updates on life

So, since TTT, I decided I'd take a week or two of easy training before ramping up again for IMKY training. It's gonna be a loooong season with ITU LC Worlds in November. The first week, I did take it easy....until Memorial Day weekend. That Saturday, I rode about 80 miles, most of whic was with my buddy, Ack. And then Sunday, I just did an easy 8 miles. It was hot and my legs were toast still. Then Monday, a 50 mile ride, which started with Pater and ended alone. I did get to start my cycling tan lines, which are pretty rockin' at this point.

On Tuesday, I started a cleanse, with supplements and by later that day, I was sick. That's when the "unplanned but likely necessary rest" began. I felt ok by friday, went for a speedy 6 mile run in the morn. And hung out friday night. Saturday, I went for a run in the morning to get my car...and felt GREAT!

As I was nearing home, in said car (aka beater), I got put in time out by a cop. Long story... I was in the wrong. I mean, I just wanted to get home and I didn't put anyone in danger, but I was being impatient. So, this cop told me to pull into this parking lot and I did. And after all was said and done, he never said another word to me. He just wanted me to suffer. And i was soooo hungry!!

So, I went to Kroger and got a veggie roll and decided to drive up to the bike shop where I used to work to check things out. before I left, I got really sleepy, but I told myself I could take a nap when I got back home. By the time I walked into Wheelie Fun, it wasn't two minutes before that veggie roll was coming back up. And let me tell ya, soy and wasabi kinda burns on the way back up....Another 25 mins or so and I was back to the toilet. The boys gave me some Gatorade and I was on my way back home to sleep (yes!!). And that's when I hit the stand still traffic jam...and saw the ambulance, police and fire truck go by. And then, I felt it coming again... and I had to open my door and vomit up the gatorade.

Let me tell ya....I haven't puked in a long long time. And it's not fun, kids.

But, by Sunday, I was feeling a bit better so I went for a nice hard 2 hour ride by myself. And then to the pool for some sun. and fun. and beer. and sun.

I got a little fried. But it was worth it. And Monday evening, I was planning on a nice easy lone ride. Put in my ipod headphones and headed out...and caught a dingleberry. Now, no one likes a dingleberry. Amiright? Guy hung on my wheel after I passed. And after 3 miles, I asked if he wanted to pull and all he could say was "no, i like the pace!". wha??? So, I kept hammering and on a downhill, he and his buddy passed. Of course, because they each had at least 40 pounds on me. And he then told me "you're doing Great!" Um....really? I don't really need your encouragement. It was ME pulling YOU aruond for the last five miles at 21 mph. k, thanks.

Anyway....I get to the turn around and actually see some guys I know and would actually enjoy riding with. So i too out my earphone and I caught them and it was a hammerfest home, in which two of us fell off.

And tonight's 7x400 workout was feeling that ride. The workout called for 5k pace. And they were all within 3 seconds of 1:30, if not right on it, so that was nice.

In other news, I'm single again. But that's really no surprise since I'm not sure I've declared myself as in a relationship. Guess things happen fast when you never blog. But this should allow for more time to do so....so expect some more interesting stuff, rather than just boring workouts.

Oh yeah. I also got another pug. Her name is Carmen and she's fucking adorable. Has a retard tongue. But I don't even care.

It's all good...i think

So, my little tiny Clubber appears to be doing well. We had blood drawn at the vet on Monday and the results all came back fine. She's been full of spunk and vigor. She gets a little sketchy at night. I think she knows that what occurred wasn't normal and might be a little frightened...dogs are way smarter than we tend to give credit. My senses are also on high alert, so when she awakes every hour and sits up on the edge of the bed, I awake. Sleep has been a bit rough this week...

But training has been pretty fabulous. I even got outside for a 90 minute ride on Wednesday after work with Ack! My dumbass didn't bring shoe covers...and when it's cold enough to wear full-fingered gloves, it's probably cold enough to, at least have toe covers. It was great to be outside though. Because every other day, we've had some torrential downpours. And this morning, it snowed! blah.

Thursday morning, swim practice was lacking some of the super fast guys, so I moved up to a fast lane. And, wow, I love it up there. I get a challenge and I have fun. There were some pulls sets, some fin sets, some kick sets, some fast swimming and all in all, 3700.

Runs have also been going quite well. Last night, I ran straight through the production crew for Clooney's new movie The Ides of March, that they're filming here. I almost stopped and asked one of the security guys why all the trailers and pretty people standing about smoking cigarettes... Glad I didn't because it occurred to me what it was while I was out there.

Tomorrow is the Frosty 14 trail race. And a bunch of my buddies are down the USVI for 8 Tuff miles, which is some insane hill race in paradise. Should be fun for all!

Off to a good start

Over the weekend, I got in two fabulous outdoor rides and two longish runs. I also moved back to my old 'hood and made lots of food. It was a damn near fantastic.

Firday was so gloriously sunny and warm, with just a little crazy wind. I mean, shorts on the bike on December 31st?!? Yowza.

