Inter Rockin' Race Report and a 2k Swim

Last Sunday, I won Athena Division at the Inter Rockin' Triathlon for the second year in a row! 

Woop!

Last year, I wrote about how I'm proud to be an Athena athlete and I still feel that way. I'm curvy and athletic and I love it. 

This summer has been a little difficult as far as my weight. I've been pretty stressed out due to my summer job and find myself eating my stress, but then I feel myself riding twenty miles to blow off steam and I know my old self wouldn't be able to do that. There's comfort in that!

Back to the race. 

The swim was my fastest yet. Last year's swim time was just over thirteen minutes and this year I came in at just over ten. The bike was smooth, but the run was ROUGH. Last year, I came around twenty-six minutes and this year, I came in at twenty-eight and a half. It was so hot and humid that I felt light-headed and almost passed out near the end. My feet were swollen and fell asleep after the first mile. Longest 5k ever! 

Despite the rough run, I beat my time of 1 hour, 23 minutes by two minutes!

Final time, 1 hour, 21 minutes. 

My favorite group of tri friends! 

 Three days later, I swam my second 2k race of the summer. Perhaps I'll swim the 5k or even 10k next summer? 

Despite my busy schedule, I'm making time for summer training and I'm having fun. I'm gonna keep moving at breakneck speed. Why not? 

Training schedule for the week:

Monday: 45 swim

Tuesday: 77 bike

Wednesday: 31 run

Thursday: 14 swim, 28 bike

Friday: 14 run

Saturday: 19 swim

Sunday: 37 bike, 19 run

Oh my. (and a race report and training update)

Woah. Last week was insane. It was my turbo-Jen schedule on crack. Turbo-Jen schedule is my school schedule plus a few meetings and working out. It's an eight to eight day. Last week I had a few eight to midnight days and it was almost too much. Trying to shove work and summer into my life will lead me to exhaustion, so I have to be careful.

The Summer of Social Justice is underway and DUDE... it is crazy. I'm not even going to get into my summer job, which more than I bargained for. Let me stop there and just tell you about a few great things last week.

Great thing #1: The Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros concert. 
My sis Sky and I were lucky enough to see ESMZ at the State theater in our hometown on Monday night.

Waiting for the band to start in what felt like a sauna.

This show ranks up there in my top ten shows of all time. The energy, the set list, the opening band, the crowd... it was fantastic and magical. These types of shows only come once every few years if you're lucky.

Stage lights=Magical

Crowd=Magical

After the show, I felt high on life. I wanted to hug everyone I saw. Sky and I lingered in the fresh air for a few minutes and then started walking to our car only to see a crowd blocking our sidewalk. "What the heck," I thought, "What is happening?" 

Alex Ebert, the lead singer of EWMZ was sitting on top of some equipment crates putting on an alley show with a portable mic and amp. 

 I've gone to A LOT of shows at the State Theater in Kalamazoo and I've never seen anything like that. It made me love the band even more. It didn't matter that I didn't get home until 12:30am when I had to work in the morning. Worth it. 

A lead singer who loves his fans=Magical

Great Thing #2: The Gull Lake Triathlon

 Yesterday, I completed my second sprint tri of the season. 

No medal, but shooooooot... I felt great. Funny because I was a little hungover when I woke up in the morning. I only had two beers the night before, but they were microbrews so... yeah. Then, my tri friend Tina and I were a little bit late to the race and I forgot my race belt, but it was one of my fastest times ever! Maybe I should be late, forgetful, and hungover for my next tri? Ha!

In a 500 meter swim, 16k bike, and 5k run, I came in 4th out of 10 women in my age group with a time of one hour, twelve minutes. Last year around this time, I did the Tri Goddess Tri, which had similar distances and I finished in one hour, twenty-two minutes-- that is a TEN MINUTE improvement!!!!! What?!?! I can't wait for the Interockin' Tri next weekend! 

Last Week's Training Plan

Monday- 14 run (Edward Sharpe Concert!)

