Training continues

Well things are headed back to normal at home. I ran 6.17 miles today, It felt good. I experienced a different feeling when I was stretching out my strides. I have been running with short choppy steps, Ken has been encouraging me to lengthen my stride and it paid off today.

In August I ran 6.2 miles on the treadmill, 0% incline in 95 minutes. Today it took 72 minutes with about a 400 foot elevation gain. 

Here are some running tips from Runners World

Post Christmas run

I went for a run today, as I was running I was thinking about each person who has expressed their support for my effort. I am extremely grateful for support I have received. I had a wonderful Christmas day with my family and I hope that everyone had a good day as well. I am looking forward to getting back to training in earnest; as Ken reminds me, my preparation time is running out.

Thanks for your support,
Take care and God bless,
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Jack McGowan

PS.You can take a look at my YouTube Channel to see what I have posted there




 Link to my YouTube Channel

Schools Over!

Some of you were aware that I have been going to school at night and online for the past year. Well on Saturday December 18th I took my final exam. I will find out if I passed in February. It is a great relief to be finished with the course work. Now I can concentrate on training for the 2012 Lava Man. In order to finish my school work I took time off from training and writing this blog.
I must admit that by taking this time off my conditioning has slipped and I need to get back to training and keeping track of my progress, especially my food intake. I have been not watching what I eat and it is starting to show on the scale.
I am scheduled to run a half marathon on February 19th and of course the 2012 Lava Man. I need to get back in a workout / Training mode. Thanks again for your support, do not forget that if you shop at Amazon you can help me reach my fundraising goal and it costs you nothing. All the proceeds will go to Team in Training, so far you have raised $27.

Thanks,

Jack

Saturday Training

This morning I had a good session on the bike. To help me train during the winter I bought a set of rollers. It looks simple enough, but I found that it very challenging to use. If you go on YouTube you can see videos of folks trying to use them Roller trainer crash. I decided to stay in a door frame so I do not wipe out too bad.
Then I took the dogs for a short run.

How your contribution can change the life of a person dealing with cancer.

You may want to learn more about how your contribution will help. Here is some information about what your donation will support.

A donation of $25 provides patients and their loved ones with FREE booklets that contain up-to-date information on their disease and help them make informed decisions about their treatment options.

A donation of $50 makes possible a Family Support group with a trained facilitator where comfort can be found and experiences can be shared among patients and family members.

A donation of $100 helps supply laboratory researchers with supplies and materials critical to carrying out their search for cures.

A donation of $150 provides financial aid to blood cancer patients to use during treatment, regardless of income, diagnosis or duration of treatment. This money can cover everything from transportation to and from treatment to the cost of a bone marrow transplant.

Survival rates for children with acute lymphocytic leukemia, the most common childhood cancer, have risen over the past 40 years from 3% to approximately 90% today; Hodgkin lymphoma patient survival rates have doubled to 86% since the 1960s, and the five-year survival rate has increased from 25% in the mid-seventies to 41% for all myeloma patients, and patients diagnosed in the last decade had a 50% improvement in overall survival.

By now, you’re wondering where you can make a donation… well, you can click on the purple box to the right of this blog and make a donation or go to http://pages.teamintraining.org/wa/lavatri12/jmcgowau5t

Thanks,

in honor of my brother and in memory of those who lost their lives to cancer,

Jack McGowan

Post run thoughts on Dec 3, 2011 Happy Birthday Charles!

December 3rd is my brother's birthday, as I was completing this training session I was thinking about him and the disease that he is confronting. I am hoping that everyone who reads this is able to make a small sacrifice on his behalf. I have a goal of raising 5,600 by April 2012. If each person who reads blog post donated 10.00 we could easily raise $1000 by the end of December, if each person were able to donate 10.00 a month we could raise 5,000, so please consider what you can give, many hands make light work. The research continues to find a cure and better treatment for leukemia and lymphoma, with your help we can be a part of that battle and perhaps in our life time see a world in which cancer is abolished.
Thanks,
Jack

Added another Amazon store site

http://jackintraining.blogspot.com/p/jack-in-training-store.html


If you buy food from Amazon, please purchase through the page I have linked here, any proceeds from this page will go to team in training.

