I am NO longer Attempting Ironman…

600 POSTS!!

2011-11-18T15:01:00.004-05:00

It's not like I really have that much to say... But I guess I have had 600 posts worth of stuff.

To celebrate, Ironman FINALLY put together their 2011 Wisconsin 'awards' video. I didn't make this one either (or the TV version on Universal sports), but it's so great to watch and remember that I did that. Twice.

It only seems fitting I post my 600th post with why I started blogging in the first place.

And yes, I got all teary-eyed watching it.

And no, I still don't want to do another one.

Lazy

2011-11-10T13:20:00.011-05:00

Yes, I am.

I need to keep to a workout schedule. I really do. But I don't want to. My clothes are tight. I ripped a hole in the butt of my favorite jeans. My new favorite dress doesn't fit any more. The PC and I have goals to meet by Christmas, my birthday, his birthday, etc. But I am still not motivated to keep up a regular workout schedule.

I did go to a total body conditioning class yesterday, and I am pretty sore. And I should have gone to the gym today for some easy cardio/core/something/anything. Instead, I spent my lunch hour researching.

Not triathlon. Not races. Not training plans. Not recipes. But CRAFTS!

See, my mom planted the seed a few weeks back about sewing machines. Not that I should get one, but that she was thinking of getting second one. I said "Of course! My 4 bikes have different purposes, so you should have at least 2 machines for your different sewing purposes". Which got me thinking...

About a year ago, I 'hired' my mom to make cow bags for some of the ladies doing Ironman Wisconsin. In the cow bags were bike/run shoe drawstring bags (so you don't have to throw your gross shoes into a duffel bag/car all gross; the grossness can now be contained).
Fast forward to a few weeks ago and I realized maybe I should try to make some of these bags myself. It didn't take long for me to realize how valuable it was to have these types of bags for multiple purposes, and I didn't want to keep asking my mom for new shapes, sizes, and fabric patterns.

After some research, we settled on a nice starter model that should meet all my basic needs. During their visit this past weekend, I received a lesson from my mom and got to work. Needless to say, it's all I can think about now. My first solo project (well, I did have some cutting and pinning help from mom) went well and my new list is growing fast of things I want to make. Many of the items are triathlon related, so I don't want to spoil any surprises by sharing this list. However, some people are in on my new found (hopeful) talent and are already putting me to work. And I am very excited.

But don't worry that the sewing machine is now where the bike trainer was, and you can see 3 of the 4 bikes in the corner. No one puts Blain/Carlos/New Bike in a corner! Well, maybe just for a month or two...

Pain in the Park

2011-11-09T12:02:00.005-05:00

This past weekend was great. My favorite parents came into town for a long weekend visit. There is always lots of shopping, some touristy stuff, and of course - EATING!

To counter some of the delicious food, I decided to go to Pain in the Park on Saturday morning. My parents and brother were more than willing to sleep in while I went to this boot camp style workout put together by Karen. You remember Karen, she is the one who comes up with things like the 100 push up challenge and other fun off season tri stuff. And this was no different. Lead by Jill and Sandy G, it was very apparent how I have really been enjoying my off season.

It was a beautiful day, but a little chilly without the sun. We started with a little jog (major walk up call about my 5K in a few weeks...) and walking stretches. Which turned into high kicks. Somewhere things turned from stretching to more sweating and the need to keep moving so we didn't get cold. There were mountain climbers/high knees/lungs. There were bicep curls with cords and tricep dips on benches. 50 meter 'dashes' and running backwards for 50 meters. There were medicine ball throws. There were a lot of laughs and yelling at Sandy G and Jill for making us do all this stuff (yes, it was our choice to be there at 8 in the morning, but no one likes to be reminded of that fact).

Finally, when we got to planks and boxing, I just took my aggression out on Jill.
I promptly left before the "abs circle of death" and extra squats. I can only handle so much pain and I had to get back to my parents so I could fill up on clam chowder and Eggs Chesapeake.

Thanks to Karen for organizing (and the pictures), Sandy G for constantly fixing my form to make things harder, and Jill for adding extra core work by making me laugh with your crazy ideas of leap frogs and jump switch leg lunges.

Full Dogfish Dash Race Report

2011-11-01T16:41:00.000-04:00

In my earlier post today, I mentioned a little 5K the Personal Cook and I did in September. The more I thought about it, the more I decided it needed a full race report.

Not necessarily because of the race itself - which was awesome. We got to Rehoboth Beach and walked around, played a lot of Skeetball for $0.10 a game, and we camped the night before the race - PS. falling asleep to the ocean is fantastic!

The next morning, we know parking would be an issue so we got up early, tore down our campsite in about 35 minutes, and headed to the brewery. Of course we had some time to kill after the port-o-john line, so I showed the PC a little YouTube video. I really don't remember where I found it, but it makes me laugh EVERY TIME!

This now brings us to why this race was awesome and needed its own race report. I have a new goal for pictures during races. I have never made it a secret that in races, especially triathlons, I tend to run for 3 reasons, and these 3 reasons only. When I see the following:
1. Family
2. Friends
3. Photographers

Fast forward to the race and the gun went off, we started running, smiled for the first photographer, and stuck to the 9:1 plan. Yes, I said run 9 minutes, walk 1 minute. All was going well, and during a walk break we saw a photographer, so we had to start running. However the PC said "How about we do the T-1000", and that changed everything. Every other photographer we saw, we tried to capture a different style from the Awkward Runners. Unfortunately, only one picture really shows our dedication to the craft.It was SO MUCH FUN! I mean really, no one EVER looks good in pictures while running, so I might as well try to capture the Geezer or Dandy. I think this shows my skills with the Flightless Bird.

That was a nice distraction as I was HURTING after about 20 minutes. But as I said, the PC stuck with me, kept me running, and got me across the line in 37.01, a solid 2 minutes faster than my last stand alone 5K (not including the Warrior Dash). I beat my all my 'targets', was very happy with my time, and the post race food was fresh fruit with yogurt and granola - and good BEER. Oh, and with the PC. Really couldn't ask for more from a race.

Hi. Remember Me?

2011-11-01T11:30:00.003-04:00

First of all, so sorry for the delay in posting. I have had some funny/blog-worthy stuff happen, but I didn't want my first blog post back some random story. I felt I needed a nice lead-in to the next chapter of this "No longer Attempting Ironman..." blog. But that seemed like a lot of work and time, and I am still pretty lazy right now. However it's now November 1st, and I didn't blog at all in October, and I just need/want to start again. I think most of you (all 3 of you) read this via Google Reader, however I think my dad still checks everyday (Hi DAD!!). Thanks all!

So, where to start...

The rest of September was a blur. Right after Wisconsin, I had to go to Indianapolis for work. It was super difficult sitting in a conference for 8 hours, but it was also good rest. I went right to Deep Creek Lake to cheer some friends race in the hardest Oly and Half race EVER! After all that fun, I finally made it back to my apartment in DC.
I then spent a lot of time resting, trying to get the right side of my body back to normal (HA!). This of course included a lot of time doing bicep curls of beer/wine/vodka sodas.
The Personal Cook took a mini vaca to Delaware beach for camping and a 5K, and it was awesome. Once again, he stuck with me (and in real running shorts, not khakis this time) and kept me running to my best 5K time since 2005. I mean really, I was running TO BEER! I highly recommend this race to anyone on the East Coast. I was embarrassingly sore after, but we had a great time.

And October... What happened in October... I am really not sure. There was more drinking. Lots of catching up with my neglected couch. A bike ride and a hike. But mostly trying to find some pattern of workouts and eating. Oh, and actually doing my job.

Overall, I have been very much enjoying my off season. I have no huge desire to get back into sports right away. My right hip/butt is still not completely better; not doing anything didn't just solve the issue.

So I would like to cover a few other topics soon: new workout schedule, diet (including meatoberfest), my opinion of married men who paint their toe nails blue, and a few other things. Hopefully this is enough to keep me on your Goggle reader for a bit longer.

Happy November!

The Race Report

2011-09-20T15:08:00.026-04:00

There are so many things I have wanted to say about this race, and I have had a hard time collecting my thoughts and actually writing (typing) them down.

The Days Prior.
It's no surprise to anyone that I was not at my peak before the race - physically or mentally. Between the 'big things': not being able to walk 3.5 weeks prior to the event, major hip pain from the 12 hour drive that left biking extremely painful, an unfortunate family situation that kept the Personal Cook from my side the days prior to the Ironman; and some "smaller" not ideal situations: my weight being 7 pounds higher than when I left DC, not receiving the hotel room I thought I reserved, having a CRAP practice swim on Friday.

All the big and little situations left me questioning even if I should bother getting into the water to start. I didn't feel well. I didn't feel ready. I was already an Ironman. So why even bother? I could get drunk, cry, and watch my friends accomplish their goals. I had lost my drive, and it showed. Coach kept calling for me to give him a play by play of my days and thoughts. Toby talked me into having a glass of wine and taking a shower to relax, and not make any decisions. The PC kept calling to check in. AJ was on a flight with Alejandro to sherpa. Erica was driving down the next day. Suzie, Rick and Therese were all coming on Sunday. And of course there were my parents.But Sandy and Lindsey talked me into going to the banquet and dinner. So I went, still in a funk. And something happened. There was Mike Riley, the motivational 9-11 participants, the married couple, the youngest and oldest participants, and a video. One little video with one line that changed everything.

YOU WILL DO THIS

By the end of the banquet, I was so happy to see all my DC Tri peeps and we were ready to CRUSH IT on Sunday.

On Saturday, the swim was under perfect conditions. The bags were packed with the check boxes marked. Blain shifted perfectly before he was racked. Racking was an issue - as number 403 did not have a spot. Actually, 401-410 didn't have spots... But given EVERYTHING else that went wrong, I took this in stride, found the proper place for Blain, and was on my way. I finally felt ready.

Race Day
Erica and I actually got some sleep before the alarm went off at 4:30. She was there in 2008, and commented on how different I was this time. Almost calm - hearing that actually helped. I was calm. I was excited. But I was not nervous. I know I had done all I could do, and the fact I was going to the start line was an accomplishment.

Swim
What can I say about a swim with 2400+ people? It's just crazy. The first part started well. Then I got punched in the face so hard I thought I was going blind in my right eye. I didn't bother looking in my watch, I really didn't care. I had a goal time - but not really. A few more punches and kicks, some open water, and a lot of thinking about how to handle the bike. Before I knew it, I was making my way towards the finish. Time - 1:13:23

T1
Emily had an awfully terrible picture of me coming up the helix. It's a combo of "confused/dizzy" and to quote her "you look as if you'd been sleeping for 22 hrs and I just woke up and you're all "Whaaaa? Huh?" ;)" Which is true.
What, you want to see that picture as well? Fine. But it's not pretty! The rest of T1 was pretty uneventful. I just tried to move as fast as I could, but still make sure everything felt right. 112 miles is a long time to not have your socks in the right place!
Time - 11:45

Bike
Again, not being mentally ready for 112 miles crushed any confidence I had in my fitness. So when my right butt started to hurt 20 minutes into the bike, I was worried. Then I remembered that I tend to hate the first 45 -60 minutes of every bike ride, so I kept going.
Adam and Jen passed me first. I saw Suzie, Rick, Erica, and Therese 3 times within the first hour. (Erica had my phone and was taking pics and updating facebook. Thanks Erica!!) I think it was Dena and Jelena next. I FINALLY got to meet Stephanie (hi Stephanie!!) for a good 5 seconds as she passed, and I tried to keep up and chat. Becky passed me next. Then I heard Sandy, who just made me smile. And Jenny. And then it was the 3 hills.

At the end of the second one the guy in front of me clipped out and people just started cheering for me, as I was still pedaling. A guy in a full banana suit ran up, and passed me... and a few others in Speedos with flags wrapped around them a la Tour style ran passed me too... And then I saw the lead PRO MALE pass me as if I was standing still. Oops... all those cheers were for him, but I didn't clip out so I really think there were a few in there for me too.

And when the third hill hit, around mile 50, I had a pain in my right side I had never felt before. Almost like a side stitch, but it kept me from taking a deep breath. Not.Good. Alejandro and AJ were at the top with a sign that said "GO BLAIN! (and Amanda too)" - which I LOVED! But I pulled over and started to hyperventilate. My legs hurt, my foot hurt, my back hurt and I couldn't breathe. So I clipped back in and pedaled off to with special needs (mile 58) in mind. Lindsey passed, and Jen passed. And Tammy. I got to special needs and started to stretch. I took what felt like 5-10 minutes figuring out what to do. Motrin, salt pills, sun block (thanks Jen!!! Note - always back a spray, not a tube!) biofreeze (I had been stopping about every 45-60 min to reapply) and Gu. No blocks. No combos. No power pellets (peanut M&M's). No SNICKERS! I know, all the training I did with Snickers - but I did not want them.

I got back on and kept going - seriously questioning why. I passed Erica, Suzie, Therese and Rick and gave them a thumbs down sign. I passed my parents and told them I was giving everything I had. And I was. If I stopped, I would have been happy with what I did. But my favorite part of the course is mile 30/70 - 40/80, so I figured I should at least do that - I was so close. And once I enjoyed that section, I figured the 3 hills were right there, so I might as well try them. Plus, I wanted to make sure there were Hula girls and not Pirates at the 40/80 mile water stop. I was sure Brooke, Diane and ME were dying to know.

On the first hill, my right inner thigh cramped. I had enough time to take a few salt tabs, some combos and a swig of Accelerade before the left inner thigh cramped. Again, all the guys around me were clipping out, but I kept going. I swim through leg/foot cramps all the time, so why not try and pedal through 2 inner thigh cramps. While going up hill... but it worked. And I made it. There was no one was in a banana suit to get me up the next hill - at least in person, there was one there in my mind. And I started talking to a 25 year old who agreed that at every turn was into the wind, or maybe he was a hallucination too... I saw my parents and said "1 more hill, I think I can do this". And no side stitches, no unclipping, I just moved forward. Back to Verona. And back to Madison. As fast as I could, so I would have more time on the marathon. And a slight tail wind helped...
Time - 8.02.40

T2
Once I got into transition, my order and plan was out the window as soon as I dumped my bag. I just wanted to get moving. I forgot to body glide my feet, biofreeze my feet, take off my heart rate monitor strap, and re-body glide my knees for my knee brace straps. (I paid for all of those when I hit the shower...)
Time - 5:29

Walk
My plan was to walk the first mile, then try and run:walk. But the first mile is around the Capitol, down state street, people are calling your name and cheering - so walking is hard. But so was running, so I knew a run:walk wasn't going to happen. Option 2 - walk with a purpose. I knew if I did 15 minute miles, I would finish. And I was surprisingly happy... Still not confident I would finish, but I really happy I made it as far as I had.
AJ found me around mile 3 and I told her how my foot was really hurting and I needed to retie my shoe, but was afraid to stop. I eventually found a ledge and kept going - worried about what that 1 minute stop did to me, that I knew I couldn't stop again. Andrea passed on Observatory hill (and I only mention everyone passing me because it was SO GREAT to see everyone on the course. Same with Ellen, Amy, Chris and others I am not thinking of right now). On State street, I heard lots of cheering, people yelling "Go Amanda" and "Woo Hoo!". Normally, I like to ham it up for the crowds, but I was on a mission and needed to get a buffer on my 15 minute mile pace - so I didn't even stop to hug Greta, a college friend from my polo days. She got a quick (sweaty) hug and hi as I kept moving. So when a guy yelled "Hey Baby" and stared to come into the street, I was ready to stiff arm him out of my way and keep going. But to my unbelievable surprise, it was the Personal Cook, ready to get me to the finish line, dressed in khaki shorts and all... He had left the Chicago area after a family wake, with the funeral the next day, to be at my side.

The marathon did not showcase my finer side. There was some yelling, informing the PC that the only answer was "Okay", but not in a questioning way - a firm, OKAY tone, was all I wanted hear. He wasn't allowed to complain (khaki shorts... really...), or tell me to "Never give up, never surrender" as we joked about before. He was to ignore my mantra of "You WILL do this" - which I had taped on Blain and read it over and over - so I had to keep saying it, but he wasn't allowed to say it. However he was also not allowed to leave my side, unless it was State street (tons of people so I was fine), or the Ford motivation mile (thanks mom and dad, I kept Moooooooving), or another out and back where I felt confident. (Side Note - I fully understand that outside help is not allowed in the Ironman. And some people may not think I earned my finish - and to them, f' off.)

It wasn't until I was whining for the 127th time that I hurt and I just wanted to stop moving forward, that he pointed up to the sky at something all a glow - the Capitol. It was so close, and I started to get choked up. I had 1 hour and 14 minutes to do 2.2 miles. I was going to do it again. I was going to be an Ironman, a second time.
Walk - 6:49:37

Nothing. And I mean NOTHING compares to an Ironman finish. Nothing compares to hearing the crowds. All the pain being lifted away. The party. And the voice of Mike Riley.

"From Washington DC, Amanda Chadwick - Amanda, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN"

In Case the Suspense is KILLING You...

2011-09-19T18:20:00.001-04:00

More to come.

So, What Are YOU Doing Tomorrow?

2011-09-10T17:17:00.004-04:00

Here is my plan.

Wake up at 4:30.
Have some cereal. Some coffee. Eat a banana.
Walk over to the lake, but stop off to pump some tires and drop of a water bottle or two.
Put on a wetsuit with bag balm around my neck and under arm.
Around 6:45, hop into Lake Monona with 2200 of my closest friends. Go for a little 2.4 mile swim. Give some high 5's as I run up a parking ramp. Change in front of hundred women. Hop on Blain and bike down a parking ramp.

Thanks what I know will happen for sure. And I hope I will finish my 112 bike bike ride, full of snacks and no flats.

And I hope I do that fast enough to bike up the parking ramp and start a 26.2 mile walk with snacks.

I am not 100% sure on those last things, but I really hope they come true.

I have been reminded how lucky I am. How many people are pulling for me. And more importantly, how many people love and care for me to tell me it's okay if my body says no - it won't change their opinion of me.

I am finally excited. I am believing again that I WILL DO THIS.

Thanks for sharing in the journey again.

I Just Don't Know Anymore

2011-09-06T11:09:00.002-04:00

Around 8 o'clock last night, my left side started to hurt. In the same SI joint area that was bothering me on the right side. I took some Motrin and tried to sleep with the ice pack.

This morning, it was a smidge better, but not much. Walking was okay, but sitting and bending over was not. When I got to PT and described the pain, my PT tried to stay positive, but I could see it in her eyes. Things are not good. I didn't do anything different, didn't do extra workouts, didn't lift anything heavy - just packed and rested. And that set my alignment off on the left side. The session was spent learning how to self align my pelvis and back. And saying over and over there is still time for things to heal.

But really, 4 days, that's not a lot of time. Especially since I will be driving all day tomorrow.

For the first time, I am questioning if this is all worth it. Up until now I was 100% confident in my ability to start, kick a$$ on the swim, and see what happens on the bike. And hopefully the 26.2 mile power walk. Now, I just don't know.

I sent my Personal Cook a text to which he responded "Never give up, never surrender". If you are a regular watcher of Wipeout, you will know why this made me laugh.

I know I can't go into this already defeated, but it's really hard not to when your own body keeps rejecting everything you are doing.

Packing

2011-09-05T22:23:00.003-04:00

Hi All 9 of you! Or am I at 10 now... :-)

I wish I had something fun to blog about, but not so much. It's been pretty uneventful. Yesterday I got my last week of workouts from Coach and started crying. I wish I had more time, I wish I was faster, but I am also happy to be done. Whoever has my voodoo doll moved the pin from the right side to the left side. So being done with training hopefully means a full recovery.

And I spent today doing my last bike ride in the city. And I started to pack. If you look closely, you will see each bag has a list with check boxes safety pinned to the bag with its contents. There will be 10 bags - Swim, Swim Extra, Swim to Bike, On Bike, Bike Special Needs, Bike Extra, Bike to Run, Run Extra, Run Special Needs, and Extra. It's the only way I feel confident that I have everything. Or know what I need to keep looking for - like my watch...

