pretty cold outside and I think my husband wants to get into something after I get off work today. I think I’m going to call the bowling alleys to see if any are open so we can go bowl with our son this evening. I love to bowl when it’s cold outside! It’s just something I feel guilty doing if it’s sunny or warm out because I should be outside playing.
What are your favorite indoor cold weather activities? Especially ones that involve toddlers…
Me bowling at my 31st birthday party back in March. Fun times!
Ok, so high intensity interval training (HIIT) and Christmas don’t really have that much in common…or do they? You could kick your own butt doing high intensity intervals and stay lean and mean during the holidays (which is what I plan to do). But, my original intention of this post was to shout “hooray” for HIIT! I’ve been trying to do this pretty regularly for a few weeks now and it’s paying off. Just today, I had two women remark on how good I look. Now, I’m not a fitness model by any stretch, but I can tell a difference in my body.
Up through September, I had been doing mostly cardio workouts while training for triathlons – I just don’t have enough time to do both strength training and cardio (even though I work at a gym, I’m the mom of a toddler). I got burned out on swimming, biking, and running and I haven’t run any distance since my last tri in mid-September (I know, shame on me). So, I thought I would change it up and do some different workouts. If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, here are some ideas for you: https://bcnicematters.wordpress.com/tag/workouts/
Speaking of working at a gym, today is my FIRST anniversary at this job! I’m so happy they’ve decided to keep me this long. 🙂
On another note, I started listening to Christmas music a minute ago…it’s probably all I’ll listen to on Pandora from now until the first of the year. I love it!!! I’m so psyched about all the different Christmas happenings coming up. I saw this Billy Graham Library thing that I’m begging my husband to take me and our son to. One year, my husband and I ran a 5K that started on the strike of New Year through Christmas lights. It was so cool!
The finish line photo from that New Year 5K my husband and I ran years ago.
I just finished a 10 x 10 workout that’s kick butt. My goal this fall/winter is to do more strength training since I feel burnt out on running and the same old triathlon training.
I’ve been working out regularly for 9 years and I’ve only missed a few weeks during that whole time span (due to illness or recovering from childbirth). I’ve come to find that these are the 10 things that keep me motivated to exercise and stay healthy:
Workout Clothes – I like fitted, breathable workout clothes. You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg on expensive brands, either. There’s a good selection of workout clothes at places like Wal-Mart and Target. I’ve had some of my same pieces for nine years! When I’m dressed in something besides and old, baggy t-shirt and shorts that are too big, I just feel more like a real fitness person (and it makes me perform better).
Media – I have a subscription to Fitness Magazine (cheap, but loaded with exercise ideas and health tips) and I pick up other magazines that folks bring to the gym where I work. It’s amazing the neat stuff you can find in magazines. I rip out the pages and add them to my workout binder.
Profession – About a year ago, I decided to change jobs, going from an IT/sales professional to a personal trainer. I work at a gym where I can exercise a few times a week on the clock and help people by creating workouts and motivating them. I know this isn’t a luxury for everyone, but if you’re passionate about it, think about making the career change. It’s been a positive change for me. Oh, and hire a personal trainer if you need to – we’re worth the money!My final thought for this fine Friday is something I just read in the July/August 2013 issue of Women’s Health magazine:
Research suggests that extroverted, open-minded people also have a higher aerobic capacity, meaning they can go harder for a longer period of time. It could help explain why these same traits are linked to better health and longer life, note researchers in the journal PLOS ONE. Quiet types have equal potential but may need to focus on their attitude toward exercise, not just the workout itself, say study authors.
I’m fortunate because I’m one of those “extroverted, open-minded people” they mention in the article (if you’ve not yet gathered that).
A few years ago, I competed in a couple of cyclocross races. Let me tell you, it’s mostly a man’s event. I was one of maybe three women that competed those days (two Saturdays in October), but I won the coolest trophies! They were hand made things and I was so proud. If you’ve never done cyclocross, it’s very intense. The course is normally made up of grass, mud, gravel, and you have to jump off your bike and take it over small obstacles. There was even a part that went through the woods. You go around as many times as you can in 30 or 45 minutes (depending on how much pain you want). I honestly think that short amount of time is harder than an entire triathlon.
I started digging around trying to find out if they are doing those races again this year and they are going to do a one day race as part of a big outdoor festival. I’m excited! I can’t say I’ve trained, but I have several weeks to practice (which will probably consist of riding my bike through the field a couple of times). My husband even says he’s going to do it! I think the whole festival will be fun.
Here are some pictures a guy took of me back in 2010 – I look like such a goof ball! The entire collection can be found at http://colorspectrum.smugmug.com/Sports/Cyclocross/Freak-Out3/14337582_ZC92Rn#!i=1061954322&k=X7RxtD5
I swam a good little workout today – something different.
From the editors of Fitness magazine
Hit the pool and burn close to 300 calories in just 22 minutes with this workout from Dave Thomas, USA Swimming sport-development consultant in Colorado Springs. Performing drills in the water is the best way to improve form and prevent boredom. This routine is based on a 25-yard-long pool lane; we’ve given times to shoot for, but go at your own pace. If needed, take 20-second rests between each segment.
| Stroke | Lengths | Minutes |
| 1. Freestyle | 4 | 2 |
| 2. Alternate freestyle and backstroke | 8 | 4 |
| 3. Use a kickboard | 4 | 4 |
| 4. Freestyle using a pull buoy floating device held between legs | 4 | 2 |
| 5. Repeat #2 | 8 | 4 |
| 6. Your favorite stroke (moderate pace) | 8 | 4 |
| 7. Sprint (favorite stroke) | 2 | 1 |
| 8. Freestyle (cool down) | 2 | 1 |
Originally published in Fitness magazine, May 2006.
While I was swimming, I tried to breathe to the LEFT when coming off the wall and it felt so strange! I am used to automatically coming up to breathe on my right side after my turns during freestyle. It made me think back to before when I couldn’t flip turn or breathe to both sides.
It took me quite a bit of time to learn how to flip at the wall, which ultimately made me a faster, better swimmer. Then, about 3 years ago, I decided to become a “bilateral” breather so I wouldn’t end up working my neck just one way while breathing. That was a challenge as well!
Getting out of our comfort zones is hard, but look at what you can learn to do if you just try something new. Another example is clipping onto my bike pedals. I refused to do it for years for fear of falling over, but now I’ve been clipping for at least 5 years. It’s funny, because this year was the first time I’d ever fallen over and it wasn’t that bad.
So my challenge today is to try something you’re not used to do or that scares you. You might find that you really like it!
Because Nice Matters 