Thanks

Postponed: Team in Training Fundraiser Dinner on December 11, 2011

Team in Training Fundraiser Dinner on December 11, 2011

2 December, 2011

Jack and Abe McGowan are hosting a fundraising dinner to support the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. In April 2012, Abrahm McGowan and his father, Jack, will be completing an olympic length triathlon to raise funds and awareness for research leading to a cure for leukemia and related cancers.  Over the next 4 months they will be swimming, biking and pounding the pavement, in an effort to raise funds to find a cure for this disease that claims nearly 1,200 victims a week. They are completing this triathlon in honor of Charles McGowan and in memory of all those who have lost their lives to cancer.

Leukemia is a malignancy of the blood-forming tissues – bone marrow, lymph nodes and spleen. It appears as uncontrolled multiplication of abnormal blood cells. It is estimated that leukemia and its related cancers will strike over 100,000 Americans this year.  The cause of leukemia remains unknown. However, the effectiveness of recently developed treatment methods and steady advances in research bring us closer every day to finding the cause and probable cure of leukemia and related cancers.

Their goal is to raise $11,200 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society, as well as to finish the race.  75% of every dollar raised will directly support research for a cure and provide financial assistance to families in our country struggling with the financial burden of treatment..

 WHERE

Silverdale Community Center

9729 Silverdale Way NW, Silverdale, WA,  98383
WHEN

Sunday December, 11^th,  2011

4-6 p.m.

DETAILS

The dinner will include a, salad, bread, spaghetti, iced tea or coffee. Dessert and soft drinks will be available. Recommended donation of $8.00 for adults, $4.00 for Children under 12 and 20.00 for families.

Contact information

Jack McGowan 360-697-5029, mcgowan401@gmail.com,

Web: Jackintraining.blogspot.com

 Twitter: @jackintraining

.

Reflection over the last 14 weeks

Today I was reflecting on the last 14 weeks, It has been an incredible journey so far. I have lost 45 pounds, I am able to run faster and further, I am able to swim much better. This path has been slow and steady, I have noticed that my thoughts towards exercise and training have changed. Before I would be happy to jog a quarter mile, now when I look at a workout my mind does not reel back when planning to run more than 2 or 3 miles. Today my time was 1:15 faster than my last run back to the car. Yesterday I realized that I completed 10 laps in less than half the time I took when I first started swimming, my swimming is not pretty but much better than when I started.
When I look at the paragraph above there is a lot of "me" and "I" in the sentences, the fact is that without my wife's encouragement, the support of my friend Ken (AKA the Co-worker), and my swim coach I would not be where I am today.
The most important motivation for me is my brother Charles. For years I would say I need to get in shape or I gotta lose weight, but that changed when I realized I could come along side my brother and raise money to help fight cancer.
Last week I learned that a childhood friend died from Leukemia. I really want to make a difference and with the support of my friends and family it will be possible.

Zone Snacks that I like

As I shared a few weeks ago I switched over to the Zone for my eating plan. I wanted to share a couple of food items that I like.
For a one block snack I use one corn tortilla, one stick of cheese and 5 olives. I microvave the corn tortilla for 20 seconds, Place the cheese on the tortilla and roll the tortilla, put it back in the microwave for another 20 seconds, yummy. for a two block snack I double the tortilla and cheese and then top the tortillas with a 100 calorie pack of guacamole, double yum.

Great swimming workout this evening and I am looking forward to my run in the morning. Kind of a somber day today in my mind. My father passed away suddenly 20 years ago, the sudden passing was difficult to deal with and even today it affects me deeply.

