Laura, surely you could have picked a more flattering title for your blog. I’m sure that I could have, but to be honest I stole the title from a book. The book is called, you guessed it: Slow Fat Triathlete by Jayne Williams. In this book Williams chronicles her journey from an obese couch potato to a triathlete. Through personal anecdotes, she encourages and inspires newbies giving important information and practical advice along the way. She is so funny and inspiring. She makes the idea of completing a triathlon seem feasible to even the most out of shape person, like me My only problem with it is that she wrote the book first.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
SHIN SPLINTS
Recently, I’ve learned two new bad words: shin splints. UGH! They start just minutes into my running and make every step painful, almost unbearable. Just to give myself a little kudos, I still finished my run. I can’t blame my sneakers. They are actually the kind you get to prevent shin splints. I would like to blame the tread mill. I was right to look for a soft, empty soccer field last weekend. I can only blame myself. If I had exercised even a little routinely over the last four years my legs wouldn’t be in shock and rebellion over the upheaval of their normal, restful, and frankly quite comfortable routine. More stretches and exercises, athletic leg sleeves, and a visit to the podiatrist should have me back on the treadmill in no time. Meanwhile I’ll still be on the lookout for an empty soccer field.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
MY 2 HOUR 20 MINUTE RUN
No, I cannot honestly report that I ran for 2 hours AND 20 minutes. I can report that what should have been a 20 minute run took 2 hours from start to finish. I was all set to go. I had my new running sneakers, the ones that look like orthotics. I had my new running shirt on and my new heart rate monitor. I was all revved up and ready to go. I drove to the local school, so that I can run on their soccer fields. Somewhere I read that new runners should not start on pavement. Being new at the slow, fat triathlete thing I wanted to do everything by the book. I got out of the car, all ready to run, and there was a game on each field. That’s OK, you say, there’s enough of a shoulder just around the perimeter of the field. You can run there. No…I just could not bear the thought of running around the soccer field, with all the soccer moms watching me, and just happening to notice that their eight year daughters are faster than I am. So I drove to another school, more soccer games, and another school, more soccer games. Heck! Is there anyone in the town of Northport that is NOT at a soccer game? This won’t discourage me. I got back in the car and drove to the nearest state park. I got out of the car, tightened my shoe laces, figured out all of the fancy settings of my new heart rate monitor and started my run. UGH! My pants started falling down. It’s not really a problem is it? I really wanted to start my run so I kept going unfortunately, so did my pants. They got lower and lower with every step. I am not going to stop. I’ll just pull them up. I did, over and over again. I’ll keep going. I’ll just hold my pants up as I run. UGH! Who was I kidding? I can’t run this way. Back in the car, back home. Maybe I just want to give up for the day. I can’t say that I didn’t try. OH NO! Did I post on my blog that I would go for a run on Sunday? I did, and now I have to. Change of pants, a ride by the local school, just in case. Soccer. How long do these soccer games last anyway? The state park is just too far to drive to again. Turn around and drive over to the local hiking trails. After that my first run was almost uneventful. It wasn’t easy, but I managed with only one slight ankle twist. I’ll try running again on Thursday. Tuesday Swimming, Wednesday biking.
Friday, October 14, 2011
My first run
Barring bad weather I am going to go for a run on Sunday. There! I put it out there so now I have to do it.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
A TRIATHLON?
A triathlon? An OLYMPIC Triathlon? Laura, are you crazy? Yeah, I’m pretty sure that I am. You would think that getting winded just running around the block would deter me from such a thing. But I need exercise, and I know myself, and I know that I will NOT exercise for the fun of it. “What fun?” you ask. My point exactly. So I need a goal, something to motivate me. My pattern is to sign up for a completely unrealistic event, one so out of my reach it is laughable, and then work towards it. In 1998 I signed up for a cross continental bicycle ride. I didn’t even own a bike at the time. Somehow I did the ride and survived. My goal is, and always has been, not to win, or even place in my division. My single and only goal is to finish the race without completely embarrassing myself. Thanks to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society I will be on a strict training schedule with patient (hopefully) and qualified coaches. The catch is that I have to raise $3,525 for blood cancer research. Hey! Maybe I will save some lives other than my own.
Follow me here. I’ll try to post updates at least once a week discussing my plans, my progress my pitfalls, and my embarrassments.
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