The Last Few Days...

Can you believe it? The race is almost here! Only 11 days away... kinda scary. I'm pretty excited, just need to mentally prepare at this point.

So, lots of things are going on right now. 1 - I started a new job, so some new stress there. 2 - I'm leaving for the beach on Saturday up until race day practically. 3 - The rec center has been closed all week for maintenance! Needless to say, I haven't been training much this week either. At this point, it doesn't make a big difference. My big plan is to get lots of open water swimming in at the ocean all of next week. That way I can get over my fears and really figure out how to mentally calm myself down. That's my biggest fear at the moment - getting through the swim.

I plan on sending an email out to all of those who showed interest in coming out to race about spectator information and what to expect shortly. That being said - I'm not going to be able to keep up on my blogging. So this will probably be my last entry until the day before the race, race day, and the day after (which I have to work on now..blah).

Thanks for all the words of encouragement so far!

Day 84. Practice Tri

Today was an early morning. I was up at 4am to get ready and leave the house by 4:30am. I then had to drive to Annapolis, MD which is about 1.5 hrs from my house. Once I got there, we started setting up our transition areas. I was able to pick up my wetsuit since I missed out on the swim last weekend. We had a brief transition area clinic and then we were going to start the practice tri. Since I have never wore a wet suit before, I'm sure it was quite amusing to see me shake and pull to get myself into it. Boy are those things tight - nothing left to the imagination. The practice tri today consisted of a 300 yard swim in the Chesapeake Bay, a 10 mile bike, and a 2 mile run. All in all pretty much 1/3rd of the actual race.

The Swim
This was the first time I have ever swam in open water. I started out ok for the first 100m or so, but then I started to freak out (which I guess is normal for open water swimming) and then I had to switch to the backstroke to finish the race. Lesson learned from this was the start out real slow and work up to race pace. Also - just breathe and focus.

The Bike
The bike felt really good. The course was nice and flat. I've decided that I'm going to wear my camelback on race day just so I keep hydrated better.

The Run
It was the usual run. I start out horrible and slowly start to get better as it goes.

So, technically, today I am officially a triathlete. This was the first time I had done all three sports together and I think I did pretty good. I'm still alittle scared about the swimming, so I will definitely be practicing more while at the beach.

Day 78. OFF

I'm a little irritated how they announced the swim was actually on today. It was sent as an email at 7:51, when the swim started at 8 - and I live over an hour away! Needless to say, I didn't make it. I have to go help my friend, Jeff, move this afternoon and then I am off to a week long training course for work. Thankfully this week is a recovery week, so me missing my workouts probably aren't that big of a deal. In the long run, I think it will be better that I have the time off and am away from everything for a week. That includes the Internet. So, there will be no postings this week - hope you can live without them. :)

Day 77. So, I thought it was my last brick...

Due to Hurricane Bill - our open water swim was canceled for today and replaced with a grueling brick. Since it has been pouring all day practically, this had to be done at the gym. I didn't mind, because I like reading while on the bike, where I can't do that on the trail. :) So, I did 2 hours on the bike and then a 45 minute run on the treadmill. Overall, I feel pretty damn good. I'm not sure if the workout so well because I was focused on other things than the workout or if I it was the few things irking me lately that I was able to get the stress out. Either way I am stoked about how well the workout went.

Hopefully - they will try to reschedule the open water swim for tomorrow - but I think the chances look slim.

Day 76. Swim

I was able to get in a swim since I got out of work early today. It was just race distance. Nothing fancy. My foot started to cramp again at the end. I guess I really need to start drinking more water before workouts and not just AT workouts.

Day 75. OFF

I had to work late tonight, so no workout got in. I was exhausted by the time I got home, but boy did I sleep well.

