I spent a lot of time thinking this weekend, and have come to the conclusion that the marathon and I are taking a little break. And by little, I mean that Philly may or may not still happen. But at the moment, marathon and I are at a crossroads, where we could go from love and respect to hate any second now (on my part, I'm pretty sure marathon could care less either way). I don't want to hate the marathon. But the truth is, it's hard to train for a marathon, even harder to train for a fast one. So with all that I have going on right now (school, work, kids, etc) I've decided to switch my focus to some shorter distances this spring.
Because "hey I'm going to go out for an hour of speed work" will be a welcome relief to my family over those constant "hey, see you in 4 hours, I've got a long run to do".
Because "hey I'm going to go out for an hour of speed work" will be a welcome relief to my family over those constant "hey, see you in 4 hours, I've got a long run to do".
Plus, it would be nice to get rid of this extra marathon weight I've been hanging on to. (The baby is over a year old now, so since I can't blame him any longer, I will blame the marathon training.)
I'd love to get my current 5k pr (22:25) down to 21:xx, then 20:xx...then maybe, just MAYBE 19:xx. I hope to bring my half marathon PR down a few minutes this February here in Myrtle Beach.
I'd love to get my current 5k pr (22:25) down to 21:xx, then 20:xx...then maybe, just MAYBE 19:xx. I hope to bring my half marathon PR down a few minutes this February here in Myrtle Beach.
But the big, super exciting news....it's official, I'm finally embarking on the road to TRIATHLETE this year!
Dun dun dun!!! Run (and swim and bike) Faster mommy? I guess so! (and am I fooling myself that adding two additional sports to my running will still take less time than marathon training?)
I know I mentioned it previously with my 2010 race schedule, but now it's official. I signed on with Team FIGHT and the Ulman Cancer Fund to race the 2010 Iron Girl in Columbia MD, and committed to raise a minimum of $750 for this awesome organization . (you can read more about why I chose to support Team FIGHT and the UCF on my "make a difference" page).
So you know what that means? I can't back out now. I need to get my a$$ in the pool! Seriously, I can't swim but maybe one length of the pool before grabbing onto the edge for dear life.
Oh and did I mention the thought of riding a bike near traffic terrifies me a bit? Yeah, this is going to be an adventure to say the least. And I couldn't be more excited !!!
So you know what that means? I can't back out now. I need to get my a$$ in the pool! Seriously, I can't swim but maybe one length of the pool before grabbing onto the edge for dear life.
Oh and did I mention the thought of riding a bike near traffic terrifies me a bit? Yeah, this is going to be an adventure to say the least. And I couldn't be more excited !!!
Iron Girl, however, isn't until August. So, as it turns out, it will likely not be my first triathlon. There are a couple of local sprint tris before that I hope to participate in.
Anyway, that's the news. Watch out triathlon world, here I come.
So, my big question to all of you is...uhh...where do I start?
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34 comments:
That is SOOO exciting!! One tri and you will be hooked for life! You start in the off season with some swim lessons and spin classes. Then as the races approach you need a great training plan and you will be set!
How exciting!!!! Good luck to you. I have no advice as to where to start bc I can barely do the doggie paddle :)
I cant wait to read about your training!
Welcome to the world of trimommy-hood!! You will love the training for triathlons. YOu might want to check out beginnertriathlete.com...there are some great free training plans there, and the forums are super friendly if you have any questions! Keep us posted on how it's going!! From another trimommy...
OK you crack me up.. Busy Mom adds 2 more things to train for to her schedule..LOL!! All the best in your new adventure.
Marathon and I have been at odds for a while now, I plan to give it another Run and then possibly try to perfect my 5K.. LOL!!!
You are so right.. Marathon training is a tough one when you have little ones at home..
Hugs to the nex name!
Best of luck w/ training!! How exciting!
(I can't wait to read about tips and challenges of training for the swimming)
Working on shorter distances sounds like fun. I honestly don't think it's a good idea to do back-to-back-to-back (etc) marathons. The body needs a break from those crazy training cycles.
And TRIATHLON! So exciting. Good luck!!!
how exciting!! i know nothing about tri's so - good luck is all i can offer :)
marathon is definitely a little abusive and a BIT of a time hog ;) some time 'off' with shorter/speedier running is certainly a nice change of pace (har har)
Swim lessons will turn you into a swimmer in just a few months!
Yay! Triathlons are so fun! I have done two. My first one i did not train at all. I bought my bike two weeks before the race and I swam half a mile two weeks before just to make sure I could. Then my second one I kind of trained...kind of, and cut my time by 34 min! Transitions will kill your time if you arent careful!