I also went for an uneventful swim at an over crowded Wilson pool (PS. Just because you swim with fins does not mean you should swim in the fast lane).

This was followed by a quick dinner with Sandy to discuss our excitement for Moo. And more packing...

See, not very exciting. Just getting ready. So ready!

One More KTrain Ride

2011-09-03T13:41:00.003-04:00

I can't believe it was the last KTrain ride before the race. I never thought the day would come. And I just wish I had a bit more time. Alas, extra time to heal is not an option.

I am happy to report that today's ride went better than last weeks. I started the ride with some biofreeze and I really think that helped for the first hour. The hill at Old Anglers was much better than last week. Or maybe it was because Sandy rode with me... Either way, the first hour was better, the second hour did remind me that I am not totally healed, but I have more hope. And biofreeze will be in my bento box on the bike, in my bike special needs bag, in the bike to run bag, and the run special needs bag.

I am still worried about my speed, but there isn't much I can do about that now. All I can do is keep moving forward, for as long as I can, in 17 hours.

Thanks everyone for the support. The emails, hugs, voice mails, they all mean a lot and I am sure are helping the healing process.

Mirrors

2011-09-02T19:51:00.004-04:00

(Friday's post)

Have you ever just stared into a mirror? I mean really REALLY stared. Past the flaws you see in yourself - like the new zit on my chin, or the fact that my belly is showing the self pity ice cream I have been eating; but really REALLY look at yourself.

Something happened today at the gym. I was power walking listening to my new favorite song, Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap; and I just wanted to run. So I ran. Only for 10 minutes, but it felt so good. And as I stared at myself, checked on form (ignoring the jiggle), I realized I can do this. I don't mean finish the Ironman, there are so many factors that I can not control - the weather is currently calling for scattered showers, people are stupid and might drop a water bottle in front of me, I might get a flat that rips the tire and not just the tube, etc. But this feeling came over me today that I CAN DO THIS! Which is very different than I WILL do this. And it made me smile.

I started to think about the first one. Getting into the water and seeing everyone around Monona Terrace. Running up the helix to the cheers of my family and friends. Seeing my mom on the bike for the first time and stopping to give her a hug. Biking John Nolan drive and seeing Monona Terrace - knowing I would be an Ironman in less than 7 hours. Starting the marathon with my friend Tony. Meeting Gina on the run. When I couldn't feel my legs, seeing my dad, and I suddenly felt light as a feather. Jess not changing her watch to central time and giving me a panic attack (which now just makes me laugh). Rose dancing on the path. Suzie and Rick with their signs. Hear Kristin and Lauren before I saw them. And the incredible, indescribable feeling of the finish.

I am lucky I have had that feeling once. I would love more than anything to have it again. However we all know how the best laid plans turn out... And today on the treadmill, with 10 minutes of power walking, 10 minutes of running, and 10 minutes of power walking, staring deep inside myself, I knew in an instant that I CAN do this. And that means more to me than actually what happens in 9 days.

Still Working Out

2011-09-01T22:00:00.004-04:00

I am still even getting up at 5:30 to bike. See, that is a picture of the sunrise I took this morning. Beautiful, but EARLY!
Anyway, it was worth it and I was pleasantly surprised to see Karen and Kimberly there. But I was even more surprised with Mary Elizabeth rolled up.
ME and I rolled out first and as we were finishing our first lap, Karen says "come on, interval for 5 minutes".
Me to ME - "Want to?"
ME to me - "Can you?"
Me to ME - "Won't know unless I try"

And off the 4 of us went for a 5 minute interval. I kept up with K squared for about 4 minutes, and I was happy with that fact.
On the third loop (K squared was long gone), ME and I did more more interval set.
Pain free - no.
Progress - yes.
Walking after - we aren't going to talk about it...

But, later in the evening, I had workout number 2 - a swim. And this 2000 meter swim was with 2 IRONMEN - Karen and Janie. AND this was the best swim I have had in weeks. I am not sure why, but I felt so great in the water. Good stroke, proper body position, and felt very comfortable. And the best part, NO PAIN (mostly). YAY!

Tomorrow, PT and if I'm allowed - maybe even a RUN/WALK! Maybe...

Funny

2011-08-31T12:08:00.005-04:00

I am tired of whining. I am tired of crying. I am tired of having no confidence. I am tired of forgetting how much training I did put in. I am tired of the "what if I didn't go to the Dr. 2 weeks ago" game. I am tired of my butt/hip hurting after 40 minutes on the bike around Hains Point. I am tired of it hurting after walking 2 blocks. I am tired of hurting all the time. I am tired of it all. It just sucks.

So, moving on. The Person Cook shared this via his google reader and I died laughing. I am looking forward to the day where this is my biggest problem in regards to my workouts.

I Will Try Almost Anything

2011-08-29T20:36:00.004-04:00

At this point, I am very much wanting a magical cure that will fix all my physical issues NOW. However, I know that is not realistic so I am going with Plan B - try whatever my PT suggests. During my session this morning, I explained what happened on the bike and how hills did not go well - and that this is concerning because Wisconsin is a hilly course. She wasn't that concerned, and said I should talk to Coach about having an 'aggressive taper'. Do stuff, but not to the point of pain. Plus, my core work has improved, especially in terms of stabilization. This was good and the progress has been noticeable.

So given all those factors, and 2 weeks to the race, she suggested Dry Needling. I remembered Kelzie having a post about dry needling from SSPT, so I figured why not. I had a bit of a hard time fully relaxing with all the needles in my back, but all seemed to go okay. The back muscles twitched as they were supposed to and I should know in a day or two how successful the treatment went.

And then I went to the pool for my swim - which I was allowed to do. But, dry needling and swimming = a very unhappy back.

Oh well, I will keep trying anything and everything people suggest. And as Dena told me tonight "Things don't often work out as planned, however they always work out as they should".

This Past Weekend

2011-08-29T13:43:00.005-04:00

I haven't posted about this past weekend because I don't want to actually write it out. It was supposed to be such a happy day. Karen organized a K-Train Moo Taper ride with a special rest stop. The rest stop idea was scratched due to the weather and a little (let down of a) hurricane that was headed our way. But Bryan, thank you so much for offering up your home, with BACON, and I am so sorry we had to miss out.

Alejandro rode with me for the first part of the ride and it was great to catch up with him. I am SO EXCITED that he will be in Madison to cheer and sherpa and cheer. Karen rode with me the second part of the ride and it was good to hear about some of the off season activities she has planned. Remember, for some reason, a bunch of us do what Karen tells us to do...

Overall, it was about 2 hours and 45 minutes, around 40 miles. The problem? It hurt. It was uncomfortable. Especially on the hills. I kept telling myself they were just momentary moments of discomfort. Cramping, muscle spasms, the pain just sitting on my saddle - they would all just go away. And sometimes they did. Especially after I stretched at the gas station and took some Motrin. And when I stopped riding in aero. But the pain, spasms, and discomfort all came back at different points during the ride. I don't think I went more than 10 minutes where I felt comfortable.

Needless to say, it was a mental blow. I'm having a hard time remembering all the training I have done over the past few months because all I can think about is what I am not doing now.

But all I can say is that on September 11th, I will be in Lake Monona, I will swim 2.4 miles, I will get on my bike, and I will see what happens.

Another Reason I Am Lucky

2011-08-26T20:40:00.009-04:00

About 2 weeks ago, I posted about how lucky I am. I had a little mental breakthrough about my ability to swim/bike/run and how no matter what happens, all will be okay. And I am SSSOOO lucky I had that realization when I did - i.e. before my back/butt/hip/SI went all crazy.

Also, I have very supportive friends and family. And I am not just talking about the support they have shown me over the past week. I have been meaning to post about this for awhile, so tonight just seemed to be a good time.

When Sandy and I headed to Lake Placid, I hopped into her car to start our road trip and she handed me a present.I have felt better ever since!

Also at Lake Placid, Karen gave me a little "Congrats on your LP Half" (before she realized I was 1 mile over and 5 miles short).How cute! And I now have my race day socks.

Finally at Lake Placid, I received and AWESOME sherpa present from Alejandro.
He had such an amazing race and I was so happy to be there for his day. And yes, I know it's not a great pic (of me, Alejandro looks great), but I wanted to get the shirt in, and not just my back. Oh well.

Now we get to my family. The best brother in the world sent me a "You will do great" card. Unfortunately (actually, fortunately) the mail system was a tad delayed in getting me the card. So, he sent another card. They arrived the same day. So, fortunately, I got 2 cards :-) Thanks best brother ever!

And my parents. They have sent me inspirational presents every month. Their constant and support and understanding of my choices for these crazy activities is nothing less than amazing. And your humor is spot on. Thank you. And thank you for more than just the presents.

Tomorrow - I get to ride. Hopefully for 2-3 hours, pending any pain and Irene...

I BIKED!

2011-08-25T17:36:00.006-04:00

AND IT WASN'T HORRIBLE!!

Okay, I know that doesn't sound too good, but trust me, it was. I crawled out of bed at 5:30 to darkness and the sounds of howling wind. However, I needed to know if biking was possible.

To my pleasant surprise, Kimberly and Karen were both at HP for some biking as well. We all started together and Karen quickly start to CRUSH HP for her loops. This gave Kimberly and I some time to catch up. Which was also a very nice distraction from the nausea I kept feeling. I was trying to figure out what was better/worse - areo or sitting up. It was the same nauseous feeling I had last week with the dull pain down my leg. But I wasn't in pain, pain... Well, I was kind of, but I think that was more my undercarriage not being happy about being on a bike again after a week. Same with my legs in general. I think... Anyway, Janie was also out and when she passed she made a very nice comment about how good it was to see me back on the bike - which is exactly how I felt. It was good to be back on the bike.

I stopped after an hour and now have more hope than I did at 6 this morning.

I am going to take tomorrow off, expect for PT. Hopefully I will get some good news and can bike a good 2 hours on Saturday before we get hit with our next natural disaster...

Thanks Girls At The Gym

2011-08-24T16:00:00.006-04:00

(Wednesday's Post)

I feel that not many funny things have happened to me this year. I haven't fallen over as much (thank you Power Balance Band - more on that in a later post). Snot rockets haven't been as needed - Allegra works. And this is really my third year of endurance training. Sometimes I forget that I did 2 aqua velo halves (technically 1, but I still biked in a race 56 miles) and one full AV (2.4 mile swim and 112 mile bike). Yes, they were all flat courses, but still... This training thing has become part of my daily life, not just a fun new challenge.

But, I can always rely on the gym in my building to provide me entertainment. Especially today.

I walked into the locker room to change, it was around noon-thirty, and a woman was BELTING out whatever song was on the musiac. It Mariah Carey or something. Anyway, she could care less that there were about 7 other women changing. She just got her grove on, actually using her brush as a microphone. You Go Girl!

I got onto a treadmill to start my 30 minutes of power walking. Before I knew it, the other 3 were also in use, and there was a name on the board for the next machine. I am very aware of when people are waiting because I HATE it when people take more than their allotted 30 minutes. I could feel the woman glaring at me from the StairMaster, but the moment my time went from 29.59 to 30.00, I hit stop and got off. She promptly got on (before I could wipe it down), took her hair down from a centered ponytail, and put it into a SIDE PONYTAIL! She then proceeded to set the speed at 6.0 mph, run, and try to fix the SIDE PONYTAIL. I don't know why this struck me as so amusing, but it did.

Thank you Mariah Carey singer and side ponytail girl. You made my day.

That Was Scary

2011-08-23T22:33:00.004-04:00

So, in case you were under a rock - a rock that didn't move, we had a little earthquake this afternoon. I have to admit, I did not react well. See my second day of work, when I was 22 and fresh off the boat from the midwest, was September 11, 2001. As a result, my pulse raises a bit when I hear a helicopter, any type of loud bang, and when the windows of in my fourth floor office suite start to rattle. I was very freaked out, thinking it was the worst. We all evacuated the building and it was rumored, and confirmed, it was an earthquake, 5.8. Now I can say I have been through an earthquake. Something I would have been just fine not saying...

After figuring out what to do, a bunch of us just walked around. I eventually made it home and relaxed on the couch. The entire days events shook me (ha) and I just needed to relax. But facebook lightened my mood and if I may quote Sandy without her permission "I don't know how Californians do it. I couldn't remember if I should get into the bathtub or under a table. Instead, I went to secure the wine rack/glasses. I think I need to reevaluate my emergency protocol."

I then realized I needed to tackle my next fear - the bike. I SSSSOOOOO wanted it to feel good, or at least normal. While I can't say that was true, I can say I wasn't in a lot of pain. I have to remember that I couldn't walk on Thursday, my muscles are pretty f'ed up right now, and it's going to take time. And more than 5 days. But hopefully less than 19.

Mental Training

2011-08-23T12:17:00.001-04:00

One thing I am really happy about is the fact I kept a blog for my first Ironman. I have the ability to go back and re-read how I was feeling, what I was doing, and how I was reacting during my ignorant bliss phase. I say ignorant bliss because I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I just read August, and man - there are so many differences and so many similarities.

One thing I have going for me this time around is the obvious. I am already an Ironman. Even if I don't finish, no one can take away the fact that I crossed the finish line on September 7, 2008 in 15 hours 41 minutes and 7 seconds.

Knowing that I am already an Ironman also has a downside - I know the work I put in last time and I just don't think I am there. The majority of the rides I did this time were much more challenging. So my speed is actually about the same, or maybe even slower, but on harder routes. However, I don't have those one or two 90+ mile rides I really needed for mental confidence.

And the 'run'. I don't even want to THINK about how unprepared I am to run/walk a marathon. Last time I had many more 2-3 hour runs. This time, just a few, and they didn't go well. But just as I bike harder courses, I have better running technique. And I am trying to remember and focus on that positive point.

So basically, I am all over the place. This stupid SI joint is causing some pain in my right hip and knee and it's keeping me from doing the training I need these last 19 days. Ironman is SUCH a mentally challenging event, and I know how important it is to stay focused. And I am focused. And surprisingly, mostly positive. But also unsure, and that is the scary part for me. I HATE the unknown - it's why I despise haunted houses, you never know when someone is going to pop out and scare you.

Anyway, I just needed to vent some randomness.

Silly Traffic. Silly DC

2011-08-22T21:03:00.003-04:00

This morning I had my next SSPT appointment. I am happy to report that my alignment is getting much better. My core is getting stronger. As are my muscles supporting my spine. YAY! I can continue to walk - but not run. I can bike on the trainer - which I will do tomorrow. And I can keep swimming, which I did tonight.

Wilson, my normal pool, is closed this week for maintenance. So, I headed to Hains Point. Which is not accessible via metro. And since I can't bike, I had to drive. Which meant sitting in DC traffic. And I was very close to pulling all my hair. I.Hate.Traffic!

But I got to the pool and it was a beautiful evening. I hopped into Jenny's lane and she told me the pool was only open until 7. However, the Internet (which never lies!) said 8. She informed me that yes, the pool was open until 8, however a master's swim team came in at 7 and we were no longer allowed to circle swim. But the pool stayed open... Yup, that sure makes sense! Even with stupid traffic and silly DC pool information not being 100% correct on the Internet, I managed to swim 2000 meters.

And thanks to Travis for letting me use is FB picture of the pool he took today. He was gracious enough to wave his $350 fee in exchange for my 'sherpatude' at Lake Placid. HA!

So This Is A Normal Sunday

2011-08-21T21:08:00.003-04:00

Not biking for 7 hours today left me a loss of what to do. Especially because I had to spend a lot of time sitting on an ice pack.

I watched a few bad movies.

I looked at all the stuff I should have put away, and didn't.

I thought about cleaning...

But the day started off with my core work. Then to the Dupont farmers market with Diane. Man, that has really grown in size! I came back and rested, then made some lunch. And rested. Then headed to the gym to hop on the treadmill for an hour. Not running, just a nice speed walk. Then more time on the ice pack. And some cooking.

And back to sitting with an ice pack. Is this what non Ironman training people do on the weekend? With the exception of the sitting on an ice pack? I have to admit, it was kind of nice. But I would have rather been on my bike...

Oh, and PT tomorrow morning!

I Can Still Walk

2011-08-20T23:14:00.001-04:00

And that makes me really happy.

And I swam. And stopped after my 2500 meter swim, and didn't do more like I wanted too. Yay will power!

Also, Coach had me look up the Zatopek Effect. Basically how much rest can really benefit an athlete. I don't feel I have fully earned the rest but I am doing my best to stay positive, do what I can, and not overdo.

I HEART SSPT!

2011-08-19T17:56:00.003-04:00

I walked the 5 blocks from the metro to SSPT, PAIN FREE, so I knew things were going better.

The session went great and I felt very comfortable with my PT. She read my chart, let me tell the long story about what has happened over the past 3 years. She got right to work doing lots of tests and confirmed it was muscle and not a nerve (yay!). AND, she completely understood the need to get me back to training, or at least the start line, by Sept 11. It's like not getting to the start line wasn't an option. WOOT!

Moving forward this weekend - I can do core work. Stretching. AND I CAN SWIM! Maybe even bike on the trainer after my next session.

But I must keep icing, resting, and taking my meds. Not a problem. I will do everything I can (but not more!) to get to the start line. Then I will feel I have a fighting chance to be and Ironman. Again.

AND, when I was leaving PT, I ran into (almost literally, he was on a moped and almost ran me over) SPIKE!
What a difference 36 hours makes! Thanks everyone for the positive thoughts. I know that has helped more than I can express!!!

I Have Never Cried So Much

2011-08-19T13:32:00.003-04:00

Last night was awful! Just awful. My ART doctor said I have a very inflamed sacroiliac joint (SI joint) and there isn't much we can other than ice and ibuprofen. He knew right away based on the way I was walking (swinging my leg out because I can't lift my leg) and where the pain was. Oh, and the fact you can feel the heat from the inflamed section of my back. He said that sometimes these things happen, especially if they have been bothering a person for awhile. So he did some electric stimulation and manual manipulation.

After the appointment, I called the Personal Cook immediately after and just started crying. As much as I didn't want him to see me cry and in pain, or ask for help, he met me at my apartment - with fixings for chicken soup. As he was in the kitchen I tossed and turned in on the couch trying to find a position that was as comfortable as I could get. Which just didn't work. I lost it probably about 5 more times. The pain I felt was just off the charts. The chicken soup helped. All the facebook messages helped. But only so much.

Coach called, after I sent him a frantic email, and we are now on an hour by hour, day to day, plan. There is so much unknown right now, and I hate it. I HATE that I don't know what's going to happen and I how I am going to feel in a day in a week in 3 weeks.

I am taking some meds from my back spams and ibuprofen which is how I got some sleep last night. I haven't moved much today and so the pain is more bearable. I have PT in a little over an hour so hopefully that will help too.

I am trying to stay positive and not play the "what if" game. I keep thinking I should have done that extra 12 miles last week or that extra hour on the bike the other day or the extra 1000 meters in the pool or ran a bit harder - anything that would make me feel more comfortable about the fact I can't train right now. Something to hold onto that I can hopefully still Attempt Ironman Wisconsin.

I just don't know. And I hate it.

Getting Worse

2011-08-18T14:00:00.003-04:00

I am not one to cry because of pain and I have tears in my eyes. I could be frustration. Anger. Being scared. All reasons I do cry. But this really hurts. Every movement I make hurts. And that is why I am crying.

The Personal Cook and I had lunch plans and we decided to take bikes. I figured this would be a good test to see how bad the leg/butt/hip really was. I actually thought I would be okay.

Not so much.

And when the PC saw my eyes fill up with tears over Mike Isabella's chicken thighs in a pepperoni sauce at Graffiato, he knew they were not tears of joy.

I am trying really REALLY hard not to panic. I have emailed my Coach. I am going back to the ART Dr today at 4. I have an appointment with a PT (my normal PT is on vaca until mid Sept...) tomorrow at 3. I am freezing my butt, literally - I am sitting on an ice pack. And I have taken a few more Motrin. I am also thinking about my LAST long ride/run I am supposed to do this weekend. And really hoping the past 5 months haven't been for nothing.

$H*T!