Day 74. OFF

I was supposed to go swimming today, but believe it or not my dentist told me not to work out today. I've had this problem lately that I can get 8+ hours of sleep in and still feel completely exhausted when I wake up in the morning. When I went to the dentist today, I found out why. I've been trying to release my stress by clinching my jaw - therefore making my jaw hurt all the time and not getting good sleep. So, he told me to take the day off from training and try not stressing about getting my workouts in as much - also to try sleeping on my back and not my stomach for once. I'll let you know tomorrow if it helps any.

Day 73. Bike and Run

I switched up my schedule slightly today. I was supposed to run and swim, but instead I took tomorrow's bike and combined it with todays run. That makes it easier on me and I just have to swim two times this week and that's all I have left. It helps with my morale if I break it down that way. I didn't get the entire run in today because the rec center was closing, but a good chunk of it in. Depending on how I feel later this week, I might try getting another run in, because it is definitely the one that is lacking of the three at the moment. I go from marathons to barely 3 miles... this is ridiculous and tough on the ego. :)

Day 72. Bike

Once again, nothing exciting about the bike. Time goes by much faster when I bike in the gym and can read the whole time - it doesn't even feel like I am working out.

Day 71. Swim

There wasn't anything particular exciting about my swim today. I think I like swimming for a time rather for a distance. It just seems so much more daunting when I know I have to swim 1500 m rather than just say go swim for 45 minutes.

I feel like I got a better workout mowing my tiny lawn and pulling weeds (yes mom - I'm actually keeping up with it!). Can I vent and say how much I hate mowing my lawn? It takes about 15 minutes with a push mower. That part isn't bad, it's the part that I have 7 new mosquito bites from those 15 minutes. Ridiculous! Why do they love me so? Haha.

Ok, I'm done venting. Time for dinner!

Day 70. Last Brick

Saturday was our last brick workout on the schedule. It was planned to be at Prince William Park near Quantico followed by a BBQ. I was all set to go, but the more I thought about wasting 2 hours of my life driving there to train with people I don't know very well, it wasn't very appealing. It was more appealing to sleep in and then do the workout on my own. So, that's what I ended up doing. I was able to get in the 25 miles on the bike (even in the humidity) and then instead of putting in the run, I went and played not one but two soccer games. I feel like that soccer was better for me because eventhough I was tired, I had to keep playing because there were no subs - come race day I think that will be more valuable.

Day 69. OFF

Friday was an off day. I was supposed to make up a swim and run, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I have been so exhausted lately. I got home from work and I crashed on the couch until about 9 pm. I didn't feel too bad about skipping the workout because I have been sticking to my schedule super well for the last 69 days. Plus I had done the swim a day earlier and I knew that I did it well. I also knew that Saturday was going to be a long day and I wanted to rest up for it.

Day 68. Swim

I had an amazing swim today. I busted out the 1650m in 45 minutes. That is longer than race distance and I did it in a pretty respectable time. According to this chart I am more of a herring than up to human speeds, but maybe one day I can aspire to Sea Trout or Salmon. :) I'm guessing these are sprint speeds - when I am going endurance speeds.

Searobin (Trigla) 3.1 mph

Herring (Clupea harengus) 3.6 mph

Human (Homo sapiens) 5.04 mph

Sea Trout (Salmo trutta) 5.4 mph

Pacific Salmon (Oncorhynchus) 8 mph

I've been dragging this week and as of today it is one month away from race day. It is frightening in a way, eventhough I feel prepared. I also am starting to get burned out on training.. hopefully it will get better soon.

Day 67. OFF

I decided to switch my 'off' days this week from Friday to Wednesday. I was feeling really drained and it was a good friend's birthday dinner that night. I'm glad I took a break from training to have a social life for once. This week has been tough but I'm getting through it.

Day 66. Bike

So, you may have noticed that I switched my training up today. Since I just got home from work, (I knew it was going to be a long day), I switched tomorrow's workout for today's. It was much easier to get an hour bike than it would've been a long swim and run. I'm completely drained... time for bed.

