Crunch Time: TRIATHLON TRAINEE - ME ? !!!

My main goal for 2012 is to participate in a Triathlon. I was on track in 2011 but had shoulder injury. This year I was diagnosed with Arthritis in my neck and was concerned that would sideline me but with regular physio; I have been cleared for competition !  The training aspect is hard to get your head around at first when you realize what you are getting yourself into.  Three Sports in succession.  Swim, Bike, Run.  The trick is while you may be proficient in one or maybe even two if you are lucky - there is always one "weak link" and for most it is the Swim Portion !  Everyone assumes because they learned how to swim when they were young that it should be easy !  Not so !  Imagine getting into a pool and having to swim 15 laps non-stop !  Now imagine doing it in open water with 150 other people kicking you in the head !!  Then out of the water and onto your road bike for a nice long ride and then a 5K Run to top it all off !!
Needless to say....my training has already begun because it takes that long to build up endurance as well as losing the weight it requires to be at "race weight" - I am fortunate because I need to drop about 7 lbs and can do it rather quickly.

Today at the pool - it was almost all Triathletes training for summer races.  They have a certain "look" about them - you can just tell.  Much like I always say I can look at someone and very quickly tell if they work out.  You just know.  It's great to train with pros and you can absorb lots of knowledge.

One of my Christmas presents was a "Max Trainer" for my Giant Road Bike that I got two summers ago. It is a beautiful ride but in order to train year round I have to be able to ride it 3 -4 days a week.  This little gadget below allows me to do just that  ! So I ride while looking out the basement window at all the snow !

The "BRIC" training that I have to do is ride 15 - 20 min. on this baby and then hop off and do Cardio for 20 - 30 min as well. 
It takes the body a long time to adjust to BRIC but I am slowly learning "thresholds" and how the body can wonderfully adapt to this type of training.
Yoga defintely has helped me stay limber and stretched out.

The Pool is where the biggest challenge will be but I am fortunate to have a trainer to assist me with proper form and stroke.



I will check in with updates as my training commences !

"Peace, Love and Fitness"

6 Ways To Get In Great Shape (fast)

1. Change Your Lifestyle - Remember you are creating a whole new you! 
This is not temporary. You do NOT want to go back to the old you.
Understand you are makng a permanent change, and commit to a new healthy, happier lifestyle.
2. Get Support - Everyone needs help. The best support you can get is from others just like you, going through the same struggle you are. You can also find people on line or even at your workplace that are probably doing the same thing ! 
3. Track Those Numbers - Calorie counting isn't much fun, but it's easy and takes two seconds to do. Track what you eat, don't guess or make rough estimates. Read the labels and know exactly how many calories you are consuming each day. A great website that helps take the guess work out of calorie content is myfitnesspal.com.
4. Go Public - When you tell your family and friends about your goals you create two groups of people. The first are those who will support you, and you will be driven by the fact you do not want to let them down. Some will be edgy at first but that will turn to envy once they see your amazing transformation !
5. Take Photos - Humans are very visual. So photos that show your progress have an amazing impact to motivate you. You should weigh in every week, and take a photo too. Put together a binder with all your measurements and photos. Whenever you doubt what you are doing or feel down - grab that binder and see how far you've come, and see what you risk going back to if you give-up now. Start a "motivation board" with your goals, affirmation pics and anything that you feel motivates you to succeed.  Pick up Oxygen magazine for a start - just reading it keeps me motivated !!!
6. Don't Take Magic Pills - Because there is no such thing!  People want the easy way out and guess what - Exercise and healthy eating, always has been and always will be the safest most sure fire way to a strong body and lifelong health. I know those infomercials are convincing - but remember they're just advertisements - and the companies care more about money than your health. That's just the way they try to hook you ! 

Most important of all is that you give each of these a shot.

Everyone is different, so they won't all work for you, but if one or two do - then it will have been more than worthwhile !  As always I am here to assist with any questions / concerns you may have !

and a

small #7....Don't be afraid of weight training !  It's a great way to tone and get your metabolism firing ! 

Peace, Love and Fitness !

"Inspire, Create, Motivate"