LMV's Gym Thread

Thanks for the input everyone!

Gym with bf on sat was good! I'm enjoying learning various strength exercises.

I'm busy with work this week. Suddenly been given lots of hours for this week. (non smoking day here on weds). So I'm not sure when I will fit in gym. Might actually have to wait for my only day off this week which is Friday. Obviously I am happy for the work because I need the money. But Why does the busy weeks have to come when I'm fed up of my job, dread going to work and want to be spending time at home looking for a new job!?!?

Oh well. I will find something else eventually!

I've really enjoyed reading yours and Cat's experiences with exercise. It gave me the encouragement I needed to get myself fit again. There are days that I get to the gym for a class and find myself tiring very quickly, but overall it's been great getting back into exercise.

Glad you enjoyed reading it! As you can see with both of us we both really enjoy exercising but do have our ups and downs with success! Just have to keep going. Its good to have a fitness goal as well to keep you focussed!

Hi Denise, glad to hear you're getting back into exercise. Yes, it can be very tiring at first. I recall struggling to even do 2 minutes on the stationary bike when I first started exercising, it had me completely out of breath! Now I can do an hour on a hill program on the bike, but it took awhile to build myself up to that level. Just keep going with it and don't let bad days discourage you, and you'll reach your goals.

LMV, I find that busy/stressful work weeks are when I most need to exercise! Can you do something like go for a quick walk or jog on your break or lunch? Or after work when you get home, could you do a workout with your resistance bands? Even if it's not a full proper training-type workout, a quick walk to clear your head and to get some fresh air should still help with some stress-relief. And hopefully after this week things will quiet down again at work and you can resume looking for a new job.

It's funny, actually, my hubby's been needing a new job for ages too and I thought things were going to quiet down at his work this week, as his boss is finally returning from a long (2 months or so) vacation and the plan was for hubby to go back to only 1 day per week when the boss got back. But then hubby got a call late last night, his boss's mother had a heart attack and isn't expected to live much longer, so now hubby needs to continue running the shop while the boss attends to her mother. So an unexpectedly busy week (and beyond probably) for my hubby too which is preventing him from searching for another job.

Long time no crohn's forum!

I've been so busy with work. Not having many days off and too tired to come on here. I managed to go for a run on weds morning before work which I was quite pleased with. Today I went to the gym to do some interval training but it didn't go too well because I got a stitch... Really frustrates me!

Bf says we might go for a run together soon to see if he can help me with anything. Sat here trying to decide if I'm going to go to the gym with him tonight or not. He is currently sat at work deciding the same thing! Both been working a lot and both very tired. You can probably tell as I can't even be bothered to do full sentences!

LMV, just listen to your body - if you're that tired, rest might be the better thing to do. Your body is probably asking you for rest, not for exercise right now. Going to the gym may actually give you energy, though, so working out wouldn't be a bad idea either. I realize that's not very helpful! Good luck & have fun with whatever you decide to do tonight.

Thanks cat. We didn't go in the end. He suggested to try and relax when im running and really concentrate on my breathing. So I went to the gym today and it went really well! I was doing interval training and it has gone the best so far. At about half way through I felt a stitch coming on so I just concentrated on breathing deeply and it helped! I really wanted to get to 2 miles so when I got to half a mile to go I stopped the intervals and Just jogged it and I reached 2 miles for the first time!! Then at the end I realised I had had it on a slight incline the whole time too! Even better. So maybe I have been running a bit tense and breathing better will help

Excellent, well done LMV! That's great that you were able to do 2 miles! It sounds like that was on the treadmill - how have the outdoor runs been going?

Hi cat, sorry long time. Been busy at work still! I haven't done an outdoor run on a little while. I haven't even been to the gym since I last posted. I had a small workout at my bf's house on sunday. He has a couple of weights and a resistance band.
Anyway off to the gym today and I think I will be able to fit in a few workoits this week since I have a couple of later starts in the morning. X x

Have fun at the gym today! What is your weather like there, has it been conducive to doing outdoor runs at all? Here it's been just crazy weather, one day it'll be nice and sunny but then it gets super windy and then out of nowhere it gets cold and starts snowing! The ground changes back and forth from frozen to muddy. It's just been ridiculous. So I hope you're having nicer/less crazy weather than we're having!

Hiya!

Yeah our weather has been a lot more settled! Its mostly dry sunny/hazy.
Gym went fairly well. Did a bit of interval training on the treadmill and then then did some rowing machine.
Yesterday I did an outdoor run that went well. I'm still suffering from a stitch though! Its frustrating! Bf is coming on an outdoor run with me on Tuesday before work so he is going to watch how I run and see if we can figure out this stitch business....
I'm also seriously thinking about getting a new bike now which I'm quite excited about! I'm going to be getting £300 of tax back so I'm kinda looking at that as extra money. So just waiting for that to come through then I'm heading to the shops!

Just out of curiosity, are you absolutely sure that it's a stitch? I ask because in the past when I tried jogging, on the few times that I pushed myself to jog a mile in spite of my hip pain, I would sometimes end up with LRQ pain. It felt pretty similar to a stitch, but I think it was actually my "bad spot" in my guts, being a bit angry about being jostled up and down. So pay close attention to the stitch next time it happens - hopefully it's just a stitch and not your guts getting a little angry.

