PT Diaries

A lot has happened in the last few weeks but honestly I haven’t felt like writing. I’ve been keeping to myself these days; focusing on my training and work.

My personal training sessions have been hard.  I’m not sure if it’s my frame of mind or if deWolf is pushing me harder? The track and the hill sprints combined with yoga once a week are definitely proving to be worthwhile.

A) Yoga:  Everyone has been telling me since day one to stretch more. I’ve been going to Infrared Yoga once a week for about two months now and I can definitely see a difference in my flexibility.

B) Hills: I’ve been squeezing them in once a week.

C) Speed work: I’ve hit the track with deWolf and its been brutal each time. He makes me run six 800 meter sprints. (my speed ranges from 3:23 – 3:58) If whine or complain I don’t want to go again deWolf reminds me “The only way get faster is to run fast!”

My last few long runs have been amazing; not only am I getting faster, it seems almost effortless.   I remember reading about this phenomenon in Born to Run by Christopher McDougall “Think, Easy, Light, Smooth, and Fast.” On yesterday run I managed three new personal records:

• Fastest 10 km 51:50
• Fastest 21.1 km 1:54:50
• Longest run 29 km 2:42:10

Swimming on the other hand has been a huge obstacle, holding me back from contemplating triathlons in the past. I thought best to face this fear head on; so I signed up for an adult swimming class a few weeks ago. With much apprehension I attempted a few laps in the pool sans water wings before my first lesson.

After only two classes and one visit to the pool on my own and I’m wondering where my apprehension ever came from?  I know I have a long way to go before I build up the endurance I’ll need to complete the 3.8 km swim at IronMan Canada but I feel confident in the water and more importantly I’m enjoying it; that’s half the battle right?

I’ve been warned against putting off riding, so last weekend I went shopping with my friend Mike. As we entered the first bike shop Mike said to the sales guy “She’s looking for a bike for IronMan.” In a condescending tone he replied “You don’t have a bike? How are you training? You know the ride is 180km?” Instantly irritated I snapped back “The only bike I own has a basket! As for training I’m here and I have a year don’t I?!” The sale guy seems taken aback “Fair enough.” he said as he started his pitch on the neon green Quintana Roo tri bike, which was on sale for $3600. I’m a sucker or he was a good sales person because I was actually contemplating purchasing it on the spot. Luckily Mike talked some sense into me “If it was me, I’d looked a bit more; it will be here later if you still want it.” We went to three other bike shops and I searched relentlessly for a my bike to jump out at me. I was sure that shopping for a bike was like shopping for anything else, I would just know it’s the one when I see it,  won’t  I? Unfortunately, I returned home emptied handed and feeling disappointed. There was a pink tri bike online I really liked but the quality of the component package wasn’t as good as other options that were available to me in the same price range.  I could buy so many things for the price of a bike. I could revamp my wardrobe or better yet, I could finally get that gorgeous Gucci purse I’ve been wanting to buy for years… sigh…

I know I would love and cherish the Gucci purse for years to come. Black, leather and classic looking it would fabulously compliment many of my outfits. Yet, justifying the purchase of tri bike I have no way of knowing if I’ll even enjoy seemed to come easier.

PT Girl xo

If by any chance you’ve been reading my blog from its inception you’ve seen Mike’s name before. He’s the fitness freak who got me into running and encouraged me to stick with my Personal Training journey at times when I wanted to quite. He’s also the one that warned me that once I started down this road there was no turning back. “Slippery Slope!! I’m warning you.” he always says. With a positive attitude and passion for life, Mike  has a way of encouraging people of all fitness levels to get moving.

Mike ran his first marathon in 2005 and completed his first Iron Man in 2006 in 12:37:55. He is a three time Penticton Iron Man finisher who loves to subtly hint that I should do one (or at least a half) as well.  We usually have this conversation after we’ve drank too many GG martinis and my confidence is soaring. “Yeah for sure! Next summer!” I always say.  My pounding head ache in the morning is a reminder that the vodka was doing all the talking. Although my inner voice whispers telling me it’s just a matter of time until I venture down that path…Yikes?!

