Not sure why I even blog but I am lazy when it comes to scrap books, photo albums so the blog and facebook are an easy way for me to keep memories. I love going to facebook and looking at pictures from the past and I like having memories here in my blog. Even if they are scattered and poorly written with spelling and grammar errors but hey these are memories not an English paper.
This weekend may have been my last race of the season unless Noah and I find a race to do together. This season has been lackluster with limited and unorganized training thrown in. I very much like to follow a strict schedule when training and if I don't do that, I feel like I am not training. I also feel like I do not know where my fitness really is. This summer I started bootcamp twice a week at D1 with Aida which I LOVE. I have attended bootcamp with her before and knew it was great! There are times when I think I just want to bootcamp 5 days a week. I love it that much and it kicks my butt just about every time! BUT I also love to eat and with a husband training for an ironman and burning thousands of calories at a time and replacing those just as fast, I knew I needed to continue with some swim, bike, run as well or I would gain 10 pounds by his ironman in Sept. This was really what fueled my training at the start of the season. Then I found with no schedule or coach, I actually enjoyed the training. I could do the bare minimum, quit when I wanted, and never, never look at a clock while swimming. I actually began to enjoy training and racing again with really no plan or expectations. I usually only raced if Stewart was going to be racing. I am not going to lie, racing at small local races as a 45 year old woman is not that hard for me. I am the youngest in the 45-49 age group which really is not that very fast. I also know that my body does not need much training to perform. Yes, my goal is to be an overall or master winner but age group is still ok. After 10 years of racing, I feel like I can do the minimum to maintain, I am not getting faster but I can maintain and still pull off a decent race- sometimes even a good one! I am an athlete and always have been. Playing sports my whole life and being extremely competitive, both of these really help to this day. At least I think so. So this season has been fun, nothing great but a lot of fun and a great way for me to enjoy it with Stewart. Even though we NEVER train together anymore, we do have fun enjoying racing together. We did try swim lessons and I have to admit, I think I am just ok with being a mediocre swimmer. I realized through theses lessons that some of these things ( body type, flexibility) I just can't change and to make any big gains is going to take more work than I am willing to give. Stewart on the other hand is ready to keep moving forward so I am leaving him alone in this endeavor. And my swim is decent for my age group ( I was first in my ag my last tri and 2nd this past weekend) - The overall girls still kill me in the swim.
Last week I went to the ENT because I am still having issues with sinus and dizziness. While researching on the internet, I found that chronic sinusitis could last years!! GREAT!. At my last visit, my x rays and physical exam did not show infection but lots of inflammation and swelling in sinuses and cavities. Not sure if this is my normal or I was beginning to get sick. I do know that Siri Naidu is awesome and spent so much time talking to me about all the options and tests we could try. He also knew I was so concerned with something more serious such as MS (my sister has)or a brain tumor because of the weird symptoms I was having this spring. He told me I have no problem doing a MIR if you need it for piece of mind. He also reminded me that cancer and tumors don't get better and I am better since this spring so I think the MRI will hold off for a while but love knowing I have a doctor who gets me and it is there waiting if I decide that I need to know more. Well I got sick and not sure if this was going to happen anyway but anytime I stay with Riley - her dogs just put Morgan and I in turmoil! So I had a huge week busy week of a college visits with Noah ( draining) and entertaining the kids in Atlanta and Chattanooga all while feeling like hell. I had ear pain, lightheadness, facial pressure and just generally crap. The night before the race, the last thing I wanted to do was race but I had signed up for it and just didn't want to not race. I knew I was exhausted and I wasn't into it. I have already not raced after signing up this year due to sickness and did not want to skip another. Did not feel that awful so just went with it. Was really hoping to come around once the gun went off.
