Sometimes it feels like my life is just one long day. -- John Mayer
Yesterday was my first "long day" of training. I've had other long days, but there are two on my schedule that are LONG days of training. Mini-IM days. Unfortunately, I was going into this one hurt...my foot is still not quite right and I hadn't worn a real shoe on my right foot until yesterday. But all in all, I should be pleased. I learned some things and got a little bit of confidence - which is the whole point of this training.
The good news is that I'm feeling a lot better about my swim. I swam about 3/4 of the IM distance, in a pool...talk about brain numbing..., in about 1:12. This gives me 1:08 to swim the remaining 1/4. Obviously it won't take me as long to swim 1/4 as it takes to swim 3/4, so that's awesome. Of course, in the open water, I tend to be a little slower - but hopefully IM MD will be wetsuit legal, which helps a ton. I'm feeling much better about my swim in any case, and that's a huge plus from yesterday.
The bad news is that my foot is still funky. I was supposed to go 6-7 hours and get in around 100 miles on the bike. But I hadn't ridden outside since I got hurt and I was worried about the stopping that you have to do when you ride outside with cars and stuff. So I opted to ride inside. I made it about 5:15. And it was horrible. Boring. Tedious. And of course, when you are bored, you can focus on how much everything sucks, like how much your foot hurts and how much you want a cheeseburger. Seriously. At about 4:30, I needed to go get some lunch meat because I was fairly certain I would die if I ate another sweet thing and I was super hungry. So I learned I will need to put something in my special needs bag that is savory. I had joked about it, but now I'm serious. It will be so much better than a candy bar. :)
And then the run. Er. Walk. Well, I walked for over an hour. And not a leisurely stroll, but it didn't feel great and I am kind of bummed about that. I'm hoping to get a chance to try out running this week...it's a recovery week, which means I have a lighter load. A little more time for my foot to heal. Less than 7 weeks!
Monday, August 17, 2015
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
It Will Suck, But You Will Do It.
Take chances, make mistakes. That's how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave. -- Mary Tyler Moore
Well, I'm not just scared - I'm flippin' terrified. Because my training is going to hell. I dropped a kitchen drawer on my foot on Friday (bone bruise, not broken), but it meant that this weekend was a wash and I still can't run. I swam last night and I'm hoping I'm able to get my bike shoes on tonight. This coming weekend is supposed to be one of two long training days...and I'm really anxious to do it - mostly for my peace of mind but also to work on my mental toughness, which is what I am most terrified about.
Even if I have to walk the run part of my long day. Even if I have to do all of my bike ride inside because I'm nervous about stopping on my foot. Even if the day sucks. I will do it. Because that's the best practice for IM MD of all - know it will suck. And do it any way. Because I'm going to do something really, really brave.
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Backing Out, Stepping Up, and other Random Thoughts
If you just, pretty much, take a random 15-month-old, just sit and watch them for 10 minutes and count out how many experiments, how much thinking you see going on, and it will put the most brilliant scientist to shame. -- Allison Gopnik
So, it's been a long week since last post - and I don't have any coherent thoughts. A 15-month-old would put me to shame with how much it thinks. :) (Actually, I just really thought that was a cool observation, so it has nothing to do with my thoughts, or lack thereof.) See, here's the deal...I knew I was going to say random stuff, so I googled "random quotes" and then I read them until I found one I liked. That's pretty much what I do every time I post, but usually the post and the quote have something to do with each other...
* Backing Out - I sadly had another DNF this past weekend. I was doing a hilly century ride as a training ride and I got terrible pain in my back. So horrible that I was walking up every hill because it hurt too much to ride...and that was really bad because it was all hills, all the time. I made it over half-way, but I had to get sagged in, and that was a bummer. On the other hand, the race had some organizational issues that I avoided by not finishing...so, well, there is a small silver lining.
The bad part is that my back hurts because my hips and hammies are too tight. And so I get loose and then they tighten up again. I'm spending way too much time with a heating pad on my hips and back (and probably not enough time rolling and stretching, but I'm working on it...).
