The weather is beautiful and I forgot to blog...

Ok, so my intentions were good in creating this blog but I did just what I thought I would and that is fail to keep posting. A year later and here I am about to tackle Ironman Florida. It's been a long year of training, training, and more training. It's almost surreal to think I'll be competing in this race in three weeks. I can't believe how far my body has come as far as endurance goes and how my mental abilities have changed. Short runs these days consist of 6-7 mile runs and the longest has been a 20 mile run. I've used dailymile.com to log my training. I know a lot of triathletes that use beginnertriathlete.com but I like the simplicity of dailymile. If you want to check the website, I am under Elyce H.

To give you an idea of a typical training week...

Every Monday and Wednesday I teach spin at 9:30 and 12:00 at Fort Bragg

Monday: Spin x2 (60min each). Roughly 20 miles per class
Tuesday: Run 1:30, Swim 3500-3600meters (This is during peak phase...so, now)
Wednesday: Spin x2 (60min each)
Thursday: Ride tri bike 1:30 or around 20+ miles, Swim 3500-3600 meters
Friday: Rest or short swim
Saturday: Long brick. Lately it's been nothing less than 4:30-6 hours on the bike, followed by a 1 hour run.
Sunday: Long run. Last Sunday it was a 20 miler.

Total time for last week: 17 hours
Total mileage: 179

I feel somewhat stagnant in my training but I think that is because I'm used to this kind of mileage now and my head is in a different place than it was when I started. I accept having to do so much training and just do it rather than mulling over how much it hurts sometimes. Nutrition is key in all of this and it's been a separate challenge having to figure out what to eat and drink on the bike so as to have a good run.

I'm irritated with myself for not having kept up with blogging. From now on I will try to keep up with it. Happy fall, peeps!

A new year, new beginnings

Happy New Year! I don't know about you but I already have 2012 mapped out as I have registered for Ironman Florida on November 3. This means that my entire year will be full of training, training and more training. This will also include several races; at least one per month. I am excited but nervous. What if I am not ready come November? I have a training plan but this is the biggest race I will have ever completed and I want to train the right way. I now live in Fayetteville, NC where I am currently in grad school online and teach Spinning on Fort Bragg. Unfortunately, I live in a military town that lacks a real support system for this type of activity. While we have a cycling club, I am not a big fan of the participants. I am part of a triathlon team here but everyone is on different levels and the last thing I want to do is hold anyone back. My husband gets back in Feb from his year-long tour in S. Korea. I am so looking forward to having a gym partner back in my house! And just having my husband home :)

I have participated in numerous races to date, the longest being a half-ironman in Oklahoma City, 1.5 hours from where my husband and I were stationed in 2010. I left some dear friends there and we continue to push each other from afar.

This blog will be used to log my training, my meals and fuel systems as well as the races in which I am participating. I hope you enjoy following me on here as well as on dailymile where I log my daily workouts. Here's to a new year of new beginnings, new distance PR's and earning medals. Oh, and more race t-shirts. I mean, why else compete unless you get a t-shirt and a finishers medal, right?

Cheers!