If the shoe fits wear it

Sunday I ran in my old running shoes because it was raining and there were a lot of puddles.  Today my calf and Achilles are sore.  I know it was because of those old shoes. Now I wonder if those shoes were not the source of my injury to begin with.  hmmm  Those were shoes I bought on sale at Sports Authority and they were probably not the best shoe for me.  From now on I am only getting my shoes at the running zone.  Although it may be more expensive they do a gait analysis and know the best shoe type for me.  It is worth the extra money to stay injury free.  I just don't have any more time to waste on a running injury.  I have decided to take it real easy this week so I can perform my best for the half marathon this Sunday. 

K's vs miles

Ok I just can't run 3 miles it has to be 3.1 to make it a 5 K.  so today I couldn't just run 6 miles.  I had to run 6.2 to make it a 10K. Is that crazy?  Ok so a year ago I would never say this. But usually Mondays are my recovery days and I only do a swim.  But since I "only" ran 6.2 miles today I don't really need a recovery so I am going to do my usual morning wokout.  45 minute bike, 30 minutes on the elliptical and 30 minute swim.  And since it is 8:30 I am off to bed.  :)

This time it's for real

My goal was to do a half ironman to celebrate my 50th Birthday.  I turned 50 in July and The goal was to do the Miami Man 70.3 this past November.  However I was struggling with my weight and then I got an Achilles injury that lasted over a year.  All this prevented me from training.  I still did Miami Man but the international distance. Although I was discouraged I never let the 70.3 dream out of my sight.  Finally I went to the Dr. and she prescribed me some hormone therapy and I dropped 20 lbs in just a couple weeks.  This was amazing progress for me and really gave me some hope. Also the Achilles was showing signs of improvement just very slow progress.  After losing 20 lbs I became very encouraged to try to get more weight off now that my body was cooperating.  Going back to my Osmond roots it seemed like a natural decision to try Nutrisystem.  Marie lost 40 some odd lbs on it and she swears by the plan. Ok granite she makes money off of the thing, but still I don't think she would endorse something she didn't truly believe in.  So trusting Marie I went on Nurtisystem.  I continue to lose between 1 and 2 lbs every week.  The program is really working good for me.  I think what makes it the most appealing is that I don't have to cook.  I can put my time and effort into training and keeping up with work and I just nuke the nutrisytsem foods and I am good to go.  I know the foods for the most part are healthy and satisfying.  Adding fruits and veggies and extra protein I know I am getting what I need to keep my body strong and healthy.  So with the weight loss going good and my Achilles mostly healed I know this time around my training is going to take off.  Last weekend was the real test of my endurance.  Saturday I did a 28 mile bike ride with my friends over some bridges.  Then Sunday I did a 10 mile run.  I was a little sore on Monday but the amazing thing is that my Achilles was doing ok.  It was a little sore but recovered very well.  To me that was a true sign that I am ready to begin my training. And I have confidence that this time it truly is for real.

what started this - the transformation

My good friend Annie and I decided to do a triathlon one day.  Well actually I wanted to do a duathlon (bike and run only) because I was determined not to swim. Annie agreed. So her job was to find a race for us.  Well she found a race and before I knew it we were signed up for a triathlon.  The whole thing.. swim, bike and run.  We started training by ourselves and quickly learned we were headed for disaster.  That is when I got in contact with my old friend Mark Dirga.  He is a certified triathlon coach and was in the beginning stages of setting a tri camp for beginners.  Annie and I were his first clients.  We made his life hell I am sure, but he endured.  Thank God he did. I gave him the most trouble since I refused to put my face in the water.  One day we were in the River and it smelled so bad I just couldn't do it.  I thought to myself this is it I am going to quit.  I looked up at Mark and I could see so much disappointment in his eyes and I knew I was letting him down.  And I just couldn't do that. And then I thought back to the hours he had invested in me. He had no vested interest in me other than just to help someone get into the sport he loved so much... but for some reason he thought I was worth his time.  And I realized if I was worth his time then he must see something in me that could be successful.  I am so glad he never gave up on me.  Annie and I did finish that first triathlon and we won 5th place over all and first in age group trophies. Under Coach Dirga's coaching and guidance I went on to compete in several sprint triathlons and then several Olympic distance triathlons.   I don't know if Mark realizes it or not but because he believed in me that is what made me believe in myself.  I would not be where I am today in this sport if it were not for him.  That is why I will always regard him as a friend.  The influence people have on other people can be profound.  You never know how what you say to someone or how you act towards someone can either make or break them.  People's lives can be so fragile and any act of kindness or encouragement can make a huge difference.  I am so thankful for the people in my life who have made such a positive influence and helped steer the course in my life.  I hope I can be that kind of person in others lives also.

