The medal is more than a token that is placed around an athlete's neck at the finish line. I can't really say I value the hardware that hangs on a little ribbon. The value is in the lessons learned, discovering truths about myself, and the sacrifices made. It's the hours, weeks, months, blood, sweat, and tears that it took to take on 140.6 miles.
"Athlete" is the last word that would be used to describe me when I was in high school. I wasn't busting my butt at practice before and after school. I wasn't on the playing field. I was behind the camera filming basketball games. I even spent a couple of years in the dugout keeping a pitching chart. I was the girl bitching and complaining in PE as I walked most of the mile we had to complete each year. Man, I wish I could go back and do it differently, but then again, maybe that's part of what made my journey so special.
Triathlon is grueling sport, but it can also be spiritual. During my first year of racing I would write the same initials on my ankle to honor little boy who never experienced life. Even though we never met, racing makes me feel close to him. I remember struggling though my first Olympic distance race. I knew that if I couldn't finish it for myself, that I could finish it for him...and I did. While I don't race with his initials on my ankle anymore, I still think of him every time I toe the starting line. I find myself not only think of him, but of others loved ones who are no longer with me. In particular, I think about my dad's dad...Paw Paw Manuel. I know when I race that he is looking down from heaven watching with pride. My aunt, his daughter, said she wished he could see me. I told her that he does. I feel him most when I'm running. I see him in his John Deere work shirt clapping and smiling. He never misses a race. He has been with me every single time.
This whole experience has taught me more than I ever would have dreamed. The path that eventually led me to Ironman isn't the path I expected my life to take. I spent a lot of time and energy trying to change my path. When I began this sport it was a fun way to work off stress. It was an escape from the things that were weighing on me. As I got further into my Ironman training I realized that I can't hide from my problems. The long rides and long runs forced me to think about a lot of things in my life. Often those long training sessions gave me clarity and helped me to discover a lot about myself. It helped me to figure out the things I needed to keep doing as well as the changes that I needed to make. Of course, Jeneen and I often solved many of the world's problems on our long rides that we did together. Sometimes to answers to life's problems seemed so easy for us to figure out. We even found ways to solve everyone else's problems. Perhaps we should have shared our insight with those people! Through it all I learned to love this path that I'm on. I'm exactly in the place in my life that I'm supposed to be right now. The people and events that led me here were for a reason, as were the lessons the Ironman taught me. I've learned that I'm stronger, both mentally and physically, than I thought. Looking forward I know there will still be challenges to face, but I'm hopeful that I'll be able to tackle them with a more positive mind set because I know that there is nothing I can't overcome. I'm not saying that it will be easy, but perhaps things won't seem so impossible. It's okay to be uncomfortable. It's okay if it hurts. I know that if I dig my heels in and keep moving forward I will get through it. I don't think this sport is done with me. There are still limits to test, more goals to achieve, and lessons to learn.
"I thought of that while riding my bike." ~~ Albert Einstein on the Theory of Relativity
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Sunday, November 25, 2012
The Final 140.6 Miles
I've been writing and rewriting this post for several days, but I just can't seem to capture this whole experience with words. For the past year my focus has been this Ironman. I gave this race everything I possibly could, and now that it is all said and done, I can honestly say that I do not have one single regret.
It wasn't always an easy journey. Yes, most days were fun, and I loved seeing myself grow stronger both mentally and physically. Of course, there were days when I just wanted it all to be over. It took a while, but several weeks before the race, the Ironman truly broke me. The joy was gone. The fun was gone. It just sucked! I was told that the challenges I was facing had purpose, and that it was part of the process. I knew the people who were telling me this were right, so I had no choice but to suck it up and let it happen. Once I overcame this hurdle, I felt stronger and more confident than ever. I truly felt ready for Arizona. I knew the hard work was done and November 18 would be my victory lap.
I woke up on race morning ready to tackle the Ironman. I was excited and full of energy, but when it came time to leave the hotel, the nervousness crept in. When we arrived at the race my eyes were filling up with tears. The tears were part nerves, part fear, but mostly the emotion that came knowing that this was the final 140.6 miles of one of the most amazing years of my life. Once I got into transition to make last minute checks on my bike and gear bags, I began to feel relaxed. This is not at all what I was expecting to feel. I savored the moment and said a prayer for the nearly 3000 athletes who were getting ready to take on this course. We all had different reason for being there. We all had challenges to overcome, and we had all changed in some way preparing for this day.
As I toed the starting line waiting for the cannon to signal the start of the race, I thought about all the people who had helped me get to this point. My coach, the community of triathletes, my friends, my family, my students, my chiropractor....they were my inspiration. Their support and prayers would carry me every stoke, ever crank of the pedal, every step of the marathon.
At 7:00 AM the cannon fired and I began swimming in the crazy mass of people. I had positioned myself near the front, and I was feeling pretty good. It wasn't the miserable experience I had been anticipating. Shockingly, I kinda of enjoyed it. My goal was to finish the swim in 1:25-1:30, and I actually finished in 1:19! I was pleased.
The bike course was a three loop course. Each loop was approximately 37 miles. It was a fairly flat and fast course. There were times when I really wanted to push myself and go faster, but I knew I had to save my legs for the marathon. I stuck to my race plan and soaked in the experience. I kept thinking, "Wow! I'm really here!" I had a great time on the bike and finished up way ahead of schedule.
I went through transition pretty quickly and began my marathon....my very first marthon! My legs were feeling great. I followed the 5 minute run/1 minute walk schedule that I had used during training. I also had my bottle of EFS nutrtion that I had trained with. The run/walk schedule worked like a charm on race day, but the EFS didn't. The aide stations were stocked with Perform sports drink, water, sponges, potato chips and pretzles, Gu, and flat Coke. Because I hadn't trained with most of this, I had no plans on using it, but since I needed a new nutrtion plan ASAP, I decided to throw caution to the wind and try something new. I started with the potato chips! After 112 miles of eating and drinking sweet stuff, the salty chips were so awesome. Then I decided to try the flat Coke. I swore I would never try this on race day since I've never trained with it, but so many people had told me of it's magical powers. OMG! It was like crack for runners. I suddently had a new nutrtion plan....Perform, water, potato chips, and Coke...and it was awesome! Once the sun went down, warm chicken broth was being offered....more magic in a cup. The new nutrtion plan couldn't have worked better.
By mile 20 my quads were getting tight and my feet were hurting, but I was still smiling and having fun. At this point I decided to stop walking, except for at the aide stations. I needed to slow down enough to grab what I needed. I knew if I let myself walk, I would never be able to start running again. I began looking at my watch and realized that a sub 5 hour marathon was very possible, and that I was going to finish this race in under 13 hours. Never in a million years did I think either of these times would be possible. The adrenaline was serging though my veins. The last few miles seemed to tick away pretty quickly. Near the last mile there was a man on the side of the course cheering us on and telling us that if we didn't stop we could finish in the 12:40's! For a second I thought of walking most of the last mile so I could save the moment a little longer, but decided against it. I knew my friends were waiting at the finish line. I knew there people in Louisian and Texas watching the live feed online. Walking wasn't an option.
When I saw the turn for the finish I started screaming and pumping my hands into the air. I had a few hunded yards to go and could hear Mike Reilly announcing each new Ironman. It was my turn now. As I made the final left turn and ran the last few yards, my ears were filled the sounds of the crowd. For a moment, those cheers and scream were just for me. For a moment it felt like the whole world was cheering for me! Most of those people didn't know me, but they understood! Finally....finally....I heard the words I had been waiting to hear, "From Plano, Texas...Amy Manuel YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!" That moment, those few precious seconds, was everything I thought it would be and more.
There was no magical transformation when I crossed the finish line. My friend Trent said there wouldn't be. The transformation happened slowly over the past year. I was the same person who toed the starting line 12 hours and 43 minutes earlier, but I was not the same person who was sitting at my computer a year earlier registering for this race. Once again, I was reminded that I'm surrounded by some of the caring, supportive, loving, inspiring, and kind people I will ever meet. I didn't cross that finish line alone. The hundreds of people who have supported me through everything were with me. I couldn't have done it without them. If you are reading this, you are probably one of these people.
Yes, I did get my sub 13 hour Ironman. My goal was 14 hours....and I smoked it;-) I can honeslty said I had fun from the first stroke to the last step of my 140.6 mile victory lap. The experience far exceeded my expectation. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity.
What now? I'm still going to swim, bike, and run through the off season, and I'll be racing agin in the spring. Next season I plan to give back more to the sport though volunteering than I was able to do this year. Unfortunatly, an Ironman probably won't happen in 2013, but I'm sure there will be more in my future. I learned so much about myself over the past year. I have grown and changed in so many ways. Hopefully I've inspired someone along the way. Tomorrow I will go back to work for the first time since the Ironman. I can't wait to share my story with my students. They have been some of my biggest fans, and they have been such a big part of this journey. I want them to understand that their only limits are the ones they place on themselves. I hope they always remember to dream big!
Thank you for being a part of this journey with me.
"Win or lose you will never regret working hard, making sacrifices, being disciplined or focusing too much. Success is measured by what we have done to prepare for competition." ~~ John Smith
"If you set a goal for yourself and are able to achieve it, you have won your race. You goal can be to come in first, to improve your performance, or just to finish your race. It's up to you." David Scott
It wasn't always an easy journey. Yes, most days were fun, and I loved seeing myself grow stronger both mentally and physically. Of course, there were days when I just wanted it all to be over. It took a while, but several weeks before the race, the Ironman truly broke me. The joy was gone. The fun was gone. It just sucked! I was told that the challenges I was facing had purpose, and that it was part of the process. I knew the people who were telling me this were right, so I had no choice but to suck it up and let it happen. Once I overcame this hurdle, I felt stronger and more confident than ever. I truly felt ready for Arizona. I knew the hard work was done and November 18 would be my victory lap.
I woke up on race morning ready to tackle the Ironman. I was excited and full of energy, but when it came time to leave the hotel, the nervousness crept in. When we arrived at the race my eyes were filling up with tears. The tears were part nerves, part fear, but mostly the emotion that came knowing that this was the final 140.6 miles of one of the most amazing years of my life. Once I got into transition to make last minute checks on my bike and gear bags, I began to feel relaxed. This is not at all what I was expecting to feel. I savored the moment and said a prayer for the nearly 3000 athletes who were getting ready to take on this course. We all had different reason for being there. We all had challenges to overcome, and we had all changed in some way preparing for this day.
As I toed the starting line waiting for the cannon to signal the start of the race, I thought about all the people who had helped me get to this point. My coach, the community of triathletes, my friends, my family, my students, my chiropractor....they were my inspiration. Their support and prayers would carry me every stoke, ever crank of the pedal, every step of the marathon.
At 7:00 AM the cannon fired and I began swimming in the crazy mass of people. I had positioned myself near the front, and I was feeling pretty good. It wasn't the miserable experience I had been anticipating. Shockingly, I kinda of enjoyed it. My goal was to finish the swim in 1:25-1:30, and I actually finished in 1:19! I was pleased.
The bike course was a three loop course. Each loop was approximately 37 miles. It was a fairly flat and fast course. There were times when I really wanted to push myself and go faster, but I knew I had to save my legs for the marathon. I stuck to my race plan and soaked in the experience. I kept thinking, "Wow! I'm really here!" I had a great time on the bike and finished up way ahead of schedule.
I went through transition pretty quickly and began my marathon....my very first marthon! My legs were feeling great. I followed the 5 minute run/1 minute walk schedule that I had used during training. I also had my bottle of EFS nutrtion that I had trained with. The run/walk schedule worked like a charm on race day, but the EFS didn't. The aide stations were stocked with Perform sports drink, water, sponges, potato chips and pretzles, Gu, and flat Coke. Because I hadn't trained with most of this, I had no plans on using it, but since I needed a new nutrtion plan ASAP, I decided to throw caution to the wind and try something new. I started with the potato chips! After 112 miles of eating and drinking sweet stuff, the salty chips were so awesome. Then I decided to try the flat Coke. I swore I would never try this on race day since I've never trained with it, but so many people had told me of it's magical powers. OMG! It was like crack for runners. I suddently had a new nutrtion plan....Perform, water, potato chips, and Coke...and it was awesome! Once the sun went down, warm chicken broth was being offered....more magic in a cup. The new nutrtion plan couldn't have worked better.
By mile 20 my quads were getting tight and my feet were hurting, but I was still smiling and having fun. At this point I decided to stop walking, except for at the aide stations. I needed to slow down enough to grab what I needed. I knew if I let myself walk, I would never be able to start running again. I began looking at my watch and realized that a sub 5 hour marathon was very possible, and that I was going to finish this race in under 13 hours. Never in a million years did I think either of these times would be possible. The adrenaline was serging though my veins. The last few miles seemed to tick away pretty quickly. Near the last mile there was a man on the side of the course cheering us on and telling us that if we didn't stop we could finish in the 12:40's! For a second I thought of walking most of the last mile so I could save the moment a little longer, but decided against it. I knew my friends were waiting at the finish line. I knew there people in Louisian and Texas watching the live feed online. Walking wasn't an option.
When I saw the turn for the finish I started screaming and pumping my hands into the air. I had a few hunded yards to go and could hear Mike Reilly announcing each new Ironman. It was my turn now. As I made the final left turn and ran the last few yards, my ears were filled the sounds of the crowd. For a moment, those cheers and scream were just for me. For a moment it felt like the whole world was cheering for me! Most of those people didn't know me, but they understood! Finally....finally....I heard the words I had been waiting to hear, "From Plano, Texas...Amy Manuel YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!" That moment, those few precious seconds, was everything I thought it would be and more.
There was no magical transformation when I crossed the finish line. My friend Trent said there wouldn't be. The transformation happened slowly over the past year. I was the same person who toed the starting line 12 hours and 43 minutes earlier, but I was not the same person who was sitting at my computer a year earlier registering for this race. Once again, I was reminded that I'm surrounded by some of the caring, supportive, loving, inspiring, and kind people I will ever meet. I didn't cross that finish line alone. The hundreds of people who have supported me through everything were with me. I couldn't have done it without them. If you are reading this, you are probably one of these people.
Yes, I did get my sub 13 hour Ironman. My goal was 14 hours....and I smoked it;-) I can honeslty said I had fun from the first stroke to the last step of my 140.6 mile victory lap. The experience far exceeded my expectation. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity.
What now? I'm still going to swim, bike, and run through the off season, and I'll be racing agin in the spring. Next season I plan to give back more to the sport though volunteering than I was able to do this year. Unfortunatly, an Ironman probably won't happen in 2013, but I'm sure there will be more in my future. I learned so much about myself over the past year. I have grown and changed in so many ways. Hopefully I've inspired someone along the way. Tomorrow I will go back to work for the first time since the Ironman. I can't wait to share my story with my students. They have been some of my biggest fans, and they have been such a big part of this journey. I want them to understand that their only limits are the ones they place on themselves. I hope they always remember to dream big!
