Well, well, well... Look at me.

So I did nothing for the month of June, until today, June 30. I got off my ass and ran in the sweltering heat. I didn't get too far, but dammit, I did it. And I'm going to try and stick with it. The end.

End of week 18, beginning of week 19, Cristin

I didn’t feel well Friday but I did take a 20 minute walk because after I slept for a couple hours after work I felt kinda gross and needed to get out of the house. Luckily, by Saturday I felt fine and went for a run.

On Sunday I also ran and added in some push ups, tricep dips, step ups, and sprints. After that I did a few round offs, cartwheels and handstands just for fun. I watched the NCAA Gymnastics Championships earlier in the day and was feeling quite inspired! In case you didn’t know, I really wish I was an elite gymnast. Big time.

Monday was another run. I’ve been running a lot more because the weather is so nice it pains me to be inside a gym sometimes. I’ve really gotten back into it and I couldn’t be happier about it. For the most part, I’ve been running a little over two miles and on Saturday I ran 3. I am so excited to be a runner again! I’m not focusing on time so much although I am aware of it and it seems like I’m running right around a 10 minute mile which is A-OK with me.

Week 15, Day 2, Herpreet

Wednesday we did strength training. Where we run a quarter mile lap, do some exercises and run again. The strength training included step ups, squats, push ups, bicycle crunches, oblique crunches, super mans, squats. I think that's it. I'm apporpriately sore in my abs and butt and thighs.

Skipped my bike ride today because it's rainy and my last full day hanging with my old roomie. She heads back to NY tomorrow.

Week 14!!! Herpreet

Today was a run. We have a new triathlon coach, and I sort of miss our former coach. It takes a while to get used to someone new, and I was finally used to Shellie O, and sort of loved her. But she had to leave us for a 9-5 office kind of job. Which, I know she's lucky to have landed, given the economy, so I wish her well.

I also know that I'll come to love our new coach. She is a grandmother. She is in her early 60s, and she started doing triathlons a few years ago. She's been training with Shellie O. ever since. She just got her USA Tri certification. When she first started training, she did not know how to swim at all.

So, clearly, there are already a lot of reasons to admire her. And I do. But she's definitely a quieter sort of person than the former kick-ass coach, who had competed, not one, but TWO iron mans. And she'd competed in three of them. She's also been doing these events for years and years.

Okay, I guess I need to move on. I just needed to mourn a bit.

Like I said, today we ran. I did just fine. I am a fine runner. I have no fears about running, pacing, endurance, etc. (Now if I was doing more than a 5K, I'd have a different story to tell.

On Friday, we bike. One good thing about my new coach is that I think, since she could not swim when she began, that she'll pay extra attention to my swimming (which I told her I am scared about).

Week Thirteen, Day 2, Herpreet

Yesterday I ran my ass off, figuratively. In my triath class, we did an entire 5K to benchmark our time. I had to stop and walk toward the end. I think I walked about 1/4 miles or a little less, and then I finished out the run and managed to catch up to the girl I'd been running with up until I had to stop and walk. When I caught up to her, I said, "Let's go in really fast," and she and I picked up our pace and pushed to the end as fast as we could.

We ran on a hilly trail (my instructor's words). And I finished in 32 minutes. I'm happy with that time. It would be awesome if ever I could break a ten-mile minute, but you know what? I'll take what I can get. I felt good about it yesterday, and today, my body feels not so good.

I am considering doing a really short event on April 28 to warm up for the real thing on May 17. The reason is that the April 28 one has a 200m swim in open water. 200 meters does not scare or intimidate me in the least, so I feel like it could be a really great pre-event practice to get me comfortable doing the 800m in open water.

Week 10 Day 2 Natalie

Let me tell you, that ballet can wreak some havoc on the old muscles. Yowza! I'm still sore today! But I went for a run this afternoon, and it's definitely time for me to relocate for my runs. I'm just sick of my routes! So maybe next week I'll try the lakes or even try to do more at the rec center. I suppose we'll see when we see. I'm off to New Orleans this weekend for the St. Patty's Day parade down there, so this may be it for me as far as exercise goes, but I think that the ballet class was a goal in itself and I reached it, so I'm okay with just 2 days this week. Happy weekend everyone!

Week 10, Day 1, Cristin

Eh, yeah, so last week wasn't the greatest. Oh well. I started this week off with a 20 minute run outside. It was kind of rainy and kind of cold but it felt good.

I'm hoping that getting back to my Sunday start will make this week more productive.

