Here we go!

Well, today is the day I start my journey. I am looking forward to meeting my 'coach' and 'team' tonight! I am also somewhat nervous, because me just "going on a run" tonight means more than just any old run. This is it. This is the beginning of the road to Ironman. (Or, maybe it's the first turn off that road... as the first road was signing up for it... anyway... I digress.) :)
We'll also be race planning tonight, so I should know exactly what my race schedule will look like from now through September.

I did start off the New Year by running the Polar Dash 10K on Friday and what a cold dash it was! My toes were frozen for the first 2.5 miles until they started to thaw out. The sun was out though and overall it was a nice New Year's Day for a race. I have a couple of friends who were crazy enough to run that day as well!
Here's the super cool medal we got and a shot of us after the race!

I used this last weekend to relax and try and get myself organized so I can ease into my daily training and try to not feel overwhelmed. Saturday and Sunday I took off from working out, then last night I got in a nice relaxing swim of 2500 yards. Here is roughly what my first week will entail:

Monday: Swim 45 min.
Tuesday: Run for 1.25 hours
Wed: Bike for 1.5 hours
Thurs: Bike for 1.25 hours, Run for 15 minutes
Fri: Swim 60 min.
Sat: Run 1.25 hours, Bike 1.25 hours
Sun: Swim 1 hour, Bike 1.5 hours, Run 30 minutes
Total - 11.5 hours

Over the long weekend I was able to clean my house, fix a computer, stock up on groceries, and make sure I had some meals cooked. I was also able to do some shopping, watch a couple of movies, and we went to the Vikings game on Sunday to watch them nearly shutout the NY Giants!! My first time seeing Brett Favre LIVE, which was awesome!

Hopefully my planning ahead will now let me be able to spend some time snuggling on the couch with my little Ella these next few nights when I get home from training, versus having to clean or cook or do anything. I know I am going to be tired. There is just something about winter training too. I always feel more tired when I get done winter evenings versus evenings in the spring and summer. It could be because I have to build up a 'base' this time of year and by the time summer comes around, I've already built it. Or more likely it's due to the fact that by the time I get off of work, it's dark. By the time I start my workout, its dark, and by the time I'm done with my workout, it feels like it should be bedtime it's been dark for so long! Nonetheless, here's to being organized and hoping this first week goes well.

I found it funny that yesterday, on the morning show I listen to, they were talking about New Year's resolutions and how everyone usually fails on theirs within the first couple of weeks. The host made some comment regarding everyone’s failed resolution "it's not like you should make a resolution to quit your job and train for an Ironman". As if the only people who train for Ironman quit their job. It made me laugh because that is exactly one of the challenges of this. Who could or would quit their job to train? If you have that luxury, be my guest, but I bet the majority of IM prospects work 45-50 hours like the rest of the world PLUS add on the hours needed of training. I like my job and what I do and the whole reason I have the opportunity at this point in my life to do Ironman is because of my job. Triathlon training, tri gear, races, oh and not to mention... Tri bikes... are not cheap. So... I'll keep working, and I'll keep training, and I know I'll be short on time this year, and I'll have to give up time going out with friends, and I'll be giving up some of my monthly trips to Duluth, but this will all be worth it come September.

It will ALL be worth it.

Here's hoping by September 12th of this year my butt will be nice enough to have closeups taken of it...