3 Weeks Until My First Tri

Yesterday marks exactly 3 weeks until my first triathlon, the Rock of the Marne Triathlon at Hunter Army Airfield. Training is going well, I'm hitting the pool twice a week, running twice a week,a brick workout with bike to run, and a long bike bike, this is my schedule every week. I had to cut my swim workout short this morning. Unsolicited advice forced me out of the pool.

I have been pool swimming in a manner you would swim in the open water, to get ready for the two triathlons I have coming up. The older woman in the lane next to me was seriously critiquing my every move in the pool. It made me crazy. She wasn't a swim coach or an instructor, just another woman getting her workout in. After telling me her life story, she tells me she has only been swimming for a month. I'm all for getting help and taking advice.........when I ask for it. I have been watching hours of swim training videos all over the internet, and I am trying to take what I learn into the pool. Swimming is not my strong sport, but I really am trying my best. I have only been hitting the pool for a few weeks but I am getting better. This woman was making me so crazy critiquing my stroke, my hand cup, my kicking, my breathing, the way I am floating, how my midsection was sitting, it was making me bonkers and I didn't want to swim anymore because she was just staring at me.

I am a very polite person, so as much as I wanted to tell her to leave me alone and let me swim, I didn't. She is there every morning too. Right now I am just trying to get through the swim in the triathlons so I can get on my bike. After this morning, its making me not want to go back to the pool. I use the pool for free, but I could buy a membership at the local Y and use their pool, which would work out well since their pool opens at 5 am. The only thing that is stopping me is I try to cut corners wherever I can, and I would be paying for something I could get for free.

Running is going great, better than expected, and I am progressing pretty good on the bike. My first triathlon coming up on September 19th is a 500 yard swim, a 13 mile bike, and a 3.1 mile run. I did a brick workout on Saturday bike to run the distance of the triathlon. I was tired, but it wasn't too difficult. I know swimming first will really wear me out, but I don't have the means to do a swim to bike brick in training right now.

Yesterday was my long bike ride day, my best friend Loraine went along and took a pic of me on my bike during the ride.

My Own Private Half Marathon

On Saturday, instead of my usual bike to run brick workout, I decided to give running half marathon distance a try. It went well, I made it. I had to yell at myself to pace myself and not to go under 10 minutes a mile, that way I could be sure I would make it. I wanted to go faster, but I didn't think I would make the entire 13.1 mile distance if I went under 10 minute mile, so for this trial run I stuck to that.

Saturday started off as a cool morning for August in South GA. It was 78 degree, which is cool for this time of year, and it was somewhat overcast. My run started of really well,moving right along,then suddenly after 3 miles I was hit with the urge to pee. I was already prepared to take pee break,as well as a pause to fill up my hand held water bottle, take a salt tab, and eat some sport beans. I wanted to keep the clock going during these pauses so I could get a realistic half marathon time, since I will be stopping to pee and take a salt tab and sport beans at the half marathons in October and November.

I found a port-a-potty, made a visit, and busted out of that thing running, it only took 23 seconds. I kept going nice and steady, around mile 8 I was out of fluid and was getting tired. Loraine was at the playground with the girls, and had my little cooler with my Gatorade G2 in it, I ran to the playground, filled up my bottle while taking a salt tab and eating a pack of sport beans, this stop was really brief and I was off running again.

This was my first time taking in nutrition during a run. I do it all the time on my long bike rides, but I wasn't sure how it would go today, since on a bike ride your guts aren't bouncing up and down. After another mile I was feeling the positive effects of taking in nutrition. The sun came out all of a sudden and was beating down on me, but at this point I only had 3 miles to go, so the only way I wasn't finishing is if I got hit by a car. I just kept positive thoughts in my head,and kept visualizing 13.1. When I got to 12 miles, I started heading back to the playground where Loraine and my girls were. I hit 13 miles, but knew I had to run around the parking lots to get to the .1,I had to make it official. I know I probably looked a little disturbed, soaked and dripping in sweat, looking dog tired and just running around a parking lot, but I didn't care,13.1 was my milestone for this day, and I did it.

Here is the route for my private half marathon, I ran it in 2 hours 16 minutes

Backing Out of a 2011 Ironman Before I Hurt Myself Physically and Mentally

Well, I hate to say it, but I won't be racing in an Ironman in 2011. This has been a hard decision to make, but one I feel confident that I am doing the right thing at this point in my life. I am not one to make excuses, but my reasons for not doing it are very valid. First and foremost, my family comes first. With the finances, it was coming down to getting my triathlon bike along with registering for the Ironman, and giving our girls an awesome Christmas. I choose to give our girls an awesome Christmas, they really deserve it, its been a rough year without daddy being home, and its not over yet. I choose them over the Ironman.

