Tri-Training and FRIENDS

Dilettante Sprint Triathlon is SATURDAY!  It's going to be a great, first triathlon of the tri season.  Looking forward to it.  Can't wait to get my feet wet in this whole TRIATHLON thing.  Looking forward to learning a lot during so that I will be more prepared for REV3 Portland, next month.

People have been asking me how my training has been going and I'm never sure how to answer that.  The truth is that I never feel prepared and always feel like I could've done more.  I picked out a training plan, put together a calendar for that training plan and now its in a stack of papers that I put away while I was cleaning before company came to my house...weeks ago and haven't seen it since.  Yah, GOOD GOING!  I'm more of a person that loves putting a plan together but rarely follows it.  VERY glad that I decided to go for an olympic distance and not a half ironman.  Clearly I'm not ready for the training commitment!  Who knew?  Last time I checked...that was the whole reason I wanted to sign up for the Olympic...um, that kind of backfired?  I talked about it, HERE and HERE and really HERE!  I'm sure everytime I train for something I will always think I could have done more.  I could have pulled out the bike trainer more, ran more miles and practiced eating carbs for race day...actually if that last one counts...then I'm very well trained...Nutella and graham crackers...yah, we're good in that department. 



Cheers to less focus and still having fun? 
Green iced tea, light ice, light water, no classic! 
Yes PLEASE!



So now I'm hours away from my first TRI of the summer and I'm still stoked!  Clearly I will be able to do it and I think I will really enjoy.  There are times in life where we can be REALLY focused and other times, not so much and either way...it's still a WIN-WIN!  I'm active, I'm enjoying what I'm doing and I'm loving the training time with friends.  Way more opportunities to hang with friends when you SWIM, CYCLE and RUN...

Speaking of FRIENDS...

Don't you love when someone talks you into something that you wouldn't have done?  I do...and I love to do it too...as in I talk people into JOINING me for fun things, like marathons and triathlons.  Doing anything with friends is always going to be WAY more fun than doing it solo....don't ya think?  Yah, see...told ya!  This is Maggie and she was the first one that showed interest in doing the Dilettante Tri (Thanks FB) and so it began...we talked some our mutual friends into joining us...(evil voice...."bahhaaa, my plan is working perfectly" now back to nice voice)

Our last BRICK workout and of course a Dilettante Mocha
is a must to celebrate our Dilettante Tri TRAINING!

I'm so excited that we have a crew of friends coming to the Dilettante Triathlon.  Most of the gals who I begged, roped into asked to join me have never done a triathlon before.  Not that I'm experienced or anything...I have done ONE sprint triathlon...that means I'm basically a PRO, an ELITE...yah...I think so!  MMM...k then so glad we are on the same page now.

There she is...5-Mile Lake...I heard it's freezing, but I have my
super awesome, warm wetsuit...I'm not scared!

It's been great to get together for bike rides, open waters swims and the fun RUN after those.  We even got a private TRI-Training with my Master's Swim Coach this week...(and you thought I was joking about being a PRO) which was great for my friends to learn some tips and skills for swimming and transitions during the triathlon. 

Even the bikes enjoy being together!  See I told ya...WIN-WIN! 

Don't you think it time for you to TRY a TRI? 

Yah, I think so...I mean, why not?  Look how much fun this is?  Your jealous, but you don't have to be...just join us!  Bike jerseys are actually cooler than running shirts!  Clipping in is really cool and wetsuits are like spanks...totally flattering! 

Let's DO this!

Open Water Swim - SKILLS

Amazing day for a mile long swim!  I miss this place!

Sunday I swam a mile in Lake Tapps!  The more I swim in open water, the better it gets.  My breathing has slowed way down to the type of breathing I do in the pool.  I'm more comfortable and I think I even like it, which is good since I want to focus on triathlons.  The first 1/4 mile felt like a mile, but after that...it was smooth sailing swimming.  My dad and husband kayaked beside me which made it easier to just swim and not worry about a boat or seadoo running me over.  I have been keeping my eyes shut under water...yes, I'm weird but depending on the lake...I don't want to see the bottom or fish and closing my eyes just solves that problem.  I swam .5 mile in 15 minutes and 1-mile in 32.  I felt great at the end which makes me realize I can push a lot harder. Can't wait to see what Saturday will bring for my FIRST sprint Triathlon of the season.  (I know you're sad, but there are no pictures of me in my wetsuit this post)

I worked on a couple techniques...

Pulling my legs (no kick) which made me seem to move faster...but not sure if it really did.  The wetsuit makes gliding and no kicking amazing...the pull you get is unreal because your legs just float!  You don't want to do this for the entire swim because you want to blood to keep flowing to your legs.  It's nice to do a little bit so you can save your legs for the bike and run. 

