Pick n' Choose

In January, I felt like I was at a crossroads in my relationship with fitness.  I had just completed the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge (while losing 8lbs over the holidays, thankyouverymuch!) and had done a lot of new to me activities.  But I knew that the time would come when I would have to commit to some activity and not just keep grazing.  I needed to really come into my own in one area of fitness, stick with it, and hopefully make some friends along the way.

At the beginning of February, I signed up for the Super Tri (held just before super bowl Sunday) on 
a whim.  As I said in the post I wrote, I was able to meet the aquatics director a couple of days before and I got to meet several of the Tri Fit coaches.  There was one who kept telling me I was a good swimmer and asked me to check out a practice of theirs.   

Which is easier said than done.  I can suffer from some social anxiety, so I have to act brave and tell myself that "It will only be awkward if you make it awkward!".  I got there early and swam about 1000 yards before I was asked to move lanes so they could have it for the Tri Fit group.  I said something to the effect of "Oh, I met you on Saturday, would you mind if I joined you?".  To which the Coach (Jeff) remember my name, made me feel welcome, and gave me some drills to do so he could assess my swimming.  

I made it to another practice or two and Coach Jeff was REALLY testing me.  Long swims with 5 seconds rest in between...what a tease!  5 seconds is just a couple breaths in a row. :)  I decided that this would be good for me and Coach Jeff's coaching style was pretty good so far, so I joined!  I highlighted a few reasons here as to why I joined at this Y.  The club is still in the beginning stages, so there are only organized swim practices right now, but they are looking to expand.  I'm excited about running and possibly biking with other people.  

Below if an email from Jeff to me and back, outlining some goals for the club.  I had to have a couple of days to think about it and this is what I came up with:



Hi EmDub,
I'm getting info from everyone so I can write a training plan for each one of you.  If you could tell me what training (swim, bike, run, and strength) you have been doing the last couple of weeks and what races you were planning on doing.  Also any input on what you are looking to get out of Trifit.  


Hi Jeff,

I just started working on my fitness in the past year, so there's lots of room for improvement for me!

Swimming:  I try to do 2200-2400 yds twice a week.  Sometimes I throw in a third swim or make one of those swim around 3200 yds if I am feeling ambitious. 

What I am looking to get out of it:  Obviously to be faster and building my endurance.  My technique is pretty good, but not flawless.  I am wanting to do one or two open water races this year (not signed up for any, yet).


Biking: Uh...spinning at the Super Tri at the beginning of the month?!?  My weakest area, don't own a bike (yet), and the Super Tri was my first time on a spin bike. 

What I am looking to get out of it:  Actually get on a bike/not fear the bike/don't crash.


Running:  Honestly, haven't done it since the Super Tri either, but I like running outside when the weather is nice(r).  I have done a couple of 5Ks in the past year.

What I am looking to get out of it:  I am hoping to run a 5K w/o stopping this year, and maybe do a longer distance race, perhaps a 10K (not signed up for any, yet).


Strength:  I don't currently lift, but I have done some weight machine circuits in the past, but as soon as the weather was nice last year, I ditched the Y to be outside :)  I take Pilates class at the "YMCA B" every week and I do hot yoga a couple of times a month.

What I am looking to get out of it:  Nothing specific, but I really like the concept and that it can help me improve in the above categories.


With Tri Fit, I am hoping to improve my fitness and work towards some small goals that I have mentioned.  I am needing something where I know I am already booked to workout/can't easily skip it.  Also, if I am legitimately unable to make a practice, if I can know what I would have done in that practice/should be doing so that I can make it up on my own if I am able. 

So far, I have had a positive experience.  Swimming is my strong suit and I feel like I have been challenged by doing things I'm not particularly fond of , like sprints or the ladder swims with little rest in between.  I appreciate the challenge and I know when you mention something that doesn't sound fun (like 25 sprints) , that I should do it anyway because it is probably a weak spot for me.

Part of me just wanted to be like "I don't know what I'm capable of, but I am excited to find out"!