Day 65. Bike and Make up Swim

Hooray! I was able to get caught back up on my workouts. Nothing to write home about though. I felt like I was struggling with my swim today, but I think it is because I got a massage tonight before I did my workouts. My muscles were probably confused if they were supposed to relax or work hard. :)

Since my schedule is crazy tomorrow, I think I will be back in the pool in less than 12 hours... sickening.

Day 64. Swim

Today I felt like crap all day. I was supposed to get a 15 minute swim in, but that didn't happen. I felt like I was hungover (and I didn't have a drop of alcohol all weekend!). So, I did alot of sleeping and eating. I'm guessing that I probably pushed myself too hard on Saturday and probably didn't keep hydrated enough.

I'm also super sore from all my workouts yesterday. I tried to book a massage, but they were all booked for today. BOO! So, tomorrow I plan on trying to get a massage booked and do the bike workout and my make up swim.

Wish me luck.

Day 63. Brick

My Saturdays have been kind of hectic lately, since soccer season just started. Since my team was playing my roommate's team, I couldn't pass it up. We ended up winning 2-0 and I feel like I played really well. After soccer, I rushed home to jump on my bike and ride 100 minutes. Boy were my quads screaming at me. I put in a good 22 miles in 100 minutes. I'm guessing come race day I can finish with 2 hours. I did quite a few hills yesterday that almost killed me, so thankfully the race day course is pretty flat. I didn't run after the bike, because I had already played soccer. So, I was actually practicing how it might feel once I get out of the water and onto my bike.

Day 62. OFF

It's Friday - hence a day off! Not much to report other than I have finally met my fundraising goal! Thanks to everyone who helped out!

Day 61. Swim

So, for once this week, I had an AMAZING workout! I felt bad that I didn't get through the whole swim workout on Tuesday, so today I was determined to get through the whole thing. I've been working out after work, to trick my body into training. The only problem with that, is when I get home from work, all I want to do is sleep. So, I've been working in some power naps before I go to the gym. Today I was able to get in about a 3 hr power nap :) For those who know me best, you know if there was an endurance race for sleeping, I would be on the podium everytime. :) Haha.

Anyhow, back to the swim. I was able to get all 1650m of sets in within 50 minutes. If you notice, that is longer than race day distance! woo hoo! I'm super psyched that I ended on a high note (thanks George Constanza!) and that I have tomorrow off to recoop!

Day 60. Bike

So, as you can see / read, my blog posts keep getting shorter and shorter because I don't have much to talk about. I went to the gym and I rode the bike for 60 minutes. I've been very unmotivated this week for training, so I guess my attitude has been coming through on my posts. I'll try to be more upbeat soon!

Day 59. Run and Swim

The lesson of today is to stay hydrated! I ended up working out with Matt today down in Arlington and the Washington and Lee High School. The track was nice, but I definitely wasn't used to running on something with some squish to it - I'm used to running on pavement. It was pretty warm and I forgot to bring water - you would think that would be something by my side at all times. Oh well, I got through the run and kept up with Matt for the most part. The sprint at the end was my favorite part, I always finish strong and I think sprinting at the end of my workouts is part of that.

As for the swim, not so hot. I think since I didn't drink enough water, my body started to spasm (my foot and calf)! It hurts so bad when they cramp up like that. So, after a half hour, I had to cut my swim short. But I don't feel too bad, because if I would've done it myself this morning, I would've had to cut it short for work anyways.

So, now I'm going to rest, and drink tons of water to rehydrate! Hellooooo Gatorade!

Day 58. Bike

Nothing really exciting about the bike today. I did it at the gym once again because it's been pretty steamy outside. I've been altering my schedule and working out after work rather than before work lately. So far, it seems that it is easier to make it through the work day. I think my body needed a change - so far I think it is working. :)

Day 57. Swim and makeup bike

Ok, finally caught up on my posts. I'm just about to leave to put in my 50 min bike at the gym and then I will hit the pool for 3x300 and a 100 cool down. Hopefully, the swim will help with my aches and pains. Then, hopefully I will be back on track and ready to start a new regular training week.

