Two training days post

Wednesday was not an official training day, but what I did was to do some bareback horseback riding. It was a smaller horse, but a type of pack horse. So, even though it was a short his, it was a strong horse. Thankfully. Bareback is a wonderful exercise for your inner thighs...LADIES!!! I would love to do it more.

Today (Thursday) was pool day. I got in 700 yards in the pool, mostly freestyle, but I also spent a 100 working on my backstroke and my breaststroke. I probably need to spend more time on my breast stroke seeing as I with my last triathlon I had an asthma attack in the pool. I ended up slowly breast stroking the whole pool. THAT SUCKED!!! Tomorrow I plan to do at least 14 miles on the bike if not more.

K~

Training

Okay,
So, I have been a little slack. I am back to training, Last night was jogging and lifting.

1 mile in 16:24 and then leg press, leg curls and extensions.

So, on the jog. I haven't been able to jog in quite a long time due to 3 knee surgeries and a broken leg with a steel plate. It took me 6 months to get where I am in jogging. That's saying a lot. I am up to jogging 2 minutes and walking one minute. I am getting better each week, my right knee is allowing me to jog, thanks to my physical therapist. I had to go through physical therapy earlier this year after having been diagnosed with chondromalacia of the patella. That plus a week quadriceps had my patella tracking incorrectly and causing me pain. After strengthening my leg back up, I noticed one other issue that was residual from my broken leg and subsequent repair. I have some slight nerve damage that remains even 7 yrs later. If you touch a spot on my lower leg, I get tingles on my big toe. Weird feeling. Well, when I was training for my first tri and trying to run, I'd make it about 1/3 mile in jogging and walking and my toe would start to drop. Then I would have to lift my right leg higher to compensate for the toe. It made things very difficult. All of a sudden, I am able to jog and walk without issue, the toe drop has resolved itself. Now I am able to work on my cardio and since the first of June, I have been able to go from a jog/walk of 1/1 to 2/1. I plan to be able to run my tri in October the full two miles. I'm Looking forward to that.

Back to Training

Okay, so I have been incredibly lazy.

I have also been sick. So starting tomorrow, I am back on track. The MS150 is coming up in September, my next Tri is in October. I have done some cycling and some jogging, but no swimming in quite a while. I am working my training plan from my favorite site, http://www.beginnertriathlete.com They are amazing. You can build your plan and tweak it from one of their basic plans. I used a basic plan to start for my first tri and now I will build from that to go on for my October Tri with a heavy bike load. I need a heavier bike load with the MS150 a month before. I may be doing a tri the week before as part of a relay. It is a club(gym) challenge. We'll see if I get a team. I want to do the bike, but if I can't get a team, I won't do it. I won't do a full tri, sprint or not, the week before the MS150.

In previous summers I have devoted the whole summer to training for the MS150 and nothing else. This year has been different, I have already done several rides, hosted a ride, done a triathlon, lots of training and lost 26 lbs. I have already had quite a year. I will take a week off to go to Ohio for vacation in July. I won't even take the bicycle as I have in years past, but I will probably jog. Taking 3 pairs of tennis shoes. My running shoes and two pairs to kick around in.

Finish Line...Oh the Humanity

Oh the humanity, I didn't even see the photographer. YUCK!!! At least it's a finish line photo and not a dnf photo, but still. The only one that is worse is my pool exit. I won't be sharing that one. It's already on the triathlon site, but they finally got the pictures up a little more than a month after the Tri. Remind me to find the photog next time I run one.

5k Personal Best

So, I know I am a couple of days late posting this, but here it is. I set a personal best in my 5k on saturday. AND....I met my goal of a sub 50 minutes. 47:43 with an avg of 15:22 per mile. My first mile was my best, my second was the worst, my third in the middle. 14:37, 18:53; 15:13 were my splits, if I remember correctly.

I had a great time, except just after the 2nd mile, I thought my breakfast was going to make a return engagement. Fortunately, it did not.

So, a Personal Best for me. It was awesome. I will take it.

Kara

First 5k in 9 yrs

So, tomorrow is my fist 5k in 9 yrs. Last time I did a 5k for time was the Komen Race for the Cure in 1999. I ran/walked it in just over 56 minutes if I remember correctly. IT WAS 9 YRS AGO!!!

My goal is a 15 minute mile for a total of a sub 50 minute 5k. ONe of the other ladies from the gym's tri team is going to jog/walk with me due to heat/humidity/health. We are looking at 90 degrees at 8:30am plus 67% humidity. OMG, that is nasty for first thing in the morning.

I plan to be up by 6:30am, eat some oatmeal early, get the girl and the hubby up and then head out. It's only 15 minutes away, so no biggie. I already have everything laid out, but as I realized tonight....I have no running shorts, so I am going with a combo short that I use for cycling and jogging. Fortunately the inner liner is very thin, almost mesh except for the chamois. I'll post results tomorrow.

K~

Honoring our Military

My dad was in the Air Force and still works at an AFB. He is a veteran of both the Vietnam War and the first Desert War. My hubby was in the Marine Corps as a reservist for 6 years and is veteran of the first Desert War. My Pa Pa J. was in the Army. So the military is fairly well represented in our family. I read something today that really drove home the point and I hope it makes the point for you as well. While I know we all have our opinions on the Iraq war, put aside our political affiliations and support the men and women, mom's, dad's, son's, daughter's, aunt's, uncle's, brother's and sister's who are over in other countries fighting to make us safer and taking democracy where it has never been before. Read this, let it sink in and pass it along.

It is the SOLDIER, not the preacher who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the SOLDIER, not the reporter who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the SOLDIER, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the SOLDIER, not the campus organizer who has given us freedom to assemble.
It is the SOLDIER, not the lawyer who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the SOLDIER, not the politician who has given us the right to vote.
It is the SOLDIER who salutes the Flag, and it is the SOLDIER who serves under the Flag.

Remember this the next time you see a soldier in uniform, or a retired vet. Walk up, stick out your hand and say two simple words. THANK YOU!!!