Resources

Well, since the heat index is well over 100, I decided to use today to share the resources I have been using and use currently in my training.  There are others, but I know how I get with having to absorb a lot of information in a single sitting----my mind goes on autopilot and I eventually learn nothing. Much less remember anything.   Some online sources were and are provided by my mentors, others came from my dear husband, and another by Internet searches on my own.  I've gotten a great deal of information out of each of them in different ways, so if I can help SOMEONE, I'm happy.

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Endurance Magazine (delivered to me by my husband) and the Tri It For Life ladies doing a piece on the news is what got me to reading the magazine from the start.  I get the digital editions to save trees.  www.endurancemag.com 

And of course, Tri It For Life.  The most amazing group of ladies I've EVER encountered. All I can say is AWESOME! You don't have to know how to do anything, you only need to want to try. The mentors teach you to swim, to bike, and to run.  The old slogan was The sexiest part of a woman is her confidence (my disclaimer is that I may not have gotten all the words to that exactly right, but you get the gist)......ANY woman can be a triathlete.  www.triitforlife.com

Beginner Triathlete is a site my hubby turned me on to for athletes that may not have an organization that has a training plan in place. You can create your individual plan and track your progress.  There are also TONS of articles with helpful tips. www.beginnertriathlete.com

I use Daily Mile several times throughout the week.  I choose my sport, plug in my time, the distance, how I felt and a few other optional figures and the program calculates my pace, calories burned, and the like.  I can even see how many donuts I've burn for the week.  Simple.....easy.....to the point.  www.dailymile.com

 

I haven't used Active.com much until yesterday when I read the article posted there about getting a Road ID; something I SO need to invest in.  I saw how neat a road ID was this past Sunday at the Ramblin Rose Rock Hill triathlon.......it even held the chip.  www.active.com

Tri Find is pretty self-explanatory.  You can search for triathlons in any state in the country for the year.  www.trifind.com

SO, good people, these are my resources.....along with the best cheering squad EVER! I love you Jeff, Chaz, & Josh.  

Feel free to check out the links to these sites.  They have been very helpful for me over the last 3 months, I'm sure if you're even remotely interested in doing a triathlon you will not be disappointed.

COUNTDOWN TO RAMBLIN' ROSE HUNTERSVILLE:

3 Months  

Quick note......exciting note.

I just wanted to pop in and share some of the best, most scary news/accomplishment to date.

I am officially an INTERMEDIATE SWIMMER with Tri It For Life! 

YIPPEEEEE!  OH MY GOODNESS, WHAT!?  BUT YAAYYYYY STILL.

I am so very excited.....VERY anxious, but thankful for the push and confidence from Heidi---one of the best mentors EVER!

Countdown to Ramblin' Rose Huntersville:

3 Months

Persist and Endure

Just wanted to share some thoughts on endurance.  I realized this morning that I can endure anything.....IF I put my mind to it, put my heart into it, surround myself with people and things that motivate me to push forward. 

I had a moment last night...I was at the pool to practice but no one was there.  I sat, waited, debated....sat, waited, and debated.....went to the showers.....waited again and decided to leave. By the time I got to the bottom of the hill, I felt horrible that I had abandoned the one sport that I am weakest in....."How could I?"  Easy.....no one was there to help, I can't swim alone, I'm afraid.....or at least these are the things I told myself.  I turned the truck around and went back.  When I returned, there were two other Tri It For Life swimmers there who were getting changed.  Both had no idea how to swim 6 weeks earlier. I greatly appreciate the swimmer that told me she comes every Wednesday---whether she has to swim alone or not.  Persist.

SO, with that I resigned to the thought and commitment to swim.  Do it if I'm alone or with others.  Endure.

I'll have to make sure I tell her what she did for me that day after we officially become triathletes.

COUNTDOWN TO RAMBLIN' ROSE HUNTERSVILLE:

3 MONTHS

The official start!!!

With the official start to Tri It For Life's training less than a week away, I've come a realization.  I am human and not Superwoman; although I make every attempt to do so.  As many know, I've managed to accomplish several things over the last few months and I am SO very proud to say that of the three major events, THIS....the last on the list.....the Ramblin Rose ....will be my toughest.

