Thu
Jan
22
It would seem that I am on the verge of really getting this who training thing down. I had a great swim practice this week and can tell that things are really starting to come together there. For swim, I really just need to get out of my head and relax. Rather than focusesing so much on technique and time I should really try and enjoy the experience of competing. When I settle down and just have fun is when I do the best.
Running is coming along great too. Last night I ran a sub-10 minute mile. I went for a three mile run and completed the first mile in 9:19. I was not able to keep that pace up the whole time, and subsequently finished with an average of 11 minutes/mile but I’m still feeling good about it. I was talking to a coworker this morning about it and she is convinced that before long I will be running with negative splits (second mile is faster than the first). I think that is shooting for the moon, but who knows where this crazy journey will take me!
Tue
Jan
13
So I know when you graduated from school that was supposed to be the end of your holiday breaks. Apparently I felt the need to regress this holiday season. I’ve been so busy with traveling and starting a new job that I have not been completly focused on training. I’ve been getting in most of my workouts, but I feel like I have just been maintaining where I was and not progressing forward. Further, from an eating/nutritional perspective I’ve been lagging behind.
Well the new year has started and I am back on the bandwaggon! In an effort to help avoid frusteration at my chain gym I’ve decided to join up with the gym across from my house. The are a little more expensive, but it is very nice and has a beautiful pool! Hopefully this will be further motivation to become a stronger swimmer.
As of today I have 102 days to get this done!
Wed
Dec
17
Monday night was our regular group swim workout. It was a very successful workout; I think I totally benefited from the swim clinic on Sunday. Toward the end of practice we began to actually swim instead of running drills. This is where things went bad. On my first try at swimming it became very apparent that I was going to need a lot of work on breathing. I was chugging along with horrible form and gasping for air like I was trying to take in every last bit in the natatorium.
When I got to the end Coach Andy gave me some pointers and said that he was in the same boat when he started out. Now he’s a coach, if he can do it, so can I. So with his help we quickly learned that I am not a right sided breather (though I am right handed). I did a few more laps and it went much better. Now I’m going to have a few things to work on for Thursday when I am swimming on my own.
Mon
Dec
15
So Saturday I rode 15 miles and ran two… All in 70 minutes. The bike portion took about 48 minutes which wasn’t too bad. The run however is where things ran amok. I did two miles in twenty two minutes which I think is pretty good. The problem that I am having is by the time I make it to two miles I am ridiculously bored. Does anyone have any suggestions? I guess I need to just hunker down and power through.
Sunday was a two hour swim clinic. It was a smaller group and we went through all the drills we normally do during the practice. I felt like the coaches were really able to watch me and make sure I was doing things right. It could have been because of the small class size, or the fact that they kept coming over and telling me about things I was doing wrong. The funny part to me was that on the things that were supposed to be easy, they had critiques to pass on to me. However when we got into the harder things, apparently I was brilliant. This type of thing has happened to me before. The things that are supposed to be really easy are tough but then the hard things are easier.
Tonight at Group Swim we should be starting to actually swim. It will be nice; up to now we have just been running drills… We will see how it goes, stay tuned.
Thu
Dec
11
Monday was swim practice and I’m pretty much caught up… The new drill that I am able to do is called the zipper switch. I think I am pretty awesome at it and Michael Phelps needs to look out. London 2012 Baby!!! MP does actually hold several records at the pool where I train, so it is almost like we are in the same training program, right?
The rest of this week will include a swim on my own and a run. Saturday is a Group Training Session with a brick workout. Then on Sunday I am going to a special swim clinic. Hopefully at group swim on Monday I will be awesome!
Don’t forget to donate http://pages.teamintraining.org/ga/anttry09/bdostal
135 Days…
Mon
Dec
8
So yesterday I did another brick workout… This one wasn’t so bad. According to our training schedule we were supposed to do 10-15 miles on the bike and a 1-2 mile run. I did 12.5 miles in 40 minutes on the bike and ran two miles in 22.5 minutes.
This brick wasn’t too bad. I did it at the gym because it was so cold out. I really need to work on getting some more cold weater gear!