Happy Birthday to my sister Elizabeth.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society® - Official Website#/waystohelp/whygive/#/waystohelp/whygive/#/waystohelp/whygive/#/waystohelp/whygive/#/waystohelp/whygive/

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society® - Official Website#/waystohelp/whygive/#/waystohelp/whygive/#/waystohelp/whygive/#/waystohelp/whygive/#/waystohelp/whygive/

Fundraising effort

I wanted to let you know why I added an Amazon Store to my blog. I have a goal of raising $5,600 to support the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. So far I have raised $325. I saw where I can receive about 15% of the sale if I set up an Amazon store on my blog. Since my fundraising efforts have been slow to grow, I thought that I could take advantage of the Amazon offer and raise money for LLS at the same time. Please consider shopping through the Amazon link on my site, if this works I may consider adding other affiliates. If you want to make a 100% tax deductible donation go to my fundraising site. Otherwise what ever money I make through the Amazon site I will donate to the LLS.
I recently learned that a friend of the family recently passed away from leukemia so this is an important cause and I really need your help to raise money to fight leukemia and lymphoma.

Thank you,
Jack McGowan

Training progress

This week was challenging to my training efforts, Swimming on Monday did not go well; my shoulder was bothering me. About 25 years ago I separated my shoulder playing rugby, it has been an issue for me ever since. I need to improve my swimming technique or this is just going to get worse. Thanksgiving was OK I had dinner with one of my boys and his friend at the Chow Hall at Subase Bangor, no leftovers to deal with.

I ordered a bicycle roller trainer to start my cycling training. Here in the great northwest conditions can be unfavorable to riding outside, my intention is to get into good cycling form using the trainer and ride on the road when weather permits.

Swimming Week 12

I had an amazing swim workout tonight. My Coach is fantastic and I am very grateful that I found such a wonderful person to help me out.
I was basically in survival mode when swimming and it was exhausting. Tonight she showed me how to keep my body closer to the surface of the water which really cut my effort and made my swimming more efficient.

A couple of week ago I switched my food plan to the Zone plan, it is making a difference in how I feel. It has been an interesting transition and I have been successful in finding combinations that I like. You can learn more about the Zone by checking out this information from the Crossfit Journal http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/cfjissue21_May04.pdf  or go to http://www.zonediet.com/

I will post some food combinations that I enjoy.

End of Week 11

I recorded a video after my run this afternoon, there seems to be a problem with the sound for the first 20 seconds. Essentially I was saying that I just finished running 3.75 miles and that tomorrow is the Kick-off for Team in Training.

I have not been writing very much due to my school workload.

Week 10, Mountain running

Today I went trail running on Green Mountain. It was a good run, I did better than I did last Saturday. The picture shows the elevation gain during the last half mile, the elevation changes from about 700 to 1040.
I have been realizing that during the last 10 weeks I have made a lot of progress in my physical conditioning.

Week 9 is over, here comes week 10

This week I finished stronger than I have in past weeks. Yesterday morning I went trail running with my co-worker. What a workout, I thought that I was going to die, well not really but you know it feels when it seems  like you cannot take another step, then the necessary energy arrives. A few times I surprised myself when a burst of energy showed up. Today I ran to the end of my driveway and back a few times with the grand kids, for those who live in Clifton Heights you might be thinking that is not much of a challenge, it is a 1/4 mile from my house to the road.
This upcoming week is going to be rather full. Swimming Monday and Wednesday, running to work Tuesday and Thursday, Trail running on Saturday. I am going to add stair climbing on Tuesday and Thursday.

I have about 85 training days left, I am a little anxious about that. However, I have a good training plan and my co-worker is holding me accountable. Without his assistance I do not think I would be on track to be ready for the Lava Man Triathlon in time.
The swimming coach is wonderful and I look forward to this week lessons. Swimming is a whole new experience for me and I think I am starting to like swimming.
Hopefully I will pick up my bike by this weekend so I can start training on the bike.
The Kick-off for the Team in Training is November 12th, looking forward to that day.
Thank you for your support and I am counting on your thoughts and prayers.

