Randomness

So, there is a few things that I keep wanting to post but I forget every time I'm actually writing a post.

First off, my best friend Kat, sent me this super funny quote that explains my training really well:

"I have to exercise in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing."
—Marsha Doble

Secondly, please feel free to make comments about my blogs! I write this for you guys! Plus I could use a laugh at my expense!

Lastly, keep those donations coming! I'm doing really well thanks to all of you! Also, you may want to check with your company to see if they match donations and forward to your family/friends who I may not know. I will be volunteering at the AT&T National Golf Tournament in MD this weekend. A portion of the proceed will go to my donation account. So, if you will be at the tournament, stop by and say hi!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/nattri09/ashields

Day 24. Swim / Run

Apart from being super tired today - not a bad workout. The run went much better eventhough I felt like a zombie with not enough sleep. My Nike+ iPod stopped working, I wonder if I need a new sensor. This is how I can tell how fast I run.

After the run, I jumped into the pool. The swimming is really starting to feel more natural. We are also building quite a bit on the distance we put in the pool. Today was a warm up, 4 x 50, 6 x 50, 3 x 100, 3 x 100, 100 cool down - a grand total of 1200m.

I'm starving - better go eat something...

Day 23. Rest Day

Sorry - I forgot to post yesterday, but it was a much needed rest day! I feel asleep at 8:30pm and woke up at 6am today and I'm STILL TIRED! I'm so glad I don't have to work on Friday and I can sleep all day if I want.

Day 22. Swim / Run

Yet another training day. My family is in town - so going to the rec center where my niece could go swimming in the kids pool while I did laps and ran around the track worked out for everyone. The run was just alright - I think I was just tired from Saturday's long workout and then from trying to entertain. The swim went pretty well - I put in 1300m which is only 200m shy of the actual race day. It took me 47 minutes to complete and that was with ample stopping every 50 or so meters. :) I need to get better about continuously swimming not just how many laps I can get in an hour. I know that next Sunday's milestone is to swim 300m continuous rather it be the freestyle or your safety stroke (mine is the backstroke) - so that is what I will try next week!

Since this week is our "recovery" week - that means no practice tomorrow, Friday or Saturday due to the holiday. I guess our bodies need a rest from the shock it has been introduced the three earlier weeks. I know for me - it's just keeping up with getting enough sleep is the hardest part. I also can tell that I am getting ALOT stronger, especially in my arms (since I never really used them before being a soccer player and runner) :) Buy your tickets here for the... gun show. :) Sorry couldn't resist.

Time for bed!

Day 21. First Brick

Whoops - I'm a day late writing this post. Anyhow - yesterday was madness! It started off with driving to Georgetown and then biking to Fletcher's Boathouse (2 miles down). That was all fine and good, until the huge storm we got on Friday had knocked down this enormous tree that blocked the path. So, I had to climb over this tree with my bike - I hope you have a good mental picture - because it was quite humorous. After that, we started our brick workout. The only problem was that there were millions of people on the trail - to the point where it was treacherous! There were way too many runners and bikers on the trail at the same time. The other problem was that when you were trying to pass the runners/walkers they wouldn't move over to the right so you could get around them without hitting the oncoming traffic! So, there was one time where I was either going to hit this lady in front of me or I was going to have to pass on the right (which is also a no-no). But, I was thinking safety first, so I passed on the right. And, she totally laid in to me - screaming away. I rather have her scream, then both of end up in a bloody pile on the trail. So, after that I made it to the run portion - and it was super weird to run after biking for 45 minutes. I'm going to have to learn to get used to that.

So, once I was all done - I had heard that one of the mentors had a horrible spill on his bike on the trail and he was taking to the GW Hospital. Another thing to add to this horrible day. I've decided that if the LLS folks pick trails that are this busy again on a Saturday - that I'm just going to do the workouts on my own rather than have to constantly start and stop to dodge people. One of the coaches said it was only going to be this bad today because of the picnic afterwards.

The picnic was a little lackluster as well - but maybe I was just in a bad mood. They had a spread of bagels, muffins, and juice out for us and each honored teammate said a few words and that was it! I thought there was going to be more to it. Anyhow, I didn't stick around long, because I still had 2 miles to bike and a tree to crawl over to make it back to my car.

What a day!

Day 20. Day Off

Woo - it's been 20 days - so that means my training has officially became a habit! Today was a day off - which was much needed since my sinuses have been out of control. So, I'm heavily medicated and spent the day hanging out with my mom who is in town visiting. I hope my sinuses clear up more for the long Saturday training. Wish me luck!

Day 19. Coach Led Swim

It's 4:30am and I can't breathe. Ugh - it's allergy season now. I was so stuffy that I contemplated not going to the pool today in fear of possible drowning. After laying in bed for a minute, I decided to get up and go to the pool in hope that the water/chlorine would help clear the air passages.

