Been a while...

Well, just realized that I have been very derelict in being a blogger for the past few months. Building house, more responsibility at work and issues that inevitably come up, all came up at the same time.

Training is continuing just not as regular as it should. Pat and I joined the Talisman Center, a premiere sports facility here in Calgary, Alberta. We have had the privilege of working out along side of some elite athletes in our community and among other people just like us. Getting ourselves off the couch and back into a regular fitness regimen has been a challenge....good thing we are up for it!

We aim to continue this good path with the onset of spring (FINALLY) and being in our own home with access to all of our own training items again.  Less than 10 weeks away from the Chinook Aquabike!! Eek!

If you have been following me on Facebook, I hope you have enjoyed my Hammer Nutrition Canada Ambassador videos. Any ideas for future ones, I would love to hear! Don't forget, when you shop on www.hammernutrition.ca site, remember to use the code Frandsen5 to save 5% on EVERY order!! Keep on Hammering!

Hammer Nutrition Ambassador for 2014!

I am SO excited to share that I have been chosen as a Hammer Nutrition Ambassador for 2014.

I had the pleasure of meeting some of the Hammer Nutrition Canada crew during the inaugural Challenge Penticton 140.6 triathlon this past August. What an amazing group of people that represent an awesome product. Everyone was so friendly and genuinely interested in my journey to fitness. Some people even participated in the event and were quick to cheer me on when we found each other on the race course. At the end of my leg of the race, all the Hammer people congratulated me on my great effort. Let's be honest here, I will never be a podium finisher where people will know my name because I was the fastest "fill in sport here". It made me feel like I WAS a winner because of their encouragement and support.

I want my readers to know that I am HUGELY honored to be named an ambassador for 2014 for Hammer Nutrition. I have used their products for almost 5 years now and they are the only ones that do not give me GI distress. As a colitis sufferer and gastric bypass RNY patient, my dietary restrictions can be very challenging. My family doctor and gastrointeroligist could not believe that I completed an Iron distance triathlon with NO GI issues and this was because of the Hammer products and great advice of how to use them properly.

2014 has me putting my fitness and supplementation to the next test. I am partaking in the Great Divide Tour, a 6 day mountain bike tour from Canmore, AB to Whitefish, MT. Camping along the way and 6-8hr cycling days, back to back. I am also commiting to 100 days of miles in 2014 where I will run at least 100 separate days with no more than 3 days off at a time and at least a distance of 1mile for the run! Looks like I will be doing a post cycle run at least once on the tour! More recently, I will be participating in the benefit for MitoCanada by cycling for 5 hours in January on a trainer in Eau Claire mall.

This is going to be an amazing year to test some new limits for me. I hope to inspire more people to do the same.

I think I am officially crazy...

Well, I did it. I signed up for the Great Divide Tour (www.greatdividetour.ca) almost 700km in 6 days on a mountain bike....yup, like I really need to prove MORE to myself about my fitness, my commitment and my love of cycling. Now the freak out panicking is setting in... The ride is from Aug 30th to Sept 6th and starts in Canmore Alberta and ends in Whitefish Montana. A fully supported ride organized by Ryan Correy and Hammer Nutrition products available. AND I don't know anybody!! What if I am last? I have NEVER ridden more than an hour and a half on a mountain bike in my LIFE! What if there are bears? Rain? Snow? I have been a fairweather rider in my life! Holy crap what have I done?????

Setbacks

I struggle with accepting setbacks...and viewing my time to heal as wasted time. My eye got an infection on Saturday and became so bad on Tuesday that I went to what I call the 'fake' emergency room. Now I am on a strong antibiotic and fighting nausea...my eye looks much better but my stomach is WAY worse. And when I feel nauseous, all I want to do is curl up on the couch and eat crap. Where does the idea come from that when I feel sick, I should eat more? That filling up the pouch will make it NOT feel worse? And I keep doing it!!! Sometimes I feel like I never learn my lessons and must keep repeating the same mistakes over and over and over. This recurring theme is getting old and so am I. My triathlon training has helped a little in this regard as pushing myself too hard or fast, has caused injuries (broken FEET), soiled clothing (yup, what you think), and passing out at my front door (and almost NOT at home, ALONE). I have learned to change my own bike tires, take a breather in the shade during a hot run and making the decision to cut a workout short when the weather is bad. Baby steps. Tomorrow back into the weights with a light workout and lots of stretching... And honoring my body and how I feel.

Oh the pain of movement!

I had forgotten how much it hurts to work in long forgotten muscles. For the past 3 days I have restarted my whole body exercises in the morning. Today as I was sitting in a course at work, I realized how much it hurt to just sit on my glute muscles!! Now when it was time to stand up at break time, I could hardly move! This decreased mobility continued throughout the day and as I sit on the lounger, I debate taking pain killers for sleep time. To take or not to take, can I sleep without them? Tomorrow morning's routine may be ugly but I am going to try my Recoverite and see if that helps... Never done this for weights, just running...

Whole body exercises=SORENESS!!

I decided the other day that it was time to get back to whole body exercises and working with weights. I have only done weight training sporadically over the past 3 years as my focus has been on triathlon. I have noticed that I have not felt as toned as I used to and I want that back.
SO I decided to get back on the bandwagon, pull out my 15min Women's Health magazine exercises book and do it!! Yesterday I did a routine of 4 different exercises and didn't feel TOO bad. Today I did 7 different ones (okay, the title was Bikini body workout 1 let's just leave it at that as I have NO illusions about wearing a bikini) and what is supposed to take 15min took me closer to 30min! And tons of sweat and some swearing I will admit too...forgot about wearing a sweatband!
Then because I hadn't done any cardio in over 4 days, I went for a run this afternoon...not my best idea as now I feel like a sack of lead! I have been a little worried lately that I have no fitness goal looming and I am becoming lazy. I have to sign up for the Great Divide Tour and get my mojo back!! (www.greatdividetour.com)
This is so intimidating to me as it is riding a mountain bike from Canmore, over the mountains to Whitefish, MT in 5 days!! YIKES!! Even Ironman was only a one day event!! FIVE!!! This trip is actually 7 days but FIVE of cycling. I have NEVER done anything like this in my life and completely freaked out about it and now I am questioning my fitness. I have decided I need to work on these exercises 6 days a week for the next month and see how I feel. Too much? Supposedly the 15-20min a day is fine and no need for a day off in the middle...we will see how the motivation holds up...and my muscles!! Stay tuned!

Need a run...body revolts...

A sunny afternoon on a wintery day off work. This would normally be the optimum combination to get me on the running pathway...but not yesterday. My GI system had chosen to make my life challenging and I tried my best to not be upset about it. Today I vowed to get out there no matter what and I did. It felt yucky. I didn't want to be out there but I did it. I know I will sleep better tonight and the run on Saturday (Winterstart 2013 in Banff, AB) will be better for getting out today. Doesn't change how I feel about it but does prove to myself that I can do it...even when I don't think I can. If I am honest with myself, I do love the smells at this time of year. The leaves damp and crushed on the path is one that I love...not as much as fresh cut grass, but pretty close. Have to focus on the positive and so, today is done. Here's to tomorrow!