Tuesday- 14 swim, 28 bike

Wednesday- 19 swim

Thursday- 37 bike, 19 run

Friday- Off

Saturday- RACE!

Sunday- Off, yoga

The Real Deal

Monday- No run, but I danced and sweat like a crazy lady for over an hour. It counts, right? 

Tuesday- No workout, more sweating.

Wednesday- 37 bike, 20 run

Thursday- 40 swim

Friday- Off

Saturday- RACE and I rocked it!

Sunday- Off, dog walk

On to this week! This week, I need to watch my eating and drinking. I want to see how my tri time improves from eating well and training. No dairy. My stomach has been gurgling since I decided ordering a cheese plate was a good idea a few days ago. I'm lactose intolerant and I need to admit that to myself! 

This Week's Training Plan

Monday- 31 run, 40 swim (this is an extra swim)

Tuesday- 14 swim, 28 bike

Wednesday- 14 run, 19 swim (this is another extra swim... I might cut it)

Thursday- Off

Friday- 37 bike, 19 run

Saturday- Off

Sunday- Interockin' Tri!!!! Time to beat: 1 hour 23 minutes. I can do it!

Race Recap: The Three Rivers Triathlon

Yesterday I completed my last triathlon of the season-- The Three Rivers Triathlon. 

This was the hardest tri I've done this season because of the hills! Let me illustrate:

Artist rendering of the emotional feeling of  bike and run routes (who knows what it really looks like)

I had a great time yesterday. I wasn't expecting to place in anything-- mostly because my tri ladies and I went through the bike route earlier in the week and my hill performances were laughable. I decided my goal for this tri was to finish and drink a celebratory summer shandy. 

The weather was perfect, although at 53 degrees it was a chilly start:

I kept my hoodie on for as long as possible. 

The swim went well. I had no anxious freakout in the water and I felt like it went by fairly quickly. I had a couple ladies grab my foot which startled me, but it also kept me on my game. Plus, I caught up to the end of the men's wave so I felt like an Olympian. Hehe.

The bike was hard. Really hard. Over this summer of triathlons I've learned that I really like biking even though it forms calluses on my bootie. Yesterday's race taught me that I need to learn how to hill climb. There were two points where I thought I might get off and just walk. Then I got it together and just climbed the hill in agony. Maybe I'll sign up for a spin class in the fall? 

 Something fun about triathlons is that people are really encouraging. This woman and I kept passing each other on the bike every few minutes. After the first half of the bike leg she passed me again and we had a little conversation:

Me: UGH! I am trying to beat you but you keep passing me! Haha!

Her: Girl, I am 55... you can do it! Let's keep motivating each other!

Me uphill: I can't pass you on hills because I don't know how to stand while biking!

Her: Hahahaha! What?!

I ended up beating her after I squirted my Gu pack all over my hands because I also don't know how to bike with one hand. I've noticed in my first season of triathlons that most of the women in their 30s, 40s, and 50s are way better than women in their 20s. I hope I am as fit as they are when I am their age! Maybe I'll even be able to stand while climbing hills and let go of the handlebars sometimes!

The run hurt, but I made it through. It was beautiful running weather but again, the hills were killer. My calves were screaming! I finished with a smile on my face, ate some pancakes (best post race breakfast ever), and drank my summer shandy. Our results were posted and imagine my surprise when I saw that I took third in my age group?

I was not expecting to place. Danielle tells me that I need to have higher expectations of myself. I'm getting there... slowly but surely. A year ago, I never would have thought that I would win a medal at any athletic event. It feels pretty cool. Plus, not to sound like a Weight Watchers commercial, but if I can do all of this stuff then ANYONE can do it. :)

Final times:

Swim (500m)- 11:45

Bike (18K)- 38:01

Run (5K)- 27.53

Final: 1:21:57

3rd place out of 8 in my age group (25-29)

What am I going to do now? 

Maybe I'll scrounge up some moola and compete in a fall triathlon. I'm not ready to be done yet! 

