Plans for April...

My husband told me yesterday that his boss, Diane, mentioned something to him about a marathon in April in Champaign...there is a full, half, and relay event. Diane wanted to get a group together to do the relay event. Honestly, I feel like I should buck up and at LEAST do the half ;), but I will probably wimp out and do the relay with them. Well, a combination wimping-out and being social :). Jeremy really likes his boss, and I am thankful that he works for a really great person. It really is a blessing :). This event is in April, and when Jeremy mentioned it to me last night, he wasn't sure of the date. April is going to be a busy month for us, because Rosalee and Bobby are getting married on the 18th and her bachelorette party is on the 4th.
Also, there is a chance we are going to do the Race to Wrigley in Chicago with some friends on April 25th...this is just a 5k that begins and ends at Wrigley field. Well, I looked up the Champaign event and it happened to be on the only weekend that we didn't already have plans in April, so I guess it's meant to be! :) Both races sound like a lot of fun, so hopefully we get to do them both! We better get our butts in shape!!

Happy New Year!

Well...this is it! 2009! I resolve that we WILL complete a triathlon this year! Maybe not the one in May (hopefully, though!)...but I really hope we will do one, wherever or whenever it may be!

We've done some road races (though just some 5k's and some 7 mile-ers), we purchased roadbikes last summer and started riding through the late summer and fall (worked up to a whopping 18 miles...honestly with biking it wasn't an issue of stamina, it was more an issue of having the TIME to put in long rides), and took up swimming laps at our gym this winter (however poorly ;)). We aren't about finesse. We aren't about speed. We just want to finish...and live to tell about it!! :)

NO laziness allowed! ;) No excuses!

Update ;)

Ok, I haven't posted in this blog lately, but that doesn't mean we've given up on our training!! :) We last swam on the 24th (Christmas Eve, check out that dedication!) and went to the gym for a long cardio session (me) and weight session (Jer) last night. I am also on my way to the gym as we speak! I love vacation time and being able to go to the gym during the daytime! :)

Happy New Year (almost!), everyone! I promise to have some kinds of workout-related, or fitness-related resolutions to share in a few days!! :)

Whew...

Well, I haven't done much better....but this week was a little better in the way of working out...Sunday and Monday we went to the gym together and swam. Tuesday we wussed out. Can't remember why exactly, probably some lame excuse ;). I got off work around 6:30 and we went to try a new Mexican restaurant in town (Jeremy had eaten there twice and loved it)...great so we didn't work out AND we ate out ;). Lovely! Wednesday we went to the gym after having dinner at his parents' house. Jer did weights and I did 65 minutes of cardio on one of those machines that is kind of like an elliptical, but provides more of a total-body workout. I am not sure what they are called...but you can do wonders with the resistance, etc., and I think it really does provide a decent workout. Last night I fell asleep around 7:30 and was in and out of consciousness for the rest of the evening. Pathetic? Yes! I am fully aware. Not sure what hit me, I have been shaking a cold/virus/sinus infection/whathaveyou for the past month (since October 22nd, actually!!), so I am sure that has something to do with the fatigue. Also, per my doctor at my appointment this morning, I have a B12 deficiency...and he said that contributes to fatigue. So, I am starting some supplements. Hope it helps! After the dr. appointment this morning I did go to the gym...and did 65 minutes on the elliptical at various inclines and resistances. It felt good :).
Ok, enough out of me. In summary, I have been lazy ;), but at least I have been to the gym the past 4/6 days. Next week will be more productive. Right?!

Back from a break

Well...we took a small hiatus from working out :). Thursday (Thanksgiving) morning we left for "home"...my parents' house in the Quad Cities. We stayed there until Saturday afternoon. We had hoped to get back to Bloomington in enough time to have time to swim Saturday afternoon, but we didn't :(...we had to be at our good friends' home for a birthday party....Sarah turned 30 and we celebrated in style ;). SO, we went 3 days without working out...and of course, eating more than usual. BLAH! What a recipe for disaster! Or, at least, a recipe for feeling yucky ;). We did, though, make it to the pool today...and it was great :). We did follow up that swim with a big dinner at Jeremy's parents house. It was great to see them...and of course the dinner was very delicious. I am still far too stuffed! :)
We WILL be better this week! We really, really will.

Friends!...and laziness

My friend from work, Jillian, informed me that she wants to train for and particiate in the triathlon Jeremy and I decide to do next spring/summer as well! It would be great to have a female companion during the race...since I know Jeremy and I won't stay together (most likely!). Jillian is a lot of fun, too :). We ran the Easter Seals Run the Woods 5k together in October. It was a lot of fun to have her to talk to during the race!

We really need to get serious about our training, though. We kind of slacked off this week. In my opinion, I am in crappy shape. I was in much better shape during graduate school when I actually had more time to work out. Gosh, that's a weird thought! In grad school I thought I was just SO busy...and Jeremy always teased me and told me I had NO idea and that I should just wait until I got into the "real world" and started working...then I would KNOW what stress and busy-ness were REALLY like! ;) Well, as is typical, he was right!!

I need to make working out a bigger priority. I am definitely not in terrible shape...I can hold my own. However, I am not where I would like to be...and definitely not where I want to be pre-pregnancy! I want to be in the healthiest shape of my life before adding a baby to my belly ;)...and, in my opinion, I have a long way to go...

Oh, and tomorrow's Thanksgiving. Harumph. Maybe the healthy eating part will start Friday. Or how about waiting until after the weekend...we are going to a birthday party Saturday night! ;) HA!

Excuses, excuses...

Stop it, Rachel!!!

{Sigh}

We just got back from another pool workout. This swimming stuff is hard work! Tonight I just did 24 laps...again, I think our pool is 25 yards so this would be 1200 meters. It took me 45 minutes and of course I had a few breaks in there. My friends Jami and Abbey were in the cardio room at the gym and came into the pool area to say hi. And, of course, Jeremy and I chatted a bit as well. I am exhausted, though! I feel like it's a great workout. However, I also feel pretty clueless about what the best things to do during a swimming workout are! I did some reading on random triathlon websites and saw that it's good to obviously practice the obvious strokes, but also to do laps of just arms/just legs. So, I throw some of that in there. Honestly, most of what I do is a crapshoot. I do informally check my heartrate every now and then just to be sure I am actually working ;), and it does in fact appear that I am...so I guess that's a good thing!
It's fun to be embarking on this new adventure together. I am glad we both have interest in this...and value staying in shape, both for ourselves and each other :).
Honestly, a good motivator too is the fact that the only times in the past 2 days that I have been able to breath without blockages in my sinuses was during my swims! We swam last night around 7 and tonight around 9. It was glorious to be able to breathe! Of course, though, my sinuses are getting full again. Gross! Oh, winter!