I was at home the day after the 1st Pfit competition was over. I was feeling a little down and not quite sure what to do with myself. While I have dropped quite a bit of weight, svelte isn't yet in my list of current applicable adjectives. And for 10 weeks, every week, I was held accountable by a scale in Eileen's office. I felt the competition looming. Kind of like when you're heading upstairs out of a dark basement and you just know something is going to get you and you scoot up the stairs a little faster. What was I to do now that I wasn't going to be able to get that weekly push?
Then an old recurring idea resurfaced. I should try a Triathlon! I wouldn't call it a dream at that point because before the weight loss I had never even considered that it was near the realm of possibility. It was more like when you are little and you want to grow up to be a Marine Biologist Archaeologist Rock Star. Nice thought, but since I'm posting this from my cubicle in the hallway of my office building, (during lunch hour Boss!) you can rest assured that I'm not writing hair ballads about the 2 million year-old Saber-Toothed Albino Whale skeleton I just dug up. Thinking back, I think the first incarnation of wanting to race may have occurred while watching Julie Moss' grueling 1982 Ironman finish. I yelled at the TV. I cheered! I'm quite sure I had goosebumps. I know that moment had a huge effect on the sport worldwide. (Want to watch it again? Here it is. Isn't youtube wonderful?) It took everything she had, or probably would have for the next year, to get her exhausted tuchas over that finish line. I want to see just what I can accomplish now. You?
I'm a happier person with a goal. And I get a huge kick out of competition. I love to win stuff. Love it. With a goal established, I have something that I am moving toward a little bit every day. I can geek out and plan. Make spreadsheets of training plans and buy lots of books about my craze and then check items off my to-do list in a very satisfactory manner as I do them. It's a good feeling that I am getting a little stronger or a little faster or a little more lean with every workout or every good food choice I make. Because that one is hard for me. Me and crap food have this whole stockholm syndrome thing going on. I have to stay away because it's BAD, but I'm deeply in love with buttercream frosting. So even these little choices feel big.
So how about it? Do you have a goal you are working toward right now? A looming deadline? Is there a high school reunion in your future and you want to lose 20 lbs? Getting married and you bought a dress a size smaller than you currently are? Are you like me and are eagerly awaiting your first race and hope to finish smiling like an idiot?
13 weeks and counting!
What's Yo Dream!
Can You Dodge A Wrench?
The Westport branch of the Louisville Athletic Club is hosting a Dodgeball Tournament on May 16th.
Tourney is double-elimination and the cost is $30 for teams of six.
You can have 2 optional alternate players for substitutions.
Rule books will be given to team captains on May 14th.
You can register at the Physique Institute office of either Louisville LAC locations. No that's not redundant, they have an Indiana location.
Taylorsville Rd - (502) 753-0999
Westport Rd. - (502) 412-4522
Pre-Week 1/Week 1 Training Plan
Sometimes things just work out perfectly! It is 13 weeks and 2 days until my first triathlon. This is just the right amount of time to fit in the 12-week training plan from "Your First Triathlon" and then have a week to do light workouts, continue fueling properly and get all my gear in order! Sweet.
For the remainder of this week my workout schedule will be as follows:
Wed. - Strength Training; Spin Class
Thurs - Run
Fri - Swim
Saturday - Strength; Run or Bike (depending if I've found a bike yet. Did I mention that I don't have a bike yet? Yep, my lovelies, this is truly a ground up situation!)
Sunday - Yoga and Rest
Next Week - Official Week 1
Mon - Run/Swim (This is switching to Bike because of the Bike class I'm taking)
Tues - Strength
Wed - Bike (Switching to Swim. See Monday's notes)
Thur - Strength/Run
Fri - Rest
Sat - Bike
Sun - Swim
I'm going to try to get two workouts each of a Run, Bike, Swim and Strength. We'll see how it goes.
I will come back in and post Actual results each day in blue.
You'll notice that I do not have a "Rest" day scheduled for week one. This is because, in the book, Joe suggests that if you still have a few extra pounds hanging around, that the rest day is Optional. Right now, I'm feeling feisty, so we'll schedule some movement every day and see what happens.
