Travel week - training takes a hit

My daughter and I are on the east coast this week visiting family. Actually, she's visiting family all week while I have a few meetings with my boss down in the Washington, DC area Monday and Tuesday before I head back tomorrow night. To make a long story short, I'm probably not going to be training much this week. Other than chasing my daughter, niece and nephew around the playground.

Typing this from my Arlington, VA hotel room and contemplating using the Hyatt gym - too bad they don't have a pool (will have to add this to my criteria for future business trip lodging accommodations).

Weigh-in

While I didn't specifically set out to do the training to lose weight, I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't hoping to see the poundage decrease.

So today I pulled out our Tanita scale and "body [fat] composition monitor". Wow, dropped six pounds and a few body fat percentage points. I know it is unreasonable to assume this will continue but six pounds in 2 weeks is not bad at all.

And then there were six

Full house today.

Yet another guy, Matt, joined us. The pool was pretty crowded. So the six of us (Jarrod, Jonathan, me, Derek, Matt, Mike) shared three lanes.

Up to 1,200 meters.

Week two

Contrary to my expectations, it is actually getting easier to do the lunchtime swims. I'm really looking forward to them.

More swimming. We roped in another guy, Mike, to swim with us. So there was four of us today. (Actually, five - Derek came late).

Did 1,050 meters. Onward and upward.

Swim #2

More swimming at lunch time. Nothing really special. Did about 900 meters. My friend and fellow triathlete Derek says the key is too just keep increasing the distance. Sounds good to me.

My Training Begins

My first official day of triathlon training ... or my last day of slothiness.

Several guys on my team at work are all doing bike races and training for triathlons. I really don't want to be the most out-of-shape guy at the office. (What? "Round is a shape," you say?). So I've decided to join them.

The main goal is to do the Texas Man in September. Depending on how well the training goes, I would like to try the Olympic distance or possibly even the half-IronMan but I know I will really have to work hard to be able to do those distances. [May 14 Update: Training is progressing well. I hope to do some Sprint tris starting in June.]

Swam at the North Lake College (local community college) pool at lunch time. Did about 650 meters total ... not bad since I haven't done any serious swimming since my junior year at college (17 years ago - gasp, I'm old). I was doing well until the two other guys I was swimming with talked me into racing with them for the last 50 meters. Felt like puking as I headed for the showers ...