Monitor & Slide

Just when I thought all of the "big" purchases were out of the way, back I went to Dick's Sporting Goods (my new favorite place to now beat out Fairway for the most trips a week). I needed a Heart Rate Monitor and I heard this one was worth the money so I got it. I'm afraid it's going to flatline...I wonder if there is a direct line to 911 from the watch? If not, that might be my next invention. I haven't a clue how to use it, what number I am looking for or what the actual point of the whole thing is but I am hoping to add it to the list of things I've learned from training for a triathlon.

I learned a great lesson this past week: don't spray TriSlide while on a hard wood floor. I wanted to try on my new wetsuit before the time ran out to return it if I didn't like it or it didn't fit properly. Busted out my new spray TriSlide and began to spray it on - the wetsuit is awesome, the spray is fab and I was able to get the wet suit on with as much ease as a wetsuit can be to get on. Then almost fell flat on my face bc my floor was slick! My kids put on their socks and spent the rest of the night "ice skating" on the floor!

Fat is Free

Being fat and lazy is free and easy. When people tell you that being a triathlete is expensive, they are lying. It's exorbitantly expensive! I once read a book about the cost of having a baby - she itemized every thing she spent money on - here is my small sample of that in relation to getting ready for my new team:

sneakers & inserts: $150

Nike +: $50

Bike: $1300

Wetsuit: $400

Then you need to add up all the small things:

swim lessons: $60/hour

sweat wicking socks: $10/pair

music for iPod: endless

gym membership with pool: $50/month

water bill for the 3 showers I take a day: no clue

water/electricity bill for the extra wash that needs to be done: not one clue

fee for Team Lipstick: $900

countless bike shorts/pants/gloves: more than I really want to know

addiction to ROKS: $300

I could clearly go on and on with the small things that I keep "needing". I already have a shopping addiction and having an actual "reason" to shop for expensive equipment is not an extra excuse I need. But I have a good excuse anyway, I think I keep Ridgewood Cycle and lululemon in business solely with my own shopping. But when all the money is spent and the day is over - I had a ton of fun OR at the very least I loved being able to say, "Oh can't make the in-laws anniversary party this weekend - I have a triathlon to race". That and having my 7 year old wear my medals to school makes everything PRICELESS!!! Oh and perhaps losing my gut and another 15 lbs would help as well!

Real Women wear LIPSTICK

As of yesterday, I'm now an official member of Team Lipstick - an all women's Triathlon team. They specialize in training beginners. That would be me - a beginner, is there a level lower than beginner? If so, that would be me. Last year I did my first 30 mile bike ride, this year my first ever 5K run. I started swim lessons last month but never have I done them all at once, in one morning, back to back with no stopping in between for, say, a nap or an ice cream or donut. While I'm overly thrilled and excited to get started I keep thinking that I may have bitten off more than I can chew. Yesterday I ran .5 mile but at the .5 mile mark I thought I was going to melt. I think the humidity was hovering around 200% here in the North East. I was able to walk the second .5 mile but was so completely dripping in sweat and thirsty it was unreal. A few hours later I rode on my bike trainer with my sweet NLLP for 45 minutes in my very air conditioned house but was again soaked. The humidity doesn't take central air as seriously as I do! But it was my very first day of doing more than 1 activity and I needed to take today off to recover from that. Am I completely insane? Well, I've always been insane but maybe now I will be insanely in shape! To reiterate yesterday's post - if I can do this, anyone can. www.teamlipstick.com

If I can...

People often say, "If I can do it, anyone can do it". I never believe those people bc they are usually professional athletes, in amazing shape or on the US National Team. Now I am that person - I've used that phrase about 6 times in the past 2 days. I ran my first 5K this weekend - well ran is an overstatement but I finished 3.1 miles in 33:34 minutes which is about 4 hours better than I ever imagined I could accomplish. I've never run a day in my life, I've tried a few times and never was able to get more than about 100 yards before my lungs caved, knees ached and head exploded but this time was different. I had faith in myself that I could actually accomplish something if I just trained for it, tried hard, didn't give up and celebrated the smallest of victories during the process. I've never been so proud of myself in my whole entire life. It has also opened a whole new world for me and as of today I am an official member of Team Lipstick. Me, the fat, lazy girl, is now a member of a triathlon team. The girl that has never run a day in her life, took her first swim lesson 2 months ago is now an real-life athlete. It is so true that if I can do it, anyone can do it.

You Gotta Start Somewhere

Trying not to be embarrasses is hard for women. Being proud of yourself is even more difficult. Last week, I went out for my very first run since 11th grade (and even then I did all I could to get out of running - I even perfected the art of getting my ankles taped by the trainer in order to skip running before practice). I made it all the way to the corner of my house - probably less than 200 yards. Completely out of breath and frustrated, I walked the rest of my mile. Everyone keeps saying, "you gotta start somewhere" and that was my start. One week later and I hit the one mile mark...one mile! I crossed over the 1 mile mark and was expected a ticker tape parade, the Rocky Theme to bust out on a sound system somewhere. But the cars just kept driving, people kept going on with their life and no one started to scream as I had envisioned in my head! Ticker tape parade or not - I was so proud of myself and it motivated me to keep on going!