Hey, new size peeps... NEW SIZE!!!

So yeah... bought a running skort thingy and running shorts when I was in Muskegon hanging with FM.... just assumed XL.... so they were both too big... did you see that people, they were both too freaking big! WOOT! I am wearing larges again.....

I am hoping within 1 year to be back into mediums.... But I don't think my hips will agree with that plan.

I am personally not seeing a HUGE difference in my appearance, but in clothes! :)

yay!!!!!!!!!! Currently I am wven wearing a T-shirt that used to be snug, now it is comfortable. How is THAT for cool?? :)

re: swimming saga

So, friends... I used to be a decent swimmer. In high school our student PE teacher tried to get me to join the swim team, but I was a music geek and didn't have the free time. I am not saying I was a terrific swimmer, can't time a flip-turn to save my life, and I am sure my strokes aren't a thing of beauty. but.....today while swimming I noticed some things that bummed me out:
- I really get tired a lot quicker with swimming than I used to... I think some of this is form, some is the Asthma, some is extra weight, and some is just general de-conditioning.
- I can not time my breathing for the front crawl anymore.. see above
- My kicking for front crawl is all wrong now. I don't activate my thighs for it hardly at all... I really need to work on that too.....

Too bad I can't afford some swimming lessons! The sad thing is that I can teach others to swim... I just need to figure out how to re-teach myself!

Anyway.. HOPEFULLY I will be able to complete the swim and not be exhausted at the tri in.... a little over 4 weeks (YIKERS!!!)

YANKZ!

Okay. So in my entire life I have never run unless I had to. You know - running to catch up with the ice cream truck, running away from my brother after shooting him the eye with a suction-cup dart, things like that. This being said, the whole training to run thing is a bit of a weird thing for me. I have been a swimmer (was invited to join high school swim team but was too into music to find the time), and cyclist (never have raced, but love to ride my bicycle!). Running is new to me. So my pal Ralph had suggested these shoe laces called yankz for a tri. Now I realize that I am not any thing close to a professional athlete in any way, shape or form. But these things rock!

I don't know if anyone else out there is lazy about tieing/untieing shoes... but dang! They come in lots of colors, but I was boring and got white on white. So my point being, I got some new fancy running shoes from Running Fit and decided since these were so cheap I would try a pair. Last night I put them on the shoes, today I ran with them. They rocked! They have enough give to let your foot slide very easily into the shoe and easily get them out when you want them off - but they also are snug enough that you feel comfortable and they don't come off while you are running.

So, on race day at the tri, I won't lose those precious seconds tieing my shoes.. LOL really I am just worried I will be 1/2 dead with fatigue and be physically UNABLE to tie my shoes... but that is another post for another day!

1st REAL ride of the season

Well, I am fresh off my bike from a 20 mile ride at Hines Park. It was kind of slow, it took me a little under 90 minutes to complete. It wasn't a HUGE ride, but I am proud of myself. I know that pales in comparison to the 100 miles per day/3 day ride at the end of July.... But this is a start!

Some thoughts for the day...
I could have kept going!! I did NOT feel trashed at all. I only stopped because I was back to the car, and we have plenty to get done at home today. That, and I am not sure how I will feel tomorrow since this was my first real ride outside - not on a spinning bike.

I hear complaints all the time about how rude cyclists are.... I don't think that is true! Every single cyclist I passed waved,nodded, or said good morning. (they were going in the opposite direction from me. I got passed by people going the same way as me). I think I actually have become a cyclist. Hmmmm... How did THAT happen?

I REALLY need an mp3 player.

DAMN the person that was baking chocolate cookies that lives in the house bordering Hines Park. I COULD SMELL THEM.

re: Bike ready to go.. weather?? not so much

So... I got the bike all ready to go. As I mentioned in a previous post, I went for a very quick 1 mile loop just to test the brakes, shifting, and to be sure the new inner tubes wouldn't pop immediately. I did learn from this that, yes, I need to wear cycling shoes that attach to the pedals now as well as the cycling shorts/pants.

The last several days have been amazing weather wise, I haven't had the time to go for a ride. Today I was going to try for a ride... no dice... gonna rain and it is wet outside. :(

re: weighed in this AM

down almost 13 pounds!!!
WOO HOO!!!! I actually said that on the scale this morning!

I am excited! Though this week I haven't been able to work out like I want to. Work has been busy busy busy busy. But I have snuck in a few laps with a kick board, my planks and crunches when I can.

My bike is road ready. I did ride it for a quick 1 mile loop around the sub to test the shifting ans brakes. I discovered a couple things:
- I DO need my shoes attached now. My tennies kept coming off the pedals.
- sweat pants will TRY to mix with a bike chain, but really shouldn't. I had to finish the ride with my pant leg rolled up to my knee.

I am sure I looked cool with my feet coming off the pedals and my 1 pant leg rolled up.

And right now I have a 2 year old upset because he can't find his Woody. He is really upset and crying, should go help him look some more. That is the Woody TOY - from Toy Story.

Pictures from the Ceili

Here are some pics from the Ceili Flabulous - they got a few of you in there too! :)

it was over all a fun night! Heck - I probably won't do this bike ride again, but I think we will do this fundraiser again! There are some videos as well. It really was a GREAT night, and for the first time ever doing this, it was a great success!!!

Thank you again to everyone that helped out!!!

Ceili 4 Wishes

Well, even though the weather was beautiful - this was the 1st nice weekend of the year, the Ceili was a success!
We had a head count until 6:30, we don't really have an accurate count unfortunately of how many people came, but we raised $900! (well, it was $897.. we'll call it $900) My best guess is that we had around 65-70 people. Thank you to everyone that helped with this event! Everyone had a GREAT time! Might do this again, well not necessarily the bike riding part, but the fund raiser for Make-A-Wish!!