chichitao's group - FULL! (Page 95)

Glad you are feeling better Tim, and yeah for being ahead in the competition, at least being sick had a positive result for you:-)

Training is, so far, going well, not exactly according to plan because I am still training for a half mary that is in a couple of weeks, and the weather being quite unreasonable around here.  Last week it was snow, this week it is torrential rain and howling winds.  I'm not a fan of the treadmill and it is even worse when you have to do it at a gym where you have to book a slot of time and the max allowed is 30 minutes. 

For the past couple of weeks I have had a different swim coach, because our regular coach was in a serious car accident(miracle that he lived) and she has been kicking my butt.  I've been moved into a faster lane and I am killing myself to keep up right now...it's good and I hope that it will get easier soon. 

I love the spinning classes, they are tough and I can feel the benefits already, but can't wait to have some decent weather to get out on the road for my weekend long rides, the drainer is so boring and not really giving me an accurate idea of where I am at!

Funny stuff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KTEgLKhjIw&feature=related

How is everyone doing? 

Tim...how was the half yesterday?

How are all of you guys doing with your HIM training?

I am going to take a minute to whine.  Joe, our oldest, is keeping us up at night like he is a newborn.  He has had a terrible cough for 12 days and nights now.  Not that I am counting or anything!  I had him at the allergist this morning and we are doing a process of elimination kind of thing but he will most likely be diagnosed with asthma by the end of next month.  The doctor put him on an antibiotic and an asthma inhaler.  He has been on a rescue inhaler on a need be basis but it is not preventing breathing problems.  So if everything clears up in a few days, we know it was some kind of infection.  If the antibiotics do nothing, we figure it is more asthma.  He said the inhaler is slow acting so that won't even help him for about two weeks.

The run went really well.  Finished in 2:01:05.  Wasn't sure how I would feel being sick the week before and not getting in a longer run than 8mi.  So, I started slow and then sped up as I went along.  My first 9mi were progressively faster, then leveled out around an 8:50 pace by the end.  I wish I had been able to squeak in under 2hrs, but I am pretty darn happy with this result (course was 1/10th of a mile long, so my 13.1 time was around 2:00:15).  My body is not happy with me though.  I could barely even walk yesterday and today is a little better but I am walking liking a duck!

My HIM training officially begins today.  I am thinking about signing up for another HM in 3 weeks.

Meggan, I hope they figure out and fix whatever is going on with Joe right quick and you get some good sleep soon!

Good job on the HM Tim, sometimes not training as much as we should can work to your benefit in a race but it does come to bite you in the recovery.  Just take it easy and let your body heal up properly. Are you poised for a big win in the office pool tomorrow?

My training is going okay, life has gotten in the way a little here and there but overall still on track.  I missed spin last night because my dog had some stomach issues while I was at work yesterday and I came home to a right big mess, by the time I cleaned it all up, I had missed my class.  I would have hopped on the trainer but I was giving a talk on core training to one of the running clinics and by the time I got home from that I was bagged and to top it off I have come down with a head cold.  Oh well, take what life throws at me, deal with it and move on.  Hoping to get a trainer ride in this evening before swim club to make up for last night.  I should be running, but I am not too concerned about by running right now.

Work has been crazy with no signs of letting up any time soon and I may be taking on some contract work on the side....like I really need more to do, but it will give me another website to use for my resume and a good chunk of cash towards my bike fund:-)

Don't think I am going to do very well at this week's weigh-in.  Didn't eat very well over the weekend and splurged a little more than I should have.  Unless someone just has a massive weight loss week though, I should still be in the overall lead.

Sorry to hear about little Joe, Meggan.  Are the antibiotics working? 

Sounds like you've been busy Sandra.  I have discovered over the years that triathlons are just as much about dealing with life and the curveballs it tries to throw our way, as the physical part.  So many times I let life derail me, but it's not going to happen with this HIM!!

I met a buddy at the HM and he is trying to put together a work group to go and do Ironman Cozumel in the fall of 2013.  It just seems so daunting and impossible right now.  But maybe after the HIM I might entertain the thought.  He has done it before and can't stop talking about how beautiful and flat the course is.  Plus it would be nice to have a group all with the same goal and be able to train together.  Long way off though.

Day 1 of my HIM training, 89 more days to go...I WILL ride my bike after work today!