Around the same time I joined, I also went to church for the first time in a couple of months.  I mean, I do work at a church every weekend, but I don't attend services.  They started a 5pm service and I wasn't schedule to work childcare, so I went.  On the drive there, I thought of a million reasons that I could turn back or go to Target instead of church, etc.  New people and things - eek!  I got there a minute or two late and was SUPER nervous.  I walked in and one of the greeters was one of my kid's mom, and the usher was one of my kid's dad.  It was so great and the service was really encouraging.  It has been very hard to go to a church, especially by myself.  I guess God knew what he was doing putting me in a childcare job at that church 6 months ago!

Those were some HUGE NSVs for me.  The journey is not just about improving my body, it is about improving myself and meeting some great people along the way.  Instead of having food as a friend, I am breaking out of my shell/comfort zone and it feels scary but good!

What makes you nervous?  Good looking men.  People invading my bubble.

Have you every had social anxiety where you totally missed out on something?  Guilty!  I can name several things that I skipped out on completely, or even got in the car to go there and turned back before I got there, or could not get out of my car once I was there.   

PS If you would like to sign up for the Spring Bootie Buster Challenge, please do so!  You can read all about it here.  If you decide to join, tell them EmDub sent ya! PPS:  I chose the level where you get a chance to win prizes.  If there's anything this girl loves more than getting in shape - it's getting things for free! :)

The ABC's of the YMCA

Hi everyone!  I've had a crazy February with busy weekends!  I did Pilates and Heated Slow Flow (Yoga) this morning and now I have NOTHING to do for the rest of the day.  Score!


I live in a fairly big city, as far as the Midwest is concerned.  There are plenty of YMCAs to go to, and I do frequent a couple on a weekly basis.  Here is the run down of the ones I use every week!  *Note, my views of these YMCAs are likely skewed from a swimming perspective! :)

YMCA "A":

Sorry they were just filling it up after repairs (aka I pulled all these pics from FB)


This YMCA is where it all started last year!  I signed up on St. Patrick's Day and got really nervous because I would now have to use my new membership!  Of course I swam in this lovely pool, but also walked on the treadmill, lifted weights, rode the recumbent bike, and did the rowing machine.  It is also where I took my first group class, which was Pilates for Beginners.  I remember it feeling sooo hard!  The staff here is always super friendly and awesome. Oh, and they have a Subway inside, yum!  This location was really convenient when it was 5 mins from my house, but moving last August made it more like 15 mins away.  I swim here sometimes on Sundays because it is about a mile from the church that I work at.

Pool: 3 pools.  1 lap pool (7) lanes, always a smidge too hot.  1 "program pool" that is warmer, but probably on 10-15 yards long and 4 feet deep aka not lap swim friendly. 1 outdoor pool that has 2, 25 yard lap lanes.




YMCA "B":

This YMCA is about 10 minutes from my current location.  I actually worked here for a couple of months in college as a swim instructor and lifeguard.  I NEVER worked out/got past the pool when I worked there...lame!  This is the location where I swam mornings at the end of summer in their 50 yard outdoor pool.  Swimming under the stars, there's nothing like it!!!  This is where I take my Pilates 1 class on Saturday mornings.  I've never used their treadmills, weights, etc because it is always swamped!  I do love that their locker rooms are so spacious!  They have a big screen TV, couches, a treadmill, elliptical, free weights, yoga mats, stability balls, etc for use here too.  Oh, and a sauna and hot tub just for the ladies.  The best locker room around! 

Pool:  2 pools.  1 lap pool (5 lanes), always SOOO freakin' hot.  Their only indoor pool, so they keep it warmer for swim lessons/water aerobics, etc.  1 outdoor pool (50 yards) ? lanes in that pool.  The outdoor pool is currently under construction.


YMCA "C":

Program pool - Lap pool is behind the lifeguards

Ah, my mecca!  This YMCA is about 20 minutes from my work and 20 minutes from home (If you put the three on a map, it would make a triangle!). Some people think I'm crazy for going over that far, but seriously love this pool! I first went here because I saw they had lap swimming at a good time for me after work...it was love at first dip!  The water was cool.  Like cold when you got in, but when you were working up a sweat, it doesn't feel overly hot.  The water is crystal clear and there are 7 lanes in the lap pool.  This is the YMCA where I did my "Super Tri".   I just signed up for the "Tri Fit" or whatever it is called.  I was asked to think about joining the Triathlete Club at YMCA "B" a couple of months ago, but there are several reasons why I didn't.  Right now, this Tri Fit is in the beginning stages and only swims together.  They are hoping to add running and biking portions in the spring.  That feels good to me because I am cool w/the swimming but need help with the rest!  Plus I really like having a coach/"teammates".  The locker room is terribly small and crowded.  You could fit 4 of these in one YMCA "B" locker room.  Fun fact:  It sits on an old military base.  Although it is not it's proper name, I call Fort ____ Y!

