Tri Training and The Bike: On a Roll

I am so sorry running but I have a new love.

I didn't mean for it to happen. I thought it was just innocent flirtation. I'll never leave you completely but I have to admit it.

I love the bike.

Today was my second time on the thing and I rode for 12 miles. I felt 100 times more confident and it just felt so good. Even in the oppressive heat I caught some nice breezes and my favorite park whizzed by. It also was 100 times more comfortable because my triathlete friend Scott from Train Fat Boy immediately caught that my bike seat was waaaay too low when he saw my last post and urged me to fix it.  Luckily, today's ride was with the Moms In Motion and Dana (our fearless coach and leader) helped me get it adjusted right. Wow - what a difference proper seat height makes!!

I am second from the left pink shirt - MOMS In MOTION ride

I got my ass out of bed on a Sunday morning at 5:30 AM to be at the park by 6:30 AM - Unheard of! But once out the door I felt good and I was so happy to be on that bike path. Maybe I can become a morning person after all.

I can see why triathlons are so addictive. I'm having a blast mixing up my workouts and learning new things. It's scary, challenging and fun all mixed into one.

After the bike I ran for two miles and even the run was slightly more electric - I felt bad ass for just riding for an hour and now was running too.

I've been keeping up on swimming too. I am coming along - slowly. The good news is, I'm not afraid of the water. I grew up with swimming lessons and flapping along in the deep end of pools and lakes. The bad news is I'm slow and not a particularly great swimmer. I've been studying YouTube videos to get proper technique and they've been helpful - but I've learned that there's a LOT to think about. How I tilt my head to breathe, how you point your toes, flex your ankles, not to kick from the knee, tuck chin and stare to the floor to make sure your hips float more and your kick isn't too deep, fingers together, stroke…  etc, etc. so much to think of and I feel like it takes me forever. But even still. I've never finished a swim session and hated it. I always enjoy my pool workouts and am looking forward to getting somewhat competent. (I know. I aim high. Just keep swimming and don't drown is really the goal.)

But poor running. I just don't have the same passion for it. My runs have been 2 - 3 miles lately. With this baaaaad heat and humidity I haven't had the motivation to run longer. I guess that's OK for now as I have no half marathons on the calendar. I do have a ten mile race in October that I can't forget about though.

Don't forget to try to enter and win an Armpocket! You have until July 15th to enter!

Don't forget there is still time to sign up for an Iron Girl Triathlon and save $10 on your entry. All you have to do is find your race here and enter IGfinishline at checkout.

Have you discovered anything new along the way that you enjoy to do more than or as much as running?

XO
Jen

Tri training: Wearing many hats

Swim-bike-run hats

I am kind of digging this tri training thing. While it's super humbling to be so bad rusty at swimming and biking it's also exciting and fun to be doing something different and mixing things up. I mean if I don't feel like running, I can get in the pool and if I don't feel like swimming I can bike or take a spin class. In a weird way it's freeing.

My swimming is getting better (slowly) but better. I'm feeling slightly more confident and I've been focusing on properly tilting my head to breathe. I am sure that when I'm in an open-water situation it's going to be a whole other ball game but I will deal when I get there…

Speaking of which. HOLY freakin' CRAP. I signed up for a sprint tri for July 21st! YIKES. This totally wasn't supposed to pan out that way.  I recently went to root on a friend during her tri and got an ad on my car for a triathlon that's pretty close to home. HERE IS THE TRI.

Pequannock Sprint, NJ

Well, I toyed with the idea of doing the "try-a-tri" because I figured it would be totally doable for me (a 150 meter swim, 6 mile bike and 2 mile run) perfect. I was pretty set to do that and then I told my bff Angela about it and she scoffed, "Come on, you can do the sprint!" (1/4 mile swim, 11 mile bike, 5K). 

And then I ran it by my Moms In Motion coach, Dana, and she agreed. So I did it. I signed up for the sprint. Hopefully I'm not biting off too much too soon. I definitely would've felt a million times more comfortable with the "try/tri" but I guess pushing yourself outside of comfort zones is where you grow… or drown. But whatever. 

Today was actually my very first time on a real life outside bike since February and that ride was a little shaky. So the hat I wore was a helmut. Happy to say the bike went pretty good. I was nervous for a bit and I had to fight quite a bit of people congestion in the park today but I managed 8 miles and felt much better about the bike.  I was really lucky to get a loaner bike from my friend Rox. (Remember her - I ran the NJ half with her!) 

testing out the wheels with son by my side pre-ride

BTW, I found a cool app if you're starting to bike and want to track distance/mph/calories burned called Map My Ride. I downloaded before going and it was pretty handy. 

Map My run stats

I was so relieved and pumped after the ride that I got off and decided to run a mile to test how my legs would feel off the bike... a "brick" as all the cool tri kids would say. It was a pretty fast mile considering - 10 minutes flat. The first quarter of a mile my knees felt funky but after I warmed up I felt strong and proud of myself. So I did finish with my runner's hat on.

I'm enjoying wearing the many hats of tri training. I really am.

