MicroMussel Race Report

Finally - My A Race.

An overview of the race: 100m (that's meter, not miles) swim, .6 mile trike (yeah, I mean tricycle), and .2 mile run.

And without further ado...Heeerrreeee'ssss my Radio Flyer (I'm ashamed to say I never named my trike):



Oh yeah, the IronWoman costume came out!

Anyhow...

Pre: Winery stop on the way to the Lake. Quick veggie burrito at the Team Z tent. Chugged two beers in the rain and headed to the "real" race start.

Kevin (in his aero-helmet, Iron-Es, and Iron-Cat (CHEATER)

Swim: Cancelled due to thunderstorm. I wore my goggles for the race since I forgot my mask, and it WAS raining! Instead of the swim, we ran a traffic circle.

T1: Water was ankle deep at the beginning of transition and sloped up to mere puddles. I didn't know how the puddle situation would be like come race time, so I racked RF up on the rack.



Bike: Who'd-a-thunk a .6 mile ride would be so hard! I swear, the "hill" (slight slope) at the far end of the ride felt like IM-Swiss' Heartbreak Hill! The "Rulz" were your butt had to be on the trike the whole time. You had the option of pushing with your feet or pedaling. I chose pedaling! (Other then the behemoth thigh, I love this picture)!



Right at the end of the ride, Cat (forever more known as CHEATER), passed me. She chose to push with her feet and I later learned her butt was NOT on the seat the whole time.

T2: RF back on the rack and off on the run (I suppose I should mention, everyone wore their helmets for the whole race. SMART!

Run: I was a little back from CHEATER so I sprinted to catch up. Finally, close to the turn around I caught up to her and instead of racing fair, she threw an elbow and stuck her arms out so I couldn't pass. I was laughing so hard, I decided that if she needed to CHEAT, I'd let her have the race. OK, maybe not "have the race", she is a faster runner but she did CHEAT!!!

Final: 11:04, 7th out of ~14. Post race I disqualified CHEATER for not keeping her butt on the seat and declared myself 6th place finisher.

Loads of fun, but I felt every inch of that .6 mile ride in my hip flexers and abs for the rest of the weekend. I imagine next year will have far more then 14 racers, there's a $500 prize - the winner did it in 8 minutes.

New Plan

If you’ve noticed in the past couple months I have been aimlessly getting by when it comes to fitness. I’ve been blaming it on PID (Post Ironman Depression) but I believe it boils down to I’m not working towards anything.

Motivational Failures:
- Marine Corp Marathon – I was still injured and it was too much after IMS
- Training for the Shamrock 13.1 - after last years uber-exercising 13.1 miles is JUST 13.1 miles (I’m still doing it, it’s just not a strong enough focus)
- Worrying about my weight – it’s just depressing and makes me want to eat more

So in looking back at what got me to/through Ironman (other then the debilitating fear) what kept me motivated was #32 in my 101 in 1001 – money towards Finisher Gear (which, by the way, I only spent ½ of what I had earned).

Apparently, my career in finances has rubbed off and it’s all about money. So here’s my new plan:

Starting on 14 December, for every workout I finish I put $5 in the coffer (ok, I document it in a spreadsheet). Next year, on 13 December, that money will be used to buy myself either a really BIG gift or a substantially smaller one.

The missing piece to this plan is still a goal though. You see, I’m one of those people that rarely ever WANTS anything. And on those rare occasions when I do, well, quite honestly, I’ll just go get it. For this to work I think I need to be able to say, "The money is going to go towards…"

- a long ski weekend vacation for Dude and I ($1,000) = ~4 workouts a week
- cooking class once a month ($1,200) = ~5 workouts a week
- a spa day every other month ($1,500) = ~ 6 workouts a week
- a cycling vacation($2,000) = ~8 workouts a week

What should it be? Then again, perhaps it will be more fun to keep an on-going list...

Thirteen

1. My jaw is getting better. Headache has essentially subsided - it only hurts after chewing but I got quickly got tired of the soft diet.

2. Weekly Fall is the Best Season Remark: Sandals are put away for the next 6-months. No more obsessing over cracked heels (I do still get my pedi’s, I just don’t worry about what my “ugly runner’s feet” look like)

3. I’ve worked out TWICE this week (after nothing last week, or the week before, or…). Granted it is still transition time so those workouts were 40 minute spin, 45 minute run. And tonight will be another 40 minute spin. This weekend will be an hour run and a two hour bike ride (weather permitting).