Thanks,

Jack McGowan

Team in Training Team in Training Team in Training Team in Training Team in Training Team in Training

Week 9 coming to a close, and the event draws closer still (156 days to go)

This has been a good week. My swimming has improved dramatically. Saturday morning I will going trail running. I am conflicted over this journey, on the one hand I am making great strides personally not only in my physical fitness but meeting the physical challenges has had an effect on my mental and spiritual fitness as well. But, the motivation comes is rooted in the challenge faced by Charles making it difficult to fully celebrate the strides I have made. I am not sure if this makes sense to anyone else but I wanted to share that thought.
The motivation I feel is to the best I can for Charles and to be a part of the fight against cancer and in particular blood cancers.
I was talking with my co-worker about training and I am realizing that while April 1st may seem a far away I do not have an excessive amount of time to prepare, I am glad that I started 9 weeks ago and have made some progress. I have 156 calendar days to go, but I am thinking more like 88 days to account for various delays that will interfere with training. My challenge now is to balance my Home Life, Work Life, School Life and train for the Lava Man. I think my plate is a little full right now. School will be over before Christmas, so that will make more time available. Please keep me in your prayers.
Thanks,
Jack
My fundraising is moving along, I am still at 6% of my goal.

Swimming like a . . .

I am amazed at how much I learned the last two lessons. The coach is wonderful. I was dreading swim training, now I am looking forward to continued swimming. I was not swimming properly, the first lesson in September got me started; now I am making huge strides in my abilities thanks to my coach.

Run to work

Today at the encouragement of my co-worker, I parked about 2.2 miles from work, and ran to the office. What a great experience. The run back to the car in the afternoon was a little quicker. I think the training on the treadmill paid off. There is a big difference running on the road instead of the treadmill.
I am grateful to my co-worker for his help and encouragement. I have about 120 days to get ready for the Lava man triathlon with Team in Training. I am confident that as long as I press on I will be ready. I am grateful to everyone's support and prayers. I would not be doing this if it were not for the inspiration of my brother Charles and the strength he has displayed throughout his challenge facing Lymphoma and I am anxious to hear how the first round of treatment has gone. I know that so far it seems the treatment has been effective. Well I am about to go to the pool for my swimming practice.

Week 9 Summary Week 10 Training Update

In addition to last week being finals week, I was sick and not feeling well for most of last week and did not workout. Last night I had a great swimming session. I went to a Master Swimming group and the swim coach was very helpful. I made more progress in the one hour in the pool last night than I have during the past six week on my own.
My co-worker convinced me to run from a park and ride to work, what was I thinking. Well, Wednesday morning I will be running to my workplace. I am looking forward to the experience, it will give me a good chance to see if my training has paid off. I will be swimming on Wednesday night so tomorrow will be a busy training day.
Thanks to everyone for their support, I cannot tell you how much it means to me. My ultimate goal is to raise funds for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society and your encouragement will help me reach that goal.

One step at a time

I am realizing that as I take small steps towards health I find it easier to make better choices. I was not feeling well the past few days; I have not been exercising, I should be back to exercising on Thursday. I just need to keep focused on the goal. When we are able to visualize our destination, the solutions present themselves. I will look up some more information on this, but it is worth noting that as I focus on preparing for the triathlon, opportunities for improvement present themselves.

Week 8 Summary

Well time marches on.
I was not feeling well for the last half of last week, but I did swim two days last week and it did not go as well as I was visualizing. I learned about a Master Swimmer group that meets twice a week so I am going to check them out.
The other thing I learned this week is I need to prepare my food ahead of time otherwise I tend to make poor food choices. Today I made sure that I have my breakfast set for the week and I will have some healthy soups to bring with me to work then If I forget my lunch I will have a good alternative.

