Well... it is done. I could do a long race report but 144.6 miles is a lot to cover. I am going to briefly hit the high points.
What I do know is I feel kind of sad, lost, and wondering what do I do now. After training since January, following a plan, and planning work outs around family time, work, coaching, etc. It seems so weird to just have nothing. I was actually relieved when I looked on training peaks and saw that Liz had scheduled some recovery bikes and swims this week. This feels normal. As much as I hated many of the early mornings and the long days, it is sad to be done. I know I will quickly get in the spring of things or the fall of things. I LOVE fall and can't wait to spend mornings drinking coffee and reading on the porch, doing outside stuff with the kids, yoga, bootcamp, and trail runs and mountain biking. I also have a girls trip planned for next week and Stewart and I have a trip to Vegas for the week after but today I feel maybe a tiny bit depressed. The HUGE high and build up of last week and yesterday is just over - just like that but you do have some great memories. Some of those best memories were having all of the kids ( only Noah has seen me do an Ironman before) and family cheer me on. They were such a welcome bright spot every time I see them. Hearing your kids call you your hero and say I am so proud of you lets you know that you are doing a great job of being a wonderful role model and example for them. I know many people think training takes away from family time but if you do it right, it really doesn't and it provides your kids with so much more. I love that my kids see me as so much more than mom but someone who goes after what she wants, is not afraid to go after my dreams, never backs down from a challenge and has my own hobbies, desires, and dreams.
Chattanooga was just awesome. It is one of my favorite places to be and getting to go there on Thursday and spend time with Riley before the race made it that much more special. The town knows how to put on an ironman and the crowd support was wonderful . I think this was the first time that I ever ran with someone setting fireworks off over my head.
I knew that I wanted to be in the 12 hour zone and I wanted a PR. I knew that the swim would be a PR - regardless of current, I was swimming down a river. I was super excited to PR my bike and my run as well!!
As I jumped off the dock, the man yelled at me " You ready to have a PR swim" and yes I was!! This was also the first time I have ever done an Ironman without a wetsuit which was a huge accomplishment for me! Although I am still not a super fast swimmer, this summer I really became confident in my swim. Beside not being able to swim straight the swim was uneventful. After seeming like we stood in line forever, we were running down the dock to jump in. Stewart still had not put on his cap or goggles so I turned around to see if he had jumped in. I didn't see him again until about 25 minutes later when I saw a foot with red tape under me - I yelled at him, we talked for a moment and then swam on. Neither of us knew we were even by each other and we were super excited to exit the swim ladder 3 seconds a part! The only time I was going to see him that day and I loved it! Both of us not being strong swimmers were celebrating being out of the water. Loved having the kids waiting on us and thought about seeing them the whole 2.4 or more as I weaved my way down the river.
The bike was great! I loved that I had biked it a couple of times so I knew where I was all the time. I also knew it was a beautiful course in the valley of the mountains so I made sure I took the time to enjoy the scenery. Liz and I discussed me riding steady and easy on the hills. My goal was to be in the 6 hour range and I was. I stopped at the 60 mile mark to grab my bag and chat with the family ( so much fun again) and stopped one more time to fill my bottles but the rest of the time was all go. So this summer, I did a lot of solo riding as Liz often had me riding on Sunday and nobody rides on Sunday or I rode solo because I was always behind Stewart. Paid off huge yesterday as mentally I was good the whole time! I was use to being alone and enjoyed the few conversations that I had with my fellow racers. In fact, the time seemed to go by really fast.
I started the run and felt good, was hoping to run steady enough, walk through the aid stations and average close to 9 minute mile. This worked for awhile and then I hit the hills! Holy Hilly! It was crazy! After the first 13 miles, I decided I didn't care if I met my goal, my new goal was to enjoy it, soak it in, and get to finish. Somehow I managed to get a PR from previous ironman runs but I seemed to be walking more than running. Before I knew it - I was rounding the corner to hit the finish line.
I have said it before and I will say it again. There is nothing like an ironman finish line! Just thinking about it brings me to tears. This is where all your training, dedication, hard work come together and it is so emotional and so amazing as you run through crazy screaming fans to bright lights, music, people cheering and giving you high five and your family there waiting!! After 12 hours and 41 minutes all my hard work this summer and the day was over! You can not imagine. I am so thankful that I have a body and mind that allows me to do this! I was once again reminded what a lucky girl I was!
Finally saw Stewart and saw that he had a great day and did an 11:52 on his first ironman even after possibly biking too hard ( surprise) and running like a crazy person with a 6:52 first mile. I was so proud of him and do not think I quit smiling the rest of the night!
I do have to brag - although he beat me by an hour - I beat him in the swim by 3 seconds and on the run by 15 minutes. Sorry baby... it wouldn't be right if I didn't throw that in there.
We went to mellow mushroom but I really couldn't eat and then we went to the finish line and brought home the last finishers. Truly inspiring! The last finisher made it with a minute to spare.
I couldn't sleep at all because my foot was killing me and my appetite finally returned so I found myself up before 5:00 and walking to waffle house for a quick snack.
So... for now - not sure what my plans are going to be. I am definitely taking some time to just be but I may have a half ironman in the future, race a half marathon, run sylamore and finally break my 6 hour time goal after being so close for two years, do ragbrai, or just become a sprint specialist. I do know that Stewart is more than likely going to sign up for Louiville Ironman. That I think - I mean I am pretty sure I am going to pass. I will just concentrate on my Sherpa skills starting with the NOLA 70.3... can't think of a better place to Sherpa and just as much as I hate riding in the heat - I really hate riding in the cold
Thanks Chattanooga Ironman!! You were awesome!
Monday, September 28, 2015
Monday, September 7, 2015
Trust your training - trust your coach- trust yourself
Trust your training- trust your coach- trust yourself. This will be my mantra for the next 20 days. Now is the time when I began to become afraid and question everything. Did you do enough? Did you do enough quality? Everyone seems to be doing more or less than you and possibly doing smarter and more quality work outs. This weekend especially as Stewart had a longer bike than me and all the doubts began to creep in... I should be doing more, maybe I will abandon my plan and jump on his but then I have to remember I pay and hired Liz cuz she is a smart lady. She knows what she is doing and she knows me. She just sent me an article about racing and fear and it had such great points.
Fear makes you realize that something is worth it. What fun would it be to do everything perfectly and know no one could beat you. The fear and the challenge is what makes it worth it and what makes the win meaningful. I definitely not going for a win at ironman but I would like a well executed day with a PR at the end. Fear has set in. I biked the course and it seemed harder than I remembered. The wind seemed extra fierce and all the doubts begin to creep in. I need to remember what I tell my cc kids everyday. The mind controls the body. I constantly make them tell I am a beast while doing hard work outs. I want them to think that instead of thinking I dying. Today I will start thinking I am a beast and will continue until I hear Mike Riely yell you are an ironman!! Just the thought of those words can bring me to tears and still give me chills. They have been repeated in my head during many of long training days. Taper is here but not really, I still have a pretty hard week but that just gives me more time to trust in myself
This weekend I raced a sprint and there is nothing like a sprint to remind me why I live triathlon. The great thing about IM training is it relaxes me. I am too busy and too tired to stress about a race. Race morning my race wheel had a piece of glass in it. After two attempts of changing the tire, we just stuck my training wheel back on. Did I hate it? Yes, stress about it ? No. Due to all my early wake up calls, I had no trouble getting to the race early which gave me extra time to talk and meet many of those around me. Much to Stewart just shaking his head. I did do a very short warm up and felt great in the water
Started the race with the female winner behind me and she was from Germantown. Funny to come out of town to meet a hometown triathlete. Based on her swim time, I knew she was faster. My plan was to hold her off as long as I could. She did catch me and I was kind of relieved because know I could draft. Unfortunately we only had 25 yds left. I did not pass anyone else but she was the only one to pass me. Although my swim was still slow as crap, it was faster for me!