I had planned to start the year with a 5 mile race....but I woke to rain, which didn't scare me...but then my buddy called and told me it was $35 registration. And I just got my first real paycheck the day before. I think living like a miser cheapened me up. $7 a mile, or more than $1 a minute just seemed to rich for my blood. So, I bagged it. Instead, I got myself settled into my new digs. And that's when I discovered that I may have a clothes addiction. Half my clothes are still in storage and I have 32 tank tops. I also have about 14 pairs of jeans, 7 pairs of black tights, two huge drawers full of winter training clothes... just at this location! And I've downsized every time I've moved (which was more than a few times this year) and I haven't bought much of anything in the last six months.

But whatever. I waited 'til the sun decided to shine and went out for a nice 10 miles at a brisk pace. It was sooo nice to go out and run an old familiar course. Again, in shorts and a sports bra. The temps were dropping, but I was taking full advantage of the warmness that was.

Sunday morning was a scheduled run with a buddy of mine. Unfortunately, he bailed without really letting me know (hence the word: bailed). Fortunately, I recruited a cyclist buddy that signed up for IM St George so I was not alone. It was a coldish run. I went from wearing shorts and a sports bra on Saturday to tights, sleeves, jackets, gloves, hat on Sunday. I wasn't planning to go fast or hard, but I think the pace ended up fairly spirited.

After 13 miles, I arrived home to a text from Judi asking if I wanted to ride. I had just enough time to down a smoothie, a coffee and warm myself up before piling on riding layers and hitting some good hills for a couple hours. Let me just say that 30 degrees in crazy heavy wind is not the most fun riding I've ever had. And it's much more exhausting than you might think, but we had some good laughs and we're building back our friendship in a good way.

By the time I got home, I was ready to scarf some homemade black beans and rice, thaw in a hot shower and cuddle up with Clubber.

I think the only good thing about Monday is that I got to make the two mile trek to work and then again after work. The legs are feeling a little trashed as we acclimate back into base training, so the active recovery is a nice bonus. Plus, not fighting traffic and paying exorbitant parking fees, not to mention getting to watch the sun rise AND set is pretty cool.

busy, busy

Since I arrived home from Tour de Beer, my schedule has been quite hectic. I registered for the Tecumseh Trail Marathon on December 4 in Bloomington, IN. AND i went back to masters swim practice. And I got in two rides with boys. And I'm getting everything together for my dream job. Ahhh...
I took three whole weeks out of the water. And this left me very well rested. and very scared about going back. would i even remember how to swim? would i have any endurance? will i even fit into my suit? would i make it through practice?

Well, fortunately, swimming is a bit like riding a bike. once you know how to do it, it comes back quickly. and while my muscular endurance isn't quite what it was, meaning i tire more easily when doing pull sets, i haven't really lost my cardio endurance, so i can make it through practice without problem. and my shoulders are only slightly achy today. but that probably has more to do with the two hour trail run and 90 min bike i did yesterday AFTER practice.

I hit the trails Monday before work. and i got lost, which is great. just not when i have to get to work and this creates a conflict with getting there in timely fashion.

I spent almost three hours riding on Tuesday at a nice, easy pace with an aforementioned pro, who really is just like any other buddy of mine. he just happens to get paid to ride bikes. and then we went and had thanksgiving (ie - loooootts of food) for lunch. and i ran some errands for a friend, which led to the ride yesterday.

I was "owed one" so after masters and a two hour trail run, where i didn't fall once (ok, maybe it's because i'm so fat and slow right now. ugh) i joined a friend for an easy ride and then was treated to dinner. and quite possibly, the most tasty brownie i've ever had.

outside of training, I'm gunning for this job I wanted about two years ago that i brushed aside because i met a boy. stupid girl. anyway, it's a field instructor position for adult wilderness therapy out in Utah. So, i've got my letters of recommendation all lined up and i'm hopeful. oh, i want this bad.

And i went to see Jackass in 3D, where i gagged more than i ever have in a training session. those dudes are SICK. the sweat cocktail gives me nightmares. and the slingshot port-a-pottie is quite possibly the most vulgar thing i can imagine. i mean, really, he had to have had shit caked in his ears and other crevices for days. at what point does the stench go away? ughh.

and today i slept in. ya know, until 7am. and i've been catching up on email and blogs. and prepping for another long trail run. i want to make it through this trail marathon in one piece. and we already got our "off season" training plan for next week. Oh, and two of my teammates just got their pro cards. woo hoo!

Balancing Act

All of life is an experiment, right? And it  takes practice to get it right. And with experimentation and practice, lessons are learned. If there's anything I've learned through my little dance with triathlon is that balance is key. We have to balance focus on three different sports, making sure to not dedicate too much time to one aspect or risk taking away key fitness and speed of another activity. Even with the aid of a coach (or three), it can become daunting. And just when we think we have everything in it's place, life happens and throws everything off-kilter.

For example, early in the season, I dedicated a LOT of training time to the bike. And my bike splits improved dramatically! But my run seemed to suffer. Then, I got discouraged with the results from one race and some life events and my motivation plummeted. I'm ramping it back up, but I'm also trying to remember to throw in some key "fun time".

So, over the long weekend, I went camping down at Red River Gorge, where hiking ensued (yes, that is toothpaste on my shirt, thankyouverymuch)...

and a little knife throwing was done (maybe it's best to not ask)...

and amazing views were seen...

and great company was had (it only looks as though I'm trying to escape :))...