Pool:  3 pools.  1 indoor pool with 7 lap lanes.  1 "program" pool that is the exact same size as the lap pool, but a few degrees warmer and not as deep.  1 outdoor pool with 4 lap lanes, also 25 yards.


YMCA "D":

COMING SOON!!!  Like summer time, I think.  Yay right by my work too (i took this pic out of my boss' window on a day that started in thunderstorms and ended in snow.  This was a few minutes of sunlight around noon).  I'm VERY excited to see what comes out of this YMCA.  Like I mentioned in my last post, this isn't the best neighborhood, but people are working on it.  I'm hoping this YMCA will be something that the community can build on.  I'm very excited about working out with some of my co-workers.  We have a lot of very fit people (our CEO is running Boston), but also a lot of people who are not so fit.

Pool: 1?  From what I know, they are planning an outdoor pool, but are not building it at this time.  Wah, wah, wahhhhhhhh.  However, they are building a track that will be shared with a nearby school.  Excited for kids to be able to play/run OUTSIDE! 



I think the YMCA is such a great organization and I've been a part of it in so many different ways.  I'm excited that it has helped me achieve several of my goals and I cannot wait to see the fun that is to come!


Oh, and before I forget...


Here's my weight update:

Last week:  245.6
This week:  241.2

Oh Lord, this weighing in thing  is ridiculous.  That looks like a big drop, but it is down 0.7lbs from 2 weeks ago. 


Do you work out at multiple places?

Any other fans of the YMCA?

Gaining Perspective

As I'm sure you can garner from my not-so-witty title, I had a gain this week:

Last week:  241.8
This week:  245.6

(Sweet baby Jesus!  Sorry for anyone who read that when it stated I was in the 140s, not 240s.  Lawd!)

Holy smoke bombs, that is terrible!  Like BAD BAD BAD. 

Guess what else was bad:  My eatting!  Cookies, candy, cake, you name it, it was mine.  And my fitness activity only saw 2.5 hrs of swimming (one massive 1.5 hr session Monday, 1 hr on Wednesday), my hour of Pilates on Saturday, and that was it for the week.  Boo hiss. 

I didn't stop when I saw that # on Friday either.  Friday was a flurry of activity, Saturday was SwimTot's 5th bday party, and Sunday I worked 6 hrs with a not so nice fast food break in the middle.

I'm done thinking I NEED things or I deserve a piece of this or a piece of that.  Lame talk is all that is.  I won't EVER confess to being perfect, but why not put a little effort into it EmDub?

However, the week was not a loss!

I had two amazing, wonderful Non-Scale Victories that I would love to share (and that I'm super proud of!).

One was concerning a particular pair of pants.  Last year when I worked a few days at the Super Bowl in Indianapolis, they told me on Friday night that I needed khakis for Saturday morning.  I ran to Target and got the largest size they had: 24s.  But the thing was, they didn't fit.  They didn't zip up all the way.  I wore them that way because I had to.  I just made sure to have a super long shirt or a coat on at all times to hide my half way zipped pants.

After that, I threw them in the closet and decided I would take them out again after a year and HOPED that they would fit. I tried them on and they were perfect!  I was very, very happy about that!



Random photo of a HUGE blueberry.  Yum!




My other NSV this week comes from the wide world of Pilates.  Specifically, the "Pilates Roll Up".  It goes a little something like this: 



So, basically a sit up with your legs flat.  Let me tell you that the first time I tried it, in the summer, girl couldn't even get far from "2" in the image above.  When I started Pilates 1 in the fall, I used a 5 pound hand weight (one hand on each end of the weight) for stability.  But last week I was thinking "hey, I bet I could do those without a weight".  So my boss was out for the afternoon and I went into her office and tried...success!  And then of course I had to go home and show SwimSis and make a mini-competition out of it :)

So Saturday we were in Pilates class and I was doing them w/o the weight and I mentioned it to my teach when she passed by and of course she announced it to the class (which was 3 other people lol).  But they were really supportive and told me that it was months before they could do one unassisted, too. 