4. I’m 37 years old and I still feel like a little girl playing dress up when I have to wear a business suit to work.




5. While I was laid up with the Worst Headache Known To Man I managed to finish two of the books I was reading and have started another. I also watched 4 movies, way too much Food Network, and almost caught up on my DVR shows.

6. I did not win the chili contest. I was robbed! The guy that did win said he actually voted for mine, as did another person that entered a chili. Oh well – I tasted all of the entries and there were some good ones but I think mine was the best.

7. Here are pictures from my cubicle contest (also did not win) of my Team Z paraphernalia. I did get asked a couple times “what’s Team 2”?



8. The guy in the cubicle next to me has his (annoying) cell phone ringer on AND an alert that goes off every 5 minutes when he has a voice mail. And he’s never at his desk…BEEP!

9. I wore my contacts for the first time in a LONG time yesterday and I loved them until about 4:30. Dry, itchy eyes - drops would be a good idea.

10. I re-read my Ironman Race Report last night…and got teary eyed remembering that AWESOME day! This is still my favorite picture...look how happy I am coming to the finish line!

11. BEEP!

12. I haven’t mentioned it lately, but Dude is the greatest! *SIGH*

13. I just realized I have my (annoying) cell phone ringer ON and I’m rarely at my desk. At least it doesn’t beep when I have VM! (And people rarely call me)

Yes, I Do Still Exercise!

It’s been awhile since I’ve actually blogged/mentioned exercise. I have excuses (I always do).

First I took two weeks off after IMS to recover. I AM AN IRONMAN!

Then I went to Lake Placid to watch my Team Z peeps rock the Ironman USA.

I had planned on starting marathon training on Monday after Placid but I ended up with a cold (and no voice) so I slept for 3 ½ days then generally felt like crap for the rest of the week.

Finally on Sunday I went on the Team Z bike ride. Dude had said he would ride 50 miles with me but he left me in the dust within two miles. Jerk! (Just kidding) I ended up riding 30 miles with Kate which was quite fun and helped ease me back into cycling.

Monday was the big “Marathon Training Kick-Off”. By that I mean I ran on the treadmill for 45 minutes then went and had beer and wings with Jason, Lori, and Ken.

I’m taking this marathon training a little (lot) different then the first go-round. Myrtle Beach was all about proving that I could RUN a marathon. I no longer have anything to prove - I AM AN IRONMAN dammit!

You may recall that during IMS training I lost my passion for the sport. The training became too focused, frustrating, and way too serious – it bacame a (really shitty) part time job when it use to be my favorite hobby. So my goal during Marine Corp marathon training is to RECAPTURE THE JOY. I want to enjoy running (with some cycling and swimming thrown in) again. I want to remember what it was like to go out for a little run and come back feeling revitalized and refreshed.

That’s my goal people!

But, so far, it just hurts. EVERY step is daggers through my feet, calves, knees and thighs.

Is enjoying running again asking too much?!

Thursday Thirteen

Random Thoughts...

I AM AN IRONMAN!

I know I want a tattoo commemorating that I AM AN IRONMAN but I can’t figure out what design I want. Not sure I want a trademarked logo.

I am looking forward to heading to Lake Placid this weekend to watch Ironman USA. Lots of friends/training partners racing. I can’t wait until they can repeat after me: I AM AN IRONMAN!

I’m NOT signing up for Ironman USA 2010 – why should I? I already AM AN IRONMAN!

They didn’t have the greatest MDot stuff in Switzerland so I’m going to go a little crazy at the Expo tent in Placid. I want to bolster the economy while letting everyone know I AM AN IRONMAN!

I didn’t lose any weight while training for IMS (I AM AN IRONMAN). Since then I spent a week eating pasta, Gelato, wine, and cappuccinos. Since returning to the States I’m all about the wine and anything I can stuff in my face. I haven’t exercised since the race. I’ve LOST three pounds.

Tomorrow is Casual Friday but I usually still dress nice. Tomorrow I’m wearing my Finisher shirt (and possibly my medal). I want everyone to know I AM AN IRONMAN!

I watched my Finisher video today (#1220, Jason's with me, Robin is #303) and I can’t understand why it was going so fast – I remember the Finish in sssslllllooooowwwww motion. But still, I AM AN IRONMAN!

I feel sorry for my cubicle mates – they have to hear my “I AM AN IRONMAN” stories every time someone stops by or calls. Yep, I’m THAT annoying person!

Even though I didn’t hear them say it, my new favorite quote is “Esther L – YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!”