And upon arrival back home, it was to the Cleves Time Trial and out for morning runs and to masters swim practice for some hard work and back to work for a paycheck. Sometimes, it's great to have the kind of weekends that don't involve swim-bike-run and instead include fish 'n' chips and climbs and no showers and lots of laughs, ya know, to help maintain the balance, until life interrupts again.

Deer Creek Oly - tornados, lightning, setting PRs and chicking the men

The Deer Creek Olympic Triathlon isn't one that was on my race schedule...until, like, last Tuesday. I kinda just felt like racing it. This means, there was no taper. There was very little preparation. And I was just out looking to have a good time. per usual.

Pre-race:
I awoke at 4am and was out the door by 5:15 for the (nearly) two hour drive. As the sun rose, I noticed the trees were whipping about. I also noted that there was a comment on my FB status that there was a tornado watch in Mt. Sterling. Beautiful!
I got to the beach and the waiting began... I waited in line for my race packet. I waited in line for the bathroom. I waited to set up in transition. And then I (along with everyone else) waited for the storms to subside and the race to begin. There was some crazy lightning that was striking out on the lake. It was gorgeous. But it also made me kinda want a duathlon. As the heavens were dumping copious amounts of water and I was chattin' up race stuff and tri gear with a teammate, I look to my right and hear "Ms Lindsey?"...it was Big Daddy Diesel!!! We chatted for a bit and suddenly, the sun was making an appearance and everyone scattered the pavilion. I made one last trip to transition and pulled on the wetsuit. which, i will note, is much more difficult to do when feet are wet.

The 1500m Swim:
We ladies are always given the last wave start. It sucks because there are actually some decent female swimmers. And some not so decent male swimmers. But I digress....So, we finally got started about an hour after supposed start. Out to the forst turn, no major issues. Upon making that turn...CHOP! I didn't mind it, but I was a little taken by surprise the first couple strokes. Swim, turn, swim....straight into the sun. I lost sighting and went off course a bit. Back on and a fairly uneventful second lap swimming over previous waves. Time: 23:45

T1:
Run up the muddy hill to transition...to empty foot bath buckets. The sprint tri waves had all gone off before the Oly and I guess they decided to NOT refill them? Anyway, run, find bike, strip wetsuit, don shoes, helmet, go get other sunglasses from bag...ugh. that took forever. time: 2:08

The 40k Bike:
Windy? Windy. Windy! The first 15-20 mins were just spent getting into the groove. I was cruising at 21-23mph. I took in water. Then the crosswinds hit. I decided to take in a gel....just a girl in a black skin suit riding a P3 with Zipp wheels and an aero helmet passed me. Dammit! The goal then became to just not let her out of sight. As I was climbing the first hill at the end of loop one, a CincyExpress teammate passed me with some trash talk stating that Barry might get chicked by me, but he wouldn't. When I caught him on the next little climb, I told him he better hurry up then. And he took off.
The second loop was much the same as the first. I took in another gel, drank some gatorade. At the top of that first climb is a flat that is straight into a headwind and I saw my speed drop to 11.4mph. A huge highlight of the tailwind though was seeing my speed over 30mph! The second time I was going in for those hills, I picked up a guy. He was sucking my wheel and I was getting irritated. I'd seen quite a bit of drafting out on the course. And I almost opened my trap a couple times, but really, they're the ones that have to live with cheating. So, I kept my mouth shut.
As I was finishing up the bike, I saw a couple other Cincy Express teammates already out on the run, so I shouted as loud as I could and pretty soon, I was pulling into T2. Time: 1:12.01

T2:
Rack my bike, take off shoes, helmet, slip on Zoots...and for some reason I walked until I hit that timing mat. I still had NO idea where I stood place wise. And I was having fun, so I didn't really care. I also knew I was making fairly good time.

The 10k Run:
It was flat and fast. But also all in the sun. The first mile is trudged across the levee, on grass...that had just been rained on...and tramped across by the sprint tri peeps. So, it was, needless to say, a little sloppy. I hot the first mile at 7:18 and waited for my legs to come around. Just before the turnaround, I saw the leading female (who I'd beat at Triple in every race). I thought that maybe, just maybe, I could hunt her down on the second half of the run...and then, at the turn around, I saw black speedsuit girl stopping for water. I got some water myself and went on ahead as she was complaining of cramping.
I kept myself relaxed and ready to go at any moment. At the last water stop, with about a mile to go, I asked for a Heed and heard "Water! Water! Water!" from black speedsuit just behind me. I didn't even look back, I just decided to pick up the pace for the last few minutes. With about a quarter mile to go, we hit the home stretch into the parking lot and round a corner where her cheering squad was based. They yell for her as she passes me. I was exhausted. She'd stayed right on my heels the whole last half and I didn't have it in me to go and get her in the last few hundred yards....
Until I heard someone yell my name. Suddenly, I knew I had it. I got a shit eatin' grin on my face, giggled aloud and poured it on, coming in 20 or so feet ahead of her at the finish. (Also outsprinting the CE guy who wasn't going to get chicked by me. Interestingly, he also started a wave ahead of me, so it turned out to be a 2 min beating.)  Time (via watch as T2 and run did not get separated): 44:00

Total time of 2:23.04. 3rd place overall.

