H2-Oh-No!

Ok...so that picture pretty much sums things up. I have GOT to drink more water! But WOW...that is sooooooo much easier said then done!

I have never been a fan of drinking water. I grew up in Philadelphia. The water there is just plain nasty. (For my Northern peeps...does schuylkill punch ring a bell?) Ick. Things were then made worse when you visited the water treatment plant with your school. Can you say gross? Even with filters I feel like I can taste every mineral, additive, chemical...I mean it. Everything. Blah. Even with those convenient little powder packages, it still tastes funny to me.

But I'm forcing myself.

I sort of had a wake up call at a recent vocal seminar. My voice means the world to me. Apparently, if I don't hydrate enough and try to sing, I could potentially ruin my voice. I'm guessing the same thing goes for exercise...If I don't hydrate, I suppose that could do bad things to my body.

But let's discuss numbers. I rarely do this, but really. I'm a little concerned.

I'm supposed to drink HALF my body weight in ounces of water PER DAY? Even more after a hard work out? For me that's 160 ounces of water a day. That seems INSANE!?!?!? (and yes, I realize that you smarty pants who are good at math now know how much I weigh)

Today I've almost drank 96 ounces, and I already feel like I should be getting activity points for the amount of time I'm running back and forth to the bathroom! Eeek! Can someone out there tell me that it will get better!!!!

I'm having a hard time with this one folks. Ugh.
One Day at a time I suppose...

Bicycle! Bicycle!

Well folks, training is in full swing, and I am super excited! Except for maybe one thing...OH MY GOD! Who gets up before 7am on a SATURDAY???? That's just ghastly! Who cares about physical activity, getting my ass out of bed might prove to be the hardest part of all this! Wonder how bad it would be to fall asleep at the wheel of a bicycle? Isn't that what helmets are for? *winks*

Having a friend to share this with is pretty awesome. I currently don't have a bike rack, so she was nice enough to pick me up. We laughed a little, shared a few jokes, and it was a pretty good car ride. Once we arrived, we unloaded the bikes, strapped on our helmets, and waited for the mentors to arrive.

We were shown how to properly wear our helmets (which is probably important given how clumsy I am) taught how to check if our seats were at the right height, and then taught how to properly start and stop. Again...quite important for me (see previous reason!)

Once we got going it was one of the most relaxing things I've done in a long time. The wind was in my face, the sun was shining, before I knew it, we had done a full circle and were being asked if we wanted to go around again. Heck yeah!

All in all, it was a fabulous morning. I had one (hopefully) minor set back. In the midst of riding, my handlebars would not stay in position. I have to take it into the shop before I can ride again, but really, I can't wait to get back on. This may very well be my favorite of the three events.

Oh...and can I just tell you that I rocked my helmet!

There are good things to come people...I just need to stay motivated!

Freaking Out and Looking Toward the Future

Well...It's official!

I will be racing in the Rambling Rose Triathlon in Rock Hill, SC on July 15th!

I was bouncy for about half a minute, and now I'm kinda freaking out.

My 12 week training session starts this week, and I'm scared. I did a little shopping over the weekend, bought a bike helmet and some clothes, took my bike in for a tune up, and now reality is setting in...Well, more like self-doubt and internal panic are setting in.

This always happens to me before any major event in my life. My palms are freezing, and I'll probably not be able to concentrate all day. But I can't let my brain get the best of me. I won't let it win. I'm tired of letting it win.

When you say the word triathlon, it sounds huge, and unattainable.

My brain HATES numbers...and it did the same thing to me when I decided to tackle a 5K. Once it was pointed out to me that a 5K was only a little over 3 miles, the acceptance process kicked in.

That's about where I am today with the triathlon. Acceptance.  

• 225 yd pool swim

• 10 mile bike

•2 mile run

Deep Breaths....Deep Breaths...I WILL do this!

When all is said and done, The 'Ramblin Rose' will be my reward.  

Cankle Free Work Zone!

It's probably no shock for anyone to know that I don't have the most positive self image. I mean...I know I'm loved by my wonderful husband, surrounded by equally awesome family and friends, but I'm probably one of the most self-conscious people you could ever meet. It's really hard for me to accept a compliment!


Aside from being around a few friends that I feel REALLY comfortable around; I noticed recently that I've been covering up a lot more then usual.

For a while there, I had been coming out of my shell a bit. I was wearing cute little shirts, and capris and such. But here lately, I've kind of gone back in.

Even though it's starting to get warm, I'm really nervous about wearing shorts, putting on my swimsuit, and on top of that...I'm gonna get fit for some proper work-out clothes.

For those of you that are experienced in the ways of fitness, you know these clothes don't hide anything. You're squeezed in for proper support, but at any given moment could probably pop out like a fresh can of biscuits.

How in the world is it easier for me to step out in front of an audience of a thousand people or more, but shrink away from the thought of wearing bright colors or being comfortable in one of those pretty summer dresses? Somewhere along the way, I've lost my inner Diva. She's in there hiding...I can feel her, and I'm hoping that training for this triathlon will help her come out somewhere along the way.