Day 56. Brick

So, I had already made a commitment to play for my work league soccer team. And ofcourse, all of the games are Saturday mornings. I was going to try to do the bike atleast before the game, but once again, that didn't happen. The sleep was just to precious to skip on. So, I played an almost full game in the heat and humidity. I can tell today that I use muscles for soccer that I'm not currently using for tri training. I'm so freaking sore today.

My soccer team ended up winning like 8 or 9 to zero. I had one assist -- woot woot. A good way to start the season.

Day 55. Off

Today was an off day, but I was going to try and make up that swim that I missed yesterday. Once again, that did not happen. I had to get into work early because I had a presentation to give. I felt really bad for missing a workout, felt like I was letting people down. I probably shouldn't put so much pressure on myself.

Day 54. Swim

Once again, I have become horrible at keeping up with my posts. It's only because this week has been very hectic between training and my work schedule. The only good part is that it is a recovery week and if I miss a workout it's isn't as big as a deal if it were a real training week. With that said, on Thursday, I wasn't able to get my swim in. But I was able to make up the half hour run from Wednesday.

Day 53. Run

Alright, so I must admit that I didn't work out today. It felt good to sleep in and also relax after work for once. It's a recovery week, so I thought I owed it to myself for once. But, I might just end up making it up on Friday rather than today. We'll see...

Day 52. Swim / Run

Ugh, it's Tuesday again. I put in my run and then headed to the pool. I was having an average day today, but I had to cut my swim short again so I could get into work at a decent time. I've been just dragging through this week - I think my body needs a break.

On the up side, I had a very generous Anonymous donation today! I'm really excited about it, since I have been sitting stagnant for weeks now. I'm at $1950 raised with $2400 as my goal! So feel free to take this chance to donate if you haven't already:

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

So, who's going to put me over the $2000 mark? Huh huh? :)

Day 51. Bike

I know this is going to sound silly, but the 20 minute bike today didn't feel like enough. I went to the gym after work, because I couldn't muster the energy to go before work for once. It totally through off my schedule today. I felt like I was dragging all day. So, I won't make that mistake again. I'll be at the gym bright and early! Time for bed!

Day 50. Swim

On the docket for today, 30 minutes of swimming without stopping. I was a little hesitant of this at first, but once I got in the pool - my attitude changed. I ended up doing 1150m in those 30 minutes, pretty respectable I think. For those of you who don't know, the race distance is 1500m, so I'm getting pretty close. Yay! Overall, a good workout day that I'm really happy with. Next week is a recovery week again, so I probably won't have much to blog about, but we'll see.

Day 49. Brick

Today's group brick workout was about 2 hours away, so I decided to skip it and invite my friends to do our own brick workout closer to home. It worked out well that Steve and Michelle came out to do my workout with me. We got on the WO&D at Rt 28 and then rode to west Reston, all in all about 18 miles. It was a good workout, good distance, a few hills, not too crowded. It was a bit humid and hot today, but could've been much worse. After the bike, I had to do a 30 min run. Steve and Michelle jetted after the bike (I secretly wish I could've too!). The run wasn't super today. I spent probably 15 min walking and 15 min running. This is one area I really need to improve in.

Day 48. OFF

Yay! It's Friday once again and no training today. I spent the night going to the movies with Kathleen and going to a local Irish pub - all in all a fun night.

Day 47. Swim

I think Thursdays are starting to be my favorite work out day. I know it's crazy to think that because it always involves waking up at 4:30am to go meet my training group in McLean for our group swim. Today's swim went far better than Tuesday's attempt at the same drills. Our endurance set today was 5x200m. Once I got to about the third set, I felt like I started to have a rhythm and stopped thinking about all the mechanics and breathing. I wasn't even super tired by the end - so that's a good feeling. By the end of practice, we had almost achieved the 1550m - which is race distance! I also got some coaching today about how my stroke - I guess that gives me something to work on during Sunday's swim.