* Stepping Up - I stepped into the role of Communications Coordinator for our triathlon club. Not a glamorous job, but I'm excited because I've wanted to
become more involved...and now I am. I posted the first monthly newsletter of my tenure as Coordinator this week. I feel so accomplished! :)
* The 2-month to IM MD mark passed this week. I'm stressed but confident. That seems to be an appropriate level of anxiety, right? I am having a hard time comparing last year's training to this year...for some reason I can't square whether I'm having a better training season or not - but I guess it really doesn't matter - it is what it is.
* I need to eat more carbs. I've been doing some research on endurance-training and racing nutrition and I don't think I've been fueling myself adequately for what I am doing...so I'm experimenting with adding some carbs in. Oddly enough, it could be the magic that I need to drop a few pounds before MD. (Oh, and I shouldn't drink as much wine, but what kind of fun would that be.)
So, it's been a long week since last post - and I don't have any coherent thoughts. A 15-month-old would put me to shame with how much it thinks. :) (Actually, I just really thought that was a cool observation, so it has nothing to do with my thoughts, or lack thereof.) See, here's the deal...I knew I was going to say random stuff, so I googled "random quotes" and then I read them until I found one I liked. That's pretty much what I do every time I post, but usually the post and the quote have something to do with each other...
* Backing Out - I sadly had another DNF this past weekend. I was doing a hilly century ride as a training ride and I got terrible pain in my back. So horrible that I was walking up every hill because it hurt too much to ride...and that was really bad because it was all hills, all the time. I made it over half-way, but I had to get sagged in, and that was a bummer. On the other hand, the race had some organizational issues that I avoided by not finishing...so, well, there is a small silver lining.
The bad part is that my back hurts because my hips and hammies are too tight. And so I get loose and then they tighten up again. I'm spending way too much time with a heating pad on my hips and back (and probably not enough time rolling and stretching, but I'm working on it...).
* Stepping Up - I stepped into the role of Communications Coordinator for our triathlon club. Not a glamorous job, but I'm excited because I've wanted to
become more involved...and now I am. I posted the first monthly newsletter of my tenure as Coordinator this week. I feel so accomplished! :)
* The 2-month to IM MD mark passed this week. I'm stressed but confident. That seems to be an appropriate level of anxiety, right? I am having a hard time comparing last year's training to this year...for some reason I can't square whether I'm having a better training season or not - but I guess it really doesn't matter - it is what it is.
* I need to eat more carbs. I've been doing some research on endurance-training and racing nutrition and I don't think I've been fueling myself adequately for what I am doing...so I'm experimenting with adding some carbs in. Oddly enough, it could be the magic that I need to drop a few pounds before MD. (Oh, and I shouldn't drink as much wine, but what kind of fun would that be.)
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Hangin' Tough
Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile. A world of optimism and hope. A 'you can do it' when things are tough. -- Richard M. DeVos
QOTD: Once you make the decision that you will not fail, the heart and body will follow.
Yeah, that topic of toughness is back. Am I starting to sound like a broken record? Maybe - but I am hoping that repetition leads to mastery. Hey, if a bunch of teeny-bopper boys can hang tough, you know I can!
Anyway, there was a well-timed article sent out by Ironman this week about toughness - the article is here, but the three main points are these:
For right now, I'm just going to breathe...
QOTD: Once you make the decision that you will not fail, the heart and body will follow.
Yeah, that topic of toughness is back. Am I starting to sound like a broken record? Maybe - but I am hoping that repetition leads to mastery. Hey, if a bunch of teeny-bopper boys can hang tough, you know I can!
Anyway, there was a well-timed article sent out by Ironman this week about toughness - the article is here, but the three main points are these:
- Breathe.
- Positive self-talk.
- Surround yourself with people who energize you.
For right now, I'm just going to breathe...
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Summer Time...and the livin' is easy...
Let a man walk ten miles steadily on a hot summer's day along a dusty English road, and he will soon discover why beer was invented. -- G.K. Chesterton
August brings into sharp focus and a furious boil everything I've been listening to in the late spring and summer. -- Henry Rollins
This summer feels different than last summer - for about a hundred recognizable reasons, but still, it feels off. Taking our vacation for most of June kind of set summer back a month - yeah, I know that vacation is part of summer, but it's different when you're not in the summer routine. It doesn't feel like summer - and then you come back and get blasted in the face with the summer routine and it's like, bam - where is summer?