Fri
Dec
5
So its Friday and I am totally pooped… Monday night was swim practice. On Tuesday I used my lunch hour to go to spin class. After work I went to the gym with Halestrom and Nicely and ran on the treadmill for an hour (4.77 miles). Wednesday I went to spin again during lunch. That evening I went to Big Peach and got a new pair of running shoes. That place is awesome and everyone should go there for your running shoes! Then I went to the gym and did the treadmill for 33 minutes (2.5 miles) then did some swim drills.
Last night was my day off. I ate like crap. After work was a holiday party that I atteneded and had a couple drinks, and too much pasta, with lots of things that were bad for me. I figure you have to splurge at some point, right?
Tonight I am going to the gym after work. I’m going to run some, but really want to focus on the swim today! That is very important I think! Tomorrow will be some sort of work out and am then going to Mag’s holiday party with her. I have to be careful of caloric intake, although I can tell you right now I will absolutley be partaking in the champagne tasting!
141 days…
Tue
Dec
2
Last night I had my first group swim. It was really tough! I was in lane 1 (translation: the lane for people who can barely keep from drowning, much less tread water). We only did drills as opposed to actual swimming. I swam the back balance, side balance, sweet spot, and skating drills. By the end I felt pretty confident in what I was doing, although I was starting to get in my head to much. I started having a whole check list of things that I was thinking about, and quickly realized it was making me sink. For my next swim I am going to try and relax a little. Hopefully it will start to become a little more natural.
In other news my donation webpage is up and running. Feel free to visit… and donate! http://pages.teamintraining.org/ga/anttry09/bdostal
Mon
Dec
1
So maybe disaster is a little strong but still. As we all know the holiday of Thanksgiving is really just a day for people to eat lots of food, most of which is not really the best for you, and feel patriot along the way. Well I as any good American took part.
I traveled to Asheville, NC to see my mother and other family for the holiday. They know how to put out a spread and I had as much as I could stand. So the diet part of the training was shot. I did however manage to get in two work outs. I was really impressed that I worked out. I took the time before I went up there to research a gym and then got up and went.
Now I need to start keeping a diary of what/when I eat. Hopfully this will help me keep track of my caloric intake and also how foods impact my workout.
Tonight is my first team swim (even though it is the third one for the whole team). I went yesterday and bought my suit and so we shall see how it goes.
145 days left.
Sun
Nov
23
Ok, so I have not posted in a little over a week, so here is a quick update of what has been going on.
On Saturday the 15th was the first Group Training Session (GTS). It went surprisingly well. I was there at 8am and we had about an hour and a half of “clinics” We talked about what the triathlon training would be like, how to find the right running shoe, and some help with fundraising. Then we went out and went for a run. I ran two miles through a neighborhood in buckhead. It was actually a nice run. TNT has a nice operation set up. At the start of the run they had a water station set up and then they had volunteers set up along the way to provide water and powerade. It was good stuff.
Then things at work got all crazy. So I wasnt really able to do much in terms of training… I missed the first Monday night team swim which was really disappointing for me. I feel like that will be my weakest area so I really want to make swimming a priority.
GTS yesterday (the 22nd) was a new experience indeed. It was the first of what is referred to as a brick work out. The jist of the brick is that you do one exercise (swim, bike or run) then transition into another. So I went of a five mile ride on the bike. The ride was pretty easy except for two things. First, it was really cold. I normally do not like to wear gloves as I do not like things on my hands and it makes my hands feel really fat. I’m going to have to get over that! It was so cold that I thought my fingers were going snap off like a chicken. Second, my bike computer wouldn’t reset and I was all annoid.
After the ride was time for the run. I ran two miles, and it was tough! I think they call them brick workouts because it felt like there were bricks strapped to my legs. I was still able to do the movements of running, but it was like working in slow motion. It was slow, but I finished.
I’m going to miss swimming tomorrow because of the Madonna show. I’m also going to NC for Thanksgiving. I’m sure I will get me workouts in while I’m gone because I won’t have much else to do. My mom had a treadmill so running will not be an problem; I may even go for a run outside. I’m going to try and find a gym that has a indoor pool so that I can swim.