Thank you for being a part of this journey with me.
"Win or lose you will never regret working hard, making sacrifices, being disciplined or focusing too much. Success is measured by what we have done to prepare for competition." ~~ John Smith
"If you set a goal for yourself and are able to achieve it, you have won your race. You goal can be to come in first, to improve your performance, or just to finish your race. It's up to you." David Scott
Sunday, October 28, 2012
3 Weeks To Go!
Three short week. Yep, all I have is three more weeks until the big day. A race plan is in the works and most of my trip details have been worked out. It's safe to say that I probably won't be able to focus on anything other than Ironman for the next 21 days.
The year has been full of up and downs. Fortunately, there have been more ups. Since my last post things have gotten much better. I did have a moment on a particularly windy ride where I threw down my bike, sat on the side of the road, and cried....and screamed... and cursed! I'm sure it was a sight to see. It was definitely a low point, but I had no choice but pick myself up and train through the brutal winds and misery. My journey to the start line has definitely challenged me in ways I could have never imagined, but I know it will pay off.
Yesterday I had my last big training day. I started off with a long swim that I ended up cutting a bit short in order to keep my shoulder happy. Next, I headed out on my 4 hour bike ride. My wet hair didn't make the 37 degree temperatures feel any better. Within minutes my nose and fingers were frozen. I couldn't even grab my bottles out of the cages, so I just sipped out my aero bottle. I was heading north and the wind was blowing from the north. It wasn't a strong wind, but it was COLD. Knowing that the second half of my ride would bring more sunshine and a tail wind made things much easier. There is a good chance that I'll have a cold start in Arizona, so I couldn't really complain about yesterday's conditions. I was able to catch a little break near the end of my first hour on the bike. A friend and a couple of his buddies came rolling by me. I grabbed a wheel as they passed, and drafted as long as I could. It was a nice little break from the winds and some free speed. THANKS GUYS!! After a few miles we made a right hand turn, and they picked up the pace dropping me like a hot potato. By this point I was warming up and didn't mind pulling my own weight once again. The rest of the ride was nice and uneventful. After the sun came out, it turned out to be a pretty nice day. The tail wind home was icing on the cake.
I finally made it back to where I started and began my hour run. My feet were still pretty cold, so it took a little while to get all the feeling back. Overall, I was pleased with my last big training day. I got a good workout, but I didn't feel completely beat up at the end. I even got to refuel later with a nice bowl of gumbo. Next weekend I have one more long run and that's about it as far as the big stuff! I'll taper down and get ready to take on Ironman.
Over the next three weeks I'm going to do all I can to make sure I'm prepared for the race - eat right, get enough sleep, finish up my race plan. But the truth is, I've really done all I can do at this point. There is no way to know what Ironman will throw at me on race day...I just hope and pray that I can handle whatever comes my way.
” It’s important to know that at the end of the day it’s not the medals you remember. What you remember is the process – what you learn about yourself by challenging yourself, the experiences you share with other people, the honesty the training demands – those are things nobody can take away from you whether you finish twelfth or you’re an Olympic Champion.” – Silken Laumann
The year has been full of up and downs. Fortunately, there have been more ups. Since my last post things have gotten much better. I did have a moment on a particularly windy ride where I threw down my bike, sat on the side of the road, and cried....and screamed... and cursed! I'm sure it was a sight to see. It was definitely a low point, but I had no choice but pick myself up and train through the brutal winds and misery. My journey to the start line has definitely challenged me in ways I could have never imagined, but I know it will pay off.
Yesterday I had my last big training day. I started off with a long swim that I ended up cutting a bit short in order to keep my shoulder happy. Next, I headed out on my 4 hour bike ride. My wet hair didn't make the 37 degree temperatures feel any better. Within minutes my nose and fingers were frozen. I couldn't even grab my bottles out of the cages, so I just sipped out my aero bottle. I was heading north and the wind was blowing from the north. It wasn't a strong wind, but it was COLD. Knowing that the second half of my ride would bring more sunshine and a tail wind made things much easier. There is a good chance that I'll have a cold start in Arizona, so I couldn't really complain about yesterday's conditions. I was able to catch a little break near the end of my first hour on the bike. A friend and a couple of his buddies came rolling by me. I grabbed a wheel as they passed, and drafted as long as I could. It was a nice little break from the winds and some free speed. THANKS GUYS!! After a few miles we made a right hand turn, and they picked up the pace dropping me like a hot potato. By this point I was warming up and didn't mind pulling my own weight once again. The rest of the ride was nice and uneventful. After the sun came out, it turned out to be a pretty nice day. The tail wind home was icing on the cake.
I finally made it back to where I started and began my hour run. My feet were still pretty cold, so it took a little while to get all the feeling back. Overall, I was pleased with my last big training day. I got a good workout, but I didn't feel completely beat up at the end. I even got to refuel later with a nice bowl of gumbo. Next weekend I have one more long run and that's about it as far as the big stuff! I'll taper down and get ready to take on Ironman.
Over the next three weeks I'm going to do all I can to make sure I'm prepared for the race - eat right, get enough sleep, finish up my race plan. But the truth is, I've really done all I can do at this point. There is no way to know what Ironman will throw at me on race day...I just hope and pray that I can handle whatever comes my way.
” It’s important to know that at the end of the day it’s not the medals you remember. What you remember is the process – what you learn about yourself by challenging yourself, the experiences you share with other people, the honesty the training demands – those are things nobody can take away from you whether you finish twelfth or you’re an Olympic Champion.” – Silken Laumann
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Sometimes It Sucks
For over two years I've dreamed about doing an Ironman. I can't explain why I want to do it, but I do. The first time I watched a video of the race I was hooked. I knew I had to find a way to get to that starting line. It's hard to believe that in less than six weeks I'll be in Arizona for my first Ironman.
To be honest, the last few days have not been great. I've hit that low point where I've been questioning my sanity and why I would willingly put myself though something like this. It's not like I'm getting money for finishing. Last week I was crying because I was tired. I though I could just suck it, but earlier this week I broke down again. After work I headed to the gym for a long swim session. I struggled the whole time I was in the water. I had to talk myself into each and every miserable lap. About half way through the workout I ripped off my goggles and got out of the pool. I sat in the locker with my face buried in a towel crying. I didn't even care that there were other people in there. They politely ignored me. I finally got myself together and left. Of course, I broke down again as soon as I got in the car. I was disappointed that I didn't finish my swim. I was disappointed that I gave up, but I really didn't have what I needed to finish. I think I've been trying to prepare myself for these mental hurdles on race day, but I didn't really take the time to think about how I would overcome them in training.
I reached out to my coach to let him know that I wasn't doing so well. He, of course, was very understanding and told me to take a day off if I need it and he unloaded some of my workouts. I hate the idea of not doing workouts on my schedule, but I also hate feeling burned out.
It sucks feeling like this so close to the end. I've talked with others who have been down this path. Most of them just smile and say, "Yes, that happens around this time." No one seems concerned or even very sympathetic. If this is part of the journey, then I guess I'll just deal with it and move on. People say that challenges of this training will prepare me for race day. No one said this was going to be easy. I also don't think I've heard anyone say it was going to be fun.
I hate to sound like Debbie Downer, but this is my story. I'm not ready to give up, but I do need some time to regroup and rest. Before I know it, it will be time to taper, and hopefully I'll start to feel like myself again. Despite the mental and physical exhaustion, I wouldn't trade the past year for anything, and I have a feeling I'll miss all of this when it's over.
A friend at work compared what I'm going through to the end of her pregnancy. She was so tired and just wanted it to be over. Instead of a 140.6 mile race to end her pregnancy, she went through labor and delivery. I wonder how the two compare. They both last several hours. Ironman cuts you off after 17 hours, but labor keeps going. Labor gives you the option of drugs. You're more likely to share your Ironman pictures on Facebook than you are to share your labor pictures. After Ironman you get a medal, and then you go home and sleep. My friend's pregnancy has been over for 9 months, but I don't think she's gotten any sleep yet. Hmmm....
A friend at work compared what I'm going through to the end of her pregnancy. She was so tired and just wanted it to be over. Instead of a 140.6 mile race to end her pregnancy, she went through labor and delivery. I wonder how the two compare. They both last several hours. Ironman cuts you off after 17 hours, but labor keeps going. Labor gives you the option of drugs. You're more likely to share your Ironman pictures on Facebook than you are to share your labor pictures. After Ironman you get a medal, and then you go home and sleep. My friend's pregnancy has been over for 9 months, but I don't think she's gotten any sleep yet. Hmmm....
Even though things have been hard, I must say that coming home my dog, Roxy, always puts a smile on my face.
"A true champion knows how to overcome doubts and mange those doubts and turn them into motivation." ~~ Misty Hyman
Saturday, September 29, 2012
50 Days!
Ironman is 50 days away. Today, during my long run, I kept thinking about how I have only 7 weeks to get these legs ready for a marathon. My longest run so far has been 14 miles. My coach says we will start ramping up the miles.
Last weekend I had an amazing opportunity to compete in the full aquabike at Redman in Oklahoma City. I got to swim 2.4 miles and bike 112 miles. It was like a catered training day!
The swim was two loops. I can't say that I particularly enjoyed either of them, but I got through it. The best part was finishing and getting out of that lake! I wore the wetsuit that I'll be wearing in Arizona, so I'm very familiar with all the places it will leave "wetsuit hickeys." Arizona will be much colder and more crowded, but I'm hoping to swim it in approximately the same time of 1 hour and 25 minutes. We'll see how that works out.
The bike course was also two loops. The first loop was great. There was a lot of people and very little wind. Just before finishing my first loop I was able to get to my special needs bag. It had all of my nutrition for the second loop and other special goodies. A very nice volunteer helped me with my bag. She even ran and grabbed toilet paper and hand sanitizer when she noticed me applying more butt butter. All modesty goes out the window on race day. I'm sure those poor kids who were dragged out to that race by their parents saw all kinds of interesting things at the "special needs bag" station. After my quick pit stop, I finished the loop and headed out for another 56 miles of fun.
The second loop was lonelier and windier. I found myself making up songs to pass the time. After a while I realized that I was ready to get off that bike. I had to stay in a low heart rate zone and treat it like it was the Ironman. I had to pretend that I still had a marathon and save my legs even though I really wanted to go faster. After 6 hours and 51 minutes (21 minutes slower than I was hoping for), I finally finished the 112 mile bike ride. My friends were there to cheer me on as I heading to transition.
At this point my race was officially over, but I still needed to run for 30 minutes. This was to see if my pacing and nutrition on the bike worked. I felt like a million bucks, and my legs couldn't wait to get on that run course. As I was running I couldn't believe how good I actually felt. I would have run longer, but I knew my friends were waiting. I was also pretty sunburned and figured I should wrap it up. I still had a long drive back to Texas waiting for me. Aquabike racers were told we could grab our running shoes and run through the finish line so our name could be announced and we could get our picture taken. I loved running down the finishers shoot and crossing that finish line. I pretended like I was finishing up my Ironman. The whole day made me more excited for the real thing!
On a different note, one of the little girls I taught last year completed her first triathlon this morning. I got to go and cheer her on. I don't think I could have been more excited or proud of her if she were my own child. She's been training for months, and she rocked it! Seeing all those kids out there today...in the rain...melted my heart. They looked so proud with their medals and snow cones after the race. The little girl I went to watch had a fall on her bike and STILL had a great bike split. She has a nice little scrape on her knee, but she can brag that it's a triathlon injury.
Last weekend I had an amazing opportunity to compete in the full aquabike at Redman in Oklahoma City. I got to swim 2.4 miles and bike 112 miles. It was like a catered training day!
The swim was two loops. I can't say that I particularly enjoyed either of them, but I got through it. The best part was finishing and getting out of that lake! I wore the wetsuit that I'll be wearing in Arizona, so I'm very familiar with all the places it will leave "wetsuit hickeys." Arizona will be much colder and more crowded, but I'm hoping to swim it in approximately the same time of 1 hour and 25 minutes. We'll see how that works out.
The bike course was also two loops. The first loop was great. There was a lot of people and very little wind. Just before finishing my first loop I was able to get to my special needs bag. It had all of my nutrition for the second loop and other special goodies. A very nice volunteer helped me with my bag. She even ran and grabbed toilet paper and hand sanitizer when she noticed me applying more butt butter. All modesty goes out the window on race day. I'm sure those poor kids who were dragged out to that race by their parents saw all kinds of interesting things at the "special needs bag" station. After my quick pit stop, I finished the loop and headed out for another 56 miles of fun.
The second loop was lonelier and windier. I found myself making up songs to pass the time. After a while I realized that I was ready to get off that bike. I had to stay in a low heart rate zone and treat it like it was the Ironman. I had to pretend that I still had a marathon and save my legs even though I really wanted to go faster. After 6 hours and 51 minutes (21 minutes slower than I was hoping for), I finally finished the 112 mile bike ride. My friends were there to cheer me on as I heading to transition.
At this point my race was officially over, but I still needed to run for 30 minutes. This was to see if my pacing and nutrition on the bike worked. I felt like a million bucks, and my legs couldn't wait to get on that run course. As I was running I couldn't believe how good I actually felt. I would have run longer, but I knew my friends were waiting. I was also pretty sunburned and figured I should wrap it up. I still had a long drive back to Texas waiting for me. Aquabike racers were told we could grab our running shoes and run through the finish line so our name could be announced and we could get our picture taken. I loved running down the finishers shoot and crossing that finish line. I pretended like I was finishing up my Ironman. The whole day made me more excited for the real thing!
On a different note, one of the little girls I taught last year completed her first triathlon this morning. I got to go and cheer her on. I don't think I could have been more excited or proud of her if she were my own child. She's been training for months, and she rocked it! Seeing all those kids out there today...in the rain...melted my heart. They looked so proud with their medals and snow cones after the race. The little girl I went to watch had a fall on her bike and STILL had a great bike split. She has a nice little scrape on her knee, but she can brag that it's a triathlon injury.
"The one thing all famous authors, world class athletes, business tycoons, singers, actors, and celebrated achievers in any field have in common is that they all began their journeys when they were none of these things. Yet still, they began their journeys." ~ Mike Dooley
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Long!
I can't decide if I ONLY have two months to go or if I STILL have 2 months to go until I'm in Arizona for the Ironman. Part of me is ready for it to get here, but part of me knows that I still have a lot of work to do.
My long rides are getting really long. Actually, my runs and my swims are getting longer too. Jeneen has been joining me for part of my long rides. We've been riding a 25 mile loop. It's nice because there are no stop lights and little traffic. I can park my car at a ball park and use it as an aide station. The downside of this route is that there is a lot of chip seal and it's a nice little drive from my house.