Also, last summer, as I was coming up on August, I was starting to think about the end of Ironman training...but now, August is just another big build month before the last push in early September. It's hard to know how I feel because the timing feels off, and I haven't been unslothlike enough to go back and measure 10 weeks out from last year to compare it to this year's training. Instead, it's more fun to just panic. :)
QOTD: You must do the thing you think you cannot do.
And work - summer is a love/hate time of year for professors. On one hand, its great to be off schedule and working at your own pace. On the other hand, the semester looms and you know if you're going to get anything at all done, it needs to happen in the summer. This summer, since I did nothing in June and then did a little bit of travel and advocacy in July, I feel like I haven't gotten into my summer work mode, but damnit, there's only a few more weeks of summer left to get EVERYTHING done. Yikes.
Anyway, August is coming. And with it, some long rides and runs that will necessarily be followed by beer - 'cause that's why it was invented. I just need to relax and work through the rest of summertime...while the livin's easy...
August brings into sharp focus and a furious boil everything I've been listening to in the late spring and summer. -- Henry Rollins
This summer feels different than last summer - for about a hundred recognizable reasons, but still, it feels off. Taking our vacation for most of June kind of set summer back a month - yeah, I know that vacation is part of summer, but it's different when you're not in the summer routine. It doesn't feel like summer - and then you come back and get blasted in the face with the summer routine and it's like, bam - where is summer?
Also, last summer, as I was coming up on August, I was starting to think about the end of Ironman training...but now, August is just another big build month before the last push in early September. It's hard to know how I feel because the timing feels off, and I haven't been unslothlike enough to go back and measure 10 weeks out from last year to compare it to this year's training. Instead, it's more fun to just panic. :)
QOTD: You must do the thing you think you cannot do.
And work - summer is a love/hate time of year for professors. On one hand, its great to be off schedule and working at your own pace. On the other hand, the semester looms and you know if you're going to get anything at all done, it needs to happen in the summer. This summer, since I did nothing in June and then did a little bit of travel and advocacy in July, I feel like I haven't gotten into my summer work mode, but damnit, there's only a few more weeks of summer left to get EVERYTHING done. Yikes.
Anyway, August is coming. And with it, some long rides and runs that will necessarily be followed by beer - 'cause that's why it was invented. I just need to relax and work through the rest of summertime...while the livin's easy...
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
What the Hill?
It is easier to go down a hill than up, but the view is from the top. -- Arnold Bennett
Quote of the day: To truly enjoy the downhill, you must conquer the uphill.
For the next couple days, I am in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Elevation - 8100 feet. I drove through some higher cities on my way from Denver, but coming from low-land Virginia, these are some mighty big hills. :) Like mountain-sized hills.
Just because I'm traveling from work doesn't mean I get to skip training - it's a dropback week, but that is still a lot of work when we're just over 2 months out from the Ironman. I didn't bring my bike, but I'm lucky enough to be staying at a resort that has a fantastic fitness center with a lap-pool and spin-type trainer bikes. So I'll get my bike and swim on there. But the run. The run. The run.
There is a beautiful path that goes through the resort and down to the town below. (Below...3-4 miles down. Which naturally means that there will be a 3-4 mile run back up to get back to the hotel.) Last year, I ran down and kind of walked up, but this year I have the goal of running down and back up again, no matter how slow I have to go, between the climb and the elevation. The view up here is lovely. I will enjoy and conquer the climb.
Quote of the day: To truly enjoy the downhill, you must conquer the uphill.
For the next couple days, I am in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Elevation - 8100 feet. I drove through some higher cities on my way from Denver, but coming from low-land Virginia, these are some mighty big hills. :) Like mountain-sized hills.
Just because I'm traveling from work doesn't mean I get to skip training - it's a dropback week, but that is still a lot of work when we're just over 2 months out from the Ironman. I didn't bring my bike, but I'm lucky enough to be staying at a resort that has a fantastic fitness center with a lap-pool and spin-type trainer bikes. So I'll get my bike and swim on there. But the run. The run. The run.
There is a beautiful path that goes through the resort and down to the town below. (Below...3-4 miles down. Which naturally means that there will be a 3-4 mile run back up to get back to the hotel.) Last year, I ran down and kind of walked up, but this year I have the goal of running down and back up again, no matter how slow I have to go, between the climb and the elevation. The view up here is lovely. I will enjoy and conquer the climb.
