From Fat to Triathlete

Tag: Wrigley

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On My Own

February 22, 2012
My running buddies

My running buddies

My morning runs usually consists of running a mile with Marshall, then a second mile with Wrigley.  It gets them both some needed exercise as they are young energetic dalmatians and it gets me to run twice as far.  Unfortunately, for the past few days Marshall has been sick.  He was throwing up, very lethargic and dehydrated.  He has not been up for running.

So, even though I can work out when I’m sick, I have a difficult time running when one of my running buddies is sick.  (There is probably a blog post about the importance of workout partners somewhere in there).  Needless to say, Wrigley and I have been doing some walking, but not much.

This morning I decided I just needed to do it, with or without my running buddy.  Every day missed is one day closer to my Ironman with no preparation.  Wrigley and I ran a mile and then I did the second mile on my own.  I must admit I was a bit apprehensive about running by myself.  But I did it, and it had good and bad aspects.

Good – I was actually 2 minutes faster over the course of the mile.  I will chalk that up to not having to stop at every bush, tree and mailbox along the way.  The chart of my pace from Map My Fitness shows that my pace was relatively consistent over that mile, which makes me happy.

Bad – There was no one to talk to.  I actually was lonely.  And it’s not the same talking to yourself.  However, that is a feeling I will have to get used to because during the race I will be alone most of the time.

All in all, I’m glad to be back to training after a few days off.  Marshall is feeling better and will be up and running soon, but even so, I can run with just myself for company.

On another note, this past Saturday I participated in the Polar Plunge to raise money for Special Olympics.  You can read all about it here.

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Rest Day

January 24, 2012

Since it is still early in my training, every other day is a rest day.  This will change in about 2 weeks, and I will only have 2 rest days a week, then as training progresses, that will drop to one.  On my rest days I don’t fully rest, I walk.  There are two reasons for this;

  1. It’s important for Wrigley and Marshall to go on  a walk each day, so I go for them.  Plus, I like spending time with them to start my day.
  2. I feel like if I don’t do something it will be easy for me to lose my momentum and I will quit all together.

So, on rest days I walk.  Somewhere between 1.2 and 1.5 miles.  And I don’t walk fast.  Although, some days I wrestle with that decision.  I wonder if I should turn it into a “power walk”  and really expend the energy.  But then I think that defeats the purpose of  a rest day.  And I know I get faster as I get more in shape, but for now, I’m not pushing the fast on rest days.

What do you think?  Should I turn my walk into more of a workout?  Or should i continue with my slower less taxing walks?  I’d be interested to hear different opinions.

Today’s walk was 1.23 miles in 30 minutes.

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Forward Motion

October 20, 2011

It’s been a few weeks since my fresh start, and I’ve been pretty good at walking/running every day.  This week I have upped my mileage to 2 miles.  I do the first mile with Marshall and the second with Wrigley.  Saturday is the day to up again to 2.5 miles.  I will probably up the time spent with Wrigs since he will be the one running the 5K with me on Thanksgiving.  Although both of them could run circles around me easily.

I am proud that I have kept it up.  Today my second mile was 3 minutes faster than my first and the fastest it has been since my new beginning the first of October.  And I know it will just keep getting faster.

I’m losing weight too…..and people are noticing.  It’s a great feeling!  Things are moving in the right direction.  I’m disappointed that I won’t be participating in the Ironman next weekend, but on the other hand it  allows us to go to Gayle’s alma matter for alumni weekend where one of her classmates will be inaugurated as President of the college.  It’s a big deal, and I am very glad we will be able to attend.

So, all in all, I’m pleased with my progress and looking forward to what will come in the future.

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Life As We Know It

April 16, 2011

Things have been crazy around here lately.  Crazy in a good way though.  Our business, Glynne’s Soaps, has been growing and expanding.  Last weekend we participated in Azalea Festival, a large two day festival which brings visitors from all over the world.  So the week before we were busy getting ready, the weekend was mainly a blur, and this week has been spent recovering.  We had fun and met a lot of great people, so even with all the craziness, the weekend was a success.