On a positive note, I've been eating lots of fruits and veggies. I'm guessing this is helping with fluid retention (ha ha...I know! Sexy, right ?!?!) I looked down last night and could see my ankles again! I got all bouncy and excited. I even ran into the bedroom to show my husband! He smiled at me...It was awesome.

I have henceforth declared my life a Cankle Free Work Zone!

I wanna look down at those pretty little ankles and embrace my change...I want to be happy with who I am...and I wanna make my inner-self smile the way my husband smiled at me last night...

Proceed with Caution...and Laughter!

So last night I ventured out to get my bike for the triathlon...

I asked my friend to meet me because she knows way more about bikes then I do, AND it was my first experience using craigslist (which in itself is an adventure!)  We gave it a good look over, rode it around a bit, and my friend thought it was a pretty good bike so I went ahead and bought it. I was very excited to finally get something at a good price for my height and weight. It'll need a tune-up, but I'm happy with it.

That being said, I learned a few valuable lessons that I think the general public should know:

1. Whoever made up the saying that goes something like "it's just like riding a bike" is full of crap and can kiss my butt
2. If you can't walk and chew gum, this activity may not be your best choice
3. Do not try to purchase a bike while still wearing your work clothes (and shoes for that matter!)
4. Pushing backward on the pedals is not a form of braking...you will continue to move forward, and probably get faster.
5. Please refer to number 4. Repeatedly. The brakes are now located on the handlebars.
6. No dumbass, that adult sized bike is not gonna fit in your compact Ford Focus
7. You WILL apparently need a bike rack
8. Cages are required on the pedals to keep your feet from slipping...if you don't have them, please refer back to number 4.

I know I made my friend laugh, and sent her home with a good story.

Here's my new Baby:

Now comes the fun part...finding a helmet for my big head...and YES, I will need one!

Does that come with an airbag?

My next adventure in preparation for the triathlon involves purchasing a bike. Should be simple, right? Hmmm...boy would we be wrong!

I haven't been on a bike since I was about 12 years old, and back then, you usually got someones hand me down and made the best of it.

I also remember the old days back in Manayunk where the way you learned to ride was by someone putting you at the top of the hill, letting you go, and yelling good luck as you rode what felt like 200 mph on the way back down the hill... all WITHOUT a helmet.

Boy have things changed...

There are road bikes, mountain bikes, and hybrid bikes. Bikes with cross bars, slant bars, and straight bars. How may gears do you want? Is is graded for your weight? What size frame do you want...? Huh? You mean I actually have to get fit for a bike?

Now that my brain's about to explode, I think I've finally settled on what I need, and I'm going to take a look at one tonight. Once that's taken care of, I get to go shopping for a helmet to fit my big head! Ha!

Combine all of this with the fact that I am a total and complete clutz. I'm starting to not be worried so much about my endurance, but more now about my incoordination. Maybe these new fangled bikes come with airbags? No...ok, can't blame a girl for hoping.

So dear friends...you should all start a pool and bet on how long it will take me to have my first wipeout!

I think there's money to be had in this... LOL

I like to MOVE it MOVE it...Maybe?

So...I'm attempting to find my 'Move It" Mojo before full time training for the triathlon begins. (and PS...I'm a ditz and have been saying AND spelling that word WRONG! It's triathlon...not triathalon...LOL)

Anyways, I can't say that I like it yet (Because really...I'm lazy and LOVE my couch) but this time it does feel different. Maybe, I'm finally doing this for myself. It's great to have people around to support me, but I think maybe I've relied on them a little too much in the past....unknowingly making them my crutch.

When the family was here, I got up early on a rainy Saturday, and briskly walked a mile. It took me a while to do this, but hey...it was a start. It was actually kinda tough. I used to walk back in Philadelphia. Everywhere, on a daily basis, but this small walk challenged me. I kinda got made at myself, and that forced me to walk faster. By the end of the walk, I was red, out of breath, and sweaty. Here's the good thing though...I thought it would exhaust me, but I was actually quite energized throughout that day. Who knew something so small would have such an effect on me.


Since then I've actually shocked myself...

The training program for the triathlon offers a beginners boot camp. Those  two words in themselves scare the beejesus out of me, but I needed to see if I could do this. We met at a park and you could feel the apprehension amongst the new people... We stretched a little, and got started. There were squats, crunches, bear crawls, jogging, and this evil thing called the plank. I could not believe I had done all of these things by the time an hour had passed. This fat chick got her butt kicked, and she didn't mind at all. I pushed some limits, and I was kinda impressed with myself.


I'm also trying to pick up some Zumba classes along the way.

So...Do I like to MOVE it MOVE it? Not yet, but I'll get there. 

My husband is always telling me I'm stronger then I know...A little part of me might actually believe he's right. But don't tell him I said so...