Yesterday I rode 100 miles. It was a good, yet very long, ride. I've only done this one other time, and it was two years ago. Last time I did it there were aide stations every 10 miles that felt more like little parties. One aide station even had snow cones and a band!! When I finished the ride there was a big banner, music, beer, and someone there to take your picture. I didn't have any of this yesterday, but I realize now that I didn't need it. Two years ago I had some rough moments during that ride. There were even some tears, but at the end of the ride I was completely elated! For weeks I was on cloud nine! Yesterday I didn't have those moments of weakness. I did get tired, but I didn't cry! As I finished up, I rode quietly into a parking lot, packed up my bike, and headed home. I felt a different kind of satisfaction.
I was able to use the day to try to work out my nutrition. As I've mentioned before, I LOVE to eat, and training makes me hungry. You would think that I would have no trouble getting in the 200 calories/hour I need on the bike, but it is hard. Earlier in the week I popped into the Tri Shop and asked for help selecting nutrition. I told them that I needed whatever had the most calories! I had never put those words together before. My mouth tingled a bit. I left with a variety of my favorite bars, waffles, gummies, and gels. I also picked the same sports drink that will be served on the Ironman course. It has a more calories than what I was using before. By the end of the ride I was still 200 calories short of my goal. I bet if I were sitting at home watching television I could have easily taken in those calories.
As far as nutrition goes, I had better luck on my run today. I only needed about 150 calories/hr. By the end of my 2 hr. and 15 minute run, I had consumed 400 calories. My stomach handled it very well. Overall, I had a great run. My pace is still not fast, but it is improving. We had great weather...temperatures in the 60's and a light drizzle. I LOVED it! I ended up running 13.5 miles. I've never run more than 13.1 so this was a new record for me. My coach has me doing a 5 minute run/1 minute walk combo. It's working great!
My legs were rewarded this afternoon with a one hour massage at an actual spa! They loved it. I think this might have to be a regular part of my Sunday...at least until Ironman.
Next weekend I'll be doing the full aquabike race at Redman. It's a 2.4 mile swim and 112 mile bike ride. It's just like the Ironman, but without the run. I'll get to take another crack at my nutrition. After my race I'll run out on the course for a while to see how my legs are feeling. I've heard great things about this race, so I'm pretty excited.
"Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision...they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill." ~ Mohammad Ali
My long rides are getting really long. Actually, my runs and my swims are getting longer too. Jeneen has been joining me for part of my long rides. We've been riding a 25 mile loop. It's nice because there are no stop lights and little traffic. I can park my car at a ball park and use it as an aide station. The downside of this route is that there is a lot of chip seal and it's a nice little drive from my house.
Yesterday I rode 100 miles. It was a good, yet very long, ride. I've only done this one other time, and it was two years ago. Last time I did it there were aide stations every 10 miles that felt more like little parties. One aide station even had snow cones and a band!! When I finished the ride there was a big banner, music, beer, and someone there to take your picture. I didn't have any of this yesterday, but I realize now that I didn't need it. Two years ago I had some rough moments during that ride. There were even some tears, but at the end of the ride I was completely elated! For weeks I was on cloud nine! Yesterday I didn't have those moments of weakness. I did get tired, but I didn't cry! As I finished up, I rode quietly into a parking lot, packed up my bike, and headed home. I felt a different kind of satisfaction.
I was able to use the day to try to work out my nutrition. As I've mentioned before, I LOVE to eat, and training makes me hungry. You would think that I would have no trouble getting in the 200 calories/hour I need on the bike, but it is hard. Earlier in the week I popped into the Tri Shop and asked for help selecting nutrition. I told them that I needed whatever had the most calories! I had never put those words together before. My mouth tingled a bit. I left with a variety of my favorite bars, waffles, gummies, and gels. I also picked the same sports drink that will be served on the Ironman course. It has a more calories than what I was using before. By the end of the ride I was still 200 calories short of my goal. I bet if I were sitting at home watching television I could have easily taken in those calories.
As far as nutrition goes, I had better luck on my run today. I only needed about 150 calories/hr. By the end of my 2 hr. and 15 minute run, I had consumed 400 calories. My stomach handled it very well. Overall, I had a great run. My pace is still not fast, but it is improving. We had great weather...temperatures in the 60's and a light drizzle. I LOVED it! I ended up running 13.5 miles. I've never run more than 13.1 so this was a new record for me. My coach has me doing a 5 minute run/1 minute walk combo. It's working great!
My legs were rewarded this afternoon with a one hour massage at an actual spa! They loved it. I think this might have to be a regular part of my Sunday...at least until Ironman.
Next weekend I'll be doing the full aquabike race at Redman. It's a 2.4 mile swim and 112 mile bike ride. It's just like the Ironman, but without the run. I'll get to take another crack at my nutrition. After my race I'll run out on the course for a while to see how my legs are feeling. I've heard great things about this race, so I'm pretty excited.
"Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision...they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill." ~ Mohammad Ali
Monday, September 3, 2012
Hungry Girl Part 2
Last year I wrote about how hungry I was during my half Ironman training! I gained 10 pounds (no, it wasn't all muscle) getting ready for that race. When Ironman training started I was a little nervous. Would I gain 20 lbs? I even worried that the wetsuit I purchased for Arizona wouldn't fit by the time the race came around.
As my training got underway the 10 pounds just seemed to melt away. Getting a little sick helped speed up the process. During the summer I was even able to shed a couple more pounds without trying. For a while I didn't seem to have an appetite at all. I was having to TRY to sneak in extra calories where I could. One of my favorite ways of doing this was adding peanut butter to my smoothies...YUMMY!
Over the last couple of week my appetite seems to have caught up with my training. I'm once again at the point where I can't seem to eat enough. On Saturday I drove through the drive though at Dickey's BBQ after my long ride. I ordered my meal and asked for an extra roll (to eat in the car). I absolutely LOVE their rolls. The simple carbs seem to hit the spot after a workout. It must have been my lucky day because I was handed a separate bag with not one, but TWO extra rolls! I ate both on the way home and figured I would eat the third one as a snack later in the day. That idea went out the door because I ate it as soon as I got home.
When you're burning thousands of calories during a workout your body will scream at you to replenish. It's embarrassing and expensive to eat this much. Today I had my usual English muffin, PB, banana, and honey breakfast sandwich between my run and bike ride. This typically keeps me full for a while,but today I barely got 20 miles in on the bike before I was ready to start eating my own hand. I was very thankful for the Cliff Bar I had with me....and so was my hand. By the time I finished my 40 mile ride I was ravenous! We went to Fuzzy's Taco Shop where I ordered 3 tacos. I wanted more, but I was too embarrassed to go back for seconds.
Trying to satisfy my appetite is a lot like a dog chasing it's tail. I'm just going to have to accept that it's not going to happen. I'm trying to keep lots of fruits and other healthy snacks around my house. It can be tricky to find healthy meals on the go. Between work and training I don't always have time to cook. Cedars Woodfire Grill and Simply Fit Meals are two places I can get quick healthy meals. It can get expensive, but I figure it's better to spend the extra money and fill my body with real food as opposed to the junk in typical fast foods. When I'm craving something sweet, like cookies or ice cream, I try a glass of chocolate milk. It usually does the trick.
"Do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The opportunity to play." ~~ Mike Singletary
As my training got underway the 10 pounds just seemed to melt away. Getting a little sick helped speed up the process. During the summer I was even able to shed a couple more pounds without trying. For a while I didn't seem to have an appetite at all. I was having to TRY to sneak in extra calories where I could. One of my favorite ways of doing this was adding peanut butter to my smoothies...YUMMY!
Over the last couple of week my appetite seems to have caught up with my training. I'm once again at the point where I can't seem to eat enough. On Saturday I drove through the drive though at Dickey's BBQ after my long ride. I ordered my meal and asked for an extra roll (to eat in the car). I absolutely LOVE their rolls. The simple carbs seem to hit the spot after a workout. It must have been my lucky day because I was handed a separate bag with not one, but TWO extra rolls! I ate both on the way home and figured I would eat the third one as a snack later in the day. That idea went out the door because I ate it as soon as I got home.
When you're burning thousands of calories during a workout your body will scream at you to replenish. It's embarrassing and expensive to eat this much. Today I had my usual English muffin, PB, banana, and honey breakfast sandwich between my run and bike ride. This typically keeps me full for a while,but today I barely got 20 miles in on the bike before I was ready to start eating my own hand. I was very thankful for the Cliff Bar I had with me....and so was my hand. By the time I finished my 40 mile ride I was ravenous! We went to Fuzzy's Taco Shop where I ordered 3 tacos. I wanted more, but I was too embarrassed to go back for seconds.
Trying to satisfy my appetite is a lot like a dog chasing it's tail. I'm just going to have to accept that it's not going to happen. I'm trying to keep lots of fruits and other healthy snacks around my house. It can be tricky to find healthy meals on the go. Between work and training I don't always have time to cook. Cedars Woodfire Grill and Simply Fit Meals are two places I can get quick healthy meals. It can get expensive, but I figure it's better to spend the extra money and fill my body with real food as opposed to the junk in typical fast foods. When I'm craving something sweet, like cookies or ice cream, I try a glass of chocolate milk. It usually does the trick.
"Do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The opportunity to play." ~~ Mike Singletary
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Only 3 Months To Go
Ironman is exactly 3 months away! Woo Hoo!! In some ways the past nine months have flown by, and yet it seems like November 18 will never get here. Most of my travel arrangements ( for myself and my bike) have been made. There are still a few small details to work out, but the big stuff is done.
Overall, I would have to say that my training has been going pretty well. There are have been some up and down, and I've had good days, and I've had few bad. I'm still paying regular visits to the massage therapist and chiropractor for routine maintenance. The massages often leave me begging for mercy. I wonder if he gets pleasure inflicting that kind of pain on paying clients. Sometimes I have little bruises that remind me of the torture sessions. As much as it might hurt, the massages are great. They help work out all the little knots and kinks in my muscles. Most of the time I walk in feeling perfectly fine and unaware of just how tight and knotted up I actually am.
After a swim session on Wednesday my shoulder began hurting. I recognized this feeling and knew I had to get into to see Ron, my chiropractor, ASAP. Luckily he had an opening on Friday. He began with a little ART. I promised him I wouldn't give him any bad publicity by talking about why I dropped a couple of F-bombs during the session, so I won't give details. I will say that at one point he asked me if I was going to cry. I did not! When he was done he let me pick out the color of Rock Tape that he used to tape up my shoulder. It feels a lot better, but I'm really not sure what the tape is supposed to do for me, other than leave some pretty interesting tan lines. It's also going to limit my outfit choices when I go out to dinner later this evening.
Today I had a 3 hour bike ride. Because of the much welcomed rain we've been getting, my backup plan for was to ride the Ironman Arizona course on the computrainer. Luckily, the rain held off and I got to ride outside. Typically an August ride in Texas is HOT HOT HOT, but today was nice. Lots of clouds and just a little wind. Not everyone was happy about us being on the road. A car, going in the opposite direction as us, yelled, "Get the @#%$*!) out of the road!" I'm not sure why these people feel the need to harass us. We have just as much right to the road as they do, and we were following all the traffic laws. Anytime I've encountered this type of behavior, it's almost always some guy in a big pick up truck! I wonder how he would like it if someone yelled at his daughter, wife, mother, or sister the way he yelled at us. Do these people really think we are going to stop riding? Perhaps he should put down his Big Gulp and honey bun and go for a bike ride. Even though these people anger me, I can't help but feel sorry for them. They are obviously unhappy people who feel the need to be mean to others from the comfort of their gas guzzlers. In all fairness, not every motorist on the road is a jerk to cyclist. Jeneen and I noticed a woman smile as she watched us ride by this morning. It was nice. I hope she had a wonderful day:)
"A bicycle ride is a flight from sadness." ~~ James Starr
Overall, I would have to say that my training has been going pretty well. There are have been some up and down, and I've had good days, and I've had few bad. I'm still paying regular visits to the massage therapist and chiropractor for routine maintenance. The massages often leave me begging for mercy. I wonder if he gets pleasure inflicting that kind of pain on paying clients. Sometimes I have little bruises that remind me of the torture sessions. As much as it might hurt, the massages are great. They help work out all the little knots and kinks in my muscles. Most of the time I walk in feeling perfectly fine and unaware of just how tight and knotted up I actually am.
After a swim session on Wednesday my shoulder began hurting. I recognized this feeling and knew I had to get into to see Ron, my chiropractor, ASAP. Luckily he had an opening on Friday. He began with a little ART. I promised him I wouldn't give him any bad publicity by talking about why I dropped a couple of F-bombs during the session, so I won't give details. I will say that at one point he asked me if I was going to cry. I did not! When he was done he let me pick out the color of Rock Tape that he used to tape up my shoulder. It feels a lot better, but I'm really not sure what the tape is supposed to do for me, other than leave some pretty interesting tan lines. It's also going to limit my outfit choices when I go out to dinner later this evening. Today I had a 3 hour bike ride. Because of the much welcomed rain we've been getting, my backup plan for was to ride the Ironman Arizona course on the computrainer. Luckily, the rain held off and I got to ride outside. Typically an August ride in Texas is HOT HOT HOT, but today was nice. Lots of clouds and just a little wind. Not everyone was happy about us being on the road. A car, going in the opposite direction as us, yelled, "Get the @#%$*!) out of the road!" I'm not sure why these people feel the need to harass us. We have just as much right to the road as they do, and we were following all the traffic laws. Anytime I've encountered this type of behavior, it's almost always some guy in a big pick up truck! I wonder how he would like it if someone yelled at his daughter, wife, mother, or sister the way he yelled at us. Do these people really think we are going to stop riding? Perhaps he should put down his Big Gulp and honey bun and go for a bike ride. Even though these people anger me, I can't help but feel sorry for them. They are obviously unhappy people who feel the need to be mean to others from the comfort of their gas guzzlers. In all fairness, not every motorist on the road is a jerk to cyclist. Jeneen and I noticed a woman smile as she watched us ride by this morning. It was nice. I hope she had a wonderful day:)
"A bicycle ride is a flight from sadness." ~~ James Starr
Monday, July 30, 2012
My Legs Have Not Been Happy With Me
There are good days in Ironman training and then there are not so good days. I'm not sure I like saying that I had few bad days last week because I am still so thrilled to be able to do this. Any day that I can get up and take another step toward my goal should be considered a good day.