I’ve read my race report probably 100 times just to relive it. When I’m done, I say I AM AN IRONMAN (sometimes out loud).

Of the 2,444 people who registered, only 2,136 people started. Of them, only 1,981 people can say I AM AN IRONMAN!

I wonder if my company would mind if I had I AM AN IRONMAN put on my business card.

OK, so I overdid it here, but seriously, every once in awhile during the course of my day I’ll remember that I AM AN IRONMAN! Whoulda thunk it?!


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Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen things I must have with me for Ironman Switzerland (16 more days!!!)

1. Dude – for emotional support, fuel hand-off (legal at IMS) and the kick in the ass that I’ll need if I ever feel like giving up.


2. Penny – Sweet, sweet Penny.


3. Compression Clothing - Zoot Active Compressrx Shorts, Zensah Calf Compression Sleeves, UnderArmour Womens HeatGear Shortsleeve Compression T, and Zoot
CompressRX Recovery Tights - I don’t understand the science behind the compression gear but I believe in it. When I wear it, my muscles don’t get as fatigued and recovery does not take as long.

4. Kinesio Tape - Again, I don't understand the science behind it but I believe in it. When I am taped up I don't feel the pulling on my tendon and it doesn't hurt after activity.

5. XTerra wetsuit – Have I mentioned Smokin’?!

6. My old Speedo goggles – tinted and NEVER leak! Love them! And they're so old, I have nothing to link to.

7. UnderArmour Active Thong – Originally I was going to go with the Patagonia Active Boy Shorts (which are great) but they rub on my thighs during long rides. I’m throwing modesty to the wind and going with a thong in transition (I know TMI!!)! When in Europe, do as the Europeans!

8. Pearl Izumi Short Attack Bike Shorts - For 112 miles I need the extra padding that trishorts just don't have!

9. Asics GT 2140 and Smart Wool socks (with pink flowers).

10. Rudy Helmet – Lightweight, and matches Penny

11. Gadgets & Misc Gear: Polar Heart Rate Monitor and Watch (Zone 2 Baby!!), Ironman Watch (for timer), Fuel Belt (when I'm thirsty I want a drink NOW, not the next aid station), Road-ID (just in case), and Sunglasses (Nashbar Arlon Sunglasses for bike, and Smith DMax for run (don’t forget the lenses!).

12. Body Care: Deodorant, Body Glide, SPF-30 sunscreen, Chamois Cream – and LOTS of each of these!

13. Post Race: The Stick (ahhhhhh!!!), the aforementioned Zoot Recovery Tights, and my Reef Fanning Bottle Opener Flip Flops (you never know when you’ll need a bottle opener)

A Different Recurring Dream

This week I've had the same (or very similar) dream three times.

I'm 1/2 way through the run at IMS and I still feel GREAT. I'm taking this as a sign that I'm ready for Ironman.

I usually get 7 hours sleep a night and each time I've had this dream right before I wake up.

I'm positive this is NOT indicative of my IMS time.

I just hope it doesn't reflect my 1/2 marathon time!

In other news, I've incorporated the 10/2 run/walk method into my waking up schedule. My alarm goes off, I hit snooze for another 10 minutes, I spend 2 minutes trying to convince myself to get out of bed then fall back to sleep until...my alarm goes off, I hit snooze for another 10 minutes, I spend 2 minutes trying to convince myself to get out of bed then fall back to sleep until.... Repeat for about an hour.

A for Effort, A- for Completion

This past weekend was it - THE long weekend of training. THE weekend that everyone says once you complete it you feel ready for Ironman. Yes, it was the 20(mile run)/120(mile bike) weekend.

I had discussed the training for this weekend with both Coach Ed and PT Kerry. Because I have been sidelined with that stupid injury I've been lacking in the distance training. The longest I've run is 15 miles (back in April), recently 13.1 during races. For riding, the longest EVER was 90 miles, again back in April I was concerned about going the full 20/120 without building up to it. Coach Ed recommended running in 1 hour increments up to 3 hours (at my pace that would be a close to 16 miles). For the bike he recommended going for the 62 mile loop, then the 30, then add an out & back to get to around 100 miles (if I was feeling up to it). And Kerry agreed with these parameters.

I listened. Really I did. But then I did what I felt I was up to.

Saturday - Due to some delays and road blocks, Jason and I ended up running from Hain's Point - our typical National Mall routes. We had a plan of running for 4 hours. I made it to about 3 1/4 hours when I started to notice my tendon and decided once I got back to the car I was done for the day. In the end, I ran for 3 1/2 hours and covered about 17.5 miles. Jason continued to run for the full 4 hours - way to go bud!

