Garmin Forerunner 310XT arrived!!!!

I have been waiting on pins and needles for my Garmin Forerunner GPS heart rate monitor to arrive in the mail. I ordered it on Thanksgiving and it finally came over the weekend. I need the heart rate monitor to be able to measure my progress and for Keena to know how to pace my workouts to increase performance over time. So I thought it was a necessary and worth wile purchase.It is everything I thought it would be. I can track my run, bike, and swim and my transitions. I can constantly monitor my heart rate and outside know my elevation gain and drop during workouts. There is a learning curve with it because it does so much, but so far what I have been able to do has been amazing. Can't wait till I can use it to it's full potential. Here are the specs. Finally, a GPS-enabled training device that isn't afraid of the water. The rugged Forerunner 310XT is the triathlete's indispensable training tool — a GPS-enabled trainer that is water-resistant to 164 ft (50 m), tracks data in multiple sport modes and sends it wirelessly to your computer. This multisport device has up to 20 hours of battery life, tracks distance, pace and heart rate¹ on land, and goes from wrist to bike in seconds. Track Your Swim The Forerunner 310XT times your swim in the pool or the lake. And while the GPS signal does not track distance while swimming like it does on land, thanks to a recent software update, it now accurately estimates open water swim distance and average speed. Simply enable the Swim mode and press start as you begin your swim. When finished, press the lap button and the 310XT automatically processes a combination of the time and GPS data to compute an estimate of distance covered and average speed while swimming. Transition Effortlessly When you're ready to jump out of the water and onto the bike, Forerunner 310XT moves easily from wrist to bike with the optional quick release and bike mounts, making the transition between sports effortless. Forerunner 310XT categorizes multisport activities in one workout and also can log transition time in the process, so you can analyze your performance from start to finish. Collect Workout Data Forerunner 310XT tracks your position precisely with GPS satellite data and records distance, pace, heart rate¹, power data (from ANT+™-enabled third-party power meters) and more. High-sensitivity GPS and HotFix® satellite prediction mean Forerunner acquires satellites quickly and tracks your movement even near tall buildings or under tree cover. And using innovative ANT+ wireless technology, Forerunner 310XT connects seamlessly to an optional heart rate monitor, foot pod and cadence sensor. When paired with the optional wireless heart rate monitor, Forerunner 310XT continuously tracks beats per minute and uses heart rate data in advanced calorie computation. Train in a certain heart rate zone to improve fitness and monitor your level of exertion. NOTE: Heart rate data is not recorded for swim activities. Monitor Your Health You also can track weight, body fat, body water and six other measurements when using the Forerunner 310XT with the Tanita BC-1000 body composition scale. The readings are stored on Forerunner 310XT, then automatically sent to Garmin Connect™ when in range of your computer. Run, Sync, Store and Share Once you’ve logged the miles, innovative ANT+ wireless technology automatically transfers data to your computer when Forerunner is in range. No cables, no hookups. The data’s just there, ready for you to analyze, categorize and share through our online community, Garmin Connect™.

My first 6 triathlons

Here are pictures from all of the triathlons I have done up until this point. I thought it would be good to have a record of it. They are all sprint distance. Bear Lake Brawl-My first Triathlon Sept. 11 2009. Overall Time 1:52:15 Swim-23:33 T1-2:41 Bike-46:27 T2:1:28 Run:38:04 I had been primarily training with the Desert Sharks Triathlon Club to get ready for this race. They were really helpful and got me started on this journey. I was excited to do this race because I had an over training injury with my calves that week and didn't think I would be able to participate just two days before. I remember feeling scared at the start line and even crying because I was so scared. I also remember feeling God carry me through that race and feeling exhilerated at the end. I felt so much accomplishment and joy from completing a really hard goal. It was at this point that I became hooked. I am going to selectively forget that I didn't do a good job with my nutrition and got dehydrated and needed emergency care 2 hours after the race.

Daybreak-My fist triathlon after training with team Fastlane. Overall Time 1:43:55 Swim-16:08 T1-3:22 Bike-46:48 T2-1:31 Run-36:08 I remember the previous 6 months complaining about all the long swim practices and feeling frustrated every time Scott yelled at me to get back in the pool when I thought I was done. It was during the swim segment of the race that I felt grateful for those moments. The swim was a lot easier than it was during Bear Lake, and I cut 7 minutes off my time. That was huge. Thanks Scott for making me a better swimmer.