Post-Race:
I talked to some teammates and Scott (Big Daddy Diesel) and got a little something to snack on and then headed home. I had intended to ride (my bike) home from the race with a buddy of mine. Due to extenuating circumstances, this did not occur. So, upon arriving home, I went out for a two hour ride with the boy. And my legs were feeling it with every little riser. We discussed riding and racing technique and the mental aspects of competition. He's got a wealth of knowledge. And experience. Lucky me!

old friends, new adventures and the importance of listening

So, it's been a while...ya know, since I've had anything interesting to say. I've been reading everyone else, hoping to gain some inspiration. But my wit has left me.

This must mean I'm tired.
Or maybe I'm not really witty.

Some fun things...
 - Friday, I picked up my bike from 1919. New chain, new bar tape, new cleats, and squeaky clean. That all changed Saturday. But it lasted for all of about 12 hours.
 - I swam alone of Friday morning. I almost never do this because I hate it. I much rather have some company. But my buddy didn't show. So, I pretended to know the girl in the lane next to me and compete with her. Even though she wasn't aware of our new friendship. Or competition.
 - Friday evening was dinner at Dewey's Pizza with my teammates that are doing HOS 200 in two weeks. We also had some spouses, children and SAG peeps. I think our party totalled 12 in all. Never in my life have I seen so much pizza consumed by so few people. Or so few people who are not overweight. Anyway, we discussed strategy and nutrition. And checked out the course profile. The three that did it last year then told us how much it made them never want to ride again fun it was.
 - Saturday was track work followed by bike intervals. Again. This is another workout I hate doing alone so my old asst track coach joined me and a training buddy. Let me just say that 4x2000 @6:30 pace makes me want to shit my pants when placed at the end of three 20+hr/weeks. Old track coach dominated these with ~ 6:15 pace. He's doing the Hawaii 70.3 in June. He thinks he can qualify for Kona in the 40-44AG. Saturday was his first time on the bike in close to a year. And this will be his first HIM. Ever. We had an easy warm-up followed by 3x6miles at TT effort. We (training bud and I) averaged about 23mph, (which I realize isn't super speedy, but you go out and do track work and then try it; suffice to say, it hurts). And dropped old coach. I suppose his sights aren't impossible...but me thinks there may be a humbling process...I think so many people don't realize just how much work this stuff takes. I will keep you updated. Ya know, if anyone is interested.

About a year ago, I really learned the importance of listening to my body. It's crucial in training at a high(er) level.

Yesterday, my body was screaming at me.

First, I slept through my alarm. And got a total of 10 hours of sleep. I did a quick loosen spin on the trainer, showered and went to help out with registration at the Germantown Road Race. It was cold and windy and rainy. And I was glad to not be racing myself. I did run into some of the cyclists that were in TN a few weeks back. I also met a triathlete. It was his first road race. I told him not to annouce his status. Unless he wanted everyone to know he couldn't hold a line.

After all that hullabaloo, I went home to get on the trainer. Instead, my body told me to take a nap. I guess it hadn't registered to my body that we got ample sleep the previous night.

And soon enough, the pup needed to go out. She timed it perfectly between thunderstorms.

I took that wake-up call as an opportunity to actually get on the trainer. My legs felt fine. But after two hours, I bagged it. I was tired. And hungry. So I ate. And made some hot cocoa and watched Up. Oh what a sad little story. For a Pixar movie, it sure was suspenseful. That mean Alpha dog...and that old man who wanted to capture Kevin...and how Mr. Fredrickson just wanted to uphold his promise to Ellie...awe.

And just before bed, I received good tidings of great joy...RECOVERY WEEK!!!!
Good thing. Just two weeks before HOS.

Death by Sweat

Yesterday morning I was on the trainer by 5:30 am for a 2 hour ride. That included 20x (1min hard, 1 min easy) which is way way more difficult than it sounds. Particularly after track work the previous night.

Anyway, I'm on the trainer, with my typical set up - TV on low volume, iPod, phone and remote in the bento box, gatorade in the water bottle - minus my towel. And I was sweating. And sweating. And sweating. What I didn't realize was that all this sweat was dripping right down into the crevices of the electronic components of my (old school flip) phone. I the iPod always gets sweat on. In fact, the last one died due to too much sweat. Now, I have a gel skin. Helps a ton. I should've noted that.

So, hair dripping and clothes saturated, I finish my bike and crawl to the floor to stretch. And open my phone. To a completely blank screen. I open the battery compartment. Water (or sweat, actually) droplets.
Oops.
I tried to dry it out.
Then it wouldn't turn on at all.
I killed the phone, like it had been dunked in a bucket of water, with the sweat dripping from my head. And upper body. Hot. I know.

So, I finally succumbed to the smart phone phenom. I can't wait to see what this does for my productivity at work. Facecrack and email at my fingertips. Not to mention GPS, the weather, entertainment news, blogs...dear God!

In other news, the circus is in town. I only know because I saw all the hoopla while I was out for a run last night. Oh, how nice it was to run easy. And to actually laugh (heartily) at the cop who, playfully, accused me of using the stop light (and massive amounts of traffic) for a break. Clearly, he does not know me and how I used to yell at Tom "Why are you stopping? We don't WALK! You can slow down to a jog that's slower than a walk, but we DO NOT stop!!!".

Back to the circus...there were also picketers out. I really feel horribly for those animals. I can't imagine they're treated well. And having to be on the road all the time? ugh. It turns my stomach just thinking about it...