Last week I hit a rough patch. As the week went on my legs were screaming obscenities at me. Thursday morning I showed for a track workout at 5:30. My body was just plain tired. It wasn't a sleepy tired, just a "I've been pushed too far and I'm not going any further" tired. I figured my legs were just pissed because I was making them run again. I left track early and headed out for a two hour bike ride. My legs are generally very cooperative on the bike so I figured it wouldn't be a problem. WRONG! After one 9 mile loop around Whiterock Lake I was ready to pack up my bike and go home, but I went a head and began a second loop. I'm sure the two people I scolded for not following trail etiquette wished I had made a different decision. I was on the verge of tears by the end of that loop and didn't even contemplate the final loop to complete my workout. I was done.
I hosted a pity party for myself for the remainder of the day. It began with hitting up Chic-fil-a for my second breakfast that morning. Those little chicken minis are darn good. Once home, my sofa and I spent some quality time together. I worried how I was going to manage Ironman training and work in just a few short weeks. The feeling of defeat ate away at me all day.
By the end of the night I knew my attitude needed major adjusting. I needed to stop feeling sorry for myself because I'm actually getting to do something I've been dreaming about doing for almost two years. I'm not the first person to juggle a full time job and Ironman training. Many people I know have a lot more on their plates than I do, and they still manage to get it done. I also get a nice 10 week vacation from work in the middle of all my training! I shut the pity party down decided to move forward.
My remaining workouts for the week did go better, but the legs continued to curse me. Yesterday my bike workout required me to go out with the fast group and try to hang on as long as possible. I did stay with them for almost 6 miles before getting dropped. As it turned out, one of the guys was actually trying drop the fast group so the pace got a little out of control. Despite being way out of my league on the ride, I did have a lot of fun. Maybe next time I can make it a little longer. Thankfully this week is a recover week with just under 9 hours of training. I don't have any workouts today, and I'm fine with that, but in the next couple of days I know I'll be going crazy. As much as I'll want to do more, I know my body needs this rest, so I'll resist the temptation.
"It's hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is again the little voice inside of you that wants to quit." ~~ Dr. George Sheehan
Last week I hit a rough patch. As the week went on my legs were screaming obscenities at me. Thursday morning I showed for a track workout at 5:30. My body was just plain tired. It wasn't a sleepy tired, just a "I've been pushed too far and I'm not going any further" tired. I figured my legs were just pissed because I was making them run again. I left track early and headed out for a two hour bike ride. My legs are generally very cooperative on the bike so I figured it wouldn't be a problem. WRONG! After one 9 mile loop around Whiterock Lake I was ready to pack up my bike and go home, but I went a head and began a second loop. I'm sure the two people I scolded for not following trail etiquette wished I had made a different decision. I was on the verge of tears by the end of that loop and didn't even contemplate the final loop to complete my workout. I was done.
I hosted a pity party for myself for the remainder of the day. It began with hitting up Chic-fil-a for my second breakfast that morning. Those little chicken minis are darn good. Once home, my sofa and I spent some quality time together. I worried how I was going to manage Ironman training and work in just a few short weeks. The feeling of defeat ate away at me all day.
By the end of the night I knew my attitude needed major adjusting. I needed to stop feeling sorry for myself because I'm actually getting to do something I've been dreaming about doing for almost two years. I'm not the first person to juggle a full time job and Ironman training. Many people I know have a lot more on their plates than I do, and they still manage to get it done. I also get a nice 10 week vacation from work in the middle of all my training! I shut the pity party down decided to move forward.
My remaining workouts for the week did go better, but the legs continued to curse me. Yesterday my bike workout required me to go out with the fast group and try to hang on as long as possible. I did stay with them for almost 6 miles before getting dropped. As it turned out, one of the guys was actually trying drop the fast group so the pace got a little out of control. Despite being way out of my league on the ride, I did have a lot of fun. Maybe next time I can make it a little longer. Thankfully this week is a recover week with just under 9 hours of training. I don't have any workouts today, and I'm fine with that, but in the next couple of days I know I'll be going crazy. As much as I'll want to do more, I know my body needs this rest, so I'll resist the temptation.
"It's hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is again the little voice inside of you that wants to quit." ~~ Dr. George Sheehan
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Who Says Disco Is Dead
Today I raced Disco at Johnson Branch State Park for the second time. Last year this race was my first olympic distance ever. To be perfectly honest, I spent much of the week regretting my decision to do this race. I figured it would be better for me to spend the weekend getting some serious mileage on the bike, but since I paid the money I figured I had to race.
One the way to race I had a little come to Jesus meeting with myself. Whether I like it or not I was doing this race so I might as well enjoy the experience. Once I got my transition area set up I made my way to swim start and found several NTM members setting up the tent. Seeing my people helped get me more excited.
The swim was pretty choppy but I wasn't bothered by it. I've swam in choppy water before so I just went with it. Last year I freaked out during the swim...and the water was smooth. Despite the choppy water and the several gulps I swallowed, I thought the swim went well.
I made my way to bike and ended up with the fastest T1 time in my age group! (It's the small victories:)) I hopped on my bike and immediately had two regrets: 1. I used regular bottles instead of my aero bottle so it was harder to drink. 2. I forgot to tape the number to my bike so it was sliding around my top tube and rubbing my leg. I had a pack of peanut butter Gu taped to my tube, so after I ate it I was able to use the tape for my bike number. As the race continued I was pleased with my pace and feeling pretty good. Around mile 15 or 16 I ended up dropping my chain. I quickly jumped off my bike and fixed it. Normally I wear black shorts for training, so when I get chain grease on my hands I can just wipe them on my shorts. My race shorts are red and white so that wasn't an option. The only black I had on was my sports bra. Soooo, I unzipped my top a little and wiped my hands. I'm sure it quite a sight! I finished my the bike portion of the race in 1 hour and 16 minutes.
My legs were still feeling good when I started the run, but I think I went out just a little too hard. As the miles ticked away my pace slowed a little bit. Because this race has a disco theme, there were people with big wigs and crazy outfits. It was pretty entertaining, but I don't know how they race with those mops on their head.
I finished the race in 2:51 and came in second in my age group. I was pretty pleased with my race and excited to place. While I did miss out on getting some good training miles in, I think today's race is just what I needed. With all the Ironman training, its easy to forget what I love most about this sport...racing! Today was great measuring stick to see how far I've grown as an athlete over the past year.
I have to give a big shout out to my coach. With his help I was able to shave 17 minutes off last year's race. I also have to give a big shout out to all the NTM volunteers today. Those guys always make race day special and fun.
"I'd rather look back at my life and say 'I can't believe I did that' instead of saying 'I wish I had done that.'" ~~ stolen from my Uncle John's Facebook page:)
Stacy and I both took home a little hardware!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Music To My Ears
Several months ago, unpon the advice of other triathletes, I bought a Finis SwimP3 to use during my long swim sessions. I'm so glad I listened. Shortly after signing up for IMAZ I found a great deal on one at Trishop's Black Friday sale.
I haven't been doing a ton of swimming by myself, so I haven't had many chances to use it...until now! After my hour swim practice on Wednesday and Friday mornings, I stay a little longer to get some addition distance in. I wasn't sure how I would like this arrangement, but it's working out pretty well. For an hour I get to swim with other people during a coached workout, which is what I like. When everyone else is getting out of the pool I grab my music and get in some extra swim time. Having music makes up for having to swim alone. At first I was afraid that the music would be a distraction, and I wouldn't be able to keep track of my laps. This hasn't been the case. The only downside of swimming with music is that it's pretty hard to sing along. It throws off my breathing and I end up with a lot of water going up my nose.
Another handy device I purchased for my long swims is a lap counter. It's a little ring that fits around my finger that helps me keep track of time and distance. I'm sure at some point I'll need it, but for now I'm able to swim without it. I don't like it as much as I thought I would. It actually makes my hand cramp up due to the funny positioning trying to keep it from falling off. Besides, I sometimes forget to hit the little button after a lap, or I don't press hard enough for it to register. It probably wasn't the best $30 I've spent.
2.4 miles sure is a long way to swim. It's 3860 meters or just over 154 lengths of a 25 meter pool. My longest swim to date is about 200 meters shy of this distance. On race day I will get to swim this crazy distance with over 2500 other insane people. I don't even want to think about how much pee will be in the water just before the start of the race!!
I want to take a moment to give a big shout out to fellow triathlete, Heidi Lueb, who just signed up for her first Ironman! Go Heidi!!
"Somewhere behind the athelte you've become, the hours of practice, the coaches who pushed you, the fans who cheered for you, is the little girl who feel in love with the sport and never looked back. Play for her." ~~ Unknown
I haven't been doing a ton of swimming by myself, so I haven't had many chances to use it...until now! After my hour swim practice on Wednesday and Friday mornings, I stay a little longer to get some addition distance in. I wasn't sure how I would like this arrangement, but it's working out pretty well. For an hour I get to swim with other people during a coached workout, which is what I like. When everyone else is getting out of the pool I grab my music and get in some extra swim time. Having music makes up for having to swim alone. At first I was afraid that the music would be a distraction, and I wouldn't be able to keep track of my laps. This hasn't been the case. The only downside of swimming with music is that it's pretty hard to sing along. It throws off my breathing and I end up with a lot of water going up my nose.
Another handy device I purchased for my long swims is a lap counter. It's a little ring that fits around my finger that helps me keep track of time and distance. I'm sure at some point I'll need it, but for now I'm able to swim without it. I don't like it as much as I thought I would. It actually makes my hand cramp up due to the funny positioning trying to keep it from falling off. Besides, I sometimes forget to hit the little button after a lap, or I don't press hard enough for it to register. It probably wasn't the best $30 I've spent.
2.4 miles sure is a long way to swim. It's 3860 meters or just over 154 lengths of a 25 meter pool. My longest swim to date is about 200 meters shy of this distance. On race day I will get to swim this crazy distance with over 2500 other insane people. I don't even want to think about how much pee will be in the water just before the start of the race!!
I want to take a moment to give a big shout out to fellow triathlete, Heidi Lueb, who just signed up for her first Ironman! Go Heidi!!
"Somewhere behind the athelte you've become, the hours of practice, the coaches who pushed you, the fans who cheered for you, is the little girl who feel in love with the sport and never looked back. Play for her." ~~ Unknown
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Just a Lot of Training...And I Like It
The big race is 4 1/2 months away and my Ironman training is really moving along. This week I completed almost 16 1/2 hour of training....that's a lot of swimming, biking, and running. Most days I get up early and train, go home and take a nap, and then I train some more. My whole day seems to revolve around my training schedule. It's like being a professional triathlete without the sponsorships and free stuff. Going back to work in August is really going to throw a wrench into my training schedule.
The last two Saturdays have consisted of 5 hour bike rides. On Friday my legs were pretty tired and a little sore, but they really came through for me over the weekend. Due to the heat I'm having to start my long rides as soon as the sun comes up...that means wheels down at 6:15. Most people don't want (or need) to start that early, so I start off by myself and meet up with others later. I love riding early in the morning. Everything is quiet. It's a nice way to start a long morning in the saddle.
This weekend I tried out a new route just to shake things up a bit. I had some friends join me for part of the ride, but they aren't on the 140.6 training plan so they cut out early. I got into a zone and ended up missing a turn. Luckily I figured it out before I got off course too much and was able to get myself back on track. At one point I ran into my coach. He rode with me for a while and kept me company. It was nice to get to ride with him and talk about my training. He eventually split off from me and I finished up my last hour of riding alone. I rewarded myself with a Cookies-n-Cream Muscle Milk and a couple of breakfast brisket tacos...can you say YUMMY!
This morning I wrapped up my training week with an open water swim, a 75 minute bike ride, and a 15 minute run. I do feel pretty good after this week of training, but I have to admit that I am a little tired. This next week is a recovery week so I won't have as much training. My body gets to rest and recover so I can begin the insanity all over again.
Last summer my mind and body was trying to adjust to this new training regimen. I couldn't stop eating, and something on my body always seemed to hurt. I'm happy to report that my appetite seems to have settled to a level that no longer embarrasses me. I've shed the extra weight that I gained training for the half Ironman, and I'm feeling great.
This journey isn't easy, but I love it. I can feel myself getting stronger by the week. While this is a good thing, I don't always feel...well...very girly. The other day I was doing my strength training at the gym. I wasn't wearing any makeup and my arm muscles were looking particularly muscular that day. As a single woman, that really wasn't the look I was going for. I'm going to make a conscious effort to put on a little makeup before going to the gym. I'm even thinking of brining my own weights that are sparkly and have pretty ribbons tied to them. I am still a girl, and I want to make sure that my femenine side doesn't get lost in Ironman! I also need to look into pink chain grease. Somehow I think it will look less dirty when it gets all over my legs.
"What am I on...I'm on my bike 6 hours day busting my ass." Lance Armstrong
The last two Saturdays have consisted of 5 hour bike rides. On Friday my legs were pretty tired and a little sore, but they really came through for me over the weekend. Due to the heat I'm having to start my long rides as soon as the sun comes up...that means wheels down at 6:15. Most people don't want (or need) to start that early, so I start off by myself and meet up with others later. I love riding early in the morning. Everything is quiet. It's a nice way to start a long morning in the saddle.
This weekend I tried out a new route just to shake things up a bit. I had some friends join me for part of the ride, but they aren't on the 140.6 training plan so they cut out early. I got into a zone and ended up missing a turn. Luckily I figured it out before I got off course too much and was able to get myself back on track. At one point I ran into my coach. He rode with me for a while and kept me company. It was nice to get to ride with him and talk about my training. He eventually split off from me and I finished up my last hour of riding alone. I rewarded myself with a Cookies-n-Cream Muscle Milk and a couple of breakfast brisket tacos...can you say YUMMY!
This morning I wrapped up my training week with an open water swim, a 75 minute bike ride, and a 15 minute run. I do feel pretty good after this week of training, but I have to admit that I am a little tired. This next week is a recovery week so I won't have as much training. My body gets to rest and recover so I can begin the insanity all over again.
Last summer my mind and body was trying to adjust to this new training regimen. I couldn't stop eating, and something on my body always seemed to hurt. I'm happy to report that my appetite seems to have settled to a level that no longer embarrasses me. I've shed the extra weight that I gained training for the half Ironman, and I'm feeling great.
This journey isn't easy, but I love it. I can feel myself getting stronger by the week. While this is a good thing, I don't always feel...well...very girly. The other day I was doing my strength training at the gym. I wasn't wearing any makeup and my arm muscles were looking particularly muscular that day. As a single woman, that really wasn't the look I was going for. I'm going to make a conscious effort to put on a little makeup before going to the gym. I'm even thinking of brining my own weights that are sparkly and have pretty ribbons tied to them. I am still a girl, and I want to make sure that my femenine side doesn't get lost in Ironman! I also need to look into pink chain grease. Somehow I think it will look less dirty when it gets all over my legs.
"What am I on...I'm on my bike 6 hours day busting my ass." Lance Armstrong
Friday, June 15, 2012
Why?
