Personal Boot Camp: Triathlon Training and Jack L.

Personal Boot Camp: Triathlon Training and Jack L.: Well well well....the season of summer food has begun at our house...and I LOVE it!!!!  The photo above is our first tomato from the ...

Triathlon Training and Jack L.

Well well well....the season of summer food has begun at our house...and I LOVE it!!!!  The photo above is our first tomato from the garden!!  There is nothing better than the taste of homegrown fruits and vegetables, is there??  It is so refreshing and when you have fresh tomatoes from your garden.....

...one of our favorite ways to serve them is Caprice Salad! It is sliced tomatoes topped with fresh mozzarella, basil (from the garden) and balsamic vinegar!  Yum!! I have also planted peppers, cabbage, horseradish, strawberries, okra, zucchini, and have lots of mint and other herbs growing!! Rains earlier in the season have made it a great year so far....and now we have the heat!!  For me, it is so much easier to eat healthier in the summer months when you can get fresh produce. I know some people live in areas that they can have them year round....unfortunately---I don't!

Changing topics (DING!)....my daughter and I decided that we would do a triathlon in August...which means I need to get my rear in gear to be prepared!!  I copied this six week training schedule off and have been trying to stick with it.  I took off on a nine mile bike ride on Monday and WOO WEE....I am outta shape!!!! The first lap around the 5K lake trail I was thinking "oh yeah, I can do this...no problem"; lap two I was still thinking "okay...this isn't so bad"; lap three I had to stop a couple of times in the shade to make sure that I didn't pass out or fall over!!  Yeah....I need more training!  And I don't know if you know what it is like to get off of a bike and try to walk or run, but they call it "brick feet"....for a reason!! To make matters worse, I forgot to fill my water bottle. If any of you out there have some tips for a first timer doing a triathlon....bring it on!!!  

Yes....I gave blood again and my iron levels were very high--thanks to some intense iron training beforehand!  Raisins, spinach, iron pills taken with molasses---all of the tricks I could think of!  It worked and I got a cool shirt AND free zoo tickets!!  Then I found out that my blood donation was sent to Orlando after that tragedy occurred there. I have had people thank me for donating blood and I have really never thought too much about it....but now I understand the importance of donating!!

Remember all of that yard work I have been doing...almost 100 bags of mulch, pulling weeds, making new trails, transplanting and planting flowers and such??  So I thought it would be nice to have some solar lights in the pathways....found some cheap ones (luckily) at a couple of stores.  They worked like a charm....UNTIL....someone thought it would be fun to chew on them!  At first my husband blamed Halo, our other Frenchie, but one day when I was out pulling weeds I heard this "crunch crunch crunch" and when I looked up....the culprit was Monroe munching on my solar light!!  I got more exercise chasing him down to get the lights...and also taking the solar lights up---for now!

And remember that heat wave I was talking about??  I have been trying to get the walks in earlier so it isn't too warm for my two four-legged kids.  I swear we only walked for about 10 minutes and it was overcast...but that humidity just saps it out of you, right?  It is even more important in this type of weather to stay hydrated....so drink more water!! I have never been a big fan of those sports drinks such as Gatorade, just give me water!!  It is really important to drink lots, especially when working out or being in the heat.

I also made a decision to think about doing some of the "old-school" workouts or exercises instead of Pilates, Plyometrics, and whatever new ideas are out there. People of my age may remember one of the first gurus of fitness, sometimes referred to as "the Godfather of fitness".....

Jack LaLanne!!  He lived to be 96 years old!  He described himself as a "sugarholic and junk food junkie" until the age of 15 when he listened to a lecture about nutrition....interestingly enough, he also had behavior and health problems until he changed his diet. 

Jack also believed that over-processed foods were making people unhealthy...and that was back in the 1940's, if not earlier!  So anyway....I have been watching his old videos on YouTube...and I have to say that although I catch myself giggling at some of the moves (and those slippers!!) he does give me a good workout.  So I will see how the Jack L. program helps me out for a few weeks!!  Who can argue with a guy that at the age of 54 beat a 21-year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger at body building?!

This made me laugh....so I guess I need to eat right before I do the sit-ups!! Haha!!  I remember watching his shows years ago!  So now, thanks to the beauty of YouTube....I can enjoy them once more!!!  Okay, folks....I will check back in a few weeks and tell you if Jack and I are compatible!!  Happy Independence Day!!!