Scoffield Triathlon- Overall Time 1:50:18 Swim-19:47 T1-3:08 Bike:46:55 T2-2:24 Run-38:05 My 3rd triathlon ever with My buddies at team fast lane. I was not prepared for the high elevation and had not factored that in to my training. I got kicked in the nose the first 2 minutes of the swim and the elevation made it much more difficult. I did not do nearly as well with my time this tri. It is still my favorite tri though because it is so beautiful up there. I loved camping over night with everyone and enjoying all the beautiful scenery.

Battle at Midway Triathlon(BAM) Aug 7 2010- Overall Time-2:14:23 Swim-16:27 Bike-1:22:30 Run-32:35 This was the BAM Lite so it was more than a sprint distance. The bike was 25 miles instead of 12 and the run was 3.4 instead of 3.1 miles. That is why my times look so different on this race. This was my anniversary present. Erik was nice enough to let me do this race on our anniversary. I really wanted to do this tri. The run was super hilly at soldiers hollow and really hard. I had practiced on the bike course so it felt really comfortable with the bike portion. I felt pretty good after this race and felt like I was ready to do an olympic distance race.

Yuba Lake triathlon Sept. 2010 Overall Time- 1:47:38 Swim-23:42 T1-3:18 Bike-46:09 T2-2:23 Run-32:04 The coldest race I have ever done. It was 42 degrees when we woke up that morning. It was miserable. I remember thinking the whole time "I am crossing this off my race list." Tri's are supposed to be fun and this one was not. I am usually dry 5 min into the bike. I was still wet when I finished the race. It was that cold!

Lake Powell Triathlon Oct 23 2010- Overall Time 148:22 Swim 20:32 T1 6:19 Bike:48:46 T2 2:05 Run 30:40 With the Timp Tri Club and Keena. I was 9 Weeks pregnant when I did this race. Pretty Proud of that. I was originally signed up to do the Olympic distance but had to downgrade for safety reasons due to finding out I was pregnant. I took it super easy the whole tri so that I wouldn't miscarry. Every time I started to cramp I would slow down. The extra 5 minutes wasn't worth losing my baby. Even taking it super easy I got the same times as I had previously on the bike during other tri's and had my fastest run time even though I had to go really slow. I would have rocked it if I could have actually tried. Oh and if I would have done better on my transitions I would have had a much better time. I was way too slow during T1. So all things considered I feel pretty good about my future as a triathlete. I am not amazing of fast, but I will be someday.

