I found out this morning that I met my goals for my 1st triathlon this past Sunday! We already knew that I met the goal of completing the triathlon and the goal of running all the run. But, I still did not know if I did not finish last. The race results were posted when I checked this morning, and out of the women I finished 50th out of 87, with a time of 1:37:27! I was 30 minutes and 10 seconds slower than the 1st place women's finisher, which believe it or not I think is pretty good for a 1st time and for the fact that she is 8 years younger than I am (of course the person who finished before me was 22 years older than me which was a little disconcerting, but she was only ahead of me by 17 seconds and that can be explained by poor transitioning on my part as well as the fact that it was my 1st time)! All in all, I am very pleased.
I'm also happy that I survived my workouts for both yesterday and today! Amazingly, they were a lot easier than I thought they were going to be, which I too take as a good sign. Last night was a 2 mile run and 25 push-ups. I survived both and was actually feeling like I could have gone farther on the run and I did not do "girlie" pushups either (good core strengthening, as my favorite personal trainer Dee would say).
Then for the shoe clinic. I really learned a ton about running shoes and running gear, and got to have my stride filmed. I have a neutral gait with a small (like 1%) shift toward my big toe which may be associated with my lower back issues. And since my shoes had a good bit of mileage (about 270 miles) in the past 5 months, it was time for new ones... I learned that your running shoes are really only good for about 300 miles and that 300 miles is past due for replacement. The other thing I learned was that I was in a shoe with a little too much stability which may have been a contributing factor to my shin splints and that they have orthotics that help with shock absorption, etc. that helps with shin splints (and lower back issues). Fleet Feet sports is hands down the best running shoe shop I've ever been to, and it is worth the trip out the Altamonte Springs for the shoes and the amazing customer service. I learned a lot and they let me run around the parking lot to see how my shoes felt, even at different points with different shoes from different pairs on each foot. I also learned that you should not wear cotton when you run - at all, including socks (think moisture retention and bacteria). So, new socks were also in order. As were sports bras. Turns out that you need to replace those everytime you replace your shoes too because they get worn out... and the similar model at Target vs. the running shop by the same company is quite the difference. Who knew? So I'm all geared up and ready to run!
Of course, today was not a run day for the workout though. It was a 15 mile bike. But, since it was in the 30's and with the wind chill felt in the 20's I opted for the stationary bike (grr) at the gym. I did a hill program and actually did 16 miles in 45 minutes. That seems a bit fast, but I've noticed that the hill program gets you to a longer distance in a faster time... not sure why that is, but that's why I added the extra mile - just in case. Next time, if I have to bike in the gym, I may do a flat program to compare. I know it will take longer, but I think I'll know the difference in how my legs felt. Anyway, it was a good ride (despite having to be inside).
Tomorrow morning is a swim workout... I love the pool, so I can't wait!
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