And It Was Going So Well

2011-08-18T11:00:00.006-04:00

I was super tired the past few days, but embracing the fatigue. Yesterday's brick was a slug fest and my legs were not happy to be spinning (nor was my undercarriage happy to be on the bike). However the 4:1 run/walk went surprisingly okay. I was happy knowing that I am breaking down my body one last time so I can rest and taper to peak on Sept 11.

Yesterday afternoon I headed to my second round of Active Release Treatment (ART) for my right side issues. My hip, hamstring, quad, etc all on the right side have been giving me some issues. Not too bad, but not normal. I didn't want to take any chances, so I went to my trusted ART Dr. After my first session, it was painful but in that good way. My right butt (or gluteus maximus if you will) was bruised, but again, it felt better. So, I had high hopes for yesterday's session. I have been stretching, rolling on the foam roller, all the things I should have been doing.
During the session, he hit one spot where a sharp pain went straight through to my right foot. It was the pain I had described at the beginning of my session that I felt the day before when I rotated/turned to the left. You could feel 3 knots in my glut. He worked on them and things felt a lot better when I left his office.

Then later that evening I went to bed.

Then I woke up do to pain down my right side. And it still hurts. It's that type of intense dull pain that almost makes you nauseous. And when I move my right leg, it often becomes an intense sharp pain. And I don't know what to do. I sent an email to the Dr. I have taken Motrin. I am icing. But it hurts. I know it's muscle. And this is not good. I'll take today off from workouts and hope tomorrow feels better. But if anyone has any suggestions, PLEASE let me know.

And if you have voodoo doll of me, please remove all the pins until after IM Moo. PLEASE. Thank you.

I Can Still Have Fun

2011-08-16T15:52:00.007-04:00

Even though I am in my last build phase.... SCARY!

Anyway, last night was one of my favorite nights of the summer. It was the evening where my favorite band played at Wolf Trap. An outdoor venue for the performing arts (music, dance, plays, etc.) that has a lot of lawn seating and you can bring your own food and beverages. Yes, that includes wine. :-) So the Personal Cook and I got tickets as soon as they went on sale - when I didn't put 2 and 2 together about timing. But, as I have said before, it's all about choices. And in about the past 8 years, I don't think I have ever missed seeing Guster play at Wolf Trap, and I wasn't about to start now.

It just took some creative scheduling so I can get in all (or at least most) of my workouts done. But I'm not worried. Becuase Coach is not worried. AND, he seemed extremely happy with my weekend. He actually said "I think the weekend went awesomely (is that a word?)".

Yesterday was a run. Which I had to do at lunch. It was hot, but not that hot. This morning I swam and I am splitting my bike between lunch on the stationary bike and after work on trainer before I have another appointment tonight. See, creative scheduling so I can still have fun...

I can sleep in 4 weeks.
But I do need to figure out how to get my laundry done as I am out of sports bras. And bike shorts. And my apartment is really starting to stink...

I Am Consistent...

2011-08-14T19:00:00.005-04:00

Today was my last 'race' before IM Moo. I use the term loosely because it was just a swim. But a 2.4 mile swim. And I was timed. So it counts as a race, right?

It was HarborFest, and I did the DC Tri Club 2.4 mile IronSwim. Kind of a last minute decision, and one I am happy I made. All the swimmers arrived around 7 or 7:30, and the race was supposed to start at 8:15. Mother Nature had another idea and we were delayed about 25 minutes. But, better to be safe. Or, as safe as you can be when swimming in the Potomac... And it gave us a chance to take an IM Moo picture!

(6 of the 15 or so DC Tri club members participating in IM Moo 2011! IN 4 WEEKS!)

We all, tentatively, jumped into the water, and waited for the gun to start us on our 5 lap race. It's always moments like this I am thankful, when you are without a wet suit (water temp was around 82 - so no wet suits) that I can tread water without much effort.

The start and first lap weren't too bad. There were about 40 or 45 people so not too much kicking and fighting for position.

Time - 16.35

Lap 2 I noticed I was 2 other guys pretty close to me. So, I got behind one of them and just drafted. Took it easy, did some breaststroke, tried not to drink the water.

Time - 16.28

Lap 3 I left the 2 guys and took off. Or so I thought I did. I was feeling pretty good, but also noticed I was pulling to the left one side of the course, and to the right the other side of the course. Strange. Also on the way back, I saw my Personal Cook on the dock waving at me. I stopped and said a quick hello, he told me I was looking good, and I said that I had 2 more laps. I had my ear plugs in, so that is what I think we said...

Time - 16.31

Lap 4 is when I realized the buoys were not in a line any more - I wasn't that off on my pulling. The wind really picked up so I am pretty sure that is why. Also, once you were more into the open water, no longer shield by the dock, things were a tad bit rough. It did make sighting a more of a challenge, especially because I was on my own. Another wave to the PC and I was ready for my final loop.

Time - 16.32

Lap 5 was even more choppy, but I just tried to sight the turn buoys and forget the other ones. I did get a bit of a foot cramp, which reminded me that I just don't kick. Ever. But I really tired to push the last length and focus on pulling from my back. PC made the universal "CRUSH IT" pose - which I almost choked on some Potomac water, and I finished.

Time - 16.31.

Total time-ish, 1 hour 22 minutes, 45 seconds. 5th female and 13th overall.

I tend to judge my swims by my placement, not by time. It's really hard to measure a course correctly, and keep it that way for the entire event, so I was very happy with my placement.

As for the time, at IM Moo I will be tapered, there will be more people to draft off of, and I will have a wet suit. So, I am hoping to go 5-7 minutes faster.

But everyone had a great event and hopefully no one gets sick... you never really know about the water quality of, or what is in, the Potomac...

I Ate a Peach

2011-08-14T18:03:00.007-04:00

And paid $50 to do so... Oh, and I got some water. And a BUTT kicking cue sheet.

I knew going into Saturday's 'century' ride was going to be tough. In fact, when I told Toby I was planning on doing the ride she made a face. You know, that face that says "Really? Are you sure you want to do that ride? I know you are a bit fragile and questioning your riding, so that might not be best for you" look. So I checked in with Laurel, who also did the ride a few years back and she was nice enough to find me an alternative ride option. AKA, it's a hard ride. But after talking about it with Coach, we decided to treat it more as a mental challenge. Goal 1, don't cry. Goal 2, don't worry about speed and especially speed going up hills.

So I drove up to Westminster, MD, paid my $50, got my cue sheet of 67 miles (there was a 33 mile loop to finish the full century) and headed out with Sandy and Jen. The first 20 miles weren't too bad. I was doing a pretty good job with my hills and focusing on other things than my speed. I got to the rest stop just as Sandy and Jen pulled out, I refilled my water, and headed out myself.

The next 29 were a bit tougher. And not just because it rained. Yes, the temperature was perfect, the overcast was nice, but the rain - not so much. It was good practice, but still... No fun. Another rest stop, more water, and I was off back to the starting point.

The last 20 were more climbing, with one really hard climb (stupid Kate Wagner! That was the name of the road and whoever she was, she hated bikers) 1 mile from the finish. After 2 wrong turns, I finished the first loop around 68 miles.

100 miles was never my plan. 90, if I could make it, 80 would be okay, 67 if my mental game failed me. So, I was feeling okay and went back out for the 12 mile loop. And it rained more. So when I was done, with more hills than I wanted, including Kate Wagner (pictured on the right. It never looks as bad in pictures, but you can't really see the bottom of the hill and you can see a guy walking up the hill), and I was done. And the skies opened up even more so 12 more miles just wasn't worth it. 6 hours, 81 miles. No tears. No being angry at myself about my speed.

And when I got to the post ride food, THEY WERE OUT! All they had was peaches (no peach pie or cobbler, just peaches) and goldfish crackers. I did see a women the size of my thigh with 3 pieces of pizza, however she took the last of it because they were out. I HATE it when races/rides/events run out of food. It feels like a slap in the the face for being slow. But the peaches were pretty good.

I called Karen to let her know she was right and I was fine. I sat in my car and listened to the rain and waited for Jen. When she got back I took off to make sure Sandy was okay. Apparently the sheets of rain didn't hit her so she was fine and also finished the full century.

Overall, I was happy with the ride. I went into it knowing it would be a hard, challenging route. And it was. I would be more comfortable with IM Moo if I was a bit faster. Not a lot, just enough to make me more confident about the bike time cut off. Riding the way I am, it will be close. With a flat, or really bad heat/humidity, or something else - who knows. But I can focus on 1 more build week. And that is what I am planning on doing.

One.More.Build.Week.

Lucky

2011-08-12T12:24:00.008-04:00

If you read this blog often, you know that calling me moody would be an understatement. Lately, my emotions change as often as a cuckoo clock sounds. I'm in that mental state where I don't think I am doing enough, however I am almost out of time before I start to taper, and I just have to TRUST my coach, and myself - which is just difficult. Every swim, bike, and run just doesn't feel good enough. And that affects my attitude towards pretty much everything else.

But this past week, there have been a few little reminders of how lucky I am.
After an okay 2500 meter swim at Wilson, I heard a very obese woman tell her friend how excited she was that she lost 75 pounds and could now swim 2 lengths of the pool (100 meters) without stopping.
I finished up a ride at Hains Point; which I cut short because I couldn't get moving out of bed and I had to get to work for a meeting, and I was disappointed in myself for not pushing harder after I looked at my very low average HR, knowing I could have done more; and watched a guy get out of van into his wheelchair. He went from his wheelchair to his handcycle, and started his workout.
In the middle of my long, hot, humid run on Monday morning, 4 military gentlemen passed me going the opposite direction, dressed in full fatigues with packs.

I don't know what was going through their minds, their stories, or their reason for doing their activities, but seeing those scenarios this week helped put things back into perspective.

Ironman is just a day. No matter what happens, I have learned a lot more about myself. It would have been nice had I realized this a bit sooner in my training process, but I am lucky I had this moment of enlightenment at all. Most people don't understand what it's like to make your choices for 6+ months for one 17 hour day, when your outcome is uncertain. I may get a rip my tire and not get a new one fast enough, it might be 95 and humid, it might be 55 and rainy - all things pretty much out of my control that would cause me not to finish. But it's just a day.

I am not saying I won't panic a few more times within the next month. I would put a lot of $$ down that I will cry again due to a workout that does not turn out the way I would want. I am sure I will even snip at my friends, Personal Cook, boss, and family because I didn't eat enough.

But I am still lucky I have been able to go on this journey again. I am so lucky that I can swim, I can bike, and I can run. And a part of me is sad that this journey will be over in 30 days. I can only hope my next adventure will lead to more enlightening moments as well. Just maybe with a few less tears.

One Month

2011-08-11T12:08:00.001-04:00

Until I (*hopefully*) get to do this again!

My Undercarriage!

2011-08-10T13:35:00.004-04:00

That's what all the cool kids are calling it these days.

Compared to last time, or really the past few years, I actually haven't had many issues in that area during my training. Until this morning. A simple, easy, 2 hour ride this morning turned out to be a bit more painful than it should have been. Especially when I was in aero.
Oh well. They make products to help with the undercarriage, so I just need to restock my supply. I have found Chamois Butt'r is good for short rides. They also have single serving packets that are perfect for a bento box or saddle bag. Just make sure you don't confuse it with a Gu. Yuck!

Assos is my favorite for medium-long rides.

However, for really long rides, I am forever and always a fan of the Bag Balm. As are others...

Undercarriage pain aside, it was a beautiful morning. Not to humid or hot, with a pink/purple/orange sunrise. Not a bad way to start the day. Even if starting the day is at 5:30 am.

I Actually Got Out of Bed

2011-08-09T17:32:00.002-04:00

And swam.

After a very long email to Coach about my (triathlon) issues. I told him I didn't expect to be this much of a head case this time around. He responded and said "You are no more a head case than me". And overall that we didn't need a new plan, we just needed to regroup and things will get better. And some other stuff that, of course, made me cry.
One workout at a time. One day at a time.

So this morning, my workout was a swim. So I swam.

Not great, but much better than last week.

Tomorrow morning I bike. Tomorrow night I run.

One workout at a time.

Triathlon Can Be Funny

2011-08-09T13:25:00.002-04:00

Thank you to Ray for posting this. Who thanked Adam for posting it.

It's not in Swim/Bike/Run order, but I think that makes it even better.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3 (my favorite)

Energy Supplements

And Wetsuit Removal

Thanks for the laugh Stan!

I Need A Different Attitude

2011-08-08T13:40:00.004-04:00

This morning's 'run' did not go as hoped. And I am getting a little tired of my workouts going into the "well, I didn't quit" category. I am out of time for this!!

I wanted to go 2.5 hours and made it 2 hours and 5 minutes. One hour in, I knew 2.5 wasn't going to happen. 1.5 in I just couldn't run any more. I tried to bribe myself, distract myself, do anything I could, but nothing worked. I tried to focus on forum, dropped down to a 1:1 (from a 4:1, that went to a 3:2, that went to a 2:1), but there because a point where my hamstrings said no. And the razor blades inside my stomach didn't help either. I tried to power walk and walk with a purpose, but that failed me as well. I just hobbled back to the office to start my work day.

Realistically, the plan has always been to walk a large part of the marathon. However, I was hoping my long runs would have been a bit more successful than they have been.

I feel like I am out of time, and out if ideas.
Any suggestions?

5.5 Out of 7 Isn't Too Bad...

2011-08-07T20:46:00.005-04:00

As in 5 and a half hours out of 7 that I was supposed to do on the bike today.

But first, let me back track to the past few days.
Thursday I met my Personal Cook in New York City. He was there for work and I was happy to join for a few days. I wish it could have been the entire weekend, but alas, I have that pesky training to do. 5 WEEKS!

Anyway, it was totally worth it as I got to go on the floor of the NYSE!
I also got some training in. I missed my brick (sleep won) but I did manage about an hour 'run'. Running through NYC was kind of like Frogger. Dodge the people, buses, taxis, and bikes. Oh, and try to find my way around. But I managed even if my Garmin couldn't find me - silly skyscrapers. So I wandered around, ran when I could, and found my way to the Brooklyn Bridge. I didn't have a great run - went way to fast when I could run, but I did have a great time.

Saturday was spent walking all around the city. We stumbled upon one of the coolest things, they close down Park Ave for Summer Streets. So we could just walk down the middle of the street! Also, because we were limited on time, we decided not to have meals, but snacks. So we could have bagels with a cream cheese mixing bar, sushi at the Plaza hotel, and a pretzel from a specialty beer bar. Cookies, cannoli, and a mini cheese cake too. We had a great time.

But then today's ride happened. It was a scheduled 7 hour ride. Right away, I knew it was going to be rough. It was already 80 and WAY humid. I kind of had a planned route, but not really because I had 7 hours, and loops don't bother me. Around 2 hours I was out of water and my stomach was massively cramping. On my side trip to the market, I started seeing stars. Not.Good.

So after I wandered around the store in the AC, I called Karen, crying. I was just so frustrated. She offered to pick me up and I just felt like a wimp. Yes my stomach wasn't holding water and I was seeing stars, but I was only 2 and a half hours into my 7 hour ride. She suggested I ride 5 miles, and call (as she was still willing to pick me up). So I rode to the corner. Head towards the car, or to Poolsville.

I chose Poolsville.

5 hours and 40 minutes later. Pain in my foot, a few back twinges, heat rash on my right thigh, and more stomach cramps, I made it back to my car. I also had to stop a few more times to cool down and refuel. I talked to the PC who has a special way of being supportive and making everything black and white. He said do what I need to do to get back, and try again next week. So simple...
Through out the day I tired ginger ale, Starbucks iced coffee, and coke - all to help the stomach and for the caffeine. Accelerade - not so much. Gu - no. Chomps - definitely not. Combos - those were okay. Not a lot to go on, but as Karen reminded me, it was good mentally.

And when I was done, before I put anything in the car or got my flip flops, I just laid down in the grass. Until I heard thunder. It was the first time I couldn't get myself to even walk 20 minutes after a ride. But considering I started crying 2 and a half hours in, I was happy I made it as long as I did. I mean I was so hot I didn't want to be in aero (not just because of my stomach) but because I was closer to the heat coming off of the road. Just.Gross.

So, yeah. The weekend was great. The ride not so much. Tomorrow morning I have a long run which means I need to stop typing and go to bed.

What Happens When You Skip A Workout

2011-08-03T08:49:00.003-04:00

I shouldn't say skip, I should say move around.

Anyway, I got up at 5:30 to get in my brick. The weatherman said it would be raining within an hour. So, since I was ridiculously tired, I went back to sleep for 2 more hours figuring I could make up the brick tomorrow morning and do some other workout stuff today, and get into work early.

Good plan.

Which of course went wrong.

I got up at 7:30 and it was dry out. No sign of rain. Oops.

As I was walking out the door, I couldn't find my smart trip card. Not good. It's a huge hassle to report it lost and go through the process of having my transit benefits flipped to a new card. Basically, I am going to have to cover my own commuting costs for the next 2 months (something I have never had to pay for...)

I bought a fare card, only to have it not work and the metro employee lecture me on how to use it. When he tried, his tone shifted and realized I wasn't lying when I said that I just bought the card. I am no longer getting to work early.

I got to work, heated up my breakfast (I am trying to be good and not buy all my meals, and I like the egg muffins!) and as I was walking back into the suite, I dropped my container and egg muffin went everywhere. Including my left pant leg.

All this before 9 am.

I should have bricked this morning.

Wednesdays.

Pile It On!

2011-08-02T21:22:00.002-04:00

I am in my last, I repeat LAST, major build phase. BAH!

It's a bit scary, but I am feeling okay. Not great, which is no surprise. Most people don't really feel prepared as when they are training, so that is pretty normal.

Sunday was a fun brick. I saw a few people on the bike which was fun and distracting. I then met up with Shannon and Julie for my run. Also, nice and distracting.

Monday I got the day off. I spent yesterday sitting on the metro for over an hour trying to get home. Not the relaxing evening I was hoping for. But, I still managed to get 4 loads of laundry done which is currently all over my living room.

Today was a bike. I went back to Hains Point, where I haven't been in awhile. It was boring, but super good for cadence, which I always need work on.
Tonight was also a swim. Which kind of stunk. Not sure why, the speed was actually right where I should be - not far off from my 'normal' 2000 meter time. But it just felt off and I didn't want to be in the pool. But, I has happy I put in the time.

Tomorrow, another brick.

Yay build phase!

New Fork, Nice Ride

2011-07-31T14:50:00.008-04:00

Yesterday's ride was really good. I think it was the new fork! HA!

No, not really, but I do think watching IMLP really hit me hard, in the emotional way. And that has helped me refocus so I can do better these last 6 weeks. So, I decided to go to Columbia for a few laps. Becky told me riding the course backwards was really good training for Wisconsin. So, I did one backwards, one the regular way, and finished backwards. Backwards is MUCH harder than the regular course, so I was happy I did that, twice. Also, the first 2 laps were great because there was cloud cover. The last lap was a bit harder as the sun came out, and my body did not like that. But, I was really happy with the day. I couldn't run after, but manged to power walk a good 20 minutes.

I then sat in my car for 10 minutes with the AC on high to cool down.

Since I don't have any fun pictures to post from the ride, I thought I would post some from the Columbia race. Thanks to Sandy for the pictures and Carolina for taking them!
I almost look scared to start the swim... I never see the people taking the pictures on the bike! Start of the run with my "jazz hands". Yup. I CRUSHED that race.

Blain Update!

2011-07-29T16:45:00.006-04:00

Friday's Post

Remember my last Blain update when I said "First of all, Blain is fine"? Well, I can't start this post in the same way.

On our way home from a fantastic trip to Lake Placid, some $*(Q^%(*U@( guy decided he didn't need to pay attention to the road on 495, during rush hour, and rear ended SWC's (I am going to leave names out of this one, just in case) car. Luckily, we were all fine. As was he. Both cars were drive able and we know it could have been a lot worse. However, the bike were on the back of the car and took the brunt of the hit.

