Giving it a tri

Okay normally I don't post during the weekends, but tonight after a long day of laziness I decided to get up and get my run in.  I was so close to not working out tonight, but Friday is my day off training and I didn't really train too hard on Thursday it is just a walk day.  Tonight was the longest run I have done in several years, 40 minutes.  However I am so excited because I was able to follow the program which was a 7 minute walk warm up followed by 3 minute runs and 1 minute walks.  Basically I got in 3 miles including the 7 minute warm up in 38 minutes and was able to do over a 5K in 40 minutes.  I know that I will eventually have to do more running, in fact I think next week the schedule ups it to 4 minutes run 1 minute walk, but I think I will be ready. 

On Friday the hubby and baby and I went to the Dallas Museum of Nature and Science.  I was totally impressed with the kids area. It was much bigger then the FWMSH children's museum.  The museum seemed to be more interesting and interactive also.  It is smaller, but included in the cost of admissions was the Natural History museum next door. In it is mostly taxidermy animals which sounds creepy and kind of is, but the babe loved getting up close and personal to all the animals she was literally running from window to window.  Also this weekend they were opening a lego exhibit called cityscape, they were letting people peek in, but not go in. Overall it was a wonderful afternoon.  Then that evening we were able to meet up with the family and go to Yucatan Taco stand- muy yummy especially their plantains.  To end up a wonderful day we got yogurt at Menchie's and went to the apple store to play with the ipads.  

Okay here is randomness, but how many of you have heard of the Bubble Guppies?  You may have if you have kids or watch Nick Jr., but probably not many people. They certainly aren't in my radar of cartoons.  In my defense I found out they were a new show this spring.  My precious one came home from the babysitters early in the year saying bubble guppies practically before she was saying mama meaningfully.  So I investigated.  Although somewhat of a cheesy show with some educational content about- guppie children who go to school and sing.  The songs are contagious and I really want to download some of the songs especially the line up song to use in my classroom.  However they don't have them on itunes yet or even on Nick Jr. website.  We did purchase a few episodes for Ellie to watch on the ipod touch, so now we are both dancing and singing Bubble Guppies. 

I am reading a library book right now called Dog Handling which is pretty cute light summer reading, but as I blogged about a few weeks ago my library books are late.  And if that was it, I would owe a few dollars and chalk it up to library donations.  However, I checked out a dvd of animals and I can't find it anywhere.  I even dreamed the other night that I returned it, but I haven't. I checked.  I think my husband might have thrown it away along with the little one's first swim lesson certificate. How upsetting.  I even said to myself I shouldn't check this out, but I did and yes it did get lost. But I am going to get what I can out of my book and finish it so at least I can say the money was worth it. Happy Reading and Running!

Bricks are HEAVY

What is a brick?  Well, unbeknownst unto me before a month ago a brick is a bike then a run.  I really don't know how they got brick from that combo, but apparently it is important to train doing bricks because it prepares you for the transition from biking to running that happens in triathlons.  Tonight I did a 10 mile bike ride on the stationary at 24's - it took 39 minutes and then a 1.5 mile walk/ run in 20 minutes. That included a 5 minute walk warm up in between which I didn't think might be necessary, but I found out that it truly was for me tonight.  On other nights I have ran for longer and then done a shorter bike, but it was very different.  My legs took what seemed like twice as long to warm up and even then I couldn't run at my usual pace.  I can see why these bricks are important- they lay the foundation for success in triathlons.  Okay I know its cheesy, but when you are working out you have nothing better to occupy your mind then to think of cheesy sayings and to calculate the minutes you have left, the milage you went per minute and how long the actual race might take me.  Tonight the whole thing was an hour.

This past week I didn't follow my schedule as well. I still ran on Saturday night for 30 minutes doing 3 minute run 1 minute walk, but prior to that I only did a 8.5 mile bike ride on Wednesday.  I did still work out 4 times, but it was not exactly as planned.  I was also extremely tired this week it was like my body knew that it had to go back to work soon and was catching up on all the sleep it could before the school year started. 

