slack week

A slack week on all accounts.

blergh.

Anyway, tomorrow is a new day, right?

So - I was supposed to be meeting a friend for a run tomorrow morning, but it's been raining here (yeah, I just don't get the whole 'I love to run in the rain' thing - although the only time I've ever run in the rain was in winter and that wasn't fun) and she's gone up the coast for the long weekend ... so we'll see.

That sucks, I know. I should just commit to it and get over it. Shouldn't I?

It has been totally horrible here for the last few days. The heat and humidity have been disgusting.

I did manage a couple of runs, one of which was on Wednesday morning. 6:30am and it already felt like 30 + degrees. AND it was garbo day on the route I ran, so I had to run past loads of S T I N K Y bins. Gross.

Anyway, just fighting the old 'I don't want to get out of bed any earlier than I have to' mental battle at the moment.

School goes back Tuesday. I hope I can survive another 3 days. It's been a close call a couple of times over the last 6 weeks. Did the mad rush to the shops today for new school shoes for Max - $105 dollars later. Ah well.

My point is, (most of the time I have a point, it just takes me a while to get to it) that school goes back Tuesday, hopefully if all goes smoothly I should be able to get to the pool for my first sqaud training session at 9:15. Feeling slightly nervous about it, but it really helps that I already have some friends who swim in that squad so I wont feel so alone - pathetic, I know.

bed time fast approaching and there is a mountain of clean washing on my bed.

a run and a plan ... of sorts.

Another run this morning. Same route as Tuesday - ran a little more. Today was probably the first day I was able to walk down the front steps without wincing ;) I really feel it in my quads and whatever the muscle is called which runs the front length of your lower shin/ankle/top of your foot - if that makes sense.

Stretched for a bit longer this morning. Still quite sore, but possibly not as bad as Tuesday was. A much greater sense of satisfaction this morning than I had Wednesday morning after keeping it to a walk - but walking was a wise choice I believe.

The tri at Raby Bay is one of the gatorade series and they have a 'mates race' category - which is what we'll be entering. So it looks like a goer. I'm yet to submit my entry form. I'm terrified of the bike leg. I'm terrified of the bike in general - it's just so intimidating, so much 'stuff' needed. I don't trust my 6 year old k-mart-hasn't-been-ridden-in-a-very-long-time bike, but don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a new one unless I know i'm going to like it and it be something I might continue doing for a while ...

And I'm scared of crashing.

My plan is to swim on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, spin Wednesday morning and run Monday and Friday mornings. Eventually I'll turn the spin on Wednesday into a real bike ride and try and get our for a second on the Saturday morning with Sunday being a rest day.

Today my plan is some housework - joy.

daily report

1/2 hour brisk walk to give my aching quads/calves/shins/everything a little rest.

that's what you get for doing nothing for over a year and then going out on your regular running route!

I figured walking was better than nothing. I'm stiff today.

Took the kids Yeronga pool for a swim today and picked up an info sheet about their sqaud training ... still thinking about the whole tri thing ... spent several hours reading threads on CR and Transitions about beginning tri training/tips. My mind is spinning.

wow

I honestly didn't expect to come here today and find any comments ... I didn't. I typed that entry yesterday purely for ME (and will continue to do so!). I was pleasantly surprised to log on today and find two, TWO, comments. Thanks guys. I feel the love!

I had a terrible sleep last night but the good news is I woke up and went out for a run. It was only for a 1/2 hour, I don't know the distance, I didn't run the whole way, but I knew I couldn't keep making excuses "I haven't had much sleep", "Lewis is still asleep" blah blah blah ... My plan had been to take Lewis out with me in the jogger, but he WAS still sleeping and I knew if I waited around for him to wake up I'd never go.

So I just went.

and

it. felt. good.

And I've felt good all day since. Just knowing that I got off my lazy butt and did it. Legs are sore, but I'll be out there again tomorrow. and the day after that and the day after that ...

So here's the thing - and seeing as though there seems to be some wise ones out there keeping an eye on me ... I'd like your advice.

A sprint (I think that's what they call it - a mini?) tri in 14 weeks time at Raby Bay ... 400m swim, 15k cycle, 4k run

do-able?

attainable?

My sister and 2 mutual friends of ours are keen.

I haven't ridden a real bike in, oh, 4 years. I was doing spin/rpm class 1 to 2 times a week at the gym way back when. Falling off a bike scares me. Trying to run after riding a bike 15k seems daunting to me. I have a crappy old kmart bike. I've never swum, like really swum, in open water before. At least there's no surf at raby bay.

excuses?

I'm thinking swimming twice a week, spin twice a week with a goal to get on a real bike soonish, and running twice a week with the occasional combination of run/swim run/cycle etc to and from the pool etc ...

This post is turning into a novel (hey, I AM back!) and reminiscent of my "should I or shouldn't I run a 10k" ...

I want you back

more and more lately I want to be back running.

there's no reason I can't. no injury. no illness.

just laziness ... I guess.

today i picked up my mp3 player and listened to my running playlist. It had been a while. The thought of returning to running had been playing on my mind for a few months now, but listening to those songs which saw me through many a run, really made me want to get out there, forget whatever is bothering me, and just be me for a little while.

Be me, instead of someone's mother, someone's wife, someone's food source, someone's whatever. Even though all those things are me ... you know.

Anyway, so hopefully what follows over the next few months will be a personal documentation of my attempts to get back running.

IN fact, my sister, Beth, is planning to do a tri this year (october I think) and she's been trying to get me to join her. The run leg I know I can do no problems, it's the others which worry me, but something I'd love to aim for.

I just have to give myself a swift kick up the backside and stop making excuses and just get out there. Stupidly, I'm embarrassed to go back to the gym as I weigh more now than I did before when I was going regularly. Mum said "but you've had a baby" ... well, loads of people have babies and don't put on weight.

I'm one of the unlucky ones who just DOES NOT lose weight breastfeeding. It's like my body clings to every calorie it possibly can in case it needs it ... *sigh*

Well, Lewis self weaned (I have mixed feelings about this) and so that is no longer a problem/excuse. I plan to join the gym once school starts back and we're in more of a routine, me and my extra 10 kilos.

It'd be nice to lose a couple before I had to drag my sorry self into that establishment again, tail between my legs.

So I want the old me back - the old me that was the new me. The old, old me, the one who didn't exercise, who didn't run because "I can't run" ... pffft has been in residence for too long! So I'm going to try and find the old new me - I think she was happier.