A contract with me...I am ready for a change

What do I want?

1.    To live a healthy lifestyle …spirit mind and body

2.    To lose weight

3.    I want to lose 4-5 lbs a month for 2 years … a total of 108 pounds

Why do I want it?

1.    I want to be healthier … not just a healthier body but a stronger mind and spirit!

2.    I want to be stronger on the 70.3 Course and all endurance courses

3.    I want to stop taking HBP medication

4.    I am tired of carrying the weight around

5.    I want to feel better about myself

What am I willing to do to get it?

1.    No Sugar product in the first 5 ingredients*

2.    Watch for sodium, keep it under 9%

What will happen if I don’t lose the weight?

1.    I will continue to live an unhealthy lifestyle

2.    My BP will not go down and I will be at risk for some serious health issues

3.    I will never improve on any endurance course

4.    I will feel like a failure

What are the consequences if this doesn’t happen?

1.    If I don’t lose the weight consistently over the next 24 months and after two years I haven’t lost the 100+ pounds I would like to lose my consequence that in the winter of 2016 I will not be able to ski for an entire season! And if I lose the weight (4-5 lbs) each month I can treat myself to a pedicure.  If I don't lose the weight then I am doing my nails myself ... and I hate doing my toes.  Weigh in day is tomorrow morning 12/12/13!  I am ready for a change!

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The weather outside ...

...is frightful but the fire is so delightful, literally.  First big snowfall of the season and I am looking at 5+ inches of snow out my window and the temperature reading of 17 degrees.  I love the winter!  I have been a skier since I was able to walk so I look forward to the site of the first snow flake.  However with winter weather comes indoor training or winter training.

The bike gets put on the trainer and yak traks get put on your sneakers.  I have to admit I like to run outside when it is cold.  You put on an extra layer or two and you head out and enjoy the crisp air.  Just head out and run. And within the first few minutes you warm up very quickly.

In my opinion the hardest part of winter training is getting the bike on the trainer.  Literally setting it up.  It takes so much time.  Getting the trainer out, putting the bike on it and finding the right movie or show to watch.  Once you are on your bike, which is now on the trainer, the challenge begins of staying on it for your entire workout.  You can do intervals to keep your mind entertained, you can watch a movie that keeps you distracted but the only thing that gets you through a bike workout is discipline.

Keeping your eye on the ball; your sites on the finish line.  Telling yourself that this is what will get you through those 56 miles.  Now I am not wishing winter away, my skis and snow shoes are calling my name.  However, you have to do whatever it takes to get through winter tri training because the base you build now will be so important come spring!

Tri Mo Tri ... are we there yet?

Today my coach sent me an email with the following statement that she read in Triathlon Magazine:

YOU BECOME WHAT YOU TRAIN TO BECOME

I've always been opposed to putting in "junk miles" when pursuing peak performance.  Quality, however, isn't limited to speed work, hill repeats and fartleks.  Quality means being purposeful in your training.

To reach full potential, every skill involved in competition must be trained individually.  If any piece is missing, you won't succeed.  If you can't sustain the mind to go the full distance, then physical endurance and speed won't matter.  It's essential to see the connection between practice and competition and set specific goals for psychological skills training accordingly.  To achieve mental toughness, each workout must have a predetermined answer to, "Why am I doing this?" and "How is this going to help me on race day?"

Awareness is key and this requires concentrated thought.  Don't let your mind just wander during training and then expect to be fully focused in competition.  Practice remaining fully present in each moment.  Be aware of your inner critic, which is the biggest distraction of all.  Replace negative dialogue with positive, motivational or instructional phrases.  Do a mental checklist to maintain proper form and mindset.

There are no shortcuts to mental toughness.  Training your brain to be as tough as your body requires that you get out of the comfort zone and dig deep.  Learn what if feels like to push the limits and become comfortable with the veil of discomfort.

I am really good at negative talk.  I am a pro at it.  As a workout gets hard believe me I don't encourage myself to stay strong and refocus.  Instead the inner critic says things like you'll never do it; you can't, why are you even trying?  How do you deal with the inner critic?  When things aren't going well and everything hurts how do you stay motivated during that workout?  How deep do you dig?  Is just saying I want it enough?

Tonight I had a really good workout on my bike trainer but Sunday I struggled with my run workout.  The biggest victory on Sunday was that I didn't quit, I wanted to but I kept going.  It wasn't pretty but I did it.  I finished despite the critics.  How do you get stronger than the critics?  How do you silence them? This is going to be a battle.  However, not only do I have to train my body I have to train my mind.  I have to convince myself I am good enough and that I can do this...

Are we there yet?

Swim...

As many of you might know every triathlete has a weakness and a strength.  My strength has always been swimming and my weakness has been biking. However recently my running has gone to pots.  After the high blood pressure was detected and I was put on medication and I started having some issues with my breathing.  Come to find out the medication I was on was causing me to have asthma.  After several months of this my endurance went down and it is frustrating.

I love to swim.  It is my favorite thing to do.  I love the feel of the water as I glide through it and the sound of the water going by my ears. I love when I look at my weekly workouts and I see a swim day.  When you love something it is easy to get excited about it.  When it comes easy to you, you want to do it all the time.

Last week I had a swim workout; 150 yards warm up; 600 yards 3 minute rest 600 yards and then a 150 yard cool down.  I had to time the two 600 yard swims and try to get the times as close to each other as possible.  The first 600 I did in 13:20 and the second 600 I did in 13:35.  I was excited about this but at the same time I asked myself why can't I do this when I run?  Why can't my runs come as easily to me.  I am getting frustrated with my run times.

