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
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)