Ryan and Mike's beginner group - CLOSED (Page 20)

Dang I wish we had  PI outlet anywhere near us( we don't do we mike)  There stuff is top notch quality, just expensive.

Yes I'm pretty sure shops try to sneak in those pinks/yellows, since girls will 99% of the time say NO to white suits.  So they figure a few might get pinks/yellows that might still be fun when wet haha.  Those sneaky sneaky shops(golf clap for them hahaa)

Cold races never = fun to me.  Trying to have any type of transition either means, freezing or freezing.  My first race last year was chilly but decided to suffer.  There were still a few guys rocking the MANkini's, which are NEVER appropriate in my mind.

I could've spent a lot of money at the PI outlet... but I didn't.

MANkini? That is the new word of the week that I have learned from BT. LOL

I tried on my tri top and shorts and asked my husband what he thought. He is a pretty smart man... he said something like, "Well, triathlon people wear weird stuff, so I'm sure you will fit in just fine."

haha, your husband is a smart man!  Triathlete style is not mainstream for sure.

tricupcake - 2011-03-18 8:52 AM I have now registered for my first half marathon.  I know that I won't be able to run the whole thing but I want to run as much of it as I can.  It's through an organization called TeamChallenge which raises funds for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation.  We have to raise a sizable amount of money - which is a little scary - but for that we get access to two running coaches, a customized training plan and an all expenses paid trip to Napa Valley where the race will be held.

I'm super excited about it and can't wait to start.  I will probably have running questions along the way

congratulations! i think you're nuts, personally, lol (can you tell running's NOT my favorite thing?!), so really admire what it takes to train for that kind of race. hope your feet don't let you down.

the injury thing is really frustrating for me...being rather new to all of this, i'm not liking the loss of control & the need to deviate from the plan bc of how my body's letting me down. now if it were about my daughter's needs? no problem. but my body? no way!

wise friend was talking to me the other day (as i was huffing & puffing & around the track) about some of the concepts she's been trying to master thru yoga, and one was something along the lines of learning to accept the body that you have today. It's not the body you had yesterday, or the one you'll have tomorrow, so just accept what it is, where you are in the here and now (and get over the rest). I like the sound of that...just need to practice it.....!

tricupcake - 2011-03-18 7:52 AM I have now registered for my first half marathon.  I know that I won't be able to run the whole thing but I want to run as much of it as I can.  It's through an organization called TeamChallenge which raises funds for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation.  We have to raise a sizable amount of money - which is a little scary - but for that we get access to two running coaches, a customized training plan and an all expenses paid trip to Napa Valley where the race will be held.

I'm super excited about it and can't wait to start.  I will probably have running questions along the way

I've heard about TeamChallenge - Congrats on taking the plunge!  That's actually the hardest part - deciding you're going to do something.  Everything else is a series of small goals and accomplishments to get there.

And anything we can help with along the way, just let us know, that's what were here for - I'm sure I speak for everyone in our group with that comment. 

I'm no expert either, but I'll share what worked for me along the way.  Last February, when I started running/exercising, I was 45 pounds heavier and could not run around my block (which i now know is 1/2 mile).  A trip to the doctor earlier in December, along with every failed diet I ever tried, finally motivated me to try something else - the "R" word that I loathed so much when I was in the military a few years ago.  I used to try everything I could to get out of running and PT (physical training) while i was in the military.

Anyway, I woke up one Saturday and had an epiphany - no person I knew that ran, biked, or swam on a regular basis was overweight - I needed to do one of those.  I then thought about which one I could do the easiest, and running was the winner.  I'd actually have to go to a pool to swim, and all I had was a mountain bike, which I thought was not very conducive to logging the miles.  I had an old pair of jogging shoes, and I could run right out of my front door....... so I put them on and ran out the front door.  I'm sure my wife thought I was crazy that first day, but she has told me on more than one occasion that I inspire her and the kids, so that's the best compliment and motivator you can have.  My kids and I have pretend triathlons all the time and it is such a big part of my life now, which I never thought I would be doing only a year ago.

About 6 weeks into running, I got shin splints really bad, to where I didn't even really want to walk - that is when I started swimming, at first only to keep up my endurance that was slowly building.  It was a pain to be able to get to the pool, but I at least did it a couple times a week at a gym close to our house.  I thought about buying a road bike, as it was supposed to be a low impact sport as well, and while I was at the bike shop on a Friday during lunch, they had someone that was handing out packets for an off-road triathlon.  I talked to her for a few minutes, and signed up to do my first triathlon 2 days later.  Hey, I already had a mountain bike and she said this was probably the easiest triathlon they put on throughout the whole year (200M swim, 7 mile bike, 2 mile run).  As I went back to work, it started setting in that I hadn't even ridden my mountain bike in a couple of years, and even then, it was a casual stroll - OH CRAP, WHAT DID I JUST DO???

I thought about not showing up, but honestly, I wanted to see how bad it was, and if I could even finish it - plus, I had already spent $80 on the race (signing up at packet pick-up puts you in the highest price range) and I am a real tightwad.  I showed up a complete rookie, in a regular swimsuit (that was the best I had), a free blood donor t-shirt, my old and busted sneakers, and was really starting to doubt this whole thing.  Anyway, I got marked, and just followed what I saw the others around me doing. 