I think that would be a great goal Tim, we are doing something similar but IM Canada 2013, we have currently a pretty big group that is planning on signing up, but we'll see how many actually do, when the time to put down the money comes about  It is one of the main reasons I am doing the HIM this year, so that I can determine whether my body will be able to handle the full distance of an IM(I really, really want to, but have concerns) 

To bad you aren't planning on doing Cozumel this year though, because there is a very good chance you would see me down there, we have some friends who are signed up and we may go down for a volunteering/cheering vacation, though I wouldn't be shocked if Ray signed up.

You will ride your bike, and I will ride mine, it has been written for all to see, so it must be done

Sandra, that's awesome you might be picking up that freelance work. If you can handle it and keep up your VERY active lifestyle, I would definitely say do it!

Meggan, sorry to hear about the wee one That really, really sucks. Hopefully it's nothing serious, and something that he can grow out of. When I was younger, I had asthma, and now, I'm pretty good. I still have a hard time coming inside after a cold workout, but I am not on a puffer or anything like that, and I feel fine 99% of the time. Hopefully it's something like that!

So I've been home for a while now, and I'm starting to feel like I need to get a job soon. Money's tighter than I would really want it to be (not scary tight, but...), so I need to figure something out fairly soon. I'm hoping that something comes my way somewhat soon. Does anyone have any good tips for job hunting? Any words of advice that you could pass along? Anyone have any thoughts on how to get in touch with the big players in companies? Hiring managers and the like? I HATE just putting my resume up on a website, only to have it lost forever.

I'll be joining you guys on the bike tonight, maybe with a swim thrown in there for some good luck. Weight loss is going ok here. I'm down about 5 lbs since the holidays, but still fluctuating a fair bit. LSD on the bike for me today, I think. I went for my first run in a LONG time on Sunday (on my gf's treadmill). 8k on the tread watching the NHL All Star game. Pretty sore from it yesterday, but it felt better than I thought it would to get running. Maybe I don't hate it as much as I thought I did...

T1 - That's an awesome HM time!!!  Way to go!  I hope I can hit something like this this fall.  I think the group idea is awesome, too.  You should totally do it.  Would you ship your bike there?  It sounds too hot for me though, but you Texans are crazy anyway. 

Meggan - Let us know how Joe is feeling.  Thinking of him!  I never had asthma, but I was a really sick kid, so I kept my parents up a lot of nights.  He'll remember you taking care of him like this when he gets older though!

Pete - Have you tried linkedin.com?  It's helpful to me.  What I do when job hunting is I just contact people in the industry I want to work in and ask them if I could meet up with them for coffee just to ask them questions about what they do.  Sometimes, if they like you, they might be able to give you a lead.  Most of my jobs, I've gotten just from being persistent.  I'm known to call a place as many times as it takes to talk to someone who can help me out.  I've sent out plenty of cold emails, too.  Is there anything in particular you want to try doing now?

For me, it's been 6 weeks since my surgery as of today, and I'm going berserk.  My knee has been hurting a lot lately, and I'm not sure why.  I've been doing all my stretches consistently, and going to PT twice a week, but I'm still uncomfortable with my knee.  I can start unlocking my brace to walk tomorrow (yay for no more being straight-legged!), but I don't get to walk without it until I see the doctor again in a couple weeks.  I'm getting really nervous about the whole thing, and wondering what I have to do if this surgery doesn't fix it.  Usually I'm optimistic, but I feel like the pain the last couple weeks came out of nowhere.  I just hope it's normal!

Also, even though I can unlock my brace tomorrow, I still can't do ANYTHING active really, besides walking.  He won't even let me get in the pool to do aqua jogging yet.  I'm getting frustrated with being so lazy!  Biking slowly for max 20 minutes just isn't cutting it anymore.  I've been down lately, and I keep questioning if I'm going to be able to come back from this!  I'd love to sign up for IM Canada or Cozumel with you guys next year, but I don't even know if I'm going to be able to sign up for a HM this fall! 

Sorry I'm a downer today, I've had a rough week!  On a bright note, I turn 25 on Friday.  But is that really a bright note?  Hmmm...not sure.

Man, I feel old!  Any plans for your special day?  Sorry the recovery is not going as quickly as you hoped.  hang in there!

