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!