Lined up around the pool, I was one of the last few to go, as I signed up late for the packet and they couldn't seed me into the pack.  The thing beeped and I jumped into the pool and started swimming - this is where I am most comfortable - and after I passed a couple of people, I really turned on the jets and passed about 10 people in a 200M swim (thought I was back on the swim team in High School).  The trouble with that, now that I know, is that I totally overexerted myself on the swim and could barely lift myself out of the pool at the end of the swim.  Needless to say, I continued to make rookie mistakes..... got my shoestrings caught in the chain on my bicycle when I first started the bike portion, ran out of transition with my helmet still on.  That was not a good showing, but I finished - I walked about 90% of the run portion, and wanted to walk a couple of times on the bike as well.  But crossing that finish line felt so good, and I was ready for some more.  Success breeds success, so then I started training for all three events, and here I am today, attempting yet another first Half Ironman next month.

I guess that's the longest attempt at me saying you can do it - anybody can - just keep at it and don't give up.  After coming from where I did (high cholestorol, high blood pressure, beginning signs of diabetes, multiple body aches, not being able to play with my kids for more than 2 minutes without getting tired, etc.), I can say that this has been one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life.  I am no longer on any medications, other than a daily multivitamin, and feel wonderful.  And if anyone ever wants to know how to quit smoking, tell them to start training for a triathlon.  Your body will not let you smoke and train at the same time.  That lasted all of about 4 weeks, and when I quit, my performance improved almost overnight.

Sorry for my rambling folks, I just want to yell it from the rooftops.

I actually put that up on facebook, hope you don't mind! (You would actually not ever know anyway, unless Marla told you...)

My husband has some employees that are trying to get their life in order and I seriously think what you said about quitting smoking is the best advice ever! It seems like the perfect solution for someone who wants to meet new friends and stop harming their body with bad habits.

About the half training...

Someone told me when I started distance running that if you can run 7 miles you can run 13. Then they said, if you can run 13 miles you can run 26. Then it was if you can run 26 miles you can run 50.

What I gather from that is the there is a large component of believing that you can, and like RhettS said, chip away at the small goals and the big goal is just around the corner.

tricupcake - 2011-03-18 7:52 AM I have now registered for my first half marathon.  I know that I won't be able to run the whole thing but I want to run as much of it as I can.  It's through an organization called TeamChallenge which raises funds for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation.  We have to raise a sizable amount of money - which is a little scary - but for that we get access to two running coaches, a customized training plan and an all expenses paid trip to Napa Valley where the race will be held.

I'm super excited about it and can't wait to start.  I will probably have running questions along the way

wow, that sounds pretty cool!  If you are sure you aren't going to run the whole thing I recommend planning a run/walk strategy from the beginning and training that way.  Run x minutes then walk 1 minute the entire race.  You can figure out x as you train for it.  I think you will have a better time and more fun doing it that way vs. running as long as you can then struggling with run/walk for the rest.  I haven't used this method or even read up on it but many people swear by it.

http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/half_marathon.html

Great story Rhett! I need to show that to my boyfriend who says he will only run if there is a ball in front of him. He hates running and doesn't think he can do it, but is an active person...

I am also going to do a half marathon in November, well at least that is the plan. It is a womens half in St. Pete, Fl. I have heard great things about it and excited. I am not that excited about increasing my mileage and am having problems with it. I just got back to training yesterday after getting a head cold after my first Tri. I started with the 3 min run and 1 minute walk and am going to continue that. I signed up with my parents to do a 6 mile walk/run next Saturday for cancer. So that should be interesting  Im still planning on doing Tri's as well. My next one will probably be the end of May.

Side Note: I purchased my first Tri sticker today to put on my car

Rhett, Awesome story man!!!  THanks for sharing.

Having something of a story myself, its amazing to hear others.  Even if a few bits and pieces match up, it kinda brings a smile.  See we did it, so can anyone else.  Just thinking that 5 mile runs are almost fun now, I couldn't dream of running one a few years ago.  My favorite quote still has to be

" IF you think you can, or you think you can't, your right" Henry Ford

Teaching ourselves to trust that we can do anything is very tough, but once we do, WATCH OUT!!

It's a new week and I am excited. I have been having problems getting past that 5k run. Been trying to increase my mileage and I finally did it. Ran 4.5 tonight doing 1 min walk and 3 min run, it paid off! This weekend I am doing a walk/run/bike/skip/ however you want 6 mile event this Sat. I am hoping to walk the first with my parents then take off from there and get some good running in.

How is everyone else doing?

Congrats on the 4.5 mile run!  You'll find that some workouts are as much a mental challenge as a physical one. 

Have fun Saturday.  Sounds like a cool event. 

congrats on the milestone - i  hear you on increasing mileage (tho i seem to backsliding these days, lol) - for me it's all mental, so that's huge to me. like the "however" part of your upcoming event - sounds fun, and especially with the parents - enjoy!

i'll enjoy it vicariously - am now into day 8 of "do nothing that uses your hip" and it's making me more than a little nuts. finally went to the gym last night to do upper body work with weights, and left marveling at how much i seemed to use my hip to brace/position - even that made it a little sore

My husband and I listened to that in the car, Marla. So funny.

I went for a bike ride outside for the first time in quite a while the other day. It was cold. It's not like running. When you run it might be cold for the first half mile, but then you warm up pretty quickly.

I feel like I need to be out on my bike every day until my race to get comfortable with it... but then today it is actually snowing here!

Sorry, I have no idea.

SNOWING?! YEESH! Hope you had snow tires for the bike

Supposed to snow here this weekend, too. Isn't that just nuts! Makes that race name of yours that much more ironic, eh?

We are supposed to get 2-5 inches of snow here tomorrow too.  Hopefully this will be it for winter.