Time is running out!

While, I have managed to keep up some level of fitness over the last few months, I have definitely not been training hard consistently for this Triathlon in 3 weeks. The thing that I have not done is train for the distances (1 mile swim, 25 mile bike ride and 6 mile run).  

The swim: I have only swam a mile once (1600 meters), 1200 meters once and 1100 meters once since September. I plan to really pick up my distances in the pool over the next 3 weeks and always swim a mile up to 2000 meters 3-5 days a week to get myself ready.

The bike: I have cycled 20 or more miles a few times, but not consistently at all. I rode for 23 1/2 miles today and was WORN OUT! I have to cycle more and get to the point where I am not completely spent afterwards, as I will still have to run 6 miles after the 25 mile ride on race day. I am cycling 33 for Diabetes education and research next weekend and I am no where near ready. I need to be on that dang bike like every other day getting myself ready!

The run: This is the part that is really a joke. I have not been running consistently and definitely not covering the distance. I have a plan in place for this. The plan is to run as much as my I can stand between now and race day. On race day, I will run to a water stop and take a break and  repeat to get through it that way. The water stops are about 1 mile apart. I will focus on running 1-3 miles over the next 3 weeks and just make it do what it do on race day.

This is the first time that I felt this unprepared for a race. I will finish and get another metal once I cross that finish line, but ti won't be pretty and it sure as heck won't be fast.

I feel a big difference in my energy level this year, as I have been trying to monitor my caloric intake more. I had much more energy last year when I ate more.  Getting proper nutrition without gaining weight is a big challenge for me.

I plan to make the New York City Triathlon my A race for the season and really pick up my training. I feel that I will have my ass handed to me after this race in 3 weeks and that will make me train harder to be prepared. I have to get to the point where I am cycling at least 25 miles twice a week and running 5 miles twice a week to be prepared. I am learning who I can really count on to get trainings in and am more comfortable with training alone when I have to. I also want to start incorporating more cross training like boot camp, kickboxing and dancing into my schedule too. I think if I mix it up, it won't get mundane and it will make my Triathlon training easier, as my endurance will be greater.

This week wasn't so bad (run 1 mile on Monday, Swim 700 meters and run 1 1/4 mile on Tuesday, swim 1100 meters and walked {my ankle was achy}2 miles on Wednesday, cycled 23.5 miles on Thursday.

The plan: walk/run 3 miles on Friday, Dance and swim 1600 meters on Saturday (hopefully with Tri Unify), Brick workout on Sunday with Tri Unify, swim 1 mile on Monday (at disgusting gym), 30 mile bike ride (hopefully with Tri Unify) on Tuesday, Run 3 miles and swim 1 mile on Wednesday... and figure it out from there

What makes a Triathlete

It's not about how fast you go, it's about taking on a challenge and never quitting. There is no turning back.  It takes perseverance, dedication, and endurance. If it was easy, everyone would do it! This is what makes me feel extraordinary, like a super hero... except for when that little old 60 year old lady passes me by and tells me to have quick feet and straighten my back out some when running up a hill, and says, "Let me show you". Then, I see HER as a super hero and aspire to be like her at 60.


TriBecca

PeasantMan (practice) Triathlon

On Sunday, Lisa and I completed the PeasantMan (practice) Triathlon. We did the Sprint race, which didn't feel much like practice to me. It was the real deal Holyfield! The day before, I drove up to participate in the Open Water swim clinic. There was a 500 meter course set up, which I completed with ease. I was quite impressed with myself, but I was a nervous wreck leading up to this day. I did go to the Wilson pool the night before and swam 1200 continuous meters to prove to myself that I could do this. But, it took a lot of good positive self talk before hopping in on Saturday. At no time did I get tired or panic and I finished feeling refreshed with a low heart rate! My mentee Rasheem was a little ambitious for his first time in open water and swam 2 laps for a total of 1,000 meters! I was like a proud mama! He finished all disoriented looking with wobbly legs, but he did it! I got dried off and waited for Lisa to arrive.

