Lost 100

Taking off the Water Wings and Jumping into the Master's Swim Program

So, the first thing that was apparent to me when I walked into the pool area for my first session as a *master swimmer* was that I had somehow not gotten the memo about the uniform.  No, my multicolored red/purple/pink, high-neck so the girls don't pop out speedo, the one that all the old ladies in the locker room and pool deck just love (and yes, it does make me bitter when I get compliments about my suit from blue-haired ladies)...no my comfy, practical suit does not fit in the uniform scheme.  Which simply means I stand out like a sore thumb even more.  Just in case you were wondering, the apparent standard uniform for such an endeavor is a black TYR suit.  See pic on left.

Second, as I walked up upon the group I got the stink eye.  Yes, I really did.  And it caught me by surprise.  None of this Kumbaya bullshit that one gets at the end of a triathlon.  No, I represented these ladies worst nightmare--not only was I 'fat', but I may take up some of their precious time with the coach.  I'm sure they were wondering, would I be needy?  Would I get in their way?  Would I drown and have to be give mouth-to-mouth?  Don't worry, I float!

Third, first conversation I hear as I come upon the group [& this is not tongue-in-cheek in the least, I swear]:  "ya, yeserday I ran 19 miles & today I ran a fast 11."  A fast 11, huh.  Dude, I don't even think I've driven a fast 11!  In fact, if I ran 11 miles I would call every single person in my address book and casually mention I was feeling good, but a bit tired because I had just run 11 miles.  It would be on my Facebook page for a week.  I would tweet it.  I would post a newsletter to my college.  This would not be the fodder for a casual conversation at the pool.

Anyway, class started & it was hard.  I learned some things:

• I need to keep my head in the water more, my head is at an angle not really completely in the water.
• Because I'm pulling my head up too much my body is not flat in the water, but my leg appear to hang, which creates drag.  A good cure for this is to look at my feet.  Funny:  I can barely see my feet when I'm out of the water, much less in the water!!!
• When you swim your center of gravity is in your chest, not your hips...as you swim your body should rotate...if a stick is attached to the bottom of the pool, your body should rotate as you stroke so that the stick is under one armpit and then under the other.  Your hips rotate even further. 
• As soon as you breath, when you put your face back in the water you begin exhaling, and you exhale the entire time until you take your next breath.  At no time should you be holding your breath or should you be exhaling once your head is out of the water.

Our workout was solid & I was placed into a group with 2 other women.  They were stronger swimmers than I, but we made it work and I never got passed!

• 200M warmup
• drill, 2 stroke, 3x50M
• Main set:  3x50M (1:30)
• 3x100M (3:00)
• 2x150M (4:30)
• 2x100M (3:00)
• 3x 50M  (1:30)
• drill, drag & catch, 6x50M
• cool down, 100M
• Total M:1850

Now, I probably did about 6 lengths less than this between instruction and corrections.  But I still swam more than I ever have!!!  It was hard, but having other people there made it easier & of course having a coach to critique you helps a lot!  I'm planning another swim workout on Friday of this week, I'm going to try and swim the same routine.

I'll be back to 'The Master's Swim Program' (and yes, in my head I say that with a deep voice like 'masters of the universe!') next week and try to resist the urge to buy the uniform...but I may not be able to help myself...

My First Triathlon, part 1

Well, by now you may have heard that I did a triathlon this past weekend in celebration of my 35th birthday!

Well, here's the stuff you didn't know:

