Heat Wave, Snow Cones, & God

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Hello, friends! So it's time for a friendly update! Friday I swam with my friend and swim buddy, Ashley Perri.  We swam a 2000. That's 80 laps (25 yards each lap) or a little over a mile (1760 yards).  I just googled and this is about the distance of 1.2 miles...what I will be swimming for the race!  Not too bad! Of course, this was in a pool and not an open water swim.  I bought new goggles and am very excited about them! They change colors in different lights and have UV protection for when I run outside!

On to Saturday! Now announcing TEAM JO & EM!  My Saturday evening co-anchor and friend, Joleen Chaney, jumped on board with Team in Training for the Oklahoma City Redman! I am so excited to have a buddy along the journey.  She also has a blog, check it out!

She purchased her bike from Schlegels as well and wanted to give it a spin for the first time! So last Saturday we met at Lake Hefner at 11am to go for a ride. We went around twice which is about 20 miles!  Pretty good considering it was nearly 90 degrees! We put on sunscreen ahead of time but apparently it didn't cover everything because I still have random burns on by back near my sports bra line and another right above my shorts line.  Oh man!  Lesson learned!  The heat also really takes the energy out of you.  We will definitely both pack more water and more ice the next ride!  I must say though, riding goes by a lot faster when you have someone to talk to.

After our ride, we put our bikes away and practiced "BRICKS."  This is triathlon drill where you go from cycling to running and your legs feel like bricks.  By 1pm I think the heat was more miserable than BRICKS itself so we only went for a mile.  You got to start somewhere!

This may have been Joleen's first bike ride...but I had my first Oklahoma snow cone!  A great treat after a hot workout! Joleen is a native Oklahoman so I trusted her favorite flavor, Bahama Mama.  It was delicious...all it needs is some rum! :)

Time to Run!

During my dinner break I decided to go for a run outside.  At 7pm it was still in the upper 80s.  I am from Chicago...I am still not used to this kind of heat! Oh well! No excuses! I must train in every kind of environment to prepare for race day because Lord knows how crazy the weather will be here in Oklahoma on any specific date (well I will, but a few weeks out).  You do get a completely different attitude about working out when you are training for a big endurance event.  If I cheat my workouts now I will pay for it on race day so that notion motivates me a ton.

Despite the heat, I really enjoyed my run today.  I ended up running for an hour or about 5 or 6 miles.  I am trying to make 1 hour my minimum from here on out.  Obviously my schedule will not always allow for that...but that's what I'm shooting for.  Not too long ago I wondered how people could run for more than an hour.  Not so much for the physical aspect as for the entertainment value.  I thought it would be boring.  Now that I run an hour or so I can see why people love it so much.

Running clears my mind.  It gives me a chance to mentally sort out my schedule and figure out how to get things done.  I also love watching nature when I run.  It relaxes me and sometimes puts me in a state of "awe."  When I'm running I praise God for all of the blessings he's given me and the beauty He has placed on this Earth.  Seriously, sometime soon take the time to walk, run, or just sit outside and watch the sunlight filtering through the trees or the birds soaring through the air. In this crazy world, we, myself included, get caught up in all the technology buzzing around us.  Every once awhile it's healthy to stop and admire Nature.  It kind of puts everything in perspective.  I like taking in the juxtaposition of industry and nature as well.  I know this is getting deep...but working out is the only time I can really take nature in and appreciate it.  While in awe of God's creations, I also like to take the time to pray while running.

Thanks for reading and please keep checking in! I'd appreciate any questions or comments. Have a good one!