Thanks and have a good week.

Jack

Have a Plan

I think this may be obvious but when it comes to eating right it is important to have a primary and back-up plan for healthy eating. Today I forgot my lunch and did not have a good back up plan, on an impulse I bought pizza and ate a bunch of cookies which put me over my calorie limit for today.

Swimming Week 7

I went swimming today, it feels like I am not making progress. I am thinking about going to a swimming class in town which meets twice a week.  I know that I should get better at swimming over time. I am really encouraged by the support I receive when I tell others about my training and why I am participating in the triathlon.
The more I think about it the more I am convinced that having a strong "why" helps us accomplish our goals. In this case the reason why is to help support my brother.

Terrain trail

Today I was able to complete the trail with little modification, much better than last week, I am encouraged by my progress on the treadmill. Soon I need to start running outside.

Swimming

Today I was in the pool again. This session was a little better than the last session. Still not pretty.

Week 7 Summary

Where does the time go? I cannot believe it has been 7 weeks since I started this journey. Today I was able to run the treadmill terrain program, I did need to slow down the pre-programmed speed and reduce the incline but I did not stop running, so I made quite a bit of progress with my running this week. I want to thank everyone who offered words of encouragement on my swimming. I am frustrated by my swimming but if I take an objective look I really have been swimming less than one week, so I need to be patient with myself and maintain my focus on continuous improvement. I started working out on the Bowflex this week and I am looking forward to making progress wiht my strength training.
This week I lost 4 pounds, I had been stuck at 209 pounds for weeks and this week ended the week at 203 pounds.
Looking forward to start training on the bike as soon as I am able.
Today I met my Team in Training co-mentors and team captain. I am glad that I had a chance to talk with them and I have a better understanding of the Lavaman course.

What is the take away this week?
I have been thinking about what is different this time than the other time I have tried to get in shape. Two things:
1. Decision
2. Motivation
This time I made a decision to show support for my brother by participating with Team in Training. I am motivated to show support for him by doing the best I can.

Today I was watching Fostering Leadership and they offered the following suggestions for when opportunity knocks:

Seize that opportunity

Have courage

Step forward

Take calculated risks

Thanks for reading and I wish you all the best this week.

Jack McGowan

Back in the Pool

I was able to back to the swimming pool today, it has been three weeks since I was able to swim. I was not doing well in the pool, I do not know how the other guys make swimming look so easy. I guess I need to practice in order to improve. Somebody Please tell me swimming gets easier! I had more confidence three weeks ago than I do today.
I did not do as well as I would have liked with my workouts this week, I try to look at each day as a new start, but each day that passes is one less day I have to prepare.
Some may be wondering how I am doing with my 4 cokes in October challenge, I have had 0 Coke zeros this week, and it looks like I will finish the day and the week without having a soda. So that is $10.00 for the LLS this week. I Hope that some of you will consider matching my "coke free" challenge.

So far this week I am at 6% of my fundraising goal this week. Thanks for all the support.

Running today

I am not able to keep running through the terrain program yet, however, I was able to run more today than a few days ago. My goal is to run through the treadmill program without stopping by this Sunday. I have not been to the pool yet this week and oddly enough I miss going to the pool, never thought I would say that. I know that 6 weeks ago I would not have had a thought about not being able to exercise.
My co-worker has been very supportive of my efforts and today we were working on a plan on how I can shave an hour off my swim time.

Lets review why am I doing this?

I am doing it for several reasons:

1. I want to find a cure for cancer.
2. I need to get in shape!
3. I want to find a cure for cancer.
4. I want to stand with my brother
5. I want to find a cure for cancer.

How long is the triathlon?