Or maybe it's the ice cream I had for dinner last night? Yeah, that whole nutrition thing has to be put into effect soon! I was all anxious about a screw up I made at work. Anxiety craves comfort food.

But it, seemingly, turned out to be great fuel for for my morning Masters practice. (ok, probably not). We did lots of stuff. Kicking. And swimming. And swimming fast. And more kicking. And swimming long on cruise. And swimming fast again. And swimming non-free. And then...we raced. And I busted out a 1:12, my fastest timed 100 to date!

To all of you who have asked about the nutrition stuff, Carmichael has some great info!! I (obviously) have yet to apply it, but it has made me think even more about how I'm fueling myself for specific workouts. And what foods are best for a given training session. I haven't really cracked Matt Fitzgerald's book yet, but from what I've heard, it's got great info too. I'll post additional thoughts when I get some time. For now, I have to go correct that mistake from yesterday...

No joke

The winter wonderland has continued. I awoke at 4:30 am to an additional three inches of snow blanketing my car. And the roads. And the walkways. This means a few things. 1) Clubber will not go potty outside. 2) There will be massive accidents on the roads - allow for extra time to get anywhere. 3) The city will damn-near shut down. And we'll get out of work early.

And so far, the first two of those things has occurred. For some reason, today, the city is still in motion. The first time it would have been justified that they shut down, we're all working. Like, full days. Kinda. I mean, half the people didn't show to the office today, but those of us that did, I think we're stuck here for the long haul. But the snow hasn't yet stopped. I'm wearing a little school girl skirt, tights and hiking boots. It's a good look. If you're 12.

Since I was able to make it out to swim practice this morning, which requires a trek on the highway, across the river, etc., it was only right that I come into work. Swim practice didn't disappoint either. It wasn't a ton of yardage (~3k) because we did some non-free stuff to start, but seriously, 8x200 on 3:00 with 10-15 sec rest is no joke.

Aaron only stuck me in that lane because he said he wanted to see me "go after it a little more". Right. What about what I want? Whatever. I survived. And I made all the sets, though those last two only had 3-5 sec rest.

And my legs were only a little achey and oxygen-deprived feeling today. I spun them out and then attempted to roll the knots out of my quads on the foam roller last night. Um, ouch. It was all I could do to BREATHE while attempting the roll. I guess it was all the jumping over logs and scaling the sides of mountains and sliding down hillsides that left my legs so trashed. Because I haven't felt like this since post-IM.

Tonight, trainer ride! If I ever make it home. It's funny because people who always get snow think it's no big deal to get 8 inches of snow. Difference between Cincinnati and Denver? They're prepared for snowfall. Removal and salt and plows and all the things that are required to NOT induce panic among the citizens are built into the budget. Not so much here. We got snow on Friday and aparently, that took out seven of our plows. Seriously. SEVEN of them broke down! That's, like, half our fleet.

OK, was I just whining? I just got a call that we're leaving at noon. Later peeps! I'm going to get on the trainer

I have a dirty bike.

Yes, that's right. It's dirty. Because i got to ride outside on Saturday!!! Itwas about 45 degrees and a little cloudy, but it was outside. On real hills. With some training buddy friends. And it was amazing!

I've already lost some comfort riding downhill. That was partly due to knowingly having a bald back tire (thank you trainer! and yes, I realize I could have swapped it out or taken my tri bike, but...well, I didn't) and wet roads. Plus, I didn't know the area. Or what lie at the bottom of those hills. It was fun al the while.

And that ride was followed up with an easy 30 min run. And by easy, I mean keeping the HR low. Not necessarily slow. I think we avg a 7:50 pace. But the legs felt like they were moving kinda slow. My feet were like ice blocks until, of course, the very last 1/4 mile.

I went home and plowed some veggies and chicken to prep for the long run the next morning.

Again, warm-ish. 40 degrees. Good enough for shorts! And three more training buddies to run with. I met some new people too! (hi Corky!) It was dreary, but the rain held off until the end of the run. We finished with 13 miles, about 3 of those toward the end were upbeat. I got an extra mile with the run to and from my apartment to the meeting spot.

I rested and refueled and hit up Pilates in the afternoon. I love this life. I love training. I love the weekends.

I also love resting/recovering. That's what today is designed for. It's now Monday morning, MLK Day. No work. And I was up at 5am, naturally. I've already done the dishes, cleaned the bathroom, vacuumed, mopped the kitchen floor and had breakfast. I'm swimming at noon. Today is a recovery day, so that means getting chores done! Next, laundry. Then making meals for the week...

A Big Warm Welcome to Winter and Hell Week!

Monday marked the first day of winter! Yes, I realize this probably doesn't sound like a great thing to most, but hear me out... As my friend, Holly, pointed out, this also symbolizes the shortest day of the year (wait, it really does get better), which only means that the days start getting longer again!

So, let's welcome the winter! We can get through and move on to long warm days on the bike outside instead of long laborious sweaty static rides inside on the trainer...and sweating while we pound the pavement instead of dodging snowflakes and attempting to stay upright while running down ice covered sidewalks...and wearing flip flops and shorts to swim practice rather than feeling our nose hairs freeze as we make the trip back home in the dark at 7am.

