Tri Tuesday! 8 Weeks Until MTWomensTri!

Here's my weekly update on my Triathlon Training-- Tri Tuesday!

Ok, well, I had a post almost ready to go last week but then didn't get around to posting it. So this week I'm combining with last week's post. I'm now about 8 weeks from my Triathlon!

Let's just say I didn't hit my training plan this week (actually now the week before last). Like, not even close.

Here's what the plan was:
3 runs, 1 bike, optional brick, swim if possible.

What I did was... 2 runs, totaling 5.4 miles. This was possibly my lowest mileage week of running this year. And I don't feel bad about it. Honestly, I have been working my tail off doing a lot of other things and it felt good not to pressure myself to get workouts in.

Also, it was really rainy and muddy and wet last week, and since we don't live anywhere near pavement, biking and running outside was not an option most days. I do have a treadmill, which I used for one of my runs, but I don't have an indoor bike option of any kind.

Last week, May 15-21 I had the same training goals of 3 Runs, 1 Bike, Optional Swim, Optional Brick. What I actually did was: 3 runs totaling 10.15 miles, and no swimming or biking. Roads were again muddy, so no bike for that reason. I had actually planned on swimming on Friday, but the fresh stitches in my face nixed that idea. Read more about that in my PREVIOUS POST. So, I'm still at square zero for biking and swimming. At least my running picked up a bit this past week. :)

I also had a goal of researching the hours of the Havre swimming pool, which I did. Their lap swim hours are 6-8 a.m., noon-1pm. and 5:30 -7pm most week days, and 11a.m. to 1p.m. on Saturdays.  Remember that for me, the pool is a little over an hour drive away. It will be much easier for me to make it to the pool during those hours once track season is done, and the pool in Chester (about 40 min drive) should open in June. I had hoped to try to get to the pool last week, but due to rain, one of our track meets was rescheduled for Friday, which is when I was going to go. So, there went that. Maybe this week will be the week for my first swim! I am definitely getting anxious to get in the water!

I also continued to research gear for training and racing, specifically what to wear. I ordered a sports bra that was recommended to me by someone else who does tris- the Oiselle Runway Bra.

Images from www.titlenine.com

It's an older style, and still listed full price on the Oiselle website, but I found it on a pretty good sale on TitleNine. I plan to wear it with a pair of tri shorts for the swim portion of my race, and then throw a tank top on over the top for the bike/run portions. I tried it out on a run and mowing the lawn (we have a bumpy, clumpy lawn and I used a riding mower-sports bra is a MUST!) over the weekend. I found it to be more supportive than I expected and I also liked that it had more coverage than my Verrazano Bras from Oiselle are. I think the mesh will be great for Tri because it will dry quickly.

One other thing that I did after reading a lot of advice from people who are primarily runners who have began to dabble in the triathlon world, was order a pair of Tri shorts. I decided on the brand Coeur after receiving several very positive recommendations, and ordered some from SwimOutlet. They came in the mail yesterday. Have a look:

Top depicts the backside of the shorts, and bottom is the front. 

Detail of the feather print, which I absolutely couldn't resist!
I think these will go really nice with my Oiselle jersey, which i'm planning to throw on after the swim portion of my race.

The shorts actually have a little padding in the crotch area so it should make the bike more comfortable. I've never owned a pair of bike or Tri shorts before, so I feel like I'm stepping up in the world. All the advice and reviews I've read said this brand is really good, performs well, is comfortable, and dries quickly. I'm anxious to put these to the test!

Here's a brief update on the money front. I suppose I did spend about $30 on the new sports bra, but I know I'll use that for much more than just tri training. I did sell a tank top that I didn't love as much as I thought I would, for $15, on the Oiselle Gear Swap page. I have a few more items I plan to sell soon, to help recoup costs of purchasing clothing and gear. So, net total, I've spent about $315 on Tri-related expenses.

Update after also purchasing the Tri shorts. They were a little pricey at about $80, but I covered the cost entirely with a PayPal credit that I had from selling other items. So, my net total that I've spent is still about $315.

Simple goals for this week:

1) Get back to the training plan! 3 runs, 1 bike, optional brick, optional swim again this week.

2) Research fueling options for pre-race and mid-race, and begin trying them out. I want lots of practice with this before race day! Anyone have any products or foods they really like?!

See you next week!