• Doing a triathlon is hard.  Harder than I expected.  
• I am not a good swimmer.  Um, swimming laps in the warm pool at the Y & the gym does not translate to swimming in the open water in the OCEAN and swallowing salt water, and getting kicked, and having a super hot guy in a kayak have to stay next to you the entire time because he was afraid you would drown, and then not being able to do freestyle because everytime you do water goes up your nose & down your throat, so instead you swim breast stroke and end up 50+ yards behind pretty much everyone.  Yes, and did I mention it was so foggy you couldn't see the next buoy, let alone all 5 buoys.  Finally, oceans have sharks...did you know I hate sharks?  Well, I do. 
• I have a mountain bike, not a road bike.  Okay.  What does that mean?  Apparently road bikes travel 33% faster than mountain bikes when applying the same exertion.  Crap.  So when I got out of the water and was the second to last person to get on the bike I then further got behind because I was going at least 33% faster than my potential potential (or something like that).
• Biking in a triathlon is not anything like spinning, even if the spinning instructor thinks it is.
• When you finish biking your legs feel like jello.  No, this is not some cutesy catchphrase, the legs wobble and trying to run your bike in is not an easy feat.
• It doesn't get any better once you drop your bike off.  You don't suddenly feel lighter, or grow wings, or hear Kanye West sing you 'Stronger'.  No, you feel like your legs want to collapse and eat bon-bons.  No, it doesn't help to tell your legs that they don't have a mouth and they can't eat bon-bons even if they wanted to.
• Feigning a hamstring injury does not help.  No one buys your bullshit. 
• When you want to quit an angel suddenly appears in front of you, telling you how she had to walk/run in intervals just to make it to the water stop (aka-the turn around point)...then she caught her breath and feels better--she assures you that you can do this. 
• Some dude with long hair shows up on a bike and tells you that your husband and kids are worried about you and he's checking to make sure you're okay.  You are, you assure him.  Then you plead with him to NOT announce you when you come in last--he promises.  He lies.
• After the water stop you jog, mostly because you don't want everyone to think you are a loser.  A little 8-year-old girl who is working the water stop is running behind you, you hear her slow down and you suspect it's because she senses that you will dissolve into tears if she passes you.
• When you turn the corner on the way back you see him.  No, not the hot guy from the kayak (no, you pretty much never want to see him again).  No, it's your darling husband running with your 2 little girls in the double jogging stroller.  He's here to see you through.  To help you finish.  Now you really do dissolve to tears.
• When you are 10 feet from the finish line your 3-year-old daughter jumps out of the stroller and finishes the race with you (you are somewhat bothered by the fact that she is still in her pajamas and is not wearing any shoes, but remember that your husband is pretty much a candidate for 'husband of the year' after the stroller incident, so you let it slide). 
• They announce you as the 'last one'--everyone claps, you smile, you are mortified inside. 
• But no one can take it away...you FINISHED a triathlon!
• Later you commiserate with friends...'I'm the real loser-I was on the couch with a hangover' says one, others point out your incredible weight loss & how far you had to come just to get to this point...it's still hard to know you were last.  To not get any clams at the clam bake because they were all gone.  But I do have the picture of me after the race...and I have my memories...and I have information--what it's like, what I need to train on...and I have A LOT of room for improvement!

FITNESS, PARENTHOOD, MENTAL HEALTH, TRIATHLONS, AIRPLANES & JENNIFER LOPEZ

I've been thinking a lot lately about the interface between parenting and exercise. If you know anything about me, that hour I get away from my kids everyday is what keeps me sane. Yes, I adore my kids--they are truly the BEST thing in my life...but with a traveling hubby, no family in town, and lacking a regular sitter let's just say I could easily be labeled 'one egg short of a dozen...elevator doesn't go to the top floor...etc.' So to avoid the looney bin (and a permanent place on the Lane Bryant shopping hall of fame list), I exercise at our gym for a hour most days. Sometimes I even take a shower (how novel, huh?) and rest in the sauna or steam room. Rejuvenation is the key to not killing ones kids.

I was very excited to hear a couple months ago that Jennifer Lopez was training for a triathlon. As you may know, she's a new mom of twins & I thought, what a great way to make sure you're taking time for yourself and setting a great example for your kiddos! It was the same level of inspiration I received when Katie Holmes, a fellow new mom, competed in the NYC marathon last year--I found it inspirational (and I especially appreciated her tip that she listened to Kanye West's 'Stronger' for the last 6 miles--it's become my 'don't quit/you can do it' song on the i-pod).

At any rate, here's a link to a People Magazine article about Jennifer Lopez competing in the triathlon in Malibu. I read a couple of blogs that referenced JLo's triathlon & I have to say I was shocked by a few of the comments. A few readers on OMG actually referenced the fact that Lopez had stated she was going to take some time off to care for the babies and that these readers felt Lopez's children were suffering because she was not caring for them appropriately.

In fact, I have to say, I find it disheartening that over and over again I see comments like these. Why do women feel the need to tear down other women? Are we jealous of each other? Maybe. Are we insecure with the choices we have made in our own lives? Perhaps. I can't think of why else a stay-at-home mom would belittle a mom who works or why a working mom would belittle a mom who stays home. Listen, I know I'm only a few short years into this whole parenthood thing, but I've done it all, I worked and sent baby S. to daycare, I stayed home, and now I work at home & TRUST me I don't have it all figured out yet! There are things about all 3 I loved, and things about all 3 I hate. I think there are definite benefits to my children with each and certainly things that are not so great with each choice. But one thing I hope I never do is judge the way someone else chooses to mother (especially in terms of the way she chooses to balance family/work).

