End of week one

I completed all of the bike work outs for the first week. I have already learned a lot. Especially yesterday. Yesterday I did the long bike ride for the week. I rode 55 minutes. Here's what I learned:

First, inclines suck. My legs were BURNING after those 4 steep inclines that had me out of the saddle pumping away. Nevertheless, I did do them. I rode for 30 seconds each time. The last incline, I thought I was going to die, but I didn't. I sure was shaky though.

photo retrieved from: http://whynottri.wordpress.com/tag/triathlon-bike-vs-road-bike/

Second, I rock in my seat when I am getting tired, so I really started to pay attention to that. I'm assuming that rocking side to side is my body's way to get out of working so hard, so I started using the arm rests. I found that when I leaned forward in my bike seat and put my arms on the arm rests, I was able to pay attention better to whether or not I was rocking back and forth.

Third, I know why they make special shorts for bikers. My butt was sore and (apologizing now for my graphic description) my crotch felt like it was ON FIRE when I got off the bike. I need to get a pair of biking shorts.

Fourth, my toes fell asleep while riding. Have to figure that one out. I still need to incorporate the weight lifting, but I did start the sit ups and push ups. Still need to figure out the bike situation. I am currently using the bike machines at the rec center, but one of the riding on the road. My friend, Leslie, said I could borrow her bike if I wanted to, but when it comes to purchasing my own, I have to figure out what kind to buy and how I'm going to pay for it. I found this blog post on bike choices. He suggested a road bike for beginners. I think it's good advice, but what do I know? On to week 2.

Week one (Again)

Ok, I've completed two of the three bike work outs in the beginner program. I will do the last one tomorrow. Tomorrow is supposed to be a "long" bike, much like a running schedule has a long run day. I'm supposed to include at least, but no more than, 4 inclines intense enough for me to have to stand up in the pedals. Ugh. Sounds tough, but this is just the beginning and eventually I will get there. I still have to add the weight lifting to my schedule. I did do push ups and sit ups tonight. I figure I can at least do that until I start doing the weights.

I'm a little disheartened that Jeff and Jackson haven't done anything yet. We all supposedly started together on August 1, but no one has been to the rec center since we joined it except me. Trying to rally the family to change our lifestyle is hard to do, and I don't want to nag. We still have 9 months until the race, but I'm certainly not going to sign up for it if no one is training. It's too expensive! I think it's like $125 per person. And getting everyone to eat better is tough too. Well, a little at a time. Jeff said he'd go to the rec center with me tomorrow- if his back is feeling better. He can't move much tonight. And Jackson DID go with me this evening. We only had time to work out 15 minutes because we didn't know the rec center closes at 9PM on Fridays. Anyway, we're trying...

Reboot

Well, as you can see, we ALREADY didn't follow through. Time to start over. I came home from Minnesota with a new, and embarrassing, all time weight! Grad school has occupied the majority of my life since we returned, but my final is Monday, so I think it's safe to start back into a running program. Alas, it IS the hottest day of the year, so it will be quite the challenge. I've lost 10.5 pounds since returning from Minnesota. That tells you just how much junk we ate up there.

Jeff has been swamped at work, and hasn't been working out at all. I've had grad school stuff to get done. But in all reality, these are just excuses. If we REALLY want to do this thing, we've got to start making better choices. Jackson at least has been going to football conditioning 4 days a week, but even he has to start a serious running and eating plan. He's really cut down on the junk food though, so that's a start. I've quit drinking alcohol and have tried to consume about 100 oz of water a day. So, there are some good things going on, just not enough of them.

Back to the drawing board. Time to reboot and git 'er done!