Officially in training!

Its official.  I can now say I've completed my first workout for an Olympic distance triathlon.  My first workout called for an hour and 15 minute Foundation Ride, which is at a "moderate aerobic intensity," so comfortable but not easy.  I guess I technically cheated because I did it on a stationary bike but its late at night, I live in Baltimore, and I have no desire to get mugged (even though I probably wouldn't have anything of value on me anyway).

Whether its a stationary bike or a real bike, I've discovered that I absolutely do not have what is known as "biker's butt."  Anytime I sit on a bike for more than five minutes, I'm so uncomfortable and my butt gets sore.  In my hour and 15 minutes, I bike just about 18 miles and I really don't know how I'll make it another 10 miles   in the actual race unless I find some serious butt padding.  I did buy a memory foam seat cover for my actual bike so I guess I'll find out on Thursday (my next bike workout) if that was a $22 well spent.  For my butt's sake, I'm hoping it works.

Other than that, I feel pretty good.  I obviously have enough workout endorphins to be up and writing this blog.  Usually, I'm passed out cold by this point.  My legs don't feel terribly tired, which is good I guess.  I know my workout plan is set up in step cycles.  Basically, there are four week blocks and the first three weeks get progressively harder then there is a recovery week before another three weeks of progressively increased intensity, and so on.  I take it as a good sign that I know I'm capable of completing each of this week's nine workouts, so I can use this week's workouts to push myself to prepare for next week's workouts.

Overall, I'm excited.  I'm sure I'll be regretting those words a couple weeks from now when the first few weeks of workouts have sunk in and I'm trying to get over the first hump of training.  But for now, I'll let myself be excited and hopefully take each workout as an accomplishment.  I'm thinking of starting a gold sticker method, where I give myself a sticker for each completed workout! My friends used that method sophomore year and they got a sticker for going to class, as well as working out.  It was pretty effective so hopefully it will work for me as an extra motivator! Hopefully, I have time to go buy stickers tomorrow!!

~Kim