I'm pretty glad I went. It was nice to get in the pool and be in the humidity. I didn't get any coaching today, but I feel like I am getting more comfortable in the water. That's it for today -- woo hoo a day off tomorrow!

Day 18. Bike

Not much to talk about today. 45 minute bike around the neighborhood. I ran into the rogue squirrels once again, this time they neglected to move at all - I'm convinced that they are deaf. I did have one of my neighbors ask me how many laps I was going to do - in that tone "are you done yet?" I think it is pretty funny when I talk to people about this training program and how they think I am completely ridiculous for even trying.

I went and got a massage tonight - mostly due to my shoulder bothering me slightly. But after the massage, I feel much better. Well, I'm yawning - better get to bed so I can wake up early for my 5:30am swim practice.

Day 17. Swim / Run

Today was amazing! I did my hour long swim in about 45 minutes and wasn't too tired. So that was a nice start. After that I had to do a 30 minute run. This is the first time I have swam first and then ran immediately after. I was just thinking how my legs will probably be like jello afterwards. But, an amazing thing happened... I tried incorporating the new running form that I learned in the run clinic on Saturday and it made a HUGE difference! I knocked 1.5 min (almost 2 min) PER MILE off my time! I went from running about a 12 minute mile to a 10.5 minute mile AND my legs don't even hurt that bad! I'm so excited!

Day 16. Bike / Core Workout

Well, not much to blog about today. I had a 25 min bike around the neighborhood. I once again didn't fall with my new pedals. So that was a good start. I need to get better at grabbing and putting back my water bottle - that is still a sight to see. After that, I just did some crunches to help strengthen the core. Sorry, no good stories today. My legs were pretty sore when I hoped on the bike - but I think it was just because I biked yesterday, when usually I only swim on Sundays.

Day 15. Bike / Swim

I really did not want to get out of bed today. It was probably a mixture of staying out too late and quite a bit of walking around. So, I decided to call my friend Michelle who has been my Sunday workout buddy to help my motivation. We went biking together on the WO&D trail. This was the first time I was using my clip in pedals and shoes. And guess what! I didn't fall this time! Woo hoo. We biked for 45 minutes and in that short amount of time, I could tell a big difference between the new shoes and just wearing my running shoes. My legs weren't as tired, which is a good sign. After the bike, we went to Robeks for a smoothie. That was the first time I had been there and boy are they delicious. It may become my morning recovery drink after my work out. I feel that Robeks is the health nut equivalent to Starbucks. I may become hooked.

After biking with Michelle, she left me on my own to do the swim. I really didn't feel like swimming today at all. I went and purchased some nose plugs first to see if that would help out. Boy did they. I feel alot more comfortable in the water with them. I ended up putting around 1000m in today. At one point, I felt like I wasn't thinking so hard and was getting into a rhythm - but that lasted only about 50 - 75m. It's just going to take some time. My arms are pretty tired right now, not sure if I have the strength in them to wash my hair right now. :)

Another week has passed, my donations have continued to grow! I am now up to $1525! To donate, please visit: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/nattri09/ashields

Day 14. Run Clinic / Run

Today was the group bike/run (also referred to as a brick - tell your friends, they will think you are hard core for knowing the terminology). Also a fun fact brick stands for bike + run = ick. :)

We started out with a run clinic put on my the owner of Potomac River Running. It was fascinating. I've learned that I have been running wrong the entire time. I have no idea how I made it through both of those marathons - but does explain why I run so slow! :)

Since it was pouring, we canceled the bike portion of training today and I will have to make it up tomorrow. So, instead we went for a 30 min run in the rain - slightly refreshing if it wasn't for the 100% humidity. It felt like I was trying to breathe through a straw. But, it did give me a chance to try to integrate the tips from the run clinic into my run. It will take some time to get used to, but it will pay off greatly.

Lastly, I noticed this huge bruise on my leg - must be from the falling off my bike. Shhh!

Welcome to my new blog!

Well, it appears that my fundraising web site limits how many characters you can display. So, that being said - I have ran out of room from my daily blogging. So - I will not be blogging here and will be adding a link on my fundraising. I will be adding all the old posts below:

**UPDATE** 6/19/2009

Day 13. Woo hoo - today is a rest day. It felt really nice to sleep in for once. Not much else to talk about today, so I will tell you a funny story from last night. So, since I bought new pedals and shoes for my bike this week, I thought it would be a good idea to try practicing getting in and out of them without killing myself. The guys at the bike shop recommended just proping myself up in between a hallway and then just practice in the house. So, that's what I did - I got in a few times, no problem - I thought this was going to be a cinch. Well, I started to get a little cocky and try some more advanced moves (i.e. clipping in and out with both feet) - next thing I know, the bike is moving forward as I tip over to my left side on to my porcelain tile floor. Alright - one fall down - maybe that's all I need to get use to this new process! :) The bike shop owner said that there are two types of people: 1) people who have fallen off their bike and 2) people who will fall of their bike. It looks like I have crossed over to #1. :) I really hope I don't fall tomorrow at the group practice - that would be pretty embarrassing.