Day 46. Bike

I woke up this morning with a dilemma - do I take my bike out and ride eventhough it looks like it will pour at any moment or just go to the gym and ride the bike there? I decided to go to the gym, because the thought of falling off my bike again due to rain did not sound to appealing after last week's fall. It worked out well, because I was able to get some reading in while on the bike - something I'm not normally able to do. :) I'm always concerned if riding the bike at the gym is really giving me as good as a workout if I was on my regular bike? Anyone know? It felt more strenuous but I think it is because I don't have any downhills to coast at while I am at the gym. Oh well, tomorrow is an early morning at the pool.

Day 45. Swim / Run

I think Tuesdays are starting to be the hardest day to work up the motivation to work out. I was sleeping so well this morning, until I was abruptly woken up by my alarm. I was able to get the run in completely, but I wasn't able to get my entire swim in. It's too hard to get it all in and into work at a decent time (usually for meetings). I was supposed to get in the full race distance during my swim practice in - I just wasn't feeling it today. It probably didn't help that I didn't get a chance to eat before training this morning. I was just dragging. Lesson learned I guess.

I think tomorrow will be better with just a long bike.

Day 44. Bike

I biked around the neighborhood for 40 minutes today. The hills were much easier after the ones I attempted on Saturday, so that felt good. I still feel like there is something wrong with the tubes on my bike. I replaced the one on the front yesterday, but it still gets low real fast. Hmm.. might have to take it into the shop and have them give me a lesson.

Day 43. Swim

I really didn't feel like swimming today - probably due to staying out too late and drinking at a party. The great thing is that Michelle wanted to go to the pool today, so that helped motivate me to do the swim. We went to her neighborhood pool to lay out for a bit and to do the swim practice. I had to do 15 minutes continuously and then a 5 minute cool down. We ended up sharing a lane and did the whole routine. This was the first time I have done a practice in an outdoor pool - just seemed a bit different. I did alright with my timing, did about 550m in 15 minutes, which keeps up with my 45 minute average come race day.

Thanks to Michelle for pushing me to practice today!

Day 42. Brick

Today was by FAR the most intense workout I have had yet. We were out in the Leesburg area. Today's goal was to ride for 80 minutes and then run for 30 minutes immediately afterwards. The only thing they left out is that it was going to be all hills! The only way I can describe these hills is that when I was in my lowest gear I still didn't think I was going to make it up these hills - and in times I just wanted to give up and walk my bike up them (but I'm tough, so I perservered!). When I would get to the top of these hills, my legs would be shaking uncontrollably from all the work I just put them through. I just kept thinking, I have to tackle these hills again on the way back - I should've done a bit more positive thinking!

The good news is on the way back I was riding with one of the mentors and she shared a very important biking technique that helped tremendously on the way back! So, the ride back wasn't nearly as bad as the one on the way there. After the bike was over, we had biked nearly 16 miles.

So, I hurried back, threw off my equipment and put on my running shoes. My first couple steps were painfully, when my calves completely locked up. So, I stopped and stretched them for a few seconds on a curb. After that, I wasn't too bad. It's a funny feeling after riding your bike for that long, to actually have to run afterwards. I ended up running with another team member, Tammy, so it was a lot easier to finish the run while I talked with her.

After the run, we finished and celebrated recommitment by having a stretching session and eating food (bagels, bananas, etc). The funny thing is this whole thing was done by 11 am. :) What did you do this morning? Hehe.

Day 41. OFF

Ok, so I'm sorry again for not keeping up on my postings. So, here is my attempt to catch back up. Friday was an off day - which was still much needed from falling off my bike. I'm healing nicely, so it's not really an issue anymore - just a few scabs now.