We came out of water together and I made what I think the first mistake that could have cost me the win. We had a long run back to transition and for some reason, I became confused and ran under the taped area we were suppose to run in and entered transition from the wrong side. I knew I screwed up and looked around, saw what I was suppose to do, ran back out and corrected it. Although this cost me some time, what it did cost me was leaving transition with the first place girl. She only outbiked me by about 40 seconds and it makes me wonder what I could have done if we left head to head. I pushed hard on the bike abs repeated catch that group over and over in my head as I saw those in front of me. It was s hilly ride and I was pleased with my average. I have also gone from an all water drinker to a lover of scratch ( just a side note). I caught the then 2nd place girl with about a mile left and she did catch back up to enter T2 together. I know this is not always right but based on the fact that she outweighed me, I was planning on being the faster runner. T2 is my specialty- I was in and out and searching for the 1st place girl. The course was winding and hilly and you couldn't see who was in front of you. It was also hilly as hell. I knew the run would be my struggle. I need speed work and fast foot turn over to even attempt to be fast. I have had neither in IM training. 7:40's are fast for me these days. Not surprisingly my run pace was 7:30 ish. My second mistake was not taking a guy when I left T2. I felt so bonky but had no water until turn around to take mine and what a difference it made. So I am still looking and chasing and we did a little loop behind the school so I missed first place girl. And I begin to give up in my head. I settled for 2nd place. I knew 3rd was not close. I ended up beating her by 6 minutes! 1st outran me by 20 seconds!!! I did what I always tell my cc kids never to do! Don't give up and don't settle!! Stewart said later he heard them yell - here comes 1st girl and was sad it was not me. The great thing is I would have loved to win- who wouldn't but the days are beating myself up are over. I did what I could and I had a great time doing it!
Stewart has just turned into a beast. He was 5th or 6th overall and after good swim for him, a killer bike, he managed to run that hilly course with a 6:30 pace on legs that were trashed from ironman. It is amazing to see his improvement. He has already signed up for NOLA half and has his eye on another IM for next year - not me! I plan to be Sherpa extraordinaire and sprint race master. I also have requested that Stew take private swim lessons. He gets that swim fixed, he is going to be a beast
As we are 20 days out from Ironman and Stew begins his packing list. I am stressing over my underwear for the underwear run. They need to be perfect as well as the shirts that our awesome friend Liz is designing for our spectators
I have also started my post ironman list...
sleep in and lay around drinking coffee
Go to boot camp!
Go to yoga!
Girls weekend
Trip to Vegas with big daddy
Read
The possibilities are endless!!
The big dance is almost here ....
Fear makes you realize that something is worth it. What fun would it be to do everything perfectly and know no one could beat you. The fear and the challenge is what makes it worth it and what makes the win meaningful. I definitely not going for a win at ironman but I would like a well executed day with a PR at the end. Fear has set in. I biked the course and it seemed harder than I remembered. The wind seemed extra fierce and all the doubts begin to creep in. I need to remember what I tell my cc kids everyday. The mind controls the body. I constantly make them tell I am a beast while doing hard work outs. I want them to think that instead of thinking I dying. Today I will start thinking I am a beast and will continue until I hear Mike Riely yell you are an ironman!! Just the thought of those words can bring me to tears and still give me chills. They have been repeated in my head during many of long training days. Taper is here but not really, I still have a pretty hard week but that just gives me more time to trust in myself
This weekend I raced a sprint and there is nothing like a sprint to remind me why I live triathlon. The great thing about IM training is it relaxes me. I am too busy and too tired to stress about a race. Race morning my race wheel had a piece of glass in it. After two attempts of changing the tire, we just stuck my training wheel back on. Did I hate it? Yes, stress about it ? No. Due to all my early wake up calls, I had no trouble getting to the race early which gave me extra time to talk and meet many of those around me. Much to Stewart just shaking his head. I did do a very short warm up and felt great in the water
Started the race with the female winner behind me and she was from Germantown. Funny to come out of town to meet a hometown triathlete. Based on her swim time, I knew she was faster. My plan was to hold her off as long as I could. She did catch me and I was kind of relieved because know I could draft. Unfortunately we only had 25 yds left. I did not pass anyone else but she was the only one to pass me. Although my swim was still slow as crap, it was faster for me!
We came out of water together and I made what I think the first mistake that could have cost me the win. We had a long run back to transition and for some reason, I became confused and ran under the taped area we were suppose to run in and entered transition from the wrong side. I knew I screwed up and looked around, saw what I was suppose to do, ran back out and corrected it. Although this cost me some time, what it did cost me was leaving transition with the first place girl. She only outbiked me by about 40 seconds and it makes me wonder what I could have done if we left head to head. I pushed hard on the bike abs repeated catch that group over and over in my head as I saw those in front of me. It was s hilly ride and I was pleased with my average. I have also gone from an all water drinker to a lover of scratch ( just a side note). I caught the then 2nd place girl with about a mile left and she did catch back up to enter T2 together. I know this is not always right but based on the fact that she outweighed me, I was planning on being the faster runner. T2 is my specialty- I was in and out and searching for the 1st place girl. The course was winding and hilly and you couldn't see who was in front of you. It was also hilly as hell. I knew the run would be my struggle. I need speed work and fast foot turn over to even attempt to be fast. I have had neither in IM training. 7:40's are fast for me these days. Not surprisingly my run pace was 7:30 ish. My second mistake was not taking a guy when I left T2. I felt so bonky but had no water until turn around to take mine and what a difference it made. So I am still looking and chasing and we did a little loop behind the school so I missed first place girl. And I begin to give up in my head. I settled for 2nd place. I knew 3rd was not close. I ended up beating her by 6 minutes! 1st outran me by 20 seconds!!! I did what I always tell my cc kids never to do! Don't give up and don't settle!! Stewart said later he heard them yell - here comes 1st girl and was sad it was not me. The great thing is I would have loved to win- who wouldn't but the days are beating myself up are over. I did what I could and I had a great time doing it!