Marshall Looking Cute and Innocent

Marshall Looking Cute and Innocent

Gayle, Wrigley and Marshall

Gayle, Wrigley and Marshall

About a month ago we adopted a new puppy.  His name is Marshall and he is now 8 months old, and a bundle of energy.  Although you wouldn’t know it if you were looking at him now, he is sound asleep with Wrigley on the bed next to my desk.  But they have been playing hard all morning.  Never have I seen something move so fast to grab a sock or a piece of paper.  He will dart in, grab it and be out before you even realize what’s happened.

Needless to say, my training has suffered. Now that the weather is warming up and the sun is hanging around later in the day, I am hoping to ramp it up some. I was able to get in a two mile run yesterday morning, today was busy with the Farmer’s Market, and hopefully tomorrow I can work in a bike ride.

So, things are busy but fun.  As I ramp up my training, I’ll try to up my posting as well so be on the lookout.

Still tri-in

Jenn

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Happy New Year

January 1, 2011

Sometimes I wish that I could post long runs, 50 mile bike rides, etc.  However, that is not where I am at this point.  Someday it will be the norm for my workouts.  For now, I have to be happy with the ability to get out there and do something, even if it seems like it’s not enough to be proud of.

Today, Wrigley and I were able to get out and walk a mile.  We did a bit of jogging, and thankfully, my knee held up well.  I am looking forward to getting stronger from here.

I hope everyone out there is able to spend some time doing something fun to start the New Year.

Happy New Year to everyone.

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In or Out?

June 30, 2010

Yesterday’s workout consisted of some time outside and some time in the gym.  I believe I got great benefit from both workouts.  I started with a 45 bike ride, taking the long way to the gym.  When I got there, I locked up my bike, threw everything in a locker and headed for the exercise bike where I completed my hour bike ride with 15 minutes on the trainer.  Then I stopped for a few minutes, drank some water and ate a packet of  Power Bar Power Gel Blasts, (affiliate link). sampling_box_img3The flavor was Strawberry Banana and when I opened the pouch, they looked just like banana slices with some strawberry gel coating.  I was skeptical.  But, I thought I would probably need some energy for my 30 minute run, so I ate them.  They were actually very tasty and I was impressed with how much energy I had to run on the treadmill.  I felt like I could go a lot longer and ended up bumping up my speed a few times.  In the spirit of full disclosure, I did not purchase these Gel Blasts, I got them for free.  However, it was a free sample offer that PowerBar is advertising on their website.  They did not provide them to me for free in order for a review.  If you would like your free sample, just go here.  All that to say, I will most likely purchase these and use them in the future.

I enjoyed the indoor/outdoor aspect of my workout.  I really like riding my bike outdoors, but with the heat the way it has been spending an hour and a half outside would have been overly taxing.  It was nice to be able to cool off and use a bathroom.  So, which do you prefer?  Indoor or outdoor workouts?

Todays workout was a 30 minute run which I did outside and was able to take Wrigley with me as it was cooler than it has been.

Still tri-in

Jenn

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: Cycling, Nutrition, Running
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Let the Countdown Begin

June 27, 2010

Today marks the official start of my 20 week half ironman training.  The program I am using is from BeginnerTriathlete.com and can be found here.  The plan calls for a 40 minute run and 40 minute swim workout.  I’m not sure about fitting in the swim today, but the plan is to go canoeing this evening and I think that will give me the arm workout I need.  This morning’s run was 2.5 miles in 40 minutes.  And it is hot, hot, hot out.  According to weather.com, it is 86 degrees with 77% humidity.  I know it’s been hotter, and this isn’t a complaint, (I complained about the cold, so I have a hard time justifying complaints about the heat too…..) just observations about this morning’s weather.  I don’t really mind so much for myself, but Wrigley begs to go with me, and who can refuse this face?

wrigley azaleas So, I let him run with me for 15 minutes.  We try to follow all the safety rules for running with your pet.  It’s not worth it if something were to happen to him.