**UPDATE** 6/18/2009

Day 12. Another 5:30am coach-led swim. The day started as I woke up at 4:30am to a huge thunderstorm. I slowly got my stuff together and headed out the door into the downpour. Right as I stepped off the curb into my parking spot, I was nearly up to my ankles in water. I was not thrilled at this point - thankfully I had flip flops on. I get to the gym with the hope that practice was not cancelled due to weather, but thankfully the pool is grounded therefore we don't have to get out of the water when it is storming. There were significantly less people at practice today. It started well as my fellow teammate, Matt, struggled with getting his swim cap on. This amused me for a few minutes. :) After that, the torture began. We did alot of kicking drills - which were killer. I did get quite a bit of feedback about my breathing today - which will help alot. I guess I was over rotating therefore slowing me down alot. I will also invest in a pair of nose plugs so I can focus on my breathing and form and not about the water rushing up my nose and burning. After swim practice, I slept like a baby - best sleep I have had in a week for sure. Woo hoo for the day off tomorrow! I think I am going to practice clipping in and out of my new pedals tonight, so I don't bite it in front of everyone on Saturday. Wish me luck!

**UPDATE** 6/17/2009

Day 11. Today was a nice 40 minute bike ride. I was a little bummed that it was raining this morning, so instead of taking my bike out - I had to go to the gym and bike there. I think I am hitting the bike shop tonight to do a little upgrade.

Oh, I should've added to yesterday's post that I had the worse stomach pains yesterday! I think I ate my ClifBar to close to running - lesson learned! It was so bad that I even left work early. After taking a nap and being in the fetal position for awhile, I was feeling ok a few hours later.

**UPDATE** 6/16/2009

Day 10. On the docket today, running and swimming. I was pretty exhausted when I got up today at 6:15am. I think the schedule might be catching up with my finally. I guess they do say it takes 20 days to become a habit, woo only 10 more days to go. The run was decent, my legs didn't hurt as much as before. The swim wasn't too bad. I can tell my endurance is getting better, but I still need some work on my breathing. There were quite a few kicking drills today and boy do my legs feel like jello now. It's going to be a long day, better get to work now.

**UPDATE** 6/15/2009

Day 9. So, the schedule starts to repeat. 25 min on the bike and 150 crunches. I had to do a small tune up on my bike, since the brake was rubbing - but problem solved with the help of my roomie and an allen wrench. I'm glad I'm learning all these little issues, so I know how to fix them come race day. While I was riding around the neighborhood, my bike is so quiet that I almost hit a squirrel. I would really hope a squirrel wouldn't cause my first fall on the bike. But I avoided it at the last minute. Not too much exciting about this workout. I went to the bike shop to look at getting new pedals and cycling shoes. I might go back on Thursday to purchase.

**UPDATE** 6/14/2009

Day 8. It was another day at the pool today. On the schedule, was the same training plan that I did on Tuesday and Thursday with the group. So, I ended up going to the pool with my friend Michelle who used to be on a swim team and did some coaching in the past. She had some good pointers to help me practice and answered my silly questions. The surprising part was that I was able to get through the entire 975 m swim plan where on Tuesday I was only able to get through half of it! I'm so excited to see how much I am improving in such a small amount of time. The other great thing - is that today I am offically more than half way to my goal of raising $2400! Thank you so much to everyone who has donated!

**UPDATE** 6/13/2009

Day 7. Today was my first group Saturday workout. It is setup that we will do a bike and run (known as a 'brick' in the triathlon world) as a group. But, since today was the first day, we just did a run. Since I was a previous marathoner, I thought I could handle running with the level 2 group. Boy was I wrong - I didn't know level 2 meant that you ran like 8 minute/miles. Anyhow, I ran the same time as them, just not as fast. :) One of the mentors, Nancy, was really cool and slowed down to run with me. After the brutal run on the Custis Trail (with some sick hills), we had a bike clinic and a tri 101 clinic. At the bike clinic, they talked about what kind of bike to buy (but I've already bought mine) and what are the necessary accessories. I think I will end up changing my pedals to the clip in kind and get a pair of bike shoes. I will probably research that more this week. The tri 101 clinic showed what clothes you wear and what you put on and take off at the transition areas. They joked around about people putting their helmets on over their swim caps or forgetting to take their helmet off before starting the run. I hope that doesn't happen to me. :) All in all, a good time and met a few new people.

