The Little Things
August 31, 2012

What a week this has been! I’m still riding strong on my first triathlon induced high, and I can’t say that I mind! I’m happy to say that I already have my next race scheduled (not a tri though!), so I can immediately start training again:)

A few links from this week that I’m loving:

Pinstrosity: I just found this site this week, and is a great site that compiles all sorts of Pinterest fails. I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s had a fail from pinterest!

Dog Shaming: This is another great site where owners send in pictures of their dogs with handwritten signs next to them. Again, it’s pretty funny and gave me a good laugh!

Homemade Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt: I haven’t tried this yet, so I can’t vouch for how good this tastes. However, with only 4 ingredients it seemed fairly easy to make, and I’ll definitely be giving it a try soon!

My First Sprint Triathlon: Ok, I know. This is actually one of my posts from the week, but I just couldn’t help but sneak it into this list! I really wish I could do another tri this weekend- it was that much fun!

Healthy Labor Day Recipes: While I haven’t made anything from this list yet, as soon as this post hit my google reader I immediately scanned and starred it for future reference. Seriously- how great do these recipes look? If you’re heading to a party or cookout this weekend, make sure to check some of these recipes out!

Some Thursday Motivation: I know- today is Friday. However, I think we can all use some motivation no matter what day it is! Check out some of these inspirational pins!

Now it’s your turn to share! Are you doing anything exciting for Labor Day? 

August 28, 2012

Spoiler Alert: I’m a Triathlete! 

Do you remember how worried I was about my first triathlon? It turns out that I didn’t really have anything to worry about at all! In fact, pretty much every minute of it was a blast! I went into triathlon day feeling tired and drained, due to three weeks of non-stop traveling and the unexpected death of a friend. I felt undertrained, and was nervous how I would hold up.

I participated in the Danskin Triathlon Series, specifically the one in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. It was a sprint triathlon: 1/2 mile swim, 12 mile bike, 3.1 mile run.

Race Morning Prep/ Transition Zone: While I thought that Danskin handled the triathlon itself well, the set up was a hot mess, and the volunteers didn’t seem to know much of what was going on that day. We ended up driving in circles for awhile before someone was able to direct us to the parking lot. The line for packet pickup was chaotic, and no one there could answer my questions. I was so overwhelmed and tired that I came very close to crying in the parking lot. It was not the way I wanted to start the day. I set up my transition zone and then waited almost an hour for the race to start.

Swimming (1/2 mile, 20:52): I wasn’t too worried about this, as I’m naturally a pretty good swimmer. I haven’t swam in a lake in awhile, and the waves and people kicking around me definitely made it a little more difficult than lane swimming in a pool. I felt like I doggy paddled the first 4 or 5 minutes until people spread out a bit. My swim was strong and it felt like it flew by- I hardly had time to even think.

Walking down to the water to start the tri! Also- how attractive are swim caps?

Transition 1 (4:20): I had never practiced transitioning before, so I wondered how it would go. Overall I think it went really smoothly. I had a water bottle that I used to rinse off my feet and then had a towel to wipe off my feet. This worked out perfectly! I also ate a few shot blocks and took my time to get something to drink.

Coming into T1

Biking (12 miles, 43:13, 17.2 mph average): As you might remember, as of the beginning of July I hadn’t been on a bike in over a decade, and only got on it because I knew that I only had 4 weeks to train for this triathlon. The biking portion went really well, and I biked much faster than I have in any training ride. There were some slight rolling hills and a few sharp turns, and was a simple out and back pattern…except for one thing. At the end of the ride we biked over a bridge, and then turned around and biked back across it again. That was definitely a bit tough after the swim and bike, but the adrenaline certainly got me through!

Transition 2 (3:19): Because I didn’t wear biking shoes, and just wore my tennis shoes, this transition should’ve been faster. However, I took the time to take another drink and eat a few more shot blocks and stretch for a minute. I ran out of the transition zone feeling great!

Running out of T2

Running (3.1 miles, 35:25): I wasn’t super concerned about this leg either, although I did worry the previous two activities if I was pacing ok so that I’d have energy for the run. I definitely was feeling a little tired when I started the run, but overall I was feeling pretty good. My PR for a 5k is 30:48 (i think! Or 28?- anyways, 30 minutes something), so this was definitely much slower, but 35 minutes is about what I’ve been running pace wise all summer, so considering that I had done 2 events before this, I feel pretty good. I had to take a few walking breaks along the way, and wasn’t thrilled that there was a hill at the one and a half mile mark, but overall the run went pretty well too.

