2/3 of a Trial Run

After paying again this am at Weight Watchers (I was over by .8 pounds, but I'm moving on), and realizing that there is only a little over a month until the triathlon, I decided that I needed to start some serious training (well, at least serious for me!). I wanted to add some of the elements together to get a sense of how long this thing will take. I would like to set a goal for myself so I know what I want to shoot for the day of the race. My friend who did it last year completed the race in one minute over an hour so now, of course, the competitive streak in me says that is the time to beat. Mike reminded me this am that I should just concentrate on completing it this year to get a baseline because I really don't know what to expect. He's right, of course. The dude is smart - glad I married him.

So while Zach was doing Tag Day with the Hudson Hawks (go Hawks!) this morning, I decided to do my own bi-athlon with biking and running. I asked Mike to lead me on a 7 mile route (that's the length of the bike portion). We ended up going only about 6.5 miles, but that took me a little over 36 minutes. I was a little disappointed with my time. I felt fine with the ride itself in terms of difficulty and how I felt doing it. We had a few hills and I got used to down shifting. I don't usually bike that much...much prefer running. It was frustrating to have to keep stopping and starting, but the biking won't be like that on race day, I suppose. I wanted to go faster, but I didn't feel comfortable doing that because 1) I don't own a helmet yet (I know, I need to get one), and 2) I just don't feel quite as comfortable on a bike...I don't feel in as much control as I do running or swimming. That is an interesting thing I learned about myself today. The less equipment needed the better!

After we got back from the bike ride, I grabbed a drink of water and my ipod and ran the 2 mile run. It was kinda tough at the beginning...my legs felt rubbery. Then I hit my stride in the middle. It was really hot, of course, too so I had to walk two different times. I was okay with my time - 19:53. I want to do it in less than 20 minutes.

So, all in all, I was happy with my "trial run". Now I just have to figure out how to add the third leg somehow and I'll be happy as a clam. I'll keep you "posted". Oh, I crack myself up.