Nutrition

Nutrition is a fundamental part of a triathletes success. It makes all the difference in the world in your performance level during training and events. I never realized that until I started making changes to my diet and nutrition during training the last few months. I have seen a big change in the way I perform and the way I look. It has been amazing to see the widespread affects diet has. Keena has been teaching us a lot about being healthier and optimizing our performance through the things we eat. She sends out weekly emails informing us about how sugar affects us, why we need to be drinking 96 oz of water or more a day, how protein is important in recovery, the difference between good fats and bad fats, how to use carbohydrates to our benefit and many other things. I am thankful she shares her knowledge with us and is motivating us weekly to be better. One of the things she does is covers a topic and then issues a challenge for the week related to that topic. I am happy to say that because of her challenge to eliminate sugar from our diets for just one week, I have been able to break my sugar addiction. I have been free from the chains of sugar for over a month now. I have had a couple slip ups here and there since the end of October, but when I did eat sugary foods, they were no longer satisfying. I don't enjoy them anymore and sugar is actually pretty revolting. Another thing that has been helpful is I have been tracking my food intake and it has been eye opening. It helps me to have a different perspective about what I am eating. Instead of mindless eating, I am now engaging in mindful eating. It feels so empowering to feel conscious of what I am putting in my body. I know I am making a choice every time I eat something, and I feel happy that I have enough self control to make each choice a good choice. I remember two years ago sitting at Leatherby's ice cream shop with some family friends and eating a mint chocolate chip shake. I asked my friend Kayla what she does to look so good. She was really skinny and had a lot of muscle definition. I really wanted to look like her. I have never forgotten her response. She said while pointing at my icecream "I can't eat any of that." I remember how amazed at her willpower I was and how impossible for me that seemed. 2 years later that mindset doesn't seem impossible it is now my reality. Tracking my diet and conciously choosing what I eat makes it really easy to turn down the ice cream and the cookies and the donuts. I think about how I crappy I will feel afterwords and having to add that in to my food journal. Then I think about how it will make me go over on my daily caloric intake and I won't even feel full or satisfied. I think how my exercise will have been for nothing and I can easily say no. I don't even want those empty calories anymore. So that has been another huge life change for me. Green smoothies is another lifestyle change that Keena has taught us to make. You can get all your servings of fruits and vegetables all in one drink. I find I now crave a green smoothie and prefer that to ice cream of frozen yogurt. I try to have one every day. There are so many benefits to them. I love them! The last thing I want to blog about related to nutrition is my goal to lose weight this holiday season. I want to be down to my pre-pregnancy weight by Christmas! The holidays are typically a time when everyone gains an extra 10-15 pounds. I want my weight to go the opposite direction. I leaned this month that the average American eats about 4500 calories just at thanksgiving dinner alone. I never realized till now what a glutenous holiday thanksgiving was. I decided that I wanted this year to be different. I got up at 5am and went to the Timp tri club 2 hour thanksgiving day bike in. Then I headed over to the Legacy center Turkey Jam and did 45 min of boot camp and 45 min of cadio kickboxing. I calculated that I burned about 2000 calories that morning. Then we went up to Sundance for our Thanksgiving feast. They had a huge buffet of gourmet food. I decided that I didn't want all my hard work for the morning to go to waste. Instead of eating my empty carbs first like I always do at thanksgiving, I filled up on the fruits and vegetables. I ate half a plate of green beans followed by half a plate of fruit, followed by half a plate of salad. I drank orange juice and water instead of soda and then had 2 servings of stuffing. I had one piece of turkey, and then was pretty full. I wasn't able to eat more than a few bites of mashed potatos. I didn't even want any pie but forced down a few bites. My most favorite pie in the world(pumpkin) didn't even taste good anymore. It was not appealing! I felt really proud of myself for making a better choice this year. The rest of my family felt really stuffed and complained of eating too much and feeling crappy. I however did not feel that way at all. The best part was when I got on the scale the next day I had managed to lose another 5 pounds from the previous week. That was the best feeling ever! So yeah I am motivated to keep going. I know can reach my goal and I am going to do it! I feel so much better already. So far since having the baby 6 months ago I have lost 25 pounds and I only have 15 more to go. I will keep updating my progress.

Tuesday Workout

Today for my workout I only had an hour and a half available. The daycare at the gym closed at noon so I got in what I could before I had to pick up Eli. I ran for 20 min and held about a 9 min pace and completed 2.15 miles. I feel pretty proud of that considering I have had to take the last 2 months off from running due to my herniated disk flaring up. I now have it under control and have gotten my abs and back strong enough again to handle the impact of running. Having a baby destroys your core and it takes a while to get it back so I just do the best I can and move on. My goal for my run is to get my 5k time under 24 min in the next 3 months. I think it is doable if I work hard and am careful and listen to my body specifically my back. After the run I hopped in the pool and completed a 45 min swim workout. I warmed up with a 200 easy swim, then completed 100 kick on side drill, 100 swim, 100m kick, 2 min egg beater drill, 100 Zipper up, 100 swim, 100 7-3-7 drill, 100 swim, 100 catch up, 100 finger tip drag, and about 400 meter swim, followed by a 50 m kick. I was pretty fatigued so I ended it there. I think that was a pretty good workout. I feel like I am getting better at my rotation, but my kick still needs a lot of work. I plan on doing a swim test that I found from active triathlete to further evaluate my weak areas. Yesterday I went to boot camp and stayed after for an extra 15 min ab circuit. My abs were so sore by the end. I was planning a run later that day, but never quite made it to the tredmill. For my workout tomorrow, I plan to go to boot camp with Keena and then do a 30 min run.

A lot has happened!

