So June flew by quick and here we are already 5 days into July! I can’t believe we’re already halfway through a “new” year! I think time starts to pass by faster and faster the older I get and I don’t really know why.
Last month saw an up kick in physical fitness and more towards training though I’m not where I wish I was because of my chronic pain. Running is my weakest discipline and the one that I’ve done the least of because it causes the most problems with my back. The past week I’ve been dealing with issues in my left leg which is funny because my right leg is the one with the nerve issues.
My goals for July are primarily to get me ready for the Iron Girl which is on August 7th. It’s going to be a busy month because we head to Michigan for the whole last week of July for Brady’s final week of PT school and his graduation. I’m determined to reach at least my B goals for this race because I think at this point, it would be a miracle to hit my initial A goal.
July Goals
- Get a consistent running pace close to or around 10:00 min/mi. Depending on how my body agrees, I’m hoping to reach this goal by the end of the month because if I run at a consistent pace, it usually averages to between 12:00-13:00 min/mi but when I do intervals, I can run 2-3 minutes or so at an 8:30/9:00 min/mi.
- Focus on improving swim form and get closer to a consistent 2:00-2:10/100m pace. I think my best time doing 1,000m is just under 23:00 and I’d really like to get it closer to 20:00 for the race.
- Hill climbing and overall body strength. I’ve been working on getting a collection of exercises to work out my full body but doesn’t overly strain my back like a lot of exercises can. I especially need to work on my leg strength because my muscular endurance was lacking during last year’s race even though my cardio was great. I’d really like to push up those hills better on the bike and running.
- Drink more water. A few weeks ago, I was on a ride with my hubby on a 95 degree day in the early afternoon. I started to feel pretty sick and lightheaded and I knew right away it was because I hadn’t really had anything to drink the whole day and I was probably pretty dehydrated even though we’d only been out around 20-25 minutes. It took me a while before I felt OK to continue but it was a huge reminder that I need to more consistent with taking care of myself. So hydrate better!
- Final goal for the month (lots of things to work on!) is eating better. I’ve probably been eating alright the last month, but I’d like to focus on better fueling for my body and give it food that nourishes rather than empty calories or foods that make me feel bloated or nauseous. So that means focusing on the basics! Lots of vegetable centered meals, whole grains, fruits, and things. It’s probably a good idea after this weekend seeing as how I over ate pretty much every meal! I love picnic food.
Race Goals
My A goal that I made at the beginning of the year was to finish the Iron Girl in under 2 hours. Kind of crazy considering that would take 45 minutes off of last year’s time, but it wasn’t unreachable. So my goal now is to beat 2:15 by as much as possible. Getting as close as I can to 2:00. Here are my general goal times:
- Swim (1000m): 22:00
- T1: 3:00
- Bike (16 miles): 1:05:00
- T2: 1:30
- Run (3.4 miles): 35:00
- Overall 2:11:30
We’ll have to see how training continues over the next few weeks, but I have high hopes and I’ll continue to push myself as much as I’m able.
So we had a very drizzly, dreary 4th of July over here but I suppose we were lucky because it didn’t start until later in the day. I joined my family for the parade in the morning in River Hill. There were lots of creative costumes and LOTS of candy. We were scrambling for all the tootsie pops and rolls that were being thrown out because those are the best! I got a couple Chil-Fil-A cards for a small treat so that will be a fun date 🙂
This has been the family highlight of the parade for a number of years. It’s so funny to see the “Precision Marching Lawn chair Dads”. They do a little routine where they throw their lawn chairs to each other in as fancy a way that you can throw lawn chairs. There was even a showing from a group of Star Wars characters though we couldn’t tell if they were promoting something or not. It was a fun parade and I spent the rest of the day snacking on Tootsie Rolls. Now I guess it’s the waiting game for Thanksgiving. I won’t wish it sooner because I love my summers.
What are your goals for the month of July?
Any unique experiences at your local parade?
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