Step Away From the Cake

This has been my mantra all week and it turns out to be an incredibly powerful statement. It came up last Saturday at WW. We were talking about how important words are. If you say "I'll try..." you pretty much won't do it. But if you say, "I decided...." it's much more positive and powerful. At the time I thought, " I don't say I'll try because I know that's a cop out," what I didn't realize is I substitute something equally as wimpy, "I'm supposed to...." I always think about my morning workouts the night before and I would say, "I'm supposed to swim." Well, that statement gives me an out. All this week I've been saying, "I decided to swim and run in the morning." When I do that, it's a done deal. No thinking about it, no debating, I've decided. The one night I didn't use it was Wednesday. I was really tired and slipped back into old patterns, "I'm supposed to ride ...

A few weeks back I made an offer to those of you out in blogland. I was trying to start a little internet business and offered free gifts of what I was making to those who wanted. A number of you responded and I happily began working away. Unfortunately I ran into a technical problem that I have been unable to resolve. The items are essentially done, but for the last several weeks I have been banging my head against a wall trying to finish them. It's just not working. I have finally decided to admit defeat. While I will continue to work on the problem, I wanted to let those of you expecting something - don't. Trust me your real names and addresses will be destroyed and never used for nefarious purposes. I have found myself stressing over getting these out and spending way too much time on it. If and when I find a solution I will extend the offer once again. Now, of course, that I have admitted defeat I will find the solution that has been eluding me. On to the training. I staye...

How much I totally rock!!! I think I have finally hit on a training schedule I can live with. I am totally looking forward to my workouts and I'm able to push myself each time. So things are good. This morning it was swimming. I had no real plan so I decided, since I'm 3 1/2 weeks out from Tinman, let's see how fast I can swim 800m. Started with 200m warm up, breast stroke and side stroke: 5:08. Then I started my 800. I began strong but not too fast, I tried to find a pace I could hold the entire time. I got to about 725m and was feeling really good so I kicked it up a notch. I was pretending I was nearing the end of the swim and was racing to shore. So, the time??? Drum roll please: 20:24. Two things here. First, my goal for Tinman is a 20 minute swim, so that's looking really possible. Second, I may have done 850m in that time. Someone swam through my lane right in front of me and I may have screwed up the lap count. I'm hoping that was 850 but I'm going to as...

I think I'm getting the Ironman fever. The more race reports I read the more I want to do one. I'm thinking about volunteering in Kona just to be there and really see what it's like. I am absolutely doing Honu 70.3 next June. I'm going to really focus on base building the rest of this year (with some sprints just to get them under my belt) and starting in January I'm getting a local coach and I'm going to kick some serious butt in June. After that I think a full in 2008, now I just have to figure out where???

Tuesday morning so it must be weights, bike, and transition run. Did the weights, which was mostly lower body. Why do the leg days always fall on bike days, huh????? It was good. I'm using the absolute most weight I can while still maintaining form and doing the reps. I think it's paying off but we shall see. Next it was off on the bike. Only 10 miles today. Have I mentioned that I love my bike shoes. My average speed is increasing (I'm blaming both the bike shoes and my increased fitness level :) and I hit 30 mph for the first time this morning - woo hoo!!!!! I rocked that ride. Did 10 miles in 47 minutes and it was super fun. Off the bike and hit the road for a transition run. I'm decided that every single ride will end in a short run. I can't run too much as my knees can't take running every day, but 10 minutes will do. My legs felt great off the bike and my 5 minutes I was feeling back to normal. So overall a totally rocking training day. I love this stuff.

Actually I like Mondays, I just hate going to work. Yesterday I ran. After a week off due to calf soreness, I decided to go slow and short. I did 4.25 miles and called it a day. It was hot too. Today was swimming. I did a total of 1300 m. 200m warm up, 400m drills, 10 x 50m on 2 minutes, 200m cool down. I only timed the 50m and they came in like this: :57, 1:01, 1:04, 1:04, 1:04, 1:04, 1:05, 1:06, 1:03, 1:06. The final 200m was 5:08. I'm trying to be pleased with the consistency of those times, but it's hard. I want to be faster but I can't seem to break through that wall. I'm not going to get all down about it. I'll keep working on it and eventually it will come. So a great weekend, and a great Monday to start the week. I guess we'll find out this week what we qualify for as far as a home loan goes. Once we know that the house hunting begins in earnest. This is something that just scares the piss out of me. I'd rather face the swim start at an Ironman than ...