The races I'm eying

Fast forward to 2011, it's kind of insane that I haven't really updated this blog since 2009. Lots have happened since then, but since the focus of this blog is about my triathlon training and the work associated with that, I have a quick update on the races I'm hoping to do in 2011:

NYC - Coogan's Salsa and Blues 5K, March 1, 2011

Webster, MA - date TBD (June 2011), sprint triathlon..

Maybe the Central park sprint tri? July 31, 2011

With all the snow on the ground, it seems like these races are so far away... but they aren't really, so the training my training will officially start in the beginning of February! :)

Watch me Tri, indeed

I crossed the finish line in 2:30:38. It's a number I won't quickly forget. My goal was to finish in less than 2 1/2 hour; I say coming 38 seconds close to that goal is a win.

I have to say, I was really proud of myself. I still am. I had a really great time during the race and even during the training. I may have complained, I may have missed out on some late night adventures with friends, but I finished what I set out to do. And that is cool.

I'm not done with triathlons, far from it actually. I plan to do two in 2010, two sprint races. One in Central Park and one in Lake Placid. Both are in the summer and both will require sign ups within the next 2-3 months.

So, it's time to move onto the next phase of this "watch me tri" mantra. Finally losing the weight.

Let's be honest. I packed on the pounds after the race. Anyone can see in pictures taken and posted on facebook of my weight fluctuations over the past couple of years. I don't want to be model skinny - in fact far from it. I love curves. BUT I would like to be healthy - in mind, body and soul. And since I think my soul and my mind are in positive states - it's the outer shell that needs work.

So I'm on another mission. A mission to lose the weight and get back to the weight that I was when I graduated college. Once I get to that, Ill check my mind and health to see if I want/need to go further. Clear disclosure and I'm not proud about what I'm about to type. It's 50-60 lbs before I get back to senior year of college weight. I know it won't happen overnight. It's going to come through lots of work, lots of willpower and lots of healthy eating and trips to the gym.

According to Sparkpeople.com, which I've just joined, losing 50-60 lbs safely and slowly so it doesn't come back puts me on track for July 2010. So to July 2010 it is! It's like my next new goal. Come take the journey with me. I'll try to be better about blogging this time around. :)

Love and hugs.

3 months, 12 weeks, 90 days. eep!

Really haven't had the time to make updates to the blog - which kinda bums me out, but the past two weeks have been full of stuff with work and with friends. Which is always good, but means that unfortunately my training took a nose dive last week.

I worked out twice the entire week - no swimming or running, just two big bike loops in Central Park. No good. I can't miss anymore workouts or I'll be really nervous that I won't be able to finish the race! And now that it's the 3 month mark, there is no better time to rededicate myself to the race.

The nice thing about the training is that I'm loving getting outside and getting on my bike. So the goal this week is to do all the "triathlon" training in the mornings this week, then get out at night and ride for fun and start doing weight training. I really think the weight training will help with the overall training, not to mention aiding in losing weight.

Plus, when I work out a bit at night, I've found that I'm not as hungry and am less likely to overeat at night, which is never good. I bought really yummy balsamic chicken and have lots of veggies and fruits in the fridge. So that's what I'll be eating this week. Yay yummy, healthy foods!

Today's turning out to be a nice relaxing Sunday. I'm at my apt. in NYC during errands/cleaning while Matt is at a company softball game on Roosevelt Island. We'll have dinner tonight and watch a movie when he gets back, but in the meantime, I've finished all the errands I need to do and am catching up on The Tudors and other various TV shows I haven't been able to watch. Yay internet.

Hope everyone has a fantastic week!

10.5 miles. Whoo! (96 days)

Tonight's blog post is going to come in the form of a list.

Things I learned when biking today in Central Park:

1. Apparently, even though I read that cars and taxicabs aren't allowed to drive in the park, I was wrong.

2. I shouldn't ride my bike when cars and taxicabs are around. I get flustered and almost fall of my bike.

3. Thankfully, instead of falling, I just really scraped my right pedal against the curb. It's really scraped!

4. I have to get over the fact that I'm riding my bike and thus, it will never look "perfect." Refer to #3.

5. It's really good i bought that bike computer because it is much harder to rack up the mileage than one would think.

6. In order for me to get 10 miles in, I had to ride around the entire loop in the park, do the bottom half a second time and then do a couple loops on Riverside Park before heading back to my apt.