Week 9 Days 4 & 5 Natalie

That's right! 5 days! Friday I did a short run but ran hard, followed by some yard work that involved using a rake AND a shovel. Yesterday was Race for the Cure, but I didn't think I wanted to run, so I rode my bike over there so that I could walk it without feeling guilty. Then I ran the fun run and part of the 5k. Then I rode my bike home. Today was a day of pure lazy and relaxation. Slept past noon, had lunch with JK, then snacks and a visit with the neighbors. ah!

Week 9, Days 1 & 2, Herpreet

On Monday, our class did a swim. We always swim on Mondays. Last week I was in the depths of despair. Missing my friends. Missing familiar places. Familiar plants. Familiar food. Everything. I had also been working on a story ALL WEEKEND. And that does not make for a healthy-minded-herpreet. In fact, when I hole up and write like that for days without stopping to see the sun, I turn into a low, low creature. So that Monday, I was not in a good place. And I couldn't finish our swim. And that made me feel even lower.

BUT. This past Monday, we swam a total of....1400 yards!!!!! Amazing. Last week I couldn't even do the 600 we did, and this week I pushed through a whole 1400!!! (1600 yards is a mile! -So think about swimming the mile you run. Not bad, right?). Just to be clear, this was not 1400 strait swimming. We did a lot of endurance building exercises. For instance, we swam 100, did a 20 second rest and then repeated for a total of 400 yards. Then we did a longer rest. Then we broke it down into doing 50 yards with 10 second rests in between, etc.

Today, we are running at Barton Springs. I am happy about this because a) I'm starting to really love running, and b) it's nice outside - yesterday I noticed wisteria growing and it made me feel incredibly happy!

Is it Week 9 Already?

Holy Guacamole! Week 9 starts off with a bang. I didn't especially feel like running this afternoon, but I did it anyway. I'm seriously considering trying to make the ballet class at the rec center tomorrow evening. The prospect of spring and warmer weather has me overjoyed!

Week 8, Days 1 and 2, Herpreet

MONDAY. I. had. a. terrible. swim. I don't even know if you could call it a swim. I DID NOT feel up for my class. Then I got there, and we were supposed to swim 400 meters (8 laps/16 pool lengths) off the bat (after a short warm up). And we were supposed to swim them at race speed. I had to stop in the middle. We were trying to bench mark our time. I stopped at the end of the pool and said to my instructor: "I can't benchmark today. I'm sorry. I just know that I can't." And I was glad to admit it, but also felt really crappy about myself, on top of the fact that I've generally been feeling moody and homesick and have been missing my friends terribly. It made me feel worse. I did still get in a little swim and feel better for it than I would if I hadn't gone at all.

But it also put me into a panic about the triathlon. I started feeling like maybe I'm going to have another anxiety attack in the water on event day...

Today, I'm still feeling kind of blah and homesick. Friend-sick is the real problem. But I go on a run, and strangely enough - running has become the sport I'm best at of the 3 triathlon events. So hopefully, the run will help build my spirits. It's a beautiful sunny day here. So being in the sun will also hopefully help...

Week 7, Day 1, Herpreet - and special message to Kevin

Hola!

Last week, we did a bike ride instead of a hike - the weather was bad on Saturday, so no hike. But Sunday, we got out and rode. I admit that after 2 1/2 miles we stopped and had a glass of wine and a sandwich before we rode 2 1/2 miles home...

TODAY!!!! A run on a beautiful day! I go at noon.

Kev - WHAT CAN WE DO TO GET YOU BACK ON TRACK???? HOW CAN WE HELP??

Week 6 Day 2,3, etc.

I'm still not feeling 100%. I went on a walk with my friend and the dogs on Wednesday, then yesterday I actually ran. I went very slow, and not very far, and today I feel as though maybe I took a step back. So I'm going to stick to walking until at least Monday. Poop. I have not enjoyed my rest because it's included illness, and I don't want to lose steam!

Week 6, Days 1, 2, and 3! Herpreet

Hola bloggercisers! On Monday, I did a swim at the Y with my class. We did a lot of swim drills that I was really bad at. And this frustrated me. I also swallowed water. I did not care for that. When I got home, I had to pour a mix of vinegar and rubbing alcohol into both ears to get the water out. Make, of the tone of this, what you will.

Then, on Wednesday, we met at a local highschool's track. Digression: The entire track is made of recycled rubber from running shoes. That is pretty cool, if you ask me. I did a 1/4 mile jog to literally warm up while I waited for the other team mates to arrive. It was a windy day. When they arrived, we all did a 1/4 mile warm up together. Then the real workout began:

1/2 mile around the track (2 laps) - 10 push ups - 10 supermans - 20 bicycle crunches - 10 squats - 10 lunges.
1/4 mile around the track - Repeat above exercises.
1/4 mile around the track - Repeat above exercises.
1/4 mile around the track - Repeat above exercises.
1/4 mile around the track.