That's exciting about getting a new bike! You'll have to post photos when you get it! For the time being, I'd say do some research - there are lots of different types of bikes so take a look at the pros and cons of each. When I bought my bike a couple years ago, I had wanted one with multiple gears so that I could do hills easier, and I wanted one where I sat more upright rather than hunched over, as I thought that'd be easier on my tummy. I ended up getting a "comfort bike" which is sort of like a cruiser style, except that cruiser bikes tend to not have multiple gears - and comfort bikes also allow you to sit more upright in a "comfortable" position, hence the name. It's not a particularly fast or light-weight bike, but it suits my needs quite well. Anyway, I'm sure you'll find a great one - have fun shopping! Oh, and save a bit of your money for bike accessories. When I got my bike, I spent something like $200 on the bike itself but then I spent like another $100ish on a helmet, basket, lock, cushy gel seat, etc. (A cushy gel seat is well worth the money!)

Hmm thats a good thought cat about the stitch. It is in that kinda area. The thing is my crohn's us pretty much in remission now and if that is the case then its literally the only time I'm noticing it. We will see what bf says when he sees me run (tiny bit nervous about that!) Also seeing my gi on the 23rd so maybe I'll see what he thinks!

Thanks for the advice about buying the bike. My sisters bf is a bike mechanic and works in a bike shop. He is round for dinner tonight so I might ask him.
ask him.

When I was in remission, I would get that stitch-like pain in the LRQ when I tried to jog - I'm not sure if there's a little bit of scar tissue or what. Like you said, that was pretty much the only time that I would feel LRQ pain while in remission. So it could still be your Crohn's, just letting you know that it's there and that it doesn't like being jostled around while jogging. I don't know of a solution, but yeah, I felt it even in remission too.

Good luck with asking your GI about it. I'm not a fan of my GI's answers when it comes to exercise, honestly! When my GERD first got bad, I told my GI that I was having a lot of reflux symptoms while working out - his response was to tell me to stop working out! I was like, no. He said lifting weights is particularly bad for GERD - anything that uses the abdominal muscles a lot is going to lead to more symptoms, which makes sense - but that's not going to make me stop working out. He knows now that I'm stubbornly not going to listen to his advice on that subject if all he can say is that I should stop working out - so nowadays he just says it's good that exercise is making me feel better. I hope your GI has better advice than just "stop doing that."

So on Tuesday me and bf went on a run! It was a beautiful sunny spring day. Bf isn't really supposed to run because he has bad hips and his doctor says not to run.
Anyway... I got a really bad stitch. It was defo a stitch this time, it was actually on the other side compared to normal.
Basically the outcome was... bf got frustrated with me because I didn't listen to him! He was saying I wasn't pushing hard enough, I'm not going to improve if I don't push harder. Which of course is right but that is hard when you have a massive stitch right?
Anyway there are a couple of theories as to why you suffer from bad stitch, including eating before hand, poor core strength and poor overall fitness. So as I don't eat before hand he is basing it on the latter two and is saying I just need to push through it. Which I have done... I mean I didn't stop running! I just didn't run fast enough as far as he was concerned! haha... so a bit of a mix really.

Three months to go until the triathlon so I really do need to push it now. I'm heading to the gym today so I plan to do some bike stuff on high resistance then push it on the treadmill with interval training. Also need to decide on a 5k bike route near me so I can start doing bike ride then run outside.

I'm glad it really is a stitch and not your guts getting a bit angry! That's good news for sure. Have fun at the gym today! How's the bike shopping going?

Hi Guys, thought I would update you on my triathlon training!

So first thing is that I have quite possibly got a little bit further in sorting out my stitch problem. Bf suggested I might be dehydrated in the morning. So on Thursday I did an outdoor run after having a couple of glasses of water! I ran a little bit further - 1.9 miles and didn't get a stitch the whole time!! So I'm hoping that plays a big part in the problem.
It was my Birthday on sat so I have been celebrating that over the last couple of days. Went out for dinner with the family on sat night and on sunday me and Bf actually had a day off together because of the bank holiday so we had a day out to Windsor Castle which was really nice

So today I got my Mum's bike out for the first time this season! I found a route to do near my house which is the exact triathlon distance 5k. The actual triathlon will be flat so I have looked for the flattest route possible, one smallish hill. I think thats fine because it will make me work out harder but not make it completely different to the real thing. So I did that today and was really happy to do it in 21mins.

So now I'm thinking I might try to do a bike ride followed by a run on Friday and see how that goes!

We looked up the completion times for last year, I had done a really rough estimate for the triathlon at 55mins. It turned out that this was the slowest time on the day! So now I'm worrying about being last so have even more motivation to up the training and improve my times!

We have also been looking into the equipment we might need so wet suits etc. Its all feeling a bit expensive. I'm hoping to find out more on the training day in May. Only three months to go now!!

Wow..this sounds quite ambitious.Good for you!

Thanks Dave! It is fairly ambitious! But it is only short distances. 200m swim, 5.3Km bike and 2.5km run. So the challenge is putting it all together, the transitions and getting it in a good time. Really upping my training in the last few months though. I want to be able to complete it and say I have done the best I can. And be pleased with how it went and the result!

You can do it, LMV! I hope you're not last, that wouldn't be a good feeling. But just the fact that you're doing it, that's already amazing and you should feel very proud. I bet a wet suit would be expensive - is that the kind of thing you could buy used or perhaps even rent one to save some money? Speaking of buying things, how's the search for a new bike going?