Stewart has just turned into a beast. He was 5th or 6th overall and after good swim for him, a killer bike, he managed to run that hilly course with a 6:30 pace on legs that were trashed from ironman. It is amazing to see his improvement. He has already signed up for NOLA half and has his eye on another IM for next year - not me! I plan to be Sherpa extraordinaire and sprint race master. I also have requested that Stew take private swim lessons. He gets that swim fixed, he is going to be a beast
As we are 20 days out from Ironman and Stew begins his packing list. I am stressing over my underwear for the underwear run. They need to be perfect as well as the shirts that our awesome friend Liz is designing for our spectators
I have also started my post ironman list...
sleep in and lay around drinking coffee
Go to boot camp!
Go to yoga!
Girls weekend
Trip to Vegas with big daddy
Read
The possibilities are endless!!
The big dance is almost here ....
Sunday, July 26, 2015
That I Needed......
As I drive to Chicago I am reflecting back on yesterday's race. Reviewing the good, the bad, how I felt etc is an important part of the race process. I am still all over the place when it comes to triathlon these days. I still say this may be my last season, it is time to move on and then the next thoughts are Just doing sprints seems appealing as well. As I put on my bathing suit, I said to Stewart this may be the last time I wear this suit as I will not wear it in ironman. I hope to squeeze in one more sprint before I close the season out with Chattanooga
So 4 weeks ago when I would think about this half, I was excited, I was ready to race, I wanted a PR. I felt like my performance at Waterfront was good but not what I wanted. I had trouble with getting my body to race after so many months of aerobic training. I thought the half would be perfect because I could race at just slightly higher than aerobic pace.
After Chattanooga, my work outs begin to really pick up. Two things happened, I lost about 4-5 lbs. even Riley was shocked when she saw me and my long bike rides begin to go to hell. Losing 4-5 lbs on me is huge and as I look back I think this could possibly be a contributing factor in these rides. I love junk but since marrying Stewart we just really don't eat it or buy it. My eating has really cleaned up but I have found with the type of training I have been putting in, I need junk. I have a high metabolism and pretty much clean eating and high miles were leaving me pretty lean.
On each long ride, I was getting nauseous, sick, headache, dizzy, clammy and just kind of out of it by the end. Most of these I pushed through. In Arkansas two weeks ago I knew pushing through was going to lead to an ER visit. I have done this sport long enough to know the difference between I am hot, tired, cranky, and ready to be done between something not right. After each of these rides I was scared. Scared because I knew I was looking at a big ole DNF in Chattanooga in the face. No way would my body have let me complete an Ironman
Nothing like an email from Liz with a big Fix it NOW to let u know u better get your butt in gear. Luckily I went on a big taper week and Riley was in town and I ate poorly and I ate a ton like I was still training high miles. This resulted with me going into the half closer to my old race weight. Believe me like any girl seeing low numbers on the scale is awesome but wisdom and maturity I also know that sometimes it is not ideal. I also began to quiz everyone on their nutrition and think back to years past and what I did then.
After talking with Liz, we decided that I wasn't getting in nearly enough calories on the bike nor enough electrolytes. Of course I wasn't because I felt sick and bloated and food and water just made me want to yak. We also decided That I was riding too hard and my hr was too high so my body could not properly digest the food
Believe me I stressed about it all week. Was I going to get my first ever DNF? What should I eat, what should I drink?? After a week of stressing, I was walking down in downtown Springfield and passed a beautiful cathedral. I told Stewart I need to go in here. My catholic upbringing took over and I was in there lighting a candle and saying a prayer. Yes praying for a triathlon. I did throw in some prayers for others who needed them for serious stuff so I wouldn't seem too self absorbed. Mostly I prayed for peace and a calm mind
That night I told Stewart I need to not think of this as a race but a long training day. I need to work on my nutrition, dial it back, relax, and if my fitness is there I will still have a good race. My mind was now relaxed and at peace
So I did not get a PR and I was 10-15 mins slower than hoped but the course and conditions were harder than I expected. The swim was a disaster. I am not sure what happens to me swimming in a large body of water but I just suck. I can't swim straight, I can't sight, I find myself swimming towards the bank instead of the buoys. The water was rough very rough and I was having a hard time getting a rhythm. It seemed I still kept running into people almost a mile into it. In fact you swam right at the beginning turned around and headed left. At this point, I swam head onto someone. Liz had told me with your fitness, you can swim this under 40 minutes. The thing is I don't get tired or winded, I just swim slow!! As I hit the turn around bouy for the Olympic distance race, I looked at my watch and saw 33 which I knew under 40 was not going to happen. In fact I swam my slowest half iron swim ever!!! I think it was long but of course I did. I did hear others say it as well. I decided that ironman swim straight down the river was going to be easier.
As I exited the swim I told myself to forget it. Nothing I could do now. Another girl racking her bike must have had the same thoughts because I heard her husband yell don't worry about it. The sad thing is in that mess of s swim I still passed many men who started 4 minutes ahead of me
The bike started and so did the head winds, the rain and a few slight rollers. This was a tougher ride than I anticipated. I saw lightening in the distance and really dark clouds but luckily we just got rain. One thought was in my mind eat and drink. Relax. I was already upset because with the head wind I wasn't riding as fast as I wanted. I let everything settle for about 15 mins and took my first gu. I was also using base salt because Liz said enduralytes were a no goal. Every 5 miles, I was suppose to stick my finger in , get some salt and lick. I also used this 5 miles to drink as well. Of course I drank at other times too but I liked this scheduled drinking. I did great on my fueling took in 3 bottles of water, bottle of scratch, Gus, power bar and honey stinger waffle. I also would feel hungry which was a good thing, my body was processing food. I met a guy on the ride and we rode the whole thing pretty much close. We often would ride side to side talking. This worked well with my dial it back attitude. Yes we could have got a blocking penalty Around mile 10 on a really windy section, my speed started going all over the place. It was showing me biking 3 mph. This proved to be a Godsend. I thought it was the wind blowing against the magnet but whatever the issue my computer was worthless. I had no idea how fast I was riding. Gone was the stress about holding a certain pace or I should be riding faster I just rode which felt right. It also was nice because at one point, I thought I was about 25 miles and realized I was at 37. Felt good on the bike. Caught and passed quite a few girls and people and as I began to approach the end of the ride, I decided since I was having no issues I would eat and prepare for the run. Smartest thing I could have done.
Got off the bike and had to pee ( here comes TMI ) but was thrilled to relieve myself all over myself during transition and at every water stop for the next 5 miles. Boy was I hydrated. Could not have been happier as I knew I fueled correctly.
I never run with a garmin but decided I would this race and once again great new decision. I knew I could run an 8:15-8:30 pace safely. I started out fast and remembered Liz saying everything feels easy the first 3 miles don't do it. With the help of garmin, I backed it down The rain stopped just in time for the run and came sun and humidity. The run was hilly but I could not have felt better. I continued with ice down top, ice over head, water, salt , gu and felt amazing!! The miles clicked off. Never walked the hills, never walked because of heat, tired, etc. Did walk through aid stations as planned. People were dropping like crazy , walking saying it is so hot and I was like thank you Memphis!!! Nothing more encouraging to have everyone cheering u on and saying u look so strong. Continues to pass more and more people to have a guy say I think u r 8th overall. I was more than pleased. It didn't even matter because I was having my race and I was winning. Before I knew it I was done! Came across the line, I was sore but hungry! Yes ... Body was using my food. I didn't need to take any anti nauseous meds as had been the habit
I am ready to tackle the last 9 weeks of ironman. It isn't going to be easy but I don't expect it to be but first a couple of R and R and no training in Chicago!!!