Inter-rockin Triathlon Race Report: Athena Winner!

BOOM!

 Yes readers and myself, that is three medals: A finisher medal (for being awesome), a third place in my age group medal, and a FIRST PLACE ATHENA MEDAL. YES! YES! YES!

It's a day later and I still feel like this dude...

...except slightly cuter. ;)

Before: Not as many nerves for my third tri. I was mostly pumped up for this race because I know I've been working hard and I was ready to show it. I set up my transition area with a five gallon bucket to sit on. I love the cheap bucket method! This whole triathlon thing is pretty expensive. Gotta cut corners when I can!

The Swim: I refused to panic before the swim like I did in my last tri. I stayed on the outside of the group (which was bigger than the last one) and even though my time wasn't as fast as I wanted it to be I finished strong. Now that I'm over my fear of getting kicked in the face I'm going to push it at my August tri. 

The Bike: I hadn't ridden my beautiful road bike for a week because we were at the lake and I didn't want to trash it on dirt roads so I was little nervous about the clip-in shoes and balance. Everything was great except for three things: My cheap bike seat hurt my lady parts, I still can't balance well enough to reach down and grab my water when I'm super thirsty, and my legs were super shaky when I finished the ride. The bike seat and legs were remedied today because I finally got my bike fitted for me. The balance is just going to take practice. I can't wait to ride my newly fitted bike!

The Run: Since I didn't drink enough water on the bike, I chugged water during transition. I heard it sloshing throughout the whole 5k. It was kind of funny but it mostly felt gross. I ran in with this 58 year old BOSS LADY. Geez, can I please finish a tri in 1 hour 23 minutes when I'm 58? 

After (in pictures):

Who looks this happy after a triathlon? THIS GIRL!

These are the amazing ladies I tri with (minus one Sue). We all medaled! I mean, talk about badass.
They are SO INSPIRING and hanging out with them is super fun. We are talking about starting a ladies-only tri party workout group in West Michigan. Doing triathlons with strong women is so motivating. Takers?

Afterwards we floated in Sutton's Bay with beer and cocktails. Summer rocks!

The Numbers:

Place: 3rd out of 12 in my age group, 1st out of 7 in the Athena category

Swim (500 meters): 13:07

Transition 1: 2:10

Bike (20k, 12.5ish miles): 40:10

Transition 2: 1:40

Run (5k): 26:14

Special thanks to this song:

I listened to it before I put my phone away for the tri. It was like having Oprah give me a pep talk before I started. Fer reals. 

I don't think I can afford another tri this month, but we'll see! Now that I have a little mid-season triathlon hiatus due to lack of moola, I'm going to start attacking more summer goals on my 30b430 list. The Summer of Jen is definitely living up to its possibilities. 

Anyone else having an amazing summer? You should tell me about it because it makes me want to do more fun stuff!

Other 2012 Triathlon Reports!

6/24/2012: Tri Goddess Tri

6/2/2012: Double Time Triathlon

Tri Goddess Tri Race Recap Part II: The Race!

I was so excited for this triathlon to begin. I've been training hard and I felt ready. Plus, with one tri under my belt (and crossed off of The List) I felt like I knew more of what to expect. 

Before: My transition area set-up was so much better than the first one. I had clip-in shoes and my own bike this time! I bit the bullet and used some of my savings to buy my own road bike. It is used and beautiful and I am obsessed with riding it. I need to get my bike fitted (another expense... geez), but it is working for now. 

Note to self: Bring a feather boa or balloons next time to mark my transition spot! I'm also bringing a bucket to sit on!  
The Swim: I panicked. There were so many ladies in the water because this tri was so big that I didn't know how to sight and I kept getting smacked in the face with people's feet! I also kept taking in water and swallowing it. I swim alone in open water all the time (with my SwimSafe of course) and I felt so ready for this distance. I know I lost time because of the first 200 meters of the swim. After my initial panic and feeling like I needed to throw my arms up in the air so a kayak could rescue me I feel into my groove and finished without drowning. 

