Chubbette

Back to Back

After Saturday's Tri, I wanted to see if I could repeat the performance so on Monday, I went to the gym swam for 1 mile then I went to spinning for 45minutes, then I went home and changed to my running clothes. My little brother, who is visiting from NY wanted to ride the bike next to me so we both went out, he took off on the bike and since he didn't know where we were going he just took off straight. After reaching the 3mile marker, he was too far ahead and I just kept going after him. Finally I was able to catch up to him at the 2.5 mile marker for a 5 mile loop--a little unexpected but I ended up running 5 miles! Back to Back Tri.

Today, I repeated it, this time though I only ran 2.5 miles. I am excited to see how my body is performing...I keep pushing and it just keeps adapting to my needs. The body is a wonderful machine!

Starting next week, I will be pushing a little harder as the TOU 1/2 approaches.

Monday Stats

Swim: 1 mile

Spin: 45 min

Run: 5 mile

Wed Stats

Swim: 1 mile

Sping: 45 minutes

Run: 2.5 miles

PushUp Challenge: Day 2

So I guess I am a bit slow and not all my marbles are in so here is what I have been thinking about...the schedule reads as follows: (Week 1, Day 2 of Push Up Challenge)

I thought I was level 1...so I am doing the first column...correct? Do I have to then do each set down the column? Hmmm.....if this is the case...my arms are going to hurt tomorrow!

In workout news: Last night I was able to go out for a run and ran 5 miles in 47 minutes...this is my fastest time yet. My legs are feeling it today but not enough to keep me out of the swimming pool.

At the pool, I tried out a new suit I got a couple of months ago--it is supposed to be a Tri-Suit (shorts and top all in one). The idea is wonderful but I didn't like it. It performed well at the pool but during the bike (spinning) I was uncomfortable as hell. The padding (very little of it) kept bunching up and chaffing me in sensitive areas. The material dried up quick but the padding didn't get any comfortable. Prognosis: I am just going to wear my regular swim suit and put my biking shorts over.

Question for the cycling women out there: Do you wear Bibs? I have been reading about Bibs quite a bit and after wearing the one piece suit today during my spinning class, I enjoyed how it kept my bulging belly in. I know guys wear them but are there any out there for us women. BTW: I wear Pearl Izumi shorts. Thanks for any input. 

Recoup & a Challenge

After spending most of last week sick, I got out of bed this morning with the determination to go to the "big pool", the 50 meter one and try out my swimming there. The 50 meter pool is outdoors and waking up early and jumping in a cold pool is not usually at the top of the list for me...indoors is a little different. But the triathlon this weekend is at the outdoor pool and I thought it wise to go out and swim there a few times before Saturday.

As I got into the pool, I was surprised to feel that the water was warm. I timed my 500 meters (the distance for this Saturday's Triathlon). I am still pathetic but not as pathetic as I was last summer. Last summer I could do a lap (100 meters) in about 2:36 minutes, today, I was able to crank out the 500 meters in 11:14, not Michael Phelps by a long shot (despite the fact that we share the same last name) but I am faster than last year but still slow by swimming standards.

After the swim I came home and picked up my neighbor and we went for a short 5 mile run. It felt great to be out there again, running, sweating, and giving my body the much needed exercise it needed from last week's break. I was still able to run a 10 minute pace and felt that I could have gone faster...maybe the speed workouts are starting to have an influence in my regular runs.

Once I got home and started getting ready for the day, I kept reading on different blogs about the Push-Up Challenge and so decided to drop down and see how many I could do. Back in my HS days and when I was taking Tae Kwon Do, I could crank out 30 without dropping a sweat (but then I weighed probably 100lbs and was young). Today, I did 4...4...kind of sucks to see how wimpy I am in arm strength. Discouraging. But, it means that I have room for improvement...lots of room.  So count me in too in the challenge! Let's see if I can muster enough energy to get to 100 consecutive pushups.

I re-sized the banner from the website and made this button, it is on my sidebar too, it should help keep me motivated.

Humble Bumble

There is nothing better than to be humbled! Especially when you have been thinking for the past few months that you have improved considerably at a task. I learned how to swim at 23, I swam for a bit then I got pregnant with my first and I didn't swim as much. Now, 7 years later, I have picked up swimming again, I have been swimming regularly since about March, 3x a week for about an hour each time.