Day 40. Swim

Due to my battle wounds, I decided to skip swimming all together today. I think the rec center and my fellow teammates would frown upon my open wounds being in the public pool. A day off is exactly what I needed. I do plan on getting back on my bike on Saturday at our group workout which is in Leesburg. Woo hoo! It's been the first training that will be somewhat close to my house.

My leg still hurts today - but it was more that everything else hurt more. You know how people say "feels like I've been hit by a bus"? Well, that was me today, except it was "feels like I hit the pavement". :) I went and got a massage after work, so I am feeling much better.

Tomorrow is another off day, so I won't get behind in training, which is good. I'm going to try to catch the pool on Sunday to make up for lost time.

Day 39. Bike

So, day 39 could've been a better day. It started off by having to take my friend Joe to the airport at 7:30am. Since I was going to the airport, I thought it might be a nice change to actually bike on the trail rather than do the endless loops in the neighborhood.

I get to the trail, get all geared up and on my way. It was actually really nice on the trail, because it's nice and quiet, it was a cool morning and there is noone else out on the trail. I had to bike for an hour today. I get 30 minutes out and come up to a road crossing, so a perfect place to turn around. The trail is paved and then some gravel on each side of it. So, I think to myself, I can just go on the gravel a little bit and then back on the trail and I can turn around without unclipping my feet from the pedals. In retrospect, that was a horrible idea! Right when my front pedal hits that gravel, my entire bike spins around, causing me to spin to the ground. It wasn't that I was going fast, but the momentum swung me around into some nasty gravel.

I end up with a pretty scraped up leg (see picture below), a bruised knee (from hitting the bike frame), a scraped up elbow and a hurt ego. I brushed myself off and got right back up on the bike, because I still had a half hour to bike back to my car.

All in all, a horrible way to start your day. The good news is that I'm not hurt very bad, just some painful scrapes. The bad news is that I have to take tomorrow off from swimming due to my injuries - pretty sure they don't allow open wounds in public pools. So, I will have to tackle the bike again on Saturday - hopefully it will be less drama. Oh - and my bike was unhurt in the spill as well - whew!

Day 38. Swim / Run

The great part about today is that I was able to get my run in without my knee hurting! So, I'm pretty excited about that. The bad part was that I had a work meeting this morning, which cramped my workout schedule, so I wasn't able to get in all of the swimming I would've liked to. I still was able to put in a solid half hour of swimming, so it's not like I skipped it completely. Some of the drills in this week swim exercise were hard to understand what we were supposed to do, so Thursday will be nice to see them in action. Overall, just a mediocre day.

I'm super tired - bed time!

Day 37. Bike

Not a whole lot to blog about today. I just had to do a 30 minute bike - which I did around the neighborhood. Thankfully it is only two laps and I only have to face that enormous hill in my neighborhood twice! That's exactly what I kept telling myself. The hill is so gradually steep that I am in my lowest gear and there are times I still don't think I am going to make it up. I wouldn't be surprised if one day I was going too slow in the lowest gear that I might just tip over. :)

Not yet though, I have been conquering the hill!

Day 36. Swim

First off, I can't believe its been 36 days already - it has gone pretty fast.

Today was my endurance swim - 100m warmup, 3 x 300m and a 100m cool down. Now that I have a fancy watch, I was able to keep time for each of my reps. The good thing was that I was super consistent today. My 100m each took me like 2 - 2.5 minutes. My 300m's took a little under 8 minutes each. I was actually shocked that I kept the same pace through each 300m. So, if you do the math - the race is 1500m, so I should finish the swim in 40 minutes if all goes to plan. I'm super excited about that time!

Day 35. Bike / Run

I altered my training slightly today. My knee is still bothering me (but not too bad), so I decided to not run today and that way I will be able to rest it until Tuesday when I run next. Instead of going out with the TNT group for our Saturday group ride, I went with my own group (Michelle, Jeff and Josh). I really enjoyed this because I was able to get my workout in (plus more) and it felt more like a social event rather than a workout. To me that helps a ton - I don't think people realize how draining this process is both physically and mentally. So, having people around to take my mind of of the training aspect of it - helped alot! So - thank you for that!

