Bucket List

Okay, so I know I'm really young still to have a bucket list but there is a growing number of things that I would like to do in my life. Since my Weber State track days and watching my team mates run crazy-insane distances I thought I would love to do something like a marathon. During the years I was in great shape, I was too busy and way too poor to compete in one. Then after I started having babies and struggling with my weight, I honestly put that goal at the very bottom. This spring I renewed my effort in losing weight and getting in shape. I blogged about it a couple times, and I had started doing okay, but I quickly plateaued. I even started going to the gym at 4:45 in the morning. No change. I lost hope for a little while and gained back 2 of my 6 pounds I had lost. I then stayed at that weight for a while. The first part of May I noticed a poster about the Willard Bay Triathlon, I was super pumped for half a second. But it was one of those I-really-think-I-could-do-this-but-wait-I'm-overweight-out-of-shape-post-baby-body-sad-excuse-for-a-human-being. But fortunately Matt saw me looking at it and encouraged me to do it and promised he would do it with me. So in less than a month we trained for a triathlon, Matt's dad and younger brother Steve did it with us, they both rocked it! We signed up the very last second just to make sure we weren't in way over our heads.

And today was the big day!!!

It. Was. Awesome.

Pictures and details in a moment.

Back to the story...We started training super hard and was quickly able to run the 3.1 miles and bike the 12 miles that would be required of us. Then we started putting them together in the same workout. Everyone should definitely try to bike 12 miles, immediately get off their bike and start running. I MIGHT have made it 1/16 mile running the first time, my legs just wouldn't cooperate. But I built up to the 3 miles everyday. After 2 1/2 weeks of working out 6 times a week, there was not a single pound of difference in weight. Not one. I lost inches around my belly, hips and legs but no pounds. How frustrating is that!! Especially since Matt was shedding 2-3 pounds a week consistently!

I kept increasing my intensity and decreasing my caloric intake. This is my degree, it should be easy right? I've studied this for 4 years, why isn't this working? I've never counted calories before, I've never wanted to HAVE to count. But I finally did. I was eating the average 1200 calories a day, so I decreased it and finally saw a difference at 800. sad huh? But suddenly in 7 days I lost 6 pounds! yup, and I've kept it off the 2 days after that too. (For breakfast I eat raw oatmeal with milk poured over it like cold cereal. Yogurt is a good addition too. It keeps me full past lunch time)

Crappy timing though to finally start losing weight and then have the triathlon over. But I'm hopeful to compete in another race of some sort this summer with my little bro, so I have to keep training!

So this morning bright and early Matt and I got to Willard Bay and set everything up. The atmosphere was really fun and positive, with both first timers and professional triathletes there. The swim was first, and there were 4 waves of athletes. Male olympic, female olypmic, male sprint (Matt), female sprint (me). (Olympic is twice the length of each event as the sprint) The water was a luke-warm 58 degrees, and the outside temp not much higher to start with. It was actually incredibly painful to get in the water, and though I was numbed throughout, I could still feel the coldness seep through my wetsuit the whole time! Oh it was cold!! When both Matt and I got out we staggered drunkenly to the shore and up the stairs over the dike and back down the stairs. I actually felt drunk because I had little control over my numbed body! My swim time was 22 minutes. Matt's swim time was 17 min. (For 750 meters) We hopped on our bikes and rode the route of 12.2 miles around Farr West/Plain City. My cute brother and his wife sat out on their lawn and had a sign cheering on Matt and I as we rode past their house:) My bike time was 51 min. and Matts was 45 min. (I think) We then hung our bike back on the racks and started running for the dike and we ran 3.1 miles. My run time was 35 min. and Matt's was 33 min. Matt's overall time was 1:48:something seconds, and my time was 1:57:something seconds. We were both elated! My goal was to finish the race, but deep down I wanted to finish under two hours, so I am pumped! We both want to do another triathlon soon!!

Here are some lovely (sarcasm) pictures of me and Matty.









We swam across the marina and then headed out the channel just before we went into the bay we turned around. so. cold.





This was a perfect playground in Adam's mind. Rocks. Water. Outdoors. He was good to go.



I thought I could cross off 'marathon type race' from my list, but I think I added triathlon and then checked it off. So I'm keeping marathon on there, and my new goal is to do that this summer hopefully.

Thanks to our families that supported us so well!!

Hooray for Triathlons!