Ran 5 miles today in Long Beach. This running club is really nice.

Ran almost 2.5 miles today.

Sunday bike day

Went on a 33 mile bike ride today

training has begun

I suck at keeping up with my blog. As of right now I have begun my half marathon training. My race is in September so I have the rest of the summer to train for it. I'm running 4 times a week.

no excuses

This past weekend was not good at all. I worked late and therefore was too tired to get up for my early planned workout. Aside from not working out, the weekend just sucked. Today I woke up feeling sick and actually couldn't keep my breakfast down... I felt better as the day went on and decided to go on my bike ride. I'm surprised I actually went. Usually when I have a bad few days like I did this past weekend, I will just let any excuse stop me from going out to workout. I knew I wouldn't regret doing it. I rode 20 miles. Certain points on the ride were sooo slow...There was a strong head wind on the bike path and I still felt kind of queazy so where I would normally push myself to go fast through the wind, I didn't care. I was at the end of the group and the leader behind me asked if I was doing ok. So yeah this ride was a little half-assed and slow but at least I got out and did it!

Run check

Ran 3 miles again today. This time I only walked for 2 sections of it. My pace is easy and relaxed. Building my base back up!

Swim yes

Core exercises and a 3500 yard swim this morning. I feel great! :)

Today I went on a 3 mile walk/run. Walking because I've been so bad lately at running and the last times I ran were my color run and mud run. Both of which I did not train for and when I don't train and then do a race, I get lateral pain on my knee that can last a couple days. So I'm trying to ease back into my running by taking it slow and walking a bit off and on.

Training to where I want to be

Alright I think I am finally ready to start serious triathlon training. During the fall all I was doing was swim and since finishing that in February, I've been meaning to be hardcore but have had lots of setbacks and a plethora of excuses. When I'm in shape and fast, I really feel good! That's the main reason I love triathlon and other endurance sports, because it challenges me and I feel great. My training plan includes doing each discipline twice a week, core exercises every other day, and having one rest day. I'm vowing to make the month of May a good month. Junk food only on the weekends and I no skipping planned workouts. So far so good. I rode 20 miles today. Just train :)

Swam

Swam 4500 today. Yesterday I ran (not much but some) and did core strengthening (ouww I can feel it today!) and earlier this week I rode my bike for 15 miles. I'm doing good! I haven't been so proud of my training initiative for quite some time. I think things are starting to come together for my focus. I've been watching a lot of videos on Kona. It is truly inspiring and is my goal to one day get there. I want to do a race soon but I don't know which one to do. Tomorrow's plan is a long bike ride and core exercises.

Color Run

Today I ran the most fun race I have ever done! It was called the color run. It is a 5k and at every kilometer there is a color section that you go through. You wear white and by the end you are doused in rainbow color! The color is actually this powder that the volunteers shower you with. I did this race with my friends Jane, Richard, Barbie, and a couple of Jane's friends. It was so much fun. The race was purely a good-time race. There was no official time keeping or chips. I have no idea how long it took me but I was going slow in all the color sections. I wanted to get completely colored lol. I highly suggest this race. Monica, that's too bad about Cleveland, hopefully you can do the next one! Here's a picture from after the race! My friends and I went out to eat at Denny's after. Everyone stared at us when we came in haha.

Long Beach Cyclists

This week I met up with a group of cyclists from Long Beach. They train for the Aids life ride from San Francisco to LA every year in June. While I do not plan to do that ride this year I will continue to ride with them. They have group rides once a week. I need stability in my training regime. They were all very nice too. I'm so happy I found this group. I'm used to riding on bike paths and continuously. This group rides a lot of city streets, so they are very safety conscious. I almost fell off my bike once because I'm not used to stopping so much and putting my foot onto the ground at a stop. Lol I looked like a novice. But I kinda am still so I guess it's ok. I told them I do triathlons and they thought that was really hard so I must be fast. HA! I suck on the bike, that's why I want to ride with them, so that I'll get better. Anyway the route was great! We were still riding when it was dark and we ended with some tough hills. The view from the top of the hill at night was spectacular. You could see all the city lights from miles around. I want to go back there and take pictures.