what started this - the catapult

Back in 2007 I was very overweight.  I was pre-diabetic, I had high cholesterol, I had a slipped disk in my back and I knew I was ageing very quickly.  I went to visit a friend who is just a few years older than I am. She was twice my size and could not walk the mall we were visiting.  I came back home and realized if I did not make a change I would be like her in a few short years.  I contacted a friend and asked him to help me make a change in my life.  To make a long story short he got me running and I dropped over 40 lbs in less than a year.  I was 43 and told everyone I felt like 34.  I was doing 5k's back them (3.1 mile runs) my best time was 28 minutes.  Then the most horrible thing imaginable happened. My nephew, who was just 9 years younger than me and more like a brother, was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident.  My whole world came tumbling down.  Food became my alcohol. I remember trying to think of meals that would make me feel better because most of the time I felt so bad.  Well it wasn't long before I gained all that weight back and for a while I didn't even really care.  But after a while I knew I needed to get my life back and gain control of my health again.  I needed to do something drastic so I decided to do a marathon.  As I sat there with the email confirmation to the Disney marathon I knew right away that I needed help. so I joined a training group.  I completed the marathon but still did not lose the desired weight. Come to find out I had a hormone imbalance that was preventing me from losing the weight.  However I was determined to fight for my health.  At the training camp I met Coach Mark Dirga.  He was to become a great influence in my life but had no idea how much at the time. 

what started this - the beginning

When I was a teenager I was very fortunate to find a church with a good pastor, Dr. Tim McClure.  At that time in my life I had a very low self esteem.  Pastor McClure would preach messages of faith and had a "can do" attitude.  With his influence I started to see my self worth as a person and as a child of God.  I started to believe his sermons that God was on my side and that I could do whatever I set my mind to do.  I grew so much under his guidance.  Because of him I got the courage and confidence to finish my education and now have a masters degree in Human Resources Management.  He also taught me the value of hard work and work ethics.  He taught me to believe in myself. He helped to set me on the road to self confidence and because of him I am the strong woman I am today.  Under his preaching I learned the mental toughness and grit needed to train and endure the sport I have now come to love.  Triathlons. 

what started this- The infancy

I come from a pretty disfunctional family. When I was 7 years old back in 1972 like most girls that age I fell in love with Donny Osmond.  I know you are asking what in the heck does that have to do with triathlons.  Well just hang on and you will see how it fits.  It wasn't long before I fell in love with the whole Osmond family.  If you know.anything about this family you will know what strong family ties they have.  They became my fantasy family.  Their mother, who fans called "Mother Osmond", would write articles about integrity, honesty and the value of hard work and discipline.  ah ha now do you see the connection? Mother Osmond would often talk about doing the hard thing and not taking the easy way out.  She would say that what mattered most is doing the right thing when no one was looking.   Those kind of values were not taught to me at home.  The Osmonds influenced me at a very young and impressionable age.  Those values are ingrained in me and helped set the path for me to start on when I was very young. I believe that early influence is what is giving me the mental toughness to do the training in triathlons today.

introduction

I have decided to train for a half Ironman.  That is 70.3 miles which includes a 1.2 mile swim a 56 mile bike ride and a 13.1 mile run.  The half Ironman will take place on January 10, 2016.  I am not an expert and this blog is not.meant to be a training guide.  i am sure I will make many mistakes along the way.  But I do know that this will be an incredible journey and I want to use this blog to capture every moment of my transformation.