tcovert's Winter 2009 Mentor Group - FULL (Page 4)

Susie,

  Thanks for making the team link, it looks really good. I just figured out how to put it in!

Jake

I did sky diving for awhile in college ... primarily because it gave me and my buddy an excuse to sit in a bar all day Sunday and drink martinis to get rid of the shakes after jumping out of a tin can Cessna at 10,000 feet!  Finally after a handful of jumps, we said, "Let's not push our luck."

Fun as can be, though, and I would LOVE to experience the wing suit! 

Hi everyone! I never did get a chance to introduce myself, so here goes...

NAME: sealiongirl/Jocelyn

STORY: I am a 34 year old high school science teacher. I was a competitive swimmer in junior high and high school. After college I got out of shape and put on a LOT of weight. I had wanted to do a tri since the nineties, but didn't want to because of my weight. In September of 2006 I heard that Long Beach (my town) had a sprint tri, so I set a goal of spending a year training for it. I was ready for the swim and bike in less than 6 months, but it took me that year to go from not being able to run a minute to running the full 5k, which I did and have done many times since. After that race I was hooked and did three more sprints that year, and four the following year.


FAMILY STATUS: I have been married for 11 years and we have a 7 year old daughter and a 6 year old son.

CURRENT TRAINING: I've been taking it easy lately. I had trained for two years and was feeling burnt out and unmotivated. A friend asked if I'd ever taken an off-season, which I hadn't. So, I'm doing that now. However, I'm really slacking and should be doing more than I am right now. I'm off the next two weeks and hoping to use that time to get back on track. 

THIS YEAR'S RACES: For 2009 I'm looking to do oly distances in individual races, but not an oly yet. I want to do a 10k run and a bike marathon. I've never done those distances. I also want to do another 1 mile OW swim, as I haven't done one in a while. I also need to seek revenge on the LA Tri sprint, which I pulled myself out of this year, literally at the start line.

2008 RACES: I did 4 sprints: Ironbruin, UCSB, Newport Kring and Chung, and Santa Barbara. I also did 2 5ks in June here in Long Beach. I had plans to do more races in the fall, but was feeling burnt out and decided that I wasn't in top shape for them.

WEIGHTLOSS: I was a thin person in high school and college but have put on a lot of weight since. After trying many diets and failing I came to realize that I had eating problems and was recently diagnosed with an eating disorder than I've had since I was a child. Now my focus is more on dealing with that than weight, although if my eating problems get better my weight should as well.

Here are my race plans for this coming season:

• Feb - Surf City 5K (Morgan and Todd...I'll see ya there!)
• Feb - Race on the Base Reverse Tri
• Apr - Newport Kring and Chung Tri
• May - Malibu Creek Trail Run 5k
• Jun - Danskin Disneyland Tri
• Jul - Naples Open Water Swim or Pacific Open Water Challenge (1 mile either way)
• Sep - LA Tri Sprint
• Oct - Pumpkinman Sprint
• Oct - Long Beach Marathon Bike Race
• Nov - Catalina Eco Marathon 10k
• Dec - Crystal Cove Trail Run 5k

I'm sure I'll add others as they come up and may not do all of these. The ones in BOLD are the ones I plan to do no matter what!

Hi gang.

I figured out how to add the team to the blog ...really worked out.  Thanks.

I had a great workout this morning.  I biked the Expresso for 45 minutes, very hard workout at an average of 230 watts.  HR peaked at 148.  Then I ran 5K faster than ever for me...just under 30 which is not bad for a guy who just started in August.   I'm going to keep up the intervals.  I'm seeing results.

Kathy went with and said she really was enjoying the gym.  I'm very glad.  Took her to breakfast and I had my favorite, pancakes.  During the week I eat cereal with strawberries and yogurt, fruit, for breakfast; lunch is a big salad; and then dinner is either a reasonable meal Kathy makes in line with Weight Watchers or just a light meal of soup or something of the sort.  I probably would have been diagnosed as having eating disorders from the time I was a kid to the now...but I never asked anyone.  What I did was the diet-gain-diet cycle without any meaningful exercise until I started the biking and now the tri training.  It is really working...more of a lifestyle shift than focusing on just the diet.   

The 12 step stuff I do with AA since 1988 helps too.  Admitting I can't do it alone, asking for help from a Higher Power, relying on POSITIVE support from groups and from people in my life, getting rid of the toxic ones, avoiding the whiners, hanging with the winners.  It's all good.

I want to thank you all for so much honest sharing...you are inspirations, every one of you.  The online tri club here is already a big help.

