Week 7 Training Schedule

Monday:  OFF
Tuesday:  Run 5 miles AM, Master Swim Class PM
Wednesday:  Bike 30 miles
Thursday:  Run 4 miles AM, Master Swim Class PM
Friday:  Bike 20 miles
Saturday:  Swim 1000 yds AM, Run 9 miles PM
Sunday:  BRICK DAY.  Bike 50 miles, Run 6 miles

It's Getting Intense

With less than 7 weeks to go, I'm at the peak of my training program now. Things are starting to get pretty crazy, and I'm fully engulfed in 2-a-days. This past weekend was jam-packed with physical activity, as I swam a mile in open water (which is just short of what I'll be doing on race day) on Saturday....then laid mulch at our house....then transplanted 4 plants from the front of our yard to the back.....then planted flowers.

Then on Sunday, I rode 60 miles on my bike.

In 91-degree heat.

And I felt fantastic!

No seriously.

This time there's actually no sarcasm in my tone. I felt really strong on the bike during those 60 miles. Andy started the ride with me, but left after 30 miles because he had ran a 1/2 marathon the day before (he was crazy-active on Saturday as well: running a 1/2 marathon in the morning.....then laying mulch at 2 lawns), so his legs were shot. I was pretty proud of him, because I wasn't taking it easy, with an average pace of 20 mph.

Now, the open swim part of my weekend?

Well, that's a different story.

This was the first time I had been out in open water since last season. All my training thus far has been done in the pool. And let me just tell you, it wasn't pretty. It took me about 1000 yds to find my rhythm. I couldn't get my breathing under control. I was getting frustrated at myself. Discouraged. Embarrassed. But finally, I was able to calm down and get some sort of rhythm going. It was pretty apparent after this weekend's swim that I need to get my butt in open water as much as possible during the next 7 weeks. No excuses.

Curious as to how many calories you burn on a 60-miler?
Yes, you're reading that correctly.
3,100.

Week 9 Training Schedule

Monday: run 3 miles, bike 20 miles
Tuesday: swim 1500 meters
Wednesday: OFF
Thursday: run 6 miles
Friday: run 3 miles, bike 20 miles
Saturday: Open Water Swim, 1st full distance of 1.2 miles!!!
Sunday: bike 45 miles

This week's challenges:

• Business travel Tuesday night - Thursday.
• Emma's baseball game Saturday morning, followed by her 500 Festival Rookie Run.
• Mother's Day on Sunday.

The Training Obstacles of a Full-Time, Working Mom

This is where it starts to get reeeeally  interesting. Training for a 1/2 Ironman, working full time in a demanding and time-consuming job, traveling on business, AND being a mom is starting to take it's toll.

#1:  I. Must. Work. Out. Even if it's not for a freaking 1/2 Ironman, it's crucial to my overall well-being. Working out is not only important for the physical benefits to keep my body healthy and strong, but it's also critical for my emotional well-being. And my family's well-being.

#2: Work is increasingly challenging. I love my job. We all know that. And business is good. Which - don't get me wrong - is a good thing as well. But when it's good, it means that you're busting your ASS to keep it that way! Let's be honest, I'm not just working 40 hours. When I step through those front doors at 7:00AM every morning, it's GO-GO-GO. There's no time to sit around and chit-chat, gossip about who's wearing what, or spend hours on the phone dealing with non-work related issues. I use my time at work to do just that. Because I know that come 4 or 5 o'clock, I have more work to do. - On the pavement, in the pool, or on the saddle -  Come 9,10 o'clock at night, I'm logged back in, checking my email.

#3: Business Travel. I'm heading into Week 2 of 3 weeks of travel. We all know that business travel means your "always on" for at least 15 hours, leaving you no time to get a good workout in. And I don't have time to waste days away, not training!

