Well, I've put my foot in it this time. Not content with my weight loss, not content with my participation in Chicago's Bike The Drive--where people get the chance to bike the entire 30 mile round trip, I've gone and done something I scoffed at not two years ago.
I've entered a triathlon.
Yep. I am now a triathlete--or will be when I finish.
And that's my goal. To finish. I have entered the Grand Rapids Triathlon.
Now, Momma zen didn't raise a masochist. I'm only in the sprint tri: That's a half mile swim, a 12.5 mile bike ride, and a 5K. I'm entered in the Clydesdale class--over 200 pounds.
Now this is all well and good, but now I gots to actually do the thing.
So I have begun training. For the first two weeks, my regimen looked something like this:
I would do a run/walk of 2 miles. The track at my local Y is 1/8 mile. So I would run a lap, walk a lap.
Then I'd get on the stationary bike for about 20 minutes.
Then I'd swim a quarter mile.
This week, I thought I would stretch it out a bit. I'd run a lap and a half, and walk a lap (2 1/2 miles), ride the stationary for 30 minutes, then swim my half mile.
Then my knee began to be mean to me.
So I have to finish out the week doing more stationary and swimming and not any running.
So I want on the elliptical today. Me likey. My knee thanked me.
But here's the thing. I still have to do a 5K, which means I need to get my knees in shape. I'm probably going to have to shell out some dollar to upgrade from my current running shoes into something really good and built more for me.
And I don't want to have to be forced into only walking during the 5K. I'd like to do some running--hopefully at least a third to a half of it.
So how am I doing? Today I did my half mile swim in 28 minutes. I've always swum like a fish. And 35 minutes on the elliptical and 30 minutes on the stationary add up to a great workout.
But I need to really start focusing on a good schedule and to begin to listen to my body. My doctor wants me to get a full cardiac workup, but there's no way I can afford a stress test without insurance. I'm seeing her in the beginning of May, and she did mention she may be able to do something creative about it, but we'll see.
But strangely, my biggest worry about this is finishing. That is, finishing so far last that everyone official goes home and so I don't get an official time or anything like that. But not to worry. Because there is also running concurrently an Olympic and a Half Iron Man triathlon at the same time.
So any training suggestions that are knee friendly and will help my knees build up endurance are welcome.