Pete, sorry but I don't have any job tips for you.  Been in the same profession now for 11+yrs and never really had to deal with the job market, especially now-a-days.  But like Erica said, I think you just have to be tenacious and keep after it.  Not sure how the market is up there but down here the ones who put in the extra effort and try to stand out tend to get the jobs.  Good luck with it.

Erica, HAPPY EARLY 25th!  That is good news, it means you are still breathing!   You've got Ryan, your puppy, a good career about to take off, and 75% of a healthy body!

I never really thought about the temps for Cozumel.  So I looked it up and the avg temps in Nov are a low of 70 and high of 83.  Right in my perfect comfort zone.  I guess 70 all day would be ideal but it sounds good to me.  And yes, we are crazy down here.  We're still in a pretty big drought.  One small town nearby has run out of water so they've had to truck in tons of it.  Our lake and water source is currently 55ft below normal and we are on super tight water restrictions.  And they are predicting a long dry summer.  Should be a fun one this year!  Makes it nice though when planning workouts b/c we don't have to worry about rain messing it up!

So did everyone get their bike/workout in?  Got my 45min trainer ride done.  Will be doing an easy 3mi run today.

Came in with the same weight as last Wed, but still in the overall lead.  11lbs in 4 weeks.

Happy hump day!

Hey all! So today was weigh in day for me. I am down another 1.2, so total after 4 weeks is 7.4 and my 10 lb goal by Valentines day seems reasonable.

I did a step class on Friday and it was okay. I really didn't care for it and barely broke a sweat! But the plus side was I didn't have any pain while doing it. Maybe it was just the instructor, but it was way different than what I was used to at Gold's Gym.

I ran for the first time yesterday and boy was that a mistake!! It hurt and I am in so much pain today that I don't think I am going to be running for a while.

I am going to do the step class again on Friday and figure something out for this weekend. Slowly but surely getting back!

Happy Birthday Erica!

Well done on the weightloss Tim! 

I will have to admit that I did not get my bike workout in, but instead gave into the fact that I was actually sick, I had been fighting it for days and by the time I got home on Tuesday, I was so cold and my head was banging, nothing could move me off the couch and away from my blanket.  It paid off, since I felt better yesterday and was able to drag my butt to spin class, not my best effort, but did the full class to the best of my abilities.  Still not 100%, but heading in the right direction now. 

Erica, sorry that the rehab isn't going as fast as you would like, but take the time and do it right and it will pay off for you in the long run(pun intended). You can do this, you are young and determined, take it day by day and celebrate the small improvements!  And Happy Birthday(a day early)!

Pete, definately get out there and network with people in the industry you want to work in.  Have you gone to see any head hunting agencies?  Look at the websites of companies you would like to work for and see if they have a careers section, often you will find positions on their sites that you won't find on any of the normal career sites out there.  If you can afford it, have your resume done professionally and don't be afraid to follow up on any resume you submitted after a week or two if you haven't heard back to find out where they are in their hiring process for the position.  Convey to the companies that you want to work for them and research them before interviews so you can demonstrate that you know their business.  If you know the name of the person interviewing you, then you can even do a little research on them, by finding them on linkedIn. Good luck!

Great job on the weight loss Debbie!  Hope that pain goes away.

Happy happy birthday Erica!

And happy happy Friday everyone else!

HERE IS A FUN LITTLE FRIDAY TRIATHLON TIP QUIZ.  I didn't agree with one of the answers but in the end I finished with a score of 1008.  How did you do?

Happy Monday!  After a really crappy week last week, we had an amazing weekend!!  My mom took the boys to my inlaws Friday afternoon and after work John and I went to Atlantic City.  We are only about an hour away but never think to go.  We had tickets to see Jay Mohr and we decided to splurge and spend the night.  We had dinner at Bobby Flay's steakhouse at 7, show at 9, and then gambled a bit.  John started with $60 at the roulette table and we cashed out with $275.  At one point he was around $400 but we kept playing a few more rounds.  We spent the night and slept with no little boys climbing in our bed!!  We picked them up around 10:30 and did nothing the rest of the day.  I got a trainer ride in while all three were napping, well two of them.  Logan napped a whole 20 minutes but let me finish my ride.  We worked on Joe's "100th day of school" project in the evening and did a whole bunch of nothing yesterday too.  I hit the gym in the morning and then ran some errands with the boys in the afternoon. 