At first glance, the frames looked okay, all but the fork. The CARBON fork. Knowing I didn't have much time to mess around, I decided to work from home on Wednesday so I could head to the bike shop right when they opened at 11. B was there and his full carbon-framed bike was actually fine. Mine, not so much. But luckily, it was just the fork. And because Fresh Bikes is awesome, they found me a black fork (at first they only had a white one and it would have been 2 weeks for a black one - so Blain would have looked a tad funny). When I told Coach, he was happy we were all okay, and said "The Ironman Wisconsin bike course doesn't know you have a white fork". Thanks Coach, thanks.

However, Friday night, I headed to pick up Blain and he looked good as new.

A little extra stress but all seems to have worked out. Now I just need the $*(Q^%(*U@( guy's insurance to send me a check! Carbon forks are not cheep!

My Friends Are AMAZING!

2011-07-25T22:06:00.012-04:00

Monday's Post

What a day yesterday was!!!

I can not even put into words how fantastic everyone of my friends are and what they accomplished. I am not going to go into too many details, but trust me, it was AMAZING!

The day started off nice and early with everyone getting to the water on time.
We kicked off our shoes and got a prime spot to watch the swim exit. It was perfect because I got to see most people come out of the water with HUGE smiles on their faces.

Since we all had bikes, we decided it was best to go somewhere most people weren't. There are 3 big climbs at the end of the 56 mile loop. A huge crowd was at the last one (Papa bear), so we went to the middle one (Mama bear). I don't want to play favorites with my totally awesome friends, so I will post this picture where I tried to show the difficult beauty these athletes conquered. Twice.
Again, this was a prime spot as we got to see almost everyone TWICE!

After about 7 hours on Mama Bear, we headed to the finish. I kept crying because of moments like thisSo I headed to the run course to cheer on everyone else I could find. And cheer I did until everyone finished.

To Phil, Janie, Bryan, Travis, AJ, Mike, Toby, Alejandro, Sue, TJ, Ryan, Emily, Dirk and Karen - thank you for reminding me why I will continue to train harder than ever for the next 6 weeks. You have each inspired me in a different way, which has now motivated me more than I can put into words.

PS. Alejandro found this video. It pretty much sums it up in 9 minutes and 29 seconds (and you can see Toby and Karen!)

70.3 Plus 1 Minus 5

2011-07-23T16:20:00.008-04:00

I have to say, Lake Placid is beautiful.

Sandy and I made it up here on Thursday with an uneventful drive. Well, Sandy let out her inner Jersey with a bump it, but that was about it. We headed right dinner and realized that it was not much cooler or less humid up here. Not 119 heat index like DC, but still, 90 in Lake Placid is HOT.

The first thing I did Friday was go the Mirror Lake for a swim. And it was beautiful. The swim course is known for being fast, largely due to a cord under water that you can see while swimming. This way, sighting is not a problem, and it's basically swimming with a lane line. And my swim was FANTASTIC. It almost felt like I had flippers or a sail.
The rest of the afternoon was spent prepping some cookie dough and making a full on carbo loading dinner for 22. Yay Sherpa-ing!

And today was my half. Lake Placid is a 2 loop Ironman. In other words it's a 1.2 mile swim, twice; 56 mile loop, twice; 13.1 mile run, twice. So, I decided to do my own half. With Coach's permission of course.
This morning, at 7 am, I got a ride with Alejandro to the lake and swam my 1.2 miles. And it felt great! 36 minutes and 10 seconds. If that was 'real', it would have PR'ed my 1.2 mile swim (Augusta doesn't count as it was point to point and faster than some of my Oly swim times!).

I walked the mile (the Plus 1) back to the house and quickly changed into my bike stuff and rolled out with Sandy, Laural, and Katie. My goals were to not get frustrated with myself on the hills (mountains), not let the fact that the other ladies were faster, and just spin.
For the most part, I was successful. I did take off early from the refuel stop, knowing the hills that were coming and they would catch me (which they did), but overall, it wasn't as bad as I expected. Whenever I thought about taking a break at the top of a hill, I finished (56 miles) and thought "that wasn't so bad", and kept going.
And the best part, the scenery. It was beautiful. I wish I could have taken a few pictures, but I was either going down the mountain, fighting wind, trying to shield from the sun, or going back up. Not the best time for me to take a picture. But trust me, it was gorgeous.

I made it back to the house, changed, washed my salt filled face and headed out for my run. I was immediately concerned when I went through my water in under 30 minutes. I filled up at a gas station and that hardly lasted either. And the run wasn't feeling good and I started feeling sorry for myself. Then something happened. I told myself "Amanda, SUCK IT UP! You ARE an Ironman, and you will be AGAIN!" And I stared power walking. I was still out of water so I changed my course, and started walking with a purpose. I made it to a corner store, got a Gatorade and water, and had a Gu. 5 minutes later I was on my way with a very slosh-ie stomach. Oops. I know better...
So I did the best I could with power walking, running when there was shade, and keeping my stomach semi-happy. I also decided that 13.1 miles probably wasn't the best and headed back to the house. I am 100% confident that I made the right decision. I was 5 miles short of my goal but super happy I even went out in the first place.

I rewarded myself with a large glass of chocolate milk and a long shower, until the warm shower, until the hot water ran out.

Now tomorrow, I get to sherpa and I am so excited. Karen, Alejandro, Dirk, Bryan, Janie, AJ, Toby, Travis, TJ, Phil, Emily, Sue - and everyone else, have fun. To quote something I saw on a car window today:
Swim like a fish
Bike like a train
Run like a Kenyon

CRUSH IT!

Quick Post

2011-07-20T22:24:00.004-04:00

Workouts have not been good this week for a few reasons

Work is making me do work again. And it's not fun

It's hot. Just as it is in most of the US

My friends doing IM Lake Placid are tapering and I like to support my friends, so I am tapering too.

Actually, there is where I am headed, LAKE PLACID! I will try to post from New York, but you know, I have to get my Sherpa on.

Great Weekend, BUT Today Was A Monday...

2011-07-18T22:04:00.004-04:00

It was pretty nice to have the weekend off of a long ride. It does make me a tad nervous, but as Coach reminded me "One workout, done or not done, does not make an Ironman". Fair enough.

Saturday was my long run and it was by far my best long run to date. The Personal Cook planned out a route, including a water stop at the hour mark. And only once was I not paying attention that I missed the fact he turned and I went straight. That's progress :-) But it felt good, my body position felt good, my cadence felt good. I was very happy. Of course I would have wanted those 2 hours to be at the same pace as my 30-45 minute runs, but I am realistic. Or at least trying to be more realistic.

Sunday was only a 90 minute ride. To do something different, the PC drove my car to his place and I biked there. It worked out pretty well, except I was going into the head wind and with a point to point, you never get the wind at your back. But I felt super rested and even though it was in the middle of the day, and hot, I didn't feel drained. I had more than enough energy to cheer during the nail bitter of a soccer game.

And now it's Monday. I was supposed to be at a show tonight, but it was cancelled. Silly lead singer who can't talk! Whatever!
My new running shoes don't fit AT ALL. So much for the same style but new model. I hate that! Now I need to scramble in the next 2 months to find the right pair.
And as I was about to walk out the door from work at 5:45 to go to the pool when I got called into a meeting. Which went to 6:30. To be continued at 8 in the morning. With a follow up conference call at 9. My job as been more than accommodating during my training so I really can't complain.
But I am complaining anyway. I decided to flip my swim from tonight to bike on the trainer and hop on the treadmill for my brick. Hopefully I can make it to the pool after my foot doctor appointment tomorrow. I hate change especially when I have a plan. But I should still find time to fit everything in the evenings. So much for being a morning person!

I Don't Look Good In Polka Dots Anyway

2011-07-15T13:38:00.009-04:00

This morning was hill day and it started off with 15 minutes on the trainer to warm up. Of course, I watched the tour for inspiration. I then hopped off of Carlos, grabbed Blain, and headed to Tilden for some hill repeats. 6 of them.
I made it up each time, without too much trouble and that made me happy. As did the fact that I climbed over 1000 ft in under 40 minutes. It wasn't fast, I have some work to do on shifting and cadence, but there is no way I would have been able to do this workout 3 years ago. I was even more happy when I saw how well my heart rate dropped after I got to the top, turned around, and went back downhill (red line is heart rate and the green line is elevation). AND, I never got into my high zone rate (over 180). Yay!

After my last long ride of frustration, my Personal Cook tried to lighten my mood by saying "No Polka Dot Jersey for You!" in the "No Soup for You" Seinfeld voice. It did make me laugh. We have spent a lot of time watching Le Tour and it was confirmed this morning. I could only keep my cadence around 50 rpm, not 100. I only maxed out going downhill at 23.6 mph, not 61. So, I guess that means no polka dot jersey for me. But that's okay, I look better in green.

It's too bad I'm not a sprinter either...

And Went Tonight

2011-07-14T21:12:00.003-04:00

For workout #2 - a swim.

It was supposed to be 500, 3x5x50, 800. Well, I hate 50's, especially since I swim in a 50 meter pool. So, I did some bad math and after the 500, I started with 3x6x100 - and thought that was would be just a bit over what was on the schedule. If you just did the math, you know I was WAY off. I realized this after the first 4 100's and adjusted as needed.

Overall, I felt really good in the water. Good body position, strong pulls, nice body roll. The last 800 felt awesome - until the cramps started. Right pinkie toe went first, so I over compensated with my left foot and got a cramp in the arch of that foot.
But did I stop? Of course not! I am sure the women behind me thought I was doing some sort of weird kicking drill, but whatever. I finished and felt really good.

Tomorrow morning, hill repeats...

Still Went Early

2011-07-14T14:19:00.008-04:00

After another round of massive thunderstorms yesterday afternoon/early evening, the humidity finally broke. A tad. It was only a high of 84 and not much humidity. I knew this, but still chose to do my 40 minute easy run in the morning. I am not becoming a morning person, but my body clock is. Fail.

And I actually had a decent run. I managed to only stop/walk at the stop lights and a minute when I turned around. I was happy to not be looking at my watch to figure out when I could walk again.

Also, I haven't loaded it into Connect dot Garmin, so I can't get disappointed. I am just going to go with the "that wasn't too bad" feeling.

So, what does this mean? I am getting really good at 'running' for 30-45 minutes. Too bad I can't run 26.2 miles after swimming 2.4 and biking 112 in 30-45 minutes. That would be awesome.

Yet Again

2011-07-13T19:48:00.004-04:00

I know why I keep going back to Coach. Well, if you mean twice...

Anyway, I think you have probably learned I can jump on the Crazy Train with the best of them. Some of you (*cough*) may know this a tad bit better than others. So I am sure it's no surprise that my emails to Coach may sometimes (*cough* often *cough*) tend toward crazy and rambling. And instead of editing my super long and over detailed emails, I just hit send. He is used to reading what he needs to and tells me what to do.

Well, the same thing has been happening the past 3 days. He wants me to take the weekend off of a long ride and only do a long run. THE HORROR! I KNOW, Right!?!?! Anyway, I was okay with this until I realized that next weekend is the ASLP HALF (Amanda/Sandy Lake Placid half - more on that later)! That would mean 2 WEEKS with only 90 minutes and 56 miles of riding. AHHH!!!! Remember, Ironman Moo is less than 2 MONTHS AWAY!! Hence the most recent Crazy Train rambling email.

His response "I like your crazy e-mails! When i sign on and see all kinds of athletes e-mails, If i see one from you, I open it first. :)" And this is why he continues to be my Coach.

Oh, and this morning I made it back to Hains Point. For a 2 hour ride. And 30 run around the Tidal Basin. And it was 91 degrees when I got back in my car at 8:52 AM. Yup, it was warm. But the bike/run felt okay - considering the heat. So, yay! Tomorrow, run and swim.

Hey, Did You Know...

2011-07-12T12:37:00.005-04:00

1. I am less than 2 months away from Ironman Wisconsin.Last time when I was 2 months away, I was starting to taper for my first half. I spent some time reading my old blog and it did help me realize that I am doing just fine. I was still at 5 and 5 and a half hour rides all through July. I already hit 6 hrs, and I am at about the same distance or more. Also, believe it or not, I actually feel better this time around. I don't seem as tired, I have more time to get my laundry done (usually) and I feel I am doing better with time management. Usually.
But still, less than 2 months away is scary. As much as I would love to do the race tomorrow, and will want more time once 7 am on September 11th comes, I actually do think I am in an okay place.

2. The Weather Channel rated DC as the 6th hottest city in America. And I am not talking about the people. That is why I got up this morning at 6 to get my 45 minute run in before work. And I still sweated through my sports bra and shorts. Pretty image, huh?!?! :-) The run was fine, not too exciting. I was able to run the first 20 minutes straight, than switch to the run/walk for the last 25 min.

So that's my update for today. Less than 2 months away and DC is hot. The 9 of you probably knew that already, but I am really good at stating the obvious.

Frustrated

2011-07-10T21:02:00.006-04:00

That is how I would describe how I am feeling about my training.

After 2 days off, I really wanted Saturday's 6 hour ride to go well. I won't say it went bad, but...
I got started a bit later than expected. I wanted to get in an hour before I met up with Karen, Sandy and Lindsey, knowing I had to go a longer amount of time. I only made it about 30 minutes.

We got started and about 4 miles in, Karen got a flat. It was good practice for everyone, but I wound up slicing my finger pretty bad. But, we got back on our way and I did my best to keep up. Which is where my problems started. I was working very hard on the uphills to try and keep someone insight. And once I lost them, I started down a very dark mental place. I would twist and turn around corners, see a lot of open road, and didn't see anyone. I just didn't understand how I was that far behind everyone. After awhile, I put it together that I missed a left turn and was way off the cue sheet. Just as I figured that out, Karen called. Bryan gave me directions to get back on track, but of course, I went the wrong way again.

Finally, after multiple stops to check the GPS on my phone and help from nice people in cars, I got back on track. Luckily, I ran into Catherine, who I rode with a few weeks back. I was very happy to find her and we finally made our way to the Birthday Bike Ride Rest Stop of Awesomeness or BBRRSoA. It was not an easy ride, was in the sun, and I lost all confidence in my riding ability.

It was difficult because this was Karen's birthday celebration and I didn't want to be a downer, so when people asked how the ride was going, I just tried to change the subject. No one wants to continue hearing me say how much of a crappy rider I am. It's really hard being the slowest person. All the time. The one everyone waits for. So I did the best I could to put on a smile, eat a piece of bacon and have a mini Snickers, and smile.

For the way back, we were talked into going Ty's route - and I cursed Ty's name many MANY times on the way back. Especially when I saw everyone pedal away when I got stuck at a light. I was happy when they were all waiting at a turn. And felt bad everyone was waiting at the turn.

So I spent some time thinking about what was wrong and I realized that I am frustrated. Frustrated that I don't feel like I am getting better at hills. Frustrated that everyone always has to wait for me. Frustrated that I work so hard to get up hills and my average speed is slower each week. Just frustrated.

So I spent the next portion of the ride thinking about my options. That was nice and distracting from the heat and once we hit the last stop for more water, I filled up and took off on my own. It was a road I felt comfortable on and enjoyed myself again. Then I realized, I was over 5 hours (and 2 miles less than last week) but felt 100 times better. My cardio felt really good and I didn't want to immediately get off the bike. So, I kept going, passed my car, and rode the last 30 minutes, with the hill at Old Anglers on MacArthur to finish the ride in 5 hours 56 minutes and 7 seconds. The Garmin died after 5 hours and 33 minutes, but my bike computer told me the total time. And I finished up with 15 minutes of a walk with a few jogs when I could.

So overall, I was even slower this week than last, but I felt much better cardio-wise. I realized that I am frustrated with my hill climbing and will talk to Coach about how to handle this for the next 2 months. And all rest stops should have bacon.

Random Stuff

2011-07-08T13:45:00.006-04:00

I couldn't think of a better title.

So, today was another off day. As I said, Coach is trying very hard to get me out of "panic mode" because as he said, there is nothing to panic about.

The Personal Cook said the same thing.

And Carolina sent me something awhile ago that I keep in my inbox and reread often. She went to a triathlon camp and I benefited a lot from it! She listened to a sports psychologist and they said

Its ok to not have positive thoughts or to have crappy days or crappy
workouts... you don't have to think positive all the time, but you should try to
work on being ok with thinking/feeling negative, and then focusing on the actual
actions that you are doing...

And

I know it's easier said than done, but you don't need to waste energy on trying to be positive, and focus the energy on the workout. On putting one foot in
front of the other, on keeping each revolution on the bike as efficient as
possible, on taking each stroke as efficiently as you can.... try to think of
the mechanics of the motions you are doing, on your posture, on your breathing
instead when your mind starts wandering to "oh, this feels worse than yesterday"
or "I feel like crap but I need to stay positive" or things like that. Those
negative thoughts will happen and they are ok, everyone has them. You don't have
a decision in how positive you feel, you have a decision on how much energy you
are going to spend thinking about these negative thoughts.

Try to be in the moment physically, have those negative thoughts and think, yeah, I think these things sometimes, I think these negative thoughts, but lets focus on how
my arm is positioned in this sport, or how my foot is positioned, etc.

So I am trying to keep that in mind as well. It's okay to have the thoughts, and move on.

Sandy sent me a card that made me laugh very hard.

And today I read a blog post from Kelzie, a pro triathlete and coach. She was one of the first people I met who actually gets the big checks at races. It was a motivational post that hit in just the right spot.

I am lucky to be surrounded by people who understand and care. I know training has it's ups and downs, and I happen to be in more of a down moment right now. That doesn't mean I regret going through this journey again or wish I made a different choice. It just means that I am learning more about myself. And I will continue to move on.

Brick, 4th, Canoe and Fish

2011-07-07T22:01:00.005-04:00

That basically sums up the past week.

Sunday, July 3rd, I took myself out on a 90 minute ride and 30 minute run. The ride felt pretty good, until I looked at my average. Not sure what happened, I added a few extra hills on a pretty flat route, but man did that slow me down! My run felt surprisingly good for the 30 minutes, so that was reassuring. But that was 2 rides that were just not up to my expectation.

So, I decided a break was the best thing and the Personal Cook took me to the Rappahannock for a 2 day canoe trip. Is there a better way to celebrate America's birthday? I think not!
The days included about 14 miles down river with a few class 1-2 rapids, a 'rock garden' to make our way through, and the PC even found a civil war bullet! There was fishing (well, he fished, I worked on getting rid of my wet suit tan line), relaxing, and did I mention rapids? In a canoe? Yeah - that part wasn't very relaxing but super exhilarating.
And food? Well, he did not disappoint with steak, potatoes and zucchini. Oh, and no worries Mom and Dad, I brought my pie iron and made cherry pies for dessert and grilled ham and cheese for breakfast.

It was a great few days and really made me miss that type of outdoor activity. I am hoping we can squeeze in one or two more trips after the big day and before it gets too cold. But definitely after. Only once did I fall on a rock and get caught in between the canoe and a rock...

After being nice and 'rested', I thought my 2 hour run would be great on Wednesday. Not.So.Much. It took my body about 20 minutes to realize the run was happening, but then I felt AWESOME! I was the BEST RUNNER EVER! For about 30 minutes. And then I hit the wall and ran out of gas/steam/energy/motivation and the last hour S.U.C.K.E.D. It was ridiculously disappointing.

So, I spent today emailing Coach about the crappy ride/run/canoe/run and he reminded me of how much the heat/humidity takes out of your system, that I am in panic mode with nothing to panic about, and everyone (even him) goes through the "i'm not doing enough" phase. But the plan is to keep moving forward. And move forward I will, with a 6 hour ride on Saturday. And that will have to go well because it's the "world's first Birthday Bike Ride Rest Stop of Awesomeness" or BBRRSoA as we are calling it. No, not my birthday, Karen's. And there will be cupcakes. And Gatorade snow cones. AND BACON!

So, it will be an awesome ride. Be sure to check back on Saturday/Sunday/when I write about BBRRSoA for the awesome details that will make you want to ride 6 hours!

Today's Ride Goes Into the Books As...

2011-07-02T20:57:00.005-04:00

"Somehow I made it 5 hours."