A ton has happened since I last posted. I will try to catch you up in a nutshell. I trained with team fast till July of 2010. I completed the daybreak triathlon and the scoffield tri under Scott's tutelage. His coaching made a tremendous difference in my training. I cut 7 min off my swim from Bear Lake to Daybreak. He was great but, traveling to practice became a problem. I had moved to Lehi to take a job in Orem, so I decided to find a closer group. I joined Coach Keena training www.coachkeena.com and the timp tri club. She is phenomenal. I competed 3 more triathlons under her. I completed BAM, YUBA, and Lake Powell tri's with her all sprint distance level. I was signed up to do olympic distance at the Lake Powell Tri, but found out we were expecting our first baby so I had to downgrade to sprint for safety reasons. I completed it 9 weeks pregnant. I am pretty proud of that. I had a baby in May of 2011 and have been slowly working my way back to my previous fitness level since then. I do boot camp twice a week, swim and bike class once a week,and run, swim, and bike on my own the other days. Now for the major news. I have joined Keena's elite racing team and have been given the goal/expectation to qualify for age group nationals next year. Here is what she has posted about it. This year I am introducing a NEW and EXCITING OPPORTUNITY for qualified athletes that are looking to take their triathlon experience to the next level.. I will be putting together an ELITE RACING TEAM. The goal for each team member will be to qualify for and compete at the AGE GROUP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP (Olympic distance) being held at the end of the summer in Burlington, Vermont. *What I will do:* Each member of the team will have a monthly individualized training session with me where they will be tested on a Computrainer for power on the bike, heart rate zone training and pacing. We will also analyze and discuss your strengths and weakneses and how training and improvement is proceeding on a monthly basis. Each athlete will also receive a premium Training Peaks account that will enable me to receive more detailed feedback on training. The goal will be to qualify at a USAT sanctioned race (which we will discuss in further detail on an individual basis) and then experience the thrill of competing with the best triathletes in the nation. I know what it takes to compete at this level, and want to have more of you enjoy this type of competition. My ultimate goal as your coach will be to have you compete on the national level and then take your experience to the World Championship level in the future. Because I have been there and know what is required, I am really excited to begin this next phase of coaching for many of you! Keena has qualified and raced at the world ironman championships in Kona on more than one occasion, as well as qualified and competed in the world championships at all other distances of triathlons. If anyone can get our team to nationals it is her. She is amazing and I have improved so much since working with her. She is super motivational and knows how to provide the just right challenge. I am very excited that she is giving me the opportunity to be on this team since I am not nearly as qualified for it as the other members. We officially begin training in January, but I have started working on my goal for nationals already. I have signed up for woman of steel in May and figured out what times I need to get on each sport to achieve top 10%. I am assessing my strengths and weaknesses and figuring out a preliminary battle plan. I have upped the intensity and duration of my workouts,and bought a Garmin Forerunner GPS heart rate monitor. I am so excited about all of this and can't wait to begin the next phase of my tri training. So that is the latest in a nutshell.

First Practice

So my first practice with Team Fastlane was amazing! I cut about 20-30 seconds off of my 100m time in just one practice. They gave me a lot of pointers that were really useful for my training. I was really impressed, and after my first practice with them, I already know I am going to do a lot better at SGTRI than I would have otherwise. I think I will be pretty competative. I can't wait for more practices with them.

Team Fastlane

This season, I have decided that I wanted to take my training to the next level, so I joined a triathlon team called Team Fastlane. It is a triathlon team/club with professional coaching. It is designed to assist triathletes in taking their training to new heights. They provide 4 group workouts a week(year round) a long with individualized coaching as well as clinics and camps. It looks like it will help me with my goals that I have set and then some.

This season, I was originally planning on doing 3 triathlons, two olympic distance and one half Ironman, but after I got off the phone with my new coach, he had talked me into doing 6 tri's. He originally wanted me to do 2 a month from May to October, but I thought that was intense. So, I talked him into letting me do one a month. I still think that is crazy, but not as nuts as two a month. We will see how it goes. I have been training all winter though, so I don't think it is an unrealistic goal. It will just push me a lot.

So anyway, that is Team Fastlane. I will blog more about my experiences with them once I start training next week.