Second, right now I have a good training schedule, 9 hours training a week. I have to wake up early, but it is manageable and I don't miss out on time with my kids, who are 1 and 3. Training for the Ironman, the training bumps up to 17-20 hours a week. That's more time than I want to be away from home, from my family at this point in my life, I have two toddlers who need me. My husband will be home from Iraq in 4 months, I have missed him so much, I will want to spend time with him, lots of time with him. I will have no problem continuing my current 9 hours a week when he is home, but 17-20 hours a week is another story. I have been morbidly obese our entire marriage, except for now. I just lost the weight, I just got my life back, I want to enjoy my life as an average size person for awhile before I commit that kind of time into training for one race. When he gets home, me and Joel want to go on dates, go to Saint Patrick's Day in Savannah, go on weekend trips, just enjoy that the deployment is over and we are together. Training for the Ironman, I wouldn't be able to do any of that. My life would become training, and it would take priority over everything, including building a stronger marriage with my husband, and I choose him over the Ironman.

Third, the Ironman take most people years to build up to those distances. It would be possible for me to complete it in a year, but not a very good idea. I would have to constantly over-train to condition my body, which leads to injury and burnout, neither of which I want to experience. I am happy I am able to put in so many training hours right now without injury, and when I feel like a burnout is coming I am able to tweak my schedule before it occurs. Also,I don't have a complete digestive system, its going to take a lot of time and trial and error to figure out how to fuel and stay hydrated during such a race, if I don't figure it out before a race to this caliber I could seriously hurt myself. I need to take the time to build up my fitness for an Ironman race, and figure out the nutrition thing, my health depends on it. I choose my health over the Ironman.

One day, I will do an Ironman, but not next year. Next year my "A" race will be the first ever Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in Savannah, November 2011, and then my attempt at the Goofy Challenge at Disney World in January 2012. Right now my race schedule is pretty full with lots of fun races, 10ks, half marathons, and sprint triathlons. I just became an averaged sized person, I really don't want to overdo it. I am so happy I have been able to jump back into running as if I never had a four year break,I'm already up to 9 miles. I love running, its becoming my passion again as it has been in the past.

You may still think I am just making excuses, but I know this is what's best for myself and my family. They are, and always will be,my first priority.While I am taking this time to enjoy my life I will also try to dig deep and figure out why and how I got so heavy in the first place. Just because I made it to my goal weight, doesn't mean my journey has ended, it has still only just begun.

Bricks

Lately to get ready for my upcoming triathlons, I have been doing brick workout, that is, doing two or more of the triathlon sports back to back. Unfortunately right now its not logistically possible for me to do a swim to bike brick, so every Saturday I do a bike to run brick. Today was my longest one to date. I rode my bike 11.66 miles in about 42 minutes, and then ran 3.15 miles in about 28 minutes. Also, I purposely started a little later in the morning, when I knew it would be in the 80's, so I can get my body acclimated to racing in the heat. I was wore out today, but I think it was mostly from the heat, I usually train in the early morning hours before it gets hot. Tomorrow is my long bike ride day, so I might try leaving a little later for that too, plus the extra hour of sleep doesn't hurt.

Since I have been taking my training up a few notches in preparation for the triathlons and half marathons, I have been finding my appetite has grown. I feel hungry all the time. I have to consume something every two hour. This has been going on about a month now, and I have been staying at my maintenance weight, so its working for me. On Mondays its my "treat day",sometime during the day I allow myself to have a sweet treat, since sugar doesn't do anything to me, and sweets are what I crave. I really don't believe in deprivation, I think it can make a person crazy. Last week I had a cupcake, the week before I had a donut. Doing this on Mondays keep me sane, and keeps me from going crazy all week, knowing that if I just wait until Monday, I can get my taste of sweet.

I finally picked an Ironman, a full distance (140.6) Ironman I want to do in 2011. I will be doing the Florida Ironman early November 2011. I found out through some research, that if you volunteer for this year's Ironman, you get a chance to register for the next year's Ironman before the rest of the world. So that is what I'm doing, I registered to be a volunteer at this year's Florida Ironman in Panama City Beach on November 6th, so on November 7th I will stand in line to register for the 2011 Florida Ironman (with a $550 race entry fee). I reserved a hotel in Panama City Beach for that weekend, Loraine and the girls are coming with me, as well as my 2 weenie dogs, I was able to find a hotel where I can bring them. It won't be exactly a vacation weekend for everyone, but I know they will enjoy just getting away for a few days, and my 4 year old loves hotels.