That makes sense about the dehydration and the stitch. When I go to the gym, I can tell if I'm dehydrated as I just feel all "wrong". I don't get a stitch, but my body feels hot and my head feels cold, I don't sweat enough, and I feel pretty lethargic. I drink a lot of water during the work week, but on weekends I kind of slack off and that's when I run into trouble with dehydration. So on the weekends I've just started making myself drink a big glass of water once per hour before hitting the gym and that's been working really well on the days that I remember to do it.

I have been looking into the wet suit thing a bit more today actually. It is something you can rent through the people who run the triathlon or training day, but its still expensive so trying to work out what to do. I haven't got much further with the bike buying yet because I'm kinda waiting for my tax money to come through.

I saw my gi today and was really happy to get another year of infliximab. I wrote about it in the remicade forum so I won't write about it again here especially since I am on my phone.

So I went for a swim today and enjoyed it. But made me realise I need to keep practicing the swimming since I have neglected it a bit recently and I can tell! I'm going to try some core exercises tomorrow with is out of a running magazine bf gets me free from his gym which should help for general core strength which is useful for most exercises I suppose but running in particular.

That's great about another year of infliximab! That's surely a big weight off your shoulders. Good luck with working on your swimming! It sounds like you're really starting to put the triathlon components together, very cool. Be a bit careful with the core exercises - if I do too much of that kind of stuff, then my reflux tends to go nuts, or if I really overdo things then it can make my guts super unhappy. I'm not in remission though so hopefully it won't affect you the way it does to me.

So today I put outdoor bike and run together for the first time!
The run was really hard, as I started out I felt as if I was at the end of my run! But I still did most of it, I stopped to walk a couple of times but quickly told myself no and kept running. so now I have an idea of how hard it is going to be and how hard I have to push the training in order to improve.
I'm starting to feel like I don't care if I come last in the triathlon, I just need to not stop and walk, to me thats the most important thing.
10/11 weeks to go! I know I will improve still so I'm feeling fairly positive!

I'm sure you'll do great with your training in the next 10ish weeks! It sounds like you've got realistic goals - to not walk - and just finishing the triathlon will be a huge accomplishment, regardless of what place you finish in. (With all your training, I'm sure you'll do better than last place!) Keep going LMV, you're doing great!

Hey guys! Here is my most recent update!
On Monday me and my sister did the bike ride and run together! She is hoping to do the triathlon as well. So it was my 2nd time and her 1st. I definitely felt an improvement from the first time. It was easier to breath during the run and I managed to run further before needing to walk. I had to run ahead of my sister so that felt good as well! I'm still disappointed I walked but feeling a bit more confident that I can keep improving over the next 10 weeks!
The other exciting thing is that I have ordered my new bike! They didn't have it in store at the time so they order it in for you, give you a call and then ask when you would like to try it. I'm hoping they will call today and I can go and try it on Sunday. I'm hoping I'll be happy with it and can buy it then because its the Triathlon Training day on 18th so I want to have it by then! I have also ordered a wet suit online so it feels like things are coming together!
I'm starting to feel like I'm lacking motivation with the running part though. Atm I am doing a swim, a bike + run and a gym workout a week. But I think I should be running to try and build up my distance as well. Still struggle to get to 2 miles and I would like to be able to run three before the big day.

I can't offer you much advice on the running side of things as I am not able to run myself. But, I noticed that you said you bought yourself a wetsuit for the swimming and you're trying out a new bike - maybe you need to buy yourself something for the running part too, maybe that will motivate you? Some new running shoes or a cute new running outfit, something along those lines? I know whenever I buy new workout clothes or even just put some new music in my workout playlist, that always gets me really excited to go to the gym. So maybe you just need to get yourself a little treat for the running aspect of things to keep you excited about that part of it.

It sounds like everything else is going great though! That's great that your sister is training with you. Is the boyfriend still helping you train as well? It sounds like you've got a lot of people on "team LMV" so I'm sure you'll do well!

So I have my new bike now, I took it out for a ride on Tuesday. I took it on the same route I was doing and amazingly it took three mins off my time! I then followed up with a run straight away and almost almost almost ran the whole distance! I know I will do it next time.
I was going to go for a run today before work but I was feeling a bit sick. So just chilling before I have to go to work soon.
So I have also now bought myself a tri suit to wear under the wet suit for the bike and run part!
On Sunday I have my training day, so looking forward to that.
The other exciting thing is I have an interview next week! For a Scientific Assistant at a food company, so will be working in a food lab. Really feel ready to move on from my job now.
So I feel like there is a lot going on now. Next Thursday I have this interview and then I have to go straight to work until 8pm and then I'm going on holiday to cornwall on friday! So I feel like there is a lot going on at the moment!!

Wow, another fantastic update! Getting new stuff is always so fun, and it sounds like the new bike was a great investment with that much time being shaved off your previous time. Can I see a picture of the new bike? I had to google what a tri suit is because I wasn't sure - it looks like something the pros wear, very cool. You've gone from someone who wasn't so sure about this whole joining the gym thing, to someone who's a legit athlete! So proud of you, you've come a long way and should be very proud of yourself too.

Good luck on the job interview too! That sounds like just exactly the type of job you've been looking for, right? I seem to recall your field of study is something to do with food and science, so that sounds perfect. I really hope you get it!

Ok lets see if this works, Here is my new bike

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Here is me in my wet suit
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Here is me in my tri suit:

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When I'm at the training day I'll try to get a pic of the lake I'll be doing the real thing in to show you. I also can't wait to put up the pic of me having completed the triathlon!!