Ahhhh....I love my wetsuit. 

SIGHTING is for sure something to work on, which is a technique of lifting up your head so you can stay on course.  It's important you know where you're going so you don't waste energy swimming off course.  Also be careful because you don't want to strain your neck.  I prefer to breath and then look, but you can also look and then breathe...try it yourself and see what works best.  I only have my goggles above water when I look forward to sight.

To practice, pick something distinct and obvious to focus on like a orange cone/buoy, boat...

Start swimming and every 4-6 strokes, SIGHT!  It is for sure something you need to practice and it does get easier.

Here is a visual to help...

There are numerous ways to sight and you just have to practice and figure out what one works best for you.

This guy gives some GREAT open water swimming tips!

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There is a lot of great tips for open water swimming.  I won't go on and on...because that would get way too long.  More too come!

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We were at my dads to celebrate FATHERS DAY since he will be out of town this weekend.  Max was super excited to go kayaking with him, but my dad decided it was a great time to have Max try it himself.  I was a little nervous...Max was too, but I knew everything would be fine.  MAX did AMAZING!  It was so fun watching the two of them out there...

Dad and Max

Dad waiting for Max to load up

Off he goes!

Great day to kayak

This is where I grew up! I swam all summer and miss living the LAKE life!  It's great to see the boys enjoying it like I did.

Great day for a swim, great day to kayak...

AWESOME day to be with family!

Islander Aquathon GIVEAWAY!

LUTHER BURBANK PARK ON MERCER ISLAND

USAT AQUATHLON NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

SATURDAY, JULY 28th 2012

Do you love to SWIM?  Do you love to RUN?  Well then you are in for a TREAT!  BTO Multisports (here) is giving one lucky reader a FREE entry into the ISLANDER AQUATHON (here).  This is a perfect opportunity if you have wanted to do a triathlon, but don't have a bike or just want more experience in open water.  Swim and Run...why wouldn't you?

Event Overview:

The Islander Aquathon will be hosting the 2012 USAT Aquathon National Championship! Come and claim your title as the best aquathlete in the country. There are two distances available: the National Championship distance: 1500m swim/10k run, as well as the short course: 750m swim/5k run.

Swim is one loop in Lake Washington and run is a two or four loop (depending upon distance selected) run entirely inside Luther Burbank Park. Run course has plenty of short hills and fun turns on a variety of surfaces with beautiful views of the park and Lake Washington.

What you get with your race entry:

•Insurance coverage through USA Triathlon

•Chip timed result

•Professional and safe racing experience

•Online registration fee waived

•WA State sales tax waived

•Islander Aquathon T-Shirt

•Post race food

•Opportunity to qualify for Aquathon World Championships!

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Here are the rules to enter:

(Please leave a comment for each entry)

1) Must be a FOLLOWER of Running to SANITY!

2) LIKE BTO Multisport on FB (HERE) and tell them I sent you!
3) Visit BTO MULTISPORT (HERE) website and tell me what EVENT you would like to do!

4) SHARE this GIVEAWAY on your BLOG/FB/TWITTER (entry for each)
5) Have you done an AQUATHON before?

Winner will be announced Friday June 15th!

Wordless Wednesday...

 Our MAY was AMAZING!  I have a ton of pictures to post, who knows if I will ever get to it?  We took our FIRST BIG trip to San Diego and did tons of fun stuff, but the best part was being with my family!  I love vacation and I loved our time together!

What was your favorite vacation you've been on and why?

Friday, TRI training DAY! Swim-Bike-Run

If the above picture is a sign of triathlons to come...then I'm a happy camper!

Friday these gals and I did our first TRI training of the season.  We SWAM, BIKED and RAN!  I would highly suggest this to anyone who is doing a tri.  Getting used to transitions and what you need and don't need is a HUGE help.  At times I feel I worry more about the logistics of a race than the race itself.  I need to know details of how to get to and from point A-B...and with a TRIATHLON it's very important...transitions can make or break your race time. 

The weather was not ideal but great for training.  It had rained all morning and a bit on our bike ride which was good since race day could be a wet one.  Better to have trained in rain than not!  The temperature wasn't bad and even a little humid. Praying for clear skys and sun on June 16th and July 8th!

Suited up and ready to get in the water!  A way better experience during this open water swim.  I was calm and felt way more confident than last week and I used the tools I learned last week.  Proof that the more OWS I do...the better race day will be.  Oh and body glide totally helped with the wetsuit this time...so happy I remembered.  It will now stay in my wetsuit bag!