First mistake was leaving all my water at home. Spent the first part of the race looking for water bottles. Thanks to the generous hearts of triathletes, had that problem fixed pretty easily. The race started at 6:45 and it was dark so I just skipped my typical pre race warm up. Not sure what the dark had to do with it but at the time it seemed to make sense. So I just headed to the swim start. I could see the river was flowing and my swim was short so this should not have caused any issues BUT right before it was my turn to jump off the dock, I felt tons of adrenaline kick in. My breathing and heart rate were up, my stomach was off and I knew this was not good. I hate not being able to get into the water before the swim but due to the current they do not allow a swim warm up. I jumped in full of anxiety and most likely went out too fast! Really wanted to use the current and all this resulted was me panicking by the time I hit the first buoy. Took a minute or so to get everything calmed down and together and then I was just pissed that I wasted what I wanted to be a fast swim time. Got out of the swim with head in the game and ready to go. Maybe this panic would pay off!
Got on the bike with a ton of people and made it around them and heard the guy say stay to your right, what I failed to notice in the ton of people was I was suppose to turn left and then stay to my right. Duh??? why did he even say that? Well I stayed to my right and took off and saw no one. Figured I broke through my pack and was waiting to see the next group but then realized two things, I was on the ironman course and there was no next pack. No signs anywhere showing where I should go or do. I slowed, looked behind me, looked around and realized I had screwed up somewhere. Turned around, back up the hill and made the turn. Saw the police and race director at the turn and was pissed at them for letting me miss the turn but reminded myself that part of racing is to know the course. I had no one to blame but myself. I was even more pissed when I hit the one mile mark on the bike and my odometer showed a little over 2.5. ( grr...) I was pissed at myself and tried to let this go and get back in the game but had a hard time doing this. ( surprise says Stewart as I have trouble letting all things go). It especially bothered me as I saw people on the out and back other side and knew if I stayed on course, I would be there on that side. The course is hilly tough! LONG climbs. The kind you want to just settle in and climb. Which is what I did and would have been fine if I was doing a longer race but I was doing a sprint and kept reminding myself to attack. I was catching a ton of people but after my second mistake of the day, I felt my heart wasn't in it and was a little afraid of going too nuts based on not wanting to get dizzy. The first climb had people around me just falling apart. I saw a couple of people jump off their bike and stop. One girl biked over to the guard rail and just kind of fall over and I passed one guy stopped in the middle of the road with his head on his handlebars. Didn't think anything about it as this was a sprint, had lots of newbies and felt like they were not prepared for the course. I didn't even say anything to him and just rode by. Felt AWFUL when I turned around and on my way back saw this same guy laid out in the middle of the course with multiple riders around him, one feeling for pulse and calling for help. Still not sure if he is ok or what happened. Riley also witnessed a wreck as she was driving to the race and found out this guy was in the hospital with multiple injuries, punctured lung but would be ok. He was training for IM Chattanooga which is not good on that front but at least he is ok.
Got off the bike and started the run which is hilly and you have to run multiple stairs. The way out I was not into it and actually walked the first hill! Was so disappointed in myself as this is the same first hill you run in Ironman, AFTER biking 116 miles and here I was walking it in a sprint. I told myself it was ok because I was pretty sure I walked it in Ironman. SMH,...... Well the second half was much better, not sure if my gu kicked in or I knew if I hurried I would be done but I finally felt like I was running decently but still ended in a pretty much lackluster run. I did have a lot of guys tell me at the finish line, they used my suit ( you just got passed by a girl) to stay on my tail and keep me in my sights. At least I could be of good use for some people.
So a little disappointed to leave the season not at my best but did enjoy a day in Chattanooga which is just a beautiful and challenging place to race.
Woke up this am and wondering what is next? I do need a goal or something to work towards but not sure what? Will continue to loosely tri train but think I am ready to add more D1 and yoga into my day. I did sign up to be on team Hope for St Jude 10k! High goals I know! But finally ran 8 miles last week for the first time in months so 10k may be all I can handle right now. Trying to encourage Riley to do the half marathon in Chikamuga - this I would do with her and may light a fire under me.
This I do know.. Stewart is about to hit his peak training which means I better find a calorie burn fast!
Happy Training!