At some point all endurance athletes ask themselves one simple questions, "Why?" Why do we put our bodies through hours training? Why do we get up at 4:30 to knock out an hour swim class before heading to work? Why do we bike and run at 7:00 AM (or earlier) on weekends? Why do we pour thousand of dollars into a sport that rewards us with sore muscles, injuries, and drawer full of t-shirts? Why do we endure the pain of race day? The answer is simple....WE ARE CRAZY...and we like it that way!
Honestly, there is satisfaction is the suffering. It makes us feel alive. It allows us to escape the real world for a little while. It makes other aspects of our lives seem easy. It's not always fun to run for two hours or to push yourself beyond the limits in a race. I always describe my experience at the half Ironman as gratifying; not fun. There were parts of the race that were fun, but overall, I wouldn't use "Fun" as to describe the experience. When it hurts,when I'm tired, and when I want to stop, I say, "To hell with it," and keep going.
I've never crossed a finish line or completed a workout thinking, "I wish I hadn't done that," or "I should have just quit." The feeling of crossing the finish line is like an addiction. It makes the hours of training all worth it. I may not feel physically stronger at the end of a race, but I am mentally stronger. I've found that I do a better job when facing challenging or uncomfortable situations lately, and I attribute it to my triathlon experience. When I'm presented with an uncomfortable situation I always think back to the swim start of the half Ironman. It's not hard to remember what that gut wrenching feeling was like. I bring myself back to that place of being uncomfortable and just wanting to get out of the water. I think about how I overcame it...I just kept swimming. I didn't stop and I prayed a lot.
I love triathlon. I love the training, and I love the racing. It's a challenge unlike any other I've ever given myself. It's not always easy, and there are moments when it is not fun, but I can't imagine giving it up at this point. I'm learning more and more about myself each day that I'm in this crazy sport.
I don't mean to give the impression that this sport is all about pain and suffering and misery. Most of the time I'm more than happy to train. I have fun when I'm swimming or biking with my friends, and I even find enjoyment in the long runs I do alone. There is something soothing in listening to my feet hit the pavement in a continuous rhythm. While the hours of training and racing may leave me physically exhausted and a bit sore, they also leave me renewed and excited about the challenge of doing an Ironman.
"It doesn't matter how slowly you go, as long as you don't stop." ~ Confucius
Honestly, there is satisfaction is the suffering. It makes us feel alive. It allows us to escape the real world for a little while. It makes other aspects of our lives seem easy. It's not always fun to run for two hours or to push yourself beyond the limits in a race. I always describe my experience at the half Ironman as gratifying; not fun. There were parts of the race that were fun, but overall, I wouldn't use "Fun" as to describe the experience. When it hurts,when I'm tired, and when I want to stop, I say, "To hell with it," and keep going.
I've never crossed a finish line or completed a workout thinking, "I wish I hadn't done that," or "I should have just quit." The feeling of crossing the finish line is like an addiction. It makes the hours of training all worth it. I may not feel physically stronger at the end of a race, but I am mentally stronger. I've found that I do a better job when facing challenging or uncomfortable situations lately, and I attribute it to my triathlon experience. When I'm presented with an uncomfortable situation I always think back to the swim start of the half Ironman. It's not hard to remember what that gut wrenching feeling was like. I bring myself back to that place of being uncomfortable and just wanting to get out of the water. I think about how I overcame it...I just kept swimming. I didn't stop and I prayed a lot.
I love triathlon. I love the training, and I love the racing. It's a challenge unlike any other I've ever given myself. It's not always easy, and there are moments when it is not fun, but I can't imagine giving it up at this point. I'm learning more and more about myself each day that I'm in this crazy sport.
I don't mean to give the impression that this sport is all about pain and suffering and misery. Most of the time I'm more than happy to train. I have fun when I'm swimming or biking with my friends, and I even find enjoyment in the long runs I do alone. There is something soothing in listening to my feet hit the pavement in a continuous rhythm. While the hours of training and racing may leave me physically exhausted and a bit sore, they also leave me renewed and excited about the challenge of doing an Ironman.
"It doesn't matter how slowly you go, as long as you don't stop." ~ Confucius
Thursday, June 14, 2012
The Other Side of Triathlon
This past weekend I traveled to Kansas for the half Ironman. No, I wasn't there to race. I was there as my friend, Jeneen's, sherpa. What is a sherpa you ask? A sherpa is someone who goes out to the race to support an athlete. The job of the sherpa is to encourage and support the athlete in any way needed throughout the day. Jeneen was a great sherpa for me when I did my half, and she even walked my parents through the race day sherpin.
As a triathlete I understand how important a good support system is on race day, so I was determined to do all that I could to be the best sherpa I could be. I knew it would be a long day so I made sure that I was prepared. I packed a chair, my nutrition (cliff bar, Reese's Pieces, and mixed nuts), water, a cowbell, and plenty of sun block. I also made a few signs to hold up for the athletes. One of my favorite things on the race course while I'm racing has got to be the signs people make.
Most of my day was spent waiting for Jeneen to pass by. I didn't have to wait too long for her to come out of the water. When she did I was there screaming and cheering her on while ringing my cowbell and taking pictures. She left her bike pump and transition bag with me, so after she came out of the swim I grabbed these items and sprinted to the bike mount line to see her off as she began her 56 mile bike ride. I may have taken out a few spectators during this mad dash. At this point I knew I had a few hours to kill before she would return to the park and begin her 13.1 mile run. I hiked a mile to the car and traded Jeneen's gear for my own gear.
I returned to the bike-in and run-out section of the race course to wait...and wait. When I knew it was almost time for her to come in from her bike ride I positioned myself on the side of the road with my signs held high, my cowbell ringing, and a camera ready to snap a photo. When she finally came by I screamed as loud as I could and tried to snap a picture. It was pretty difficult to maneuver the signs, cowbell, and camera. I was also trying to update friends back home via text and Facebook with both my phone and Jeneen's phone.
I spent much of the day moving between 2 spots on the run course with my sherpa gear in toe. I held up funny signs and cheered on tons of complete strangers. I knew what they were going through, and a big part of me was wishing I was in their shoes. There were times when the wind made it difficult to hold up the signs, but I knew I couldn't put them down. Many of the racers expressed their appreciation for the cheers, cowbell, and signs. It was fun watching their race as they read them. The sign that seemed to be most popular said, "Smile if you peed yourself today (we know you did)" Some of the racers pointed to their smile or told me that they had indeed peed themselves. It was a lot of fun, and their reactions made it worth the trouble of dragging the signs around and chasing them down when the wind blew them away.
When I saw Jeneen at mile 11 I told her I would meet her at the finish line. This is probably my favorite part of watching a race. I got to cheer on many racers as they came across the finish. I found myself getting choked up because I know that their journey began long before they stepped in the water earlier that day. I waited with anticipation for Jeneen to round the turn and come down the finishers shoot. You can bet that I was cheering as loud as I could and ringing the hell out of my cowbell when she came into sight. I am so proud of her! She rocked a course that threw choppy waters, big hills, lots of wind, and the blazing sun her way. Kansas 70.3 had no mercy on the athletes.
While I would much rather be racing than watching a race, I'm glad I got to be there to see Jeneen complete her first 70.3. Perhaps someday I will return to Kansas and take on this race, but for now my focus is on my first Ironman.
"The only one who can tell you 'you can't' is you. And you don't have to listen." ~~ Nike
As a triathlete I understand how important a good support system is on race day, so I was determined to do all that I could to be the best sherpa I could be. I knew it would be a long day so I made sure that I was prepared. I packed a chair, my nutrition (cliff bar, Reese's Pieces, and mixed nuts), water, a cowbell, and plenty of sun block. I also made a few signs to hold up for the athletes. One of my favorite things on the race course while I'm racing has got to be the signs people make.
Most of my day was spent waiting for Jeneen to pass by. I didn't have to wait too long for her to come out of the water. When she did I was there screaming and cheering her on while ringing my cowbell and taking pictures. She left her bike pump and transition bag with me, so after she came out of the swim I grabbed these items and sprinted to the bike mount line to see her off as she began her 56 mile bike ride. I may have taken out a few spectators during this mad dash. At this point I knew I had a few hours to kill before she would return to the park and begin her 13.1 mile run. I hiked a mile to the car and traded Jeneen's gear for my own gear.
I returned to the bike-in and run-out section of the race course to wait...and wait. When I knew it was almost time for her to come in from her bike ride I positioned myself on the side of the road with my signs held high, my cowbell ringing, and a camera ready to snap a photo. When she finally came by I screamed as loud as I could and tried to snap a picture. It was pretty difficult to maneuver the signs, cowbell, and camera. I was also trying to update friends back home via text and Facebook with both my phone and Jeneen's phone.
I spent much of the day moving between 2 spots on the run course with my sherpa gear in toe. I held up funny signs and cheered on tons of complete strangers. I knew what they were going through, and a big part of me was wishing I was in their shoes. There were times when the wind made it difficult to hold up the signs, but I knew I couldn't put them down. Many of the racers expressed their appreciation for the cheers, cowbell, and signs. It was fun watching their race as they read them. The sign that seemed to be most popular said, "Smile if you peed yourself today (we know you did)" Some of the racers pointed to their smile or told me that they had indeed peed themselves. It was a lot of fun, and their reactions made it worth the trouble of dragging the signs around and chasing them down when the wind blew them away.
When I saw Jeneen at mile 11 I told her I would meet her at the finish line. This is probably my favorite part of watching a race. I got to cheer on many racers as they came across the finish. I found myself getting choked up because I know that their journey began long before they stepped in the water earlier that day. I waited with anticipation for Jeneen to round the turn and come down the finishers shoot. You can bet that I was cheering as loud as I could and ringing the hell out of my cowbell when she came into sight. I am so proud of her! She rocked a course that threw choppy waters, big hills, lots of wind, and the blazing sun her way. Kansas 70.3 had no mercy on the athletes.
While I would much rather be racing than watching a race, I'm glad I got to be there to see Jeneen complete her first 70.3. Perhaps someday I will return to Kansas and take on this race, but for now my focus is on my first Ironman.
"The only one who can tell you 'you can't' is you. And you don't have to listen." ~~ Nike
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Playtri Festival...First Olympic of the Season
This weekend was the Playtri Festival in Irving, TX. I spend Saturday afternoon volunteering at the ITU pro races. It was pretty cool to watch draft legal racing. I got to stand on the side of the road and yell into a bull horn, "U-turn ahead!" It may not have been the most glamorous job, but I was happy to be there and watch the bikes go by.
Today I completed my first Olympic distance race of the season. Honestly, I've been pretty busy and had a million other things on my mind, so I didn't feel like I had mentally prepared myself for this race as much as I would have liked. I didn't write out a race plan, and didn't really give much thought to it until a day or two before the race.
My stomach wasn't prepared to handle the amount of food I needed this morning for my pre-race breakfast. I choked down what I could. Luckily, it settled just before it was time to race. I managed to get a little pre-race swim in. Last year the water was like swimming in a dirty hot bath. This year it didn't seem as bad.
I began my 1500 meter swim without too much trouble. There were several turns on the swim, and after a while I got kind of lost. I didn't really know where I was on the course or where the next buoy was. It really didn't bother me too much. I just followed the other swimmers that seemed to be moving in the same general direction as I was. I did feel someone on my feet, and I found out later that it was my friend Sabrina. She said I was swimming a zig-zag....I'm sure I was. My swim didn't feel stellar, yet it didn't feel awful. When I came out of the water I looked for the race clock so I could figure out how long I was out there. My math skills become a little fuzzy when I race because I thought my swim time was around 37 minutes, but it was actually 33 minutes.
I headed out on my bike and quickly noticed that my legs were feeling very fresh. I wasn't sure if my quads had the 24 miles of biking and the six miles of running I had left on this race in them. For the first time outside of the swim, the thought of DNFing crossed my mind. I didn't want to DNF, but I didn't know if my legs were going to cooperate. Throughout the 2 loop bike course I saw lots of fellow NTMers that gave me the encouragement I needed. I manged to average 18.8 mph on the bike...not too bad for me, but I think I could do better on that course.
I wasn't looking forward to the run. There is not a lick of shade out there, and I just remembered how much the heat hurt me last year. This year wasn't as bad. There was just enough cloud coverage for most of the run. The run course was a two loop course with a lot of running up and down the same road. It was a great way to see everyone several times. After about a mile and a half, my legs settled in and I was feeling pretty good. I did have a little cramping and tightness in my hip and butt, but it wasn't too bad. The last half mile I started to feel nauseous. I did everything I could to NOT throw-up. The streets were lined with spectators and I didn't want to be the chick puking in front of everyone. I turned the last corner and made it to the finish line without embarrassment. I even heard the announcer call out my name. I still felt like I could throw up. I kept my head down and volunteers put cold water on my neck. My friend Jim was there and he brought me a wet towel. He told me I needed to wipe the sh** off my shoe because I was kicking ass out there! I joined my other NTM friends and was feeling better. Everyone seemed to have had a great race. Several of my friends even finished top 3 in their age group. I finished in 2:54...a PR for me!
I went to one of the tents after the race and got some work done by one of the chiropractors. Those people were saints for being there and volunteering to work on dirty athletes. By the end of the race we are covered in sweet, salt, dirty canal water, sticky sports drinks, sun block, and God knows what else. It's a dirty sport.
A big shout-out goes out to Playtri for pulling off a great weekend of racing. The staff and volunteers were awesome! I can't wait to go back next year.
I know you're not supposed to try anything new on race day, but I did. The day before the race I bought a new sweat band. I didn't have a chance to try it out before hand. It's a Quantum Cool head band. It's very thin and comfortable. It fit nicely under my bike helmet and visor. It stayed in place and it kept the salty sweat out of my eye. This is my new favorite accessory.
"Life is simple. Triathlon. Swim. Bike. Run. Eat. Sleep." Unbekannt
Today I completed my first Olympic distance race of the season. Honestly, I've been pretty busy and had a million other things on my mind, so I didn't feel like I had mentally prepared myself for this race as much as I would have liked. I didn't write out a race plan, and didn't really give much thought to it until a day or two before the race.
My stomach wasn't prepared to handle the amount of food I needed this morning for my pre-race breakfast. I choked down what I could. Luckily, it settled just before it was time to race. I managed to get a little pre-race swim in. Last year the water was like swimming in a dirty hot bath. This year it didn't seem as bad.
I began my 1500 meter swim without too much trouble. There were several turns on the swim, and after a while I got kind of lost. I didn't really know where I was on the course or where the next buoy was. It really didn't bother me too much. I just followed the other swimmers that seemed to be moving in the same general direction as I was. I did feel someone on my feet, and I found out later that it was my friend Sabrina. She said I was swimming a zig-zag....I'm sure I was. My swim didn't feel stellar, yet it didn't feel awful. When I came out of the water I looked for the race clock so I could figure out how long I was out there. My math skills become a little fuzzy when I race because I thought my swim time was around 37 minutes, but it was actually 33 minutes.