Speaking of swim practice... Yesterday, Coach Aaron explained to us that the week of Christmas is also known as "Hell Week". Apparently, most people are out of work (not me) and kids are out of school...and everyone is eating to much and not exercising enough, so what more perfect time to bust out lots of long sets with very minimal rest...try to get through and maybe fail. Ahahahahah! Notice the maybe. This is also the time when he stripped his sweatshirt. We were already sweating in the pool from our 600 mix and then 12x75 warm-up. The workout laid before us? 15x200. They were broken into 3 sets of 5 with descending pace. And After the first 1k, my lats were screaming. I begged someone else to lead the second set and that was much, much bettter. I am better able to relax if I'm not the one in the front. I have a major fear of slowing others down and my HR skyrockets at the very thought of it.

6:45 (the end of practice) hit before we could finish them all, so we only ended up doing 12x200 and then a cool-down for a total of 4k for the morning.

And a bike/run brick followed that evening.

Needless to say, I slept well last night.

And I'm going home now to get in a good bike. and another run. and then back to the second installment of hell week.

The track, the road and running the human race

"It's because we have feelings and thought to battle one another that we are so complex. You wouldn't like being a sheep, but then again, if you were a sheep, you wouldn't know any different. And sheep can't do Ironman" - a good friend

It's been a challenging past 24 hours, emotionally. Physically, I've had a couple great workouts. Actually, I've had pretty great workouts all week.

That track work on Wednesday evening was a little more painful than I remember...

This also happened to be the evening that my high school track shorts decided to lose their elasticity. So, my mile repeats entailed run, run, run, pull up the shorts that are even double rolled at the waist. Pretty hilarious, actually. Man, I loved those shorts. Those are the shorts I ran my first (and only outside of IM) marathon in...along with a regular cotton t-shirt, the shorts that I ran so many miles in, shorts I q'ed for Boston in. But, i suppose it's time to retire them, considering they're over 12 years old...

After my mile repeats, I did some bounding drills, some high knees, some strides and then I sat and stretched. Exhausted.

Thursday morning was swim practice. And yes, Aaron wants to hurt me. We did 12x50, then 10x50 and then 12x100 on 1:25!! And then it was MASSAGE TIME!!! Thank God! That TT on Tues, then track work on Wed and two hard swims, weights...I was in need.

Them after work, on to a quick brick. I was also given caution by coach "If you at all feel tired, go home and SHUT it down! Remember, it's only been a couple weeks since IM". But I felt good. And I met a fellow rider...we chatted as we rode hills. Made the time go by. And then home for an easy 15 min t-run.

After some restless sleep and emational distress, I awoke this morning needing a run. I just needed to clear my head, wipe away some spider webs and get rid of the dust between my ears. I told myself I'd just go short and easy. But I felt good, so I opted for a 45 min run.

And I got home to find that Coach had sent me my workouts for the next three days... and guess what today was?? A 45 min run! It was dark and the city was quiet. And I was up early enough to go to the grocery before work as well!  So, tonight, i think i'll walk down to the bookstore and get a new copy of Triathlete for some weekend training motivation...

Tuesday night TT

So much fun! Just not so fast. Seems I forgot how to ride fast. I finished and I wasn't feeling like I wanted to puke. My legs weren't jello. I wasn't sucking wind...though I do think I caught a couple bugs in my throat.

And then I went for a run. And I clicked off two miles in about 14 mins. Ryan started out with me and I think he really wanted to hang (because after I told him he could slow down, he said "I'm going to keep up if it kills me". I may have started to push the pace at this point. *snicker*) but he turned around early...only to get back before me, making it look as though he were the faster of us.

Tonight I have some run speed work! Yahoo!!

All good things must end sometime...

...but that just means it's time for something else to begin!

So, IM training and recovery are through.

And now training starts! I got the email last night from Coach... "Training starts tomorrow". It's not that I haven't been training all along, it's that it's time to start the serious stuff. The hill repeats and the intervals and the tempo runs and track work and the kind of swimming that makes it difficult to even lift myself out the side of the pool after.

And I've been waiting, oh so patiently... all through IM training, all through IM taper, through the past two recovery weeks... just to be able start serious training again. For a shorter race.

And it couldn't have come after a better weekend.

Saturday's ride was beautiful. Sunny and 80 degrees. No humidity. No clouds. A cool breeze. And as I rode over the hills, fallen leaves skittered across the my path. That smell was in the air...you know, the smell of football and pumpkins and trick-or-treat...the smell of autumn. I passed a roadside farmer's market selling apples and sweet potatoes, a few other cyclists had stopped for a treat. I considered it, but I was focused. And having fun. And it ended the same way it bagan, with a big smile across my face.

Sunday morning, I awoke to darkness. One more sign that summer is over. Shorter days. I walked Clubber and got out the door by 7:30 for my 90 min run. I went across to Cincy and then back to KY, up to the hills in Ft. Thomas. I made a little loop and headed back toward home, crossed paths with my high school coach. The weather was, once again, perfect. 56 degrees. Cool breeze. Sun shining. 11 miles of hill after hill after hill.

It heated up nicely and I picked up Barbie for her first OWS. She's got a tri in two weeks and I figured it best to get her out there. She did really well except for sighting...and she even began catching onto that.