I stated earlier that I've realized I'm not Superwoman.  Why I mention this, you ask?  Well between being pulled and leading in all different directions, my body has decided to tell me and my mind that it needs a break....it decided to get sick last Friday and force my hand on pausing my training.  AAaaarrrrgggg!  Nonetheless, I am still motivated, still mentally ready to take on the pool, and so something few in my life can currently say.  I just hope and pray that others will see what is possible through me and decided within themselves to join in make a difference........decide to LIVE!

I'm stoked again and though I'm battling my physical being at the moment to get well and work this thing out, I've got my warface on......LET'S DO IT!!

COUNTDOWN TO RAMBLIN ROSE CHARLOTTE:

3 MONTHS

Ok, so I'm a week late updating my new adventure and I am TOOOOO excited! The kickoff to the 2011 season was so energizing and encouraging!  Women from all walks of life gathering to do one thing....do a triathlon! 

Jeff and I were super excited about sharing some snapshots from the event....that is until we realized that both cell phone batteries were dead.  

Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to the next step....swim assessments!  Yippeeeee!  It's been a minute since I've even been in a pool, much less swimming laps.  So! On May 8th, I will (along with the others) be able to determine where I am in the pool.  

On another note, I met one of the amazing first-time Tri It For Life ladies in Trader Joes on Sunday!  Hiiiii Janessa! Good to meet you and talk with you!  She was the first person I'd run into since joining and it was such a pleasure. I'll see you at the pool!

Hope to get decent snapshots from that! LOL!

COUNTDOWN TO THE RAMBLIN' ROSE HUNTERSVILLE:  

5 Months

Dumbbells for Wedding Belles

Worked out to Dumbbells for Wedding Belles this morning and it felt GREAT!  It was the weirdest thing, I had been looking for the DVD since we started planning our wedding in January....never could find it. February goes by, then March....still no DVD. I'm talking I have looked all over and under for this workout! I want to have the sexy back and arms that I love having every day for my wedding also.  I'm at my wits end and have decided to sacrifice the extra 15min and do P90X with my man Tony. Which, by the way, is a workout that I LOVE.......but just don't have the time right now to do more than 30min. 

I know I'm talking quite a bit about how much I have been looking for this DVD, but when you read the end, it'll be amazing and hilarious. So anyway, I'm looking, looking, looking and the workout never shows. I'm asking Jeff and even asked Chaz (YES, I asked the 4yr old--it's amazing the things he can tell me that I thought he couldn't).  This time no go...Dumbbells for Wedding Belles had officially become the victim to "The Hidden".  "The Hidden" is that place in everyone's home where things, anything, goes to never be found until you are packing up to move.  Well, my "hidden" also has John Legend's Sounds of the Season Christmas CD every year around Christmas.....it shows up again in April or May.  Long story short, I thought "The Hidden" had finally decided to take my DVD and leave me hanging on yesterday.  I'm sitting on the couch trying to find Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for Josh and after a minute or two I notice that he's got this stack of DVDS he's arranging on the chair.  I didn't pay much attention because he always does this....stack things then knock them over.  After he stacked, he knocked over, and went back for more. This time he started tossing DVDs one after the other. I go over to chastise him and clean up the mess when there is was!!!!!!! Dumbbells for Wedding Belles!!! How many times had I been over to the stereo and looked for that disc and COULD NOT find it? Leave it to Joshua to save the day!!!! YIPPEEEE! I was so happy, he didn't even get in trouble for making a mess. 

SOOOOO.......a big, big thank you to my little one!!!!!  You're the best, Josh Josh!!!

COUNTDOWN TO THE RAMBLIN' ROSE CHARLOTTE:  

6 Months

 

Happy Thursday!

Not much to report today.  I've been gathering my thoughts over the last few days to gauge how I'm REALLY feeling about this triathlon.  I've concluded that...it's time. Time to make life changes and be excited about doing it. Time to live and be a light for someone. I've never considered myself a mentor for anyone, but if I can help someone else see that if I can be a triathlete, A-N-Y-B-O-D-Y can, then I've accomplished one of many goals.

With that, I've grown and am growing more excited about the Tri It For Life 2011 kickoff! YAAYYYY! It marks the official beginning to training for the Rambling Rose Charlotte event....which is, by the way, 186 days away!

SO! Come April 11 (my birthday),  I embark on the journey of a lifetime.....a journey I hope will last my lifetime!

Feel free to share my family's journey to getting healthy, fit, and making a better life for ourselves and our boys.....it starts here.

COUNTDOWN TO THE RAMBLIN' ROSE CHARLOTTE:  

6 Months