7. Hills are going to be really, really hard.

8. BUT, I made it up the HUGE hill in the CP bike loop - the one that is like a mile long and straight up? So hard.

9. That hill made me feel like I was going to throw up.

10. Thankfully, I didn't.

11. I hope I don't during the triathlon. Talk about embarrassing.

12. Even though today was hard, it made me think that with my training over the next 3 months, I really will be able to do this.

13. But I really need to stay focused, otherwise I won't make it. That means NOT MISSING ANY WORKOUTS

14. Found out that the detox diet I was supposed to start today with my colleagues isn't starting until Wed. Sheesh. At least I still ate healthy today.

15. Riding 10.5 miles made me so tired!! I really can't wait to go to bed.

16. The good weather is really putting me in a better mood than I was last week.

17. I'm hoping to get up in the morning and go running.

18. Then do a short swim and get home early to go grocery shopping for all my detox food.

That's about it. Night everyone!

Green is not my color...101 Days

I think I woke up on the wrong side of positivity this week. I've been in a funk all week since Monday and it's not getting any better, no matter what I try. It sounds stupid, but there are certain things in my head that keep me awake and thinking and one of them is the dreaded green-eyed monster: jealously.

I'll be the first one to admit that I've got it pretty good. I've got amazing friends, a family that I can count on for anything and a boyfriend that loves me. I've got a job that is finally paying well, has some stability and I'm living in Manhattan, which has always been my dream. So why am I so freaking jealous over stupid things that have no bearing on my life whatsoever? This is too public a forum to go into specifics, but it all has to do with weight, body image and how I see myself.

I also really have to learn to own up to my inner feelings. One, I'm sick to my stomach that I'm jealous. It's a worse feeling than being mad at someone or feeling overwhelmed. I really hope I can get over it and move on with my life. Two, I also need to own up to some of the other things that keep popping in my head. I want....

Again, too public a forum to go into the remainder of that sentence. But maybe someday. When I can get over not being able to own what I really feel.

All of this being said, all the chaos in my head today spurred a great workout. I've missed two already this week and need to double up at some point to make up for it. if I bike in the morning and swim/run tomorrow night, that will help.

On another note, next week or the week after, I'm going to start a detox diet with three other people in my office. it's going to be great to have the support. Basically, the "detox" is cutting out a huge amount of food - white grains, nonlean meats, sugars, sodium, etc. It will last 30 days and the 2nd week of the detox involves a "master cleanse" type of drink, which I drink five times a day for seven days. Sounds awful, but hopefully with the support of everyone else doing it with me, it won't be so bad.

Here's to hoping tomorrow is better. I think part of the funk I'm in deals with the fact that it's been raining almost nonstop for four days. I could never live in Seattle.

A huge victory! 107 days

Quick post. A huge victory for me today! The very first time in MONTHS I woke up in the morning before work to workout. AND not just any workout, the biggest bike workout of the week. 8 miles! Rode up and down the Hudson in Riverside Park and it was really nice. Hard, but really nice.

Now that I've done it once and I'm making it through the day OK, I hope I'll be able to work out early more often so I feel like I have more free time to futz around at night. (I KNOW I didn't spell futz right. I don't care. LoL.)

Quickly approaching the three-month mark of race day... keep on truckin'!

That is all.

109 Days - Swimmers

In my opinion, swimmers have the best bodies. You can think of Michael Phelps for an example, or just any of the ladies who compete in professional swimming sports. Their bodies are graceful, lean and healthy looking. They aren't stick thin, just healthy. There were two girls swimming today who I could tell were swimmers a while back. I looked at them and I was like, geez! I might have looked like that at some point in my life, or had the potential to look like that.

So, back to the original reason why I started this triathlon thing. To feel good about my body and to lose weight and be confident, like I know I can be. So anyways, seeing those girls tonight made me want to do this even more.

So tonight I jogged/walked for 40 minutes, about 3 miles and then swam 650 yards, or 26 laps. Not a bad workout. And I ate pretty well today too. Healthy lunch and a much smaller dinner than normal. So maybe I'm finally getting on track for both the working out and eating part of this whole ordeal? Keeping my fingers crossed!