I headed out on my bike and quickly noticed that my legs were feeling very fresh. I wasn't sure if my quads had the 24 miles of biking and the six miles of running I had left on this race in them. For the first time outside of the swim, the thought of DNFing crossed my mind. I didn't want to DNF, but I didn't know if my legs were going to cooperate. Throughout the 2 loop bike course I saw lots of fellow NTMers that gave me the encouragement I needed. I manged to average 18.8 mph on the bike...not too bad for me, but I think I could do better on that course.
I wasn't looking forward to the run. There is not a lick of shade out there, and I just remembered how much the heat hurt me last year. This year wasn't as bad. There was just enough cloud coverage for most of the run. The run course was a two loop course with a lot of running up and down the same road. It was a great way to see everyone several times. After about a mile and a half, my legs settled in and I was feeling pretty good. I did have a little cramping and tightness in my hip and butt, but it wasn't too bad. The last half mile I started to feel nauseous. I did everything I could to NOT throw-up. The streets were lined with spectators and I didn't want to be the chick puking in front of everyone. I turned the last corner and made it to the finish line without embarrassment. I even heard the announcer call out my name. I still felt like I could throw up. I kept my head down and volunteers put cold water on my neck. My friend Jim was there and he brought me a wet towel. He told me I needed to wipe the sh** off my shoe because I was kicking ass out there! I joined my other NTM friends and was feeling better. Everyone seemed to have had a great race. Several of my friends even finished top 3 in their age group. I finished in 2:54...a PR for me!
I went to one of the tents after the race and got some work done by one of the chiropractors. Those people were saints for being there and volunteering to work on dirty athletes. By the end of the race we are covered in sweet, salt, dirty canal water, sticky sports drinks, sun block, and God knows what else. It's a dirty sport.
A big shout-out goes out to Playtri for pulling off a great weekend of racing. The staff and volunteers were awesome! I can't wait to go back next year.
I know you're not supposed to try anything new on race day, but I did. The day before the race I bought a new sweat band. I didn't have a chance to try it out before hand. It's a Quantum Cool head band. It's very thin and comfortable. It fit nicely under my bike helmet and visor. It stayed in place and it kept the salty sweat out of my eye. This is my new favorite accessory.
"Life is simple. Triathlon. Swim. Bike. Run. Eat. Sleep." Unbekannt
Monday, May 7, 2012
One of Those Days
I learned early on in this sport to expect the unexpected. Someone recently told me to expect at least 3 things to go wrong during my Ironman race. I'm not sure what kind of statistics he has to back up this information, but those words have stuck with me ever since. It's made me think about what to do when things don't go as planned. Over the weekend I got a little taste of this.
Jeneen and I set out on a four hour bike ride. I had been looking forward to it all week. I made sure to pack plenty of nutrition and water, and I slathered enough sunblock on my skin to make my dermatologist happy. We were about an hour into our ride when I shifted down and dropped my chain. This normally isn't a big deal, but when my cranks locked up I knew I was in trouble. My chain was jammed between the ring and the frame. I hopped off my bike and tried to pull it out, but the darn thing wouldn't budge. In no time Jeneen had my bike flipped over and the back wheel off. We were trying everything to dislodge the chain. It wasn't long before I realized that my training day was over. Luckily, my friend Michelle was home and agreed to come pick up me and my bike.
Jeneen suggested that I walk down to the school that was about a block away to wait for Michelle. I gathered up my bike, back wheel, and assortment of water bottles and began my trek. I couldn't help but laugh at the situation. I'm sure it was a sight to see. Once we reached the school I was on my own. Jeneen continued on her bike ride and I found a shady spot to wait.
Two women drove up while I was waiting with my disassembled bike. They drove to the back of the parking lot, sat there for a few minutes, then left. I have no idea what they were doing. They looked straight at me, but never asked if I needed any help or if I was okay. There really wasn't anything that the women, or any other stranger driving by, could have done for me, but I found it odd that so many people could pass right by and not ask if I was okay or needed anything. While Jeneen and I were trying to fix my bike, one woman did stop to ask where the high school was. I gave her directions, and she drove off. Seriously! It was obvious that I was having trouble of my own, yet she didn't seem to notice.
The first stop on my way home was the bike store. My bike will be there a couple of days getting repaired and undergoing some other routine maintenance that I've been meaning to get done.
I could have let this whole situation upset me or anger me, but I didn't. I did lose some training time, and I did have to inconvenience someone to drive out and pick me up. This is an unfortunate part of the game. I'm glad it happened on a training ride and not during a race. You never know what race day will bring, and sometimes it brings challenges that may end your race early. You have to decide how you are going to handle it. Are you going to get angry and make a fool of yourself in front of everyone, or do you handle it with class and accept that today was not your day? I would like to think that I would choose the latter if something like this happens on the day of my Ironman, but I'm praying really hard that I won't have to find out.
"To a brave man, good and bad luck are like his left and right hand. He uses both." ~ St. Catherine of Siena
Jeneen and I set out on a four hour bike ride. I had been looking forward to it all week. I made sure to pack plenty of nutrition and water, and I slathered enough sunblock on my skin to make my dermatologist happy. We were about an hour into our ride when I shifted down and dropped my chain. This normally isn't a big deal, but when my cranks locked up I knew I was in trouble. My chain was jammed between the ring and the frame. I hopped off my bike and tried to pull it out, but the darn thing wouldn't budge. In no time Jeneen had my bike flipped over and the back wheel off. We were trying everything to dislodge the chain. It wasn't long before I realized that my training day was over. Luckily, my friend Michelle was home and agreed to come pick up me and my bike.
Two women drove up while I was waiting with my disassembled bike. They drove to the back of the parking lot, sat there for a few minutes, then left. I have no idea what they were doing. They looked straight at me, but never asked if I needed any help or if I was okay. There really wasn't anything that the women, or any other stranger driving by, could have done for me, but I found it odd that so many people could pass right by and not ask if I was okay or needed anything. While Jeneen and I were trying to fix my bike, one woman did stop to ask where the high school was. I gave her directions, and she drove off. Seriously! It was obvious that I was having trouble of my own, yet she didn't seem to notice.
The first stop on my way home was the bike store. My bike will be there a couple of days getting repaired and undergoing some other routine maintenance that I've been meaning to get done.
I could have let this whole situation upset me or anger me, but I didn't. I did lose some training time, and I did have to inconvenience someone to drive out and pick me up. This is an unfortunate part of the game. I'm glad it happened on a training ride and not during a race. You never know what race day will bring, and sometimes it brings challenges that may end your race early. You have to decide how you are going to handle it. Are you going to get angry and make a fool of yourself in front of everyone, or do you handle it with class and accept that today was not your day? I would like to think that I would choose the latter if something like this happens on the day of my Ironman, but I'm praying really hard that I won't have to find out.
"To a brave man, good and bad luck are like his left and right hand. He uses both." ~ St. Catherine of Siena
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Kickin' It Off
Finally!!! Today was my first triathlon of the season...Tri For Humanity. Last year this was my first open water swim race, and my swim did not go so well. I'm pleased to say that it went much better this year. Redemption!
I can honestly say that I didn't even get that "I really don't want to do this" sick feeling in my stomach as I was waiting for the race to start. The race did start a little late, but I had Sherri and Rebecca to keep me company. We made small talk and warmed up our wetsuits while standing on the bank of the lake. When my wave, the third and final wave, was finally in the water, I positioned myself on the inside of the buoys. As the swim began I was surprised by how calm if felt...at least where I was. My sighting was good and I kept a decent pace. It wasn't as fast as I could have swam, but my goal was to swim steady. As I approached T1 threw myself on the ground for the wetsuit strippers to help me out of all that rubber. It wasn't easy getting that thing off! I grabbed my bike and heading off on my 12 mile ride.
The course was a two loop course. The first part of the loop is uphill and the wind was a factor. It wasn't too bad, but it was noticeable. Once I took a right onto Eldorado, I was able to pick up my pace. I didn't pay much attention to my speed and heart rate, but at one point I looked down and saw that I was going over 27 mph! It helped that I was on a slight decline and had a little tail wind. A few miles into the race I could hear motorcycles behind me. I figured it was race officials making sure that the guys who were on their second loop weren't trying to draft off me. As women passed me I kept looking down to see if they were in my age group. I didn't see any so I figured they hadn't caught me yet or they were already ahead of me. So, I just kept racing. It was nice to know that I didn't have to save a whole lot for the run since it was only a 5K.
As I came into T2 I finally saw Sherri. She caught me, but I didn't care because she's not in my age group. I could hear my friend Jim yelling at me from the side lines like over-bearing soccer dad, but it was what I needed. It kept me from doing what I wanted to do...walk out of T2. I hated it, but I ran up that hill at the start of the run. The whole time I just wanted to stop and walk for a second, but I knew I couldn't let myself. Sprints aren't supposed to feel good, so I knew I was doing it right. I couldn't see my pace on my Garmin, but I could see my speed. There wasn't enough blood flow to do much math to calculate my pace so I just tried to keep my speed over 6 mph. 6mph is a 10 minute mile and that's as far as my math skills could take me. I managed to keep my pace, and I even had snippets of time when I was running 7+mph. Running is not my strength so this wasn't too bad for me.
My favorite part of the race was finally coming across that finish line. Most of my friends who were racing had already crossed, so they were there to greet me. I could barley catch my breath, but I was happy. I knew I had to be close to my goal time of 1:15. I was actually off by a couple of minutes. I finished in 1:17, but it was good enough to get second place in my age group.
North Texas Multisport also walked away with the team championship! I believe there were about 14 teams competing today! I'm so proud of my tri group, and not just because we took home a trophy. We represented well, and we were all there to support and cheer on one another. Many members weren't even racing, but still came out to volunteer and support us. I couldn't have asked for a better day!
"Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion." ~Muhammad Ali
I can honestly say that I didn't even get that "I really don't want to do this" sick feeling in my stomach as I was waiting for the race to start. The race did start a little late, but I had Sherri and Rebecca to keep me company. We made small talk and warmed up our wetsuits while standing on the bank of the lake. When my wave, the third and final wave, was finally in the water, I positioned myself on the inside of the buoys. As the swim began I was surprised by how calm if felt...at least where I was. My sighting was good and I kept a decent pace. It wasn't as fast as I could have swam, but my goal was to swim steady. As I approached T1 threw myself on the ground for the wetsuit strippers to help me out of all that rubber. It wasn't easy getting that thing off! I grabbed my bike and heading off on my 12 mile ride.
The course was a two loop course. The first part of the loop is uphill and the wind was a factor. It wasn't too bad, but it was noticeable. Once I took a right onto Eldorado, I was able to pick up my pace. I didn't pay much attention to my speed and heart rate, but at one point I looked down and saw that I was going over 27 mph! It helped that I was on a slight decline and had a little tail wind. A few miles into the race I could hear motorcycles behind me. I figured it was race officials making sure that the guys who were on their second loop weren't trying to draft off me. As women passed me I kept looking down to see if they were in my age group. I didn't see any so I figured they hadn't caught me yet or they were already ahead of me. So, I just kept racing. It was nice to know that I didn't have to save a whole lot for the run since it was only a 5K.
As I came into T2 I finally saw Sherri. She caught me, but I didn't care because she's not in my age group. I could hear my friend Jim yelling at me from the side lines like over-bearing soccer dad, but it was what I needed. It kept me from doing what I wanted to do...walk out of T2. I hated it, but I ran up that hill at the start of the run. The whole time I just wanted to stop and walk for a second, but I knew I couldn't let myself. Sprints aren't supposed to feel good, so I knew I was doing it right. I couldn't see my pace on my Garmin, but I could see my speed. There wasn't enough blood flow to do much math to calculate my pace so I just tried to keep my speed over 6 mph. 6mph is a 10 minute mile and that's as far as my math skills could take me. I managed to keep my pace, and I even had snippets of time when I was running 7+mph. Running is not my strength so this wasn't too bad for me.
My favorite part of the race was finally coming across that finish line. Most of my friends who were racing had already crossed, so they were there to greet me. I could barley catch my breath, but I was happy. I knew I had to be close to my goal time of 1:15. I was actually off by a couple of minutes. I finished in 1:17, but it was good enough to get second place in my age group. North Texas Multisport also walked away with the team championship! I believe there were about 14 teams competing today! I'm so proud of my tri group, and not just because we took home a trophy. We represented well, and we were all there to support and cheer on one another. Many members weren't even racing, but still came out to volunteer and support us. I couldn't have asked for a better day!
"Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion." ~Muhammad Ali
Monday, April 23, 2012
3 Down, 30 To Go
I just completed week 3 of Ironman training, and so far things seem to be going well. I've settled into a routine of 2 and even 3 workouts most days of the week quite nicely. It's amazing how much more organized I am with my time when someone tells me what I need to do each and every day of the week. Thanks to the training my appetite is that of a teenage boy, and I'm rocking some pretty sweet tan lines from my bike shorts. Don't be jealous!
Training does take a toll on my body. I see my chiropractor and massage therapist for routine maintenance. It's good to take care of the little things before they become big things. Over the last few days my shoulder has been giving me problems, so I paid Dr. T a visit today. He figured out what the problem was and treated it with a little ART! By this, I mean that he shoved his fingers into my arm pits and inflicted enough pain for me to justify punching him in the face (which I did not do because I was paralized with pain). It felt like he was stabbing me with a knife! I'm sure that whatever he did will help. If nothing else it will make the discomfort I've been feeling seem like nothing compared to what he did to me today.
Training does take a toll on my body. I see my chiropractor and massage therapist for routine maintenance. It's good to take care of the little things before they become big things. Over the last few days my shoulder has been giving me problems, so I paid Dr. T a visit today. He figured out what the problem was and treated it with a little ART! By this, I mean that he shoved his fingers into my arm pits and inflicted enough pain for me to justify punching him in the face (which I did not do because I was paralized with pain). It felt like he was stabbing me with a knife! I'm sure that whatever he did will help. If nothing else it will make the discomfort I've been feeling seem like nothing compared to what he did to me today.
We've had some great weather here in north Texas over the past few weeks. It's nice to see all the green trees and grass and colorful flowers while I'm out on my rides and runs. On Sunday I didn't want to stop running because it was so nice outside. I'm trying to savor every minute of this beautiful time of year because I know it won't last. In a few short weeks it will feel like the fires of hell are descending on us and everything will turn brown. While I am looking forward to a nice tan, I'm not looking forward to the kind of heat that will force me carry my weight in water and salt tabs on my workouts.
