Month 2, Week 3

Okay, sorry for the bad language, but Holy Sh*t!  

Its a good thing that I didn't know that week three is the "hard workout week of the month," or "the week that helps you break through to the next level," because if I did there is no way that I would have gotten up to go running this morning.  We met in St Paul along the Mississippi River for our run.  As the coach is describing the workout: hills followed by steps followed by more hills  and steps followed by more hills, 1000x, I think I started to have a panic attack.  I think my brain just stopped processing after a while.  The group took off running, and I just joined into the fold wondering what I was getting myself into.

Thank God my running mates were there.  I've hooked up with two women who work as pediatricians at the University of Minnesota Children's Hospital.  They are awesome, super chipper and over achievers, as any doctor should be.  They totally kept me going today.  We did 1 mile out up and down 1 hill and up and down a set of steps to a bridge, 4 times, then up and down a second hill on the other side of the bridge plus steps, 3 times and just for fun, as if our legs didn't hurt bad enough, up another really really steep hill on the way back 2 more times, then back to our cars, another mile.  Seriously, that was freakin crazy!  In total, 1 hour plus of running, not just running around a lake, running up and down hills and steps for 1 hour!!

So, there are people on this team training for half and full iron man triathlons and they are running right along with us, except a lot faster and they are doing even more hills and steps.  So as I am huffing and puffing up the hill and they are giving us high fives along the way, I'm thinking to myself, just the fact that I am here at a training with these people says something about what I am doing and about this organization.  Its truly and amazing experience!  

Now, I am off to take some Advil in hopes it will get me through the day chasing after the little guys.  Wish me luck!

Lake Calhoun - Round 2

2 weeks ago I ran around Lake Calhoun for the first time. It's a little over 3 miles around. I'd never actually ran the whole way around (without stopping), so I was pretty proud of myself. That Saturday I ran with a bunch of TNT members. It was good to meet some new people and it seems to help to run with others.

This past weekend not many people showed up for the run. Although the temperature was in the 20s, the wind was pretty bitter. Halfway around the lake most of our group peeled off to run some hills. I was feeling intimidated about making around the lake again so I kept going by myself. Despite the cold temps there were a lot of people out running and biking. I passed the time around the lake watching and listening for other runners and walkers and bikers and trying not to look at my watch or my heart rate monitor. I just wanted to keep going.

I'm not going to say the run was easy or that it didn't hurt, because it did. But as I was coming around the west side of the lake, back to the place where we had started, I couldn't believe I was actually doing it. I was running around the lake, by myself, in the middle of the winter, no less. It was hard, but it wasn't impossible. It did hurt, but it didn't kill me. So as I was coming to the finish I started wondering why I thought I couldn't do this? And then I just got mad. Why did I tell myself, and everyone else for that matter, that I couldn't? And how many things have I not done in my life because I have told myself that I couldn't? How do we prevent ourselves from living our best life because we have a crappy attitude?  I wonder how our lives would be different if we weren't always telling ourselves or our partners or our kids that we can't do something without even really trying?

Sunday

Good swim yesterday, not to be negated by the fact that I ripped off Kevin's driver side rear view mirror when pulling out of the garage or by the jerk that stole my front row parking spot at Costco.

Learning to love Minneapolis in March (or at least trying to)

I skipped out of the office over lunch today for a run in downtown Minneapolis.  A friend of mine at Target who is an avid runner suggested a route for me and I scoped it out on my new favorite website mapmyrun.com.  We had temps in the 40s today so it was the perfect day to get out.  

My run took me up Nicollet Mall from Target Plaza past the Minneapolis Central Library (a very cool building and my first time actually seeing it in person), over the Hennepin Avenue bridge and around historical Nicollet Island which sits right in the middle of the Mississippi River.   Nicollet Island is home to DeLaSalle High School, a well known urban catholic high school, the Nicollet Island Inn and some very cool very old homes.  In my 6 years in Minneapolis, I'm not sure I've every been on Nicollet Island.  We still have snow on the ground and it is quite a beautiful place, even in the winter.  It was so quiet on the residential side of the island, its hard to believe its nestled right in the middle of the Twin Cities.  I wished that I would have had my camera on me to take some pictures.  I am afraid (or maybe hoping) that next week the snow will be gone so I'm not sure it will be as beautiful next time.  But what a cool thing - to see someplace new today.  I think about all of the lunch hours I've wasted working at my desk, or aimlessly wandering through the stores in downtown Minneapolis.  So thank you Vicky for the recommendation on the new route!  