Even so, I'll admit I'm a little freaked out about the sprint - It's less than a month away and of-course I'll be going back to KY for another week of work which will make training a bit of a challenge. No guts, no glory or so they say.

Don't forget! If you're interested in doing the IronGirl Tri with me or any of the others around the country then use coupon code IGFINISHLINE to save $10!

Also I'm giving away a cool Armpocket arm band - a great way to carry your smart phone on your runs (or rides!) So click here to enter!

What's your favorite hat to wear?

XO

Jen

IronGirl Triathlon training: The beginning day 1

So last week I decided to make a bold move. I decided to leave my very affordable gym and join the fancy 24 Hr. Fitness Sport up the block. The 24 Hr. Fitness is more than twice my old gym membership and a little fight ensued in the household with hubby about it.

I argued I needed a gym with a pool now that I'm training for a tri. His comeback was, "Who told you to sign up for a triathlon?" Uh. Well. Who tells me to sign up for anything?

Plus, I argued, that this gym has step, boot camp class, spin, Zumba, yoga, strength training and all these classes that I would love to take. My no-frills gym offered none of it so I was often grouponing classes on the side anyway!

Hubby grumbled.

After swearing to give up my weekly Chipolte habit to cover the extra cost per month he finally gave me the blessing and I signed up on Friday. :)

Wow. I LOVE this gym. It's spectacular. It was like going from a ghetto-flea infested motel 6 to The Ritz Carlton in Paris.

I actually think that on top of the fact that it has classes and a pool, it's the type of place I'm going to want to work out in. You walk in and they hand you a towel. And the locker room looks like a spa. And there's a bunch of racquetball courts and a full-size basketball court (not that I'll probably ever use either but it sure is pretty to look at. 

So on to the training. 

earned a few activity points today

DAY 1

I arrived to the pool and per my Moms In Motion coach, I decided to swim for 20 minutes. (On my own I decided to follow it up with 10 minutes of bike and run so I could get a sense for the whole 'tri' thing).

SWIM:

The water is nice and I share a lane with a guy who seems as slow as I.

I note the time.

I swim one lap. The time feels like it hasn't changed and I'm already out of breath. Shit. Swimming is hard and this is going to be the longest 20 minutes in history.

But I press on. I begged for this dumb gym with the pool. ;) I try to remember what Clay taught me, I have to stop here and there. I try to cheat with all different types of strokes and swim moves. I wonder how I'm going to do a half mile swim in a bay. I figure I'm wasting all kinds of energy with my flailing. Oh boy. I might need to use a noodle. Finally time is up. I'm tired but I'm proud that I did the whole swim and a little bummed about all the breaks I took here and there - thinking, "there's no place to rest in the ocean."

Transition - at least 10 minutes as I shower the chlorine off, get changed, grab my water bottle - decide to use the ladies room and head out to the cardio stuff.

BIKE:

getting on the bike

I use the bikes that do not have the big comfy bucket seat but the one that most resembles an outdoor bike. I get on. and start pedaling. I turn it up to a 5 which feels resistant but not too hard and do that for 10 minutes. I've gone 2.25 miles. I don't feel too tired or stressed but will admit that my legs still felt a little jelly-like as I get on treadmill. It's like 13.5 mph which I think is slow. I feel like my real tri friends go a million times faster but gotta start someplace.

Transition - a minute to gather my crap and move it from the bike to the treadmill.

RUN: 

As soon as I start to run, my parents call from Europe. I feel obligated to answer so I run at 5.5 for few minutes so I can have a conversation with them and then keep upping the pace so I can finish a mile during my ten minute run. Guy on the treadmill next to me tells me that "be careful, the treadmill is addicting." Find that an odd comment. Half tempted to launch into a conversation about running but decide to listen to iPod instead.

All in all - my neck and shoulders feel a little sore but I'm excited to keep going and getting better. Swim is definitely going to be the biggest challenge for me.

Do you do triathlons? What's the biggest challenge?

Want to sign up for an Iron Girl? Use coupon code IGFINISHLINE and save $10 on registration!

XO

Jen

IronGirl Tri training and coupon codes for you!

I'm very excited for to start tri training for my first triathlon: The Iron Girl Sandy Hook event!

I have purchased a pair of googles, identified a bike I can borrow from my friend Roxy and just got these sweet sneakers:

I love new sneakers! 

I am still figuring out the pool. :/ Thankfully I have a little time still.

Baby steps. Got the goggles
now just have to find a pool

The most exciting news at least 10 of my Mom In Motion running buddies have decided to take the plunge and sign up too! We'll be representing at Iron Girl :-)

So….

If you're ready to take the plunge too - you can sign up for any of these races near you and when you use the coupon code IGFINISHLINE you'll save $10!  Visit the IronGirl site and pick your location!

Lake Zurich – June 16^th

Webster – July 21^st

Pleasant Prairie – August 11^th

Seattle – August 18^th

Cherry Creek -  August 24^th

Sandy Hook - September September 8th 

Bloomington -  September 22^nd (Duathlon)

Clermont – Septmber 29^th

Las Vegas – Oct 26^th

Keep me posted!! Tell me if you'll be doing Iron Girl this season!! :) Hope to see you at the finish line :)

XO

Jen