Off to the Italian Store for subs, then I headed to Dude's 7-year old nephews birthday party (Love those boys but Oh. My. Dear. God. Not recommended after a long run!), then another birthday party which I left early cause I was sleepy!

Sunday - Instead of doing the team ride, we went out to the Cambridge, MD to ride the Eagleman course. This would give us a flat ride, plus we could cheer on fellow teammates racing in the event. We did our first 50 mile loop in the reverse direction as the race and finished in under three hours ride time. Quick refill and headed out for the second 50 mile loop, this time in the direction of the race. UGH! Headwinds. For about 20 miles. Got back to the beginning of the loop and Robin called it quits. Her knee was bothering her but a HUGE congrats goes out to her - this was her FIRST ride over 70 miles!!!. I really wanted to get the additional 20 miles in so Jason and I headed back out. We only did an additional 11 miles though - it had been a long day and Jason just wanted to stop. Oh well, 111 miles - still a record for me.

So, the agenda called for 140 miles, I put in 128.5. That's 91.8% of the workout and in most colleges, that equates to an A-. I'm good with that. Most importantly - I really do feel ready for IMS and I'm looking toward 12 July with excitement not trepidation!

As a follow-up - Monday I wasn't sore but I was EXHAUSTED. I worked from home and napped for about 5 hours off and on. I was worried about not being able to sleep Monday night, but 8 hours later I was refreshed. Now it's 7 hours since I woke up and I could use a nap!

Mooseman 70.3 Race Report

Updated with pictures.
Note 1 – You will learn nothing from this race report but it's filled with exclamation points! (See)
Note 2 – I’ve mentioned before, I cuss a lot during races. Truth be told, I cuss a lot. Where you see F-xxx I actually said the real word…probably very loud.

When I signed up for this race my goal was to “…perfect my plans and to beat my Kinetic time.” But then I got injured. My new goals were to go easy until it hurt, bow out and drink margaritas. OK, that’s what I was told to do. Truth be told, I went in with the same goals as Kinetic: ultra-stretchy goal was 6:30, real goal 7:00, and worst case 8:00:01 (after cut-off).

Friday: Drove, and drove, and drove. 15 F-ing hours - in the rain! Dude and I stopped talking after 12 hours (we’re over “it” now (whatever "it" was, neither of us remember). But I did love the texts that I was getting from my housemates. F-ers!

Saturday: Went and watched part of the Oly then headed out to do a brick. All went well, no pain. We went to grab a beer and appetizers and at some point Jason asked me if I had thoughts about next year. I said I’m never doing F-ing Ironman again. I wasn’t having fun anymore! I use to love training/racing and it just sucked now and I may never race again, etc., etc., etc. Then they all laughed at me. F-ers!

Dude and I went to drive the course (apparently 15 hours in the car the day before wasn’t enough) and that’s when I really started getting worried. It is a F-ing Hilly Course. I haven’t rode hills since Kinetic. How the F was I suppose to finish this race. I was in a panic. Back to the house, dinner, bed time and I actually cried myself to sleep worrying about the race and ultimately Ironman.

Race Day: Woke up early had a bagel and PB and headed to the course. Set up transition, hung out, then headed for the water to “warm up”. At my wave start they started playing my favorite running songs “Stronger” by Kanye West. "That, that, that, that that don't kill me can only make me stronger".

Swim: 38:53
One minute slower then Kinetic. I blame it on this being one of my crookedest swims in a long time, I couldn’t find any clear spots and in the final 500 meters or so, someone grabbed my right calf and my whole leg cramped up. I tried to kick to get rid of the cramp and my left leg cramped. Not a good feeling even for someone who doesn’t kick during the swim. Out of the water, out of the wetsuit (never thought I’d utter these words “strippers rock”!), and into transition.

T1: 4:23
Stripped down and got in my cycling outfit then helped the lady next to me get into her tri top. I use to be speedy in transitions, now my goal in 5 minutes or less.

Bike: 3:33:38
AWESOME
F-ING
RIDE!
Yes the course is hilly, and I have no idea how/what I did, but I had a great ride(by my standards)! Stayed in Zone 2 except when I passed the Team Z cheering sections, then it shot up to Zone 4. I did drop my chain…3 F-ing times…and sailors would have blushed had they heard me. All in all, I felt great, ate/drank every 15 minutes as planned (going to change this to drink every 10 min, eat every 20), and had a max speed of 38.3. At some point in the last loop I realized I was going to be close to the 3:30 time and I was ecstatic! Needless to say, I came into transition with the biggest smile on my face! Dare I say it…I, yes I, had fun on the bike!