The only bad part of today is that I forgot to put on sunblock! So, I'm a little toasty - I'm sure it will fade by tomorrow.

The other fun part of today is that I bought a new watch. My other watch broke, so I upgraded. I mostly wanted it to figure out how long it is taking me to swim certain reps or when I have to swim for 20 minutes how many laps am I actually doing? So, I purchased a Timex Ironman Triathlon watch - nothing too special about it other than it will keep a 50 lap memory and looks cool. Now that I see my watch it puts me in the spirit to complete this race and possibly an Ironman one day.

Day 34. OFF!

Fridays are always my off days. So, I tried catching up on my social life which has been severally lacking the last few weeks. I had a nice time at a friend's house - eating fajitas and sitting outside on the deck talking. I wish more nights were like that.

Also - I'm sorry to my loyal readers that I have not been keeping up on my daily posts. I will try better in the weeks to come.

Day 33. Swim

I have caught up on my sleep enough to attend another group led swim at 5:30am. I usually dread getting up that early, but once I am there and in the pool, I feel much better about my decision. I also feel alot better about myself after I see some of the other participants in the pool. I know that is a horrible thing to say - but I know I'm not a great swimmer - so it's good to see that I'm not the WORSE swimmer in the group.

The big challenge this week has been to do 20 minutes without stopping - I have been getting pretty good at this. I think the actual race should take somewhere under an hour to complete - so atleast I have something to gauge my progress by.

My big improvement this week is that I have started bilateral breathing. This means that I take a breath from my right side, do 3 strokes and then take a breath from my left side. It may not sound that hard or that challenging, but for me it was quite a feat. It really helps with rhythm and technique. So yay!

Day 32. Bike

Today I decided to take a different route on my bike through the neighborhood. It was a bigger loop so I wouldn't be taking about 40 laps like I was before. I never knew my neighborhood was so big - since I tend to stick to the few same roads all the time. The only problem was that there were some KILLER hills through this loop. I would guess atleast 3 hills where I had to put my bike on the lowest gear and it was still a struggle.

I do have to admit that I cut my training short today by 15 minutes - I went out for 30 instead of 45. But it's because my left knee has started to bother me slightly and I didn't want to overdue my training today just in case. I was a little worried because the 30 minutes I did today were much harder than the 30 I do on other days - so in my book it all kind of equals out.

Day 31. Run / Swim

Today was another long day - I'm starting to think that every day between now and the race is starting to feel longer and longer. I guess if I start mentally preparing for it - I'll be alright.

The run was a half hour and I didn't tire as fast as usual, so I guess that endurance is building. It's funny to think that I ran a marathon in January and now I am struggling to run a few miles. You totally start back at zero once you stop training - just a heads up!

The swim went surprisingly well today. I was focusing on how many hand entered the water and what my arms are supposed to do underwater. It was a nice 100 warmup and then a 6 x 50m focus on technique. Then it was followed by a dreaded 20 minute endurance swim. I'll be completely honest that I was slightly frightened by that on the schedule when I read it last night. 20 minutes - without stopping? Haha - well surprisingly it wasn't that bad. I made it through and I am here to write about it. I must say that I was checking my watch about every 3 minutes thinking I had to be close to done. :) After that, it was a 2 x 50 sprint set. I kinda chuckle at that because I feel like I only have 2 speeds: 1 - trying to pace myself and go slow; 2 - get across the pool as fast as I can so I can be done. :)

Day 30. Bike

I woke up at about 5:30am thinking it was 7:30am today - it was a great feeling that I had 2 more hours to sleep. I love that feeling - I wish it happened every day! I did a nice 35 minute bike around the neighborhood. I actually am starting to find biking relaxing - like I do when I get into a long run. I know most people reading this are thinking I am crazy, but I like being able to shut my mind off for a bit (and so far biking and running) are the only ways I know how.

