My first Triathlon. Success!!!!

I did it!! I finished my first triathlon, and I can't begin to tell you how fun it was!

I was nervous. I had burned out on working out a week and a half before the event, and I hadn't worked out AT ALL in that time. I only got my hands on a working, real-life bike two days before, so I wasn't able to practice riding in the streets. My lazy behind never ran in the streets either. I hadn't run outside probably since marathon training.... or shortly thereafter. Running outside is great, but living in LA makes it harder. You're breathing bus and car exhaust, getting caught at every street light... and you'll have near-death experiences every few minutes as bikers and cars nearly run you over. Its a tough job, I'm telling you.

So I dragged my family out at 5:45am and headed to Pasadena Rose Bowl. The event didn't seem very organized.... nothing was easy to find, I was missing things in my packet...blah blah blah. I'm just glad I was early enough to figure everything out before it was time to get to the start line.

I had no idea what to expect. There was a "transition area" where you set your bike up and set out anything you might need. I took my dirty, second hand, bought-it-for-twenty-bones mountain bike, and set it up next to the elite, aerodynamic, $4000 triathlon bikes.

The whistle blew and we started out running. Somehow I managed to be in the very front of the group when we started..... don't ask me how. I was reminded of this when my baby brother said, "Manda... why did you start out at the front, and by the time you came around again, you weren't at the front anymore?" I stuck out my hand and said," Hi, I'm Slowpoke Simon....nice to meet you."

I had expected adrenaline and excitement to push me, give me more speed, maybe shave some minutes off my time. Then about .2 miles into it, I felt my body dragging. I couldn't believe it. I knew I should have trained outside, but this seemed ridiculous! I felt like I was barely moving. I berated byself for a good mile, just shaking my head at failing to train properly. I started to feel tired, and suddenly, there it was. The 2 mile marker. It was only a 3.1 mile run. Thats when I realized the worst part of the whole event was nearly over. Yay! And then the tide changed for me. The last mile was downhill, and suddenly I picked up speed. I was cruisin....passing people, getting more energy..... I was on a roll. I suddenly wished the run was longer.

I ran to the transition area to grab my bike with my people cheering and screaming "YOU CAN DO IT MANDERPANTS!!!

It's amazing what a litte encouragement and mild embarassment will do to your energy levels.

I got on the bike and was CRUISIN.....

I finally felt the speed I had wished for in my run. As I sped away from the cheering crowd, suddenly the ride got tougher. Thats when I realized why I had struggled so much in my run. It wasn't because I was unprepared or out of shape! The first two miles is at an INCLINE. I had been running uphill. As slight as it was, I hadn't noticed it so much..... but hoofing it on the bike, it became noticeable. I forgave myself for all the attitude I'd had about it...and was proud that I made good time despite the challenge.

The bike part was 9 miles. Not so far, but by the last go around of the loop...I was itching to get onto the next part. I tried to go faster....I messed with the gears.....and I will say the last downhill mile was FUN! I switched the gears so I could pedal as I was going downhill, and I got some serious speed. I was trying not to imagine crashing into the 8 year olds in front of me, or hitting a patch of sand and biffing it big time. I was pretending I was a hardcore athlete.... where nothing but finish lines and award ribbons are happening. Not eating pavement or nursing a concussion.

As I cruised into the transition area to prep for the swim, I hollered at my people to rush to the pool. It wasn't close at all, so they all had to book it over there pretty fast. It was the tiniest swim I ever heard of in a triathlon. 150 meters and it was all over.

Of course I wasn't about to wear a bathing suit in public, let alone RUN in one. No thank you. So I tore off my shirt and did the pants/sports bra thing. Its amazing how pants will kill your speed. Kill it! I felt like I was dragging a small child through the water.

A few strokes into my swim, my goggles got all wonky. The left side filled with water, so I had to swim to the other side only seeing out of one eye. When I got to the other side, I stopped to tighten the strap....hoping to fix the problem. All it did was make BOTH sides fill up with water. So now I'm completely blind, dragging dragging through the water.....and somehow I got stuck behind some dummy who decided to swim breaststroke through the water. Seriously? Did anyone tell her that this was a timed event? A race of sorts? Are you kidding me with this? She nearly kicked me in all my blindness several times.

Finally, I tore my busted goggles off, went around the dummy who was lolligagging in the water, and cruised to the finish line. Thats about the time my people walked into the pool area. Just in time to watch me get out of the water.

I was pooped. But in an energized, lets-do-it-again kind of way.

I'll have to modify my training so I don't get so burned out....but I'm excited to do it again. Bring on the longer triathlon. I'm ready!!

To see a professional picture that was taken of me running, check out this site.

http://www.backprint.com/go.asp?73114135

Triathlon training. I'm over it.

Triathlon training. It started out slow as I was fighting off a cold. Then momentum built, and I was having fun. And now? Now.... I'm just frickin tired. Spending literally half the day at the gym is getting old, and I'm tired all the time. Work has been really busy too, so I get to bust out a three hour workout, and then bust out six hours of massage. Really? I'm over it.