I tracked some teammates that were doing IMWI. Amazing! There were some awesome times out there. As I watched finishers cross the line on Ironman Live, I got excited. Inspired. And my heart raced. And my ears buzzed.

Six weeks til race day.

Loving my Saturday ride!!!

All alone. Back in the saddle for some hills, some wind and some (seemingly) fast riding :)

The Ohio, at the end of Rte 8 W. Only slightly jealous of those out on that boat.

The road back home. The temp was perfect. Maybe 80. No humidity. I was dancin' in an out of the shadows thrown by those trees.

And I came home to this...a very sleepy Clubber!


I was driving down the road yesterday and couldn't keep from smiling thinking about just being ok with where I am. It's been a hell of a year. Very rollercoaster. Ups and downs, speedy and stagnant. And it's not the end of the ride, but I think we're over that first big, scary hill...when you can finally feel ok loosening the grip and letting out shrieks of laughter, when you know you'll be ok, through the loops, corkscrews and crazy turns. And you know that by the time you get to the end, that first big scary hill was probably the best damn thing that happened. Even if it didn't feel like it at the time.

Pictures, lyrics and gettin' back in the saddle

Mom's pictures from IMKY.

Waiting for the start. At the end of the swim line.

As the line bagan moving... and I'm holding Clubby for warmth.

Post-race. Me and my little Irondog!
And me and the greatest dad ever!
Talking with Coach after the race. He'd already been done for about three hours. Me and my wonderful mama.

I was driving into work this morning and heard this song on the radio. I couldn't help but laugh. But I really liked it! I like the idea of getting out of hell before the devil knows you're there.



If your going through hell
Keep on going,
don't slow down
If you're scared don't show it
You might get out
Before the devil even knows you're there

Yeah, If you're going through hell

Keep on moving,
face that fire
Walk right through it
You might get out

Before the devil even knows you're there

I know vacation is fun for me, but I guess you guys want training stuff, right? So, I'm getting back to it, prepping for Worlds. Coach gave me one more easy week. And he told me to go back to Masters. All summer I've been going against his wishes...and now he tells me to go. And wouldn't you know that Tuesday morning, I go to practice (which was, um, interesting because I fatigued toward the end, but i'll talk about that more later) and Aaron gave us his two week notice that he won't be doing Masters anymore due to other obligations. He'll still write us workouts and we can lead our own practice, OR he invited me and one other guy to join his age groupers. from the club team. Right. I can see it now. A bunch of kids less than half my age lapping me in the water! Awesome. I have yet to decide what to do.

So, after a nice long Holiday weekend full of food and fun, Tuesday morning came quick. And practice was challenging. Started with 4x200 where the first 100 of each set was kick. I am the WORLD'S SLOWEST KICKER!! I still made the sets, but I went last in our lane. And I got lapped because the second 100 was swim and lane leader would always catch me as I was finishing up my kick. Arg.

And then to 12x50 where the first 25 was non-free. What joy. Then 100s. Nine of them. The first four were on 1:30. The last five were on 1:25. Right. I think I made two of those 1:25s. Maybe three? And I was the only one in our lane who made any. Then, the arms fell off. But we weren't done. A 200 for time. I basically just got through it. There was no sprinting. It was just about toughing it out and getting it done. 2:52. That sucks.

But it was a beautiful evening for my easy 30 min run. 80 degrees and not at all humid. I was told "NO PUSHING" this week. And each time I felt myself begin to push, I backed off. The legs still don't have that zing but they feel ok.

Wednesday was my first real ride outside. I got on the trainer last week, but nothing major. It was great to be out on the road! It was only an hour and i was given instruction to keep it in the small ring, which forced me to spin. And I'm glad I got that instrcution because I'd have pushed it if not. no doubt.

Got Team USA uniform options. I can go with a Speedo FastSkin II unitard, a TYR Tracer tri suit or a De Soto tri suit. The FSII looks sweet, but I fear ordering a specific size and it not fitting after it's been customized. I don't want it to be so tight that it's uncomfortable. Anyone have experience with any of these???

Times are changing

In a good way.

My legs are beat up.

But I still PR'ed at the TT last night.

I think it was just the new bike though.

I HATE MY JOB!!!

And that is why my training is so dear to me. I get through the work day so I can go play.

Yesterday, I got up and went to swim practice after a Benadryl-induced coma.

Warm-up then 9x50, 4x125 kick set and...coach pulled out the stop watch.

This only means a couple things...either we're doing time trials or as many __ as you can on __ in a certain time period. It was the latter.

The rules: 30 mins. 100s on 1:25. If you miss an interval, you sit it out. That is your rest. Goal: miss no more than two.

It started out great. My first few, I had 10 secs rest. That turned into 5 secs. After about 10x100, I missed the interval. By about two seconds. Ahhh...rest. And right back in line. Another five. And I missed by a second. And then another three. That hurt. And then cool-down.

I took a two hour lunch at work, ran some errands, ate with a friend... and then I left an hour early so I could go let Clubber out and still get to Cleves for the time trial.

And as soon as I pulled up to the TT to meet Judi, I sent her a text saying it was stupid of either of us to do it with the weeks we had behind us and the races we have before us this weekend.