T2: 4:29
Again, full change from bike shorts to compression shorts. This was the first tri that I put on the calf sleeves so that took a bit of time. I also had to put on my tiara but I don’t think that took more then a second!


Run: 2:25:34
And I’m off! Ran out of transition, up past the roar of cheers from the Team Z crowd. Coach Ed yells at me “are you ok?” I yell back, “I’m not OK, I’m F-ing AWESOME”!

Then my shins seized up. I walked for 2 minutes and started running again. Ahh, much better. Ran for 10 minutes and implemented the 2 minute walk break. During this I decided I felt GREAT. F-it, I’m running the rest of this race!
And I did!
Including the hills!
And I negative split!
And I never felt a niggling of pain in my tendon!
Awesome! (Sang in a high pitched voice)

Finish: 6:46:57
I came down the hill, across the beach (SUCKED), stopped and hugged “Boobs”, and entered the chute. I saw Dude taking pictures, gave a thumbs up, and just Could. Not. Stop. Smiling. Got past the announcer, turned around, and moonwalked over the finish line. Not quite the striptease that Mary did but I did my best.

Dude found me, gave me a big hug and I told him I’m having fun again! Then proceeded to smile for the next 7 hours.

THIS WAS EXACTLY THE RACE I NEEDED!!!!! For the first time, I’m excited and looking forward to Ironman!

Killin' Me

So, I’m officially injured – pulled tendons behind my left knee.

It started here, destroyed my Half Ironman here, and since then I’ve done basically nothing!

I took all of last week off (other then swimming) because I was hoping it would be enough rest so I could do the weekend events: 18 mile run (my plan was 10) the 100 mile bike ride. Well, my 10 mile run turned into 4.5 mile run/walk. I then went to get my bike adjusted and the 10 minutes of spinning for the fit left me laid up for the rest of the day knowing full well I could not ride the next day. I did sag the ride for the team and I think I picked a good week to miss! There were crazy winds, a detour of hills, and confusion with the cue sheet – a true test of will for my Team Z peeps!

I had an appointment on Monday with Kerri at FastTrack Physical Therapy and Sports Performance and sure enough I woke up and the knee didn’t hurt that bad. Well, I had to give her something to work with so I jumped on the trainer for 20 minutes, then went for a 10 minute run – just enough to inflame the injury. I’m now under strict rules – icing, stretching, a couple of other exercises, a little bit of flat-footed shuffle running and FLAT rides (Hain’s Point or the trainer – no hills). Oh, and I can swim and lift weights. Minimum of two weeks of this and then hopefully I will be able to actually compete at Mooseman 70.3 and still be healthy for the big 20/120 weekend the 13/14 June.

I’m fully on-board with this plan because I know I have to get healthy but it is KILLING ME!

Mainly because when it comes to IMS...

All things being equal...

...I had a great weekend!

but first, my perseverance quote for the week:
You must have long term goals to keep you from being frustrated by short term failures. ~Charles C. Noble

Saturday was a jam-packed day. The plan was to get my bike fit (check), go on a long run with Jason (check), open water swim at Jason's lake (nope), run home to shower/change (check), see Dude for a little bit (check), then head to Alexandria for the Team Z Ironman party (check). Also had to add a trip to Conte's, a stem install, and a trip back to the bike fit.

The Bike Fit - HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend Steve at 90 Revolutions for the Medical Bike Fit. It started with a strength and flexibility assessment. Then the static bike fit where the bulk of the adjustments were made. Once that was done, he video taped my pedaling and made the final adjustments. All in all it took about 3 1/2 hours and was worth every minute. He raised the seat almost 2 inches (more on that later), I had to get inserts for my shoes, wedges, and a new stem (go figure since the seat was raised so much)!

The Run: The route Jason came up was through his hilly, hilly neighborhood. I tested the run/walk after the first 20 minutes and overall we were about 30 seconds slower per mile which I think that was a mix of the run/walk and all of the hills. Legs felt great at the end and I enjoyed the run for the first time in a long time.

No time to swim (but time for a beer) then rushed home to shower, see Dude, then rush back to get my bike looked at with the new stem.