Since I picked up swimming again, I learned how to do flip turns, and I have acquired an array of paraphernalia to make my swimming less monotonous. My speed has gotten a little better..okay I shaved about 15 seconds off each lap. However, I knew I was slow but I didn't know how slow I really was until this morning when I was talking to some friends at the gym and they told me that they had done an Ironman this weekend up in Idaho. I came home and decided to look up the event...yes, I am new to exercising overall and I am very, very new to competitive/challenging events. But I thought I stood a chance with my swimming...until I saw that my friends, who rarely swim worked through a 1.2mile swim in less than 40 minutes!!! I would like to think that it was all in their wonderful speedy wetsuit, but I know better than that...I am just plain slow!

The Silver Lining: I guess this leaves me with just lots of room for improvement!

In yesterday's post, I made a mistake in the distances for the Tour this weekend, there are actually 5 distances, a 36, 46, 64, 80, 104, I was missing the middle one--64. Still, I haven't decided which one I will be doing. Many of my spinning friends are doing the 104...hmmm, peer pressure, lol.

Stats of Today's Workout

Swimming: 1.5 miles

Time: 55 minutes

Spin: 90 minutes

Can I really call it a Work Out?

The spinning class was cancelled today and I was too much of a bumb to sit there spinning by myself with my iPod so instead I stayed at the pool. No, I didn't swim any more laps than I usually do, instead I got up late and got to the pool late--it sure sucks when I don't wake up exactly at 4:20am. I laid in bed for 20 minutes debating going or staying...at the end, I got off the bed and went out. I don't know why I do this to myself, everytime I have second thoughts about going I end up going, so I should just stop the second guessing and get off the bed. It is soooo hard to get off the bed though, especially when you have a nice toasty body next to yours.

Despite my getting there late, I swam a good hour, going through the different "toys" I have for my swimming for 4 laps each. I completed 48 laps...1.5miles and then I swam and extra 2 just to make it an even 50 laps. Still, I felt like I was cheating myself from a good work out. I should have gone upstairs and sat on the bike and spinned. I should have gone upstairs and lifted weights. Instead I came home and had Ranch Potatoes for breakfast. Talk about digressing!

Stats:

Swimming: Front crawl

Time: 60 minutes

Distance: 1.5 miles

Friday Work Out

What a beautiful day for a workout! I am used to getting up and the sky being dark...4:30am is too early for the sun to be up but seeing the sky in darkness just makes me want to go back in bed. Today though, it was different. The sky had a slight tint of light and it just sent my heart a flutter. I so wanted to be up and about and I was glad that I woke up and headed to the gym.

I was the second person at the gym (well, besides the workers, lol). I was the second one at the pool so I had my choice of lanes. The guy next to my lane is in my spinning class so he stopped his first lap to say hello and to tell me that the pool was still cold (Wednesday the temperature of the pool was so cold that a couple of people left...not me!). I stretched a bit and jumped right in...the water was cold...brrr. However, by the second lap I was warmed up and didn't feel the cold water as much. After my 8th lap (I swim 8 laps for warm up), I put on my fins and hand paddles and off I went to swim. The hand paddles provide me with great arm workout and the fins teach me to kick properly. I used to barely kick, now I am kicking a little more and I have seen a huge improvement in my time. In total, I swam 48 laps, for a 1.5 mile distance.

Stats:

Distance: 1.5 miles (48 laps)

Time: 55 minutes

Spinning was a bit fun. As soon as I came in, Rod, the instructor said that just because I had just swam 8 miles that it was no excuse for slacking off. He swims too before the spinning class, so he was just joking around. Fridays is usually a tough work out as we have climbing...and he is brutal with the resistance. A great work out! By the end, I was sweating buckets and I had drank all my water. Note to self: bring extra bottle of water next time.

I headed home after the work out as I wanted to wish my neighbor Nish a good trip. She is going to Florida to visit family for the weekend. We seem to spend quite a bit of time together which I enjoy very much.

Tomorrow is going to be a tough day. The cycling gals have a 60 mile ride planned. I don't know if I can make it that long but I will try.

I am worried about

1)Railroad tracks--I don't want to beef it again!