Yes cat the job will be perfect so doing my interview prep now!

Very cool, it all looks really nice! You look like an athlete! And your bike is cute, I love the turquoise accents. Looking forward to seeing your pics from the training day and of course from the triathlon itself too!

So your job interview is a week from today? Good luck, with your degree and the work experience you've gotten so far, I would think you'd be the ideal candidate and I hope they hire you!

Woo! Literally only just entered myself and my sister into the triathlon!

Its official now!!

Oh! I didn't realize you hadn't officially entered the tri yet. Well then, congrats on making it official! With all the effort you've put into training (and all the fun stuff you just bought), I know you'll do really well.

Great to hear these updates.Cool pics.It must be even more exciting you are officially entered.Those turquoise accents might make your bike go quicker!

I hope the interview goes well.You seem to be a positive and focused young women with goals and ambitions.More importantly..your doing something about them.Great attributes to bring to an interview.

Pics of the lake would be cool.Good luck!

Aaahh... Long time without an update! But this literally feels like it is the first chance I have had to sit in front of my computer! So I'll update you chronologically!

So as you know I went to the triathlon training day, almost two weeks ago now. It was a really beautiful sunny day. So it was obviously split into the three sections. I did the swim session first which was teaching you to put on your wet suit properly, then swimming in the lake, and then the best way of taking your wetsuit off. I was shocked at how hard I found it to swim in open water. I consider myself a strong swimmer. But it felt so different being in a wet suit, being in the cold water, and then being in a lake, and finding it hard to put my face in the water, and therefore not swimming efficiently. Therefore I have decided I need to practice open water swimming again before the big day. Then there was the running session, didn't really feel like I learned a lot from that. Then there was the bike session which was mostly about equipment and transitions. Then we got a chance to practise the transition. So that was a really helpful day. It was also really good to go and see the location of where the triathlon will be. There were triathlons on the day so that was good to watch and to get the feel of the atmosphere there (I will post pics in next post).

So then the following Thursday I had my interview. I felt it went really well but unfortunately I didn't get the job.... So on with the job search!! The next day I went to Cornwall with my boyfriend. We were staying with his Dad, which was obviously the first time we met so that was a bit nerve racking. But we all got on really well so it was a lovely trip. Really lovely for us to get away, forget about work and to have some good quality fun relaxing time together!
Then it was back to work weds and yesterday and today is my usual day off. My bf actually had an interview today with our company (we work together I think I must have said before) for a promotion. So I drove him to that and we are waiting to find out if he has got the job. If he gets it he will be my line manager!! I'm sure we will be fine working together but tbh it gives me a lot more motivation to get another job. But obviously I really want him to get it because he has worked really hard for it. But I suppose really it will be the first major change in our relationship. We are quite strong though so I think we will be fine.
Also today while I was waiting for him in his interview I went to a sports shop decathlon. I have never been there before but I really enjoyed myself! Spent 40mins looking at everything! Its huge and basically has stuff for every sport! I bought myself a pair of goggles and also a race belt for my race number. I'm considering buying myself some cycling sun glasses too as it will keep the sun and wind off my face and keep them on my face better than normal sun glasses!

So this is a pic of the lake from the car park, the path you see is part of the cycle route which goes all the way around the edge.
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This is the race village from the other side of the lake, and the area of the lake which the actual swim will be in. [/URL][/IMG]

And this is just looking at the lake from the same spot but in the opposite direction!
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the whole thing is actually about two km long which is why you can't quite get it all in a pic!
Here is the wikipedia page if anyone is interested! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorney_Lake

Cool pictures! The lake does look cold though, I got a chill just looking at it. It sounds like your practice day was very informative so that's good. And maybe the lake will warm up a bit by the day of the tri? Here, the lakes and rivers are still pretty cold too (I went kayaking on Sunday and had to get out of the boat at one point to ford it over a sandbar that I got stuck on, and just putting my feet in the water was very cold!). But the water here tends to warm up as summer goes on and you can somewhat comfortably swim in the lakes here in mid/late summer. So hopefully your lake will warm up a bit too! But it sounds like a good thing that you practiced the lake swim and know what to expect and what you still need to train on.

I'm sorry to hear you didn't get the job, that's really disappointing. Good luck in your search, and good luck to your boyfriend too! Oh, and yeah, going into an athletic store can be dangerous for me too, there are so many things I want to buy. I'm rather obsessed with workout clothes at this point (in the last week I bought bike capris, a cute workout top, and a new sports bra - I didn't actually need more workout clothes, but it was all so cute!).

Remind me, how many weeks now until the tri?

The skin graph on my thigh is still red. I am wondering how long before I can go back to the gym.

2

Its six weeks today until the triathlon!

Today I completed the first full distance bike ride + run without needing to walk in the run! It was hard but I did it! Now just to keep doing it for the next six weeks to get my body more used to it.

I plan to try a run - bike - run on tuesday. The idea being the first run gets you a bit tired for the bike as the swim would. I don't want to go too far with that run but want it to tire me out so I'm thinking a fast short distance. Then the usual bike ride and run.

Boyfriend did get his promotion! really happy for him we will go out to dinner to celebrate next friday

I hope the run-bike-run went well! And congrats to your boyfriend on the promotion! Six weeks from June 1st, I've marked it on my calendar, so I'll be cheering you on from across the pond. It sounds like your training is really coming along now, very proud of you.