The Party: Showed up 2 hours late (2nd trip to the fitter), missed the group photo but really enjoyed seeing everyone, meeting new people, hearing tales of Ironman past, training ideas, and Pete's funny stories.

Headed home for some much needed sleep. Whew - what a Saturday!

Sunday - Headed out at 0615 for Riley's Lock - it was overcast and drizzling but 60 degrees. Started the ride with Jason (!) and Joanna (!) so yes, I was a little faster with the new fitting and tire not rubbing. Before the first hill I told Jason I was going to have to adjust the seat after the ride because I could feel the pull behind my knee. Stuck with them until I got caught in traffic. Rode with Matt Wolfe (!) and KC (new guy I met at the party) to the first rest stop.

By now the rain was coming down hard and the temperature had dropped. Headed out again and the knee was progressively getting worse.
Mile 19-25: "hmm, this is starting to really ache"
Mile 25-39: "ow, ow, ow" New plan: Go to the mile 71 rest stop and get a ride
Mile 39-44 "holy hell, this fricking hurts" - ignored the detour signs and soon found out the bridge was out. Had to head back up the hill to follow the detour. New new plan = go 60 miles and stop/catch a ride
Mile 44-50 (rest stop) "Expletive, expletive, expletive" - Jason and Matt saw the pain in my face and declared my cycling day DONE! Bought a hot coffee, warmed up in Susan's car, caught a ride back with Ed (and 4 others).

Lessons learned:
Nutrition was spot on - drank even when I wasn't thirsty and even took in extra calories because of the cold.
When you need to make an adjustment - make it! My day would have been completely different had I done that.
There's a thin line between training for mental toughness and stupidity. Thank goodness Matt and Jason stopped me because I'm an idiot and I would have kept going (all the while saying to myself "It's IRONman not SISSYman") and would have ended up injured.
Know thy body and listen to it!

I was disappointed that I didn't complete the ride but looking back it was the best decision. Concentrating on the positive - I did do 50 miles on an extremely hilly course, in the cold and rain. Other then the other crazy Team Z peeps how many other people would do that?!

I'm frustrated...

Bordering on pissed off!! But first the good part...

My long bike ride went exceptionally well this week. Dude and I rode in Virginia Beach on Friday - he did about 50 and I did just over 85. Since we were in VA Bch, the ride was flat - yeah! I nailed the nutrition - it helps to have a timer that goes off every 15 minutes to remind me to eat/drink. I hear things were not so great for my teammates on Sat - toughest ride ever (Culpepper - hills, followed by steeper and longer hills) and a massive heat wave that had them riding in 90+ degrees.

Sunday - the plan was a 16 mile run. First, let's go back to my Excuses for Sale post where I said "have I mentioned that I love running?"

What happened to that girl???? Two weeks in a row that I have not been able to run. Am I injured? Nothing hurts that bad - yes I hurt but not enough for the "injured" label. Was it the heat this week? Possibly - it was fricking hot! I just can't get into a groove while running, which use to come naturally.

Anyhow - since I'm 99% positive I will not be able to run the full marathon at IMS I've decided to start run/walk training - trying for 12/2 (12 min. run/2 min. walk). That worked for the first 1/2 (oh, by the way, I think I only got 12 miles in - if that). On the return, I reversed the 12/2 and walked for 12, ran 2. Ok, maybe not that bad, but pretty darn close.

Disappointing, frustrating, demoralizing.

Send some positive thoughts my way people - cause I'm fresh out!

Big Baby!

I’ve been having a bad day…since Saturday.

Last week was fine, getting over the cold – missed running on Wed and did not do strength. Everything else went well but then Saturday hit.

Saturday - 60 mile bike ride – in an effort to keep this brief I’ll summarize:
Confusion + Wind + Hills + Wrong Turn + More Hills + Riding Alone + Bad Nutrition = Hyperventilating Crying Fit at mile 42 or so. (Actual mileage: 68.3)

Sunday - 15 Mile Run – Planned a 2.5 mile warm up, then the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, then end with a 2.5 mile cool down. The warm up went well, we were actually questioning if the mileage was correct (cool down was not as pleasant and there was no questioning the distance). Met up with Team Z, found Gina (who had my bib) and she and I headed for the start corral. We started with the Green group which was behind where we should have been so there was A LOT of swerving around people. Stuck with Gina through the whole race – which was a good thing – had I been running alone I would have walked most of Hain’s Point. My legs were screaming! I keep comparing my results from last year (1:42:31) to this year (1:42:10) and I’m not real happy. But then I have to remember I didn’t ride 68.3 miles the day before last year’s race. I should just be happy that I ran the whole thing (Thanks Gina)!