We did have one Saturday recently that wasn't so pretty. Jeneen and I began a four hour ride beneath the dark storm clouds. For some reason I was convinced that it wouldn't rain until we were finished our ride, but I was wrong. We found our selves riding on isolated country roads in the rain for part of our ride. The wet weather did little to dampen our spirits. It actually wasn't too bad. What was bad, however, was the wind! There were times on our ride when we were dealing with some pretty torrential winds of 20 miles an hour. The first few hours were bearable, but after three hours this was no longer the case. This was when the winds really seemed to pick up. We found ourselves having to pedal just to get DOWN the hills, and you don't even want to know what it was like riding up a hill in 20 mph head winds. I tried to tell myself that this is as bad as it can get. I was dead wrong. Some jerk in a pick up truck decided that it would be fun to hit the gas and blow black smoke on us he passed us. We were riding on a very wide shoulder of the road, so it's not like we slowed him down or forced him to change lanes as he passed us. The _______ _______ _________ actually hit the gas just before reaching us and did let off until he was past us. He then settled back to his regular speed. The smoke he choked us with was actually so thick that I couldn't see Jeneen, who was only about 20 or so feet in front of me. Seriously, is that how some people entertain themselves?
Mother nature may not always give us optimal weather for training, but there is something to be gained from training in less than ideal conditions. It can make you stronger bother mentally and physically. You never know what race day will bring, so the experience of bad weather can help prepare you for the unexpected.
"Desire is the most important factor in the success of any athlete." ~ Willie Shoemaker
"Desire is the most important factor in the success of any athlete." ~ Willie Shoemaker
Monday, April 2, 2012
Officially Official
While I have been training to some degree, I really haven't been on a strict training schedule since finishing up last season. I've allowed myself to have some lazy days, and I've tried not to let training completely dictate my days. As of today, this is no longer the case. My coach now has complete control over my training schedule for the next 7 1/2 months. My Ironman training has officially begun. It was nice to wake up this morning knowing that I had a workout already planned out for me. Monday is usually my off day from training, but since this was day one of Ironman training, I figured that some type of workout would be appropriate. Besides, I took yesterday off. I spend my last day of freedom getting my yard nice and pretty so that I can start neglecting it on the weekends, and I ended the day on a patio with some friends and a belly full of sushi.
I started day one with a nice 2350 meter swim. I had to swim by myself, which isn't very fun. I packed my SwimP3 player so I could listen to some tunes in the water, but when I got there it didn't work. I guess the 20 minute charge I gave it this morning before heading out wasn't enough. While I was a little disappointed, I had to remind myself that I wouldn't have music on race day. Today's training was definitely more mental than physical. I like to swim, but I like to swim with other people. Swimming alone is boring and I'm always tempted to cut the workout short....but I didn't today:) The fact that I'm going to be swimming in cold water in Arizona (which I'm not looking forward to) is hopefully going to motivate me to give 110% to my swim workouts. I want to finish that frigid 2.4 mile swim just as fast as I can. I hate being cold!!!
I'm already thinking about the craziest details of the race. One detail I've been given a lot of thought to is the restroom situation. Initially, I was horrified to hear that some triathletes pee while on their bikes! While on long training rides, I just hop off my bike and find a place to squat if I'm not near a restroom. After conversations with other Ironman finishers, I decided that "going" on the bike really would be my best option. After all, if I'm properly hydrated, things should be pretty diluted. I wasn't planning on practicing this aspect of the race this early on, but while on a 3 hour bike ride this past weekend, I figured I would give it a shot. I wasn't sure I would actually be able to do it, but to my surprise, it was easier than I thought. I just stood up and let things flow. I was slightly grossed out, but not as much as I thought. It just felt like warm water. Jeneen was kind enough to give me a water bottle to try to rinse off a bit. When I got home I threw my clothes in the washer and gave my shoes a good scrubbing. Some of you may be pretty shocked that I'm sharing this information with you, but this blog is the confessions of a triathlete. It's just one more crazy aspect of this sport. This will no doubt be an interesting journey.
"Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe." ~ Gail Devers
I started day one with a nice 2350 meter swim. I had to swim by myself, which isn't very fun. I packed my SwimP3 player so I could listen to some tunes in the water, but when I got there it didn't work. I guess the 20 minute charge I gave it this morning before heading out wasn't enough. While I was a little disappointed, I had to remind myself that I wouldn't have music on race day. Today's training was definitely more mental than physical. I like to swim, but I like to swim with other people. Swimming alone is boring and I'm always tempted to cut the workout short....but I didn't today:) The fact that I'm going to be swimming in cold water in Arizona (which I'm not looking forward to) is hopefully going to motivate me to give 110% to my swim workouts. I want to finish that frigid 2.4 mile swim just as fast as I can. I hate being cold!!!
I'm already thinking about the craziest details of the race. One detail I've been given a lot of thought to is the restroom situation. Initially, I was horrified to hear that some triathletes pee while on their bikes! While on long training rides, I just hop off my bike and find a place to squat if I'm not near a restroom. After conversations with other Ironman finishers, I decided that "going" on the bike really would be my best option. After all, if I'm properly hydrated, things should be pretty diluted. I wasn't planning on practicing this aspect of the race this early on, but while on a 3 hour bike ride this past weekend, I figured I would give it a shot. I wasn't sure I would actually be able to do it, but to my surprise, it was easier than I thought. I just stood up and let things flow. I was slightly grossed out, but not as much as I thought. It just felt like warm water. Jeneen was kind enough to give me a water bottle to try to rinse off a bit. When I got home I threw my clothes in the washer and gave my shoes a good scrubbing. Some of you may be pretty shocked that I'm sharing this information with you, but this blog is the confessions of a triathlete. It's just one more crazy aspect of this sport. This will no doubt be an interesting journey.
"Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe." ~ Gail Devers
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Rock n Roll Half
Today I kicked off race season with the Rock n' Roll Half Marathon in Dallas. This was my second time running in this race. Since I have two half marathons under my belt, does that make a whole marathon? Probably not.
I had good intentions of really focusing on my training for this race in hopes of breaking the 2 hr. mark, but it didn't exactly happen. I had a few setbacks, but that's just part of the game sometimes. Over the last few days I did a couple of workouts that weren't exactly "taper friendly" workouts. On Wednesday I did intervals with Negative Split Racing, and then I pushed it a little harder than I intended on Thursday at Luke's Locker social run. At least I won a box of protein bars at the social run. I went into today's race still a little sore.
The race did go a little better than expected. I knew I wouldn't be able to beat last year's time of 2:03, and I didn't. My finishing time was 2:06. I was thinking it would probably be closer to 2:10. My legs held up and I only had to walk a few seconds at a time at the water stops due to the congestion. One of the water stops was handing out packets of salt, which I was quick to take advantage of. That salt really hit the spot.
During the run I let my body pick the pace. As long as the pace was under 10 minutes I was happy. If it went over the 10 minute pace, I picked it up. There were times when I thought, "Why am I doing this?" and "This sucks!", but I thought about what Rebecca said earlier as we were waiting in our coral for the start. "It's not supposed to feel good." I was put in my place several times as I saw the pictures and signs people had pinned to the back of their shirt in honor on those they were running for. It's was pretty heart warming to see people pushing though the pain to honor their loved ones.
The weather was beautiful and the crowds were great. Lots of people were holding funny signs. One lady was yelling "WTF - Watch The Finish line!" It was fun getting to run through downtown Dallas and Highland Park with lots of cover bands along the way. The race ended in Fair Park where we had a great view of the big ferris wheel. As I entered the park I was reminded of last year's race at the very same point. I recalled how tired I was and how much my knees ached. I also remember thinking the finish line would be just around the next turn, but it turned out there were lots of turns to get to the finish. This year I was still a little tired, but my legs were feeling fine (as fine as they can after almost 13.1 miles). I ran to the finish line feeling relieved that I was done. I drank some chocolate milk and chatted with a few friends before heading home to my compression socks.
Despite not being as excited about this race as I was last year, I'm glad I did it....but I'm even more happy that I am done. It's a fun race and great way to kick of the season, but I'd still take a triathlon any day. It will be nice to get back to shorter long run, at least for a little while. I'm super excited that my Ironman training officially kicks off in one week, so I'll think I'll take easy until then. Instead of running, I'll use the time to take Roxy on nice long walks.
"The long run is what puts the tiger in the cat." ~Stephen Covey
I had good intentions of really focusing on my training for this race in hopes of breaking the 2 hr. mark, but it didn't exactly happen. I had a few setbacks, but that's just part of the game sometimes. Over the last few days I did a couple of workouts that weren't exactly "taper friendly" workouts. On Wednesday I did intervals with Negative Split Racing, and then I pushed it a little harder than I intended on Thursday at Luke's Locker social run. At least I won a box of protein bars at the social run. I went into today's race still a little sore.
The race did go a little better than expected. I knew I wouldn't be able to beat last year's time of 2:03, and I didn't. My finishing time was 2:06. I was thinking it would probably be closer to 2:10. My legs held up and I only had to walk a few seconds at a time at the water stops due to the congestion. One of the water stops was handing out packets of salt, which I was quick to take advantage of. That salt really hit the spot.
During the run I let my body pick the pace. As long as the pace was under 10 minutes I was happy. If it went over the 10 minute pace, I picked it up. There were times when I thought, "Why am I doing this?" and "This sucks!", but I thought about what Rebecca said earlier as we were waiting in our coral for the start. "It's not supposed to feel good." I was put in my place several times as I saw the pictures and signs people had pinned to the back of their shirt in honor on those they were running for. It's was pretty heart warming to see people pushing though the pain to honor their loved ones.
The weather was beautiful and the crowds were great. Lots of people were holding funny signs. One lady was yelling "WTF - Watch The Finish line!" It was fun getting to run through downtown Dallas and Highland Park with lots of cover bands along the way. The race ended in Fair Park where we had a great view of the big ferris wheel. As I entered the park I was reminded of last year's race at the very same point. I recalled how tired I was and how much my knees ached. I also remember thinking the finish line would be just around the next turn, but it turned out there were lots of turns to get to the finish. This year I was still a little tired, but my legs were feeling fine (as fine as they can after almost 13.1 miles). I ran to the finish line feeling relieved that I was done. I drank some chocolate milk and chatted with a few friends before heading home to my compression socks.
Despite not being as excited about this race as I was last year, I'm glad I did it....but I'm even more happy that I am done. It's a fun race and great way to kick of the season, but I'd still take a triathlon any day. It will be nice to get back to shorter long run, at least for a little while. I'm super excited that my Ironman training officially kicks off in one week, so I'll think I'll take easy until then. Instead of running, I'll use the time to take Roxy on nice long walks.
"The long run is what puts the tiger in the cat." ~Stephen Covey
Sunday, March 11, 2012
I've Got Some Work To Do
As I registered for Ironman Arizona in November my hands were shaking and my stomach was doing flips. I was beginning a year long journey that I'm sure will test me in ways I cannot even begin to imagine. After the sting of the registration fee wore off, I settled into a comfortable groove of enjoying my off season while dreaming of crossing the finish line and hearing Mike Reilly call out, "Amy Manuel, you are an Ironman!" Sometimes the thought of those few simple words are enough to put a lump in my throat. Am I really going to do this?
Now that I'm about to begin my "official" Ironman training, my focus is on the process rather than the end result. Race day may be 140.6 miles, but the finish line far exceeds that. To begin my training, I met with my coach this weekend for my VO2 testing. During the test I get to wear a mask that is hooked up to a machine that measures all kinds of stuff as I run on a treadmill and ride my bike on the trainer. It's a very sexy test, as you can tell from the pictures. I did this test in June as I was beginning my half Ironman training, so we were able to compare my current results with my June results.
My bike test was the first test. I was supposed to try to maintain a certain cadence (how fast you pedal), but it was hard to see my bike computer due to the mask and tube on my face. Luckily my coach was able to monitor this for me. The end result was that I had lost a minimal amount of fitness on the bike, but I did gain power. My VO2 was still in the superior category. It was nice to see that I didn't loose all my bike fitness despite not spending a whole lot of time in the saddle in the off season.
In June I was pushing 160 watts of power on the bike and yesterday I was pushing 190 watts. I really don't know what that means, but I do know that more power is better so I'm happy. My coach says that I'll be training in lower heart rate zone than before on the bike. This is going to take some getting used to. I was joking that I may not be able to go fast enough to keep my bike upright with a lower heart rate.
After the bike test came the run test. I knew my VO2 numbers would fall a bit from June. I went from the "superior" category down to "excellent." I know there should be no shame in being in the "excellent" category, but it does kind of suck. This just means I have some work to do. I find it kind of ironic that my run suffered more that the bike considering the fact that I'm training for a half marathon right now. There have been some set backs in my training over the last couple of months, but I don't think that's the only reason for the drop. Running is my weakness and it's going to take a lot of work on my part to improve. Originally I signed up for the half marathon so I could focus on my run and build strength, but it doesn't seem to have worked too well. I guess I'll let my coach figure this one out.
"Ask yourself: 'Can I give more?' The answer is usually 'Yes'." ~ Paul Tergat, Kenyan professional marathon runner
Now that I'm about to begin my "official" Ironman training, my focus is on the process rather than the end result. Race day may be 140.6 miles, but the finish line far exceeds that. To begin my training, I met with my coach this weekend for my VO2 testing. During the test I get to wear a mask that is hooked up to a machine that measures all kinds of stuff as I run on a treadmill and ride my bike on the trainer. It's a very sexy test, as you can tell from the pictures. I did this test in June as I was beginning my half Ironman training, so we were able to compare my current results with my June results.
My bike test was the first test. I was supposed to try to maintain a certain cadence (how fast you pedal), but it was hard to see my bike computer due to the mask and tube on my face. Luckily my coach was able to monitor this for me. The end result was that I had lost a minimal amount of fitness on the bike, but I did gain power. My VO2 was still in the superior category. It was nice to see that I didn't loose all my bike fitness despite not spending a whole lot of time in the saddle in the off season.In June I was pushing 160 watts of power on the bike and yesterday I was pushing 190 watts. I really don't know what that means, but I do know that more power is better so I'm happy. My coach says that I'll be training in lower heart rate zone than before on the bike. This is going to take some getting used to. I was joking that I may not be able to go fast enough to keep my bike upright with a lower heart rate.
"Ask yourself: 'Can I give more?' The answer is usually 'Yes'." ~ Paul Tergat, Kenyan professional marathon runner
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Getting Back to Business
The 2012 triathlon season is getting underway, and I couldn't be more excited! I registered for another race, the Playtri Festival in June. It will be my first Olympic of the season. Last year I did the sprint distance at that race. I made some nutrition mistakes on the bike and paid for it on the run, but my swim went pretty well. The swim is actually in a nasty cannal, so I'll have to make sure I'm up to date on all my shots and don't have any open cuts. I still haven't decided on my first sprint of the season. Guess I should get on top of that.