Thanks cat, thats so sweet of you the run-bike-run was hard! I think partly because it was only two days after my last big work out. The funny thing was I was in my bike section finding it really hard when I saw my bf turns into the road in the work van! (Which is really distinctive I knew it was him straight away) I was like quick pedal faster! He spotted me too and said I looked like I was working hard! Then I only managed about half of the second run. I'll try it again in a weeks time and I know I'll be better then. I have really learned that so much of how well you do is in your mindset. On Tuesday my heart wasn't in it and I was quite tired. But a week later I will be a week closer to the triathlon and I will need to see an improvement. So no matter how hard it is I will just have to do it. I know that's gow I will feel on the day, I will be like, this is the real thing I have to do it, I can't walk. But the more I do it now, beforehand, the easier it will be on the day.

That sounds like a very realistic approach, looking for improvements each week and getting your head in the game mentally. Yes, a big part of it is mental, but it sounds like you really want this so that's a very good minset to start off with - now you just have to follow through! I'm a big advocate of listening to your body, so for example when I'm lifting weights, if it's really hard but I want to do 12 reps, I'll tell myself to just get to 8 reps and then re-assess. When I get to 8, I'm like, just 2 more won't kill me so I do 2 more, and then when I get to 10 reps I do the same thing and get to 12 reps and then I'm satisfied. Yes it's hard, but I accomplish what I want to without my silly "I can't do this" thoughts getting in the way. If I went in with a more pessimistic outlook, I probably would have stopped at 8 reps and not tried to go further with it. So, try to do things like that with your training. Say you're going to run to that tree over there and then re-assess, and when you get to the tree and you haven't fallen over from tiredness, then surely you can make it to the next tree? (Or whatever landmark.) Just take baby steps like that, break it down into manageable bits and do a bit at a time. That works well for me. Rather than say, there's no way I can do 12 reps on this because it's too hard - I just do what I can and then push myself to continue just a little bit more.

Yes your exactly right cat! That is what I do as well when I'm really struggling, just to that tree just to that tree. My bf has helped me to realise that you need to push your body in order to improve. The way I was training before I was improving but slowly. Now I always try to push myself to the max, and even keep going past that. That way your body says... woah... I really need to improve on this.
Of course everyone on here reading this really needs to bear in mind that my crohn's is in remission at the moment and I am very well. If I was not well I would not be training with the same mind set.

On that note there is a very big chance my sister wont be doing the triathlon with me. She has been unwell recently, in and out of hospital. On loads of pain killers. They think she has endometriosis. So she is starting to think she is too weak to do it.

I am going to go out on a run - bike - run today and have to be determined to do well. Though it is quite warm today so I am expecting it to be tough. I am starting to get a bit nervous now though, 5 weeks to go! So I'm even starting to feel nervous before each big exercise because I know that its a good reflection of how I will do on the real thing.

I'm also hoping to do a lake swim on friday on my day off. My sister will probably come with me for that even though she is thinking she wont do the triathlon.

Sorry to hear about your sister LMV.I hope she is o.k..It's great she is still able to train with you,even if she may not race.Glad you have family support.

Hopefully you stay in remission for a very long time.Getting fit from your training should help in that aspect,not to mention help with stress reduction and your overall well being.Plus you seem to be having fun and that is important.

Good luck with your training...don't push too hard.Your bound to feel a bit nervous as the day nears.I know you want to do well,just don't forget to have fun!

Here's an odd thought,say on race day I think you are starting about now,but actually it is start time by my time and you won't start for another five or six hours.When the race has been long over,my time,is the time you will actually be starting.H,m,m,m...anyways,have fun training.

Dave

I hope your sister is okay, LMV! I don't know much about endos, is there treatment for them or can they do anything with surgery? At any rate, I hope there's something they can do to get her feeling better. Endos sound painful so I understand why your sister may not do the tri. I'm glad that you're going to do it regardless of if she participates or not.

I hope your run-bike-run went well! I hope the lake swim goes well, too. I was going to say don't be nervous, but I'm getting nervous on your behalf!

Thanks for the kind words for my sister! She was admitted to hospital a couple of weeks ago where they discovered her pain from what they think is the endometriosis has also spread across so it is also referred nerve pain. I have heard that nerve pain is basically the worst sort of pain you can get. So that is why she has to be on so many pain killers all the time. She has an appointment with this doctor next week where I think they will probably discuss surgery as so far hormonal treatment hasn't worked.

So she called up the lake yesterday to see if we needed wetsuits because she doesn't have one. And they said no you don't need a wet suit but we are closed on Fridays! Well thats just great! Fridays are my day off! I want to swim in the lake its a beautiful day today! I was at work so I asked her if she could find any other local lakes. But apparently other ones you will need to hire a wetsuit so its not worth it.

So we are going to go tuesday morning instead now as I start work at 3.30pm on a tuesday!

So last tuesday I did my run bike run. It went ok but I did struggle in the heat. I didn't quite run the whole thing at the end. But when I stopped I gagged so that was a clue that I had pushed it quite hard! So I'm about to do another one now. In the heat again!

I'll let you know how it goes. I just went on the website for the triathlon website to see if the event info is up yet. And I noticed they took the temperature in the lake yesterday at 22C! Which means you are not allowed to wear a wet suit. So I don't know what that means for the temperature for me in a months time. If the weather continues to be beautiful like this then it will just get warmer. I'm not sure if it would go down again if we had cooler weather, I know it takes longer for the water temperature to go down than air obviously. So we will see how it goes!