**UPDATE** 6/12/2009

Day 6. My training plan is set up so that we have every Friday off from training. So, it was pretty pleasant not having to wake up early to go to the gym or trail to do some training. I have a group run tomorrow and some training clinics, so I'm sure there will be plenty to blog about tomorrow. As for tonight, it's time to cheer on my Red Wings and hopefully bring another cup back to Detroit!

**UPDATE** 6/11/2009

Day 5. Today was the dreaded 5:30am swim practice. But surprisingly, it was not that hard to wake up at 4:30 am - especially since I went to bed around 9 pm. :) So, it was a little daunting seeing everyone in their race swim suits and this pool in front of us. Noone seemed to want to be the first one in - I thought they were going to have to push some people in. :) I don't know what changed today, but this was my BEST swim day by FAR! I was putting my head in the water and I was breathing somewhat correctly so I wasn't huffing and puffing at the walls. I was not even close to being the worse swimmer there! I wonder if I just had to see other people doing it - to push me to do it or what. So I was way more comfortable in the water than before. I was swimming with the level 1 group, but I think in a week or two, I might be able to advance to the level 2 group. So, I'm started to get more excited about the swim rather than to dread it as my weakest sport. I have even scheduled a massage for tonight - I think every other Thursday I will do that - just to reward myself a bit for all this hard training. Time for work....

**UPDATE** 6/10/2009

Day 4. Today I biked 13 miles. It felt pretty good, but boy was I sweaty - might have been due to being inside at the gym rather than outside on the trail. I didn't want to chance the weather - since it seems to rain daily around here now. I also went to a Swim Equipment Clinic. It was pretty helpful to explain fitting for bathing suits and goggles. It was also sweet to get a pretty nice discount. I'm fully going to take advantage of those - just incase I decide to do another triathlon. I'm pretty much dreading getting up at 4:30am tomorrow to get to the group swim training. Wish me luck - I better get to bed now.

**UPDATE** 6/9/2009

Day 3. Today started at a crazy 5:30am. I ran for 2 miles and then had to hit the dreaded pool [play scary music here]. It was a swim on your own day - with a schedule we were supposed to try to follow but to stop when it was too much. I got about half way through it before it was too much for me. I really need to get used to putting my face in the water and breathing right. I think once they coach me on those, I'll be pretty good at swimming. Anyhow, I'm exhausted and it's time for a nap before my dr. appt and work. They say sleep is one of the most important things to maintain while triathlon training - don't want to skip on that one. :)

**UPDATE** 6/8/2009

Day 2. Well, I thought the hardest part of today was going to be getting up early to work out. That definitely was the easiest part I must say. I had to do a 25 minute bike and a strength workout. The bike was nice - just rode around my neighborhood rather than taking up more time driving to the trail. The strength workout was tough. I thought this was going to consist of short weight lifting exercises - oh no - it equated to 150 crunches of various pain. :) I guess if I want those rock hard abs, I better get used to them. Rock Hard abs pictures to follow. :)

**UPDATE** 6/7/2009

First off, I have had yet another large donation from an Anonymous donor. So, thank you so much for that. I have raised $775 in one week - I am super excited about that - hopefully it will continue on that trend. :)

I attended the Team in Training Kick Off Meeting yesterday in Bethesda. It was very cool to meet some other teammates who live near me. We are all newbies to triathlon, so that put me at ease. I also met some of the coaches and mentors for the program - ofcourse everyone was nice and super peppy for 8 am on a Saturday.

Today was my very first day of training! Woo hoo! I had to go running and I put in a respectable 2.5 miles. I now realize that I should have gone earlier in the day before it got too hot - the first lesson of triathlon training I guess. :) My left knee hurt a bit to start, but it went away after about 10 minutes. It's amazing that I ran a marathon in January and now my body has completely forgotten how to run again. Oh well - I will be training it soon enough! :)

**UPDATE** 6/3/2009

I am now competing in honor of a friend's husband, Brad Waldron. Brad is a survivor of almost 12 years - thanks to an experimental treatment that they gave him when it was first discovered he had Leukemia. That treatment has now become the standard for people with his type of Leukemia. Without it, the doctors said he wouldn't be here today. I'm hoping that my donations will go on to develop more experimental treatments such as Brad's. I will be posting Brad's picture shortly.

**UPDATE** 6/2/2009

I would like to send a huge thank you to Mr. / Mrs. Anonymous and their gracious donation of $100! I wish I knew who you were so I could send you a personal thank you. So, I'm not going to lie and say that this isn't driving me nuts wondering who it is. Either way - I really appreciate you supporting me along with the rest of my donors at this point!

I have my kick off meeting on Saturday to receive my training plans, meet my coaches and fellow teammates. So, Sunday will be my first day of training. Woo hoo! I'm excited to get started!