In the past couple of weeks there have been some deaths around me, but none of people I knew.  There was a drive by shooting a couple hundred feet from our building where a 19 year old died.  And then early in the AM on Saturday, 2 of our people who were on duty at work were hit and killed by a drunk driver in a really terrible accident.  22 and 24 years old.  They work in a different branch of the company than I do, so I did not know them personally.  It has kinda put me in a haze, but then again, it inspires me to live with purpose and get the most out of this ride called life. 

My goal this week is to live with purpose and put forth the effort to live my life and not just have it pass me by.

What inspires you?

What's In My Swim Bag

I have a bag that I use specifically for my swim stuff, much like many people may have a "gym bag" or the like.  I'm also not one of those people who clean out their bags with any regularity.  While I was swimming on Monday, the plastic nose piece of my goggles snapped.  Ugh.  Coach Jeff tried to fix them, was unsuccessful, but lent me his goggles to use.  So the plan was for me to go home and fish my other goggles out of their hiding spot (they weren't really hidden).  But I quickly forgot that plan.

Let's fast forward to today, Wednesday, where I am supposed to swim after work.  I brought my swim bag, but I still have the broken goggles.  Fart in a box!  My options were to:  A. Go home during lunch/after work and get the goggles (aka pain the booty) or B. Attempt to fix the goggles myself during lunch.

As I am pretty attached to watching Doctor Who during lunch, I chose B.  I retreived the swim bag from my car (sans swimsuits - for the reason detailed at the bottom of the linked post).  I thought "I have not a clue as to what is in this bag - Why don't I find out and blog about it?"  Yes, I am trying to bore you to death.  But nonetheless I bring you:

THE CONTENTS OF MY SWIM BAG

1. Swim Bag (containing 1 pair of unmentionables)
2. Power Bar Energy Gel - Vanilla (from my Super Tri)
3. 2 samples of Nivea body wash
4. 3 types of razors
5. Jewelry that I tossed in a side pocket after work
6. Flip Flops
7. Random pieces of crumpled paper = old swim workouts
8. Random sandwich bag = "waterproof" swim workout holder
9. Hair brush
10. $5 "Sports" Watch
11. L'Oreal Facewash
12. Infusium 23 Shampoo
13. Infusium 23 Leave in Conditioner (the regular conditioner wasn't on sale!)
14. Plastic bag with old swim workouts in it + rock to make sure it doesn't float away if it falls in (above watch)
15. Hair tie
16. Luggage tag thing from the Y
17. Current cap (pink)
18. Goggles (before getting fixed)
19. Empty water bottle
20. Empty Powerade bottle
21. Extra Swim Cap
22. Fork (yeah IDK about that one...)

I threw away all my old workouts.  There were 14 and most of them were soggy.  And 2 of the razors.  I recycled the bottles.  And then I fixed my goggles!

I like Swedish Goggles.  The kind I have now aren't true Swedish Goggles, but very, very similar.  I think I got my first pair in middle school and I haven't looked back.  And don't step on them.  Ouch! 

And for your viewing pleasure:  My Goggles restored to their former glory...

Ooh, about 10 seconds before the middle piece snapped of my face bc it wasn't on there tight enough

Got it!  Just cut off a piece of goggle strap and whittled it down!

The aftermath :)

Any impromptu "I WILL make this work" workout stories?

Putting my goggles on at work: A. Awesome B. Dork C. Your hair is a hot mess D. All of the above?

Super Tri

Sorry for the hit or miss posts...my name is EmDub, and I'm a Doctor Who addict.  I'll just leave it at that.  

Here are the results of my indoor triathlon:

15 min swim:  900 yards
20 min bike:  7.8 mi
20 min run: 1.23mi


Start time:  In my last post, I said I didn't have a start time, but would probably show up around noon and see where they could fit me in.  Well I got a call at 11 for a 1:20pm start time.  Works for me!  Too bad I had a nervous stomach all morning.