The run itself was a little bit longer than I anticipated so I took the red lights as an opportunity to rest my legs (and my heart).  I was feeling really good on the home stretch heading back to the office, that is until some lady in high heels ran past me as she chased down her bus.  Oh well, at least I got out there today, even if I wasn't all that fast!

Downtown YMCA

Last week the YMCA offered all of the TNT members free use of their clubs, all week. I'm in a bit of a lull at work so I decided to head over to the downtown Y to squeeze in a swim over lunch. I used to workout at this club before I had kids so I felt pretty confident I knew what to expect.

I headed out to the pool area a little after 12 to find a water aerobics class in the first two lanes and three of the remaining four lanes blocked off with big orange cones. I inquired with the Lifegaurd and he told me the lanes were reserved for a Master's Swimming program.

"You should join them," he said, "Its a great work out."

I peered down to the other end of the pool to see a large group of grown men in tiny speedos getting ready for their workout.

"It's all guys." I replied. Maybe at some point in my life I would have wanted a large group of almost naked men pawing at my legs and feet. But not now, not at this point in my post-baby, overweight, out of shape, married life. Don't get me wrong, these guys were fit (for the most part) but this was just not my cup of tea.

So I jokingly replied to the lifeguard, "I don't think my husband would approve."

I jumped in the 'slow' lane at the end of the pool. It wasn't too bad, I only had to swim with one other guy who I think secretly wanted to be a part of the chaos in the next lane over. He kept trying to make small talk with the 'Master Swimmers.' During one of my rest breaks I counted the number of nearly naked men swimming in the lanes next to me. 30, that's right 30 men, in 3 lanes. I wondered to myself, isn't there some kind of limit to the number of people in a lane, like a daycare limit, like 8 babies in an infant room? I mean seriously, it was a little crazy.

Eventually one woman did show up for the workout, making the total 31. Better her than me, I guess. Maybe she was single? I keep telling all of my single girlfriends that this is a great way to meet really fit men, if you can stand the workouts.

Here's the real story....

8 years, 2 babies and 20 lbs ago I did my first triathlon. The training was time consuming and the event itself was grueling. After I finished the race, I vowed I would never do something like that again.

Here I am.

I signed up for Team in Training on pure emotion. After 6 months of watching my neice Lindsay go through cancer treatment I was beat down. I wanted to find something productive to do. I wanted to get back in shape. But a triathlon, really, in my condition? Seriously, when I signed up for this I couldn't run a mile to save my life and I didn't even own a swim suit suitable for swimming laps. After the information meeting where I readily handed over a check to cover my registration fees I came home and asked my husband, "What did I just do?"

Later I told my parents about the race and my Dad said, "What do you mean, you can't run."

So, its about a month into training and I am hanging in there. Its not easy and not necessarily fun, but I am hanging in there. I will say there is something theraputic about a spinning class that is so freakin hard that your brain actully shuts down because your body is just trying to hold on. For 1 hour, twice a week I don't have to worry about my kids or my job or my finances, I just ride. And I can run a mile now, infact last weekend I did 3 miles, around a lake, in 3" of snow. It was 13 degrees. Not fun, but hey, I did it. And as for swimming, well, those 12 years of competitive swimming as a kid have served me well. I'm not very fast these days, but I can still swim.

Thanks to all of my friends and family who have contributed to LLS. I have already met the fundraising minimum for the Lifetime Tri, so there is no backing out now. Stay tuned for my updates if you want some inspiration or just a laugh.

And just remember, if I can do this, anyone can do this.