Needless to say, yesterday, I WAS VERY SORE. I moved around like a really old lady. Today, I am mildly sore. We don't have class today, b/c it's an Austin public school holiday, and our coach has kids, as do people in the class. We also don't have class on Monday. BUT - I am going to self-motivate.

Tomorrow, for my day 3 of this week, I plan to do a hike with C. I don't know yet where we'll go, but for my birthday, he gave me a book that includes a bunch of nice trails around Austin. So, that will be my day three. I think I deserve a relaxed hike after that crazy Wed. workout.

Week 6, Day 2, Cristin

Lunchtime workout on the treadmill. I went just over 1 ½ miles in about 20 minutes, walking included. And I’ve decided that is great since I really need to work on actually being a runner again before I try to care about time. And then I did 20 push ups. Not bad for a Monday.

Week 5 Day 3 Natalie

Just went for a run. Friday afternoon. Didn't really feel like it because I feel I might be malnourished because I didn't eat dinner last night and today I've had cheese puffs, coke, birthday cake, and 1/2 of a Take 5 candy bar. But it was fine, and I actually picked up my pace a bit. 2.24 miles. No elliptical this week, house renovations kept me from going to the rec center. Maybe I'll try for tomorrow. The end!

Week 5, Days 1 & 2, Herpreet

The triathlon training is going really well. Monday, we did a 1000 meter swim - which is just over 1/2 mile! Not all at once, but in total.

Today, we ran 3 miles! Since I usually hit a wall at 2 miles, I am exceptionally happy about this. We did a little game to build our endurance. I'll tell you what it was so you can try it too if you want - you can play alone. We did a nice slow warm up jog, and then someone would yell out, "To the 2nd bench! Moderate!" And everyone had to run a moderate pace to the 2nd bench on the trail. When we got there we'd slow back down, and the next person would yell, "To the water fountain! Fast!" And we'd pick up the speed and go to the fountain, then bring it down and the next person would yell out. We did slow, moderate and fast pace. It really made running the trail move SO MUCH FASTER.

In general, I have to say, that today is the first day I felt really, truly psyched that I am doing another triathlon. I decided that after finishing this one, if I don't panic in the water, and all goes smoothly, I am officially going to be able to say that I am a triathlete.

I haven't begun training every single day. I'm giving myself one more month of only training on my class days, but come March, I'll get going to an everyday routine.

I'm sad to report that the yoga has gone by the wayside. Hopefully, I'll get to it again, eventually.

Week 5 Day 1, Day 2 Natalie

I didn't fit the 3rd day in last week, unless you want to count a marathon drinking event in Philadelphia on Friday. Wing Bowl, a chicken wing eating contest and annual shit-show lured me in at a ridiculous hour and spit me back out late in the evening. Needless to say, I spent much of Saturday on my friend's couch watching The Worlds Scariest Places as narrated by Zelda Rubenstein.

But I came home Sunday night, and as much as I really didn't want to, I went for a run Monday afternoon when I got home from my internship. It wasn't fast, it wasn't very long... about 2.3 miles at a sluggish pace, but hey- I did it, right? And today I went for a quick jaunt when I got home from school, just under 3 miles, with an attempt to work on speed by trying to pick up the pace for a minute or so every once in a while. So, I'll keep with that and hopefully hit the rec center for some ellipticaling tomorrow. I also bought the Women's Health guide to fitness or something ridiculous about that, which should be stuffed with helpful information about how to get fit. If I find anything amazing, I'll be sure to pass it on. SO! there we have it.

Week 5, Day 1, Cristin

I decided that a Sunday start is key to me getting at least 4 workouts in each week. So I ran OUTSIDE on Sunday. Yes, it was a balmy 37 degrees here so I seized the opportunity! I ran for about 20 minutes over lots of snow and ice but it felt great!

I am also happy to report that my jeans are fitting better than they did at the beginning of January. Hurray!

Week 4, Day 2, Herpreet

The triathlon class is GREAT for keeping me regular with cardio. Today we ran. I did a 2 miles total - walking and running. The first 1/4 mile walk was a warm up. Then a one mile run. Then a 1/4 walk, then a 1/2 mile running cool down. The one mile was to record my benchmark - Today it took me 10:50 total, with my avg. 1/4 mile being 2:43 I think. So I'm aiming to first get back to a 10 minute run, which feels very doable, and then to bring my run down to maybe 9:30 min.

I haven't been keeping up with my yoga, but I'll try to get back with that, I promise.

By the way, I feel like we are all doing exceptionally well!