I fueled up on Qdoba's breakfast quesadilla (haha, poor planning on my part) and grabbed a Starbuck's protein bistro box to go.  I got to the Tri early, "checked in", meaning I told the lady in charge of swimming that I was there, I set my stuff up in a locker for easy transition in T1, and I went to cheer on the bikers/runners for a bit.

I half-assed (pardon my French) my pilates class that morning (we NEVER rarely (once every couple of months) do lunges or squats, but of course we did that morning) half due to wanting to feel strong in the Tri, half due to hammies that were still sore from 3-4 days earlier!  I was nervous I was going to have a heat with incredibly fast people in it, but when my heat showed up, I felt good!  Myself, an older gentleman named Bob, and a mom type named Karla who swam with flippers on :)

Swim: I was aiming for 800 yards, as I would have liked to obtain splits that were a little faster than 1 min per 50 yards.  The rule was that if you swam over halfway at your last 25, it would count toward your total.  I started swimming at a nice tempo, focusing on keeping the number of breaths the same in each 25 (5 strokes between breaths, except for 3 or 4 right before the turn).  I lapped my competitors near the 100 yd mark (made me feel fast!).  I was so worried I would have an awful swim like I did earlier in January, but I just told myself to keep going and if I felt really bad (high BP, seeing spots, etc) I could slow down or do backstroke.  The tension kept building in my head and I did a 25 of backstroke around the halfway mark (unlimited breathing...yay!).  That gave me the push I needed, but I had long since lost count, but I took a glance at my watch every 100 or so.  I saw my watch was at 14:20 something so I cranked it up to try to get another 50 in...at least the halfway mark on the 50 so it would count!  I dug deep and barely reached the halfway mark and then slowed down for the rest of the 25.  When I got to the wall, my watch said 15:12.  I heard the young man who had counted for me say "36 lengths" and I tried to do the quick math, but my head felt like I had just got punched in the face!  The lady in charge of the swim and the aquatics director were both standing over me, telling me I did a great job.  I hate compliments, but am getting better at accepting them.  :)  I said "Thanks...ugh, two more things to do???" meaning spinning and running.  I made my way to the locker room to change and grabbed a power bar energy gel, the only one my local grocery store had!  I took that and some powerade and water and headed for the spin room.



A little shopping beforehand...oh that ice cream was for after :)



Spin:  I asked the lady in charge of spin to help me adjust my bike because I had never been on one before!!!  She was very gracious, and my new friend Karla was totally a spin pro so she gave me some tips (don't point your toes!).  The biggest relief:  Fans.  Several fans and almost right in my face.  Felt sooooo good.  My face was still beet red!  I took it easy on the bike.  The resistance was a 10 for most of my 20 min ride, but I bumped it up when I stood and rode for a minute.  The lady in charge of the swim part came in twice in those 20 mins to tell me how good my swim was.  Really felt like I was getting athletically hit on!  (something I never thought I would say!).  The ride went by pretty quickly and I got to 7.8 miles which I felt good about for my first time on a spin bike.  The instructor said most people were getting to 10.

Run:  I had not run on a treadmill in half my life! (Gym membership in Jr. High!)  We were supposed to have 5 mins for T2, but we were the last heat, were ready to go, and there were the perfect amount of treadmills open.  I logged onto Netflix, propped up my Kindle over the treadmill readout, walked for 2 mins and then got to running!  I was doing 2 running, 2 walking until about 5 mins left, I decided to run the whole way and found myself pushing the button to go faster because I wanted to see 1.25 on the readout after 20 mins!  I got to 1.23 and was very proud of myself for that.  (and again, the lady from the swim was by to tell me when their group met for swimming and how she hopes I can join them in the coming week.   Spoiler alert:  I did!

Triathlon completed!

After a short cool down, we were off to one of the community rooms where I was surprised to see water, bananas (very green bananas), bagels and chips.  I had not even thought about them providing some snacks afterwards, but was happy they did.  They also wanted a bit of feedback afterwards because this was their first tri.  I thought it was wonderful and I was very proud of myself!  Part of me wants to run and hide from scary things and I'm trying to overcome that introvert part of myself so I can have fun and meet some people.