So 4 weeks ago when I would think about this half, I was excited, I was ready to race, I wanted a PR. I felt like my performance at Waterfront was good but not what I wanted. I had trouble with getting my body to race after so many months of aerobic training. I thought the half would be perfect because I could race at just slightly higher than aerobic pace.
After Chattanooga, my work outs begin to really pick up. Two things happened, I lost about 4-5 lbs. even Riley was shocked when she saw me and my long bike rides begin to go to hell. Losing 4-5 lbs on me is huge and as I look back I think this could possibly be a contributing factor in these rides. I love junk but since marrying Stewart we just really don't eat it or buy it. My eating has really cleaned up but I have found with the type of training I have been putting in, I need junk. I have a high metabolism and pretty much clean eating and high miles were leaving me pretty lean.
On each long ride, I was getting nauseous, sick, headache, dizzy, clammy and just kind of out of it by the end. Most of these I pushed through. In Arkansas two weeks ago I knew pushing through was going to lead to an ER visit. I have done this sport long enough to know the difference between I am hot, tired, cranky, and ready to be done between something not right. After each of these rides I was scared. Scared because I knew I was looking at a big ole DNF in Chattanooga in the face. No way would my body have let me complete an Ironman
Nothing like an email from Liz with a big Fix it NOW to let u know u better get your butt in gear. Luckily I went on a big taper week and Riley was in town and I ate poorly and I ate a ton like I was still training high miles. This resulted with me going into the half closer to my old race weight. Believe me like any girl seeing low numbers on the scale is awesome but wisdom and maturity I also know that sometimes it is not ideal. I also began to quiz everyone on their nutrition and think back to years past and what I did then.
After talking with Liz, we decided that I wasn't getting in nearly enough calories on the bike nor enough electrolytes. Of course I wasn't because I felt sick and bloated and food and water just made me want to yak. We also decided That I was riding too hard and my hr was too high so my body could not properly digest the food
Believe me I stressed about it all week. Was I going to get my first ever DNF? What should I eat, what should I drink?? After a week of stressing, I was walking down in downtown Springfield and passed a beautiful cathedral. I told Stewart I need to go in here. My catholic upbringing took over and I was in there lighting a candle and saying a prayer. Yes praying for a triathlon. I did throw in some prayers for others who needed them for serious stuff so I wouldn't seem too self absorbed. Mostly I prayed for peace and a calm mind
That night I told Stewart I need to not think of this as a race but a long training day. I need to work on my nutrition, dial it back, relax, and if my fitness is there I will still have a good race. My mind was now relaxed and at peace
So I did not get a PR and I was 10-15 mins slower than hoped but the course and conditions were harder than I expected. The swim was a disaster. I am not sure what happens to me swimming in a large body of water but I just suck. I can't swim straight, I can't sight, I find myself swimming towards the bank instead of the buoys. The water was rough very rough and I was having a hard time getting a rhythm. It seemed I still kept running into people almost a mile into it. In fact you swam right at the beginning turned around and headed left. At this point, I swam head onto someone. Liz had told me with your fitness, you can swim this under 40 minutes. The thing is I don't get tired or winded, I just swim slow!! As I hit the turn around bouy for the Olympic distance race, I looked at my watch and saw 33 which I knew under 40 was not going to happen. In fact I swam my slowest half iron swim ever!!! I think it was long but of course I did. I did hear others say it as well. I decided that ironman swim straight down the river was going to be easier.
As I exited the swim I told myself to forget it. Nothing I could do now. Another girl racking her bike must have had the same thoughts because I heard her husband yell don't worry about it. The sad thing is in that mess of s swim I still passed many men who started 4 minutes ahead of me
The bike started and so did the head winds, the rain and a few slight rollers. This was a tougher ride than I anticipated. I saw lightening in the distance and really dark clouds but luckily we just got rain. One thought was in my mind eat and drink. Relax. I was already upset because with the head wind I wasn't riding as fast as I wanted. I let everything settle for about 15 mins and took my first gu. I was also using base salt because Liz said enduralytes were a no goal. Every 5 miles, I was suppose to stick my finger in , get some salt and lick. I also used this 5 miles to drink as well. Of course I drank at other times too but I liked this scheduled drinking. I did great on my fueling took in 3 bottles of water, bottle of scratch, Gus, power bar and honey stinger waffle. I also would feel hungry which was a good thing, my body was processing food. I met a guy on the ride and we rode the whole thing pretty much close. We often would ride side to side talking. This worked well with my dial it back attitude. Yes we could have got a blocking penalty Around mile 10 on a really windy section, my speed started going all over the place. It was showing me biking 3 mph. This proved to be a Godsend. I thought it was the wind blowing against the magnet but whatever the issue my computer was worthless. I had no idea how fast I was riding. Gone was the stress about holding a certain pace or I should be riding faster I just rode which felt right. It also was nice because at one point, I thought I was about 25 miles and realized I was at 37. Felt good on the bike. Caught and passed quite a few girls and people and as I began to approach the end of the ride, I decided since I was having no issues I would eat and prepare for the run. Smartest thing I could have done.
Got off the bike and had to pee ( here comes TMI ) but was thrilled to relieve myself all over myself during transition and at every water stop for the next 5 miles. Boy was I hydrated. Could not have been happier as I knew I fueled correctly.
I never run with a garmin but decided I would this race and once again great new decision. I knew I could run an 8:15-8:30 pace safely. I started out fast and remembered Liz saying everything feels easy the first 3 miles don't do it. With the help of garmin, I backed it down The rain stopped just in time for the run and came sun and humidity. The run was hilly but I could not have felt better. I continued with ice down top, ice over head, water, salt , gu and felt amazing!! The miles clicked off. Never walked the hills, never walked because of heat, tired, etc. Did walk through aid stations as planned. People were dropping like crazy , walking saying it is so hot and I was like thank you Memphis!!! Nothing more encouraging to have everyone cheering u on and saying u look so strong. Continues to pass more and more people to have a guy say I think u r 8th overall. I was more than pleased. It didn't even matter because I was having my race and I was winning. Before I knew it I was done! Came across the line, I was sore but hungry! Yes ... Body was using my food. I didn't need to take any anti nauseous meds as had been the habit
I am ready to tackle the last 9 weeks of ironman. It isn't going to be easy but I don't expect it to be but first a couple of R and R and no training in Chicago!!!
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Racing Scared...
So...