That was probably the hardest local ride I have done to date. I'm not sure what happened, but it was not a good ride. I was rested, hydrated, and was decent on my nutrition. It was just a rough day.

I remember saying I wanted more hills, and more hills I did. About 1000 more feet of climbing than last weekend. My friend Becky gave me a cue sheet, but failed to mention it went past the base of Sugarloaf mountain. I wouldn't call it aggressive hills or steep climbs, but a lot of false flats and slow steady inclines. Without too much downhills for help. It got to the point where I would have paid a lot of money for someone to come pick me up. Not once in the 5 hours did I ever feel I was settled in, comfortable, or happy to be on Blain.

Then, I am on my second loop (yes, I went back to the car, filled up with water, and went back out for another 90 minuets) around mile 65, a pickup truck with 2 fat guys (smoking) pulled up next to me a said "Something, something, something, WIDE LOAD (they snickered) something something" and they drove off. I almost lost it and broke into tears. Crappy ride. Slow ride. Legs done. Not back to the car yet. AND to fat ass smokers just called ME a WIDE LOAD!?!?! SERIOUSLY!?!?! WTF!!! 60 seconds later, I hear a honk. WHAT IS GOING ON?!?! I turned around and saw a HUGE tow truck pulling 2 tractors, bails of hay, and other stuff - taking up both lanes of the road.
And then I realized those guys were warning me that there was a WIDE LOAD behind me, not that I am a wide load. I then realized I was becoming delusional and need to be done and get off the bike.

Of course, I got back to the car after being out for 4 hours 55 minutes, so I turned around and road 2 minutes and 30 seconds back down the road, turned around and finished with a total of 5 hours and 8 seconds. I didn't go nearly as far as I wanted to, which is disappointing. However, I don't know why, but I am very happy I got my self to go back out (twice) and do the entire 5 hours I had scheduled.

So today goes into the books as an ugly 5 hour ride that ended with a nap while watching the Tour and eating Chinese.

Day Off!

2011-07-01T13:47:00.003-04:00

Woot!

This week wasn't the hardest of weeks, but more of a maintenance week. Not a rest week, just maintenance, mainly to focus on the long run and recover/rest for the 5 hour bike rides. So, with it being JULY FIRST, this has put me in "I'm NOT doing ENOUGH" mood. But the Personal Cook, Mr. Shorty Shorts, and Jess have all reminded me that I am doing what Coach says, I shouldn't do extra workouts that are not assigned, and I will be fine.

Then, after a very long email to Coach about this past week, which ended with "Am I over thinking mode? I can't tell. Okay, I will stop typing now." he had the following to say:

OK, first things first. You had a lot of really good workouts Amanda. I was so excited to see your ride at 15.2 mph. Your race in 2008 was at 14.69! Your long run was also impressive with it be so hot and you still averaged 13.34 per mile! Are you kidding me?
And ended the email with - "Great job this week Amanda. Seriously, you're amazing! Coach".

So, that helped. A little.

I Don't Want To Go!

2011-06-30T20:22:00.005-04:00

Seriously. Once again, the LAST THING IN THE WORLD I WANTED TO DO WAS GO SWIM.

Here is a list of things I would have rather done.

Have a drink with Mr. Shorty Shorts (which totally would have happened but I left my ID in my biking wallet from last night, therefor couldn't go get a drink - it's Intern season and every bar/restaurant is carding, even thought I am CLEARLY over the age of 21 - by many, many years)
Dye my hair
Paint my toenails
Sit on the couch
Play Angry Birds
Clean the kitchen
Go through my junk mail
Read a Real Simple magazine
Scrub my bathroom tub
Organize my shoes
Do laundry
Cook something
Eat chocolate

That's what I was thinking about while I was in the pool. Yes, while I was in the pool. It wasn't a great swim, but it was a swim. I did a few IM drills, some kicking and pulling - which was better than just swimming straight. And I'm glad I went. And even happier I get tomorrow off!

Bike Clinic

2011-06-29T21:18:00.004-04:00

So, it's actually pretty embarrassing, but I have really poor bike handling skills. I never got around to getting a proper bike lesson, or figure out the 'right' way to do things. It's not just staying up right and moving forward.

Tonight I had the opportunity to take part in a bike skills clinic with a former pro biker (who was also my physical therapist). I learned a TON. Mainly that I am still very wobbly and have lots to learn. But after some handling, close riding, and tight turn tips - we got to what I really wanted - HILLS!

I learned a bit more about gearing and how important cadence really is to efficient biking. And how I really shouldn't sit back on my saddle, but more forward. Lots of stuff to think about while I pedal hills this weekend. Thanks Sonja!!

Blain Update!

2011-06-28T14:48:00.007-04:00

First of all, Blain is fine. I have been meaning to write about this for awhile, so decided to give this its own post.

Basically, I felt Blain wasn't getting the love he needed. After the whole saddle height thing - I thought maybe if I bought him something shiny, it would make him happier. After all, it works for me!!

So after last week's 4 hour ride, I took him up to his favorite shop for a new rear cassette and chain. After talking with my PT (months ago...), Coach, and lots of people who know way more about bikes than I do, people suggested getting a 12-27.

What does that mean? Well, from what I gather, it means the following:
I have a 9 speed, so there are 9 rings on my rear cassette with 'teeth'. The smallest right has 12 teeth and the largest ring had 25. If I were to go to 27, those extra 2 teeth would make climbing hills easier. I would lose a gear in the middle, but would notice on the hills. Or so those people said.

So, I figured why not - I could use all the help I could get. I am not great on hills, am working on getting better with cadence (which I really need with hills instead of mashing) so I figured I would give it a shot. Not the best picture - but trust me, it's new and shiny!!

I went on Tuesday to test out the new gearing and I was immediately disappointed. I was skipping gears, making a lot of noise, and just not happy. Oh, and my chain dropped TWICE! I haven't dropped a chain in YEARS! (knock on wood)
So, Tuesday after work I headed back to the bike shop for some answers.

Of course, as awesome as they are, they put Blain on the stand and got right to work. They apologized for me having to come back, but explained the fickleness of Blain and how everything needs to be just right. And since it was a bit off, and I didn't' replace the cables and front rights, it just threw things off a bit more. It helps that I have known these guys for years, and bribed them with cookies and chips so I get good service. But I never feel stupid when I ask stupid question and they will explain every little detail I if I want them to - or just gloss over the facts. And I never feel like I am being taken or they are trying to sell me more than I need.

I was eager to take Blain back out on Thursday, but I was benched due to Wednesday's run. So when I headed out on Saturday's ride, with hills, I was a bit nervous. But Blain stepped up to the challenge and shifted like a pro. No loud noises. No dropped chains on the hills (knock on wood).

And how were the hills you are wondering - I was SHOCKED at the fact that I did notice a difference. My 8th gear was more like the 25 I had, so when I went into that last gear (the 27), it was much easier to keep a higher cadence. I only had to use it a few times but it did feel a lot better.

I don't think I was any faster, which is fine because I do think it helped the knees a lot! And that is also very important.

Blain will have a few more updates and a tune up before IM Moo. But right now, I am super happy with the way he is handling and hope I don't let him down.

Trying To Keep Up

2011-06-28T13:58:00.009-04:00

Really, I am.

The good news is that not too much exciting happened this past week. Just what feels like lots and lots of training.

The rest of the weekend of the 18th included a Puppy show where my favorite dog won first prize as Most Adorable Small Dog. And a going away party for Rachna – who has been an amazing friend since we first met during my first marathon.

Sunday was fun day as Karen and I meet up to cheer on our peeps at the DC Triathlon. I have to say, it was a lot of fun watching everyone else workout hard while Karen and I ate snacks and cheered.
I had my swim stuff and I tried to come up with excuses to not swim, but there were none, and I swam. A simple 2000 meters, but it was the first since the Bay swim and felt like the first since the 4.4.

Monday was another swim day.

Tuesday was a bike day – which I cut short because it really started to rain and I wasn’t feeling that hard core. I also had my teeth cleaned. Exciting!

Wednesday was a failed run day. The Personal Cook and I went after work, on one of the most humid/hot days to date. But I knew I had to start to get used to the heat, however my body quickly rejected the forward progress I was trying to make. Luckily, the PC knew something was up, so he slowed me down, and we ended up walk half the loop. But he was motivational, positive, and kept me from jumping into the Potomac. Seriously, that’s how delusional and hot I was – I really was about to jump in.

Thursday I suffered the aftermath of Wednesday’s long run attempt. I had hot/cold flashes all night and a very unhappy stomach. I felt better in the afternoon, just in time for dinner with Diane and Mary Elizabeth.

Friday I took to the treadmill for an easy 30 minute run – I was too nervous to go outside again – not sure what my body would do. I had a great 30 minute run. It’s amazing what a controlled pace in an air conditioned room did for me!
So, the PC and I celebrated with a fantastic dinner. I am going to have to limit my new $19 lobster roll obsession…

Saturday was long ride day. Most of the K-train was off to tackle Total 200/k so that left me, Julia, Erica, and Cat. Julia and Erica peeled off early, so I talked Cat into heading to Poolesville with me. I followed this up with some extra hill loops on my own. It was a decent ride. Not fast, not slow. Just a good, steady, 5 hour ride – right where I wanted to be in terms of pace. But after looking at my total elevation gain, I need to find more hills. Yes, I just wrote that for the entire world (or 9 of you – if there are still 9 of you out there…) to see.
The PC and I celebrated again with another dinner. And started a mini golf war.

Sunday was a swim, which I did in a 25 yard pool. It really made me realize how lucky I am to have access to 50 meter pools. They are sooooo much better!
And the mini golf war with the PC continued. I tried to use the argument that if I have the most holes-in-one on the score card, I win. And I am sticking to that argument.

Monday was back on the treadmill for an easy, maintenance run in prep for today’s long run.

Today’s long run – it was made clear that running and I are not getting along. First, I managed to pick the worst hot/humid day since my last attempt on Wednesday. Even though I went in the morning, it was still bad. But Coach and I took most of Sunday/Monday off in prep to have a good long run. I just felt off. Poor form, forced breathing, and never felt natural. The best part was seeing Mary Elizabeth about 10 minutes into the run. Oh, and the second best part was having access to a bathroom 5 miles into the run. I will leave it at that.
But I did the time in. And that’s what matters.

Coach had me look up a saying last week – “Amat Victoria Curam”. One of the translations is “Victory loves preparation”. I need to keep that in mind.
Less than 12 weeks to go...

Saturday, June 18th Post

2011-06-20T16:46:00.001-04:00

Friday was an easy 40 minute run. I wanted to try something different and just run without a set 4:1 or 5:1 pace, and walk the lights. That was a stupid idea. First of all, it was a lot hotter out than I expected. I was getting too comfortable with the cool mornings and comfortable afternoon workouts. This lunch run caught be a tad off guard with the humidity and sun.

Second, per usual when I run on my own, I went out too fast. I stink at pacing when I am by myself, even after I talk to the PC who says "Go run (I didn't want to go). Don't go out too hard." I went out too hard. So I slugged back to the office and it just wasn't pretty. Lesson learned.

Saturday was 4 hour bike day on the K train (that's the name that has formed for people who follow Karen around on bikes. It's fun and the people are awesome.) After some debate, we decided to divert off the normal River Road/Poolsville routes because of a little golf tournament going on close to the area. So, we headed to Indian Head, MD and General Smallwood State Park.
Karen had a few routes with different distances and we all started on the 41 mile route. All you ask? Yup, all. (Here we are; minus Lindsey who took the picture, at an "undisclosed location along the Potomac River (see the private property sign). They all even LOOK faster than me. And don't ask me why I am standing like that. I think it was a "must suck in, don't get bulg-ie arms" thought...) And because I hate being last, I went out way to hard again. So maybe that lesson wasn't learned on the run the day before...

Anyway, it was good to push a bit more. Even if I did have a slight panic attack/break down around mile 20. It was mainly I wasn't hydrating enough. And why you ask? Well because I left my bag of water bottles/Accelerade hanging on my closet door. Yup. No water. No Accelrade. Luckily, I remembered before getting into the state park and had time to stop at a 7-11 and buy $8 worth of water and Gatorade in all different bottle sizes (I didn't know what would fit in my cages). Thankfully Lindsey had an extra bottle so that helped. I was still nervous about running out in 41 miles... So as it was good for me to push, it probably was a bit too much, especially with poor nutrition. And faster people who I felt bad for as they kept waiting for me at turns. I appreciate it and hate it at the same time...

The second loop was 23 miles and I made myself slow down. I had a significantly better ride except for 2 things.

1. I got chased by a dog. Karen and Sandy were ahead, then me, Catherine, and Lindsey. This dog came flying out of a yard in front of my bike, so I slammed on the breaks then peddled as fast as I could. He came after me again and did the same thing. Eventually he turned back and I spun off, seeing Catherine and Lindsey way back and lost sight of Karen and Sandy. Oh, and my HR spiked to 192! I really thought I was going to get my leg chewed off by this dog! SERIOUSLY!

2. I was in aero having a grand time when all of the sudden a BEE FLIES INTO MY HELMET! I am not sure how I didn't fall over (especially without my PowerBalance Band...) but I managed to fling it out and keep going until a turn where Karen was waiting. Thank goodness I have a lot of hair, as I think that is the only thing that saved me.

So I learned that animals don't like me, especially dogs in that area. I know this because I remember going out there for training last time, with Brooke and other DC tri people (turns out one of them was Karen...). When I check to see the date, it was about the same time. June 22, 2008. It's kind of fun to compare the training from last time to this time! And prove that dogs in Indian Head, MD don't like me.

Overall, I was really happy with the day. Loop 1 was too fast. Loop 2 was too slow. My average was fine. It was nice to take a break from major hills. The 15 minute run/walk after felt better than expected. And there was BBQ and ice cream on the way home.

Thursday, June 16th Post

2011-06-20T15:28:00.002-04:00

Something was going on with Coach because he gave me Wednesday off too. He was pretty happy with the 'long' run, but also worried about me getting sick. All the up and down weather had me feeling a bit off. So, I got another day to sleep! WOOT! But it was up early Thursday morning for my brick of the week.

The weather didn't look so good, but I went anyway. Because I'm hard core. And I had plans that night so I really didn't have the 'choice'. Loop 1 was pretty uneventful, but I did see Karen, Erica and Katie after my turn around. Knowing Karen, I thought "I bet she tries to catch me". Sure enough, about 3 miles later, the ladies rolled up. I hung on with them until Erica and Katie peeled off and I told Karen she could just go. Instead, she hung back with me and I speed up a bit to keep up with her.

Half way through loop 3, it started to rain. Not down pour, but a nice drizzle. Of course, I wanted to stop, but I already said I had to do 3 big loops and 1 small loop. So, we started the 4th loop. Then I looked at the time, realized I was way faster than normal and had time for a full big loop. That was 4 big loops with an average about 1 mph faster than previous rides (thanks Karen!!).

I was a tad concerned of how the run would go after a faster ride, and I got to do a 5:1 (not just a 4:1 - holla!) but I felt pretty good. So I started, and had a fantastic run. It was still drizzling, there was no one around, my form felt good, and I felt great.

Realistically, I did have 2 days off and was pretty rested from the swim, but still. It was raining, Karen and I proved we are water proof, and my workout kicked butt.

Tuesday, June 14th Post

2011-06-20T12:11:00.002-04:00

It started off as a sad sad day because my parents left. I always have such a good time with them and am sad to see them leave. Thanks again mom and dad for a wonderful visit!!

Coach was nice enough to give me Monday off. But the real reason was so I could have fresh legs for my long run on Tuesday. I talked the Personal Cook into going with me after work for a fun filled 75 minutes. And by fun filled I mean him having the watch and being able to pick the route and tell me when to run, walk, slow down, speed up, light feet, lean forward from the hips, pump the arms and the legs will follow - pretty much everything I have mentioned in the past I need to work on. Doesn't that sound like fun?? :-)

But actually, it was. It was a huge help to have him along and kept me freakishly consistent. With the warm up, the total was just a hair under 6 miles and about 4 of those miles the laps (.5) were within 10 seconds of each other. Woot.

Coach and I are slightly worried about the run, but he said "I would rather you in a state of training then in a state of recovery from injury".

True, very true.

Onto The Swim

2011-06-15T17:29:00.014-04:00

Wednesday's Post

After yesterday's catch up post, I left off at the end of Saturday, ready to take on the tiny little race the next day.

My number one goal for this race was revenge. Remember my last attempt in 2009? Yup, so I wanted pay back. I wanted to and needed to prove that I could swim 4.4 miles again. For some reason finishing successfully in 2006, 07, and 08 was no longer enough. Unfortunately, time got away from me and I just didn't put in the training.

So I had a Plan B. Training day!
It would be an open water swim for as far as I could make it in the time allowed. I realized I had nothing to prove to anyone, I didn't put in the time for training, and this wasn't a goal race. So, I ate meat the day before. I had a few beers. And I frantically packed my sparkly wet suit bag before my parents arrived to head to the Bay. In fact, they had to pick up ear plugs for me because I ran out, forgot, and wasn't close to a 24-hour CVS.

My favorite, and faster, brother was doing the swim as well, and when he got into the car he said "I don't want to do this", but with a few more colorful words.

But we made it to Sandy Point State Park, ! got checked in, and waited for the start. An 11:30 start. As nice as it was to sleep in - I really just wanted to get going, it was hot! But it was nice to chat with Arin's g'friend. And Kristin made it out for the start too. So there were plenty of distractions instead of thinking about the upcoming 4.4 miles.

Eventually the announcement were over and it was time to put on the wetsuit. The body glide melted, as did the bag balm. Did I mention it was hot? Many people chose no wet suit, but even with the 80 degree water, I went with the suit. It was a good choice. After standing around for way too long, Arin and I posed for pictures, said our good lucks, and were off.

The first mile was fine. Flat water and I only had to kick a few people off for poor drafting and swim etiquette (which there really is no swim etiquette in open water. Just don't touch the person's feet you are drafting off of more than once).
Mile 1 - about 28 minutes.

Mile 1 to 2. Oh mile 1 to 2. The race director made this big deal about how this was the best conditions in 20 years. First a current going south, then north on the far end (opposite for the other 4 swims I have done) but mostly nothing. It would be such a great day.
Huh-uh. Sure. Maybe he missed that section from mile 1 to 2. I kept thinking that if this was easy with no current, then I was not in shape and this open water swim thing just wasn't for me any more. I wanted to stop. I wanted to quit. I had nothing to prove, I didn't train, and had no desire to keep going. The mile was FOREVER TAKING and I just didn't care.

Finally I saw the aid boat right before the two mile buoy. I stopped, took off my goggles, and reevaluated my life. But for some strange reason, I put my goggles back on and kept going.
Mile 2 - 48 minutes.

Mile 2 to 3 wasn't much better. The current seemed better, I wasn't fighting to stay in between the bridges any more, but I had very little in me. I counted to 50 (about how many strokes for me to get get across a 50 meter pool), 10 times (about a 500 meter), and did that 3 times until I really looked for the next buoy. It was a nice distraction. Which was needed. And worked because the mile 3 buoy was very close.
Mile 3 - 44 minutes

I stopped at the aid boat before mile 3 and had my Accel Gel. I had taken it on the 4 hour ride with Hillary and FLEW by her on a slight incline (which just shouldn't happen) rambling about how nutrition was awesome. I was hoping for that same affect, but not so much. I do believe it gave my arms the power to keep moving. Because my legs stopped. Kicking was too much work and not getting me anywhere, so I just dragged them along (another reason the wetsuit was key!).

I flipped off the bridge somewhere in that mile between 3 and 4, knowing I wasn't going to get pulled out this year as I did in 09. It felt good.
Mile 4 - 38 minutes

Mile 4-4.4
Once I got outside the bridge and the current tried to push me back in but I wouldn't let it!! Also, once you get the side of the rode, you can walk. And walk I did. Yes, I did have the internal debate with myself:
- It's a 4.4 mile swim, not walk!
- Whatever, you just swam 4 miles after only training for 4000. You can walk!
- Swim dang it SWIM!
- Shut up
- Fine, I'll swim

So I swam the rest of the way in, passed a few walkers and was never so happy to finish. Also because I looked behind me and saw a very dark cloud. They were starting to pull swimmers (I found out later 62, or 10% of the total swimmers) due to an incoming thunderstorm. I was LUCKY! And happy.