This tri gave me some much needed confidence!  Oh, and when I signed up for "non-competitive", I guess that just meant that I got my results and did not see how I stacked up against everyone else - bummer!




Coach Beth, me, Bob, Karla, Coach Jeff

Weigh in:
Last week: 243.6
This week:  241.8

I'm slightly freaking out on the inside because I typically have not lost weight this fast in the last year.  Perhaps it is because I'm swimming more...

I'm just going to touch on this today and maybe save the bulk of it for another post, but:  I may not weigh in every week anymore.  I made one promise to myself when I started this and it is that I WILL NOT sacrifice my mental health/stability to lose weight/get in shape.  Before my Friday AM weigh in, I found myself thinking "oh, if I don't eat a full dinner tonight, I will show a better loss tomorrow".  Dumb, dumb, dumb.  That shit (oy, French, sorry!) will NOT fly in this camp.  If those thoughts continue to creep into my head, I will outlaw that scale so fast!

A Chance to Win $10,000 - A Risk

**Busy week!  Update about "my tri"later!  For now, here is something I have been thinking about for a while!**



About two months ago, I was getting some lunch at my usual place - Walgreens.  I love their fresh little salads, etc.  Oh and I usually get a wee bag of chips too, if we're being honest.

I was second in line to check out when I heard the cashier utter the unfortunate phrase, "If you buy 2 candy bars for $3, you will be entered for a chance to win $10,000".

First thought:  Holy smokes!  Imagine what I could do with $10,000!  I would buy ALL THE THINGS!!!

Second thought:  Candy!  Candy!  Danger!  Danger!

Third thought:  Okay, I k now it's not good for me, so I won't get the candy.

I stepped up to the cashier when it was my turn.  I heard that unfortunate phrase, turned down the offer, paid for my things and left in a hurry.

Did you know you can be haunted by candy bars?  Not that I truly wanted them.  But just to be offered them like they were mine to begin with.  And throw in an opportunity for a cash prize?

The rest of the day I couldn't get this off my mind:  Is it worth the risk?

What are the chances I would win that $10,000?  1 to 100,000 or more?

What are the chances I would eat those two candy bars in the next 24 hours?  100 to 1.

Clearly, I'm not winning that battle, so I'd rather not participate.  

We face battles like this everyday. 

Don't blindly go into life, ask yourself...is that ____ worth the risk???



What are some things that aren't worth the risk?

Tell me some things that ARE worth the risk?

J/K. My motivation was just hibernating.

Well you could have fooled me!  Last week I felt so depleted of energy and sad about my missed morning workouts.  This week I was feeling fairly rested and entirely nixed morning workouts in favor of evening workouts.

Monday:  No activity due to headache.  Went home and slept 11 hrs.

On Tuesday, I brought my swim stuff to work with me*.  I was reading some blogs at work and one of Mary's blogs had a "related content" link to one of her old posts about swimming in preparation for a triathlon.  The pics had the bluest pool water and being the swimmer at heart that I am...it made me drool!  I was perusing the YMCA's website for swim schedules and was looking at the YMCA webpage for my favorite pool in the area (a post on that in a week or two!).  I was scrolling through their news when I saw the mention of an indoor triathlon...this Saturday.  Sounds nice, on my list for this year, but no thanks, too soon.  I had a pretty good swim.  I did this workout...the 2200 yd one.  It was lovely.  Just swimming at a reasonable pace and not looking at (aka worrying about) what was next until it was time for the next thing.  I finished in 57 minutes and felt great.

On Wednesday, I knew I wanted to do Yoga, but was going back and forth between a video at home or going to the yoga studio where I have (had) 4 classes left on my package.  When I got home, SwimSis asked if I wanted to go to Yoga...duh!  I had been thinking about the triathlon since I saw it yesterday and I asked SwimSis if she wanted to do it.  Something akin to "hell no" came out of her mouth :)   Yoga was pretty good, but fairly easy.  I did over do it a bit though because Coach likes to start riffs between people.  When we were still at home, he said to SwimSis "So EmDub is better than you at Yoga, right???" Which she emphatically answered "NOOOOO!" and then my reaction was "WHAT???".  So I had to prove I was as good as SwimSis (who is probably 50lbs lighter than me, so she can naturally do things a little better than I can!).  My hammies are still sore today!

