I BIKED!

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...

I Ate a Peach

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.

My Undercarriage!

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.

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

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.

New Fork, Nice Ride

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.

70.3 Plus 1 Minus 5

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!

I Don't Look Good In Polka Dots Anyway

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...

Frustrated

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.

Stupid. Really.

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).

Much Better

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...

Story Time

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!

Once Again, I Chose to Sit

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.

White Caps! WHITE CAPS!!

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...

Ups and Downs

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.

Powerband Fail!

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.

A Few Days, A Few Workouts

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.

Hello Spring!

(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.

Thanks Karen!

(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

(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...

Hills

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).