A personal aside ...

Two pounds down and things continue to stay pretty plateaued for me. I know why this is though, calorie intake is high right now as the stress of life is just a little to overwhelming at times.

It is good life changing stress but stress none the less. I continue to eat healthy and get my fitness in during these times, but not at the levels I need and desire.

So it is that I push on and on, trying not to beat myself up to much, and enjoy this thing we call life.

As my triathlon approaches I feel weak and pathetic. Yet I am going to do this. I am going to stop focusing on being better than I was last year and instead focus on the fact that I am doing it and more importantly I CAN DO IT!!!

~TigressSky~

The Challenge

Well, I'm still plateaued but I did try the challenge this week and it lives up to it's name!

I modified it a bit because I was doing the exercises in the park, not at the gym, therefore I did not have free and easy access to weights and mats to aid in performance. Although, with the never-ending rain schedule we are currently controlled by, I'll most likely be doing it inside the gym rather than in the sunshine of the park for the next couple weeks.

My goal is to perform the challenge at least twice (hopefully three times) a week. I may modify it a bit, adding to it some exercises for areas I would really like to focus on more. For example, triceps, glutes and hamstrings. Otherwise though, I am going to spend the month of June doing this challenge and then change it up completely in July. Don't want to let my body get formatted to perform and stop gaining benefit from my workouts.


As an added bonus Craig purchased a FT40 Polar heart rate monitor for my birthday! Once I figure it out, I am excited for the potential gains I will make in my health and wellness by using it and training in targeted zones. I only wish I had the time and money to join the heart rate training group at my gym. Unfortunately they get together twice a week in the late mornings while I am working. Yet, it would be so much fun to discover the ways I can perform intensely for 30 minutes and get maximum results just by working within my heart rate zone(s).


Maybe when the next schedule comes out they will offer these classes in the evenings so I can hop on the band wagon and learn the tune!

I'm still having a hard time not beating myself up while doing my tri-training. I discussed it with a friend and I think we figured out what is going on.

Last year, when I signed up to do my first ever triathlon I was simply excited to do it and my only goal was to finish. This year however I have a "real" goal. I want to shave 10 minutes off my finishing time. Doing this will have me finishing as a "contender". Maybe even within the top 100!

It seemed like such a small goal - 10 minutes off of my previous time, that shouldn't be too impossible. It doesn't even require me to find comfort with or get better at swimming. (Which I still have fear of and do a absolutely horrendous job at!) If I can just finish my bike and run 5 minutes sooner each I will be successful!

Yet, I feel like I am not making any advancements in my running or biking. In fact I'm pretty certain I doing worse at both this year!

And, that's my problem. I have a goal and a desire to push myself yet that push just isn't going over well so I am frustrated and angry with myself. Hence the, "you are so slow, you can't do this, you are going to do worse than last year, why did you sign up for this," thoughts that run through my head while Im training. It is horrible and as of yet I still haven't figure out how to get the negative self-talk to turn off. Even though I know without it I will succeed and do soooooo much better.

So that is what I really need to put some focus on, or I for sure will do worse at this years event! Any suggestions on what I can do to get those nasty self-defeating comments to stop?

~TigressSky~

Back - from a hiatus of sorts.

Priorities? What are those?

Life happens. Hell, more often than not life happens. For the past few months it seems to be happening all around me while I stand in the center trying to divide my attention appropriately.

Due to all this damned LIFE happening, my time to devote to my fitness has lessened. I still make it to the gym, yet it is only for about 5 hours a week rather than the regular (and healthier) 7-10 hours I had been devoted to. I find myself faltering between moments of feeling guilty and upset for not making fitness the same priority it was, to moments of "don't sweat it, this too shall pass and soon you will be back at it."
 

As well, my nutrition has fluctuated from being really good and well monitored to being so bad I try and ignore it! It is strange how eating healthier helped me to develop a sweet tooth. Seriously, prior to my discovery of how good unprocessed natural foods taste I never sought out sugary goodness. Now however, they are like ecstasy in my mouth!

Don't get me wrong, it is not candy and simple sweets that drive me. There can still be snickers bars and suckers in the house that will just get ignored. However, it is the homemade sweets that I am enjoying a little to much of. Having someone to cook for has brought back the experimenting baker in me. Cookies, pies, cakes and treats just get whipped up and devoured often. I need to find some healthier "treat" recipes to work with for my sweet intake - or more events to attend to rid myself of such temptations just lying around calling out to me.

For example this Dark Chocolate Ganache covered Guinness Stout cake!!!

The good news for all this subtle lax in my overall health focus -

TRIATHLON SEASON STARTS IN 2 WEEKS!!!!

2011 Girlfriends & Dudes Triathlon

Yep, that's right, as soon as I return from my May 4-5th vacation triathlon training begins and I will HAVE to be accountable for making the right choices daily. Any misstep I take could mean minutes lost in my triathlon finish and, since I am competing with myself to drop 10 minutes from last years time, every minute counts! 

For the next three months my Saturday mornings will be spent swimming, biking and running with the triathlon training club! We will spend 2 hours learning, practicing and supporting each other in our endeavor to kill our bodies at the end of July and complete the Girlfriends and Dudes Sprint Triathlon in Vancouver, Washington.

Of course, the triathlon training also requires me to focus on my own personal training to develop each element of the tri so I can be better, fitter, faster and stronger! That means my gym time will increase - dedicatedly so. My current idea for my gym schedule is:

Monday - 2 Hours - Run to Gym, Cycle Class, Treadmill Intervals, Run Home 

Tuesday - 3 Hours - Step n' Strength Class, Spin Class, Yoga

Wednesday - 1.5 Hours - Run to Gym, Weights, Run Home

Thursday - 2 Hours - Run to Gym, Definition Class, Treadmill Intervals, Run Home

Friday - 2.5 Hours - Run to Gym, Weights, Treadmill Intervals, Run Home
Saturday - 2 Hours - Triathlon Training Club

With all this said, I want to note I will be attempting to update my blog more regularly starting in May. As well, I am combining the FitTiggy blog into this one. This seems like the most logical idea, as my personal health journey should really be a part of who I am as a trainer. I still hold high hope to begin studying and get certified this Fall. We shall see on that one.

Crossing the Finish Line @ 2011 Girlfriends & Dudes Triathlon 

The brief hiatus I have had has brought me up from the ultimate low I reached last year at 165 pounds to sitting at the very peak of my healthy weight range 174. Therefore, I have also decided to take some progressive pictures and use the triathlon training to mark my first steps back towards my ultimate goal of 155 pounds!

I look forward to sharing my journey with you all. As well, I look forward to updating this blog more regularly with advice that goes beyond just me personally and, I hope, can help you on your journey to become a healthier and happier you! A you that you never knew existed!!!! 

"It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves!"

~TigressSky~