My triathlon is in 10 days. It should be easy enough....a 3 mile run, 9 mile bike ride, and a wimpy 150 meter swim. I'm really not worried about it. All the crazy training has been for the more intensive triathlon in June. But at this pace, I'm not sure I can maintain, and I'm questioning whether or not to do the second triathlon. If I'm dragging myself around every day, exhausted and grumpy....then I may have to pass. We shall see....

E and I are taking a boxing class as well. It's crazy to me that twice a week, I'm punching and kicking and running, bootcamp style, at 6am. Good thing its so fun..... otherwise I just couldn't do it. Particularly when you consider I'm doing this in addition to the training.

Seriously....for as much as I'm at the gym, I should be on their payroll.

Next week, I'm hoping to start riding a real bike instead of the wannabe spin bike at the gym. The spinning bikes are the closest thing to the real deal, but I think its time to graduate to the streets. Now if I can just get my hands on a bike....

Date night begins

Date night has been a success for the most part. Every Friday night, my single girlfriends and I get together and hit the town. Sometimes its a group, sometimes its just two of us. No matter what we do, we always have fun.

We've made a point to do new things, explore new places, and really take advantage of all LA has to offer. Some things didn't live up to the hype, others have been fantastic. Last week, E and I went to Artwalk in downtown LA. Dozens of art galleries open their doors, some artists paint right on the spot, vendors sell crazy, eclectic things....its all kinds of fun. We had walked for nearly 3 hours before we realized we were tired. Next week....pajama party and grub at R's house. I'm lovin me some date night!

This is me and E in a limo after a loveley dinner at Roy's. It was supposed to be a free shuttle to the movies about 6 blocks away. The grumbly driver was complaining about cheap tippers all night, so I gave him an obligatory $10 for a 6 block limo ride. That was expensive, especially considering that we just turned around and walked back once we saw there were no movies we wanted to watch.

Here's me, R, and E....at a party for Chef Ariel of Hell's Kitchen season 6. She was a roomie of mine, so we were showing support.

And most recently, E and I were bored out of our minds at the museum, despite the live bands and alcohol every 10 feet. There wasn't one solitary cute guy in the whole place. Depressing. So this was how we entertained ourselves....

I think date night is going to be a night to look forward to, always!

Finding my flow...

My first week of training was a success....minus one missed run due to my work schedule getting changed. I've been ridiculously sore, but I feel great, and I'm really proud of myself. This body shocks me at what I've been able to do.

I was surprised to find a "rhythm" while I was swimming. I've experienced this running, but swimming too? I've been floundering about in the pool for the last week plus, and finally.....there it was. I found my flow. It felt like I was swimming to music, like finding a beat and keeping on it....and simultaneously, the movement became easier. Perhaps this is what draws people to the water? Finding a peaceful place while your entire body is working hard. Fascinating. This will be me in no time...minus the manly bits.

The same happened to me when I was training for the marathon. You feel like you're dying at first, and then....easy street. I lost huge chunks of time, often looking around me and wondering how I got there. They say running can be meditative. I'm just glad I didn't meditate my happy behind right in front of a bus.

I also found that swimming could be great for stress relief. As I swam faster, I felt like I was punching the water, releasing all my aggression and stress. I guess I don't need to find a boxing class after all. Who knew?

Another turn of events came unexpectedly. I mentioned to one of my clients that I'd love to have a dog, and he told me about a place that rescues animals from abusive homes, or from the shelter before they're euthanized. I checked out the site, and fell in love with a little guy named Tiny. Check out this face.....

I'm going to meet him today, and I'm really excited about possibly growing my little family of one. Ever since I saw that face, I've been daydreaming about the adventures of Manderpants and Tinypants. Here's for hoping......

Triathlon training begins....

The triathlon training has officially begun. I started last Sunday, and by Tuesday, I got sick. That wiped me out for the rest of the week. I restarted with renewed commitment this past Sunday (three days ago).

So far, I'm off to a great start. I've followed my training plan to the letter. Today was 70 minutes on the bike, 35 minutes in the pool. Tomorrow....running and weights. I'll rest on Fridays, and now its time to get on top of my nutrition.

I really see myself going into the nutrition field, so what a great reason for me to end my compulsive, addictive behavior with food. I've come a long way already, but improvement is always on my agenda. I'm grateful to have met a trainer who is also a nutritionist, and is happy to do trades. Trading is what makes my world go 'round. I'm excited to meet with her, and see how my body responds to the changes I make.

I also entered a contest at my gym that gives you 12 weeks to make as much improvement as possible, and the winner gets $15,000. Finalists get $2,000. I squandered the first two weeks, but now my nose is to the grindstone. Watch this sistah bring home some cheddah. They took a "before" picture, and I was sure to wear the tightest bikini I could find. Muffin top included. I even squished down, and tilted my chin to look as fat as possible. Call me nuts, but this contest is based off the picture. And this chica wants to win some cash.

So working out, and work is pretty much my focus right now. Date night with the girls is going to be a riot, and I still spend time with Zam more than I should considering he's my forbidden lover/ex-boyfriend/bff/whatever you want to call him. For the first time in as long as I can remember, I have free time. What? Free time? What am I supposed to do with that? :D

Suffice it to say, I'm happy 2010 is off to a quiet, peaceful start. Hopefully, I don't speak too soon..... :)

Here are some pictures taken over the holidays....