Uncharted Territory

I'm in the uncharted territory (for me!) of actually training for a race!  Until I signed up last week, I was telling people I was "hopefully" going to do a tri this year, and going along with whatever practices we had for my tri group plus some other stuff I like (yoga and pilates).  Here is what the past week or so has looked like from a workout point of view:


Thursday (4th of July): 45 min swim, 19 mi bike ride w/tri group (I KNOW!)
Friday: Nada
Saturday: Pilates, 6.82 mi bike ride w/Coach (bro-in-law)
Sunday:  Running after my kiddos at the church
Monday:  Swim w/tri group
Tuesday: Skip yoga, frolick around the water park with SwimTot, SwimSis and TeenSwimSis.
Wednesay:  1 mile "race" with beer afterwards (more on this later)
Thursday: Nada
Friday:  Nada
Saturday: 1 Hr pilates and 3.52 mi walk with the bestie
Sunday: Running after my kiddos at the church
Monday: Swim w/tri group
Tuesay: Yoga, 30 min run/walk

Hmmmm....not so much a training plan in there, but I did enjoy the frolicking around the water park.  I had never been there and I live like a mile from it!  It is the same rec center that I would often do my walk/runs around in the spring/fall.

I can't believe I did a 19 mi bike ride.  And right after 45 mins of swimming!  dudes, I was TIRED.  It was myself, Tri Coach Jeff, and my teammate Sarah (who has won several tris this season!).  Usually we ride for an hour, but they were all "we'll go however far you can".  Well, I honestly wanted to quit after the first 2 mi loop with the hills, but I did a second, then we switched hills and did a third.  After that we stopped to get more water/potty/refuel, although I didn't have a source of fuel!  Newbie.  I'm not one to chicken out, but I was listening to my body-ish and I said we could ride more, but I needed flat ground!  When all was said and done, we had 19 miles under our belts.  Yes, they had to circle back for me a couple of times, but I never stopped and I never gave in.  I was pretty proud of myself and that night I had no desire to see fireworks, but I was watching the clock so I could go to bed!  Zzzz....

 







Alternate post title "Hills are a necessary evil".  That is such a nice drop in to the state park, isn't it?  those first two hills are the same and they start out with a nice, sweet, short and steep climb, but then it turns into a terrible long slow climb - or at least it feels that way.  Even though I was going slow, I still made it (vs some people walking their bikes up).  I did that third one, which was steep and short and then you can see my longing for flat came true until we rode back into the park and had to climb back out.  Don't laugh at me if you actually live somewhere hilly vs me here in the flat midwest!

I also have to say that ride on Saturday with Coach was amusing.  I had never ridden with him before.  It was overcast and I said I didn't want to get caught in the rain, he assured me the radar looked good.  About a mile in, a nice solid summer rain came in and stayed till we got back.  LOL It was actually not as bad as I thought.  Here is a pic of me (talking while taking a pic).  Can't really see how soaked I was.  The only scary part was knowing that my break handles were wet so I was very cautious.

 Then I will also throw in a pic of me after my 30 min run/walk today.  At 7:15pm, 88 degrees, felt like 94 with humidity to boot!  Midwest heat wave!  This did not capture how red my face was!

Tomorrow I'm planning on doing an hour ride with my tri group and I was already warned yesterday that many hills were in the plan! I had better ask Tri Coach Jeff for a "training plan" so I can make sure I am getting all my stuff in.