On another note my husband had to discipline our little darling for his first time tonight.  She has been biting the wood on the back french door and has done more damage in the last couple of days then our dog had ever done for the last 7 years.  My husband told her to stop and she did.  But soon as she thought his back was turned she did it again.  I told him that he needed to discipline her so she wouldn't do it again.  He gave her a light tap and told her no and showed her the door and explained why not.  Her eyes welled and her lips puckered and it almost made me cry, which of course she was already in daddy's arms being held and kissed and told that we love her.  He said he never wanted to discipline her again.  It didn't take much that is for sure.  She is a kind and loving soul and I hope she never loses that curiosity, friendliness and over all obedient nature.  Thank you God every day for giving her to us to take care of and bring up as your child.

I want to do something really fun in these last couple of weeks with her, but I am running out of ideas.  I haven't yet done the Dallas museum of science and history, but I am not sure if it is as kid friendly as the FWM of Science and History and children's museum inside.  Would love suggestions.  

Tri GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOALS!

Sorta sad that the USA woman's soccer team lost the world cup.  However, they came so close!  My goals are not near as lofty or prestigious or even in the same category, but are none the less they are goals.  When I first signed up for the triathlon my goal was completion and believe me that is still my goal.  However the more I follow my 11 week training schedule from http://www.trinewbies.com/tno_trainingprograms/10wtp.pdf I realize that I should probably set time goals for each event and perhaps later an over all time in order to push myself.  I have been swimming the 300meters in under 15 minutes with no problems, but I don't know if I will be able to reduce that much so my goal for swimming is 13 minutes.  Next up is the biking.  I do not have biking muscles- I never went long distances on a bike or for that matter for long periods of time when I was younger. The best it got on my bike was around the driveway.  I still struggle with making turns some days.  So that is going to be my toughest event.  It is a 20K and currently according to my schedule I rode a little over 8 miles on Sunday on the bike in a little less then 50 minutes on some hilly terrain.  I am really hoping to get my time down to 58 minutes.  This is going to be very difficult for me because I really don't like to go fast- it scares me.  Since the path doesn't look as hilly I might have a hope. Then again I have to shave off quite a bit of time.  Finally my last goal is the last event-running.  Like I said in the last blog- I am not really even running a mile completely yet.  However, I am feeling stronger with my run and my goal is 35 minutes.  Tonight I ran/ walked 2.45 miles in 30 minutes.  I do have at least 11 more weeks before the actual event so it is possible.  Especially since I am more experienced with running although I have not done it in a while.  If I was going to make a realistic overall goal including transitions at this time I am hoping for right at 2 hours. That would be sooo awesome!   I hope these goals aren't too lofty because I have never had transitioned before in a realistic hurried setting.  The 2 hour goal leaves 14 minutes for transitions that seems like alot of time, but I will probably need every second.  I have only missed one session so far and I can't beat myself up for that I just have to keep on the road.  Literally.  Tomorrow night is another night of running and swimming and biking on Wednesday.  Hopefully I don't fizzle out.
The exercise has really helped me to shed some of my anxiety about other aspects of my life right now regarding what next year will look like.  I know that God will take care of me and lead me in the right direction.  Right now I pray for peace of mind regarding whatever God has in store for me.
I have goals for my personal life right now also to get back in God's word.  Hopefully I can set a realistic schedule for that and get going also.
Last week was a great week!  I met with a couple of friends and enjoyed the camaraderie that I often miss once school starts.  I also got to take the little cutsie to the Dallas Aquarium- she loved it!  Every time I go there is more to see and the only thing that upsets me in the well maintained well researched amazon jungle feel of the aquarium is the sad lone leopard in the small cage.  I really think that it needs a bigger home.  We also went to the zoo again on Friday- the monkeys were awake since we got there when it opened and swinging around and there was a baby monkey carrying a precious piece of cardboard as its treasure all around the enclosure.  The highlight for me though this time was the snow leopard whose enclosure is at least 5 times the size of that at the Dallas Aquarium was rubbing and pacing by the glass as usual, but this time I stuck out my hand and at first he pressed his face as hard as he could where my hand was by the glass like a cat would that wanted to be petted.  Then he did it again, stopped... and all of a sudden he reared back on his back legs and batted my hand from behind the glass and then my husband tried and he did the same thing.  I have never seen him do that before!  Animals are so interesting- when I am there it makes me go back to my 5 year old self and my desire to become a vet someday.  However,  I really do thing teaching is my field and I am where I am supposed to be at least for now.