2)Where are we going to get water to refill our bottles

3)Hunger--I bet I am going to be starving around mile 45

4)My butt getting too sore and then being in pain next week

However, the 60 mile ride is a must as we have the Little Red Tour next weekend...and I may go for the 104 mile ride....or I may just ride 68 and call it a good day. We'll see.

MIA...not really

It is not like I have taken a break and given up, nope, nope. I just haven't had a chance to come in and update the wee blog.

Let's see, a quick wrap up: after the half marathon, I was pretty sore. Really, really sore. The downhill course killed my quads big time! Although I could move around quite well, going down the steps was a bit hard. Our house is a multi-level home so to go anywhere I have to climb steps/go down steps--I was a funny sight that entire week after the half. I am moving much better now.

Despite the soreness though, I only skipped my Monday (5/19) work out. I didn't run on Tuesday as I was too sore but I did drag my sorry butt to the pool and swam about a mile.

Wednesday 5/21, I did my regular spin work out and my swimming workout. I have started swimming about 1.5 miles in a 55 minute time block!

Thursday 5/22: no running. Still a bit sore.

Friday 5/23: a regular workout at the gym plus weights at the end of my spin class. Again, I swam 1.5miles.

Saturday 5/24: went on a short run. 5 miles.

Monday 5/26: swam 1.5 miles

Tuesday 5/27: Ran 9 miles. Biked 22 miles at night time with friends.

Wednesday 5/28: Swam 1.5 miles; Spin 60 minutes; weight lifting 20 minutes

Thursday 5/29: Sat around all day cleaning the house! Horrid day (LOL)

Splash!

My legs were too tired to go to my regular workout so I decided to sleep in and go later in the day. Since I ran the 12 miles on Tuesday, I needed an "easy" day to let my legs rest so I decided to not spin nor attend aerobics class, instead I just swam. I have never swam for such a long period of time...I like it! After the first 30 minutes my body started warming up and then the flips became easier and I felt like I was one with the water, just gliding away.

Stats

Swimming

Time: 90minutes

Type: Front Crawl, Backstroke, Breaststroke. A few laps with hand paddles and a couple of laps with fins.

Notes: I weighed myself again today just for kicks and I am down a couple of pounds. Down to 127 lbs! Nope, I am not starving myself, I still eat tacos and pasta and rice and lots, lots of white bread!

Monday WorkOuts & Cycling Sneaks

Stats:

Swam: 50 minutes

Spin: 45 minutes

Came home right after spinning. Sam had to go down to SLC to talk to a guy about a loom mold.

The swim coach from the local high school was there and he gave us a few pointers.

• Wear the hand paddles and then swim 4 lengths breathing every 3rd stroke.
• Swim 4 lengths breathing every 5th stroke
• Swim 4 lengths breathing every 7th stroke

Repeat the above for a couple of weeks and then increase each by two lengths. I am going to try it out and hopefully my swimming will get better.

Afternoon cycling sneak: Nisha, Laurie and I went on a little ride yesterday afternoon. 10miles out and about. It felt good to be on the bike again.

Monday Dragg

I had to literally drag myself out bed this morning. I was still so tired despite going to bed at 10pm last night. My legs are still sore from Saturday's run...I was very impressed about my performance on Saturday but my legs just haven recuperated. As I got out of bed at 4:30, I lazily went to the bathroom to put my bathing suit on and I kept contemplating going back to bed. As I brushed my teeth I kept making excuses to myself and trying to talk myself out of going to the gym. As I drank my Carnation breakfast, I kept thinking how comfy the bed was and how warm I would be if I laid down next to Sam. I went up to give Sam a kiss goodbye and with it a goodbye to the bed.

As I pulled into the Sports Academy parking lot, I just didn't feel like swimming...and that's a big deal for me. I went upstairs and saved my bike and then headed to the pool. At the pool, I opted for an easy way out: used a pull buoy for most of the swimming time which is okay as it helps me tilt my hips the correct way.

Spinning class was a killer...my right calf was too tight from the running but after spinning for 45 minutes, my calf felt a lot better...still is tight but not as tight as it was when I started.

The toning class was fun but I had to leave after 30minutes as I needed to head home and get Wonderboy ready for school. I was actually okay with heading home early, give my legs a little rest. I was able to get a little bit of upper body workout.

Stats:

Swim: 35 minutes. Freestyle/Crawl with flip turns

Spin: 50 minutes. Speed Intervals.

Toning: 30 minutes.