I have a half ironman this weekend and if I recall I use to love to race a half. Really one of my favorite distances. I was really looking forward to this race and now I am scared! I think the last time I was this nervous before I was going into a race was IM wisconsion. I am soooo nervous and not because I don't feel fit. I actually feel really fit. Well fit to hold distances at a steady pace. If I had to sprint or run a mile faster then the mid 7's, I may just break down into one puddle of mess. So training was going really well - got the steroids for the foot and all was well and then I hit two disastrous weekends of long bike fueling. One of them I spent the last hour of the bike sick as a dog and just prayed to get off the bike but once I started running things were a little better but it was not good. I was determined that next week I needed to nail my nutrition. Well next week was a disaster. I didn't nail crap and was once again sick but this time I had an added pounding headache. Climbing back into the hot head wind the last 13 miles to get to my car were like a death march. More than once, I just wanted to sit on the side of the road and wait. What I was waiting for, I am not sure as the group I was with had dropped me and Stewart was on another route killing the 100 miles that I should have been riding. Finally made it back to my car and had another 30 minutes to ride and 30 minutes to run but I was done. The miles were not quality and I was pretty sure I was one step away from an IV. With these two disastrous long rides all confidence went with it. As well as my confidence to race a half. Now I have to stress about my nutrition the whole ride. Stress I will, I won't be able to shut that brain off. I am sure every slight stomach ache or head ache will have me thinking this is the beginning of the end.
What is going on with my nutrition I am not sure. I have always trained this way but it is not working. Possibly because I am riding a bit harder which is a good thing but I need to change my nutritional needs to follow this new energy output? Who knows? We are trying to figure it out? So I keep reminding myself to think of this weekend as training and not a race. But I am disappointed because I want to consider this a race... Yesterday on time hop an old race report popped up from last year. It was titled whatever... I was so relaxed at that race, no expectations. I want that feeling back! Last year it was easy because I wasn't training much but this year I am putting in a lot of work and I want some payback. I do have expectations!! To say I am obsessed with this weekend may be an understatement. I guess it is time to practice some mindfulness or stress relieving yoga or something. I just want Saturday to get here and for me to magically morp to the run! Preferably to mile 13 of the run. I also have been on a huge taper week and we all know that can make you nuts. My calves feel like they are going to rip out of my legs, I am so tired how can I every execute a 5 hour plus race. Taper is crap. It really is. I never do well on taper. I get a sore throat, I get a stomach ache, my legs may fall off, anything you can imagine....
Everyone says Ironman is a journey and this definitely has been one. I keep thinking it will be one more trial to add to my celebration as I cross the finish line. So this weekend I am asking for prayers, mojo, good thoughts from everyone. I am hoping my mind can relax and I can enjoy this distance that I love! Then as a bonus I get some R and R in Chicago and what is even better no training! So I sit here typing to hopefully take my mind off this race for a while and to have this report as a memory. Maybe next year when it pops up on time hop, I can think how silly I was to worry about something that turned out great!
Happy Racing....
I have a half ironman this weekend and if I recall I use to love to race a half. Really one of my favorite distances. I was really looking forward to this race and now I am scared! I think the last time I was this nervous before I was going into a race was IM wisconsion. I am soooo nervous and not because I don't feel fit. I actually feel really fit. Well fit to hold distances at a steady pace. If I had to sprint or run a mile faster then the mid 7's, I may just break down into one puddle of mess. So training was going really well - got the steroids for the foot and all was well and then I hit two disastrous weekends of long bike fueling. One of them I spent the last hour of the bike sick as a dog and just prayed to get off the bike but once I started running things were a little better but it was not good. I was determined that next week I needed to nail my nutrition. Well next week was a disaster. I didn't nail crap and was once again sick but this time I had an added pounding headache. Climbing back into the hot head wind the last 13 miles to get to my car were like a death march. More than once, I just wanted to sit on the side of the road and wait. What I was waiting for, I am not sure as the group I was with had dropped me and Stewart was on another route killing the 100 miles that I should have been riding. Finally made it back to my car and had another 30 minutes to ride and 30 minutes to run but I was done. The miles were not quality and I was pretty sure I was one step away from an IV. With these two disastrous long rides all confidence went with it. As well as my confidence to race a half. Now I have to stress about my nutrition the whole ride. Stress I will, I won't be able to shut that brain off. I am sure every slight stomach ache or head ache will have me thinking this is the beginning of the end.
What is going on with my nutrition I am not sure. I have always trained this way but it is not working. Possibly because I am riding a bit harder which is a good thing but I need to change my nutritional needs to follow this new energy output? Who knows? We are trying to figure it out? So I keep reminding myself to think of this weekend as training and not a race. But I am disappointed because I want to consider this a race... Yesterday on time hop an old race report popped up from last year. It was titled whatever... I was so relaxed at that race, no expectations. I want that feeling back! Last year it was easy because I wasn't training much but this year I am putting in a lot of work and I want some payback. I do have expectations!! To say I am obsessed with this weekend may be an understatement. I guess it is time to practice some mindfulness or stress relieving yoga or something. I just want Saturday to get here and for me to magically morp to the run! Preferably to mile 13 of the run. I also have been on a huge taper week and we all know that can make you nuts. My calves feel like they are going to rip out of my legs, I am so tired how can I every execute a 5 hour plus race. Taper is crap. It really is. I never do well on taper. I get a sore throat, I get a stomach ache, my legs may fall off, anything you can imagine....
Everyone says Ironman is a journey and this definitely has been one. I keep thinking it will be one more trial to add to my celebration as I cross the finish line. So this weekend I am asking for prayers, mojo, good thoughts from everyone. I am hoping my mind can relax and I can enjoy this distance that I love! Then as a bonus I get some R and R in Chicago and what is even better no training! So I sit here typing to hopefully take my mind off this race for a while and to have this report as a memory. Maybe next year when it pops up on time hop, I can think how silly I was to worry about something that turned out great!
Happy Racing....
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Ironman Training and the Life of a Domestic Goddess....
Busy has become my middle name. It seems if I do not have a bike under my butt or a bathing suit on I am playing stay at home mom extraordinaire. I am not sure how I ever stayed a stay at home mom for all those years. I did not go back to work until Morgan was in JK. No wonder I was a crazy person back then.. ok crazier than I am now. Everyday is just an endless supply of cooking, making lunches for Stewart and Noah ( who is working 9-5), laundry, cleaning up after kids, and running errands and driving kids everywhere!! I also have thrown in multiple trips to Lausanne for meetings, coaching, teaching camp, etc. This has not been a relaxing summer but through all the chaos I am thankful for each day. Thankful for the family and the life I have. Last summer, I chose to redo and paint the downstairs bathroom which was a joke and I ended up bribing the boys with cash to finish for me. An artist I am not. This summer I have decided to get new light fixtures, redo the dining room and kitchen, and recover the kitchen chairs. The same chairs that I bought along with a kitchen table on a bike ride. The next week I bought an awesome antique cabinet on the ride. The men no longer let me go in for water. Regardless the fun never stops around here! :) The other day I was complaining about the geese crossing the road and how I was going to call the homeowners association and file a complaint. They take forever to cross and there is goose crap everywhere. Stewart has taken this as a sign that I need to get back to work. Not yet... I have a bunch of training to fit in before everything gets insane. I will have about 3 weeks of insane. More than any girl should ask for. On the training front, things are going well. I am riding well... hung with the A boys last night.. only girl up there and tempo and runs are great. I do feel fit. Swim is just swim.. easier, more efficient but never faster. SMH... my body is doing its best to stay together. Lots of Foot issues and IT issues which are still stemming from my antiobotic fiasco and I am finally calling Uncle and going to see Croft tomorrow before I dig myself into a hole. Actually I am loving IM training. Surprised? Very. I do get tired and I count the work outs down to rest days but all in all I am embracing it. Loving the long rides and the neat places I have been able to ride. I have been lucky to get some great rides in Chatt and Monteagle as of late. I have a half in two weeks and if all continues I feel fit and have high hopes of a good race. Fingers crossed... oops.. got to go pick little bit up from cheer. Today I have driven to and from my house a total of 12 times.. 12!! Maybe I do need to get back to work!!!