Monday, July 20, 2015
Why Haven't You Been Blogging?
Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. -- Thomas Jefferson
A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results. -- Wade Boggs
This weekend, on a very long and very hot bike ride, my husband (IronSherpa) asked me why I am not really blogging any more. My answer was "There are only so many ways to say 'I suck'." I don't want to write about my whining and I'm sure you don't want to read about it. But that's the real problem - I need to stop whining and stop thinking I suck. I was in a much better place mentally last year when I was 2.5 months out from IM Louisville. That said, I have 2.5 months to get myself in a good space for IM MD. Ideally, it will happen sooner than later, because I need to have a good attitude for the training that is coming. This week is a rest week...thank goodness, because I'm tired and I'm travelling. But next week is huge and it only gets huger. (More huge? I don't know.)
A couple of things I'm trying to do is focus on some motivational quotes. A friend of mine put up a link to a list of quotes to get you through triathlon training. I've decided to cycle through them, one a day, for the next 2.5 months. Today's quote (QOTD):
A good goal should scare you a little and excite you a lot.
Well, IM MD certainly has the scare factor! But I am also excited - not a lot right now, but I am excited and I will focus on that excitement, rather than the fear.
Another thing is that IronSherpa is doing his best to inspire me. (Sometimes I feel like it is nagging, but I know he is doing this for me, and I do love him for it...but you know how sometimes the message is received based on the attitude you currently have? Well, yeah. That happens.) He has sent me a couple of things to think about, and they are going to be part of my focus for the next 2.5 months also. I'll put up the links now and talk about them later.
Gaining Mental Toughness by Michael Harlow
(He's the owner/head coach of the triathlon company that trains my younger daughter - and generally just an all-around awesome kind of guy.)
15 Habits of Mentally Tough People by Travis Bradberry
(from Entrepreneur Magazine)
I guess from these links you probably have figured out that I'm lacking a little in the mental toughness department (and probably in the physical toughness, too...but I need the mind to rule the matter). This, I think, is the key to my success.
Anyway, the last thing I need to focus on is blogging. I have been kind of sitting in a little black hole and ignoring that I am struggling with my training because of my pissy attitude. It's time to snap out of it and get going...'cause when the going gets tough...
A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results. -- Wade Boggs
This weekend, on a very long and very hot bike ride, my husband (IronSherpa) asked me why I am not really blogging any more. My answer was "There are only so many ways to say 'I suck'." I don't want to write about my whining and I'm sure you don't want to read about it. But that's the real problem - I need to stop whining and stop thinking I suck. I was in a much better place mentally last year when I was 2.5 months out from IM Louisville. That said, I have 2.5 months to get myself in a good space for IM MD. Ideally, it will happen sooner than later, because I need to have a good attitude for the training that is coming. This week is a rest week...thank goodness, because I'm tired and I'm travelling. But next week is huge and it only gets huger. (More huge? I don't know.)
A couple of things I'm trying to do is focus on some motivational quotes. A friend of mine put up a link to a list of quotes to get you through triathlon training. I've decided to cycle through them, one a day, for the next 2.5 months. Today's quote (QOTD):
A good goal should scare you a little and excite you a lot.
Well, IM MD certainly has the scare factor! But I am also excited - not a lot right now, but I am excited and I will focus on that excitement, rather than the fear.
Another thing is that IronSherpa is doing his best to inspire me. (Sometimes I feel like it is nagging, but I know he is doing this for me, and I do love him for it...but you know how sometimes the message is received based on the attitude you currently have? Well, yeah. That happens.) He has sent me a couple of things to think about, and they are going to be part of my focus for the next 2.5 months also. I'll put up the links now and talk about them later.
Gaining Mental Toughness by Michael Harlow
(He's the owner/head coach of the triathlon company that trains my younger daughter - and generally just an all-around awesome kind of guy.)
15 Habits of Mentally Tough People by Travis Bradberry
(from Entrepreneur Magazine)
I guess from these links you probably have figured out that I'm lacking a little in the mental toughness department (and probably in the physical toughness, too...but I need the mind to rule the matter). This, I think, is the key to my success.
Anyway, the last thing I need to focus on is blogging. I have been kind of sitting in a little black hole and ignoring that I am struggling with my training because of my pissy attitude. It's time to snap out of it and get going...'cause when the going gets tough...
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