Oh that sucks, why would they close a lake on Fridays? It seems like Fridays would be a popular day to swim! Oh well, I hope your Tuesday swim goes well. And oh goodness, I hope the doctor can do something helpful for your sister, even if it is surgery. Poor thing, being on pain meds all the time sounds terrible!

So you did another run-bike-run on Friday? How did that go? Make sure to stay hydrated in the heat (I'm sure you already know that). I think we've discussed this before, but I definitely feel a difference in my energy, strength, etc if I'm even a little bit dehydrated when I hit the gym. Anyway, I hope it went well and that your swim tomorrow goes well too!

I hope your swim went well yesterday(tuesday).

I hope your sister gets encouraging news at her next Dr.'s appointment.It's good you are there for her,we all know how even a little support can go a long way.I'll send some good thoughts her way.

Thanks guys. So you will not believe this but we still haven't gone for our swim! We went to the lake on Tuesday and they were like you can't swim now it has to be at certain times when there are no boats... I was like I swear thats not clear on your website. Anyway.... it is on their website I obviously just missed it! Its hard to find a time it will fit in with my work hours. Next time we are going to try is Tuesday evening. It finishes at 8 and I finish work at 7. So hopefully thats enough time to have a quick swim.

Last Friday my run bike run didn't go too well because of the heat. I think I had exercised a lot that week tooand I was too tired. So I just did the first run and bike part. Then on Sunday I was really happy because I wanted to have a go at a longer run, try and mix up my workouts a bit. So I thought I would put two routes I had done before together to make roughly 3miles. Running 3 miles is my next goal after the triathlon. The furthest I have ever ran is 2 miles in the gym so I wasn't expecting to get the whole way around without needing to walk but I thought I would see how it goes... and I did it all without stopping! 2.95 miles!!! I was so happy. It just shows how much this triathlon training has improved my stamina, that I basically just doubled my running distance!
So going for another run bike run tomorrow! Weather feels a bit cooler now so I'm sure it will go well.

too bad about the swim,but excellent on the running!Good luck with the Tuesday evening dip..watch out for boats.

I don't want to spill into your thread,but I wanted to tell you I used you and cat-a-tonic's method yesterday.The one about 'just make it to the next tree,than the next,etc.'. I haven't been feeling that great and shirking my exercise for a few weeks.I got off my ass yesterday and focused on some cardio.I was only gonna walk a short distance.I used the 'next tree jedi mind trick' and walked 1.6 miles!I live on a hill so coming home was a challenge.

I was going to post this in fitness and exercise,but I wanted to let you know.Hope I didn't step on your toes.

Good luck with your swim!

Dave, that's fantastic! Well done!

LMV, that stinks about the lake and the boats - it sounds like having a practice swim is becoming a major challenge! I hope Tuesdsay evening goes okay and that there are no boats or other obstacles in the way of you doing a swim!

Congrats on running 3 miles! That's wonderful! Keep going with it, maybe your next goal after the tri can be to run longer or you could even work up to training for a running race (half marathon maybe??). I'm so proud of you, you've come so far and done so well!

Thats great Dave! I don't mind you chipping in at all

So my Tuesday evening swim has unbelievably been cancelled again as I am working slightly different hours tomorrow now, which is later. Going to go for Sunday now I think!!

Also in other news I have another interview tomorrow! Its for a graduate entry level role for another food company, in Newbury, where I often go for work now so it would be great! Only issue is that it is a 6 month contract at the moment. But anything in the right direction is better than nothing!

So fingers crossed with this one!

x x x

Sheesh, that's unbelievable that your swim has been cancelled yet again! Are you still doing pool swims or are you trying just for lake swims at this point?

Good luck with the interview! That sounds really promising! Presumably, if you got the job and did well during the 6 months, would they hire you on for longer? Is the 6 months like a trial period? Anyway, keep us posted on how the interview goes! Fingers crossed for you.

Good luck with the interview.The lake training time is being as elusive as a speedy answer from a Dr..Usually if you tell someone to go jump in the lake your telling them to push off...in this case,I hope you will be able to go jump in the lake soon and get a swim in.

I hope your sister is doing well and is still able to train with you.Keep us updated.

Thanks everyone!
Interview went well, it was really straight forward. They said there will be a second interview so waiting to see if I get through and I imagine this one one will be more challenging!
Still on track for the next swim on Sunday Morning. I'm starting to feel like I am losing motivation for training now. only two weeks to go. But do you know when you have an exam and you have been preparing for ages... and its the day before and you really want to do well and keep revising but you are bored of it and are struggling to keep going? I think its like that. I am looking forward to the training being over and being able to do different things!

I also got the race information today and discovered my start time is 2.30pm due to all the heats and various distances that are going on that day! So a bit disappointing in terms of what do I eat in the morning and it will be hotter at that time...

Oh well... just got to stay positive and try to enjoy it!!

2:30, it probably will be pretty warm out at that time of day. Perhaps you could do a few training sessions at that time of day to get accustomed to it? It's funny, I decided to ride my bike to the gym yesterday afternoon, and I actually got on my bike at 2:30. It was warm, and it was kind of tough, but it was also totally do-able. Honestly, there was a strong wind that I was riding into the whole way there (4ish miles), and that to me was harder to work through than the heat was. And I'm not a person who enjoys or does well working out in the heat! So anyway, yes, it might be a bit more difficult, but I think you can do it. It might be wise to train at that time of day a few times though. That way you could figure out what & when to eat, as well. (Personally - and this may just be me - I have to eat at least 2 hours before a workout, so I had eaten lunch at 12:30 yesterday which is what determined that I could go work out at 2:30.)

