It's been a long time

Yes, for the past two and half weeks I have neglected you all. My deepest apologies, I have just been so busy with training and well life, it's taken up until now to dedicate some long over due updates.  So where to really begin.

Well the last time I wrote I was competing in the Warrior dash (the smaller, yet as entertaining at the Tough Mudder). Well as many of you know, that run landed me with a double injury to my hamstrings.  The doctor gave me some great news though, nothing permanent, just had to take a break from running. Swimming had the okay, and biking could only last as long as I wasn't in pain. I exclaimed that I will take that over quitting this trek I have been on. So for week 3 I spent it doing transitions from biking to swimming and back.

Not only to add to my struggles with an injury, but I was still having issues to get into a pool, since the one I was currently using was still getting a facelift. Luckily, the Hempfield Rec Center hooked me up with a deal.  Back to the grind, but the first workout back in the pool was a real doozy.  I couldn't get my breathing down,  exhausted way to early, and felt very defeated. My word of advice is if you are training for something, never take a week off, it's a pain in the butt to get back in the grind.

But overall, swimming and biking with a little core exercised wrapped a good and still productive week 3.

Week 4 officially allowed to run again!! The time off and heat wraps with stretching sessions, made my hamstrings feel as good as new. I completed the whole week with pretty much not missing any workouts!!! The only thing I will have to say is the track workout might have been a little less than 60 minutes, but I made it up with completing a speed running competition at my gym. I currently am in 2nd place in the girls. I have till tomorrow to try to shave off 4 seconds off my time to beat the leader. Not sure if I can, but 2nd place ain't to shabby.

A month is under the belt and well I am in the middle if not wrapping up week 5. I have started working on getting donation letters and ramping up my fundraising site, so stayed tuned for that, my thoughts are maybe hosting another yard/bake sale to raise money, but that is still in the works.

Week  5 seems to have a little more pressure than the previous weeks. The swimming workouts are longer and so will be the brick workout come Saturday. I had been hitting a swimming road block for the past two weeks, but I decided to actually pick up a workout sheet and do different swimming strokes, just versus freestyle. It honestly makes the time fly by faster, and I am working out more different muscles. I am just wondering if it would look to odd or be unclassy to swim any of the ironman in either back or breast stroke. Am I to stick to the convention freestyle, or for my own sanity, be able to switch it up if I need to? Taking some suggestions on this topic.

As always I want to say I am getting a little more pumped up about this race. I finally looked at the maps,  and figured sometime in month 2 or 3 I should take a couple of my brick workouts to Pinchot Park... just to get the feel of the course. Wondering if anyone would like to bike 30 or 40 miles with me?? Let me know, and if you are feeling super pumped, join me for the run afterwards. Trust me... I won't go very fast.

Think about it, or the at the very least think about participating in some type of physical event in the near future. There are a couple half marathons with your name on them!!!!

2nd Week

So you probably think with how late I have been submitting this that maybe I got some common sense and gave up on this little goal ... hehe, WRONG!! In fact, this week was a lot more challenging due to the fact that I wasn't able to get a single swimming session in!! The JCC where I am paying for the pool had to close for the next two weeks for some construction. I have been trying to figure a way to get my swim workouts in BUt due to work and the impossible state to get in an early morning exercise, I just will have to try harder this week to getting all the workouts in.

The hardest part of this week's workouts was by far the 2 hour biking followed by a 30 minute run. I couldn't go outside for the bike, because thunderstorms were in the air... and I woke up to lightning and thunder = not a safe ride. So instead, I decided to hammer it out in the gym. Much to my disappointment, thunderstorm completely passed over during my work out times!! ARGH!!!  The gym isn't my favorite place to do those long cardio sessions (no offense gym) but I need something more to look at. however, the gym kept me pedaling the whole 2 hours (no breaks there) sooo the workout was really good despite being inside. I will have to tell you ... once I hit the running segment, I was pretty tired. The treadmill is by far the most grueling running routine I have yet to master. Just something about it; but I went on it and nearly wiped out after looking behind me to talk to a later (YIKES!!) While my body wasn't broken... my pride definitely was as I nearly took a dive in front of a couple people.

Sunday wrapped up a nice workout with doing a warrior dash. Not your tough mudder, but I will have to say... that was definitely the most running in mud between all of the ones I have done. It was grueling but totally awesome, and I have the injuries to prove it. Right in the beginning I felt a pull on my right back thigh. It hurts (because it still does today), but I powered through it. I really hope I made the right decision. I iced that baby down and did a heating too. So I am just hoping that it was enough.

Overall, my goal is still to get all those workouts necessary in this week (keeping my 1 set of finger crossed), also to start working on that fundraising for my goal of $300!!

I encourage you all this week to just go outside, take the kids and/or dog, and just walk around for an hour. Whether it's before dinner or after dinner, and enjoy the hour talking and walking. You will realize how good you and your family will feel after completing it. Also, most importantly,STRETCH afterwards to prevent injuries!!

1st week almost done

So my first week is just about done (still have Sunday training), but I will have to say my whole body is tired and worn!! I hope I can do this event, I guess I have 15 more weeks to figured that out :-P.  Anyways, it was an interesting week regardless.

Monday-- Memorial Day, working in news holidays don't really mean that much to me (unless I am one of those lucky ones that actually had off, which in this case , I did not). However, the rest of the world was committed to it. After waking up early,  and started getting ready to go to Harrisburg (which this time would have originally been for starting my work out.. since my commute to HBG would be later) when I looked at my calendar for the pool at the JCC and realized instead of opening at it's usual 6AM time, it was delayed to 7AM. ARGH!! I should have looked, I knew I should have double checked. Well instead of being mad at myself I had to think what I could do. So I took the opporutunity to check out the Snap fitness gym in Harrisburg (member of 1 Snap Fitness-- member of them all NICE!) and see the spin bikes they have. I got up there with no problem and got to test out the bike. Spin is hard!! Within two minutes... I was sweating profusely. So I did a 20 minute spin and then rushed over to the JCC to push in a 1/4 mile swim. Then off to work!

Tuesday: We'll keep this short. Spin for an hour... and I almost died yesterday at 10! Well had to charge on, and when I went back to sit on that seat-- OUCH!!-- the pain-- oh yeah that pain! It hurt soooo bad! BUT had to plug through and get my tushie back into biking stamina! After the biking, I had to run... I was tired... and had to run uphill. It was fun and actually felt pretty nice after 5 minutes of running.

Wednesday: Core workout!-- Nuff said... I am working on getting the abs that will make you all jealous! : )

Thursday-- Well I was suppose to swim and do a track workout. So I figured swim in the AM and run in the PM. Well the swim was done.. but the track got dropped because A. Wanted to earn some extra money by working overtime! B. My body was tried... and thus unmotivated to continue

Friday-- It was suppose to be my day of rest... felt pretty guilty for missing track session. Planned on hitting after work... what I hit was the pillow. I really rested the day.

Saturday (today!!) I woke up extremely early (4:40AM to be exact) to plow in a 90 minute bike ride followed by a 30 minute run. I did both... made sure to bring King on the run... because silly heads he can't ride a bike!! 
As I sit here on the assignment desk... it is now that I feel complete fatigue in my thighs... I am tired and restless at the same time; is that even possible?

My plan is to get some new shoes today... because my other ones are WAAAAYYYY beyond their expiration date.

So for now.. live it... love it... do it!!! (or at least die trying :-P )