The Bike: I rocked it. Part of it was having my own bike. Part of it was having the clip-in shoes. I was only passed two times and the rest of the time I did the passing! Yeah! Me! I did the passing! I can't wait until I have the money for a real bike fitting. Maybe I'll go even faster!

The Run: I PRed! It was 3 miles and not 3.1 miles, but I finished in under 25 minutes! After the first mile it was all trail and I was ready. There is something so calming about running in the woods. I don't know if I can ever go back to road running.

After: After a scone, a banana, and a massage I felt on top of the world! There is nothing I'd rather do with my time and money on the weekend than a triathlon.

A note on wearing a one piece tri-suit:

I do not have high self-esteem about my body, so wearing a one piece tri-suit for this race was quite a big step for me. I had to put aside my insecurities about my beer gut, my thighs, my boobs, and my booty. I don't want people to see my jiggling and I get so nervous that people are looking at me and thinking, "Ew, what is she doing! She is a sausage!" To combat this, I thought of a video I recently saw by my new favorite: Leslie Hall. She owns a one piece spandex suit:

Tell yourself you’re a vessel of shimmy
And activate your dance floor kitty

When I place my legs in a cage of spandex
I dance like hell to release the madness
Watch my feet pound holes in plywood
Watch my hips crush plates of baked goods

Watch out for my body rolls!
Watch out for my body rolls!
High kicks!
High kicks!
This is how we do it!

Hahahaha! I've decided to own my body. I don't want to go into my 30s continually bashing myself when I am just fine! Yeah, I am curvy. So what? I'm going to keep wearing a one piece tri-suit because it makes my transitions and everything else easier!

Yep, I made a meme about it. If I had time to make a meme for every silly situation in my life I would!

After the tri I celebrated with a group of amazing ladies. I don't know if I will ever go to these events without other people. What fun is completing a triathlon if you can't celebrate your badassness with other badasses?

The tri buddies strike again!

It was like 10am here. According to Jimmy Buffet, it was five o'clock somewhere, right? Plus, did you know that the light pre-mixed Daily's bags are only 180 calories? 

The Numbers

Place: 7th out of 23 in the 25-29 age group; 39th out of 279

Swim (.5 mile swim): 19:14

Transition 1: 1:15

Bike (10.7 miles): 35:15

Transition 2: 2:01

Run (3 miles): 24:59

I'm a happy girl!

I have nothing to compare this tri to because my first one was completely different. However, I'm just happy-- I've never pictured myself being athletic or ever completing something like a sprint triathlon. Focusing on this has saved my life mentally and physically. I can't wait to do this tri again next year!

Which events are coming up?

Only one tri in July, August, and September because these thangs are exPENsive!

If I can find the money I will try to add one more tri to August and September.

1. July 7th: Inter-rockin' Sprint Triathlon 

2. July 28th: Dirty Burg 10k Trail Run

3. August 18th: Three Rivers Triathlon

4. September 9th: The Rhoades McKee Reeds Lake Triathlon- This one will be my longest of the season!

Let me know if you will be at any of these races! I'd love to meet up.

I want to exchange tri tips and talk to other ladies who like to train for and do triathlons. Does anyone know of an online community for that? Is there anyone out there who is a beginner like me? Also, does anyone else know of some great tri bloggers? My blog doesn't fully focus on triathlons and training, but I want to talk about this because I LOVE IT! Hehe.

Tri Goddess Race Recap Part I: Where I Get All Political On You

On Sunday I took place in my first all female triathlon. After Sunday I wish that every tri I did was all women only! It was empowering to be surrounded by so many strong women! There was even a woman participating who was about to turn 75. There were women in their 30s and 40s passing me without a second glance. I want to be like them when I grow up. 

Transition Area... so awesome being with all ladies!