T2 took way longer than it should have.  I need to work on this.

Off for 10-miles on the bike

Our turn around point...I love riding out here!

I love that there our hills on this ride which help me learn to climb! 

Flat trails are nice but not great training.

No pictures of our run, but we did RUN!  It was a great, short run and I know I could have done more. Running after biking makes me think of when I'm dreaming and I'm trying to run, but I get no where...that's how it feels.  It's a very strange feeling!  I also find that I'm out of breath quickly into the run, it does get better after a mile or so...but that is interesting to me.  I'm trying to learn how to pace myself better.   More training is still needed but I like when I finish a tri training and know I could have done more. 

Cleaned up and ready for some lunch!

Swim .25 miles

Bike 10.5 miles

Run 1 mile

My sweet Grandma made us lunch and dessert. Perfect after our training! THANKS, GRANDMA...you're the best! My dad was going to kayak and bike with us, but he hurt his shoulder so he couldn't, bummer! But he was there to help us with timing our transitions, getting our bikes ready and getting us supplies if we needed them.  THANKS, DAD!  Loved having you there...YOU were a HUGE help!

My garmin was dead so the swim and run are estimates.  We took our time since this was the other 2-gals first time doing a tri training like this.  They did great and are such fun training buddies!  Our time wasn't bad which makes me excited to see how we will do on race day.  Looking forward to more tri training days like this and RACE day!  Can't wait!

Triathlon question?  How do you pace yourself in a TRIATHLON?

Do you race hard for as long as you can or do you hold back a bit so you have energy for the run?  I tend to want to push myself hard, but not sure I should be doing that.  It seems like when I don't push the bike too hard, I have more energy for the run. 

Figured more of you experienced triathletes could help me with this.

It's Still Thursday on the West Side...

1.  Tomorrow is Tri Training day!  What's that mean...a few of my friends and I are going to my dads to SWIM, BIKE and RUN!  We have a SPRINT tri to get ready for...don't you?  Looking forward to another open water swim.  I will report back soon with how much better it is than last Sunday...I promise...it has to be better, I'm swimming in my home lake...booya!  I'm curious to see how my transition will be with the wetsuit...thinking it will take some extra time!  This time I did remember the body glide...this is a GREAT thing. The best part will be training with my friends, can't wait! 

2.  Did a brick workout this week that included 18-mile bike and a 2-mile run.  The run was way faster than what I had planned.  Oh how I love flat surfaces!  I need to do more bricks and I swore I would and here we are a couple weeks from the first tri of the season and this is the hardest brick I have done to date...um, not what I had planned, but life happens and I have to roll with it or shall we say "Run" with it?

3.  Where is my motivation?  I signed up for Rev3 Portland because I thought it would motivate and push me like my marathon did...um nothing like that has happened!  What gives?  How did I have so much drive and motivation then and nothing now?  In fact I would rather just swim and bike and leave out the running part?  I also have RnR Seattle Half and have barely run.  I did run a double digit a month ago, but then I went on vacation and that messed everything up.  We will see how RnR goes.  I guess training for 3-sports or trying to train for 3-sports and living life with 2-kids isn't as easy as I thought or hoped?  Not to mention I work a couple days a week.  1-sport is way easier to manage than 3...I have now learned that...AFTER signing up for 2-Triathlons...I'm awesome!  Typical me...sign-up and ask questions LATER!

If you haven't already, you really should SIGN-UP for the Dilettante Triathlon.  It's true that the giveaway has already happened but why miss out on a FUN, ALL WOMEN'S Sprint Triathlon with Chocolate at the finish line?  Come on...it's going to be a party with a Triathlon thrown in the mix...BEST day!  Just sign-up and worry about the training after!  Come on...LET'S DO THIS!

Open Water Swim...can we be FRIENDS?

Had my first OPEN WATER SWIM of the season Sunday!  Its been a few years since I have done anything official in open water.  I was stoked to try my new wetsuit because I have never swam in one before and I was totally excited to see how I really wouldn't have to swim because the wetsuit makes you float, right? 

I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous.  I grew up on Lake Tapps, but playing and swimming...they are very different, plus...knowing a lake helps.  I was anxious to see how it would go, the water, the swim, the wetsuit, the scary fish...you never know whats going to happen.

Getting in was nice...the wetsuit helped a ton!

My wetsuit is a 2011 BlueSeventy Reaction w/ sleeves that I got for a sweet $100.  It was through a local gym that was getting rid of their inventory.  I think it has been worn once for a rental.  Glad I jumped on that deal...I really like it.  I would show you a picture of me in it, but I don't want to make any of you jealous...I look pretty SWEET in this thing!  It really complements my figure and holds everything in very nicely!  I might start wearing it in place of my spanks...just sayin!  Can you sense my sarcasm?