There was supposed to be a big bonfire that night, but we had to turn it into a plain ol' cookout. Lisa brought the largest marshmallows that I had ever seen and we made s'mores on the grill. Some people joined in on the fun. We conversed with several new Triathletes and met this really cute couple that are now married after meeting in the 1st grade. We hung out until about 9pm and then headed out of the woods to our hotel that left a lot to be desired. It was only for a night, so Lisa and I tried our best to ignore the blood stains on the bathroom wall, adjust to our doors being on the outside, no concierge to call on if needed and pretended that there was no weird pissy-like smell.

Race day

Lisa and I got up, stumbled around and whined about why in the hell we were doing this. Before long, we were on our way and got all posted up and people watched. The race start was a running beach start which was pretty cool (this means, we all lined up on the beach and when they said "GO!", we all ran into the water and dropped down to start swimming). I kept my cool in the water and made it through the 750 meter swim. The bike ride was adventuresome and made me wonder why I haven't been training more on the bike. The run was fun, although I walked a bit. I just made it fun and talked to other racers and volunteers along the way. All in all, it was a great race and it let me know that I have to really pick up the pace so I can double the distance in 6 weeks.

TriBecca

Words are Powerful

I never realized the power of words and how they can move someone to action until I started to blog about my Triathlon experience last year. I now know, more than ever before, how words are powerful and just like they can motivate someone, they can do the exact opposite. See, I am usually pretty optimistic, strong and don’t let too much shake me up. However, even the strongest person can be affected by someone’s negative words.

About a month ago, I wrote about how that trainer told me some things that lead me to feel like he was a douche bag. Some of my friends thought that my description of him was perhaps a bit harsh. But no one knows how that man’s words affected me. I tried to think, “oh, forget him… he couldn’t do a Triathlon if he tried…. I will take some of what he said but will trash the rest”, however I have not been able to shake it. For the last month, when I look in the mirror, I no longer think, “ oh man, I can’t wait to see how much muscle is under this fat” or compliment the good things about myself and acknowledge the bad and then remind myself of my plan. Now when I look in the mirror, I see all of the negative and think very negative thoughts. I have not even been that motivated to train. I have often wondered, “What’s the sense? I’m obese anyway, this training is not helping me, and maybe I should just focus on doing something else like that man said.” See, that is the power of negative words. They are powerful. They can break someone. They can have you thinking negatively and doubting yourself. No one realizes how harsh their words can be to someone, even if what they are saying is true. I try to always turn a negative into a positive and motivate people however I can. I also realize that feelings are not right or wrong, they are individual. So, if I think someone’s comments to me is harsh and I think that they are a non motivating douche bag, then that is just what the hell he is.

I have been struggling to train, to eat healthier, and to keep in mind all of those things that that man said to me. One would think that it is easy to just shake it off, but it’s not always that easy. Words are powerful, man. POWERFUL.

Today I made the decision to get back on track with training. I have a plan in place to decrease my body fat and tone up. I will be a Triathlete again this year. Fuck with that man said. I have a little less than 8 weeks until race day.

Un-motivating Jerk

I went in today for a free assessment with a personal trainer who came highly recommended. I had a copy of my Body Analysis that was done at the Multi Sport expo in hand. Now, I know that I had somethings to work on, by way of decreasing body fat and building muscles and thought that he was just the guy to give me a plan to get "right". Well, wasn't I wrong! He won the Douche Bag of the day award from me! Not only did he tell me that my body fat% means that I am obese, but he told me that I should not be concerned with doing any Triathlons, I should focus on eating a raw vegetable diet, that I should focus on decreasing my body fat by lifting weights 3 days a week, that swimming won't help to decrease my body fat, that a bicycle ride once a week will be great for some extra cardio and  that I should not run until I make my ankle stronger. Wow! How about that for some motivation?

I guess I was totally wrong about him being the guy to help me to figure out how to get weight lifting into my training schedule and what I need to do to make me leaner. He basically told me to not be concerned with doing the one thing that I am most proud of. I will take some of what he said and trash the rest. Weight lifting and strengthening my ankle, I will do, but not being concerned with doing Triathlons is unimaginable. It's a part of who I am now. His ass probably couldn't do a Triathlon if he wanted to. I am not sure if un-motivating jerk or douche bag is a more appropriate description of him!