I am hoping our fabulous weekend carries over to this week but I am not too hopeful.

How is everyone else doing?

Glad you had such an enjoyable weekend Meggan!  Weekends like that can really help boost your mood for a while.  Hope your week is just as much fun!

I had a super busy weekend, ate terribly (actually the food was wonderful but not so good for the waist line), and didn't get my workouts in.  But I brought my running clothes to work today so no excuses. 

Welp, I am 25, and officially have no more birthdays to look forward to!  It's all downhill from here...

I went for a MILE walk this weekend, too, and my knee felt great during and immediately after, but then like 3 hours later, it was throbbing.  Maybe no walks like that for a while.  But it was so much fun!  

Also, I went to put on my jeans for the first time since mid-December, and they DO NOT FIT , so I am back on a diet!  Keeping my calorie intake lower than 1500/day now.  I'm back at 168 (yuck), my low was 156, and my goal is 145.  So here we go!  I'm hoping that the 12 pound weight gain isn't THAT bad considering I haven't really been able to work out consistently since last March or so.  

I have a group idea that I want to see if you guys want to do!  I think everybody should check in at least one day/week to put up what their tentative workouts are for those 7 days.  That way, we can hold them accountable.  I think that might be a good idea, but what does everybody else think?

One day at a time Erica!  I think the weight gain is to be expected and you will get back to where you want to be in no time.

Your idea sounds good to me!  I am getting into my busy season and have to plan my workouts on Sunday for the week and hope it works out.

Erica, Love the idea!!! I need someone to hold me accountable. Especially after only getting one workout in last week.

I got up early yesterday and did the elliptical for 20 min. I need to adjust my time in the morning, I was planning on 30 min, but ran out of time. So i need to wake up 10 min. earlier. Went to the PT yesterday and she said no running for at least another 2 months since I was in so much pain after my run last week, so I am going to do elliptical, bike, maybe a class here and there and strength training.

Weighed in this morning and was pleasantly surprised. I was down .8. I was thinking after the bad eating that I did this past weekend I was going to be up, so I will take the loss! Officially down 8.2! 25 lbs to go.

Oh Erica, you have sooo much more to look forward to, really your life is just beginning!  Your birthday just reflects how long you have been alive and age is a state of mind, to quote an old song, "I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now" 

I have not been spot on my HIM training the past week or so, but not for lack of wanting to.  This cold has hung around long enough and though I feel like I should be 100%, runnning last night let me know I am still not there.  It was a good run, but when I was done, by lungs were sore and aching again, and there is the remainder of a dull raspy cough.  I opted out of swimming for that reason and hope that Thursday I will be better(I hate missing swim club).

Tonight I will spin, and I will spin also on Thursday before swim club(taking my hubby with me).  Then I will do nothing until my HM on Sunday.  Then hopefully back into the full swing of HIM training next week.

I am all for posting workout plans for the week, having that accountability in place is good!

On a side note, for those interested, Sugoi is accepting applications for Brand Champions again:

http://www.sugoi.com/brandchampions 

If you get accepted, you get %50 off all your sugoi gear

I like the accountability idea, so here goes...

W: bike (outside hopefully)

Th: run and swim

F: bike (probably trainer as it is supposed to be wet outside)

Sa: unk - will be on the road for 8hrs to visit family

Su: long run (long bike if I can get the run in Sat)

W - Crash into my bed as soon as the boys fall asleep.  I am exhausted today and sore from my workouts the last two days.

R - Either stairmaster at the gym or a trainer ride.  It all depends if John is home in the evening. 

F - swim after work

S - As of now, rest day but that might change.  I have to work 8-1ish

Sun - gym - lift and stairmaster

I have nothing past then.  I map out my week on Sundays.

Wed: spin

Thu: spin & swim club

Fri: rest day, package pickup and carbo-load dinner for Sunday

Sat: rest

Sun: Half Marathon, and if legs aren't too thrashed, the bike ride that was supposed to happen on Saturday according to HIM schedule

Any goals?

My goal was to have fun this time around, but I have a friend who would like to do it in 2:05 and has asked me to do it with her, so I'm going to give it my best and see what happens, it would be a personal best for me(2:11 is my current PB). Let's hope the GI issues stay away!