Monday, June 29, 2015
Waterfront Triathlon Chattanooga
So... I finally raced again this season. It seems like forever ago that I did Cedars of Lebanon and so much has happened. I was more than looking forward to this race because anytime I can be in Chattanooga it is a good thing! We could not have asked for a better day as the day was just absolutely gorgeous - one of those where you just want to spend all day outside and guess what I did!!
So Ironman training is going and even though some days it is annoying, I am mostly enjoying it. A lot has happened and I feel like I have just kept plugging along and knocking off one day at a time. The week of Cedars, I was sick. I was on antibiotic, received a breathing treatment, and a steroid shot. I felt better for a day and by the time race day dawned, I felt like total hell and was running a fever. I could not decide rather to race or not but since it was super short I went ahead and raced and had a great day. From there on, I just could not get well. Went to see doc twice more, received another steroid shot and some other meds and just still felt so tired and could not quit coughing. When we got to Arizona, I was exhausted and just quit training the whole week and slept a ton. I also started running a fever and decided that I really thought I had pneumonia. The doc sent me a prescription for Levaquin which is used to treat pneumonia. The good thing was after two pills, my coughing was done completely! I was more than ecstatic!!! The first side effect listed was tendonitis. Stewart went to pick up my meds and I was like please talk to the pharmacist. The pharmacist said she has nothing to worry about. Ha.. since then I have two PT's tell me an athlete should never take levaquin. It can do some crazy things to athletes.
So, we return from Arizona which was awesome even though I missed out on some good eating because I was just not feeling my best. This was a true bummer especially the night we went to a restaurant that had over 60 kinds of homemade pie! I ran one time the whole week but my leg was feeling a little weird and so was my foot. Hmm.. odd? I haven't even done anything but had been hiking and climbing at slippery rock so just figured that was the culprit. Sunday morning in Memphis I ran a great 13 miles. The last couple of miles, my foot was killing me!! And it was even worse after running. A few days later, I had a tempo and some hill repeats. The run was great but as I was running my cool down, shooting pains were stopping me in my track. It felt so weird and not like any IT pain I had before. I limped back to the house. I could not have ran if someone was holding a gun to my head. After some doc visits, we decided that this pain was tendonitis and we think it was definitely med induced. I stopped taking my meds immediately and started treatment. It is better but still having some major foot pain especially AFTER running. It takes about a day or two before I can run again. This week is going to be interesting as I have some back to back days of running so fingers are crossed.
So forward to racing. I was looking forward to the Olympic as I have not raced one since 2011. It is not my favorite distance and the hardest for me to race. With the mile swim, I have such a disadvantage. No matter how long I swim or how much, I just never seem to get faster. I am no longer waiting for the breakthrough. My endurance gets better but speed stays the same. I feel like my form has also improved hugely but I am just not a swimmer. The half I can race, the bike and the run are longer so I can make up the lost time but with the oly, I just don't have the time on the bike and run. Liz just told me to try and finish each event stronger than I started.
Stewart and I were 660 and 661. You get bused up to the swim start and swim down the river to transition. The day was beautiful so we had fun just hanging in the field waiting for our time to start. It was a time trail start. Stewart says I am going to just swim right behind you. Even with a 3 second time trial start - it seemed the river was packed with swimmers as soon as you entered. At one point, I remember thinking I wonder if Stewart is with me because I was definitely not holding a line very well. Next thing I know I get whacked in the head, I look up to see who that was and it was Stewart! I continued to get hit a couple of more times, leg, head, shoulders so I just kept Stewart in my sights. We both finished the swim together in 23:30 which was good for both of us but placed me 17th in my AG and Stewart was 34th leaving the water. Ugh!! Just let me be a swimmer!!! ( on a side note, Stewart went on to kill the bike and run and finish 12 in his AG and 90 overall for men) This race has over a 1000 racing. A little more training and racing and I have a feeling - he is going to be one hell of a triathlete!
I knew the bike had a lot of long hills and I just wanted to start out steady and not blow up. And I did that pretty much the first 13 miles to the turn around. I was passing a ton of people even though I was not pushing and not even breathing hard but felt pleased with my ride as no one had passed me. At the turn around, two girls and a guy passed me and I was like go with them but at that moment, I was switching water bottles around in my cages, taking a gu and the moment passed. I didn't go and I still regret that I did not chase. They were the only people to pass me on the bike. As I neared the end of the bike (which is slightly longer than the regular 24 miles in an Olympic but is 26 miles in Chattanooga. It seems all the races are long in Chatt. ) and I reminded myself it was time to GO!! I began to stand up on each hill and try to push but it was like it was just not there. I felt like I was on one of my Saturday am long rides. My head wanted it but it was like my body did not respond. Not once did my legs burn, not once did my lungs burn and more than once the thought went through my head that I was kind of holding half iron pace. The good thing was that if I needed to bike 30 more miles, it would not have been a problem. I averaged just slightly over 18.5 which was quite a bit slower than my last race but this was super hilly and on this course I was going to take it but I still felt like I needed to do more.
The run started up the big hill - same big hill we will run at the start of Ironman but I felt fine. In fact I felt fine the whole run, I felt strong and nothing hurt. I was passing tons of people and no one passed me on the run. I kept asking myself - is this it? you are really not hurting? My answer was well you are passing tons of people - yes but maybe they are just slow and all the fast people are up front? ( they were, they started in the 1-200) I definitely was not in pain as I was able to talk to others along the way and respond to those who yelled at me about my suit. Once again, the thought went through my head that I felt like I was holding a training pace or my half iron pace. I finished and definitely could have ran more if needed. I averaged 7:57 - much slower than I wanted so my thoughts were confirmed, today was pretty much one big long training day. I even had a man that I met at the start of the race say to me I saw you come off the bike, I saw you finish - you looked great! Yeah - I guess great should not be the word you should describe yourself in racing. I ended up being 7th on the bike and 4th on the run in my age group - not complaining but I think I could have done more. I am calling it a successful day as I was hoping to be in the top 10 and I was number 9. I did make my goal and there were superfast ladies ( I guess all way in front of me) at this race as it was the Southeast Championship but I was disappointed a little in myself. Today my foot hurts and I am concerned. I am in Chattanooga and Mont Eagle until next week so I can't even get to the doc. I keep hoping that it is going to heal itself. I am motivated and enjoying training but I am tired of all the road blocks. I did receive a nice quote from the ironman page the other day " A road with no obstacles is most likely a path that leads nowhere"
I am excited and ready to keep moving forward. I am looking forward to some great bikes and runs this week in Chattanooga. I was able to visit the local Y today to get in a swim which is always fun to me. I love to see different facilities and swim in new places. I am also ready for this old body to just hang on a little bit longer!!