At the end of the run- about to cross the finish line!

Before the race started there was a woman walking around who was offering to write things on the legs of those doing the tri. I had her write this:

The last thing that my friend who died sent to us was a text that, in part, said “sweet existed” (it was supposed to be sweet excited)- it reminds me of sweet existence, and I found myself repeating that phrase every few minutes throughout the tri. Briana told me the night before my first half marathon in May “have fun- you only get one first half marathon”. I changed that around and a few times during the bike and run portion I thought “Have fun, enjoy every minute- you only get one first sprint triathlon”. You know what? I really did enjoy every minute of it, and towards the end of the run I really did think that I wished I could do another one in a week or two!

So- to put it in one single sentence: I finished a triathlon and I loved it! 

August 26, 2012

Well, as this is posted I’m currently full of nerves and excitement as I’m about to compete in my first triathlon. My training has been less than stellar, so I hope it goes well. Here’s what the past week of exercise looked like (included a 2 day business trip and 2 days of traveling for my friend’s visitation and funeral):

 

A pretty blah training week. Also- I forgot to set this to publish so I’ve already done my tri. Spoiler Alert: I finished and crushed my time goal by a lot! Recap to come soon!

August 24, 2012

I’m on my way to the visitation and funeral for my friend, and it still hardly seems real. I suppose reality will set in soon once I get to the funeral home, or more likely on the drive there. I’m certainly not looking forward to the next 24 hours. Between traveling and prepping for my tri, I’ve read a few interesting articles this week that I thought were interesting. Check them out!

Some trucks carry unsafe food: A recent report discussed how many of the trucks that carry our food to grocery stores and restaurants don’t keep our food in the safe temperature range. In fact, they found some trucks storing food at 60 or even 100 degrees- enough to make us sick! This article was an interesting read.

Is your doctor burned out? While this article is specifically geared toward the medical professions, I think assessing our own burnout (or behaviors leading to burnout) is critical in order to be healthy. This article stuck out to me because one of the major topics I speak on is burnout, and I work hard to help my clients develop strategies in college to help them avoid burnout later on in their careers.

So You Wanna Do A Triathlon: This is actually a series that Caitlin from Healthy Tipping Point wrote this past year. I linked to one of the posts, and you can find the other posts in her series at the top. I’ve gone back and read and re-read this series a number of times in the last few weeks as I prepare for my own triathlon.

Healthy Living Freed Me To Truly Live: Inspirational. Interesting to think about what healthy living freed you from or freed you to be able to do!

West Nile Spreading Farther and Faster This Season: West Nile Cases are on the rise, and it’s important to engage in behaviors to help you avoid mosquito bites! Make sure to protect yourself.

Black Bean Guacamole: No, I haven’t tried this yet, but I have it starred in google reader and I intend to try it soon! It sounds delicious and healthy.

Nutrition Talk: Have Your Cake and Eat It Too: Tina from Best Body Fitness writes about moderation and how to enjoy dessert while still being healthy!

August 23, 2012

Despite the fact that most of my energy has been focused on dealing with my friend’s death and upcoming funeral, I still need to be thinking a bit about my triathlon. Just like the days leading up to my half marathon, I am working hard to squash that little voice that says I can’t do this. Nevertheless, there is a lot of unknown involved in this race, as I’ve never even seen a triathlon before. Everything feels so foreign, so new, so unknown. I’m nervous. Excited, absolutely, but still nervous as well.

That being said, here are some of the things I’ve been thinking about and worried about for each leg.

Obviously the timing of everything with this race is no good, and I’m not going into this triathlon very prepared. I’m still excited… and nervous! Right now I’m focusing on foam rolling, continuing to walk every day to keep my legs loose, icing my foot, and preparing for the funeral. And, of course, confronting the voice in my head.

source

Now it’s your turn to share! Any thoughts or tips on triathlons in general? 

August 22, 2012

On Monday I was supposed to be excited. I was heading to a work meeting that I was really excited about attending. I was getting excited and nervous about my triathlon. In my head I was planning what to do the next few days to prepare for the tri on Sunday. And then the phone call came; the phone call to tell me my friend had died. Unexpectedly.

I had just hung out with him for a few hours last Wednesday. He was supposed to be coming tomorrow to hang out with a group of us this weekend. And now he won’t be coming. Honestly, I think I’m still in shock so much that I hardly believe it. The news almost refuses to sink in- I just can’t believe he’s gone.