Exercise is important for a healthy, well-behaved dog.  We love that we can take Wrigley with us when we go places and he will be a nice calm boy.  But, this didn’t just happen.  We exercise his body by running and playing and his brain by taking him to obedience and agility classes and working with him every day.  There are some guidelines to exercising with your dog that I think can’t be said enough.

  • Do not participate in vigorous exercise within 45 minutes of eating.  This can lead to bloat which is a very serous and potentially deadly condition.  Some of the signs of bloat are pacing, hard or distended stomach, panting and drooling and unproductive attempts to vomit.  If you see any of these symptoms, call your vet immediately.
  • Make sure your dog has plenty of fresh water to drink.
  • If it’s hot, try to exercise early in the morning or late in the evening.
  • Keep a close watch on them and stop if they seem to be overheated, panting excessively or are acting outside of normal.
  • Never exercise with your dog if they have a injury or medical condition.

As I read back through these tips, the advice is good for 2 legged and 4 legged runners, except for maybe the bloat part.  People can choose for themselves what works best as far as eating and exercise.  If you are new to exercising, especially in the heat, be safe and don’t overdo.

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Little Things Mean A Lot

June 9, 2010

Yesterday I got in 2 miles of running in 34 minutes – 18 minutes for the first mile with Wrigley and 16 for the second on my own.  Evidently we take about 2 minutes for him to stop and smell the roses.  Today’s workout was one mile in about 18 minutes, again with Wrigley.  The one thing I did learn, and it should have been something that was completely obvious, was that if I drink a glass of water before I run, I feel like I have much more energy.  Again, should be something obvious, and I was good about drinking water when I came in from a run, but never before I left.  Mostly because I was worried that I would have to come in for a “natural break” somewhere in the middle of my run.  But I was somewhat surprised at the difference it made.   Now I am trying to get in the habit of having some water and stopping at the bathroom before I leave the house.  I’m sure it will continue to make a difference.  Such a little thing, but with a huge impact on my performance.

slower

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Better Than Nothin

June 3, 2010

100812Tuesday’s run was 1.75 miles in 30 minutes.  I’m trying not to let the lack of speed frustrate me.  At least not now…

Today’s run was preempted by large amounts of rain….I want to do some swim training, but not up and down the street.

Tomorrow’s plan is for a 2.5 mile run, then my long run of 5 miles will be Friday.  I’ll probably try to take Wrigley for at least part of both of them.

I try to do a lot more running than walking.  I know walking is a perfectly good form of exercise, however it will not help me in my quest for a 10 minute mile.  Sometimes however, walking is all that I can muster the energy for.  It’s times like those when I have to just accept that at least I am out there and not on the couch eating chocolate.  ”It’s better than nothing”, so the saying goes.

And I am still tri-in!

Jenn

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Week of May30th – Happy Memorial Day

May 30, 2010

It’s hard to believe we are almost halfway through 2010.  Time sure flies!

Don’t forget to take some time this weekend to remember the true meaning of Memorial Day (it’s not just the beginning of the summer vacation season).  Spend some time in remembrance of the men and women that have died fighting for our country.  We wouldn’t be where we are without their sacrifice.

This morning Wrigley and I ran 1.5 miles in 25 minutes.  It’s getting hot and humid out, but I much prefer that to the cold weather!

Here is the plan for the rest of this week:

Monday - run 2.5 miles

Tuesday – run 3 miles

Wednesday – Rest day (walk one mile with Wrigley)

Thursday- run 5 miles

Friday - run 2 miles

Saturday – rest day (walk 1 mile with Wrigley)

The end of June is when my official 20 week half ironman training program begins.  The plan from now until then is to really build up my running mileage and gain some speed.

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