Monday, April 12, 2010

hit rewind

i thought it would be kinda fun to go back into the deep archives of my infant blog (all 4 months worth) and repost my very first post since many who are reading my blog probably started somewhere in the middle or just recently. i like when other bloggers have reposted old posts that one wouldn't normally go back and read, especially as a new reader. it's fun and interesting to see what makes a person tick, what motivated them to start their blog, what their goals were starting out, where they are now and where they plan to go.
but before i do that, let me take care of some other business that i've been avoiding. honestly, i've procrastinated writing this post because i'm embarrassed of my swimming last week and didn't want to put it out there for you all to see(sigh).  i take some of the blame for it but you know who gets most of it...the evil YMCA! blah on them! however, i plan on redeeming myself big time this week in the pool and i'm doing my first OWS on wednesday. prayers are requested, thank you. and of course, no worries about not getting enough running or cycling in. ok, so here are last weeks numbers:

ran:
total time: 3:20:09
total distance: 25.25 mi.

biked:
total time: 12:04:40
total distance: 250.15 mi. (did a century on saturday with the 3 J's - one of the best rides this year by far)

swam: shameful
total time: 44:00
total distance: 1600m (basically crap!)

weights/hundred pushup challenge x 3: (this is coming along nicely and Jeff, I'll be sending you pics of lightning and thunder to post on your blog soon)

abs: big fat zero here folks : (
but, the good news is, i still see at least a 4 pack so i'm happy.

ok, and before i repost my very first ever post from december 23rd, i want to ask all you Lost fans a question that has been bugging me for years....

please tell me how, after all these years on the island, Hurley hasn't lost a pound, yet all of the contestants on Survivor look anorexic by week 4? i was a big fan of Lost for the first 2 years, then i started feeling like they were playing games with my head, so i quit watching it.


 
 
 
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here is my very first post from december 23, 2009:
 
after all these years of day dreaming about doing an ironman (or just an official ironman distance event), i've finally started to put all the pieces of the puzzle into action. i turn the big 4-0hh next year and wanted to do something special to commemorate/celebrate it since i believe in getting better with age. slowing down is not an option here. my goal is to do the great floridian race on october 23, 2010. this race is an ironman distance and in a very hilly part of florida too!


a little bit about me: i love to challenge myself and i'm my own worst critic. i expect the best out of myself. i was always very active as a child but once i got into the teen age years, it wasn't "cool" anymore, so i followed the crowd and became a couch potato. i didn't play any kind of sport in high school but was eventually talked into doing cross country my senior year so i could have something else listed in the yearbook besides just a class picture. needless to say, this couch potato could barely run 3 times around the track without gasping for air. so sad! i even remember my first c.c. meet and i think i finished 2nd to last and back then i believe that it was a 2 mile distance and if my memory serves me correctly, i finished in about 28-29 minutes. disgraceful! did i continue to run after that? hell no! back to couch potato status. eventually, i had an epiphany of sorts thanks to the most important person in my life, and decided to make some serious changes. i did not like the unhealthy road i was heading down. i joined a local fitness club on valentine's day 1989 (yes, i remember that day very well) and i have never looked back. i have worked out ever since and it has evolved widely. started out with just weight training, added a little stairmaster for cardio, bought a fully rigid mountain bike, started riding the trails at flatwoods before anyone hardly knew these trails existed, went to the university of south florida and got a degree in exercise physiology and made it my life's work. all of a sudden i found myself running a little, bought my first roadbike a steel lemond-alp'd'huez, started dabbling at north shore pool in the mid to late 90's and felt fit enough to do St. Anthony's a couple of times and a few sprint distance tri's. eventually, i lost my way to the pool (no secret that i'm not fond of swimming) and started really hammering out the marathons. to this day, i've done 4 boston mary's, 3 ultra marathons, and about 25 other marathons. but enough of the marathons already. i need more! and that leads me to now. with such a solid base of running and cycling (11,000+ miles to date for the year 2009), i am ready to add the swimming in...my weakest and most loathed activity. i sound negative about it but really, i'm looking forward to it very much and can't wait to get started. the love of my life asked me what i wanted for christmas and i asked for a year membership to the Y by our house so i can really work on the swim. i am determined now more than ever before to get it down this time around. i want to embrace swimming like i do the running and cycling. i will begin my swimming on January 4th and will be blogging about the good, the bad, and the ugly as i go along.


Much love and peace out!


 

21 comments:

  1. Thunder and Lightning ...AWESOME!

    Okay, as for Lost and Hurley. One would assume weight loss would occur being stranded on a island. But maybe he wasn't on the island for very long? Maybe he got off? Maybe he was living in 3 (or more) different dimensions? Maybe he isn't even really alive? Maybe he isn't even on an island? Maybe THE ISLAND isn't even an island? Maybe you should not have quit watching .... lol! LOST is awesome right now and I am seriously counting down the hours to each episode! And really i have no idea why he is still fat. They really should have brought in Jillian to monitor his weight loss over the last 6 years!