I'm sure I don't need to say this,but...don't forget to hydrate.I agree,maybe some training at the time you will be competing will acclimate you a bit.Anxious for it to be over?

Getting closer and closer...I'll be rooting for you.

Thanks for the support you two!

Couple of updates: Swim was successful on Sunday Morning! Was actually quite funny coz me and my sister were a bit nervous about it. The two guys there who were watching over the lake and supposed to be life guarding (basically just having a chat) didn't seem to be used to having nervous people that actually needed their attention! As I was getting in I wanted to know if I was on the last step (water was murky) because I didn't want to just go in as a shock. I was like... "umm.. excuse me??" think they thought we were making a bit of a fuss! especially as my sister started panicking when she realised she wouldn't be able to touch the bottom! I had got into the water first and she was crouching on the last step probably up to her waist, breathing so deeply and fast in a mix of panic and cold! I had to talk her around and get her to slowly get her chest into the water and calm down! Think these two lifeguards were shocked there was any kind of commotion! haha... We suggested she just went about two meters into the lake where she could hold onto a kind of jetty. I said, I'm going to swim now I'll come back and see you in a min. So I went off, and I was just going to the first bouy which was 100m out and coming back again - my 200m swim. And I was surprised when I turned around to see her not too far behind me! She said once she was in she realised it was ok and just kept going!! So we were really happy after that, that we had done it. We practised swimming the 200m twice. So I was glad to have an idea of what swimming the triathlon distance in the lake felt like.

So then today I did another run - bike - run. As you say I need to be practising in the heat. Its hard for me to be doing it at 2.30 though, because of my work hours. I have been going at about 10/11am and finding it hard enough. The bike part isn't so bad, because of the speeds and the breeze you get, its the final run I am struggling with. just the second half of it too. I started trying to trick myself today and when I was in a sunny part saying to myself "that warm sun is nice" and breathing slowly. But I still get to a point where I am gagging...
I've decided I'm going to try and find out if I can carry water with me on the day during the run part. It isn't a far run but if I can just drink a bit on my way/pour water over myself to cool down a bit maybe I will be able to do it without walking!!! That is all I ask for! Thats all I want from this triathlon!

I would think they'd face trouble if they said you can't carry water with you on the race - if you passed out or something, it'd essentially be their fault and you could probably sue them. My mom just ran a marathon and she carried a refillable drink bottle with her the entire way - and I know most marathons have regular water stops so that the runners can have a drink and/or pour water over their heads. I know your tri will be shorter length/time than a marathon, but even so, with the heat and the exertion, I would imagine they have to allow you to have water! That seems dangerously reckless if they disallow it.

If they don't allow you to carry water and you're afraid you'll overheat during the run - this is what my mom does, she carries a little bag of ice cubes with her and she sticks them under her hat and inside her sports bra, apparently that really helps her cool down. She recently ran a marathon in Puerto Rico, and she said it was so so hot there that she was afraid she wouldn't be able to finish the race. But then someone gave her a little bag of ice, and that was all she needed to cool down enough to finish. So, maybe stash a little baggie of ice with your bike? Or perhaps your sister or boyfriend could give you some ice and/or water as you start the run part (presuming they'll be there to cheer you on)?

Less than 2 weeks to go now, right? I'm glad you finally got to do a practice swim! It sounds like the water is still really cold though if you were worried about going into shock! Hopefully it warms up a bit more before your tri!

What a pleasant surprise to discover your sister swimming with you.I don't think I could swim that far! It sounds like you should have no problem.

I can't imagine a rule not allowing you to carry water.It must be allowed,like cat-a-tonic said,the legal ramifications would be something.Five K's and tri-athalons are popular around here,they encourage proper hydration.

You train when you can,right? I'll have a smile on my face thinking of you running with a bag of ice on your head the day of the race.

Its tomorrow! I haven't had time to do a proper update recently. Had a lot going on. Its my sister's birthday today so we just went out for dinner and now I'm getting into bed! When I think about how I'm going to feel when its over I get excited, but when I think about the actual race I'm nervous! I have been training hard for this though. No reason why it won't go well. Just going to focus on that sense of achievement at the end! I'm also looking forward to coming back on here and telling you all about how it went and posting up my pic of me afterwards.
Wish me luck guys!!! Got to try and forget about it now and get a good nights sleep!

LMV,I am very excited for you! You have put a lot of effort working towards this goal.I will be rooting for you and anxious to hear how it goes.I know you want to do well,but please have fun and enjoy yourself.

Good luck!!! I look forward to a finish line pic...and happy birthday to your sister too.

Dave

LMV, I saw your finish line photo on facebook - very well done! Did you manage to run the whole time without stopping to walk? It looked to me like you were running across the finish line. And it also looked like there were people behind you - so you didn't come in last, as you had feared. I can't wait to hear more about it, but from the photo it looked like you did great!

Hi everyone!

I have only just had a chance to get onto crohns forum, as you can imagine yesterday was busy and then I have been working today.