I had a BBQ with my roomies and my roomie's family tonight. It was just what I needed - some good food (I made some excellent salmon on the grill) and good company. It sucks having to give up all your free time during the summer and missing out hanging out with your friends. It's just when I do have free time, I just want to lay around and watch tv or sleep. I need to figure out how to balance things better.

Did anyone notice that I have been doing this for a month already! Woo hoo - I'm really proud of myself so far for sticking with everything. I've also had a lot of support from everyone and people are always stopping me at work and asking me how my workout was that day. It's great to see that people are actually noticing all the hard work that I am putting in!

Finally - time for bed!

Day 29. Run / Swim / Volunteer

Boy - was this a long day! I got up super early and went to the gym. The only problem is that I got there before the gym actually opened - so I had to wait around for like 15 minutes. This totally cramped my style and my schedule! Once they let me, I was able to get a 30 min run and then a 45 min swim in. I rushed home, showered, changed, ate some cereal, and had to rush to Bethesda, MD again to volunteer at the golf tournament.

After an even longer day than Saturday, I wasn't able to get home until around 9pm (when the actual event ended at 6pm) - so here I am slightly cranky again. My legs are still sore, so I decided to take a bath and let them soak for a while - it was totally what I needed to relax.

I slept like a baby last night too, it was great!

Day 28. OFF! and Volunteer

Ok - so I've been really bad these last few days at keeping up my blog. So here is my attempt to catch you up. I'm still running kinda ragged - but I've been sneaking in sleep wherever I can. (but here I am still up at 11:10pm as I write this blog - so I guess I could work on that more).

Since it was a holiday weekend, they gave us Saturday the 4th off as well. Instead of training, I went to the AT&T National Golf Tournament in Bethesda, MD to volunteer and raise money for my donations. How it worked was that we ("Team in Training") worked the concession tent at the 7th hole. Apparently, the volunteers are supposed to get some percentage of the total sales that will be entered into our donation account. All I know is that on Saturday we raised around $40,000 - $45,000. I'm really hoping that between this and my last few donations will put me over the top - because I don't have the time or the energy to hold more fundraising events.

So after the tournament, I raced into the city to see the fireworks and see some friends. At the end of the night - my legs were killing me from standing for 8 hours straight. They hurt so bad it was hard to fall asleep. And the thought of having to do the whole thing over again on Sunday along with training - just really put me in a cranky mood.

Day 27. OFF!

So, since it is the recovery week - we have today and Saturday off for training! I slept in until 10am (which is huge for me right now). No other real plans - just running some errands and hanging with friends. Saturday - I am working at the AT&T National Golf Tournament to hopefully raise the last bit of money for my race! I'm officially up to $1800! Only $600 more to raise!

Day 26. Swim

So, I have been complaining of being exhausted all week - and it did not stop on Thursday. Instead of going to the group-led swim at 5:30am, I decided to sleep in and just swim by myself at 7am. :) The one cool thing was that there was this guy in the pool one lane over and I could definitely tell he was training for something. But, then I saw his swim cap - and it had those magical numbers 70.3. For those of you who don't know - 70.3 stands for the mileage for a half-Ironman. The numbers I would like to achieve in the not too distant future. I know you are probably thinking that I am crazy - but oh well, we have to have goals right?

Day 25. Bike

Today was the first day in a long time where I woke up actually feeling rested! I think the first three weeks of training finally caught up to me, that plus my allergies. Anyhow, today went really well. It was nice only having to bike for 25 minutes. It rained pretty hard last night, but this morning it was a nice cool 65. I can think of a better way to wake up than going about 16mph on a bike with the breeze through your hair (or helmet). :) If the race is as flat as they say it is, I'll have no problem going about 16 - 18 mph consistently, so pretty excited about that.

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!