Monday – woke up sore. I mean more sore then after the marathon. I realize my nutrition during/after the workouts sucked. Add that I didn’t stretch near enough, I guess I deserve the pain. Headed into work and was immediately land-blasted with “you missed your profit number by $1.1 Million”. NOT a good way to start the day!!! Found the F-Up (and yes, I did miss profit by $1.1M) and had the joy of explaining the error to my boss…before my performance appraisal. Bet he’s wishing he could re-write that one! Finished the day, still incredibly sore, bought some wine and headed to Dude’s. After a couple glasses the whining came out.

Because of the breakdown on Saturday, the less then stellar run on Sunday, the soreness on Monday I’m seriously questioning my ability to finish this stupid Ironman (that’s what I call it now). I relayed my feelings to Dude – I’m slow, I’m doing the workouts and I’m not getting better, Everyone else is better then me, blah, blah, blah.

Melancholy sets in.

And Dude says “you want to know what I think?”
Me (moodily), “What?”
Dude (in all seriousness): “You’re not ready to go pro.”

And that’s when the wine almost came out of my nose. Gotta love Dude!

Big girl panties back on – let’s finish this build week.

Double Digits

HOLY CRAP!!! ONLY 99 MORE DAYS! I feel queasy!

The day I've been dreading for awhile is here. Less then 100 days to go and I feel no more ready for IMS then I did 100 days ago. OK, maybe a little more ready but not even close to where I need to be. I'm still waiting for that day when I wake up and think "I can do this".

On the lighter side, I stole this from Steve in a Speedo:



Hopefully I will do it right! More in line with this:



Bring on the workouts, bring on the distance practices. It's go-time!

That dream...again

I had it again - the Recurring Ironman Dream.

In this one I didn't realize I was suppose to set up my transition area the day before when I racked my bike (at IMS you set up like a short course race - all your stuff by your bike).

So I got to the race, was milling around, and as I heard the wave starts (no wave start at IMS - but this is just a dream) I started panicking. For some reason I had multiple bags of stuff and those bags were not in one location. I don't recall all the details, but I missed my wave start, I had to "borrow" a wetsuit from a pro (she didn't know) because I couldn't find mine, and I lost my real nutrition bag. I do recall that the nutrition I had available was a couple of gels, some Jolly Ranchers (I never eat these), Tootsie Rolls (or these), 1/2 a PowerBar, and a bag of peanuts (because those will be easy to eat).

What is the hidden meaning to these dreams????

Update from I Don't Get It post: my driver side door lock doesn't work with the key fob and I've cracked a tooth. NICE!!

New Look

As you can see, there have been some changes to the look of my blog. Let's start at the top...

The banner – well the banner is AWESOME!! Dude designed and built it for me. The bike is Penny and the runner is me (in my super-hip Zensah Compression Sleeves) – both pics taken by Dude. The “Who Rocks – I Rock” is from my bathing suit. The swim picture under Team Z is an actual picture from IMS (this may be replaced if I get a good pic of the Team Z - IMS Peeps).

The background is courtesy of Simply Chic Blog Design. The reasons I picked this design are (1) Well, it’s very American and since I’m competing in Ironman Switzerland, a little reminder of home is good; (2) red/white – colors of Switzerland flag; (3) Stars – well, I am a Rockstar!; (4) the light blue is for Penny; and (5) most other designs I found were just too “girly”.

Hope you like the new look and I hope I stay motivated to keep blogging. Just tryin’ to keep you entertained with my shenanigans.

I'm Tired!

I sit here pondering this evenings ride. I'm tired!

Did I mention I did all of last week's training?! And I've done ALL of this week's training thus far (including strength). I'm tired!

Dude's was gone all week so the sleep I got was restless and cold. I missed my human heater and cuddler. I'm tired!

This week at work is crazy busy - after last night's workout I worked til 11:00(still made swim this morning). I'm tired!

I'm pseudo-boss for the next two workdays so no skipping out early on Friday (or showing up late on Monday). I'm tired!

I have an 11 mile run and a 50 mile bike ride to look forward to this weekend. I'm tired!

Pondering is over.

I'm tired but I'm heading out to get my ride in. 70 minutes in Zone 2 then a much needed training day off tomorrow.

It's IRONMAN - NOT Sissyman!

