Mom in the Mtns

Hi everyone!  Week 3 of Gold Nugget Triathlon training was mentally tough because my injury is back.  Yep.  I’ve had a few breakdowns about what this means for the future of my running ability, and I’m just so ready for my doctor’s appointment later today.  But, as always, training must go on!  And luckily I can still bike and swim without any pain.  Here was my week:

Monday:  I went for a swim with my friend, and it was so much fun!  My goal this week was to slow down a bit and not let my heart rate get crazy too early in the workout, and I did a good job with that.

Tuesday:  Swim class.  This week they promised to teach me the final step of my swim technique, which was what to do with my arms and hands.  I got to practice with swim paddles which was really helpful!

Wednesday:  I’m always exhausted by Wednesday for some reason, so it was a rest day!

Thursday:  Swim class.  I’d had a really stressful day at work, and I really didn’t want to go swimming.  I find that at least right now, swimming isn’t the kind of stress reliever that running is.  But I went anyways, and I ended up doing really well.  I keep being told that I’m a fast learner, and that my form looks better each day.  I’m so glad I took those lessons!  Plus it was one of the first times I’ve gone swimming and wasn’t crazy exhausted afterwards, so I think my body is adjusting!

Friday:  I walked to Starbucks for lunch, does that count?  Seriously though, after work I spent my time picking up my brand new road bike from the bike store and going out for a much needed friend date!

Saturday:  I went for a hike around Lake Hood with some friends.  It was tons of fun and we managed to avoid being trampled by a family of moose which is always a win.

Sunday:  The weather was gorgeous so it was time to test out the new road bike on the Chester Creek Trail!  I plan on writing all about my bike and how I picked it out in Wednesday’s post, but I can tell you that my road bike was so much faster and lighter than my old mountain bike and I really love it!  I was a mess with the gear shifting, but I’m looking forward to practicing that a lot in the coming weeks.

In the upcoming week, I plan on doing lots of biking and swimming!  Also, my tri kit should arrive this week so I’m hoping it fits and I can try it in the water.  My triathlon questions this week include:

• How do you get more comfortable on the bike?  I’m terrified of falling over, so I’m pretty tense riding around on the trail, especially whenever I see gravel.  That’s something that all my spin classes could never prepare me for!
• Also, how did you learn how to shift properly?  I’ve been doing research on it and I realize you have to go by feel, but it’s still tough for me to figure out while I’m biking.
• Have you ever tried water running?  I’ve heard about it from 2 people this week (and read this whole post about it) and since I can’t run on land and love the pool I’m really thinking about trying it out!