So yes, I completed the triathlon! Unfortunately I did walk a tiny bit, the run section was quite busy when I was on it and I was obviously tired. There were other people walking and that made it too easy for me to as well! Also, I think I might have taken it a bit too fast. So my time was 41min29sec which I am SO happy with!! I was hoping for less than 50mins so that is great.

So I have looked at all the results online and 159 women did the novice distance, and I came 98th! So thats not bad.! Also you can break it up into age group. So in my age group 20-25, there were 7 people, and I was 4th out of them!

These are my times for each section: Total 41:29 Swim 5:23 T1 2:24 Bike 16:12 T2 1:05 Run 16:25

Anyways, I would love to tell you more but I am tired from work and want to unwind for a bit before bed. I will come on soon to post pics. Ask me any questions you have!
x x x

4th in your age group is fantastic! Your time is excellent as well, beating your estimate by 9 minutes is awesome! I can't wait to hear more about it and see more pics.

LMV I saw your Facebook photo near the finish line. Congrats to you, dear! What an awesome thing to accomplish and quite the inspiration to others here on the forum! I know you worked really hard towards your goal. I'm really happy you were able to make it happen! :dusty: :dusty: :dusty:

So happy for you! You deserve to take a breather,I'm proud of you.I have to ask,did you have the ice bag on your head?

Look forward to your post and the pics.

Omg, I can't believe it has been a month since I updated on here!

A month has passed since the triathlon and I wanted to account it to you in detail while it was fresh in my mind. And now its not fresh in my mind!

At least it has reminded me I need to put the pics up for you! And no dave - I didn't have ice on my head!

Its just been a fairly busy month with my friends wedding, the holiday, then getting back into the busy work routine. I think because I work evenings I don't come on here very much anymore because I just chill then go to bed when I get in.

My training has stepped down a lot since the triathlon. I ran twice on holiday which I thought was quite good going!

And now I'm just trying to work out what to do next, starting to step up the training again to work into my weekly routine. I've decided to change my gym which is a bit sad. I have an odd emotional attachment to my gym. Anyway I have decided its too expensive for how often I'm using it and it is actually a bit geographically out of my way. So I'm going to join my boyfriends gym now which is £15/month cheaper. Plus it means I don't have to pay extra when I go along with him.

So I went to the gym yesterday and I'm off on a bike ride today!

I would feel a bit sad about changing gyms too! I go to 2 different gyms (free little gym in the basement at work, and a big paid membership gym) and I would feel sad about leaving either one. The gym is my happy place and it would feel a bit odd to start going to a different happy place! I hope your boyfriend's gym turns out to be a lovely change though. Saving that much money per month sounds like a good plan to me! I only pay $10 per month for the gym I belong to (the price was my main reason for joining that particular gym!).

How's everything else going in your life? It sounds like things with the boyfriend are still good? How about work, have you had any other interviews or are you still at the same place (and is boyfriend your boss now, as I seem to recall something like that)?

I'm glad to hear you're still exercising! I was a bit afraid that you'd be too burned out after the tri and would just stop altogether. I'm very pleased to hear that you're still working out and are stepping things up a bit again! So proud of all the work you've done and continue to do!

I'd be HAPPY about changing gyms. LA Fitness is not the greatest place in my opinion but it's the only one near where I live and there's no excuses because it's two blocks away.

It's really good to hear you are still well and willing to challenge yourself even outside of the marathon. Very inspiring

Chicago, is there a Planet Fitness near you? That's the gym I belong to, I really like it for the price (only $10 per month, no contract, and it's open & staffed 24/7). It's not fancy, there's no pool or anything like that, but it's got tons of cardio machines and weight machines which is really all I need. And it's like 4 miles from my house, so I can get in a nice little warm-up by riding my bike there, and cool down by riding my bike home (much slower ).

Hi everyone! So long since I have been on but life has been busy!
Just wanted to give a quick update.
My crohn's started to slip in the wrong direction a little recently so in the last few weeks I have had a colonoscopy and an MRI scan to try and see whats going on. They have also done a blood test to see if the infliximab is having the same effect.

I now have a NEW JOB! Finally! I have been looking for ages! I am now an office administrator for an ingredients broker near where I live. So its a food industry type job which is where I was trying to get work as it is related to my degree. Its a great starting point and two weeks in I already feel quite settled. Its actually strange but my crohns has really improved since being in this new job...

We actually had my work xmas do on Thursday and they put me and bf up in a really nice hotel, we played bowling and went for a meal. We didn't have to pay a thing all night apart from the taxi home. Was a really nice welcome to the company.

In other news I am still training to be a fitness instructor as I am still going to work on the weight loss programme a couple of evenings a week. So I am currently spending my weekends revising anatomy and physiology, nutrition and coming up with aerobics routines!

Now I am in a job with normal office hours I am trying to come up with a new exercise routine so that I am exercising in the evenings after work. I am trying out a few classes to see what I like and have been to the gym the last two saturdays with BF.

So a bit of a mix of news really but overall I think I am happy. Just waiting on the results of these tests now. I wish everyone a happy xmas and new year x x x x

It sounds like all good things except for the Crohn's making a bit of a comeback. I hope the test results are good and that things can be brought under control again quickly & easily. Congrats on the job!!! I know you've been looking for a new job for a while now so this is fantastic news! It sounds like a good job too so that's great, I'm so happy for you. And that's awesome too about you training to be a fitness instructor. Please let me know how that goes, I've been toying with the idea of getting certified as a personal trainer so I'll be eager to hear how you do.