    You bike numbers are absolutely ridiculous and that is what it is all about! And wait til you try the wetsuit? 2.4 mi ain't so hard in that sucker!

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  2. Do not sweat posting less-than spectacular number on the blog. We are all trying to improve ourselves and it is very important not to compare yourself with others. The blog can hold you accountable. Good for you for posting that. There a lot slower swimmers out there by the way that look up to you. Dont forget that!

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  3. You are going to tackle swimming! So don't worry about that low number. Have fun with the OWS!

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  4. You are killing us on the bike! 250 miles in a week?!?!? I wish I was you sometimes...

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  5. the swim is all in your head! you are a machine when it comes to getting it done! so, I am going to play tough love and say, "suck it up,honey!' per your forst post, it is the activity that you 'loathe', so stop letting it suck you into that dark place! you will love the open water and it will change your spirit for that part of tour practice1 it did for me! have fun! Cheers!

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  6. LOL @ Hurley!! I used to watch Lost also, along with a friend of mine, and she would ALWAYS comment on how crazy it was that he seemed to be getting bigger, not smaller. Funny!

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  7. So what did you end up doing about the pool?

    Lost loses me every time. If I started watching it in the first season, I might get it now. I wondered the same thing about Hurley though; that's poor planning on the director's part.

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  8. Yes! It's fun to look back and see why you started blogging and where it has taken you! I started almost 2 years ago now just so I could post pictures of my pregnant self for my mom to see. And now it's become this whole social networking thing for me. Pretty cool.

    Nice bike week! 250 miles is impressive!

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  9. I started blogging for the same reason - training for an ironman.

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  10. I like the 1st post... and those great stats! You can definitely do the swim. It may sound funny but sometimes just having a lesson or two with a swim coach can help improve your stroke and make swimming easier for you (and even enjoyable - it's my favorite...)

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  11. I will trade you some pool time for some saddle time!

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  12. I love this post, thanks for sharing!!!

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  13. Jeff-you forgot, maybe Hurley has a severe hypothyroid...yeah, that's it! And about that wetsuit...water is warm enough here now so no need. I could take it to test out but looks like I'm a day late and a dollar short for needing the wetsuit. The oly tri i'm doing is May 15th and the water will def be a no wetsuit race.

    Ron-thank you. I always feel better after posting...even if not always stellar numbers. I like the accountability it creates.

    Christi and John(Skierz)and Kate-deep down, i know i will conquer the swim. All of the friendly reminders to be patient is always welcome. John, I can hear you telling me...Suck it up buttercup!

    JF-i would gladly trade out some bike mileage for some of your swimming, anyday!

    Jon-I hope that one day soon, you will comment that I totally killed it on the swimming distance for the week. This could be the week!

    KJ and Cynthia-Lost just made me crazy and I couldn't get Hurley out of my head. How many candy bars could he have possible had hiding? And for this long?

    Thanks Michelle and BDD!

    Open Water swim tomorrow!!

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  14. Serious cycling mileage this week--that makes all the difference in an IM, so good job! Thought about you this week b/c I heard some women in the locker room talking about how the lifeguards showed up 20 minutes late to open the pool (it's an epidemic apparently). As to LOST--I always wonder about that too. My theory has always been that Hurley is at the center of the whole darn thing somehow, which is why the weight loss isn't a factor. We'll see. Thanks for sharing that first post--always fun to see how far someone has come!

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  15. Amanda-apparently, now the pool covers don't need to be put on since the water stays warm enough so now the only factor is if the guards show up on time. Apparently, it's an epidemic like you said. Things are looking more positive at the pool. Didn't risk it this morning but am hitting it on my way home from work.

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  16. Love your post.

    Love the "rude boy" song in the back ground too. ;)

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  17. You may not be a swimmer, but I would trade you for your biking and running!!

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  18. great look back! But my big question (which i was actually literally just thinking of) is how none of them have debilitating chafing after all these years especially Hurley! I mean constantly walking around in wet clothes and JEANS. Ouch!

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  19. wow You are really putting in the saddle time! You can swim anyway and as little as you want with bike miles like yours. You will make it up on the bike :)

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  20. I think Hurley has a stash of chocolate bars somewhere!

    Remember when you are in the water that it is your friend. Do not fight it, let it move you. Slow down and enjoy the feeling of the water - sometimes when i focus on this I can go faster than I do with a full on out sprint effort.

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  21. i caught up on the blog posts i've missed. you rock as a writer. very proud of you. can't wait to read about teh OWS. hw (hopolyti)

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