On the ride home, I started rambling about other things I thought about on the swim - and thought I would share.
- What were the birds on the wires thinking? Do birds think? Did they just see us as potential food?
-There was a bird that flew right over me (I was in a yellow cap) and I was convinced he was going to peck at my head because he was hungry (and I wasn't moving fast).
- Whenever I swam from cold water to warm water, I figured I just swam through someones pee.
- At times, there were loud screeching/scraping noises. I figured it was the mermaids and they were about to come after me.
- I saw a semi drive by and was pretty sure it was about to come crashing into the water. What was I supposed to do if that happened? Would I be able to help?

Yup, that's what happens when you are in the water for 2 hours 54 minutes and a few extra seconds. I was extreamly happy to finish. And even happier that I finished the race with my brother (well, not 'with' as he finished about 30 minutes before me). AND even happier yet my parents were there.

Starting To Catch Up

2011-06-14T20:39:00.006-04:00

So much has happened this past week! Where to start, where to start...

Thursday
After I realized my saddle was so low, I was excited to see what would happen with a proper seat height. But another early morning was so hard to get moving. However, with a code orange day, and a hair cut in the evening, it was morning or never. So I went. And as I learned it was hard for me to hold 10-12 minutes comfortably hard (went out WAY too fast), but it was a good ride.

Friday
Once again, it was HOT! The Personal Cook and I went for a semi-early run. Or at least we thought running at 9 am would be early enough. NOPE. It was one of those slug through - just keep moving - I wanted to walk but the PC wouldn't let me - runs. Not fast, not slow, but held the 4:1 and finished.
And that afternoon, the best parents EVER arrived. And I don't say that because they brought me a fantastic shirt as motivation.
Cows - no.
But it is black and white. Beer. From Wisconsin. AND BIKES!
Thanks Mom and Dad!!

Saturday
As I said, I have the best parents. And they are very supportive of my training. As is my brother. So when I said I had to get in a 3.5 to 4 hour ride in the morning, there were no questions asked. Just "have a good ride, let us know if there is anything we can do, call when you are done".
So, I hopped on the Karen train for my ride.
The Karen train you ask? Well, Karen is training for IMLP so had a much longer ride than me. She just rode all over town picking up people, doing loops, and we would all meet up at specific points. It was awesome. All the ladies are faster than me, so they would do a loop, I would go straight, and we would meet up for treats. As Sandy said about the waffles "training not treats!"
The ride was awesome. It was great to be able to 'ride' with the ladies and even when I was on my own, I knew someone was withing 5 miles. I really hope we can do this more often this summer.
When I eventually made it home (it took way longer than expected - just couldn't move my legs much faster) and we all headed out to the PC's lawn sports/meat wave bbq. Let me just say I had my fill of protein. YUM!

Oh, and all of this was in prep for Sunday's 'race'. Coach had asked if I wanted to back off the week's workouts so I could have a good 'race' on Sunday. I said no, because he was training me for the Ironman, not the swim. And if I could finish the swim after a 4 hour ride the day before, and the longest swim I had done being 4K - even better.

But more on that tomorrow. I am tired and need to go to bed. Yes, it's 9:30. Don't judge me.

Stupid. Really.

2011-06-08T21:25:00.005-04:00

This morning was my brick of the week. By know you know I hate getting up early, so when the alarm went off at 5:30, I was super close to going back to bed. But, there was a heat index of 100+ and a code orange day - so I knew it was the morning or never. And never isn't really an option right now - so I got out of bed and headed to Hains Point.

The first lap was pretty good - slow and low HR, but mostly in areo which felt good. Then I remembered that my nickname became Squeaky because something was going on with Blain. I thought it was the pedals again so I gave them some chain lobe - but no luck. Every time I sat up (not in aero), it was so loud. Then I remembered Casey saying "are you sure it's not your saddle?" I blew it off - pretty convinced it was the peddles - Blain didn't squeak when I wasn't peddling so that was my assumption.

During my second lap, I noticed I couldn't see the line for where my saddle was supposed to be. So after lap 2, I stopped and sure enough - the bolt for my saddle was pretty lose. I adjusted it a bit and just figured the line and worn off. But something kept me moving the seat post around and sure enough - I kid you not - I raised my seat 1.5-2 INCHES and there was the line. Over the past year, my saddle had fallen 1.5-2 INCHES!
Then I started to think

For the race in Columbia, I thought it was strange the sticker didn't fit better on my seat post. I just assumed the sticker was bigger
When I saw Hillary clip out, I thought - wow, she is really high off the saddle - her legs just dangle. Mine don't do that anymore.
Often when I would get into aero, I felt cramped, but figured it was just the way it was...
Recently, I had to stand for some hills and thought I was because I was getting better and sitting through the hills wasn't working

And a whole slue of other thoughts over the past year but NOT ONCE did I check my seat height. Lesson learned.

So, when I got back on Blain for laps 3 and 4, I was instantly 1-1.5 mph faster! Also, I felt it in very different parts of my legs. Almost like I was re-teaching my muscles how to ride. Thank goodness I figured this out now, and not 3 months from now right before IM Moo. Casey - thank you for suggesting the saddle. I honestly don't think I would have ever thought of that on my own.

The rest of the ride was pretty eventful.

I had to turn early on my 3rd long loop because there were what looked like two Presidential helicopters landed in the park. A man with a large gun gave me the signal to turn around, so I did. Especially because of the large armed cars, Army dudes with large guns, and lots of white guys in suits who looked important standing around - so I turned around and peddled away fast.
On the end of Hains Point I saw 5 plain clothed Army dudes running with face masks (not comforting).
There was a nasty crash and I saw 3 ambulances heading towards them. I did offer to stop and help, but they said they were okay.
NO MORE SQUEAKING!
There was something else but it was 14 hours ago and I forgot.

After my ride, I did my 30 minute run with a solid 4:1 and was very happy.

YAY training!

Now I need to go to bed and get up early (again) so I can work on rebuilding the proper bike muscles (again).

Yesterday

2011-06-07T11:36:00.002-04:00

Tuesday's Post

I made it a swim day. It was supposed to be a day off, but I had to flip a few things around due to my schedule. So, I got in and got to work.

One problem - the people in my lane were stupid. Here are a few examples:

Gentleman in the blue knee length shorts - pull buoys are for pulling. Not seeing how hard you can kick with the pull buoy in-between your legs. Unless you were doing some weird drill - but I doubt it.
Girl in the string bikini. No judgement on what you were wearing to LAP SWIM, but please don't stop in the middle of the lane and hold onto the lane line. Yes, 50 meter pools are longer than 25 yard pools.
Dude in the way too tight black short speedos. Please don't stand at the end of the lane, in the middle, with your legs spread apart. When you did that, you gave me no where to flip turn, turn, or do any sort of push off the wall. Don't get mad at me when I push off your belly because there is no wall available.
Other girl in the 2 piece. I should not be able to pass you on the right. If I do, that means you are in the middle of the lane and that isn't good for lap swimming.
Guy in the black shorts with a red stripe. I am faster than you. Don't get mad at me when you push off the wall right as I am turning, I pass you within 15 meters, and you try to sprint to keep up. It won't work. I wasn't even working hard and I am just fast than you. Deal.

All that being said, I still managed 3000 meters.

Updates. Updates.

2011-06-06T21:13:00.013-04:00

It's time for some updates.

Remember my DCL weekend? Yes, let's catch up on that weekend.
It was awesome. After Saturday's ride, we had a fantastic family style dinner. Lots of relaxing, chatting, and massaging.
It pays to be the organizer of the house!!

Sunday we woke up to another beautiful day. I mean really, this was the view from outside our window. We all did our own things and during my 90 minute ride, I saw Lindsey, Jenny and Chris, Ryan and Adam, Sandy and Ty, Karen, Sheriece and Doug, and Julia and Steve. Again, even though I was on my own it's so nice that there were so many people close. I had a pretty good 90 minute ride and headed out for a 30 minute "run". It was more of a power walk, but felt good to move after the bike.

The rest of the afternoon was filled with a 2 day dream of Steve's. A rope swing.

And Monday, before we headed back to reality, I did a nice 60 minute run. I won't say much else about the run. It was an absolutely beautiful morning. Quiet and peaceful around the lake. And actually made me thankful I was up and running so early - as it was also one of those mornings where you know it's going to be really REALLY hot. And it was on the drive home. In Steve's non-air conditioned car...
I am so glad I decided to go. It was a lot of fun having 2 house of DC Tri people up there. But of course, ours was better ;-) Thanks for another fantastic SWC vacation!!

The rest of last week was spent 2 ways:
1. Recovering from the DCL hills (resting and not working out)
2. Actually doing my job (the real reason I was resting and not working out and not blogging)

I managed a few runs - on the treadmill do to the 100+ heat index. Made it to the pool for a very exciting Friday night. But that was about it.

Saturday was a 4 hour ride with my new riding partner Hillary. She is training for IM Louisville and we are both in the same boat. Riding 4+ hours and average around +/-15 mph on hills while most of our friends are much MUCH faster. So we decided to ride together and it was GREAT! Hans and Casey joined us too and we just had the best time. It was an amazingly beautiful day - one of the best we will have this summer. 4 hours and 20 minutes later, 66 miles - longest of the season. Woot!

And how did I celebrate? The Personal Cook took me out to dinner to celebrate 3 solid weeks of training (Columbia, DCL, and 4+ hour ride!!) and I took a break from the diet. SOOO worth it. What is it? A cheeseburger sub, fries, and pitcher of beer. Yum.
I promptly fell asleep about 30 minutes later. After I had some ice cream.

But no worries, I still made it out for my 60 minute run on Sunday. The PC did a good job keeping me to a solid 4:1 (run 4 minutes walk 1 minute) and it wasn't fast, but I was very consistent. This was followed by a 3 hour nap :-)

So, that is my update. I am very happy with my training. Still feel like I should be doing more, wish I could be magically faster, hope the pounds will melt away on their own - but I am not focusing on those aspects. I am focusing on making my workout counts, the pace I do go, and eating properly (most of the time ;-)

NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-06-03T21:44:00.004-04:00

Not my dumbo feather?!?!

I knew it was starting to break, but I thought it would last a bit longer. Not sure how I am going to stand up straight, not fall over, and keep my centered balance.

WHAT AM I GOING TO DO!?!?! I may have to dig out the duck tape to get through tomorrow's ride...

P.S. I still want to write up about the rest of last weekend. It was awesome, there were no tears, and I felt good. But the office is actually making me do work, so I just haven't had the chance. Soon.

Much Better

2011-05-28T14:54:00.008-04:00

48.86 miles. Elevation gain - 4,589 :-) To put that in some perspective, one site said Ironman Wisconsin elevation gain is 7,162.

The ride went pretty well. My goal was to just go, and do the best I could. Sure, I wanted to make it up the hills, especially the one I fell over on and the one where I had my breakdown. But if I didn't make it up them, I would be okay.

As you know by now, I tend to do what people tell me. Especially Karen. It worked last weekend at Columbia and it worked today. She rode with me, which was great. Karen's training for Ironman Lake Placid and can easily leave me in her dust. And she did. But she also waited at each turn, and the top of every hill. So when she said I would make it up the hills, and I said I would do my best I could - she was right. And I made it up each one. In fact, when I made it to the top of the one where "I made the I made a pathetic "OOhhhmmmmuuuuuhhhhhwww" sound as I fell onto the gravely side of the road" Karen was at the top, pumping her arms, yelling APPROVED. I am glad she was there.

The rest of the ride had a few scary downhills and some slow long climbs. But I got through each of them and that made me very happy. It was slow. I mean really slow. I mean so slow that I would not make the cut off for Ironman Wisconsin. But, my average HR was right where it should have been and I did not really 'push' any of the hills. Just got up them.

Oh, and Karen and I forgot we had tickets to the gun show. So of course we stopped.When we got back, Julia and I went for a quick 10 minute walk just to stretch out. Karen went for a 45 minute run.

After a quick cool off in the lake (just my legs) I got to work on why I get invited to the house. Now it's time for a nap and see if I can get someone to go to the beach for an open water swim...

I'm Off To The Hills

2011-05-27T11:49:00.003-04:00

I am going back for round 2. Remember this weekend? And then it turned into this? Yup. I'm going back. Sandy has planned another group house and it should be an "epic killer training weekend". That is a quote from Coach, who is a bit jealous of my weekend. I hope I don't disappoint. But as long as I go for my time and don't let the fact that everyone around is doing things like "Killer Miller", "The Wall", and "Monongalia Massacre" affect my ride, I will be just fine.

Good luck to me!

Cheese - WIN: Baking - FAIL

2011-05-26T23:23:00.005-04:00

Yes, this blog is still primarily about triathlon. Really. It is.

Anyway, cheese class last night was AWESOME (despite the guy in the background of the picture)! There was this super cute cheese monger guy who I totally wanted to be my great uncle. He just had this little accent and I just wanted to pinch his checks and listen to his stories! Yeah, maybe a little weird - that's what my Personal Cook said too. But the process was pretty interesting, but way too time consuming for me to ever repeat. Lots and lots of milk for a small amount of mozzarella. But was a fun way to spend an hour.

Back to triathlon training.
Today's weather was hot and humid. It was gross by 9:30 so it was time for the treadmill. And since it's Thursday, remember when I did speedy Thursday's with Mr. Shorty Shorts? Well he is out of town this week, but I channelled the Shorty Shorts and hit the treadmill for some intervals. And you know what, I'm awesome. My 5K was under 38 minutes. AND that included my 3 minute warm up!!! Fast compared to the rest of the triathlon population? Heck no. Massive improvement for me - HECK YEAH!

And back to non-triathlon training.
Tonight was baking night. I am off to for a training weekend tomorrow, and wanted to bring a surprise treat. On these SWC vacations I am becoming known for my chocolate chip cookies (thanks Mom, everyone LOVES them!!) but I wanted to bring something else too. I figured my second best recipe is my sugar cookie. Okay, it's not mine, but Emily knows what she is talking about, so I can take credit for following her instructions. But I ran out of all purpose flour. I had enough for the dough, but not to use when I rolled out the dough. I did have whole wheat flour, tried that, but it just didn't work. And they don't taste that great either. Oh well... Maybe next time. I NEED to use the M-dot and new swim/bike/run cookie cutters again!! (Thanks Tammy!)

Story Time

2011-05-25T16:35:00.004-04:00

It's been awhile since I have had something I found funny happen to me while training. Sadly, I think the last one was me falling over (not funny) and the reenactment of the fall to get a picture (funny).

As most of you are aware, I am a planner. I have a slightly hard time 'living in the moment' because I am thinking of what's next. Sometimes it's good, others not. Well, today was a day I had to plan a lot for. I had to get in a bike, a run, and work my 8 hours all before my How to Make Mozzarella class. So I decided the best thing was to bike in the morning, drive to work, run at lunch. Drive to class.
That meant last night I had to pack my work clothes and my running closes AND had to pack my bike stuff. Oh, and I was finishing up 4 loads of laundry.

So, I figured I had everything packed and was in bed around 11 (way too late, but the couch sucked me in and it was hard to get moving after dinner). Needless to say, when the alarm went off at 5:45 am, it took some MAJOR convincing myself to get moving. But I was packed, didn't have time to make up the bike, so I went.

84 minutes later my ride was done and I was off to work.

Forgotten Item Number 1 - Pants to put over my spandex as I strolled through the halls of the office.
As I went into my building to get stuff to shower, I pretty much ran down the hall so I wouldn't see anyone. Or so anyone wouldn't see me. But, I was not so lucky and saw my Associate Commissioner and a handful of co-workers. Not cool, just not cool. Seeing tri friends in spandex is one thing. Going to get a sandwich after a workout in spandex is one thing. Seeing coworkers dressed nicely while I was walking the halls in spandex - a totally different (and not cool) thing.

Forgotten Item number 2 - Appropriate undergarments.
I finished my shower, started getting dressed, and forgot one thing a woman should not forget. I don't claim to be 'well endowed', however, I do like support. I did have a tank to wear under my top, however it wasn't enough. Plus, I have a few inappropriate co-workers who have staring problems. Luckily, there is a store across the street from my office and when it opened at 10, I was there. And there was a sale!! So, all is well and now supported.
How could I forget such an important piece of clothing you ask? Remember how I said I did 4 loads of laundry? Well, I hang dry such delicates, and at 5:45 in the morning, I am lucky I get out the door with car keys let alone trying to remember such an important detail.

Forgotten Item number 3 - Headphones.
This may shock some of you, but I can be a pretty cranky person. So when 1 cube neighbor continues to bounce his plastic coffee cup on his desk, it's like nails on the chalkboard. And when another cube neighbor's g'friend comes over and giggles a boat load, I want to tear my ears off. Or stuff them with cotton balls. Normally, I would put on the smooth stylings of the best band ever that always make me happy, but no luck today.

So even though I tried to plan to make the most of my 24 hours, it wasn't perfect. But I got in my ride. I got in my lunch run. And now I am off to mozzarella class!

What A GREAT Training Day!

2011-05-23T11:58:00.011-04:00

I will start off by saying I was really happy with my training day yesterday. Once again, Coach, my personal cook, and my friends and family were all correct - the training I am doing is just fine, and working. I am also excited to write this because I can compare exactly how I did in 2008.
Onto the very long race report.
(NOTE - I am hoping for pictures soon. Official race ones won't be up for a few days. I haven't heard from Sandy yet on the pictures Carolina took. Also Karen said "sorry i don't have time to be uploading pictures. i'm training for an ironman. good day to you". So maybe after July 25th, I will get the pictures from her :-) )

Saturday night.
After my rocken' Friday night of cleaning Blain, Saturday night wasn't any more exciting. Karen came over so we could head up to Columbia bright and early, so she just helped me back my race bag and we had an early bed time.

Sunday morning.
4:00 am the alarm went off, the coffee maker starting brewing, and the English muffins were toasting. We were out the door by 4:35 and pulled into the park at 5:20. Early, yes. BUT, we got a great parking spot and had enough time to take a nap in the car before I had to set up transition. That all went pretty smoothly and by 6:20, the pros were off and Sandy, Karen and I were in line for the port-o-potties. I was still mentally trying to think of it as a training day, but my stomach had a different idea. I hadn't eaten yet and the thought of my english muffin with peanut butter and jelly was not good. But Karen and Sandy insisted I eat, and instead of small bites, I tried to cram a fourth of it into my mouth. Not smart and out it came. Into the bushes of course. I managed to get the rest of it down, with lots of water, and then it was time to sit and wait until 7:58, when our wave (the third to last) started.

Waiting sucks. But it is much better when you are with people. Especially when they tell you stories (Karen) and have super cut dogs (Carolina).

It was eventually time for Sandy and I to zip up our wetsuits and head to the water. We ran into Becky (also doing IM Moo) and discussed how today was a training day. That's all I wanted to focus on.

3...2...1... the whistle blew and off we went. I think I swam over a few people but I eventually found some open water and swam into the sun. I was still a bit nauseous and after a burp turned into a little bit of "littering", I felt so much better. I turned the corner away from the sun, had good sighting, and passed a few people from other waves. Oh, and I cleared out my bladder twice, (a new form of littering) so no more port-o-potties were necessary!
Swim time - 27:59 (1/11 Athena, 160/538 female). I was really happy considering my 2008 time was 26:17 (but I really think that course was short and I was 3/16 Athena, 149/599, so my rank isn't much lower).

