Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Triathlon?

I’ve been working out fairly consistently since the early part of this year, and have lost 18 lbs so far. That puts me at a total weight loss of 46 lbs since early spring 2006. I started at 243 lbs after my doctor was shocked at my current weight. To be honest so was I. When I started college I weight just over 200 lbs, and through my freshman year lost approximately 25. That’s a big jump from 2002 to 2006 – about sixty pounds! The initial weight was lost through a modification of my diet. I went pescatarian (it’s a word, so says Merriam Webster) and have felt all the stereotypical benefits (more energy! need less sleep! more confidence! sick less!). I think the one benefit I’m most excited about that I discovered was a huge decrease in heart burn…so now I’ve decided to start incorporating goals to keep me on track…

This week I started training for a sprint triathlon. This is the shortest version of the sport (the pussy version according to my dear friend Peter). It will be held on October 12th in Richmond, and the course actually incorporates some of the neighborhood where I grew up. I’m excited about the possibility of completing a goal that will, for me, be physically unparalleled. The race begins with a 400 meter swim, transitions to a 20k bike ride, and concludes with a 5k run.

I have eleven weeks to train. I’ve created a six day per week training regimen using three other training programs and combining their elements. I’m by no means a physical trainer, but so far my goals have worked, and been realistic, so hopefully I’m sticking to that methodology. My primary concern is my swimming ability. I know I can improve my cycling and running in this time period to be where I need to be, but my swimming technique needs quite a bit of improvement. I guess I’ll know in a couple of weeks if things are going the way they should.

I’m going to keep this blog updated with my progress, as well as my training specifics. Wish me luck!

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Just giving a shoutout to

Just giving a shoutout to my buddy Thomas. He's a big fan of folk metal music.