Introducing Clyde Myrah

Steve and I finally got our little puppy this week!  Clyde the puggle is getting acclimated pretty well (minus his crying every two hours at night).  My new job allows me to be home during the day most days of the week, so it works out really well.  He is the cutest little guy and we are really excited to have him in our home!  Steve left this morning on an awesome trip to Florida for work, so it's just me and the little guy all weekend (convenient hey?)!  Saturday I am having some of the Capernaum girls and leaders over for an all out girls night sleepover...it is going to be awesome!  The girls are so excited...we are going to make homemade pizza, do nails, and most likely watch highschool musical or something lol.

Workouts have been going well this week.  This weather is amazing!!  I got to ride the Gateway trail last week for my first time ever last weekend and again on Wednesday.  I love that trail, how pretty!  I had a nagging cold/sinus something all last week, so it feels good to get back at it this week.  Running is feeling surprisingly good, but I'm still slow as all get-out.  Oh well, I think I've just come to terms with the fact that I am just not a fast or good runner.  I guess I'll just have to try harder on the bike to make up for it!  That's all for now, hope you are all enjoying spring!!!

Wow...Post Much?

So I guess I've been a little out of commission lately on the blogging front!  Oh well...there has been alot going on in the Myrah household so blogging just slipped through the cracks.  Training is going alright...last week I missed a few workouts, I'm hoping that it won't be too big of a deal since I am still in base training.  I have really liked having a program that includes the base training phase...I would hate to see where I would be without it!  

So, on to what's new in life.  I started my NEW super awesome job with Young Life Capernaum last week.  I was sitting in my very first staff meeting and it hit me that I actually get to do this for a living...it's insane!  I can't believe that I get to hang out with kids, plan awesome Friday night events, take kids to camp, and teach them about the amazing love and grace of Jesus...all while hanging out with some of the greatest people I know! It is going to be an adjustment having sooo much freedom with my schedule, but it's going to be a really good thing.  One of the really cool things about working for Young Life is that they put a strong emphasis on taking care of yourself and staying spiritually filled up.  I just love that...I am so excited to see where this journey takes me and Steve.  It will be a really nice balance, and I am relieved to not have us both in sales anymore...it got hard not to get wrapped up in money when both of our jobs were based solely on how many sales you can amass to be the best, thus making the most money.  This has been a really cool process for us to just trust God and be obedient to this calling, and I know that it is going to be really good for us.

One last announcement...Steve and I have decided that it is time to start adding to our family.  So, a few weeks ago we made the trip to Gear West to finally get some tri bikes.  We figured this is probably the year to do it seeing as how we are going to be on our bikes ALOT.  It might have been less expensive to actually have a child!  

My first ride on (insert unknown name here)!  I don't have any side profile pictures yet, but trust me, she is pretty sa-weeet.  

The proud papa after we got his bike home...permasmile.

We are going home to WI this weekend for Easter (EASTER...can you believe it's here already!?!), so hauling the trainers isn't really an option.  Hopefully it will be nice enough for us to get in our very first outdoor ride of the season on this little beauties!  The adjustment has been pretty good...still working on getting fully dialed in, but my new ride is pretty darn comfy.  Major upgrade from my road bike with aero bars.  I was sad to sell Gonzo but he went to a happy new owner, so I feel alright about it:)  That's all for now...time for a run!

A Confession...

So I have something to share that I have been holding inside for a few weeks now.  It is not something that I am proud of...but I cannot seam to make myself stop.  Here it is:  I have been listening to the Jonas Brothers and Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus NON-STOP for the past 3 weeks during my workouts:(  I've tried to make myself stop, but the music is just so up-beat and awesome to workout (especially bike) to!  You might be asking yourself how that nonsense even got on my mp3 player in the first place...a good question.  A month or so ago we had our annual Young Life Capernaum dance party and talent show.  I downloaded the music for the night, and our kids love, I mean LOVE these singers!  No joke, at least 3 of them dressed up like one of them and sang for their talent that night.  So whatever, I had these songs on my mp3 and didn't quite get around to taking them off and now I love them as well.  Disney has a good thing going, I'm tellin' ya!  I was going to take them off when I realized that I actually know some of the words to 'Love Bug' but then I figured, hey whatever gets you through the training, so they will stay...but I felt I needed to come clean:)

The studly 'JoBros' (incase you aren't familiar:)

Dear Pool, I hate You, Love Tasha

Yesterday we had a 45 minute, 100rpm bike on the schedule as well as a 2,500 m swim.  I went to an afternoon spinning class at the St. Paul LTF that I really enjoyed...it was nice to get off the trainer and into a motivating class!  I took a mid-afternoon nap (again, the benefits of unemployent are pretty sweet:)  Then Steve and I went swimming around 8:30.  I really like the layout of this Fink program because for the first 10 weeks we only have 2 swim sessions, so you're done swimming by Thursday.  So far I haven't really minded the swimming, though I would much rather be in Lake Nokomis.  Last night, this was not the case!  I'm sure you know what I'm talking about here...you hop in the pool/set out for a run/get on the trainer and just feel totally uncomfortable and wrong...everything is a struggle, you feel like you have never swam in your life!  Why do you suppose this happens sometimes?   This was kinda funny because last night as I was getting into my lane I noticed a guy that was absolutely flailing around 2 lanes over and thought to myself, "wow, that's going to be a long workout."  Punishment is what I got for that thought!  The workout called for a warmup, 8x50 form drills, and then the dreaded 12x100's on 20 seconds rest (ahhhhhh!!!), followed by more form drills and then a cool-down.  I looked at Steve on 100 number 8 and said, "I honest to God think I might die...see you in two minutes"  In the end we got through it and felt great...money in the bank as they say.  I'm quickly coming to learn that this training is as much mental as it is physical.  Have a great weekend, I'm off to my interview!!