I will be doing an Olympic distance triathlon that will consist of a:

- .93 mile swim

- 24.8 mile bike ride

- 6.4 mile run

The Jack McGowan transformation from Couch spud to multi-sport stud has begun. Please help me by going to:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/wa/lavatri12/jmcgowau5t

This is my personalized fundraising page where you can make a very large, very tax deductible donation.

Week 6 Summary

Well it has been 6 weeks since I started. I realized this week that by making small changes to my diet and taking time to exercise I have made a big difference in my fitness level. I spent more time on the tread mill this week. I am finding it easier to run longer this week, the training is paying off. This week I intend to use the my Bowflex and follow the BowFlex Workout plan. That should take me through the next 6 weeks. The Bowflex comes with a food plan that is simple to follow and a big part of the plan is drinking water, the object is to drink a gallon of ice water.

I am limiting the number of sodas that I am drinking. The past few days I have been drinking a lot more water.  Drinking more water seems to be having a benefit and I am sure that as the month goes on I may find that I do not miss Coke Zero as much as I thought I was going to.

With respect to fundraising, I am grateful for all the support I have received so far.

If you’re interested in supporting the Leukemia Lymphoma Society you can go to my fundraising page at: http://pages.teamintraining.org/wa/lavatri12/jmcgowau5

Each donation helps accelerate finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. My brother is among the nearly 958,000 Americans are battling these blood cancers.
Thanks,
Jack

To coke or not to coke

I like drinking Coke Zero, at lunch today my co-worker ( Yes, the same one who laughed at me when I started this journey) challenged my choice of beverages. He offered me a challenge, Drink 4 Coke Zeros in the month of October. My mind started racing, can I do it? How will I cope without my Coke? I thought about it for a few minutes and a few more minutes, I thought I spend about $25.00 a month on soda at work and about $15.00 a month on Soda from the grocery store; I could donate the money I save to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). I would be able to donate almost $40.00 a month to help the LLS.

I know that it is better for me to drink water, but I like the taste of Coke. I will make the choice to drink more water and I hope to enjoy the benefits of drinking more water.

My hope is that other folks would join me and it could be a painless way to help raise money for the LLS.

End of Week 5

I cannot believe that 5 weeks has passed since I started this journey. I am deeply aware that there are people, like my brother, who depend on the support of the Leukemia Lymphoma Society for their cancer care and it is important that I do my part to raise funds.
I have been working on my swimming and running, I am concentrating on my swimming for now since it is my weakest sport. I have been running on the treadmill which has been improving over the last 5 weeks.
Again I appreciate all the support from my friends and family.

Jack

Swimming adventure Friday

I went swimming today, my instructor was there so I wanted to show him that I am a good student and remem ered what he taught me on Monday. Well, it was not pretty but I managed to meet my goal to swim 10 laps. He was very encouraging and I felt good about the last 2 or 3 laps. I am grateful for all the support I am receiving. The main thing is to make sure that my brother and the others who are dealing with cancer are supported.
Thanks,
Jack

Week 5

Completed my swimming lesson on Monday, the instructor has experience in swimming the mile swim and with open water swimming. I am glad that I had a great teacher. Now I am applying the lessons I learned on Monday, Wednesday went well, not pretty but I was able to cover 10 laps, which is 1/3 of the length of the triathlon swim.
Talking with my co-worker today, now I know why he was laughing when I told him that I was going to do a triathlon, he did one himself not too long ago and knew what is involved in preparing for the event. He was also kind enough to let me know that I need a plan for when I am injured. Notice he did not say  if I am injured but when I am injured. I am trying to stay positive and think that I will not be injured, but my upper back and arms are reminding me that I am closer to 50 than I am to 18.
Everyone that I talk to about this event is very positive and supportive. I have my eye on a bike, I will take a look tomorrow night ( Friday ) hopefully it will be a good fit.

I appreciate the support I have received.
My bother had his second treatment and all seems to be going well so far.