On my way to T1 I saw Karen, who yelled "You CRUSHED it!" which is what she told me to do before I got into the water. Remember how I said a bunch of us tend to do what Karen tells us to? Well, that goes for this race as well. Karen said "Crush" the swim, so I "Crushed" the swim. (I am hoping there is a picture of me making my "crushed it" face running out of the water, as I ran by Karen)
Here is another little thing that I probably should post on the Internet, but I am going to.
Remember when I said I was happy I cleared my bladder twice during the swim? Apparently, that wasn't enough. As I was talking to Becky, who came out of the water right after me and was racked right behind me, I had to "go". And Karen says to "go" in transition, so I "went", while talking to Becky. SORRY BECKY! Once I was done, I finished taking off my wet suit, got my bike stuff ready and headed out.
T1 - 4:04 (vs. 5:47 - when I didn't "go")

Bike.
I heard Carolina cheer on my way out, and felt my quads immediately cramp up. I popped a couple of Combos, slowed down, and try to lower my heart rate. 5 minutes into the bike and Becky flew by me. We yelled "Training Day" and that helped me refocus on my goals for the day.
I took the first climb easy, didn't push on the down hills, and just tried to enjoy the beautiful day. Jen passed me and Sandy passed me, I mean FLEW by me around 30 minutes. I saw a few other DC Tri people heading back to the park, some more passed me. I was just enjoying my 41K bike. Around mile 17, I figured I could push it a bit more and started passing a few people. One woman because I didn't like her pink shorts. A guy because his outfit was see through at the butt (and I DID NOT want to ride behind that!). It was fun, and I felt really good.
Needless to say, when I saw the results of a 1:35:59, 15.9 mph, I was really happy. This was compared to 1:40:22 in 2008, and I was going for anything under 1:45.
T2 was uneventful. 2:23 (vs. 3:28)
Run.
I didn't have much of a plan going into the day. Should I go back to a 3:1? I haven't been training with a set run:walk so I did know. Karen suggested I just run what I can, and walk the hills. So, I decided to give that a shot. Because I have been running longer segments of time in training (PW 5, run 20, PW10, run 10 - stuff like that), it worked! I just ran the flats and down hills when I could, and walked the hills. If I needed to walk on a flat, I picked a point about a block away, walked, then ran again. It was awesome! I felt awesome. After an hour, I reset my mind to think of it as a new workout. Forget the swim, the bike, and the previous hour of PW/R'ing, and just started over. Considering I didn't run for over an hour yet, I thought that was the best plan. And that worked too.
1:18:54, 12:42 min/mile. This was my FASTEST 10K in a triathlon EVER and compared to 1:21:24, 13:07 in 2008 - I was ecstatic.
That put my total time at 3:29:18. A PR at Columbia by almost 8 minutes (3:37:16 in 2008) and an overall Oly PR by 2 minutes (which is great considering most Oly bikes are 40K and Columbia is a 41K).

So now, my legs are a bit sorer than they should be for an Oly. My knees are a bit achy. But I feel great. A huge thanks to Karen for telling me what to do, carrying my stuff, coming up to cheer as you did your 2 hour long run. To Carolina for making me laugh, pointing out the hole in my shorts before I started the race, and for being Ninja's mom. And to Sandy for being an awesome training partner. Sorry you had to run past my transition area after the swim. And to Becky, Jen, Hillary, Angela, and everyone else wearing or cheering for DC Tri, either at the race or at home - thanks.

Just A Training Day

2011-05-21T17:18:00.004-04:00

That is how I am looking at tomorrow.

Yes, it's a race, but it's not my main race. I'm still not feeling 100%, but Coach told me to calm down, everything will be fine, and to stop over thinking my feelings. He knows me so well!

Last night I gave Blain a nice bath. Yes, it was actually a very relaxing Friday night.

This morning I went for a short swim before heading up to Columbia to do all the pre race stuff. I met up with Sandy for packet pick up, I am number 1860 and she is 1862. We dropped off our bikes - after a mini tune up from Princeton Sports, Blain was racked. Why the mini tune up? Well, apparently my front derailleur got a bit out of line as I was cleaning last night, so luckily Tom was more than willing to check it out. I will now be able to use my easier gear without noise! YAY! I will need it on those hills...

Anyhoo, I am now just resting, having a little dinner, and trying to remember all the stuff I need to pack for a race!

I mean training day. With a timing chip.

Mooooody

2011-05-20T13:20:00.004-04:00

And I am not just talking about my emotions!

See, as you know, I have been a bit up and down lately. I am trying my best to remember that it is okay to be down, but this is supposed to be fun. And trust me, a lot of the time it is, but it's also easier for me to complain than to brag.

Anyway, my amazing parents are 2 of my 10 readers, so even if I don't call as often as I should (sorry!) they have a pretty good idea of what's going on in my life. Also, being their favorite daughter for 32 years, they know me pretty well.

So to my delight, when a package arrived with the return address G-dale, I was excited. New pajamas, complete with matching socks, which say "I'm Moooody in the Morning". How cute! It put the smile on my face that was needed. Oh, and the strawberry Mentos. I was sent three rolls... but one seemed to disappear before the picture was taken...

Mom and Dad, thank you.

To everyone else who sent emails, called, or stopped by to talk, thanks. I really am okay. I do find this fun (most of the time), I am fine with my hair in a perma-ponytail (most of the time), and I am still so happy and lucky I am going on this journey a second time.

Ironman isn't just a 17 hour day. It's a multi-month long adventure. It has ups and downs. Good times and bad. And lots of swimming, biking, and running.

Oh, and if you are wondering, the rest of this week's workouts were okay. I did make it to the pool on Tuesday, followed by a ride on the trainer (which was nice to catch up on some DVR!).
Wednesday was a PW/R on the mall at lunch. I refreshed the weather radar and was out the door the moment it cleared up (as I had a 2 o'clock meeting). I went out too fast, but made it the full 20 minute run at the end.
Yesterday was a day off. I had ice cream instead of cleaning my apartment. Diet fail, but I am okay with my choice.
And this morning I biked. Legs are still tired, even when riding pancake flat Hains Point, so I am not very confident about Sunday, but that's okay. It will hopefully be a beautiful day. My friends will be there. And I will cross a finish line.

Update - Again

2011-05-17T15:44:00.004-04:00

I was hoping for a light week leading up to my first race on Sunday. Instead, Coach decided to "go hard these next 8 days then take an easy cycle leading into that 1st race". Huh? That was sent on Wednesday, when I thought I had the day off. So needless to say, my day off became a trainer ride to do my sprint work.

Thursday was supposed to be a brick, 60 minutes of biking, 40 minutes PW/R. When I finished the bike, I felt just off, specifically my back and knee, so I pushed off the PW/R until lunch. And for the first time, I had to walk on the second run because I just couldn't "go".

Friday, my Personal Cook joined me for the PW/R, and that went much better. But I was so beat, I missed my swim. My rockn' Friday night included taking Mr. Shorty Shorts out for his bday and leaving early so I could go to sleep.

Saturday was my long ride, "2.5 to 3 hours if you feel good" turned into not even 2.5 because I just couldn't get my legs to go. At one point I even stopped to check and see if my back brake was on the wheel (it wasn't). But I did manage to get in the 5 minute run after, and that actually felt okay. Yay good 5 minute run! (I am taking the positive where I can!).

Sunday was to be my long run, but the weather didn't look good, and the couch was way more comfortable. I just couldn't get myself to go.

Instead, yesterday, I had my PC join me (on his birthday), over lunch, when it was 75 degrees out (but felt like 100 because of the 95% humidity and NO breeze) for my PW/R. It was to be 10/20/5/20, "if you feel good, add 5 minutes to either of the runs, preferably the 2nd one". I couldn't even make the second 20 minutes. Again, I just couldn't get my legs to go.

And again, this morning, my bed won over the pool. I am supposed to swim and do a hill workout and I can hardly get out of my chair at work to fill up my water bottle. I look like I haven't slept in weeks. My hair is in a permanent ponytail. But I am doing my best to stay positive - which is getting very difficult.

I have used my Garmin the past few workouts so I know how slow the rides have been. How I thought I went a certain distance on yesterday's PW/R but was WAY off and MUCH slower than I have been. It would all be one thing if I felt good, but I don't.

Realistically, I know I am going to have bad workouts. And I do have a choice about how I react to those not great workouts. But I have hit the point today where staying positive isn't working.

But tonight I will swim.
And I will bike on the trainer (as it's supposed to thunderstorm so I don't even want to bother finding a hill to repeat for 2 minutes 8 times).
Because I still chose to train. I will continue to do the best I can for the workouts I am given.

Because I am lucky. I know what the end feels like. And it's a feeling that is worth every painful (physical and emotional) moment. And that is how I stay positive.

Slight Panic Attack

2011-05-11T10:39:00.000-04:00

I got a nice text from a friend, who shall remain nameless, that I believe was supposed to be a "YAY" message. But it didn't cause me to have that reaction. It caused me to have a slight panic attack.

FOUR months. 4 months. Ironman Wisconsin is 4 months away.
Breath. Breath. It will all be okay. Breath...

Shhhhh.... Don't Tell!

2011-05-10T21:24:00.003-04:00

Tonight was a swim night and it's no surprise to you 10 (yup, I am up to 10 - I think...) readers that up until Thursday I have had horrible swims. So, even thought I had a good swim on Thursday, I was worried about tonight. Coach gave me a 1500 meter swim, straight, no time - just swim.

So I did. And once the workout was done, I just kept going. And going. And going. I had a number I wanted to reach, but figured I would stop if I stopped feeling good or hit the number - which ever came first.

The number came first. 4,000 meters, WOO-Hoo!

Once Again, I Chose to Sit

2011-05-10T13:34:00.005-04:00

It was another unexpectedly busy weekend. But a good busy weekend.

After Thursday’s good swim, I was feeling more positive about the training. It’s just hard when the one thing I am most comfortable with in terms of training, doesn’t go well. Friday was a beautiful day and I convinced my personal cook to do another PW/R with me. He took the watch and off we went. And I felt great! It was 10/20/5/10, and at the end of the first 20, my legs were a bit tired, but overall, not too bad. We then made it up Capitol Hill, AND I kept running. Because when I said I wanted to walk, my PC said “or we could just slow down a bit” and kept going. I was pretty happy with workout, even though I just wanted to lie down in a patch of green grass and take a nap…

Saturday was an easy long ride, 2.5 hours with no computer/Garmin/distance/speed. Only time. It was a bit hard to get used to, but after I just ‘let go’, it wasn’t too bad. About 30 minutes into the ride, I caught a guy who said “Wait, I just saw you”. I was pretty confused until he said “You were just at Pierce mill, parking your car, right?”. Me “yes”. Him “Damn, you are FAST!”. I had to wipe a tear away; as it was the first time anyone I didn’t know called me fast! We leaped frogged a bit the rest of the way and it was nice to chat with someone for awhile. That was the first hour and a half. The next hour was painful. Not in the bad way that something hurt, but I just didn’t want to be on my bike any more. I was tired. My legs were tired. I wanted to go to sleep. So I bribed myself with food. If I made it to a certain turnaround point, I would get a sandwich.

And that sandwich was wonderful.

The rest of the day was spent touring Europe. Or more specifically, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, and Slovakia.

Sunday was a day off. I know, a weekend day off seems CRAZY! But it was really nice, especially because I would help out at my friend’s training triathlon event. I helped out with the swim, and was in water support. Good thing too as I pulled out 3 people… It was also good to see that my wet suit still fits! I would have much rather been with my mom for her day, but she seemed to like my card and flowers.

I fell asleep on the couch around 9 so I thought I would be nice and rested for yesterday’s PW/R. Not so much. My PC and I met after work for a 15/20/5/20 workout. He had the route mapped out, took the watch, and off we went. Within the first 5 minutes of the run, I was tried. We weren’t going too fast, I was just tired. Which lead to frustration (I mean, I had the day before off, AND got plenty of sleep). But I was quickly reminded of the bike ride on Saturday, the sprinting in the open water to help people, and the early mornings for those two activities. And that not every PW/R will be great, even if I want them to be. But we finished, and finished strong, and I was happy. So instead of doing laundry, or cleaning my apartment, or showering, I chose to sit. And it was awesome.

I am constantly reminded that I am surrounded by wonderful, caring people, who often believe in me more than I believe in myself. I have said it before, and I will continue to say it – thank you.

FINALLY!!

2011-05-05T21:41:00.002-04:00

Yes, it happened. I FINALLY had a good swim.

After this mornings super windy ride, I eventually made it to work. Not the most productive day, but ya know... And then I dragged myself to the pool. I mean, d.r.a.g.g.e.d. It was the last place I wanted to go, but I went. Dinner with Brooke, Mary Elizabeth, and Diane wasn't until later, and I would have just rather waited at the bar. But, no. I went.

And I am so glad I did. After the first 100 meters, I knew it was going to be good. I felt like myself in the water. Smooth, strong, controlled, and natural in the water. 2000 meters and I had to get out to go to dinner. Which was okay. I am just hoping I can remember that feeling in the water, or at least my muscles can...

White Caps! WHITE CAPS!!

2011-05-05T12:12:00.004-04:00

After Coach sent me this week's schedule, I thought about not taking Tuesday off and riding in the morning. I set my alarm, woke up, went back to sleep. The second alarm went off, I turned it off, and went back to sleep. My legs were tired, so I slept and took the day off.

Yesterday I convinced my Personal Cook to power walk/run with me at lunch. He had the watch and I think it is actually good for me. Instead of thinking "Last week I was at the Art Museum 90 seconds faster - I am too slow, I better speed up" and then die at the end of my 20 minutes running; all I could think about was form. Faster cadence, mountain pose, lean forward from the hips, waiter arms. It was a really nice day too - after it stopped raining, so I was happy with the PW/R.

Because I had a board meeting last night, I couldn't do my ride, but figured a morning HP ride wouldn't be so bad. It wasn't supposed to rain and I convinced Mary Elizabeth to join me for my easy 75 minute ride.

Remember the title of this post? White Caps! WHITE CAPS!! Yes, that 75 minute 'easy ride' turned into 80 minutes of flying down one side of Hains Point, and just trying to make it through on the other side. Seriously, if we would have stopped pedaling, we would have been blown backwards. It was BANANAS! And there really were white caps on the Potomac!

Plus, it was below 50 degrees this morning. Did someone forget to tell Ms. Mother Nature that it is May 5th?!?! I had to dig out my toe covers for my shoes, running tights to go over my shorts, full fingered gloves, AND my super cute bike jacket (okay, that wasn't so bad because I love the jacket. It's warm, comfy, and I wear it even when I'm not biking (after the snot has been washed off of the sleeves)).

So, between the cold and the wind, it definitely wasn't an easy ride. But it was a good ride and I was happy to have the company. And hopefully she didn't mind doing the extra small loop...

And This Is Why I Pay Coach

2011-05-02T21:10:00.006-04:00

I am pretty open with my coach. Even to the point of rambling. I know you 9 readers, the idea of me rambling may be a bit of a shock...

Anyway, I was pretty upfront about how tired I have been this past week and how frustrated I was with lack of progress with my biking. Oh, and how my swim still sucks. And, how well the run with my personal cook went when he had the watch.

Turns out, Coach thinks last week was a good week, with good hills, and how I will feel the effects by being stronger and more confident soon. So for this week, on all my bikes and runs, I am to only use time. No Garmin. No bike computer. No data. AND for the runs, he said "Can you do what you did for the last one? A good personal cook would be happy to. lol. How about that, me placing a guilt trip on your personal cook and i don't even know him. My apologies to the lucky man. :) I just liked what it did for you mentally. Again, we don't need to know how far or how fast you are going on this." Okay, some of that was changed by me, but you can all figure out what the meaning is behind the message. Stupid having to work on my patience. I HATE asking for help. I HATE not being able to know exactly how far/fast I go and compare it to other weeks.

I think those things will be harder than the week of workouts. Stupid Coach I pay who actually knows what he is doing...
(Note sarcasm! I really do trust him and will do what he says, but I don't have to like it! :)

Ups and Downs

2011-05-02T16:35:00.004-04:00

And I am not talking about biking the Columbia course. I am talking about me and my moods lately. One day I am up, the next I am down. It annoys me so I can only imagine what it is doing to those around me.

After Saturday's PW/R, my legs were (still) tired, but I was feeling pretty good. Ready to tackle the hills of Columbia, MD - where my first race of the season will be, in just 3 short weeks, for our club's annual brick-nic (brick - bike/run, nic - picnic = bricknic). I was getting ready to clip in, but Laurel stopped me to see if I wanted to ride with her. Now Laurel is a lot faster than me, which I reminded her of that fact, but she said it was fine and wanted to go my goal speed, so I waited the few moments for her. Just as we were about to clip in, Katie joined us too. (Please let it be noted that Katie is also faster than me).

We started off on the 25 mile course and things were going pretty well. Laurel is not only faster, but a more skilled biker than I, so I tried to mimic her cadence and when she stood for a hill, I tried to stand for the hill - and so on. One of the benefits to riding with others! Laurel and Katie were on road bikes and I was on Blain, so needless to say, I flew by them on the down hills (I also have a bit (lot) more mass than them) and they would pass on the up hills. And overall, I was pretty happy with the first loop. In fact (something I looked up today), when I did the course in 2008, my bike split was 1:40:22. My Garmin told me the same route was 1:39. Woo-hoo!

BUT (and there is always a but), my legs were done. I mean D.O.N.E. So when Katie and Laurel said "time for the second loop", the questions and doubt in my mind already started. Plus, I was only supposed to do 3 hours, if I was feeling "on top of the world", which I wasn't. By the first hill, I knew I didn't have a full second Columbia loop in me. As Laurel passed me on the uphill, I told her I was turning off at the IronGirl course and would see them back at the picnic part of the day.

The rest of my time on the bike was just bad. I made it up the hills, but very slowly. I managed to keep my heart rate down, I think because I just couldn't get my legs moving. By the time I made it back to my car, the last thing I wanted to do was to socialize with others, who probably had great workouts. I didn't want to bring anyone down with my bad attitude, so I talked to a few people, grabbed a burger, got into my car, started to drive, and started to cry. And cry. And cry.

By the time I made it to my Personal Cook's house, I was a mess, and he didn't know what to do. But, he did what I needed, was to just let me cry and give me a hug. We met up with Kevin and Carolina for the Top Dog Half Smoke Challenge. And I mean really, 10 top restaurants version of a half smoke - how could that not make me feel better!?!? After a nap, I felt like ice cream and allowed myself a chocolate dipped strawberry malt.

Now a day later, some more perspective, and lunch with Karen and Janie - I know that cry fit was more than the ride gone bad. It had to do with seeing everyone around me get faster and faster. Comparing myself with people I should never compare myself to (which in reality is the fact that I shouldn't compare myself to anyone). And not having enough faith and confidence in myself that the training will work again and I will finish - or at least know I gave 110% to do all I can do to finish. So I need a little bit more work in that department... which will hopefully come in time.

Getting Better!

2011-04-30T15:22:00.005-04:00

(Saturday's post)

Today was Coach's attempt to get me back on a long run schedule. It was 15/20/5/15 - or 15 minutes of power walking, 20 minute run, 5 minute PW, 15 minute run. Exciting!!

So, after an amazing Guster concert last night, and some much needed sleep, I dragged my personal cook with me for a PW/R. With one hitch... my Garmin died just as we were about to start. Not good when everything I was doing was based on time. Luckily, my PC had a working watch to use. But there was another catch, he kept it and wouldn't tell me the time. NOT FAIR! MY WORKOUT!

But I have to say, I think it helped. I wasn't focused on how much time I had left or how much time had been PW or R'ing. My PC is much faster than I am, but he isn't training for a race and wants to help, and help by more than just cooking (which I will always enjoy!). It was a great PW/R and was actually nice to have someone to do the workout with. Talking is a great distraction, and good heart rate check!

Since my Garmin died, I did a quick map my run, and was very surprised/happy with the results. Oh, and yet again, no knee pain! (Knock on wood).

Lost...

2011-04-29T15:20:00.003-04:00

(Friday's post)

My ability to swim.

Have you seen it? Reward offered!!

Thanks!

Powerband Fail!

2011-04-28T21:52:00.005-04:00

Yes, that's right. I said it. The Power Balance Band failed me today. And you are luck that this 3 posts in a day! Well, sort of, I started it on Thursday, but it will be published on Friday...