Ironman Forward!!
So Ironman training is going and even though some days it is annoying, I am mostly enjoying it. A lot has happened and I feel like I have just kept plugging along and knocking off one day at a time. The week of Cedars, I was sick. I was on antibiotic, received a breathing treatment, and a steroid shot. I felt better for a day and by the time race day dawned, I felt like total hell and was running a fever. I could not decide rather to race or not but since it was super short I went ahead and raced and had a great day. From there on, I just could not get well. Went to see doc twice more, received another steroid shot and some other meds and just still felt so tired and could not quit coughing. When we got to Arizona, I was exhausted and just quit training the whole week and slept a ton. I also started running a fever and decided that I really thought I had pneumonia. The doc sent me a prescription for Levaquin which is used to treat pneumonia. The good thing was after two pills, my coughing was done completely! I was more than ecstatic!!! The first side effect listed was tendonitis. Stewart went to pick up my meds and I was like please talk to the pharmacist. The pharmacist said she has nothing to worry about. Ha.. since then I have two PT's tell me an athlete should never take levaquin. It can do some crazy things to athletes.
So, we return from Arizona which was awesome even though I missed out on some good eating because I was just not feeling my best. This was a true bummer especially the night we went to a restaurant that had over 60 kinds of homemade pie! I ran one time the whole week but my leg was feeling a little weird and so was my foot. Hmm.. odd? I haven't even done anything but had been hiking and climbing at slippery rock so just figured that was the culprit. Sunday morning in Memphis I ran a great 13 miles. The last couple of miles, my foot was killing me!! And it was even worse after running. A few days later, I had a tempo and some hill repeats. The run was great but as I was running my cool down, shooting pains were stopping me in my track. It felt so weird and not like any IT pain I had before. I limped back to the house. I could not have ran if someone was holding a gun to my head. After some doc visits, we decided that this pain was tendonitis and we think it was definitely med induced. I stopped taking my meds immediately and started treatment. It is better but still having some major foot pain especially AFTER running. It takes about a day or two before I can run again. This week is going to be interesting as I have some back to back days of running so fingers are crossed.
So forward to racing. I was looking forward to the Olympic as I have not raced one since 2011. It is not my favorite distance and the hardest for me to race. With the mile swim, I have such a disadvantage. No matter how long I swim or how much, I just never seem to get faster. I am no longer waiting for the breakthrough. My endurance gets better but speed stays the same. I feel like my form has also improved hugely but I am just not a swimmer. The half I can race, the bike and the run are longer so I can make up the lost time but with the oly, I just don't have the time on the bike and run. Liz just told me to try and finish each event stronger than I started.
Stewart and I were 660 and 661. You get bused up to the swim start and swim down the river to transition. The day was beautiful so we had fun just hanging in the field waiting for our time to start. It was a time trail start. Stewart says I am going to just swim right behind you. Even with a 3 second time trial start - it seemed the river was packed with swimmers as soon as you entered. At one point, I remember thinking I wonder if Stewart is with me because I was definitely not holding a line very well. Next thing I know I get whacked in the head, I look up to see who that was and it was Stewart! I continued to get hit a couple of more times, leg, head, shoulders so I just kept Stewart in my sights. We both finished the swim together in 23:30 which was good for both of us but placed me 17th in my AG and Stewart was 34th leaving the water. Ugh!! Just let me be a swimmer!!! ( on a side note, Stewart went on to kill the bike and run and finish 12 in his AG and 90 overall for men) This race has over a 1000 racing. A little more training and racing and I have a feeling - he is going to be one hell of a triathlete!
I knew the bike had a lot of long hills and I just wanted to start out steady and not blow up. And I did that pretty much the first 13 miles to the turn around. I was passing a ton of people even though I was not pushing and not even breathing hard but felt pleased with my ride as no one had passed me. At the turn around, two girls and a guy passed me and I was like go with them but at that moment, I was switching water bottles around in my cages, taking a gu and the moment passed. I didn't go and I still regret that I did not chase. They were the only people to pass me on the bike. As I neared the end of the bike (which is slightly longer than the regular 24 miles in an Olympic but is 26 miles in Chattanooga. It seems all the races are long in Chatt. ) and I reminded myself it was time to GO!! I began to stand up on each hill and try to push but it was like it was just not there. I felt like I was on one of my Saturday am long rides. My head wanted it but it was like my body did not respond. Not once did my legs burn, not once did my lungs burn and more than once the thought went through my head that I was kind of holding half iron pace. The good thing was that if I needed to bike 30 more miles, it would not have been a problem. I averaged just slightly over 18.5 which was quite a bit slower than my last race but this was super hilly and on this course I was going to take it but I still felt like I needed to do more.
The run started up the big hill - same big hill we will run at the start of Ironman but I felt fine. In fact I felt fine the whole run, I felt strong and nothing hurt. I was passing tons of people and no one passed me on the run. I kept asking myself - is this it? you are really not hurting? My answer was well you are passing tons of people - yes but maybe they are just slow and all the fast people are up front? ( they were, they started in the 1-200) I definitely was not in pain as I was able to talk to others along the way and respond to those who yelled at me about my suit. Once again, the thought went through my head that I felt like I was holding a training pace or my half iron pace. I finished and definitely could have ran more if needed. I averaged 7:57 - much slower than I wanted so my thoughts were confirmed, today was pretty much one big long training day. I even had a man that I met at the start of the race say to me I saw you come off the bike, I saw you finish - you looked great! Yeah - I guess great should not be the word you should describe yourself in racing. I ended up being 7th on the bike and 4th on the run in my age group - not complaining but I think I could have done more. I am calling it a successful day as I was hoping to be in the top 10 and I was number 9. I did make my goal and there were superfast ladies ( I guess all way in front of me) at this race as it was the Southeast Championship but I was disappointed a little in myself. Today my foot hurts and I am concerned. I am in Chattanooga and Mont Eagle until next week so I can't even get to the doc. I keep hoping that it is going to heal itself. I am motivated and enjoying training but I am tired of all the road blocks. I did receive a nice quote from the ironman page the other day " A road with no obstacles is most likely a path that leads nowhere"
I am excited and ready to keep moving forward. I am looking forward to some great bikes and runs this week in Chattanooga. I was able to visit the local Y today to get in a swim which is always fun to me. I love to see different facilities and swim in new places. I am also ready for this old body to just hang on a little bit longer!!
Ironman Forward!!