Tri Crazy?!?

Okay it is no secret that I am not quite back to my pre-baby body even after a year.  So I decided to sign up for a triathlon. What?  Say that again!  Yes I signed up for a triathlon- oh it doesn't matter that I can't even run a full mile, or that I weigh more then I ever have before.  What is even worse is that I signed up for the triathlon back in early March. Don't you love procrastination!  This week I decided to get in gear.  So I decided to blog about it to keep my self accountable to my goal.  So far I have worked out 3 times this week so that is a pretty good sign.  I have a schedule for the next 11 weeks and it says that at the end of the training that I will be ready.  I am really hoping that is true and that you all don't get a notification that I died on October 2nd 2011.  Tonight Jimmy tried to teach me how to change my bicycle tire in case I get a flat during the event.  What?  I have to change my own tires?  I quit.  No not really, but it didn't help that during my lesson in changing my tire that Jimmy blew the first tube he put in.  I heard a big pop and I asked uhhh was that what I heard?  I am scared.  I really hope I don't get a flat because I am probably more likely to walk my bike the rest of the way.  At this point it is really frustrating because regular work out places really don't carry great work out attire/ gear for overweight people who want to work out.  Sure I can fit into some of the bigger sized clothing- but I hate anything tight on me when I work out.  So that usually means that I don't have proper gear.  I am hoping running in 100 plus degree weather will help take off some of these pounds that have made a home on my body.
In other news being at home this summer has been great with Ellie.  I have been able to have fun with her watching her discover and explore her world around her.  It is amazing to me how much personality she has and how interested she is in learning.  She is growing up so fast.  We have been to the zoo, fort worth museum of science and history, amon carter museum, cowgirl museum and library story times as well as swimming lessons earlier this summer before we all went to Cozumel, Mexico.  We stayed at the Iberostar Resort All Inclusive and loved it.  I finally wrote a review about it on Trip advisor.  I love to travel and what I love to do as much if not even more then traveling is planning my travel and helping other people travel and giving them tips and advise that I have learned.  Sometimes people ask for help and get much more then they bargain for, perhaps too much, but oh well.
The only problem is that I think about school way too much- I have worked on some stuff, but I am avoiding it by reading whatever I can get my hands on. Unfortunately I read too quickly and therefore my amazon bills have been high.  I had to start going to the library, but I am horrible at returning library books on time and usually end up paying in fees what I might have gotten it for at amazon.  I am always open for suggestions.  I have also been busy reading other teachers blogs which has put me in the mood to write more and create my own stuff.   Perhaps I will try my hand at putting my stuff out there and creating more stuff to share for other kinder teachers.  For now I am back to reading and tri-ing hard.  Workouts I have done:
Tuesday:  30 minutes walk/ run alternating minutes. 25 min. bike ride, 300 meter swim
Thursday: run/ walk 30 min.
Saturday: 30 min. walk/ run 20 min. walk
Tomorrow the plan is bike 5 miles/ swim 300.
Jimmy tells me it is cooler to run in the morning but I am an evening person and I can't function.  Night exercise has always been my thing.  Night blogging is also my thing. So Buenos Noches.