Commentary of The Week: Women Supporting Women

I am learning some interesting things about people as I embark on this journey of fitness. We live in a society of obesity, laziness, and overall poor health. Our children are subjected to either false impressions of health and beauty (through airbrushed magazines and stick figure models) or an environment that promotes sloth and gluttony. So as a parent who cares about family values and teaching my children positive life skills, I have had a recent wake-up call.

Training Weeks 2 and 3: Overcoming History

This has been an interesting past two weeks: Week Two continued to build on Week One, and Week Three was a bit of a recovery. As far as training has gone, Week Two was actually pretty enjoyable. I was presented with some new challenges with my run, as up to this point my greatest distance had only been six miles. Over the week, I gradually increased the number and time of the intervals I was to run, which finally lead to a long run (for me) of 8 x 10 minute intervals. To challenge myself even more, I couldn't find anyone to run with me (which I always find helps get me through these longer runs), so I decided to make this run a mental motivational tool. Instead of running repetitive loops around my neighborhood, or driving to LSU and running the lakes, I chose to head out to my old Jr. high/high school and break down a few mental walls.

Tri-Lingo...A Guide to Understanding What It All Really Means (Baton Rouge Version)

Common Terminology

A.O.B.

warning 

Ass On Bike; the definitive start time for a ride : If you don’t have your AOB at 5a.m. you will be left to fight off the raccoons on your own.

Training Week 1: It has begun...

When this first week began, I didn't realize just how much I had missed the routine of scheduled workouts and intense misery (ok, maybe not so intense, but definitely a jolt to the system). Since the Meat Pie Tri in October, I thought I was doing well keeping fit on my own, but now I realize that I had slowly been slipping. First the bike dropped off (It's too dark! It's too cold!), then the swim began to falter (Really, it's 5:00 am, do you know how long it's been since I slept in until 6 on a weekday??). The run dropped off the last two weeks as Thanksgiving approached and I knew that training would be starting back full force soon (I mean really - there are 20 weeks of training up ahead with no break - what's a two week hiatus?). It's sad how I struggle to be self-motivated, accountable, and committed to fitness. But now that I've confessed to my lack of will, I am back on the bandwagon, eager to begin this next big journey!

It's Not Your Average Bicycle...Part I: Before the Purchase

Tri-Newbie Tutorial

Choosing a bicycle is one of the more stressful, yet exhilarating parts of getting into serious triathlon training. Although many a good race can be won on lesser of a bike (it has been told to me that a bike is only as fast as its rider is strong), there is a certain rite of passage that comes with the purchase of that first "real" bike. But with that purchase comes many decisions ~ will it be aluminum or carbon? Will it be strictly a road bike or a more sport-specific tri bike? Will you spend your money on a quality frame and lesser components for the time being, or will you spend less now and just upgrade the entire bike in five years if you "really" get into the sport? There are so many options that it becomes very confusing as you delve into the decision making process. I will attempt to break down the pros and cons of the different bikes and components to help the newbie make sense of it all.

Twenty Weeks of Training Begins

I have embarked on another round of intense training and this one I expect to be more trying and challenging than previous efforts. Twenty weeks of building technique and speed in three different disciplines ~ swimming, biking, and running. The past few weeks I have been on a bit of a hiatus in mental preparation for what I expect to be quite an undertaking. Over the next few months I hope to complete at least one half marathon, continue to face down my fear of open water, and improve my speed and endurance in cycling. I'll need to learn to swim in a wetsuit, run a long distance without my music, and condition my butt for long distance rides on my bike.

I hope to be able to relay through my journaling more than just the day-to-day training that will go into my half-Ironman experience, but also the things that inspire me...the people, the stories, and the research that goes into making me a better athlete.

I hope that when I'm a "senior" having just won my age group in the full Ironman competition, that I can look back at this blog and laugh at how it all began. In the meantime, I hope I can bring a few laughs to anyone who is interested enough in me or in triathlons, to follow along with me. Welcome!