It’s hard

For the last two days it’s been pretty hard to get up in the morning.  Yesterday I didn’t want to get up because it was my first run.  I was afraid of it.  The last few times I’ve tried to run have been pretty disastrous.  I couldn’t go far, but I would push myself well beyond my limits.  That just contributed to exhaustion, and disgust with myself.  So I wasn’t looking forward to it.  But I got up anyway, although a little late.  This morning I was just too tired.  I seemed to have stayed up too late.  11 is too late for me if I’m getting up before 6.  Lesson learned; I’ll go to bed earlier.  I don’t need that to hinder me.
A friend and coworker of mine, Adam, suggested that my limits are mostly mental as opposed to physical.  That’s why I tried to swim longer this morning.  Perhaps they are.  I think that I am limited by my physique – maybe not as much as I previously thought, though.  That’s good.  I should pay close attention to what my body is “telling” me.  I don’t want to overdo it.  I know I can overwork myself; I’ve done it before.  It’s not fun.
Tomorrow I weigh in.  I’m excited to see what I’ve done this week.  You’ll see the result on my SkinnyR graph. :)

7/27/06 Workout – Swim

This morning’s swim was good.  I started by swimming 6 laps at a time without resting.  After the 1st quarter mile I checked my heartrate.  Itwas approximately 160.  I thought I might be able to go more, so I thought I’d try for 8 laps on the next quarter mile. I swam 8, and thought, “Wow.  I can do more. Maybe I’ll try for 10″ in the middle of the 8th lap.  So I swam to 10, and thought I could do even more.  I decided to see if I could make it the full 18 laps, 450 yards, ~1/4 mile.  I made it!  When I checked my heartrate, it was again approximately 160.  Apparently I’ve found a good rate of swimming.  I then did my final 1/4 mile all at once.  It was great.  I feel like my body is remembering how to be active.  My time for the 1/4 mile was 11:07 and 11:20.

Good swim!

7/26/06 Workout – Run

Walked / Jogged this morning for about 30 minutes. It was tough, but easier than I was expecting. I went a total of 2 miles, and I jogged most of it. At least 1.5 miles. I didn’t think I could jog tht far, but apparently the swimming has built up enough cardio endourance that I can handle it.

I walked the first ~.2 mile, then jogged for ~.8 mile. My heartrate was approximately 168. Then I walked turned around, and walked at least another .1 mile. Checked my heartrate, and it was around 140. Started jogging again, and jogged all the way home(no, I did not go “wee wee wee all the way home,” nor am I a little piggy. I am a big piggy.).My heartrate was up to 188 when I got to my driveway. I pushed it a little too hard at the end, I think, but it sure was nice to know I could do it!

7/25/06 Workout – Swim

I swam this morning, again for 3/4 of a mile. For the first 1/4 mile I rested every 2 laps, and my heartrate seemed to be staying lower than before (130 – 140). So I thought I’d try the next 1/4 mile going for 6 laps (150 yards) at a time. I did that for the last 1/2 mile, with a longer rest in between each 1/4 mile. My heartrate, when I remembered to check it, seemed to be around 150. The total time was approximately the same as resting every 4 laps, so I must have been swimming slower. That’s okay right now; what’s important is that I could do it.

That’s it for today; I feel good. Tomorrow I run / jog (or “slog” as Michael Pate says)

Initial Workouts

This is my first workout post, so I’ll briefly sum up what I have done. Hopefully I’ll keep these updated with my workouts each day, or week.

Last week I swam three times, Tueday, Wednesday, and Friday. Each swim was between 45 minutes and an hour, and in each one I swam for 1350 yards, or roughly 3/4 of a mile. I did not and can not swim the whole thing at once. For the first two swims I would swim 2 laps (50 yards), then rest for 30 seconds, then go again. Once I had done 450 yards (~1/4 mile), I would allow myself a longer rest. My heartrate fluctuated between 150 and 170. The third swim I was able to swim 4 laps (100 yards) at a time, with 30 seconds rest in between.

Today I swam, the same as the last swim. Rests every 4 laps for 30 seconds, with longer rests in between each quarter mile. My heart rate was consistently around 150 whenever I remembered to check it, although I’m sure it went higher at times. For a frame of reference, my resting heartrate seems to be between 85 and 90.

The Beginning

This is my first entry. I am going to complete a Sprint Triathlon in June of ’07.

That may not seem so special to many people, but at the moment I am 6’1″ and 320 pounds (no, that’s not my picture up there).  My exercise routine before I made this decision was something close to nil.  I decided to pursue completing a triathlon after reading about the “Sprint” length triathlons in an article 2 weeks ago.  A Sprint Triathlon apparently consists of a 200 – 400 yard swim, ~15 mile bike, and ~3.1 mile run.  Not bad, eh?  Since then I have ordered 3 books, joined a local pool, and lost 4 pounds!   

Why did I decide to go with a triathlon?  I have always been interested in them, but thought that the Ironman was the only length available.  Learning that they come in all different lengths and difficulties is what convinced me. 

I grew up playing soccer, riding my bike, and swimming on a recreational swim team.  I can do all three sports.  It’s going to take a while, but my goal is for next June.  That’s long enough. 

If you don’t think someone my size can do this, take a look at Michael Pate at www.whenbigboystri.com.  He has an amazing story.  I just finished reading his book.  It’s a fun read, and very inspiring.  I will probably read it many times over before I complete my first triathlon.  It seems that many of the fears he relays in his book are very similar to my own. 

That’s it for now.  I’ll continue to post my thoughts along the way, as well as workout-specific posts.  I’ll also let you know more about me.

Jeff