Anyway, I met up with Sandy and off we went to do hills. During the ride, Lindsey showed up for hill repeats too. And fun was had by all!! Actually, I did much better than last time. Not faster, but my lungs didn't burn and I didn't hate myself as much as I did the last time. But the pollen was awful! Things kept flowing into my eyes, even with sunglasses... It was horrible! However, I was happy with the ride, and happier to be done.

I clipped out, chatted with Sandy, and we were ready to head back for dinner. We were on a slight incline, Sandy peddled off without a problem, I was not so lucky. I did get my left foot clipped in fast enough, my right leg floundered, and down I went - into the middle of the road. In front of a turning car.
(This photo is a reenactment. People, cars, and names have been changed to protect those involved).
I got up and out of the road and Sandy came back to make sure I was okay. Once we realized I was okay, and Blain was okay, she said "Can I laugh now" and she burst into hysterical laughter. I laughed a bit too, especially as she yelled "Power Band Fail!"

We made it back to the car in one piece and had to decide on more important details. Where to go to dinner. But first, we had to do our reenactment photo - displayed on the left. See, it was so believable that an older gentleman in a gold Camery pulled over to see if I was okay. Sandy tried to explain, through giggles, that it was just a bad joke. We quickly snapped the picture, put the bike in the car, and went to dinner.

Lesson learned, a piece of plastic will not (always) keep me from falling.

Really? REALLY!?!

2011-04-28T15:55:00.003-04:00

As I said in my last post, I did my first PW/R on The Mall today. At first I felt stupid PW'ing, but by the end, I was pretty happy with myself. I won't say I had endorphins, I will just say I was happy with the workout.

Well, I decided to ice my knee, not because it hurts right now, but because I am trying to keep it from hurting. On the way back from the office freezer with my ice pack in hand, a coworker and I have the following conversation.

Coworker - Were you running on the mall today?
Me - Yes, just a quick jog in between rain storms.
Coworker - And now you are using an ice pack?
Me - Yeah, I've had a few issues
Coworker - Aren't you training for a marathon or something
Me - An Ironman. (I told him the distances)
Coworker - Well if you have to use an ice pack after a run, maybe you shouldn't be doing those.
Me - Um, thanks???

Really? REALLY!?!? I was just so surprised someone said that to me, I was at a loss for better words than "Um thanks". I don't see the point in this persons comments and I really don't appreciate them.

How do I become more quick witted to respond better???

A Few Days, A Few Workouts

2011-04-28T15:24:00.005-04:00

After my cooking storm on Monday, I was set to get started with a good workout on Tuesday. And I did. I was clipped in my 6:20, and passed by the super fast club guys around 6:45 (they started at 6:30). It is always fun to get shout outs by people who have the ability to fly by me as if I were standing still (and I was going like 17 mph!). I did my 2 x 10 minutes hard with 5 minutes easy and that really helps break up the boringness of Hains Point. Oh, and the wind really picked up at the end. Not surprising, but it has been awhile since I biked into a headwind... I was just really happy to see the results on the Garmin when I got home. The only real drops in speed were stop signs, turn arounds, and wind.

At lunch I headed to the gym for my power walk/run (PW/R). I started with 10 minutes of power walking, and when I stared the 15 minute run, I knew I was in trouble. My legs were TIRED! Luckily Scott was on the bike next to me and he distracted me with random stories for the last 10 minutes. It was a good double day, but I was starting to feel it in my legs.

A situation out of my control kept me from my workout yesterday. I will always choose someone who needs help over my workouts. Always.

AND, I think that gave my legs a nice little rest for my PW/R, as I got to jump up 5 more minutes for the run! Woo-HOO! So that's 20/20 now! I decided that once I hit 40 minutes total, I would go back outside. Of course, Mother Nature is wearing her crazy hat and really screwing up training. I didn't care, there was a break in the rain, so outside I went.

I have to say, I felt pretty stupid power walking that first 10 minutes. And it's hard not to run downhill, and across streets when I see the red flashing of 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... Run, don't run and wait at the corner, try to PW faster.... BAH! It's hard. Okay, not that hard, but still, when you only have 40 minutes, you need to make them count!

In about 10 minutes I was on The Mall, running into the wind. In the humidity. Have I mentioned Mother Nature isn't happy??? But it felt pretty good to be 'running' outside again. I had on my Garmin to help with my consistency for speed. It started to rain, which actually felt nice. When I finished my 20 minute run, I was back on sidewalks heading towards the office and no longer felt stupid with my PW.

After some good stretching (because stretching is important SWC!) I headed back to the office to rest my legs before hill repeats on the tonight with Sandy.

A Day Off Put To Great Use!

2011-04-25T21:14:00.003-04:00

And it wasn't used for sleeping! Or drinking! Or catching up with friends. Okay, that would have also been a great use of time.

Anyway, I did do par of that last one. Jess and I need to catch up, but I needed to go to the grocery store. Instead of having a drink, we walked to the store, she helped me shop, and we went our separate ways.

On my way home, I planned the order of my cooking tasks and got to work. After I put in 3 loads of laundry. Now, I have spent the past 3 hours doing laundry (2 loads of workout clothes - don't ask what that smelled like, and a load of towels) and cooking for the rest of the week.

See, that is where my personal cook and I differ. I find something that I can cook, and is eatable and I make it again and again. So that's what I did tonight. I made things I have made before. Look how good that looks! Steak and chicken kebabs with an avocado shrimp slaw. YUM! So I made it again for the week. And cut up some strawberries for a snack. I know, I know - I am so healthy :-)

Now I must go prep my (now clean) bike stuff so I can go to bed, get up at 5:45, and ride in the morning.

Yay.
(Please note the sarcasms on the "Yay". I will never say "Yay" about getting up at 5:45 am)

Hello Spring!

2011-04-24T21:25:00.018-04:00

(Sunday's post)

You know that feeling that it is spring? Kind of smells like rain? With a smidge of humidity? And growing grass/trees/flowers? And all the pollen EVERYWHERE??? Yes, that was today.

And it was AWESOME!

I got a bit of a late start for my 2.5 hour ride, but was clipped in around 10. It was 77 degrees. Remember last week when I had to wear toe warmers on my shoes, a long sleeved jersey, and a vest? And full fingered gloves? Well today I had to put on my SPF 50.

I headed out on MacArthur and immediately heard my name yelled by someone. Not even 10 minutes later, I heard it again. I was riding solo and have come to terms with the fact that I will be doing a lot of training on my own this year. Hopefully a bunch of us can head to the same locations, ride similar routes, and all meet up for lunch - but my worries and whining about how everyone is faster than me is a story for another post.

Back to my AWESOME ride. I made it up the hill at Old Anglers and felt much better than the previous 2 weeks. I decided instead of doing loops, I would to head down the hilly River Road. And you know what, I saw even more people. It was AWESOME! Even though I was riding on my own, but I wasn't. And I loved it. I am pretty noticeable on Blain with his yellow glory, green bar tape (pic on the left in case you forgot what he looks like), and my knee braces and DC Tri jersey - but still, it's great. Every time I saw someone, I picked up my cadence, checked my form, and put on a smile. Thanks Andrea, Katie, Lindsey, Alejandro, Courtney, Jenny, Joe, AJ, Chris, Josh, and everyone else.

The only scary part to the ride - (Mom and Dad, you may want to skip this part!) was on my way back I was flying downhill and hit a max speed around 38.4 mph. As I was going down, a truck passed me and kicked up a rock that smacked right into my helmet. I was happy I wasn't in aero because even holding onto my breaks, it hit hard enough to knock my balance and make me pretty wobbly. I am also pretty luck it wasn't lower into my sunglasses/face or chest. It was one of those situations that has not happened to me before, I can't control, and that frightens me about biking. But, helmets are AWESOME.

Anyway, towards the end of the ride I saw a few more people, tried to stick with them, and push myself a bit more. I felt good - so I figured why not? By the time Jill and Kevin came by, I was ready to go. Then I looked at my heart rate. WAY to high 2 hours+ into the ride with a one more hill and a 15 minute power walk (or my first real brick of the season) to go. So I slowed down, off they went, and I still felt good.

When I finished the ride, I was at 39.2 miles, so I rode around until I hit 40 miles. WOOT!! I then put on my running shoes and started my power walk.

Now, that was the first time I didn't feel great. What a wakeup call! But it was 88 degrees out, my first time trying to brick, so I have to be happy with 15 minutes - it was a start. I will continue to choose to go minute by minute, mile by mile, even if I must walk 26.2 miles. And today's workout helped me believe that even more.

Week Fail

2011-04-22T11:34:00.005-04:00

(Friday's Post)

Okay, maybe fail isn't the right word. But definitely not a win. My workouts haven't been great, and they haven't taken priority. For some reason, drinks with a co-work and drinks at a fundraiser won out over workouts. You already know sleep won over workouts.
Also this week, eating out has won over cooking.

Don't get me wrong, I am only down 2 workouts, but I really shouldn't be down any because the choices I made weren't good ones.

But the weekend is almost here and hopefully I can do better. And do better starting Monday.

Sleep Won

2011-04-21T10:04:00.007-04:00

Even thought I had a great ride yesterday, and was happy I got up to ride Hains Point, and the thunderstorms didn't come as the weather people predicted so HP wasn't flooded, and I said I would meet Mary Elizabeth there, and if I didn't ride in the morning that would mean I have to ride on the trainer tonight (after a fundraiser happy hour), sleep still won.

I managed to go to bed around 10, got really good sleep, but the alarm went off at 5:45 and there was no way I was getting up. Even when the second alarm went off at 5:50, nope. I texted an apology to Mary Elizabeth, rolled over, and slept another 2 hours.

You know what, so worth it. It was needed. It was the right choice. I'll get my workouts in, and will do better next week.

Thanks Karen!

2011-04-20T08:26:00.005-04:00

(Wednesday's post. I had a post started for Tuesday, but really don't remember what I was going to say, so I will just finish yesterday morning's post.)

Karen, I mean that in the best way!!
See, it keeps raining here. I mean, it's better than snow, but still. I had to cancel a hill lesson. Not confirm any plans in case it doesn't rain and I could ride in the morning, and NOT be on the trainer. When I mentioned this to Coach, he just said he was getting nailed in St. Louise, and it was headed my way. Great...

Hains Point, the best place to do morning, mid-week rides, was flooded. And apparently, they put a cop at the gate. Not something I want to mess with. So after I had Monday off (a scheduled day off!!), and yesterday was a PW/R and swim day - I had to figure out the bike. I figured the trainer it was, but Karen posted on the facebook late last night (10-ish when I saw it) that HP was full of junk, but not under water. So I quickly got ready for bed so I could get up at 5:45 and ride.

And when the alarm went off at 5:45, I rolled over and turned it off. But then my second alarm went off at 5:50 and I got up. And I was quickly reminded that 55 degrees at 6:15 is cold, not warm.
But the sunrise was amazing. And the clouds were remarkable. In a way, they almost looked like jelly fish - this picture doesn't do it justice, but it really was beautiful.

I saw Katie and Erica. And Janie. And Karen too. One of the gates was locked, but not both, and there were no cops, so around in weird circles we all went. Just as I finished my 3rd set of 5 minutes hard, Karen caught up with me. I didn't tell her I was riding because, see, Karen is also very fast now. But we both had about 30 minutes left so we stuck together. I pushed a bit harder. She said she wouldn't be going much faster on an easy/long ride day. I just made sure to ask her a lot of questions so I didn't have to talk.

But it was a great way to start the morning. Even if I was a tad late to work.

Wind

2011-04-17T23:10:00.011-04:00

(Sunday's post)

That is all I have to say about today's ride.

It was windy. When I woke up, I was glad I didn't ride by any cliffs, as it was that windy. But, there were no cliffs, therefore I didn't blow off. But it was very windy. I think you get my point.

Last night was Taste of the South, or as I like to call it, DC Tri Club prom. A bunch of us went last year, and we were able to go again, thanks to Karen. It's always so fun to see everyone all dressed up, not in spandex. This year was a much earlier night for most, as about half the people in the picture (a great picture taken by my personal cook, thank you sir! That is if you have started to read this blog...) are training for an Ironman this year. Last year we shut the place down, this year was a bit tamer. Don't get me wrong, there was PLENTY of food and drink and caramel cake had by all, but we did call it quits much earlier.

So, when I was woken up by the wind, I was not excited to ride. But I did. I made it up the hill at Old Anglers on MacArthur blvd, twice. AND I didn't have to stop to calm myself down. It was a much slower ride than last week, but I went over the 30 mile mark, was out for over 2 hours, and for the most part, I was pain free. AND, when I got back, I had this nice little note. The support I have from everyone is just remarkable.

The day finished up waiting in line for a very long time to watch the Brewers/Nats double header (I told you there was a lot of rain yesterday!) to eventually give up and find food. My Garmin told me I burned closed to 2500 calories and I was saving it for stadium food, but a beautiful day and double header = long lines and a cranky Amanda. Besides, the bar was also playing the Caps game so it was basically a win-win for everyone.
Except the Brewers who lost... twice...

Rain Rain

2011-04-16T11:24:00.009-04:00

Yup, it's raining. Again. I can't wait to see those May flowers!

Yes, rain is annoying. As was the pool being closed yesterday. So, if you see where I am going with this -

Pool closed on Friday + rainy Saturday morning = very crowded pool.

But I got in my swim workout. Well, at least the yardage. I thought the masters started at 10:30, but it was 10, and therefore they took over half the pool and the very crowded pool became even more crowded, but in 4 50 meter lanes. So I gave up on the sets and just swam straight. Which I actually like better. My stroke feels better, my body position feels better, I am able to get into a rhythm - even if I do have to pass multiple people doing breaststroke in the medium lane!

Hopefully tomorrow will be clear and I can get in my ride before I take off to see my team play!

Lesson

2011-04-15T18:54:00.002-04:00

What lesson did I learn today? I don't know. You tell me. Really.

I was hoping to have plans this evening, and when they were confirmed, I was happy. Then they changed and it didn't work out. I was disappointed, but not mad. I went to plan b - which was to swim. I got to Wilson to swim, and the pool was closed. Happy Emancipation Day DC!

Now I was really frustrated. I decided to switch to my run, because tomorrow it's supposed to rain (AGAIN!) and I have to do my bike on Sunday. There is no flat area close so I figured I would just go to the treadmill in the gym in the basement. The mph doesn't work very well so I tried to just go off my HR, but the machine wouldn't pick up my HR. 40 minutes later, after my 25 minutes of power walking and 15 minute of running, I decided to relax on the roof deck with a glass of wine and my book (inspiration from Mary Elizabeth), but the door was LOCKED! BAH! Nothing has seemed to work out for me since about 2 pm this afternoon.

Wah. Boo. Hiss.

As most of you know, I am a planner, so when things don't go as planned, I get very frustrated. This was one of those moments. Now I am in my apartment, very whiny.

So okay, maybe that is the lesson, I need to learn to roll with the punches better. None of this is the end of world. Tomorrow I will (hopefully) swim. Sunday I will bike. Soon my roof deck will be open.

Hills

2011-04-15T09:02:00.006-04:00

I need to start to love them. Or as Coach said when riding hills during the week is challenging for me, "Any hills, find them, ride them, embrace them, love them :)" Is the fact that he used a :) supposed to help change my attitude about hills?

Anyway, I took a few hours early from work to go home, pack up the car and head to Arlington to meet Sandy for some hill repeats on Military road. I would like to say it was fun. But I don't think "fun" is the right word. I won't say that I embraced the hills. Or that I loved the hills. But I found hills and I road hills. 2 out of 4 isn't bad, right?

My bike computer still isn't reading speed correctly (I think I need a new magnet) but it does read cadence. This was probably for the best as I tried so hard to keep a high cadence, and didn't worry about my average speed. This lasted maybe for the first 2 hills. Then my legs were shot. And I just did all I could to get up each hill. Again and again and again. I had some shifting issues, but the magic of the power balance band kept me up right, TWICE. And after some debate, I wanted to head back, but Sandy needed to do another loop, we compromised and I went out again with her. Half way through, I dropped my water bottle (which I NEVER do), took it as a sign that I was done, or at least mentally checked out, and I should head back.

Sandy was great, both in her ability to support, and kick a$$ on the hills. After a quick stop at Contes, oh sorry - Fresh Bikes (I really wish they asked my opinion on the new name...) we met Alejandro for a healthy dinner at Sweet Green. This wasn't enough, so off for ice cream we went. Is that not the largest small you have ever seen! I haven't had ice cream in a long time, so needless to say, I was unable to finish and the rest is in my freezer. But it was a nice treat (thanks Alejandro!!) and as Sandy said "all hill rides should end with ice cream."

It's no surprise that I didn't magically get better at hills. But I am in a better place with hills than last year. And I think a better place than 3 years ago. It was a good starting point and things can only get better from here (knock on wood).

Do You Know What "Mirrors" Are?

2011-04-14T14:41:00.004-04:00

Here is the deal. It was a BEAUTIFUL day outside today. I would have LOVED to go for a run outside. But, since I am still power walking with a smidge of running, its best I do it on a treadmill so I don't have to worry about stop lights, cars, or stupid tourists getting in my way. I can go at 4.1-4.2 mph for the full 20-25 minutes, then run at 5.1-5.2 mph for 10, without any problems. And I can use the mirrors to make sure my knees are facing forward, it's easier to count my cadence, and if something hurts, I could hit the stop button.

So I just described why a mirror in the gym is helpful. What is not helpful is having the creepy guy in the office blatantly stare at me via the mirrors. I first got that "someone is looking at me" feeling. I then used the mirrors to confirm my suspicion. He is just GROSS. Eww. Gross. Nasty. Not cool. And it went on and on for at least half of my workout. BLAH! My knee needs to get better ASAP so I can get back outside and not have to deal with creepy old guys and mirrors!

And tonight is hill night with Sandy! Lindsey should be out there too. Wish us (really, me) luck!

Back At Work

2011-04-11T09:42:00.004-04:00

Monday's Post

In terms of my workouts AND my real job. See, I am one of those government workers who was really hoping for a shut down. I could have done so much with a day or two off!! Sleep, laundry, clean my bathroom.... oh, and of course bike and power walk/run. Not swim, DC pools would have been closed with the shut down, but the biking I could have done!!

This weekend was pretty busy but I managed to get in all I need to. That included my first trip back to MacArthur Blvd. and up the hill at Old Anglers. I was allowed to do 1 hill, about 6%, which was perfect. I was on my own, and probably best that I did my first ride at my pace and not having to worry about holding anyone up. I spent the first part of the ride really concentrating on my cadence - nothing below 80. It was work on my legs, but in the good way. I saw Adam S, Alejandro, and apparently Travis saw me. Even when I am biking on my own, it's nice to know so many other people are out there!

Anyway, I started to get to the big hill and remembered all the little things I am supposed to do while going up a hill - mainly pull up on the legs, and keep a high cadence (nothing below 70). It was nice to have something to think of during the never ending hill. The hill that I always forget how long it is the first few times I ride up. And how much it sucks. And how bad it was after working on my cadence for the first part of the ride. And how I really didn't want to be doing the hill any more.

Once I reached the top, I needed a break. I stopped the watch. Stopped the Garmin and just took a few deep breaths. I lowered my heart rate. Had a snack. And kept going.

It was hard not to feel defeated. I know it was my first ride with a hill, but it just made me feel all the work I did over the winter, on the trainer and spin class, didn't do a thing. Unfortunately, that is about all I focused on for the next hour of the ride. Oh, and Jetties. Jetties got me though. They have really good sandwiches.

After a facebook post with supportive comments and a call from Alejandro, I felt much better about the ride. I just need more time in the saddle. And the race is 5 months away.

Sunday was the GW 10 miler and Carolina (and NINJA!) and I met up to cheer on our friends. I am usually pretty good, but just stunk that day. Missed a lot of photo opportunites (sorry all!)And I also realized my friends are now ridiculously fast. Not one had an avg. pace with a double digit (in fact, I think most were 8 something). Nice work everyone!

It was weekends like that which continue to remind me of my good fortune. I have the time to and ability to train, and cheer friends and celebrate their accomplishments (and birthdays) makes me happy.