Not Trying to Annoy You,Just Trying to Get You Moving

I love training, I really do. When I am training I feel free of obesity, like I have defeated it. Whether I am running, cycling, swimming, weight lifting, or even moving in place not going anywhere on a cardio machine, nothing makes me feel more alive than training. I never imagined I would be at this point in my fitness at only 9 months out from surgery. I am now training for a full distance ironman triathlon next year, haven't decided which one I will enter, but next year, in 2011, I will do an ironman. A 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run.

When I tell others of my progress in training, I am not trying to gloat or be annoying or "look what I can do". I am really not. I am trying to motivate you. Only 9 short months ago I was almost 300 pounds and was huffing and puffing walking through a parking lot, and I don't want you to have the same faith. I want you to make healthy choices, limit alcohol, and love exercising and to find a form of exercise you love to do. I love running races and triathlons. I know not everyone will love what I love. The thrill of the race is what drives me to wake up at 5 am and go on a 7 mile or longer run, or a 32 mile bike ride, or to be the only one flailing around in the pool when it opens. I want you to find something that will drive you the same way. Whatever that activity is, and whether you have a weight problem or not. Every time I go on a run, and I only have a half mile to go, I imagine the last half mile as the finisher's chute of the ironman triathlon. I get so caught up in the imagery that I sometimes feel a little emotional at the end of the run. Find what drives you, look deep inside yourself and find what will get you moving.

I am eternally grateful for being able to have RNY surgery, it saved my life, and I am forever indebted to my surgeon and his team, they all took part in saving my life. I will never take for granted that I was given a second chance. As grateful as I am, I still wish it never got to this point. Surgery is always a last resort, and I was out of options. I am only 27 years old, and I have to live with the RNY rules everyday for the rest of my life.

I want you to get moving and be active. I hope by telling you how my training is going you will find motivation in it, and get moving yourself. If I can get one person off the couch, and participate in 20 minutes of activity, I will feel accomplished.If there is a race you want to do, but don't want to do it alone, let me know, and if I can make the trip I will come do it with you. If you are local, I am pretty much registered for every running race and triathlon around here, so feel free to come do just one with me. Always remember the big picture, make a big goal, and set several mini goals in between. I have hundreds of mini goals I need to accomplish on my road to the ironman, one of which I accomplished on Sunday, I wanted to ride my bike 30 miles in under 2 hours, I rode 32 miles in 1 hour and 59 minutes. If I had just set the goal of doing the ironman and nothing else leading up to it, I might lose focus and never get there. You can try this too, it works for me, maybe it will work for you. I have another mini goal I will try to accomplish tomorrow, to run 7.5 miles.

In closing I want to tell you that I know its hard, and we all have our own obstacles, but there is always a way to overcome. Instead of finding excuses, like I did for years, find a reason, a reason for making healthy choices, and staying active. Here is a pic of me I took last week, its about 6:15 am here and I am about to take off on my morning run,moving forward in my new healthy life.

This Time Last Year

This is the time one year ago today I got my referral from my PCM for bariatric surgery. So much has changed from that day, and it was only a year ago. On that day I would get winded walking through a parking lot, and I would literally drive around a parking lot looking for the spots closest to the store. This was when I would even go to the store. When I was mobidly obese I became a hermit. I didn't like to go out, I didn't like getting stared at, I felt deep shame for what I was, for what I became. I would only go to the store really early in the morning or really late at night, and hated going alone. Clothes shopping was a chore, one that happened only when absolutely necessary. I was a prisoner in my own body.

This morning, one year from that day, I went for a run. I ran 7.12 miles, without stopping. Sunday I will ride my bike for a minimum of 25 miles. Next week, I will run a little bit further, and ride my bike a little bit further. Next month I will do my first triathlon, and in November I will run my first half marathon. I now go to the store, any time of the day, any time I need something, and I'm fine with going alone. I love buying clothes, I can shop in regular stores, and buy anything I want in a Medium or Large. I don't feel anxiety when I am sitting in a restaurant, because I know people aren't staring at me seeing what I am eating, and wondering how I got this way. I hold my head up high, proud of who I am and what I have accomplished.