And really to say that someone is taking time away from their kids by training for a triathlon (and this is not the Iron Man people, not to belittle the accomplishments of the competitors, but it's a 1/2 mile swim, 18 mile bike ride & 4 mile run--this is very do-able with probably 10 hours of training/week) is just insane! As parents we need to care for ourselves. I absolutely HATE this analogy, but it fits--when you're on the plane they tell you to first put the oxygen mask on your face before assisting others (even your kids). Why? Because sooner or later you're going to stop breathing and what help are you to anyone else if you're dead?!

WE MUST TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES! And by that I mean EATING HEALTHY, EXERCISING, MENTAL STIMULATION (reading anyone?), & SPIRITUAL RENEWAL (Church, Synagogue, Yoga, Prayer, getting in touch with nature--you need not be religious to be spiritual). When you take care of your mind-body-spirit you can be more present to the people you love. AND--it sets the example for your children on how to live a good life (after all if they don't see you moving your butt, they will be more likely to sit around in front of the TV or the computer or the video game system).

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR ACTIVITY LEVEL AND STAY MOTIVATED

Recently a fellow blogger on Elastic Waist (featured on Yahoo's SHINE) posed a question as to how to increase her activity level...this got me thinking, what would I recommend? So here are some ideas:

There are a number of things I do or recommend to try to increase activity:

1st--I MUST get a break from my kids everyday--so it's perfect that there is free daycare at the YMCA. If I go to the Y, I'm going to exercise--treadmill, the new AMT machine, bike, eliptical.

2nd--If I worry I'm not going to work hard enough I do a couple of things:
a. I set a goal (ie. I am going to get my heartrate to 160 and keep it there for a minimum of 5 minutes...or I want to keep my heartrate at 140 for 25 minutes).
b. I put on my ipod and go with a "go to" song--you know one of those songs that you can't go wrong with (Kanye West's "Stronger"--Melissa Etheridge "I Run for Life"--Beyonce "Crazy in Love"--Black Eyed Peas "Let's Get it Started in Here").

3rd--Get a buddy. Meet for a long walk. Go for a hike. Partner up at the gym. Tell your partner you want them to push you and challenge you. Try to find someone in slightly better shape than you.

4th--Hire a trainer. If they can't motivate you to work hard, they certainly can yell at you! Hey--we're all motivated somehow and it's their job to figure it out!

5th--If you are too embarrassed to be seen at a gym or outside (and even if you are 500 lbs you should NOT be) try a video or better yet, the free workouts the cable channel offers.

6th--If you have kids--put them in a stroller (and get a GOOD stroller, it may cost a few hundred but is totally worth it...our current stroller is the Phil & Ted's E3 Sport) and walk a few miles or go to the zoo or the park or anywhere where you can get some mileage in.

7th--Get a GOOD pair of workout shoes (do not pay attention to style--but rather fit)...I blogged about this a few weeks ago.

8th--Take a class at the gym--the "peer pressure" of having the other people in the class will help to keep you from quitting.

9th--Take up a fun activity with a group: join a softball, volleyball, soccer, basketball, hockey, or other team.

10th--If you have a little bit of extra money try hiring a personal trainer, sometimes they're cheaper than you think, even if you only meet 2 times and get some ideas of workouts that will work for you I think it's worth it!

Good luck!

What are some other ideas on how you and I can get and stay motivated about being active???

To see some links to my favorite workout products continue reading....

BE GOOD TO YOUR FEET...AND THEY'LL BE GOOD TO YOU!

This post is inspired by my new favorite "Lost100" subscriber Jami (okay, okay my fine feathered friends, you are *all my favorites*).

Jami wrote me and said her ankles were hurting after just 10-15 minutes of cardio (treadmill, elliptical, etc). She believes the pain is caused by a. bad workout shoes & b. being overweight.

So here are some tips I have for picking out a good pair of sneakers. Afterall, you only get one set of feet in this life and we need them for, oh, EVER. As I said to Jami, YOU ARE WORTH IT & as such your little feet and toes and arches and heels are worth it too!

LIFE DOESN'T START 12 LBS FROM NOW, EXCEPT WHEN IT DOES...

Jessica Weiner, an acclaimed author, self-esteem expert, and fabulous plus-size woman wrote a GREAT book entitled, "Life Doesn't Begin 5 Pounds From Now".  The message of the book is outstanding and wonderful and I hope women all over embrace it...here's my only issue:  One day I was at the Grand Canyon and my idea of fun was riding a donkey down into the canyon.  PROBLEM--I weighed 12 lbs too much!  Major bummer.  I wasn't discriminated against because I was "fat"--the thing is the donkeys can only hold so much weight.  So, I started thinking, there may be times when embracing our bodies and being totally comfortable with our muffin tops, chub-rub, and the like could hold us back from fully enjoying life...