Mikes second Iron Man was in 2007 and he finished in 12:00:29
In 2009 he cut another 32 minutes off his time and completed in 11:28:30

2009 Time Breakdown

Swim 3.8 km – 1:08:33
Transition 1 – 5:13
Bike 180 km – 5:49:47
Transition 2 – 3:02
Run 42.2 km – 4:21:57

My friend Alicia and I were there to support Mike at his lastest race. Watching the athletes compete ALL DAY LONG put the grueling race in perspective for me. The swim started at 7 a.m. I get claustrophobic in the water; I can’t even wrap my mind around swimming 3.8 kilometers in a sea of people.

We drove ahead of Mike on the bike course, stopping four to five times to take pictures and cheer him on. It was over thirty degrees in the blazing sun and the 180 kilometer route was painful to us even though we had air condition, music and road pops. I couldn’t image having my butt on those tiny bike seat’s for countless hours battling endless punishing hills.

By the second transition, Mike’s been going nonstop for about seven hours and is now preparing to run a freaking marathon. I’ve heard this switch is the most challenging, since your legs need to adjust to the different motions.  By this point Alicia and I were wiped from watching all the madness. We knew we had a few hours to kill before meeting up with Mike at the half way mark of his run, so we parked the truck and headed to the nearest pub for a bite to eat and a few cocktails.

After finishing his swim, ride and run in 11:28 he still had enough energy to join us at the pub for a few rounds. We sat there replaying the events of the day. I was amazed at how many people participated and astonished at their dedication! I was also shocked at the different caliber of fitness levels that competed and completed. “So are you going to sign up for next year?” Mike asked me. “No way! Not after seeing the painful ride” I replied, secretly wishing I had the nerves (aka balls) to line up the next morning.  As we ordered another round of drinks we saw the very last contestant make the cut off time; Sister Madonna, 75 years old crossed the finished line at 16:54:30. “Huh…..? You got to be kidding me!! That’s absolutely amazing!!…I’m such a chump!” I thought to myself.

This year Mike’s putting all his hard training towards a great cause and is signed up for the Ride to Conquer Cancer®

This two day, 200 km ride through the Pacific Northwest takes place on June 19 & 20, 2010. Every one of us has been touched by cancer. Some of our experiences may have ended in tragedy where others, thanks to research and new treatments are stories of survival. Visit Mike’s Ride to Conquer Cancer® page and support finding a cure for cancer. No amount is too little, every dollar helps, so please donate today!

PT Girl xo

My fitness journey started about three and half years ago… let me rewind.
I wouldn’t say I was fat  but soft and definitely out of shape. At 27, standing 5’6” I weighed in at 140 lbs. Ok…ok… I lie… 145 lbs. I loved smoking, especially when I consumed excessive amounts of alcohol. (I’ve managed to give up the smoking a few years ago.)

On the weekend I’d eat out with friends, consume thousands of calories in wine, GG martinis and shooters. When the dj went home and the lights were turned on I would head to the nearest drive-thru for my night cap.

My exercise routine involved online shopping for Billy Blank Tae Bo tapes. I attempted the workouts a few times telling myself that Billy’s 30 minute routine would melt away the cheese curds and gravy from the last poutine I ingested.

So how did I end up in a park discussing my fictional fitness goals with Steve the Personal Trainer of Pulse Personal Training I asked myself as I sat in the spring grass trying my damnedest to look interested in his pitch. I was completely out of my element; I hated everything about gyms (hence the outdoor meeting), my cardio was horrible. I wasn’t able to jog for more than 5 minutes and my attempt at doing a push up was comical.

Over priced Lululemon wear, skinny bitches & meatheads made me nauseous… and yet there I was nodding my head in agreement to Steve’s every word as he kept nattering seemingly unaware of my discomfort. As my uneasiness transformed to irritation I couldn’t help but to think about the two people who were to blame for me handing over my first of many cheques to Steve, not to mention that my ass was now wet!

Who are the culprits responsible for me dishing out tens of thousands of dollars on Personal Training? Mike a coworker and overzealous fitness freak who was training for his second Iron Man and Julie a good friend who always shared in my over indulgence of food & booze. Mike’s daily tales of swimming, running and cycling and Julie’s admission she’d been seeing a personal trainer was just the right formula to summon guilt about my own complacency. I cursed them both as Steve said “12 more squats, come on!”

PT Girl xo