Could This Be It!?!

I think that I'm setting myself up for disappointment here, but I am sincerely hoping that we are on the upswing for weather...for good!  Yesterday I had a brick workout and it was FANTASTIC to get outside in 40 degree weather for the run portion.  They say it's supposed to be in the 40s for the next week...I'll believe it when I see it!  This is the time of year when you think that you are maybe out of the woods...no more snow and 20 degree days, and then you get dumped on one last time:(  I am choosing to think that is not going to happen this year.  I can't wait to get out on the road!  I don't really mind sitting on the trainer mentally, but to be honest, it really hurts sitting in the saddle that long!  I never had saddle discomfort riding outside, so this is all new to me.  I might head to GW next week and get fit and talk to them about a different saddle because I'm not sure how many more sessions I can do on that thing the way it is...Saturday's 1:45 bike doesn't have me too thrilled.  

On a personal front, I have my job interview for the Young Life Capernaum position on Friday morning...I am so beyond excited.  I haven't been working since February and I'm starting to get a little stir crazy (though being unemployed is pretty awesome for IM training).  I hope the interview goes well, it would be so great to have a job that I absolutely love for a change.  I have been trying to prepare this week, but I've never had an interview like this before so I feel a little lost.  Steve and I have been so comfortable through this transition, and I just pray that we would continue to trust...so wish me luck, hopefully I will have some good news in the next week or so!  I'm off to a spinning class (much more comfortable than the trainer for some reason???). 

 Oh yes, one more thing...I am contemplating entering Steve in a Speedo's contest using this picture...impressions!?!

I'm Back...For Real This Time

So the time between signing up for IMWI and actually starting to train proved to be much longer than I had originally anticipated, which also led to my non-existent posting.  I am so happy that the time has come to actually be on a training plan.  Sumo Steve and I realized after many failed attempts to build base without being on a plan that having any sort of training freedom is just not good for us.  Last week we started Don Fink's IronFit 30 week training plan.  It is great for us because the first 10 weeks are purely base building, which we would not have done without having it laid out.  I'm not really scared of burnout, but we'll see later in the season I suppose!  So far the training has gone great.  Tonight we are meeting with Elena, the super scary swim coach at LTF in St. Paul.  She was a member of the Russian Olympic swim team back in the day.  Sumo does a really funny impression of her...but I think he does it to mask his shear terror over being trained by her.  More on that tomorrow, if I can move!

"When Did We Get Like This?!?"

This is the question that Steve and I have posed to eachother several times over the past week or so. When did we get so nerdy? When did we start getting excited to spend our money on spandex and bike gadgets and moisture wicking socks (those are really exciting...nothing like a fresh pair!). What happened to all the normal stuff that we used to like to buy??? Notice I can't actually name anything because it's been awhile since I bought something 'normal'. All that being said...Christmas came early in the Myrah household this year...and it came in the form of a triathlete's BEST. CHRISTMAS. EVER! 2 weekends ago Steve was up and about a few hours earlier than me, and by the time I woke up he was wayyy too enthusiastic to talk to without at least 2 cups of coffee. He decided it was time to bite the bullet and buy wetsuits (which he found an awesome deal on in his Men's Health mag), bike trainers (which happened to be on super sale through REI's annual sale), and Garmins (darn you REI...you got us again!) for good measure. It was also the weekend we went on our cold weather spandex running gear spree . I am almost always the budget-minded dream crusher in this duo, but having to buy this stuff had been hanging over our heads for so long that I just couldn't say no anymore. He got me when I was weak, and that is where the Garmins came into play. For real though, those things are pretty sweet and I may or may not be happy that my arm was twisted into getting one...I'm just sayin'.

Gonzo hanging out with the trainer...this is the beginning of a beauuutiful friendship:)

The wetsuits arrived in the mail today and we only have 14 days to return them if the don't fit so we got right to trying them on. I was feeling pretty good about myself because I wasn't sure if I was going to need a bigger size when I ordered. I got 'mine' on and said, woah I'm going to need a smaller size for sure! I looked over and Steve was struggling big time. I'm sure you can tell where this is headed...yeah, we had them mixed up. haha...he nearly squeezed all 6'7", 220 pounds of himself into my wetsuit!! Hilarious...he could barely get it off, I was so scared he was going to rip it. Those things feel seriously weird and not so much comfortable. I'm guessing they feel different once you get in the water?

Steve can't figure out why his supposed XXL doesn't fit

So...that is what's new over here. I would love to say "Finally, I think we're done having to buy triathlon crap", but I'm pretty sure those words have come out of my mouth way too many times for that to be an accurate statement. Hopefully, for now though, maybe??