My original plan was to start back with my coach in May to begin getting ready for the Ironman, but I've decided that I need to start in April instead. To be honest, I'm kind of lost without my coach. I miss having someone layout my weekly workout schedule. When he puts it together, I follow it. I also look at everything else I need to squeeze into my week and plan accordingly. I'm much better at time management when I'm not the manager of my time. Trying to figure out my own training schedule each week is for the birds. I know a lot of triathletes do just fine without a coach, but I'm not one of them.
It was nice not having a training plan to follow...for a little while...but it's time to get back to business. I'm ready for 12, 14, and even 16 hour training weeks! I still have one more month on my own, but I'm sure I'll survive.
I thought I'd throw in one of my favorite videos. It always makes me laugh...mostly because I know I sound like this sometimes.
"If God created marathons to keep people from doing anything more stupid, triathlon must have taken Him completely by surprise." ~ P.Z. Pearce
Last year I spent the first few months of training without a coach. I never knew if I was doing too little, too much, or just plain doing it wrong. I didn't even know enough to question if I was on the right track. I just showed up to as many workouts as I could that my tri group was hosting. That plan seemed to be working fine until I decided I wanted to do a half Ironman. After talking with many fellow triathletes who obviously knew more than I, it was clear that I needed a coach. It was the best decision I made last season.
My original plan was to start back with my coach in May to begin getting ready for the Ironman, but I've decided that I need to start in April instead. To be honest, I'm kind of lost without my coach. I miss having someone layout my weekly workout schedule. When he puts it together, I follow it. I also look at everything else I need to squeeze into my week and plan accordingly. I'm much better at time management when I'm not the manager of my time. Trying to figure out my own training schedule each week is for the birds. I know a lot of triathletes do just fine without a coach, but I'm not one of them.
It was nice not having a training plan to follow...for a little while...but it's time to get back to business. I'm ready for 12, 14, and even 16 hour training weeks! I still have one more month on my own, but I'm sure I'll survive.
I thought I'd throw in one of my favorite videos. It always makes me laugh...mostly because I know I sound like this sometimes.
"If God created marathons to keep people from doing anything more stupid, triathlon must have taken Him completely by surprise." ~ P.Z. Pearce
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Wrenches in My Plan
Over the past two weeks a couple of wrenches were thrown into my training. The first wrench came in the form of some nasty cold/sinus/upper respiratory crud. It's been years I've been this sick. I never get sick! This made training very difficult. I managed to keep up my swimming, but I wasn't able to get all my running in. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get any biking in.
Early last week I was beginning to feel well enough to run again. There were a few days after work when the sun was out and the temperatures were in the 70s. I, and slew of fellow runners and triathletes, took to the running trails. It was so nice to see so many others enjoying the beautiful training weather. We weren't stuck indoors on treadmill! You would think we had been cooped up for years by the way we were acting. We were all smiling and waving and offering friendly greeting to one another as we passed. No, we didn't know each other (personally), but we were all sporting our accolades in the form of race shirts, hats, and visors so we knew we were with "our kind." I even had the privilege of exchanging pleasantries with a fellow Ironman Arizona competitor. When I ran by him I knew he was an Ironman by the M-dot tattoo (accolade)on his calf. I wanted to stop and chat with him with, but I had some running to do. Later, when I turned around, I found myself coming face to face with this Ironman. Before I could ask him what Ironman he had done he asked me what Ironman I was training for. I'm pretty sure the Ironman 70.3 visor (accolade) I was sporting gave me away. He told me he done Hawaii and Arizona numerous times and would be back in Arizona this year. Hopefully I'll see this man again. My friend, Iron Dave, told me that that guy I encountered was his buddy, George.
Just as I was feeling like I could resume my full training, the second wrench reared it's ugly head. As I left work on Friday I wasn't feeling great. Within minutes of getting home I knew I was the victim of food poisoning or the stomach bug. I'm almost 100% sure it was the latter. I spent the next 24 hours feeling horrible, but I'll spare you the details! It's been five days and I'm just starting to feel somewhat normal. My appetite isn't completely back, but it's getting there. I even managed to work out for the first time today. I swam this morning and got a short run in this evening. My swim was good, but my run felt great. It was only two miles, but my pace was faster than normal. I guess this means I'm back in business! This past weekend I was supposed to get my 7 mile long run in, but I guess it will have to wait until this weekend.
My immune system has been really good to me for the past few years. It took some time off about 5 years ago, so I can't really blame it for wanting a break now. I hope it understands that the first race of the season, The Rock-n-Roll half marathon, is coming up next month so it's time to get back to work. While I haven't signed up for any spring triathlons, I'm still hoping to get my first one in by late April or early May. That's also the time that I'll officially begin my Ironman training with my coach. I can't wait!
I'm pretty sure that life with throw more wrenches my way this season, but I'll just deal with them and move on. No one said this was going to be easy, but they did say it would be worth it.
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. ~ Winston Churchill
Just as I was feeling like I could resume my full training, the second wrench reared it's ugly head. As I left work on Friday I wasn't feeling great. Within minutes of getting home I knew I was the victim of food poisoning or the stomach bug. I'm almost 100% sure it was the latter. I spent the next 24 hours feeling horrible, but I'll spare you the details! It's been five days and I'm just starting to feel somewhat normal. My appetite isn't completely back, but it's getting there. I even managed to work out for the first time today. I swam this morning and got a short run in this evening. My swim was good, but my run felt great. It was only two miles, but my pace was faster than normal. I guess this means I'm back in business! This past weekend I was supposed to get my 7 mile long run in, but I guess it will have to wait until this weekend.
My immune system has been really good to me for the past few years. It took some time off about 5 years ago, so I can't really blame it for wanting a break now. I hope it understands that the first race of the season, The Rock-n-Roll half marathon, is coming up next month so it's time to get back to work. While I haven't signed up for any spring triathlons, I'm still hoping to get my first one in by late April or early May. That's also the time that I'll officially begin my Ironman training with my coach. I can't wait!
I'm pretty sure that life with throw more wrenches my way this season, but I'll just deal with them and move on. No one said this was going to be easy, but they did say it would be worth it.
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. ~ Winston Churchill
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Spreading the Insanity
I haven't exactly been successful converting my non-triathlete friends to the sport, but I think I am having some influence on the younger generation. One of my ambitious little fourth graders emailed me to tell me that she signed up for a kids' triathlon!! I am one proud teacher!! As much as I want to get her some Gu and compression socks, explain the importance of bilateral breathing, and give her the name of a couple of good bike fit guys, I have to remind myself that she is 10 and will be competing with other kids her age.
When you're passionate about something, you can't help but want to talk about it ALL the time...or at least I do. Each day I have a captive audience of dozens of 9 and 10 year olds who will gladly listen to me ramble on and on about the sport of triathlon. We all welcome the break from the usual discussions that center around our fourth grade curriculum. I've found ways to relate the sport to almost everything I teach. Sometimes it's a stretch, but I usually find a way. My students are familiar with several professional triathletes, and they can tell me the swim, bike, and run distances of both the Ironman and the half Ironman. We've read stories about triathletes overcoming amazing odds, and I show them a little race footage from time to time. They always amaze me with how many questions they have. Mostly they like to know about going to the bathroom and eating during a race. They're like little sponges wanting to know everything!! I love it!!
My students are some of my biggest fans. They have never seen me race and they have no clue what my splits are. As far as they are concerned, I look like Chrissie Wellington when I'm racing. And yes, they do know who she is. When I told them that she was taking a year off from Ironman racing, you could hear audible gasps throughout my room and see the looks of disappointment and disbelief all over their faces. I assured them that she wasn't going away. I explained that she was focusing on her other goals, and that she was writing a book. One kid asked if I could call the people who put on the school book fair and request that they sell copies of her book. My heart was bursting with joy at that moment.
My goals isn't necessarily for my students to all become triathletes...although I would have no problem with that. I hope that as they grow they will remember their crazy fourth grade teacher who had a goal of doing an Ironman. I want them to have goals that seem bigger than life, and to know that hard work and dedication pays off.
When you're passionate about something, you can't help but want to talk about it ALL the time...or at least I do. Each day I have a captive audience of dozens of 9 and 10 year olds who will gladly listen to me ramble on and on about the sport of triathlon. We all welcome the break from the usual discussions that center around our fourth grade curriculum. I've found ways to relate the sport to almost everything I teach. Sometimes it's a stretch, but I usually find a way. My students are familiar with several professional triathletes, and they can tell me the swim, bike, and run distances of both the Ironman and the half Ironman. We've read stories about triathletes overcoming amazing odds, and I show them a little race footage from time to time. They always amaze me with how many questions they have. Mostly they like to know about going to the bathroom and eating during a race. They're like little sponges wanting to know everything!! I love it!!
My students are some of my biggest fans. They have never seen me race and they have no clue what my splits are. As far as they are concerned, I look like Chrissie Wellington when I'm racing. And yes, they do know who she is. When I told them that she was taking a year off from Ironman racing, you could hear audible gasps throughout my room and see the looks of disappointment and disbelief all over their faces. I assured them that she wasn't going away. I explained that she was focusing on her other goals, and that she was writing a book. One kid asked if I could call the people who put on the school book fair and request that they sell copies of her book. My heart was bursting with joy at that moment.
My goals isn't necessarily for my students to all become triathletes...although I would have no problem with that. I hope that as they grow they will remember their crazy fourth grade teacher who had a goal of doing an Ironman. I want them to have goals that seem bigger than life, and to know that hard work and dedication pays off.
We fail to see that we can control our own destiny; make ourselves do whatever is possible; make ourselves become whatever we long to be. - Orison Swett Marden
Thursday, January 12, 2012
New Year, New Season!!!
I'm so excited that the 2012 training season is finally here! I've picked up my training a bit over the last week, but I'm still not at full capacity yet. I'm easing into the season, I guess you could say. This will be a very long season, and I don't want to burn myself out. This year I'm thrilled to be serving on the board for North Texas Multisport. When the opportunity came up to serve, I threw my name in the hat right away for consideration. I'm hoping to give a little something back to a group that has given me so much over the last year.
This week Triple Threat resumed swim practices after taking the month of December off. It's been great to be back in the pool with everyone. I almost forgot how much I actually like swimming. It's hard to believe that it's been exactly one year this week that I showed up to the pool for the first time to learn to swim. My swimming has improved by leap and bounds. Of course, that's not saying much considering I could barely put on a swim cap or move through the water in any fashion that even resembled swimming a year ago. I still have a lot of work to do in the pool. I know that the water in Arizona will be pretty cold in November, so I want to finish the swim as quickly as possible. I'll do whatever it takes to shave a few minutes off my swim time.
There is so much to look forward to in the coming months. In March I'm going to do the Rock n Roll half marathon in Dallas again. I don't think I'll be quite as serious about my training this year. My focus is more on having fun. I've been joking that I'm going to ride my bike down to the race so it doesn't feel like cheating. Seriously, it will be nice to run on fresh legs, but I wouldn't exactly say it's going to be easy. I know I like to joke about that run distance being a nice cool down, but no matter how you look at it, 13.1 miles is a long way to run.
In June I'm heading to Kansas to watch my friend and training partner, Jeneen, compete in her first half Ironman. I'm pretty excited to be going to the race as a spectator! It will be so much fun to clap and cheer from the sidelines while snapping tons of pictures. I wondering if I'll feel sad when we get there because I'm not racing....hmmm. Probably, but I know I'll have fun anyway! When I did my half Ironman, it was really good to have calm relaxed people around me who understood my state of mind before the race. Hopefully I'll bring that same comfort to Jeneen. She's going to do awesome, and I can't wait for her to experience the thrill of crossing that finish line.
In September I'm planning on doing the half Ironman distance at Redman in the wonderful state of Oklahoma. While I haven't actually signed up yet, it's definitely something I plan to do before the big race in Arizona. As much as I would love to do Austin again, the date is just too close to Ironman. I really haven't picked out the rest of my races for the season yet. Last year I competed in 7 triathlons, but I don't think I'll do as many this year. I'm hoping to get my first triathlon in by April or May, and maybe do one or two during the summer. My main focus for the season is Ironman.
There is so much to look forward to over the next year. If I can make it across the finish line at Ironman Arizona and have fun along way, this will no doubt be an incredible season. If I can cross the finish line in 14 hours and one minute, or less, that will be the icing on the cake;-)
"Success is living up to your potential. That's all. Wake up with a smile and 'go after life': Live it, enjoy it, taste it, smell it, feel it." -Joe Kapp
This week Triple Threat resumed swim practices after taking the month of December off. It's been great to be back in the pool with everyone. I almost forgot how much I actually like swimming. It's hard to believe that it's been exactly one year this week that I showed up to the pool for the first time to learn to swim. My swimming has improved by leap and bounds. Of course, that's not saying much considering I could barely put on a swim cap or move through the water in any fashion that even resembled swimming a year ago. I still have a lot of work to do in the pool. I know that the water in Arizona will be pretty cold in November, so I want to finish the swim as quickly as possible. I'll do whatever it takes to shave a few minutes off my swim time.
There is so much to look forward to in the coming months. In March I'm going to do the Rock n Roll half marathon in Dallas again. I don't think I'll be quite as serious about my training this year. My focus is more on having fun. I've been joking that I'm going to ride my bike down to the race so it doesn't feel like cheating. Seriously, it will be nice to run on fresh legs, but I wouldn't exactly say it's going to be easy. I know I like to joke about that run distance being a nice cool down, but no matter how you look at it, 13.1 miles is a long way to run.
In June I'm heading to Kansas to watch my friend and training partner, Jeneen, compete in her first half Ironman. I'm pretty excited to be going to the race as a spectator! It will be so much fun to clap and cheer from the sidelines while snapping tons of pictures. I wondering if I'll feel sad when we get there because I'm not racing....hmmm. Probably, but I know I'll have fun anyway! When I did my half Ironman, it was really good to have calm relaxed people around me who understood my state of mind before the race. Hopefully I'll bring that same comfort to Jeneen. She's going to do awesome, and I can't wait for her to experience the thrill of crossing that finish line.
In September I'm planning on doing the half Ironman distance at Redman in the wonderful state of Oklahoma. While I haven't actually signed up yet, it's definitely something I plan to do before the big race in Arizona. As much as I would love to do Austin again, the date is just too close to Ironman. I really haven't picked out the rest of my races for the season yet. Last year I competed in 7 triathlons, but I don't think I'll do as many this year. I'm hoping to get my first triathlon in by April or May, and maybe do one or two during the summer. My main focus for the season is Ironman.
There is so much to look forward to over the next year. If I can make it across the finish line at Ironman Arizona and have fun along way, this will no doubt be an incredible season. If I can cross the finish line in 14 hours and one minute, or less, that will be the icing on the cake;-)
"Success is living up to your potential. That's all. Wake up with a smile and 'go after life': Live it, enjoy it, taste it, smell it, feel it." -Joe Kapp
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