He's pretty matter-of-fact about that extra poundage slowing a person down. I like that. He goes in to all the stuff about how extra weight damages your heart and all the physically bad stuff that I know and am working on, but something about "it makes you slow and you're trying to race here" statements were something I never had heard from anyone and it is sticking with me.
I Have Chosen!
The die is cast!
The gauntlet thrown!
The challenge issued!
I'll take door number....well, you get the idea. I have picked the race that is to be (hopefully) the start of a beeyootiful friendship.
August 1st, 2009 - EP Tom Sawyer State Park Triathlon
(blurb from official site)
E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park is proud to host its 28th annual Triathlon on August 1, 2009. The race is a USAT sanctioned event that consists of a ½ mile swim, 14 mile bike ride and 5K run. All phases of the race will be held either on the park grounds or on the surrounding roads. Both individuals and teams are welcome, with registration opening on May 26th and running through July 11th. The race fee is $55 for individuals and $90 for teams. In addition, a $10 one-day insurance fee is required for all non-USAT members. All race participants will receive an official triathlon shirt and prizes will be awarded both to age group winners and overall winners.
I'd love to get a bunch of people to complete the race with me. The more the merrier, you know? So I want to tell you how doable this race it for a beginner, like me. However, the sentence "I'm doing a Triathlon" is just so bada$$ that I don't want to downplay my (and maybe your?) task. Oh well.
Reasons to sign up for this Tri with me:
- You get to say stuff like this for 3 months and annoy all your friends and family. "No thank you, I'll pass on the Krispy Kreme, Twinkie, Funnel Cake, I'm training for a Triathlon."
- You can use terms like Brick Workout, Fartlek and Squid Lid in everyday conversation with civilians (See? It's annoying already isn't it!)
- You can totally geek out on workout stats, schedules, charts, lists and uhm, a blog, about your training
- You can avoid household chores because you MUST get your swim, bike, run in for the day.
- Ben says that if you think you're going to die in the Swim Leg, you can stand up. It's a shallow pool.
- Race T-Shirt. Score!
- Race numbers look really cool on your wall after the race.
- If you train for this even mildly, you are bound to drop a few pounds
- When you're old, you can impress your grandchildren by telling them all about your valiant effort when you were a young'n.
- Pfit 2 is about to start. Training for this will guarantee that you will work out for the contest.
- You, too, can be a BA a la Jack Bauer, Chuck Norris and Joan of Arc
- C'mon it'll be fun!!!
If you're the kind of person that needs more serious reasons for tri-ing this out (hah!) then here's an article from Eric Harr - Triathlete and Triathlon Trainer Extrordinaire on 20 Reasons Why You Should Do a Triathlon.
Hello World!
Welcome to my blog! I hope you enjoy yourself and stick around a while. I promise to be mildly amusing while telling you all about me and my life. This blog will try to focus on my ongoing weight loss and careful venturing into the world of athletics. I’m going to try to tackle triathlons, but let’s see where it goes, shall we? Oddities will arise. Cat pictures will appear. I read a blurb about adventure races this morning, so things could get a lil’ bit crazy!
I’ve recently lost 63 lbs. That’s several of the big bags of dog food. Go pick a couple of those bad daddies up. I wonder how I was walking. I do have a “That’s @#$@#$ IT” story which got me started losing weight, but I’m not ready to tell it yet. It involved a Kayak. That’s all you’re getting!
I lost 31 lbs on my own under the old “Eat Less, Move More” plan and that took about 8 months. Then, in February, we started a Biggest Loser contest at work. It was winner take all with a nice fat payout at the end. I’ve always been a sucker for a good prize. I lost another 32 pounds in 10 weeks. Yes. I know. I’m a sell out. I should have done it for all the good, healthy reasons and don’t get me wrong, those are nice, too, but I really needed that money. And I can do ANYTHING for 10 weeks, so off I went. I was very careful with what I ate. I logged every bite and every step. I’ll explain more in detail in upcoming posts. And it paid off. I won and this summer I will be taking my kiddo on vacation. Whee!!!
And now…dun duh dunnnnnn. Before and Current pics. Ugh. Seriously. I had no idea I had let myself get so out of control. 
