Tri Talk

I’ve fallen in love with triathlon training.

Absolutely head over heels, googly eyed, drawing hearts all over the margin of my notebook, in love.

I wake up with enthusiasm and an eagerness to train.

It’s totally refreshing, and a welcomed change after a long winter of working out just to work out. Any day of the week I wake up with a whole selection of training options.

Let’s say the sun is shining and I have a podcast I’m dying to listen to, then I hop on my bike and log some miles. Or my legs are sore from yesterday’s run full of hills, so I make my way to the pool. Or I can’t imagine doing one more second of cardio, so I change the pace with a lifting session.

Now of course I am following a training program, but it’s flexible. I aim to run 3 – 4 times a week, swim 2 – 3 times a week, and bike … well to be honest I just bike a lot.

My point is I can’t stop gushing over how much fun it is to be training for an event that has multiple elements.

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It’s a drastic change from last summer’s marathon training. I spent 5 – 6 days a week “eating miles for breakfast.” Every morning I laced up for run after run… and if you ask anyone who was close to me then I really struggled to get through my training.

The mental battle of marathon – ing is no joke.

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Now I am by no means saying triathlon training is easy.

Brick workouts are EXHAUSTING…

Brick Workout – combining two elements of the triathlon into one workout, one right after the other. For example, completing a bike ride and immediately parking your bike to run. 

And interwinding sprint triathlon training with half marathon training can be tricky. I have increasing long runs each week to prepare me for a 13.1 mile foot race, while simultaneously focusing on having the fastest 3.3 mile run possible on the last leg of the tri.

And attempting to get the hang of sighting while swimming laps in a pool feels … awkward. The River Rat Triathlon’s swim portion is in open water. You can’t just look at the lines at the bottom of the pool to keep you on course because… well the water in the River isn’t clear. Hence, why I have to practice looking up above the water.

Sighting – lifting one’s head above water during the open-water swim portion of a triathlon to stay on course. 

Let’s not forget my ever – growing appetite from all the training.

With that said, I don’t mind. Not one bit. Even with its challenges and difficulties, triathlon training has evoked nothing but positive feedback from this girl. And I feel myself getting stronger, faster, and more confident each week. 

As for this coming week of training, I’m interested to see how it goes. The hubby and I will be traveling, and therefore I won’t have easy access to my bike or a pool lane.

I will focus on running for most of the week… and have plans to run part of the Boston Marathon course during our stop in Boston. Eeeeeekkk!!

Can’t wait to share photos from our travels late next week. Until then, happy training 🙂

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River Rat

And with the confirmation in my gmail account, it’s official…

I am registered for my first triathlon. 

The excitement is overwhelming. There is nothing about an open water swim, road bike, run combination that is familiar to me, and the newness of it all makes me giddy.

I love running, bbbbbbbuuuuuttttttt a girl needs to shake things up! I’ve had my fair share of distance races, and I’m ready to test the waters in the “tri” world  (pun intended).

The triathlon I’m participating in is called the River Rat Triathlon (Here’s a quick link: to the race’s website). It’s in Norther New York and takes place on August 23rd, 2015.

What I find really awesome about this race is that it’s local. I spent last summer working in the very town in which it takes place. Last year, when I had friends participating in the River Rat Triathlon, I never thought that I could or would do one.

… let’s just say those “I could never do that” moments inspire me more than almost anything else.

So here I am, almost a year later with my name on the registration list and three weeks into my twelve week training program, with a point to prove to myself.

I can do this and I will do this.

Side Note: The power of the mind is insane. You believe exactly what you tell yourself to believe. Don’t waste a single second holding yourself back whether it’s a triathlon, pursuing that job, or writing that book you’ve always thought about. Be your own greatest advocate. If you don’t think you can, who is going to convince you otherwise? And with that being said, I believe I’m going crush this triathlon.

Now in case you are unfamiliar with anything triathlon related, don’t worry, so am I. I’ve done my fair share of research before making the decision to participate, but I have a lot to learn along the way. And I plan on sharing what I learn with you.

In the meantime, here is a breakdown of what race day is going to look like:

Stage One: 600 meter open water swim

Stage Two: 16.75 mile bike

Stage Three: 3.3 mile run

It’s going to be tough, but I like I said earlier I’m ecstatic. I can’t wait to fill you in on what I learn, how I feel training for a triathlon, and the biggest differences I find through the journey in comparison to my previous adventures training for distance runs. 🙂

Mika Yoga Wear

Mika Yoga Wear, a family owned fitness brand, sent me beautiful clothing pieces this past March.

And let me tell you, I was ecstatic.

Their clothing is unique, colorful, and meant for all shapes and sizes.

If you check out any of Mika Yoga Wear’s social media sites, you see so many incredible photos. The clothing, yoga poses, and scenery are breathtaking.

After realizing that this company had yogis traveling and practicing in nature, I knew I wanted to post my review of their product after doing the same.  I wasn’t going to write until I had the chance to do my practice outdoors, uninhibited, surrounded by beautiful scenery.

On Sunday I finally had my chance…

I wore The Lolita Top, which was perfect for low to medium intensity activities such as kayaking and yoga. It also doubled as a bandeau for necessary outfit layering yesterday. 🙂

The sports bra was breathable, comfortable, and fashionable.

I can’t thank Mika Yoga Wear enough for the awesome top and the inspiration to do my practice outdoors.

And I can’t forget to thank my hubby, turned photographer, who kayaked with me into the wild this weekend to capture these photos.