Guess Who Has a Personal Trainer?

Guess who has a personal trainer? Pick me! Pick me! Pick me!!!

Last month, for my birthday, my mom and dad gave me 2 sessions with a personal trainer named BJ Christenson at the South Davis Rec. Center. Before my birthday, I told my parents that if I were to ever have a personal trainer, I would want it to be BJ.

BJ is a freakin' machine!!! He does the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii! He did it last month I believe.

In the Ironman Triathlon, they give you 17 hours to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles. BJ did it in a little over 9 hours!!! He swam 2.4 miles in less than 1 hour.

My ultimate goal is to do the Ironman Triathlon over in Hawaii. Currently, I've only done sprint triathlons. And, for example, where it took BJ less than 1 hour to swim 2.4 miles, it takes me about 50 minutes to swim just 1 mile!

Eeeek, I've got a long ways to go, but I know that BJ can help me get there.

Best Time Yet

This last Saturday, 11/6/10, was my last triathlon of the season. It was down in Orem, UT. I've done this triathlon 2 times before.

I woke up bright and early Saturday morning and had a couple of pieces of toast and yogurt and me and my dad got on the road to make the 45 minute drive down to Orem. As we were driving down there, I felt like I'd forgotten something, but I couldn't figure out what.

We got down to the Orem Rec. Center and I'm walking my bike over to the transition area to put my bike there and guess what I forgot? My helmet!!! Damn!!! I started freakin' out. Cuss words were flying out of my mouth cause if you don't have a helmet, you don't get to leave the transition area on your bike, therefore, you don't get to race.

Thankfully, some guy heard me going off about this and he told me he had an extra helmet I could borrow! Thank God!!!

This triathlon is done in the run-bike-swim order (my favorite). The run is kind of hard, but it's not too bad. You have to run up a medium sized hill. I knew I could do it. Come to find out, I ran a 9:36 mile! I've never run that fast before in my life! I was ECSTATIC!!!

This particular triathlon is a little bit harder because you have to climb 2 HUGE hills on your bike. I've NEVER been able to climb the hills on my bike before. I've always had to get off and walk my bike up the hills, but this time I was able to stay on my bike the whole time! I was SO excited.

It was AWESOME because during the bike when you're climbing the hills, everybody is cheering everybody on. Your fellow bikers are giving you words of encouragment, it's just awesome. I love it.

On this particular triathlon, you have to do a total of 2 laps on your bike to complete your 10 miles. I was doing really good. I didn't know what my time was, but I felt like I was doing good. I was able to climb the hills on my bike both times and I was on the home stretch. I was about 2 1/2 blocks away from the transition area and being able to go swim, and I was downshifting on my bike and...my chain fell off!!! CRAP!!! I got off my bike and for a brief second I thought I'd try & figure out how to put my chain back on, but figured that would be a waste of time, so I just grabbed my bike and started running. While I was running back to transition I just kept thinking, if I was ahead of time, I wasn't any more. I thought I'd be lucky if I finished in 1:30.

So, I finally make it back to transition, hurry and take off my shoes and put my goggles on and book it over to the pool (about 50 yds away). As I'm running over to the pool, I realize I still have my tank top on, so I just yank that sucker off and throw it on the grass. I jumped in the pool and I was bookin' it.

I finally crossed the finish line!! Yay! I was going to stick around and see what my time was, but it wasn't posted yet and I was tired, hungry and wanted to get home, so I looked up my time on the internet later that day and it was....1:24:57!!! It was 30 seconds faster than my best time! Can you believe what my time would've been if my chain hadn't fallen off!!! I was SO happy!!! What a great day!

Me before the race:


Here is the start of the run:


Coming in from the run and heading to transition:


Heading out on the bike:


Swimming:

Riddle Me This

Riddle me this. Normally when I weigh myself on Saturday's I wait until after my workout and then I weigh myself. Well, this last Saturday I decided to weigh myself before my workout. I weighed myself and it said I weighed in at 165.6, which is a 4.6 lb weight gain than the previous week.

I was really discouraged and frustrated, but headed to the gym any ways. I ran 8.0 miles on the treadmill at the gym and burned approx. 1100 calories.

I came home and right before stepping in to the shower I decided to weigh myself again and it said I weighed in at 161.6 lbs...a 4 lb weight loss than 1.5 hours earlier. What?!?!?! How? I don't get it.

I guess it's not for me to get.

Swimming with Fins

I've started swimming with fins. Boy does it make a difference. First off, it makes you swim faster because you're pushing more water away. I timed it the other day and to swim 1 mile (72 laps) without fins it takes me 50 minutes. To swim 1 mile with fins, it takes me between 35-40 minutes; however, when swimming with the fins, it works your legs more.

I read online though that you don't want to become "fin dependent" because then when you go to swim without fins, like in a triathlon, you're not going to do very well because you're so used to swimming with fins. So, I only swim with fins every other day. I really enjoy it. Now I just need to get my own fins.

My First Half Marathon

This last Saturday, 10/9/10, I was able to compete in my first half marathon. I had SO much fun!!! It was up in Layton, UT. I got done with the race and immediately wanted to sign up for another half marathon that is taking place down in Provo, UT on 10/30/10; however, I decided against it since I have a triathlon one week later.

My only goal with this 1/2 marathon was to run the entire 13.1 miles and to not finish last. I definitely succeeded. I'm happy to say that I ran the entire 13.1 miles in a total of 2:12:34.4, which means I ran a 10 minute mile the entire time. I've never run that fast before!!! Another thing that I'm SUPER proud of (I know this might sound silly), but I didn't even have to make any potty stops!!! I was totally expecting to have to make potty stops because whenever I run on the treadmill or run in the evenings and I'm running 13 miles, I usually have to make 2-3 potty stops. After thinking about it though, it makes perfect sense why I didn't have to. I'd only eaten one light meal before my 1/2 marathon; whereas when I run in the evenings, I've eaten three whole meals.

But anywho...here are a couple of pictures and 2 videos. The first video is of us all starting the race and the second video is of me crossing the finish line.

A big thank you to my mom & dad and their cowbells for cheering me on and taking the videos/pictures.

This is a picture of the starting/finish line.


Me before the start of the race.


Me warming up before the race.


This is all of us at the starting line. You'll quickly see me run by. Sorry it's kinda dark...it was at 7:00 a.m.


This video is pretty short, but it's me running in to the finish line.

Rowing Machine

Tonight I went up to the gym and rode a spinning bike for 50 minutes and burned 765 calories and then decided I was going to try out the rowing machine and start toning up my arms and see if I can help lessen my "lunchlady arms". Haha!

I wasn't sure how long I'd last on the rowing machine. I didn't know if I'd get bored with it really quick or if I could last for 30 minutes or what.

I actually enjoyed the rowing machine. Boy does it work your arms, legs and the muscles in your back and neck.

I think whenever I ride the bike, I will then go do 30 minutes on the rowing machine.

My arms aren't used to this much of a workout. I wonder if I'll be able to move my arms tomorrow morning...

13.1 miles and 1700+ calories

Normally when I run on a treadmill, I get anxiety and get bored VERY quickly, even if I am watching TV. Tonight was a different story. I'm SO happy. Tonight on the treadmill at the gym, I ran 13.44 miles on the treadmill and burned 1700+ calories!!! I'm quite surprised 'cause I didn't get bored or anything. I just hope I can do this well on my 1/2 marathon this Saturday.

The only downer about running that far, is now I'm wide awake 'cause I've got all this adrenaline and energy running through my body. It's currently midnight and I have to be up in 4 1/2 hours to go swimming.