So I thought about this for a while and I talked to my coach and I shared with her an idea I had.  I actually shared this idea in front of witnesses so I couldn't take it back.  I decided that for the next two months I will focus more on my running and less on my swimming.  For the next two months I will not see a swim workout on my training schedule.  My training schedule will be filled with biking and running!!  My coach agreed and I am off and running.

Now I know this week when I am doing hill repeats I will be swearing at my self but in the end I want to see my run times improve!

Are we there yet??

Long time no see...

Welcome back.  I know I have been MIA for the last 5+ months.  I have absolutely no excuse other than the fact that I haven't had much to say.  Tonight I am listing to game 6 of the World Series and I am praying for the Red Sox.  GO SOX!!!

In May I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and was put on medication to lower it.  The medication lowered my blood pressure but the side effects were not good so I switched medication.  Tried the next medication and that was even worse.  Yes it lowered the BP but it was causing a medication induced asthma.  This of course took a few months to figure out and caused havoc on my running.  I had to drop out of four endurance events; three half marathons and one marathon and that sucked.  But I wasn't able to train the way I wanted due to my breathing.  At times when I was out for my runs and I would have trouble breathing I would become very scared.  The first time the asthma happened was during a triathlon.  I didn't know what was going on.  Thank God we figured it out.

I am doing ok but still dealing with other issues.  I am trying to live a healthier life due to my blood pressure, which I know is an affect of my weight.  It has been a struggle.  I have been working with a nutritionist and just recently started to see a counselor hoping that this will all work out.  I tend to talk the talk but I don't walk the walk.  I am frustrated with myself and no one else can do it but me.  I have to be the change.  I have to want the change.

In September I started working with new coach getting ready for the 70.3.  Right now we are building the base for the 70.3 training.  Come January things will be kicked up a notch.  I like working with this coach and I am learning a lot about my cycling which is my weak area.  I also know I have to really focus now and make things happen.  I know I am stronger than what I am dishing out right now.  Sometimes I get overwhelmed trying to fix everything.  One day at a time...

Are we there yet??

Moving Forward

So I was just on the main page of my blog and I read the "about me" section.  How times have changed since that day I first wrote that.  Due to so many changes in my life (many of them good) I decided to put the 70.3 training on hold and focus on my new job and the travel I have to do ... so this blog is no longer about my 70.3 training for this year.  I am still struggling with my weight but now this blog is going to take a turn.  This blog is going to be about me dealing with the "silent killer", my high blood pressure, my weight and my training.  This high blood pressure thing is putting a lot of stress on my body, in more ways than one.  I can't stop thinking about it and I feel like crap.  It has ignited my IBS which is not fun and when I am stressed about something where is the one place I turn to .... food.  There is also a catch 22 thrown in there.  I have not been motivated lately, which is scary since I have a half marathon on June 1st.  The catch 22 is that I need to exercise in order to get out of my funk but I need to get out of my funk in order to exercise.

My doctor told me that I would get my mojo back I just need to give my body some time to heal.  My body has had a lot of stress on it lately with the high blood pressure and the stress igniting my IBS.  In time, as we try different medicines, my body will relax and I will be back in full force.

A few things I did do this past week.  I went and swam one morning, and when i arrived at the pool I realized that they changed the lanes of the pool.  The length of the pool was now Olympic size, 50 meters long.  It definitely feels different especially when you are used to doing so many strokes before you turned.  The good thing about the longer pool is the fact you will build up your endurance a bit.

I also signed up to work at the Wellness Clinic at Ithaca College.  As an employee of the school I can join the Wellness Clinic like a gym and work with the exercise science department and their students.  They will put together a program for me and work with me towards my goals.  When I found out about the high blood pressure I joined the clinic looking for their help.  I have hope!!

And finally, during the winter I was having a lot of thoughts about doing another marathon since it had been 8 years since my last one.  I looked into a couple but due to my work schedule I was not able to sign up because they were the same day as alumni/reunion weekend.  So I put those thoughts aside.  Then a friend of mine mentioned the Wine Glass Marathon, it was a different weekend and I had done the half last year.  Later that day a group of us were at dinner and we started talking about training together for a fall marathon. We decided on the Wine Glass Marathon and that night I signed up.  There is a whole group of us that will participate in either the half or full marathon.  I am looking forward to the team work and the training.  I am just trying to Move Forward!!

Are we there yet???
Boston Strong

Life or Death...

As the saying goes, When life gives you lemons make lemonade.  Well life gave me lemons this week ... the question is what am I going to do with them?  I always told myself that if I was going to have a blog my posts were going to be honest and I wasn't going to hold back.  I can't just talk about the good stuff, I have to share everything.  

Earlier this week I had scare that turned into something serious. I had some problems with my blood pressure.  Even though I have always struggled with my weight, my blood pressure has never been an issue.  Well on Friday I had my blood pressure taken and it hit numbers I have never even seen ... 204/120.  I was at a friends Chiropractic office and as I sat in his office and he read off the numbers I was in shock and also scared $h--less.  I thought I would just be able to leave his office, but he explained to me that  I would not be going anywhere.  He made an emergency call to my doctor and I was seen right away.  I was then poked and prodded and by then end of the appointment I was on blood pressure medication.

I realize that I am not the only person in the world on this medication but it scared me.  This situation also spoke to me as a sign.  I have been struggling to lose the weight in the hopes to be smaller and be able to fit into smaller clothes.  Now the stakes are higher and it is a matter of life and death.  Dramatic maybe but I want to continue running and swimming and doing triathlons and I don't have time for this to be worse than it is now.

So life gave me lemons what did I do with them ... I went biking on Saturday on a beautiful day that didn't have a cloud in the sky!!  Sunday I ran and tomorrow will be a new day on a new journey!

Boston Strong!!

Tri Mo Tri ... Are we there yet?