Alright now

Today was a really great day. I rode my bike with some good friends. Got up at 4:05 and made it to Long Beach for a 5:00am ride. I just love getting up super early and working out! It makes me feel so accomplished. OK seriously getting back into training and eating healthy mode. I've been sooo lazy and eating junk food every day practically. I have to stop. Today's bike ride is a good starting point to getting back on track. Oh yeah last week I did the Irvine Lake mud run. It was so fun!!! They had a water slide into a pool of mud! haha I'd been wanting to do a mud run since I first heard about them in 2009. I was going to do it with my friend Jane but unfortunately she had to back out. We were able to transfer her registration to another running friend of mine so it worked out. Looking forward to doing another. My plan is to do an Easter ride tomorrow. Yeah!

Swam 3100 yards at the pool yesterday!

LA Marathon support

Yesterday was an inspiring day! I knew a couple of people running the LA Marathon and went out to support. This is the first full marathon that I have ever been to. I've seen them on TV and plan to run one some day soon, but never actually been there in person. It was so great. You'd think after cheering for random strangers after a half hour you'd get bored, but to me I don't. Most of the runners had their name on their number bib. I think it's so great to be running a hard race like that, be exhausted, and then hear your name called. I tried to call out every name that I saw. I stood out by mile 15 with a few friends from a triathlon club I'm in and cheered for all the runners for about 3 hours. We were looking for three fellow club members, Victor, Ralph, and Rolo. Luckily we saw all of them! Victor is a beast and finished the marathon in about 3 hours 20 minutes. Rolo and Ralph came by together and both finished. I'm so proud of them! Makes me really want to do one.

Last year I achieved my goal of running a half marathon and I was planning to attempt a full one this year. I think it may have to wait until next year. Races are expensive and I've really been trying to save up my money now that I'm out of school and deciding what to do next. Aw man I'm so inspired. My workouts have been lagging lately. I ended up getting sick last week and when that happens I get taken out for like a week. Tomorrow though I will get back at it with a swim! Congrats to all the marathon runners! You guys are so inspiring!

bad me

Started feeling a cold yesterday. Expected I would skip my swim today but I actually went. I swam 1350...now I really need to take it easy.

Investing would be a good thing

I went on a nice bike ride today. Just 10 miles to this bridge and back. The sun was out but the wind was nice and cold. I really tried to push myself this time by riding as fast as I could for a minute at a time. Unfortunately my peddles are just regular bike peddles, not clip-ins. I have some fatty clip-ins that someone gave me but I do not have the cycling shoes to go along with it. lol I should invest in some soon if I'm serious about racing, I'm just super frugal. I hate spending money. Everyone says my speed will improve with clip-ins. Anyway, this week is going so far so good with my workout and training routine. I actually did some core exercises today after my ride. Tomorrow the plan is to swim!

Run

Went on a nice easy run today. It was only two miles. Want to go more but I have been so bad at running lately that I need to build my base back up.

New friends who bike

Went for a bike ride today! It was about 45 miles to Huntington Beach and back. I’m so sore…but it is worth it! Proud of myself for getting out of this laziness pattern I have been stuck in for the past couple weeks. I rode with some cyclists I haven't met before. They were all really nice and supportive. Man I just want to get faster! I know if I work on riding consistently, I will get faster.

Back at it

The last couple weeks have not been too great in terms of training. My mind was not in it. I hate when that happens! lol It's like I know I love training, I know it will make me feel better, I know I need to and want to do it so that I can get faster...but I just don't want to. My effort loses it's spark. Well today I actually swam!! Very proud. I was only able to swim for an hour this morning because I had a class to get to. I managed to get in 2200 yards of sprints and pulls. I feel great. The class I went to is a child visitation monitor training class. Now that I have graduated, I need to figure out what I want to do. I am very interested in law and social work. Trying to learn about careers in that field. The class was interesting and the teacher was entertaining, two key ingredients to make a good class. I am looking forward to the next one. Workout plan for tomorrow is a bike ride!