IceMan 

Hey all,

Well, what started out as an easy 40 mile Saturday ride with my Tri club turned into 40 miles of hell ... is it possible for a round trip ride to be completely uphill?  Sure seemed that way today.  I'm used to the rolling hills along the coast, not the inland climbing here in San Diego county.  Well, I made it,but I'm sure I'll be paying for it later today!

And Susie, if you think you've got it bad, I told my wife I'd be home by 10:00 or 10:30 this morning ... it took every ounce of energy I had to make it in at 12:15pm.  Deep, deep spousal trouble today  

Oh yeah, this was my first winter morning ride, and I found out that I am ill-prepared to be riding at 39 degrees.  One jersey (long sleeve), leg warmers and short.  No gloves, no vest, no jacket ... no brains apparently   Hopefully Santa makes a stop at Performance Bikes this year!

Have a great day everyone, and tune in to ESPN at 5:00pm PST to watch my Arizona Wildcats get pummeled by BYU.  I hope that's not the case  

It's actually a regular marathon (the Long Beach Marathon) but they have a bike race that uses the course before the runners. A lot of marathons do this. I had a friend do it a few years ago and said it was a blast to ride all through the streets of Long Beach without the traffic. I figure the 26.2 miles will be good practice for the bike leg of an oly the following season!

Happy weekend!

 I hope everyone is having a good one. Lot's of really positive energy on here already.

I have been working through a knee injury, and after lots of time off, I ran (barely) yesterday. I only went a mile, but there was no pain. I love running, and I miss it. So I will slowly ease back into it, but am encouraged!

Our local pool is a university pool and is currently closed till January, so....it's ride, ride, ride for me!

Jake

You all have so many positive things to say. This is a great group, already.

As far as relationships, from a female perspective, Susie, when I first got married (20 years ago) I felt like I "should be there for my husband" after work, so I gave up working out and came home and sat on the couch and ate chips ahoy cookies with him. About 20 pounds later and probably some years later, I realized how unhappy I had become from not taking care of myself. And, he realized, over time mind you, that if his wife was happy (read: getting activity and eating right) he would be happy, too. Then once we had our son and went through some health challenges, financial stuff and other life experiences, we both realize how important it is to take care of ourselves first and then we can share our best selves with each other. I also think IceMan's AA steps are a great approach. Any system that helps you sort stuff out is helpful. Since you're really still newlyweds in some sense,  you're probably still figuring out the whole me vs. we thing. Hang in there. The guys on here are quite insightful and sensitive and that is so refreshing. Thanks, guys. I think maturity helps with that.

I went at the tri stuff pretty hard starting last Jan and my husband was very supportive. Between my events and our son's activities almost every weekend was filled. He finally asked about midway through the summer, "Can you take a weekend off?" So, I did and since he's started cycling. We got him a bike on Craig's list and he even rides on his own to and from work and takes rides with a neighbor/friend in addition to riding with me. He doesn't swim or run (injury to knee), but he's even talked about doing a short tri in a pool at some point. He admits he'd be sucking wind and holding onto the lap lane ropes.

Anyway, just wanted to share a bit of my journey. 

My schedule this year so far:

Jan 25th 1/2 marathon, Carlsbad

May 3rd My first full marathon, OC

August 1, my first HIM, Barb's Race

 I know I"ll also do some Oly's and sprints in there, too. I am going to do the desert tri again, Todd. How about you? I'm going for the oly this year. I need to check into the date for it.

Happy training everyone and have a great weekend.

Lynn

Lynn, some really good advice and perspective in regard to relationship and tri. It seems sometimes that the hardest part of this isn't the training itself, it's managing life around it. (and that is most people's excuse for NOT doing such things "I don't have time"

I read a book once that talked about how we all put others first. As a husband, wife, mother friend, employee etc. We think that being "selfless" is somehow praiseworthy, and it is. But, if we take care of ourselves FIRST, then we are waaaaay more effective, positive, etc for those around us. So we all win. I call it "pay yourself first"....like they say for saving money, but instead of money in the bank it's something better.

Just adding to what you said

Jake

Just wanted to second Jakes comments about Lynn's advice.

Secondly about Jake's comments on 'pay yourself first'. That is so true and so well put. As you the say the same is true about looking after ourselves. Seems selfish to some but if you are not happy and in the best of health you can manage surely others will get less than you beat. So surely it is far more selfish to put yourself second in the health stakes. Once more one of those things easy to say, more difficult to do.

Paul.

 BIG THANK YOU TO SUSIE

After looking at my moans and groans Susie suggested that my heal pain might be plantar fasciitis. After reading up in forums and treating it as recommended it has improved incredibly in just 24 hours. I am so grateful. Thank you Susie.

Just shows you how much there is to gain from a group like this.