FIrst week of training is over! I move on to week 2, which is a little harder, and workouts involved "striders" and  up- tempo bike intervals.

But, today, was just a basic 45 minute run. I was up a little later than usual, and didn't get out the door until about 8:30.. the sun was shining and the humidity is back a little. It was hot! The first 30 minutes seemed pretty decent, but the last 15 were killer. I was slow (averaged 11:58). I did a fairly hilly run (Longacres). I'm hoping this week, with starting to do some speed work, I will be able to start picking up the pace!

So: 3.83 miles in 45 minutes... blah. This might have a little to do with having a little too much fun Saturday night at dinner and the Lynx game!! :) But it was worth it!

Finally... Finally it stormed last night and the heat broke! Looking forward to workouts again! Walking out the door when I first left this morning was a shock! I almost wanted warmer clothes! It was about 64 degrees and most of the humidity was gone! Crazy!

I woke up this morning with some tenderness in my right quad... not sure if it's from lifting or what. I kind of miss that "sore" feeling that you get when you lift, or workout a little harder than usual. I don't think it's an injury, I think it's just being pesky!

I got my new air pump and odometer for my bike! So today I set out on my first ride, where I can really pay attention to what I'm doing. Um... I'm slow! I would like to be faster, and I really need to work on climbing the tough hills. I don't know if some of this is related to the leg pain or if it's just endurance. Anyway I bike 68 minutes, I believe it was 16 miles, but I have to recheck the odometer, as I already forgot!

Back to running tomorrow!

Today was kind of like a rest day. "Weights" were the only thing on the program. That felt a little strange. I thought about riding my bike to the gym, but then remembered the heat, the construction along the way, and the loose gravel in the parking lot. The parking lot at my gym is like a safety hazard for anyone!! 

Anyway- I rode the bike for about 15 minutes then did about 30 minutes of free weights. Tried to push myself a little harder than usual... and I stretched! :)

I'm looking forward to tomorrow morning's bike ride. We are finally getting storms tonight. The temperature had dropped into the 70's (after being 102 today) and the humidity is falling away as well.  Should be a great morning for a ride!

It's been tough trying to find a place in the week for this workout. My first brick of the training, and frankly, something that I didn't do enough of when I trained for my triathlon. A brick is when you put two activities in the same workout- typically Running and Biking. Today's workout was a 20 minute run- 45 minute bike- 20 minute run.

This workout seems ridiculously hard for week 1. I'm a little confused by the lack of rest and the intensity of the workouts. Maybe Coach Troy is trying to make sure we are up to the task? I'm not sure. None the less, this workout and (again) the HEAT, drove me to the gym. Treadmills and stationary bikes are not my favorite, but it gets the job done.

I believe my final numbers were 1.86miles- 13 miles- 1.72 miles. I forgot to make a mental note when I got off the bike, but that seems about right. And then- I stretched! yea! Of course, I'm always a little better about stretching when I am at the gym.  I could have run a lot faster, but this was really comfortable, and considering I struggled with the heat yesterday, I thought I should be a little careful.

Tomorrow, is just weights. I think I might throw in a swim depending on the weather. Now, I'm off to buy a new bike pump!

Happy Independence Day! While we celebrate our freedom today, we also thank all of those who serve and have served for their dedication!

It was not in my plan to make today a rest day, but the ridiculous heat and humidity of the week, and a last minute change of plans made it so. I thought I'd push my workout to as late in the day as possible, but I had a touch of a headache, and decided not to push it.

The heat and humidity in MN this week has pushed me indoors. I'm not sure how I am going to keep on the training schedule for the next 2-3 days, with the 4th of July and the outdoor activity restriction (there is a heat advisory- and I want to be smart about it). I'll figure it out! Might be subbing a workout for a swim!

Today was supposed to be a rest day, but as I mentioned, I am swapping things around to fit my schedule. I booked a session with my personal trainer and headed to the gym! I think it would have been cooler outside! Anyway, my program said a 30 minute aerobic run + weights. It mentioned that I should do weights after my "sport specific activity", so I went to the gym early and ran on the treadmill. Knowing I haven't worked out with my trainer in several months, I took it easy. The final treadmill tally was 2.6 miles.

I tried to push myself as much as I could with my 30 minute weight session, but I was tired and sweaty from the run, and it made it tough!  There was a lot of upper body focus, with short quick bursts for the lower half (think box jumps).  Going forward, I am going to do the weight workouts before the cardio.

Today was the first day of my Iron Girl training. You can follow along as to how close I'm keeping with the schedule by viewing the training plan! I plan to stay pretty close to the workouts- with a couple of exceptions. I will add a swim or two per week, and I might switch the schedule around to make my rest days match up with the rest of my life schedule. Also, the scheduled "Weight' workouts will likely be with my personal trainer once per week, Today was a "simple" 40 minute aerobic run. This means I should be able to keep conversation. While I usually train alone, I know this means a fairly easy pace.

Last weekend (6/24/12) I completed my first triathlon! While I've always been into sports, being a triathlete is like the epitome of the word "athlete". Swim. Bike. Run. It's crazy and super fun! I fell in love with the training, and more importantly, how it made me feel. As an aside to it all, I love 12 pounds and 2 pants sizes.

Encouraged by the way I feel, I decided to sign up for the Iron Girl in September of 2012! I am following a 12 week training program that I found on the Iron Girl website.  That means it started TODAY (July 1st). Stay tuned for my first- post workout post!