Although you can probably tell what my political views are, I try not to get too political in my posts. However, this was a timely triathlon to celebrate girl power after all of the hoopla over Michigan State Rep Lisa Brown saying the word "vagina" on the House floor. She was banned from speaking in a debate on the House floor because she "disrupted decorum." For some reason, a woman being banned from the House floor because of a lack of "decorum" made me think of a bunch of guys standing around laughing like this:

I wonder what would happen if a woman says the anatomically correct word for her lady parts enough?

[via]

In an interview, Lisa Brown said, "One of my counterparts, Rep. Mike Calton, R-Nashville, said 'vagina' is such a disturbing word that he would never deign to use it in the presence of women or 'mixed company.' This from a man with a bachelor's degree in biology."

So glad we're living in 2012, right?

I made a shirt in honor of Rep Lisa Brown and Rep Barb Byrum (she was banned from speaking as well). I wore it during the last leg of the tri. The cheers I heard from so many ladies about the shirt is probably why I finished running the 5k in 24:59-- a new PR!

I'll have an actual triathlon update for you tomorrow! I just had to get this off my chest breasts.

Earworm Wednesday: Hurt the Dirt Trail Run Recap

Last Saturday I ran my first 5k trail run. It was hot, but awesome! I decided after this race that I'm not going to do regular 5k runs ever again. I'm going to stick to trail runs and themed runs (like a zombie run or a color run).

After the race with my weekly running/burger/beer buddy, Joe. I changed my shirt because my blue one was soaked.

To avoid a mouth-breather race pic, I promptly closed my mouth when I saw the camera:

Hi, I'm uncomfortable because I can't breathe!

See that girl behind me? She was trying to beat me but it didn't work. Bwahaha. I got to the finish line with a bunch of guys. The last 100 sprint was between a guy and me. I yelled out "DAMMIT!" as he passed me and he laughed. We high-fived at the finish line, so all's well that ends well.

The craziest thing about this race is the Facebook message I got from Joe on Sunday morning:

I quickly went onto the website and this is what I saw!

Yeah! See that!?! Second place in my age group! Plus, I was the oldest one and I still beat some ladies! The ladies in the next age group were a lot faster than us, but I don't care! I placed and won a gift certificate! It's going towards new running shoes. I don't know when new running shoes are in order, but I've been using my Brooks for a year and the bottoms are looking kind of worn.

For some reason, this song came into my head while I was in my celebratory mood:

Hehe.

This Sunday is the Tri Goddess Tri and I am PUMPED! I'm going to do this race in a sausage casing-esque tri suit and clip in pedals! I'm moving up in the world. I'm aiming for a meme-worthy performance:

Woo!

I'll tell you how it goes next week!

30b430: Goal #2- Complete an Outdoor Triathlon

On Saturday I completed my first outdoor triathlon!

The end of the Double Time Triathlon

The first time you do something is always a harrowing experience because you aren't sure what to expect. I've been preparing so much I didn't think I'd be as nervous as I was, but...

My head was warmer if I kept the swim cap on.

It was 46 degrees when I reluctantly peeled off my sweatshirt, sweatpants, and winter hat for the swim. I wasn't wearing a wetsuit because I didn't train in one and I didn't want to do something differently than I'd already done in training. It was just me, my clouds of breath from the cold, and the water. It was a pretty horrible swim. I felt like my breath was being ripped out of my chest every time I went under and I could only manage one stroke and one breath. One stroke and one breath after all of the training I've done! One stroke and one breath after being able to swim eight strokes and one breath in my open water swim practice and being able to make it across the pool with only one breath! It was a frustrating feeling, but it was over fairly quickly. It took me 9 minutes and 2 seconds for a 400 yard swim. I know my next swim will be a lot faster.

My first transition was a disaster at 3 minutes and 32 seconds. I didn't bring an extra towel and my bike shorts wouldn't pull up over my damp thighs. It was like trying to stuff a bratwurst through a Chinese fingertrap. One of my friends had a bottle of baby powder on her towel, so I ran over to it and flung powder all over my lower half like a crazy woman. My black bike shorts looked like I'd been baking and had an accident with the flour but I didn't care. Note to self: Practice transitions for the next tri!