Inspiration

Sometimes we inspire others by just being. By just setting a goal and showing others that if you can believe it then you can achieve it. Last year, I set a goal. I was not trying to make a statement or inspire anyone. I was just trying to be a better Rebecca. I wrote about my experience, because I wanted to capture it all and I shared it with the world. It was not a slick Jedi mind trick to get my friends to join me. I had no idea the impact that my words and actions would have on others.

On yesterday I ran into Pam, the only other black woman in my Triathlon training program last year. Pam was in the swim class the day when that mean ugly lady screamed at me when I kept stopping. She was in the Chesapeake Bay that cold May morning when I was freaking out about swimming in open water for the first time. Pam was also with the group the first time I tried my clipless pedals and with the first group ride when I got left by the group because I was too slow. Pam and I only interacted briefly, as she was  much faster and I never saw her after the initial hello and then I was left in her dust.

Pam shared with me on yesterday that her most memorable moment during her first Triathlon with me last year was seeing me get out of the water. If you read my race report, you may recall my loud cheering squad and the picture of me running and jumping in joy when I emerged from the water. How about that? It was her first race too and her most memorable moment was seeing me rejoice after overcoming that challenge. 

Pam shared with me that her Mom and Aunt are now training for their first Triathlons after reading my blog. She said that whenever they are saying how they can't do something, she refers them to my blog again. How Inspiring!

Lessons of what works for me

Over the last few months, I have learned many lessons. I just returned from a Multi Sport Expo and I think that I learned the greatest lessons of all: my body composition, what to do for MY body type and how to train and achieve my goals. See, there are so many schools of thought out there about what to eat, when to eat, how to train , etc. I even saw a Nutritionist who told me a lot about what I should eat and when, but I don't think that she really took into account my working environment and a lot of what she said made it hard for me when I am on the road a lot. It seems that I was able to put it all together today after talking to the lady who did my body analysis.

I am not one of those women who get all bent out of shape because of what the scale says. I like to go by how my clothes fit and how I feel about myself when I am disrobed and looking into the mirror. I always compliment myself on what I like and am very gentle about what I say and think about the less than desirable areas.I have been wanting to slim down for a while now and really thought that while training for a Triathlon, that it would take care of itself. NOT!  I have tried a few things since learning that I had to do something different, but listening to the friend who starves herself and only eats before a workout, or trying the low carb thing or eat 5 meals a day when I am in and out of the car all day, etc just has not worked for me. Working out is not my problem. However, I do have to admit that I have been consistent about every other week for the last few months, but that has a lot to do with being burned out and dissatisfied with the results that I have been getting.

After learning today that I have strong arms and core (greater than average muscle composition) and weak legs, my body percentage of fat and muscle and my hydration percentage. I know exactly what I need to do. The lady who did my analysis told me to focus on leg exercises with weights to build my leg strength which will help me to power through those hilly rides. She told me that working to make my legs stronger by using weights will help to burn more fat since these are larger muscle groups, so I can take care of fat loss and building strength in one sweep. She also told me that if I want to get leaner and loose fat quicker, to interval train on all of my runs. I can do this on the bike ride and swimming as well. This will help to burn fat quicker and help with my speed.

Regarding diet, I attended a seminar on nutrition for Triathletes today and have spoken with my Boot Camp instructor about diet and have put everything together that I've learned from them and that Nutritionist that I saw. I have been playing around with protein drinks and have found a good one that I like. So, those 5 meals will be taken care of with 2 protein drinks a day, I have a better idea of what to eat before and after workouts and when to eat them and if I get enough sleep, I should be on my way.

If I think about the numbers on the scale, I would like it to be 30-40 less the next time that I step on it. Regarding my clothes size, I am still working to get back into my size 6's and maybe some 4's. I have a way to go and I am okay with that. I do not have a timeline to get there, as this is about lifestyle changes and choices, so when I get there, I hope to be able to stay there for life.