I hope I am on the right track

Wow, I am doing this a few days ahead as the weekend will be crammed.

To date: April 25/09 I have maintained my weight at 186 Lbs. My nutrition consists mainly of proteins and a few carbs (always shooting for whole grains). I have not increased my training routine but my abilities continue to improve. Is it a reaction to the weight loss?

Two weeks ago I did two routines for each of my three sports, one just happened to be a test triathlon I did on my own on Sunday morning. As my first scheduled race approaches on May 9, it was great to go over that and then point out what I did correctly and what I need to pay attention to. Here are the results:
SWIM (750 yds) - 14:03
BIKE (14.71 miles) - 46:41
RUN (3.31 mi) 33:42
I took just about a minute between each sport to get the appropriate gear on. For a grand total of 1HR:36MIN:37SEC

I am so excited as I should expect to repeat my one and only triathlon last year but about 5-6 minutes faster with the condition I am at today.

The week of April 20th has been rather limited as well but I reached a huge milestone. After resting my body for 2 days I ran 5.25 miles. This particular run felt real good: relaxed, with a spring in my feet, heart rate steady at 158, all the right stuff runners talk about. I finished in 44:04. What a surprise when I calculated that I ran at 8:24min/mile. WOW! I want more of this.

What was the cause of this speed?
Was it the rest? was it the triathlon on Sunday?
Was is the mexican meal I had 2 hrs prior? was it the weight loss?
I want to think it was a combination of events, but above all else, persistance and determination for 3 1/2 months are paying off in a big way.

This weekend will be my son's promotion to green belt in Tae Kwon Do. It'll also be his BDay - that means I will not be attending the season opening triathlon (St. Anthony's) in St Pete. Yes, I wanted to go but in the big scheme of things, there are things I can live without, and there are memories that I want to create and allow my children to relive later in life. God and Family are my top priorities, there will be other races to attend in less important weekends. If I am getting healthier now as an attempt to stay here in this life with them longer. I trust that you are all doing the same.

Sat 4/25: One more note to add- today I ran 10.56 miles in 1:46 - avg 10 min mile. Another milestone reached. I am well on track for completing a half marathon before the end of the year. Yipee!!!

Until my next blog, and GOD Bless!

Tampa Bay on Superbowl Sunday... One month into my journey.

This week (Superbowl week) has been a crazy one here in the Tampa Bay area... all the news are focusing on the stupid celebrities. Don't get me wrong, I do applaud the few ones who are in touch with their souls (aka Tony Dungy) and are good role models, however, the majority are a bunch of scumbags. And though football is not my favorite sport, watching the Superbowl is like the watching the Hawaii Ironman.

Now back to the purpose of this blog... One month into my journey.

This week I reached a major milestone. I reached the halfway mark of my weight goal, in just one month. Yes, I am aware that the first pounds are the easiest to lose, and that this is the time when most people sabotage their plans. To me, I have truly enjoyed the lo-carb lifestyle and don't miss a gram of carb, so I know I will be able to stay on track; I am also looking forward to doing my workouts. I have had 2 black espressos a few days apart, have had a few sandwiches, but have not failed on my new food program (I refuse to call it a diet). The weather this week was a bit cold for any outdoor rides but today was a beauty at 65, I couldn't resist putting in a long run.

Regarding physical activity:

Swim: my first and only swim workout on Sat AM (heated outdoor pool on 40 degree weather) - swim with coach Roy who picked on a few areas I need to work and improve. There was no distance or time measured, just swim while the coached observed me. His feedback: not bad for never having a coach, but... lots of improvement are needed. One main area to focus: endurance.

Bike: Rode Spinervals twice, once endurance the other speed.

Run: 5k race route at 9:42/mile and a long 8.12 mile at 9:50/mi. No doubt the weight loss (about 8% of my starting weight) has affected my speed and ability to go long. Felt real good at the end; probably could have gone for 10.

Notes:
On Tue, I ran out of gas during the 5K route, a few factors to consider: 1. ran pre-lunch 2. this was a nooner run (never before). I thought this meant that I would have to adjust my diet to include more carbs, but I didn't have this effect on any of the other workouts, most likely this means that I went anaerobic on that run, but I have to learn to stay aerobic - and the best way is by inching up my lactate threshold. Plan: stick to lo carb as planned. Practice more intervals for LT tolerance.

Last week I was 5 lbs heavier. This week, I reached the halfway mark on my weight loss goal, and exercised on all three sports. Looks like I am sticking to this plan.

I had the crazy idea that if I stay on this track I might try a half marathon (13.1 mi) this season. That's a 2010 goal. I will need to consult this with my coach - I am not sure if I should try to go the distance, or if I should focus on speed, but I can't deny that the bug has bitten me and I have an itch for a half marathon. I'll let you know the decision later on this blog.

I gotta go now, halftime show just started. Hey, I only watch the Superbowl for the commercials... right!