I finally got on my bike and realized the pedals weren't moving me forward because THE CHAIN FELL OFF. Good thing I know how to put a bike chain back on. Oh wait, I don't. It took a few seconds of me in a state of panic yelling, "AH! I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PUT A BIKE CHAIN BACK ON! HELP!" for a nice elderly gentleman to laughingly and gently put the bike chain on. I've got to learn how to do simple things like put a bike chain on my bike if I'm going to keep up with this.

The bike ride is always the slowest part of tri training for me. I just started biking and I'm not very fast. However, I felt like I did an okay job and it was a beautiful ride in the country. I kept a steady cadence and got to eat some Jelly Belly Sport Beans along the way. I've been training on a hill with crazy ups and downs, so this ride was pretty easy. I finished 11.75 miles in 44 minutes and 25 seconds.

Transition 2 wasn't too bad at 50 seconds, but the person who won transitioned in 34 seconds. How?! I'll learn.

Finally, it was time for the 5k. My normal 5k time is just shy of thirty minutes, so my goal was to finish in thirty minutes. I figured my legs would be tired so I tacked on a minute or two.

Thanks to my best bud A.J. for the support and pics!

The run was hard to do without my headphones, but when I clocked in at 27 minutes and 4 seconds I decided that maybe it's okay to run without headphones. Maybe being in my anxiety-ridden head with no music to calm me down makes me go faster! Here's a glimpse into my running thoughts: "Oh what? You know what it is blackandyellowblackandyellowblackandyellowblackandyellow. I wonder how much longer? Has it been a mile? Where's the sign? Should I jump in this puddle? Hey! I'm running on a trail! Glad I practiced that. I wonder if I'm last? How am I gonna drink this water while running? I'm just throwing it on myself. Blackandyellowblackandyellowblackandyellowblackandyellow."

Thanks Wiz Khalifa.

Total time: 1 hour, 24 minutes, 55 seconds

I came in third place out of four in my age group (this was a super small tri) and even though it's not that big of an accomplishment, I'm still pretty proud of myself because I finished!

I'm a wiener!

I wore my 3rd place out of 4 medal all day because I've never won a medal for sports. I never even earned a presidential medal in elementary and middle school because I couldn't do a pull-up or hold myself up on the bar. I get the appeal of medals. Maybe one day I'll get 3rd place out of five or even ten!

Yep. I wore my medal when we stopped to get jerky on the way home. I thought about eating some lard because I burned over 1,000 calories but then I thought better of it.

So here I am, down 30 pounds and in the best shape of my life. I plan on staying like this for a long time. I am now addicted to triathlons and I can't wait to see how badass I can be on the next one. I don't know how to set goals for things like this, but I'd like to shave at least 1 minute from the swim, 3 minutes from the bike, and keep the run the same! The distances won't be the same for the Tri Goddess Tri in three weeks, but I definitely going to up my badass game.

Finishers! That girl next to me is the badass (otherwise known as Danielle) I train with. She's my inspiration and we are going to ROCK the Tri Goddess Tri!

I'm going to do a hodgepodge of workouts this week and I'll be on a different training schedule next week. I will keep using Beginner Triathlete's plans until I learn more about training unless anyone has better free training plans... suggestions?

Goal complete! Have a great week everyone!

I vow to stay away from the "I finished my first sprint tri so I'm going to eat anything I want all week without logging the calories" attitude. Well, I will do that after I eat these toffee covered almonds.