This could get long...lets do bullet points, shall we:

• The wetsuit makes getting in cold water...a TON easier
• I was breathing every other stroke, not normal for me!  I usually breath every 3 or 4
• I couldn't catch my breath
• And I thought the swim would be the easy part of the TRI...haha!
• I swam freestyle and then would do breaststroke when I got tired
• Seeing the actual distance is a lot different then being told to swim 500 yard in the pool...
• What happened to my stroke?
• I hated seeing under the water...though I couldn't see anything...it still freaked my out
• I need to do MORE open water swimming to get COMFORTABLE with being UNCOMFORTABLE!
• Why did I sign up for an Olympic TRI...why do I do CRAZY THINGS? 
• Wow, I can do this...
• I almost got out after 30 minutes...but I didn't.
• My swim coach was there and gave some tips...after that...everything got a lot better.
• I slowed down my stroke, which slowed my breathing and heart rate down..WAY BETTER
• Oh yah...now I remember how to swim!
• The first 1/2 hour I was with the fast crew...that was confidence booster...even if I felt like I was dying!
• My wetsuit worked great...it's amazing to float...buoyancy ROCKS!
• My hands and feet were freezing
• I need to do this MORE!
• With a wetsuit...remember Body GLIDE...I forgot, didn't feel anything during the swim, but my neck has a nice rash now.
• I felt dizzy!  Getting out of the lake...I felt super dizzy.  I guess the cold and a few other things make that happen.  Good to know!
• Not following a line (like in the pool) make "Sighting" very important.  I need to work on that!  Don't waste energy swimming off course!
• Swimming in the ocean would be more fun!  Kona...gotta get there!
• Thankful for my friends on my swim team that loaned me their open water goggles...Maximum visibility is VERY nice!

So there you go...my first OPEN WATER swim!  It was an eye opener...I'm glad I did it...and I'm really glad I have time to do more.  If you are doing a TRI and think you have the SWIM part covered because you swim in the pool...think again.  Swimming is my strongest sport, I love it...but open water swimming with people...that's a totally different animal.  Learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable is a BIG deal. 

Winner, Winner...Dilettante Tri Winner!

So excited to announce the winner of the June 16

BTO Multisports Dilettante Triathlon!

Because this race was a local one and women only...the odds were pretty good!

I used Random.org to pick the winner

And The Winner is....

Diana!

This will be fun because she has never done a triathlon! Can't wait to see what she thinks of her first triathlon!   Check back, Diana and let us know how it goes!  See you at the finish line for some CHOCOLATE!!!

Thanks for entering and commenting for this giveaway! Thank you BTO Multisports for sponsoring this GREAT giveaway!

Prom??

My boys were asked to be a part of something fun on Sunday!  I love how CREATIVE people are.  The boys loved it!  So cute!  And of course...she said YES!

What came first?

What came first?  Smiles, then long course or LONG course, then SMILES?

When I heard about long course, I was excited...probably feeling like this picture!

 I thought, 50 meters compared to 25 yards?  It can't be that bad?  Right?  Um....

Well it was a bit harder and LONGER than I had imagined.  Plus...probably wasn't the best idea to move into the FAST lane on the first day of long course?  Yah, not my best decision.  Plus I had done a Open Water Swim the day before.  I swam 1.1 miles in 30 minutes...which I thought was good!  But I was tired and feeling it the next day, which happened to fall on the first day of LONG COURSE!

See...that's FAR!

What I love...You get into a groove and can really focus on your skill without stoping! 

What I didn't love..being with all the fasties and NOT having my confindence in-check.  It was out of my comfort zone, which I HAVE to get used too.  I know it's good for me and I have to push myself.  If my coach didn't think I could do it, she would never have put me in that lane.  I hate when the very thing you LOVE can be the very thing you question?  I know that's just part of the journey, but I question my abilities when I feel weak or lacking in those abilities.  I'm sure thats normal.

I should probably do in the pool what I did on my long runs and FOCUS on a word that will help instead of letting my mind take me to places that do NO good.  Swimming is my strongest sport, by far!  I just need to keep working and contniue to improve.  I also need to learn not to compare myself to others.  A lot of Swimmers on the Masters Team have swam competitvelly in High School and College...I did neither. 

I just grew up on a lake, did swim team and happen to LOVE swimming.

*What do you do when you feel less than?  Doubting your abilities?  Mental games?

Don't forget to check out my giveaway!