Thanks,

Jack McGowan

Week 4

Today was my first swim lesson. I know that some of you recall that I was in the Navy and should know how to swim, However there was a reason why I was in the submarine force; little need to swim from a ship that was already underwater.
Anyway I had a great instructor who helped me improve my swimming skill and gave me some training tips. There are muscles that I did not know I had, I am sure that tomorrow they will remind me about today's workout.
Last week I was working on improving my running times, I am trying interval training to improve my cardiovascular conditioning and on Saturday I was able to cover three miles in 45 minutes.
My brother had his second treatment and reports that all is well. On Wednesday last week I had the opportunity to attend Mass in Las Vegas. Prior to Mass there was St. Peregrine novena and I had the opportunity to leave a prayer request for my brother and all those who are dealing with cancer.
Thank you for your support.

Week 3 update

Good Morning,
I would like to thank everyone for your encouragement. My son, Abrahm, has decided to join Team in Training, I am very proud of his decision to become involved with this cause to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. My brother started his treatment last week.
I have not taken the time to put fingers to keyboard in a while, but I have been meaning to write about my experience over the last week. I have been traveling quite a bit recently, but I have found that I can keep active and keep my up on my work outs.
I have reached 3% of my fundraising goal.

Bowflex workout day 1

Today I started woking out on the Bowflex, tonight I am really feeling my muscles that have not been exercised in a long time. I can hardly wait to see how I am going to feel tomorrow.

End of Week 2

Last week decided to work on my swimming skills. I was working in New York State last week and the hotel had a swimming pool. I do not swim much and it is the part of the triathlon that concerns me the most. I looked up some swimming tips on you tube and found an interesting site that explains breathing techniques which I found to be very helpful. Again I would like to thank everyone for their words of support.

Swimming day 2

Much easier today, still I do not think I will be on a Wheaties box any time soon. I bought a pair of goggles for swimming today, I should have bought a pair of goggles sooner. They made a huge difference, I was able to see and my eyes are not burning.

Swimming day 1

Today I decided to work on my swimming. Ugh, it is harder for me than I thought. I knew that it was going to be my weaknes, but man I did not think it would be this hard to get into good swimming form. I am signed up for lessons at the Bremerton Pool, hopefully that will help.

Starting week 2

I am going to be traveling for the next 3 weeks so I am concerned that I will be able to work out like I want to. I usually start a trip with good intentions of exercising, but when I arrive at the hotel I find it much easier to turn on the TV and vegetate. Hence the need to transform my self from a couch potato to athlete. I intend to swim during this trip. The picture of the pool looked really nice on the hotel website.

End of Week 1

I wanted to record some thoughts about this journey that I started. 

This last week is the most active I have been in a long time. After I signed up for Team in Training (TNT), I woke up at 2:30 in the morning wondering what I just did, how am I going to complete a triathlon? Am I going to be able to raise any money for the LLS?
The next day I told a co-worker that I signed up for the TNT, he started laughing. I said that I would go 6.2 miles on the treadmill when I got home. When I got home I was still apprehensive about going 6.2 miles on the treadmill. But since I made the commitment to my co-worker and to myself, I started running on the treadmill.
First half mile was very difficult, the next mile was a little easier. When I was closing in on 3 miles I thought for a second " I am about half way through, I can stop". But, then I thought I am doing this to help brother, and he can't just stop when it becomes difficult. I was able to reach my goal of 6.2 miles, afterwards I had a renewed sense of confidence that I would be able to keep my commitment to reaching my fundraising goal and completing the triathlon in April.

Started training

I started training for the 2012 Lava Man Triathalon in support of Team in Training. Recently my youngest brother was diagnosed with lymphocytes predominant Hodgkin’s lymphoma. To help raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s (LLS). To accomplish that mission, I’m participating in a sports endurance event as a member of the LLS Team In Training. Like the other members of TNT, I will be raising  funds to help find cures and better treatments for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma.
My intention is to record my progess from couch potato to completing a triathalon.

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