1st Time In...um ever

I did every single workout in the Team Z 140.6/Phase 3 training plan last week, to include the optional swim!! In the past, I rarely do strength training - to the point it doesn't count against my #32 in 101 in 1001 dollar totals. Throughout marathon training I skipped a practice at least once a week. And I've never made the Optional swim - there's a reason it says optional!

What's changed? This was the first official week of IMS training (it was considered marathon training before). I'm bearing down on only 4 months to go, and as Ed said, it's amazing what fear will get you to do. The bigger driver is I finally joined a gym - X-Sport Fitness. It's less then a mile from the office and Jason is a member so he is holding me accountable for the strength training (and got me to lift and swim after the Sat. run).

The shooting pain down my leg is gone. I did have some issues in my arch after running Saturday so I'm testing the Asics 2140 this week. They have quite a bit more stability then my Cumulus so we'll see how I like them.


The long ride at Glen Echo on Sunday rocked! I love my bike - so comfortable! My average speed was 15 mph so right now I'm looking at a 7 1/2 hour IMS bike split. Granted, Glen Echo is a hilly ride so maybe I can shave off a couple minutes. There was one near death experience when a truck came to a complete stop at a speed bump (bleeping idiot!!). Tires slid this way and that but somehow I did not fall. Heart rate got up to about 170 during that little slip-n-slide!

All this exercise left me exhausted. Poor Dude...we were sitting on the back deck talking last night and it was a struggle to keep my eyes open. When he went to cook dinner (the best ribs ever) I took a nap. It's going to be a long 124 days!

Looking forward to Week 2 of IMS training - let's see if I can do a repeat!

Mail Call

I have had two AWESOME mail days in a row!

Day one - three, yes, count them, THREE checks showed up.
Check from Robin for the Rumpass in the Bumpass relay (ka-ching)!
Company check to reimburse my cell-phone/blackberry bill (KA-ching).
And finally, the grand-daddy of all checks - my income tax return(KA_CHING!!!). Let me remind you what a portion of that went to...

Ahh, Pretty Penny!!!!

Day Two - Recieved two packages, yep TWO!!.
Penny's wing:


And a book I ordered: Becoming an Ironman: First Encounters with the Ultimate Endurance Event on Amazon. Let me explain...I've become obsessed with reading Ironman race reports. I can spend hours google-ing, searching blogs, etc. just to gather more nutrition tips, see where others went wrong, learn from peoples successes, etc. So, I found this book and last night I was awake until midnight reading about people's experiences.

Yaaawwwwnnnnn - swim practice came early this morning!

What can I say, I’ve been busy so here goes what’s happenin’ lately…

Thursday – Swam in am/Dinner with friends in pm

Friday – Gave blood – Just Do It!!

For dinner I made incredible Mussels in Saffron and White Wine Broth . Changes: I quartered the amount of mussels (2 pounds) but halved the sauce. Only other change is I did not have any ½ & ½ or any other dairy - didn’t miss it. I served this with some sautéed scallops because they are Dude’s favorites and some Italian bread for sopping up the broth.


Saturday – Attempted to run at Burke Lake - turned into a walk/ran due to back/butt pain. Made appointment for a massage. Ended day with dinner with friends.

Sunday – Cuddled with Dude – love to cuddle with Dude. Headed out for massage. Now, back in the day, getting a massage was relaxing. I’d lie down and within minutes I’d be sound asleep. Times have changed!
The massage therapist from Rejuvenating Massage Therapy was incredible. And by that I mean she awakened muscles that I did not know I had. It hurt a bit as she dug in but right after she was done I felt incredible. I followed her advice and drank plenty of water, took a long hot shower, and relaxed/stretched for the remainder of the day. I woke up around 11pm in pain – I mean tears in my eyes pain. Struggled to get a couple hours sleep and awoke on Monday feeling like someone used my back as a punching bag. I think this was normal reaction since I haven’t gotten a massage in years and never deep tissue. And with all the training, my body was in desperate need of a massage. I’ll go back – my plan is to go the Sunday before recovery week starts (after the long bike ride) or sometime at the beginning of recovery week. If you head to this place, despite the pain, I recommend Sarah. Vicky was also recommended if Sarah is unavailable.

Monday – Snow/Pain Day. Played hooky from work and ended the day by spinning. This was kick-off day for training for my A race (that’s IMS by the way). All I can say is HOLY COW!!! – seeing all of the volume that is planned for this month – this is the first time I’ve felt truly confident that I will be able to finish IMS...if I follow the plan!

Bedeep, Bedeep, Bedeep, That’s all folks.