1. Complete an indoor triathlon. 2/12/12 2. Complete an outdoor triathlon. 6/2/12 3. Swim across West Twin Lake and Rose Lake. 4. Bike the Kal-Haven Trail. 5. Play the piano in front of people. 6. Visit my family in the Philippines (or at least have tickets booked by my 30th birthday). 7. Have a conversation with a dear Senegalese friend in French or Wolof (preferably Wolof). 8. Visit my grandparents in California. 9. Pop a champagne cork with no fear. 10. Make leche flan (it's Filipino, it's amazing, and I'm makin' it). 11. Jar or can veggies, pickles, sauce... something. 12. Revised 5/1/12 because I remembered that I'm supposed to graduate in December and my Master's degree is really important to me!!! Get my Master's degree and submit some of my academic writing and then, maybe, you know... get it published. 13. Travel out of the country with Nate. 14. Pay off at least 50% of my remaining undergraduate credit card debt. 15. Sing karaoke by myself in Kalamazoo in front of all of my friends. 16. Eat clean for one month. 17. Pick berries and bake something with them. 18. Write at least one chapter of the novel that I write in my mind while I'm walking the dogs. 19. Thank my mom for everything she's done for me. 20. Go further into the UP than the Mystery Spot tourist trap and jump into Lake Superior. 21. Get chosen for one more summer fellowship in another country where I am able to work with youth. 22. Go on a police ride along. 23. Get to 200 blog posts. 24. Revised 5/1/12 Make some decisions about my career and/or PhD prospects. Apply for PhD programs. 25. Attend roller derby training so I can learn the moves. 26. Learn how to flip turn when I'm swimming laps. 4/19/12 27. Take a real personal day. 28. Learn how to drive a stick. 29. Go horseback riding. 30. Poach an egg perfectly.

Last Indoor Tri of the Season

On Sunday I finished my last indoor tri of the season. I had my best times yet even though I didn't flip turn. I jumped into the pool at the YMCA and it was one of those pools that go from super shallow to deep. BOO! I was afraid I would hit my head on the bottom of the pool so I decided to hold off on the flip turns this season. Next year, shallow pool, next year.

Unfortunately, I've been extremely sore since Sunday. I really pushed it on the run. I stuck to 7-8mph for the full twenty minutes. Around the 18 minute mark I felt like throwing up and understood why people hate running on treadmills. I mentally yelled at those stupid strawberry Clif Shot Bloks I ate in between the bike and run because they were making me feel queasy. I don't know if I can get used to eating or drinking anything but water on these long workouts. But maybe those weird gel blocks were the reason I was able to push it?

I usually baby my knee and aim for ten minute miles (6mph) when I'm running, but this time everyone in my heat was really fit and I wanted to keep up so I pushed it. My knee doesn't hurt but my hamstrings are aching! I've been so active lately that I didn't think I'd be so sore. Maybe I didn't stretch enough before and after? I'm learning as I go and taking a few days off this week. I'll be back at it Thursday to continue training for my first outdoor tri.

Oh yeahhhh. First pair of padded bike shorts ever. Badass.

For this tri, I'd like to thank the song "I'm Sexy and I Know It" for playing on my ipod at the exact moment I wanted to throw up on the treadmill. The beat made me feel like I was sexy even though I was sweating, holding puke in, and bouncing all over the place:

Danielle said no ipods at USAT events. All of the tris I signed up for are USAT events! How will I survive?!?!?!?!

Here are the results of my first season of trying to be fit:
1. Borgess Indoor Tri (my 1st ever): Swim: 40 lengths (62.2) Exercise Bike: 6.4 miles (64) Treadmill: 2.1miles (33.075)
Total Score: 159.275
2. IronBac: Swim: 41 lengths (63.76) Exercise Bike: 6.03 miles (60.3) Track: 19 laps (59.38)
Total Score: 183.43
3. Trizelle Indoor Tri: Swim: 41 lengths (63.76) Spin Bike: 7.5 miles (75) Treadmill: 2.43 miles (38.27)
Total Score:177.028

Even though my highest score was at #2, I think my best was #3. I felt great afterwards and I ran the most!

For the next six weeks I'm going to work from a triathlon training plan from Beginner Triathlete. It's the Original 13 Week Sprint Training Plan. I'm going to start on week 8 and go from there. If you have any other suggestions for training, please share!