And now, instead of doing all the “right things” to prepare for the tri on Friday and Saturday, I will be spending 10 hours in the car. To go to his funeral. Even typing that it doesn’t seem real. Instead of being excited and looking forward to my tri, I am now focused on preparing for the funeral. Nothing like going into a race sleep deprived, stiff from being in a car, and emotionally drained.

While I want to do well in this triathlon that I’ve spent months preparing for, I also need to focus on saying good-bye and spending time with my friends who were also close to him. My goal for the triathlon is to finish, and to have a great time doing it. And hopefully all the emotions of the week will be a bit of a push forward for me on Sunday.

But for now, I need to say goodbye to my friend.

August 19, 2012

This week was travel heavy the first half of the week, so once again I had lower mileage. I’m starting to get nervous about going into my triathlon with such low mileage in the few weeks leading up to it, but I’m choosing to believe it won’t matter. My one run of the week got cut pretty short due to thunder and lightning which was a little frustrating. Here’s what the week looked like:

So, not nearly as good as any of the weeks in July, but it’s not the worst thing either. I’m starting to get really nervous about my tri! It’s coming up quick.

Now it’s your turn to share: What’s one thing you’ve accomplished this week? What do you do to calm your nerves? 

August 14, 2012

I made it through the biggest part of my triathlon training. From here until the triathlon I will be traveling quite a bit (I’ll be in 10 states in 2 weeks), so I’ll have limited time and resources to train. I plan on walking to keep up my cardio, and going on 2 runs each week. That being said, I’ll definitely miss swimming and biking! Here’s what the week looked like:

Like I said, my mileage will obviously be lower with a lot less cross training for a few weeks. I’m bummed about it, but I’ll definitely be doing what I can while I travel.

Now it’s your turn to share: What’s one thing you’ve accomplished this past week? When you travel do you take a break from exercising or do you try to do some form of exercise? 

August 13, 2012

When I became lactose intolerant a few years ago, I definitely had a hard time giving up so many of my favorite foods. Companies are starting to create more lactose free products, which I’m really grateful for, and it also means that I get to start eating some of my favorite meals once again. Recently I tried Veggie Shreds, which is a great lactose free product that works as a cheese substitute. Although it’s not actually cheese, it works great as a substitute, and i’ve been enjoying the shredded cheese on salads and sandwiches.

After trying Veggie Shreds, I knew that I needed to make a grilled cheese sandwich. I covered the bread with lactose free butter, and got to work grilling the sandwich!

Veggie shreds look just like real shredded cheese!

Viola! A lactose free grilled cheese sandwich!

I added ham to the sandwich to increase my protein, and it made for a delicious lunch! I’m pretty happy that I now have the option to eat grilled cheese once again!

Now it’s your turn to share! What’s one way you add protein to your meals? If you’re lactose intolerant, what are some of your favorite food replacements? 

August 10, 2012

About a month ago I got back on the bike for the first time in over a decade. It terrified me, but once I got on the bike again, I went on about 2 bike rides a week. It turns out that I actually really like biking.

Here’s a picture of me biking for the first time in a decade. I look nervous. I now have biking shorts, a different helmet, and a different bike. I started with the mountain bike and moved to smaller tires. My triathlon is in less than 20 days, and between now and then I’m traveling too much and won’t have a chance to bike except maybe on a stationary bike. I’m a little sad.

The triathlon has given me the push I needed to not give up on biking. To be honest, I’m freaked out flying down hills still. I’ve heard enough bad injury stories on bikes, and it scares me a bit. But I haven’t given up.

On Sunday, the day before my birthday, my family went on a bike ride with me as a pre-birthday activity. It was one of the best rides I’ve had. See:

I had my first mile under 4 minutes! The total time also includes a few times I had to stop and wait for a light to cross the street. Overall, I’m really happy with the progress that I’ve made in the last month. To go from not biking in 10 years to pulling out so many under 5 minute miles is huge for me, and I’m excited!

I’ve actually found an activity that I really enjoy, and I’m pretty bummed that I really won’t be able to bike on the road again until next summer (excluding my tri of course). I guess the biggest thing that getting back on the bike has taught me is that sometimes something you can be fearful of can actually become something great for you once you overcome your fear.

I’m glad I signed up for the tri, because it forced me back on the bike again, and I’ve really loved training on it this summer!

Now it’s your turn to share! What’s one thing that you’re fearful of that you would like to overcome? If you enjoy biking, what’s one of your favorite things about it?