A new view

Week 2 (Preparing for a Triathalon in April)

So I decided to skim back over my last entry and the first thing I thought was "wow Karen, that was reaaaallllllllly inspiring... (sarcasm). Eh, well what can I say, the first week is always the hardest, especially when you're trying to accomplish big goals. However I am so glad I got through it and now things are much better.

I started biking this week. I hadn't been on a bike in over 4 years and I didn't expect the experience that followed. It was a whole different kind of feeling that sits right in your thighs and pretty much no-where else. I won't lie, it hurt, but I'm getting used to it and I'm already biking 4 miles each time I go.

I've come up with a solution for not having a swimming pool nearby. Biking and running builds my lower body strength and my endurance so I just need to build my upper body strength to be prepared for the 500 meter swim. I'm planning on starting arm aerobics and upper body conditioning this week with Jillian Michaels home videos. Wish me luck!

New Years Resolutions

As many of you already know, I've come up with quite a few ambitious resolutions for the new year and I feel inspired to share my experiences on how I accomplish them. Before I begin, here they are:

1) Do a triathalon on April 30th
2) Plant and harvest a garden
3) Re-learn my beginnners piano class and master it
4) Build an adequate supply of home-canned goods and food storage
5) Read the book of Mormon cover to cover.

WEEK 1

I ran every day and there's several things I've learned this week.

1) I am TIRED! Normally exercise gives me more energy but since I'm not used to such a high exercise regimend it wore me out! God knew what he was talking about when he made Sunday the day of rest.

2) I thought my feet were pretty tough. Well, they weren't. I find if I increase the intensity of my work-out enough my feet have to adjust. I didn't think I would get blisters anymore but I got them BAD.

3) Wearing your shoes right is EXTREMELY important. I hate tying my shoes so I did the lazy thing and tied them in such a fashion so I could slip them on and run. Now my big toenails are almost dead. Best way to fix that is to wear my shoes tighter and wear good socks.

4) If I really wanted to, I could run in the heavier weight division of the triathalon right now. HAHAHAHA! I got a big kick out of that. The heavy division is over 150 pounds. I'm sure if I keep training I will break under that but for now, I thought it was pretty funny.

5) My running time STINKS!!! I don't know why, but I am having the hardest time running 3 miles in 30 minutes. I'm not even close. It doesn't even make sense to me. When I was a teen, I could run 3 miles in under 30 minutes without even trying or practicing! I know I have several factors working against me. The biggest one is I had kids. They malled over my body and I just don't get quite as good a pick-me-up anymore. Although I finally decided not to let this running time thing get to me anymore. I don't time myself anymore and it's quite a relief. I have to tell myself that I'm not competing against anyone and I just want to finish my triathalon respectably (without stopping). Besides, it's not for almost another 4 months. What am I so worried about???

6) There is NOWHERE to swim! The nearest possible place is the Y, which is a 20 minute drive away and they currently only have a wading pool. It is possible to train up in it, but it would be a pain! They're lap pool doesn't open until March 1st. Still looking for more options.

Overall I'm having a few set-backs but I feel I'm off to a good start.