But we both did it. And neither of us PR'd. It was fun though. About half way through, my :30 guy caught me. He had a tt bike, disc wheels, a skin suit and aero helmet (compared to my road bike with aerobars, tri shorts and Bell helmet). Regardless, there's my rabbit!!! I passed him back. But not for long. I heard those wheels coming...and he passed me up again. This time for good. Oh well. It wasn't my best time, but also not my worst.

Now it's just time to get ready for Musselman this weekend!!! Looks to be beautiful weather - high of 71 and partly cloudy. Better be some fast run times.

Wind, Bees, Sweat and other random weekend adventures

Saturday morning, I roused out of bed eager to ride, despite the lack of sleep I'd gotten after attending the TdF party the night before. The forecast was calling for severe storms in early afternoon, so I headed out on my own. I hadn't been in such wind since the wind storm that occurred as the remnants of Hurricane Ike. I was being blown all over the road!

I was riding along in aero when a BIG black something with wings and I collided. It deflected off my glasses on must've gotten stuck right in the crease of my hip as I pedalled. I felt the sting and immediately pulled to the side to check for a stinger. No luck. Just a small red dot. I made it 29 years without having been stung...and this one got me good. I went ahead and rode for another few hours and retired after the wind got so bad and the sky was dark.

I went to dad's for dinner and then for an ice cream cone (with sprinkles!) from DQ.

Sunday morning, I went to the lake for an OWS. It was quiet and the water was like glass. I got in a couple miles and changed into my two piece for a little sun bathing. And that's when I saw them...

Two first time triathletes. They were swimming with their heads out of the water. They didn't make it more than 100 yards before resorting to double-armed back stroke. I watched for a while. I heard them discuss the distances of the bouys. They stayed in water where they could touch. I couldn't take it. I went back to the car for my Speedo and goggles and offered some assistance. I'm no coach, but I think I helped them a bit. By the time I left, they were swimming with their faces in the water. And they looked much smoother.

I was soooo sleepy by the time I got home. I had an 18 mile run to do, but I laid down on my bed while I was texting people...and before I knew it, It was 2:30p! I'd fallen asleep for two hours!

So, I dragged my butt up, filled my water bottle, grabbed some gel and went out the door. And it was hot. like, 91 degrees kinda hot. I went up into the ghetto and was nearly hit by a car before heading back to the park by the river to refill my water bottle. The water would turn warm within ten mins, but not getting dehydrated was so important, so drink I did.

When I got home, this is how my hip looked with the sting (notice the nice bike short tan line).


And this is the salt that was caked on my body from all the sweat. That would be my arm.

There were a few moments on that run where I just wasn't sure I was going to make it. I started out at too rapid a pace and I couldn't seem to keep my legs from churning. But each time the doubt set in, I concentrated on form and it seems the wind would pick up and cool me off a bit. I got through it safe and sound...and only a little thirsty.

What a weekend!

It wasn't the kind of weekend where I did anything spectacular, it was just the kind where I felt like I got a lot accomplished...and I didn't ignore my pup!

Saturday morning I got up EARLY to get to Caesar Creek for a long training day. No wet suit for the hour swim...and the water was nasty. I mean, scum floating on the top, swim out to the furthest buoys to avoid and it still is stuck all on the inside of your suit after the swim kinda water. Even thinking about now is revolting. Nonetheless, we got the swim in.

Then came the bike. 56 miles in under three hours. After a week of pretty good training. My legs were feeling pretty um,...lethargic. Then came the real fun because we still had some time to put in. We dropped a couple people at the parking lot and headed back out. Just the fast guys. and me. Which of these is not like the other? Yeah. me.

The decided to hammer. Seriously. HAMMER! I didn't last ten minutes. I rode alone for the next hour and twenty minutes. Gladly.

I grubbed a bit on the way home. Yes, while driving down the highway. An apple, tuna, string cheese and baked lays. mmmm... And then home for a shower and a nap before meeting up with a friend for the evening. I was somewhat zombie like all night, but still had fun.

Sunday morning came quickly. Time for chores! Grocery, vaccum, dishes, laundry, clean the bathroom, clean the kitchen, and fit in a two hour run somewhere.

While I was at the grocery, I got a text from Tom, on his way home from a swim at East Fork that morning. He stopped by and chatted as I diced some veggies for this killer bean and corn salsa I was craving...I now have a vat of it that I will have to try and disperse to some friends... It was good catching up with him, hearing about his training, sharing stories of mine.

Anyway, I started playing chef. I put a beef brisket in the crock pot and cut up veggies for fajitas after my run. I got everything accomplished on my list by 2pm...except that run. I'd decided to wait 24 hours after that bike since my legs were feeling kinda trashed. And I wanted to get out in the heat since IMKY is sure to be nasty.

Just before 5pm, I headed out the door with a gel, a bottle of water and my iPod. I just hit shuffle and amazingly, the song selection seemed perfect. I made sure to take a swig of water every five to ten minutes. I took my gel at an hour and filled my water bottle at the levee. I was feeling pretty good. I've found that mental preparation is key. For races and for workouts. I prepped myself to be out there runnig smoothly for an extended period of time. And that's how it went! Just like when I ran that 5k..I was prepared to make it hurt. Or the TT last week...I knew I just wanted to go hard the whole time. My mind can make or break a workout. or a race.

I came home to eat some fabulous steak fajitas and an early bedtime...which is where I'm headed now. Swim practice comes very early on Tuesday mornings.