Going to bed that night, I was like what is stopping me from doing this triathlon?  Am I unable to do any of these things?  No.  Am I uncomfortable on the bike?  Yes.  Do I hate running on the treadmill?  Yes.  (PS haven't run on the treadmill since I was 14!)  Would I LOVE to knock something off of my 2013 goals list in February?  YES!!!  Would I be hella proud of myself for accomplishing something that is challenging and out of my comfort zone?  DUH!

I packed the gym clothes the next morning so I could go to that Y after work and see the equipment (aka other things besides the pool).  I had emailed the director to try to get more information (what are transition times like?  How do I know when I start?) but he never emailed me back.  Part of me, typical me, wanted to say "Oh, I didn't get adequate information about the triathlon and now I just won't do it". And then I would mope all Saturday and be disappointed in myself.  Well, I decided to suck it up with my minimal amount of info (at this point, all I knew was that there were transition times so I could change out of my swimsuit...not even that it was timed events instead of distance based.  It is I thought it would be distance based, but she had read a flyer at a different YMCA that said it was time based (ie 15 min swim, 20 min spin bike, 20 min treadmill run) and they just document how far you go on each of these.) and go sign up for it.  I went to the YMCA and signed up.

"Competitive or Non-Competitive?"
"....Uh, is there a category for 'I just want to finish'?"
*Quizzical stare at me*
"...Non-Competitive"

I asked her if she had more information about the triathlon.  She said no.  But said I should "probably"show up 10 or 15 mins before noon to see what was going on.  I thought about asking for a tour of the facility since I had only seen the pool (right at the entrance).  They were super busy so I decided to wing it....and promptly got lost.  I saw the blue shirt of an employee and asked for help/directions.  And guess what...it was the aquatics director who was in charge of the triathlon.  Then I got all the information I needed!  What luck!  Although he said most people who signed up in advance had been given a starting time, so I should just show up and see where i can get in a heat.  Good thing I'm rather laid back.  Hopefully I won't have a nervous stomach :)

So he showed me to the cardio room and I hopped on a recumbent bike for 30 mins and then got on a treadmill for 25.  I was too timid to run on the treadmill, but I got my pace up to 3.5 walking, which is faster than I walked on a treadmill before.

So it was a pretty solid work week.  No lack in motivation.  Perhaps just reasonable expectations of myself?

Time to hear from the scale:
Last week's weight: 247.0
This week's weight:  243.6

Okay, I thought last week's weigh in was too high anyway.  I was just hoping to see 245 again this AM, but I will GLADLY take 243. 

Thanks for the comment Wallflower.  I'm hoping it was just an off week too.  But a big congratulations on 50lbs lost to you!!!!!

It's February, so let's see how I did on my January "challenge".

Challenge:  no candy January
Results: Good!  But not perfect.  I had a cupcake on my bday w/what I thought was a gumball on top.  Nope, it was a big lemonhead.  I ate it.  Then the next week I was offered 1/3 of a large Reese's PB cup Blizzard from DQ.  Totes ate it for dinner.
Thoughts:  Happy!  I think I got off the "HAVE TO HAVE SUGAR AFTER MEAL" kick.  Before my challenge, I would definitely start thinking of sugar even before my meal was done.

February challenge:
Makeup February.  I've never really been into makeup.  Only for special occasions type.  Obviously it doesn't hurt to have at least mascara and lip gloss.  That minimum is my goal everyday.
Results of 2/1/13:  I had no idea where my makeup bag was this morning.  I haven't put on makeup since Christmas.   Well maybe I put mascara on on my bday.  Anyway, I had mascara in my purse that I swiped from TeenSwimSis at Christmas.  Day one:  challenge met, but not exceeded!

Jan 31st:  Sans makeup.  But plotting something?

Feb 1.  Mascara and lip gloss.  And a bright light to even out my complexion :)

This is how I really look. ha!

EmDub, how do you feel about your upcoming tri?

*Swim Tip of the Week:  If you live somewhere where it is winter and are going swimming after work/before work, do not leave your swimsuits (even dry) in the car beforehand.  They will not warm up in the 5 mins you have before putting them on.  They will be freezing and so will you!