#4: I'm a Mom. Spending time with my children is priceless. I refuse to let them suffer, in not spending time with me...........but on the flip side, I refuse to let myself feel guilty for giving myself a little more "me" time during this training journey. I'm setting an example for my children, especially my daughter, to lead an active healthy, lifestyle. Even as a full-time, working Mom.

Week 10 Training Schedule

Week 10's schedule:

Monday: swim 1250
Tuesday: swim 2000 meters, 6 mile run
Wednesday: 30 mile bike
Thursday: run 5 miles, swim 1500 meters
Friday: 20 mile bike
Saturday: swim 1000 meters, run 8 miles
Sunday: OFF

It's going to be challenging to get Tuesday's workout in, as I have to travel to Chicago for a work trip. But that's what I got to figure out!

Week 11 Training Schedule

Run, Chrissy, Run!

Week 11's focus is on the run.  Here's the plan:
Monday: 3 mile run at lunch, private swim lesson with instructor focusing on drills.
Tuesday: 1 hour spin class
Wednesday: 4 mile run at lunch
Thursday: 3 mile run at lunch; swim 1000 meters focusing on laps
Friday: OFF
Saturday: 6 mile run
Sunday: 35 mile bike, include hills

So how did I do?!?.............

Grrrrrreat!  I didn't stray from my training schedule (not even once) during the entire week.  The only challenging thing this week was the weather.  It was cooler - and rainy (yuck!) - than it has been in a while, so I did all my lunch hour running on the treadmill.  Which sucks.  I absolutely HATE running on the treadmill.  Not only is it mind-numbingly morning, but it's also cheating.  But, you have to do what you have to do......and at least I'm doing something!

I'm Commited: 2012

Well, it's official.

I'm officially listed as a 2012 Muncie Ironman participate.

Now before you get too excited, this isn't a FULL Ironman. It's only the half. That's:
1.2 mile swim
56 mile bike
13.1 mile run

But still. It's enough to scare me, thrill me, and excite me all at the same time. I can't believe I'm actually going to go through with this.

I got the racing bug last year, when I did a few sprint triathlons. I also trained pretty consistently on the bike with my girlfriend Kelly, who did Louisville (full Ironman) last year. I've become fully enthralled with the sport of cycling and my only regret is that I wish I would have known about this sport years ago. It's amazing. And if I don't say so myself, I'm a pretty decent cyclist. Considering I've never had any formal training, and have only been doing it for a couple of years.

One of the qualities I admire most in my husband is his mental strength to power through anything. Let's face it. He doesn't have a runner's body. He's a former lineman and wrestler. But he's always had this competitive edge and drive to power through any challenging obstacle his body may endure. It's part of being an athlete. And that's one of the things I regret most about not doing in my school years. I am so competitive in nature. And hell, if you're reading this than you know me and you know my frame. It's.......solid. I've got huge, wide shoulders, an extra-long torso, and some a$$-kicking muscular legs (Have I ever showed you my "shin" muscle?!?   No?   Next time you see me, ask me about it. Guaranteed to blow you away. Seriously.) And as much as I hated it, people would always ask me if I played softball in school. (Seriously?!?....why don't you just tell me that I'm beefy. Because that's what you're implying.) But point is this: I had the foundation to be a competitive athlete. I just regret the fact that I didn't participate in sports at the high school level.

But it's only been these last couple of years - pretty much when I entered the thrilling thirties - that I've re-prioritized my life. Put things into perspective, focusing my time and energy on the things that matter most to me. So aside from my family, my heath and fitness is at the top of that list. If I don't have a strong mind and strong body, then everything else suffers. And somewhere along this journey to a healthier lifestyle, I became addicted.

Addicted to the feeling of success. Addicted to the results I saw within myself. Addicted to the response I received from my loved ones, thus creating a stronger relationship on all levels.

Addicted to the drive.

The drive to fuel and push myself to my limits. To never give up. To push myself beyond any physical measures I could have ever thought possible. To have the mental strength to endure temporary pain....for a permanent accomplishment.

Which is why I'm doing the Muncie Ironman.