I have deemed next season/summer the summer of triathlons! I think since it is winter you should focus on the swimming. You know you have the run down! There are some good plans out there where you do two sports each work out. so you would swim then bike one day, then bike and run the next. It really seems that tris are geared toward bikers, SO if you kick A in the swim and run you can do really well! My friend was an All American swimmer and was the second person out of the water OVERALL with an 11 min half mile swim. She ended up getting 3rd in her very first triathlon mostly because she was so fast out of the water!
You will do great!!!! I can't wait to see what training plan you chose!
Wow, very long! :)
That is very awesome news! You'll kick butt!
I, too, hope to whittle my 5K time down. :)
Welcome to the TRI world! Come, drink they cool-aid. You'll never look back! : )
wow, what a goal and commitment, that is great! marathon training does take a lot of time, you are right...haven't done a tri but i can't imagine that your training time will decrease...good luck on your training, with all you have going on right now...
Fun! Triathlon training will be a great new challenge. As far as the swimming goes, I'd suggest focusing on your breathing until that gets comfortable. Try to blow out all of your air before you turn your head to take a breath. It feels really unnatural at first, but I think it makes a huge difference. Good luck! Enjoy!
I want to do one too, but can't even swim a lap correctly (embarrassed to get in the pool!) and have NO idea where to start either.
Wow. Bikes scare me. But I did do an Iron Kids tri when I was in junior high school. It was fun! I wrote a post about it in September, I think. Anyway, you go girl! You have such a contagious attitude. I almost want to sign up for a tri after reading your post. But I won't because, like I said, bikes scare me.
Nothing like creating some free time in your schedule...and then filling it will biking and swimming and more running. lol!
I can understand the frustration with the distance running when it becomes more about how fast you finish than if your finish. Running for most people has to simply be running for the joy of running. Let's get real, most of us are not elite athletes!
Good luck on the shorter races (i've been doing the same) and on the Tri! I look forward to hearing all about your training.
Wow! Thats so awesome!!!!That was what I was going to do but my hubby said no long training for awhile!! I am working on tuning up my 5k but 22:00! Man. I'm still at 31:00.You rock!
Fun!! I loved the sprint tri I did here last summer!!
How exciting - you will be great at Iron Girl! I did it last year and loved every second :)
Wow! Super exciting! You'll be a great triathlete! Now get in that pool! I too am not qualified to give any advice beyond doggie paddle.
I've been toying with the idea of doing a spring tri, but I think I'll wait and see how it works for you. I'm such a pansy! But I'm sure you'll rock it!
OOOOOOOOOH! I'm so excited! After a DNF marathon, and an injury that forced me onto the bike and into the pool, I resolved to try a triathlon am hooked. Then my son thought it would be cool to try one too, and now he can't wait for next season! YAY!!!
When I got into the pool, after many many years of not swimming, I too was panting, and dying for my next breath. It does get easier. Now I'm swimming more than 1k at a time!
Congrats on moving into the tris - how fun! I can't give any advice, becuase I'm not so much of a swimmer. But I'm sure you will rock it.
New goals are aways exciting. A tri - sounds great. Balance - it is something we all strive for.
Keep YOUR true goals in mind at all times.
I hear you on taking a break from Marathon. How exciting that you're going to be a triathlete! I'm sure you will do great!
Yeah! Competing in triathlons is so much fun. Yes, training for tris will be just as time consuming as training for a marthon. But although training took time away from my 2 boys, it was time I needed for myself and I truly believe that makes me a better mom to them. I think you'll find that you'll like the diversity of doing three different sports instead of just running. I've always considered myself to be a runner above anything else, but I really enjoy training for tris and I'm sure you will too! Welcome to the tri club! Oh..and I second the idea of checking out beginnertriathlete.com. The plans are awesome (I used one for my half-ironman), the forums are great, and the advice is wonderful!
You might find peace with the marathon by the cross-training you'll enjoy with triathlon training. At least I did - I enjoyed my runs more when I threw swim & bike to the mix :)
Happy training!!!
Hurray for triathlon!!!! Take a swim lesson and get on that bike. Just thinking about tri-training is making me smile. :)
I am right there with you re: your feelings about marathons!
Triathlon! SO exciting!! I have two friends that do Irongirl in Columbia, MD one and they love it. Said it is a fantastic race and all the participants are incredibly nice and supportive. Congrats on your new adventure!
You're going to love it and do just great! I have no doubt. Irongirl puts on amazing events, truly. They're so fun, supportive, non-judgmental. You will get hooked.
Oh, bless you on that marathon run! Bless it because I know it was cold and dark and you were out there still moving it. Congratulations are in order. I don't care if it wasn't a PR.
That's AWESOME!!! Very cool.
I feel the triathalon calling my name....but I haven't swam in YEARS and I don't even own a bike. Seems like a problem! GL with your newest adventure!!
"Tri Harder Mommy"?
I've done a few tri's (before kids) and my hubby has just challenged me to do a aprint tri against him (who can do it faster) in June! Good luck with your Tri!
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