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Bad racing juju be gone
So I can't talk so I may as well write a race report. It is so weird not talking but the effort of doing so brings me to a fit of coughing so I have chosen to be silent. It is awful. I must say. Not sure why anyone would want to be quiet when there is so much to say
Regardless I have decided I am done with bad racing juju. We all know Boston was not the experience I hoped and leading up to and after I was dealing with a variety of injuries. I was more than ready to throw in the towel and was so over it all. It was just too much. I had decided to give one more push and let this race at cedars be a turning point or at least I hoped. It wasn't easy. I had missed about 25 days of running total before and after the marathon and yes lost some fitness. Running was hard, I was feeling out of shape, I had to concentrate on getting my leg to do the correct motion, and it hurt. I also was spending tons of time in PT. I decided I really hated running and when a run popped up on the schedule I dreaded it. I just wanted to swim. That should tell you how bad running was going but I decided to fight. I was going to do this race and was hoping to do well
So I went to Chattanooga to see my beautiful daughter which is great fun but Dallas and I have a love/hate relationship. Love him and hate his hair. I was there maybe 5 minutes when my eyes were itching and I was loading up on allergy meds. Came home late Sunday and by Tuesday morning I knew something was not right in the asthma department. This does happen quite often after a visit with Dallas. Tuesday night after my bike and run, I felt like a semi had run over me twice. I slept none Tuesday night but slept all day Wednesday and most of Thursday. Headed to the doc on Thursday for breathing treatment and a steroid shot. Thursday night I felt great. I even hit up a Lausanne baseball game and completed my swim workout. I didn't work Wed/Thursday but felt fine for Friday. By the afternoon, I began to feel a sore throat, tightness in chest returning. By the time we hit packet pick up, I felt awful again. I chose to ignore it because this was my turn around race. I had a 50 minute bike ride to do and we figured we ride the course for part. I have become completely reliable on Stewart for all things pertaining to travel. I thought he knew the course and he thought o knew the course as I raced this race many years ago on a different course. We set out and then realized we were nowhere near the course. And we continued to get lost again. I began to feel a little stressed as my 50 min ride was hitting the 1:30 mark. And we were riding super hilly roads although the names were comical. At one point we were on the corner of Chicken Rd and Tater Picker. I was more than ready to be done so when we happened upon a Dollar General, I decided to wait for Stewart to find his way back and get me in the car. Sitting on the sidewalk of a dollar general parking lot on A Friday night in a town with Tater Picker as a street is quite amusing. We finally made it to dinner where due to sickness or tiredness I fell off and knocked over the bar stool after one drink and found myself asleep on the hotel room floor while Stewart showered. I was beginning to doubt my ability to race the next day. I did get a great night sleep but woke up feeling like hell. Decided o would warm up and see how I felt. I ran for 10 minutes and the great thing was my leg was feeling normal!!! The bad was I think I had a fever I was so overheated and the running killed my throat. I decided to forgo the swim warm up as the water was 76 and it was beginning to rain I did not want to stand there and be cold.
I decided I was racing because it was short and I would at least finish even if it wasn't pretty. The swim was short and sweet but cold. I hit that water and it was Cold ! It was wetsuit legal but I had no wetsuit After momentarily taking my breath, I began to swim and felt fine. Actually I felt fine the whole race. Could I have been faster if I wasn't sick, who knows? But never at any moment did I feel like I was racing poorly due to being unwell. The great thing was my bike computer fell off at the start of the ride so I had no idea how fast I was riding. I just rode and chased and did the same on the run. Endorphins are an amazing thing because as soon as I finished I began majorly coughing and having breathing difficulties. As of now I feel like hell but have chosen to ignore it. I also chose to start my antibiotics. I got a spark today and it was great! I wanted to be racing, I want to be faster I am ready to see improvements. So come hell or high water, I am getting in a solid three weeks of training before I leave on vacay. The floods may come but I am pushing on. Feels good to have some spark back! If only my voice would come back!!!
Regardless I have decided I am done with bad racing juju. We all know Boston was not the experience I hoped and leading up to and after I was dealing with a variety of injuries. I was more than ready to throw in the towel and was so over it all. It was just too much. I had decided to give one more push and let this race at cedars be a turning point or at least I hoped. It wasn't easy. I had missed about 25 days of running total before and after the marathon and yes lost some fitness. Running was hard, I was feeling out of shape, I had to concentrate on getting my leg to do the correct motion, and it hurt. I also was spending tons of time in PT. I decided I really hated running and when a run popped up on the schedule I dreaded it. I just wanted to swim. That should tell you how bad running was going but I decided to fight. I was going to do this race and was hoping to do well
So I went to Chattanooga to see my beautiful daughter which is great fun but Dallas and I have a love/hate relationship. Love him and hate his hair. I was there maybe 5 minutes when my eyes were itching and I was loading up on allergy meds. Came home late Sunday and by Tuesday morning I knew something was not right in the asthma department. This does happen quite often after a visit with Dallas. Tuesday night after my bike and run, I felt like a semi had run over me twice. I slept none Tuesday night but slept all day Wednesday and most of Thursday. Headed to the doc on Thursday for breathing treatment and a steroid shot. Thursday night I felt great. I even hit up a Lausanne baseball game and completed my swim workout. I didn't work Wed/Thursday but felt fine for Friday. By the afternoon, I began to feel a sore throat, tightness in chest returning. By the time we hit packet pick up, I felt awful again. I chose to ignore it because this was my turn around race. I had a 50 minute bike ride to do and we figured we ride the course for part. I have become completely reliable on Stewart for all things pertaining to travel. I thought he knew the course and he thought o knew the course as I raced this race many years ago on a different course. We set out and then realized we were nowhere near the course. And we continued to get lost again. I began to feel a little stressed as my 50 min ride was hitting the 1:30 mark. And we were riding super hilly roads although the names were comical. At one point we were on the corner of Chicken Rd and Tater Picker. I was more than ready to be done so when we happened upon a Dollar General, I decided to wait for Stewart to find his way back and get me in the car. Sitting on the sidewalk of a dollar general parking lot on A Friday night in a town with Tater Picker as a street is quite amusing. We finally made it to dinner where due to sickness or tiredness I fell off and knocked over the bar stool after one drink and found myself asleep on the hotel room floor while Stewart showered. I was beginning to doubt my ability to race the next day. I did get a great night sleep but woke up feeling like hell. Decided o would warm up and see how I felt. I ran for 10 minutes and the great thing was my leg was feeling normal!!! The bad was I think I had a fever I was so overheated and the running killed my throat. I decided to forgo the swim warm up as the water was 76 and it was beginning to rain I did not want to stand there and be cold.
I decided I was racing because it was short and I would at least finish even if it wasn't pretty. The swim was short and sweet but cold. I hit that water and it was Cold ! It was wetsuit legal but I had no wetsuit After momentarily taking my breath, I began to swim and felt fine. Actually I felt fine the whole race. Could I have been faster if I wasn't sick, who knows? But never at any moment did I feel like I was racing poorly due to being unwell. The great thing was my bike computer fell off at the start of the ride so I had no idea how fast I was riding. I just rode and chased and did the same on the run. Endorphins are an amazing thing because as soon as I finished I began majorly coughing and having breathing difficulties. As of now I feel like hell but have chosen to ignore it. I also chose to start my antibiotics. I got a spark today and it was great! I wanted to be racing, I want to be faster I am ready to see improvements. So come hell or high water, I am getting in a solid three weeks of training before I leave on vacay. The floods may come but I am pushing on. Feels good to have some spark back! If only my voice would come back!!!
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