Exactly five months from this moment, I will be recovering from Ironman--yahoo! :) I figured it needed acknowledgement. At this very moment on January 27th, I am packing for my trip to the Miami half-marathon. I'm so excited for this trip I can't stand it. I am spending three days with some of my closest girlfriends--strong, nurturing, lovely women I can't get enough of.
While filling out my workout journal the other night, I was reflecting on my first month of 2011. I am happy with my progress so far: I have missed only one workout this month, and that was due to a cranky left knee. I figured it was better to rest it than to risk not being able to run Miami. I am especially happy with fulfilling my training schedule considering the absolute nuttiness that has been my work schedule. I'm up well before dawn to get in my workout before heading to a very full, active day of teaching at work. After work, I squeeze in a swim or bike ride or yoga practice before going home.
And then I crash. To get up and to do all again the next day.
If all goes as planned this spring and summer, every week won't be like this. In the meantime, I'm happy to have already gotten into the habit of prioritizing Ironman training. Not too long ago, I would have 86-ed the workout because I wasn't able to effectively manage all things going on in my life. And I suffered for it, not just physically, but also psychologically and emotionally.
This trip to Miami will be brief but necessary for its restorative nature. Yes, I consider running 13.1 miles restorative. Life day-in and day-out is more strenuous than a simple half-marathon!
Stay tuned for the race report next week. Have a great weekend everyone!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
And so it begins...
Growing up in southeast Michigan, we had easy access to Cedar Point, an amusement park near Cleveland on the shores of Lake Erie. Summers found us taking road trips or boating across the lake to spend a day or the weekend riding the rides until we could barely stand and we'd lost our voices. What fun!!
To this day, I love rollercoasters. The higher, the faster, and scarier, the better! I have zero desire to bungee jump or skydive or parasail, but find me an amusement park and I'll ride every rollercoaster at least once.
Let me be clear: My love of rollercoasters is strictly limited to the amusement park kind. Last week I experienced a rollercoaster of a very different sort. You know the one. The one that takes you on emotional highs and then drops you--BOOM--til you're at rock bottom. The one that finds you waking up feeling stellar and then yanks that rug out from under you mere hours later. The one that has you questioning if up is down and if left is right. This particular rollercoaster had me questioning exactly what I've gotten myself into.
The bummer news is that, all told, it was a fairly typical week. I wish I could point to an event, something that happened to explain the ups and downs. But everytime I reviewed the week, I came up empty-handed. I worked my usual schedule, had a great group of participants in the class I taught, hung out with Steve at home, met up with a friend for dinner, and got in (most of) my workouts. The only thing out of the ordinary is that my mom was in town visiting, and yet that's no longer all that unusual, what with her grandson (my nephew Dylan) here and all.
Despite all this "normalcy" I found myself waking up mad at the world, just wanting to lay my head back down and ignore the demands facing me. But drag myself to standing, I did, and once I did, magic happened. My mood transformed. I was excited to get back in the classroom for the day, to meet my class participants. I had a stellar swim one evening that was clear evidence that I will meet my Ironman swim goal. Other days the sequence of events was reversed: I jumped out of bed and threw on my running shoes, convinced it would be my best run in the history of the universe, and--lo and behold--it was!! I floated, strong and fast, thrilled to be running outside again. This euphoria carried me all the way to.......um, about noon? And then the soreness crept in. I hadn't properly stretched this morning, post-run. And I paid for it later. These days, the aches and pains take up residence in my lower legs and feet. When it's really bad, the simple act of walking becomes uncomfortable.
Why do I do this to myself? Exactly what I wondered last week.
Because I'm not willing to give up my Ironman dream, I must accept these rollercoasters. Yes, I think this is the "new normal." This is the ride I'm on, the ride I've chosen, from now through June...and perhaps for a few weeks after, too. And even as I write all of this, I must re-admit that this ride is already one of the most fun I've taken.
As I decide how to close out this entry, I'm staring at a quote posted on my computer screen: "To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did." I think that about captures it.
To this day, I love rollercoasters. The higher, the faster, and scarier, the better! I have zero desire to bungee jump or skydive or parasail, but find me an amusement park and I'll ride every rollercoaster at least once.
Let me be clear: My love of rollercoasters is strictly limited to the amusement park kind. Last week I experienced a rollercoaster of a very different sort. You know the one. The one that takes you on emotional highs and then drops you--BOOM--til you're at rock bottom. The one that finds you waking up feeling stellar and then yanks that rug out from under you mere hours later. The one that has you questioning if up is down and if left is right. This particular rollercoaster had me questioning exactly what I've gotten myself into.
The bummer news is that, all told, it was a fairly typical week. I wish I could point to an event, something that happened to explain the ups and downs. But everytime I reviewed the week, I came up empty-handed. I worked my usual schedule, had a great group of participants in the class I taught, hung out with Steve at home, met up with a friend for dinner, and got in (most of) my workouts. The only thing out of the ordinary is that my mom was in town visiting, and yet that's no longer all that unusual, what with her grandson (my nephew Dylan) here and all.
Despite all this "normalcy" I found myself waking up mad at the world, just wanting to lay my head back down and ignore the demands facing me. But drag myself to standing, I did, and once I did, magic happened. My mood transformed. I was excited to get back in the classroom for the day, to meet my class participants. I had a stellar swim one evening that was clear evidence that I will meet my Ironman swim goal. Other days the sequence of events was reversed: I jumped out of bed and threw on my running shoes, convinced it would be my best run in the history of the universe, and--lo and behold--it was!! I floated, strong and fast, thrilled to be running outside again. This euphoria carried me all the way to.......um, about noon? And then the soreness crept in. I hadn't properly stretched this morning, post-run. And I paid for it later. These days, the aches and pains take up residence in my lower legs and feet. When it's really bad, the simple act of walking becomes uncomfortable.
Why do I do this to myself? Exactly what I wondered last week.
Because I'm not willing to give up my Ironman dream, I must accept these rollercoasters. Yes, I think this is the "new normal." This is the ride I'm on, the ride I've chosen, from now through June...and perhaps for a few weeks after, too. And even as I write all of this, I must re-admit that this ride is already one of the most fun I've taken.
As I decide how to close out this entry, I'm staring at a quote posted on my computer screen: "To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did." I think that about captures it.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
The great indoors
Today marked the first time I made it outside for a workout in nearly a month. Jacquline and I had a great 9-mile run this morning. Prior to today, though, the bitter cold, the snow, and the as-yet-unmelted ice had forced me indoors. This I expect for cycling: my indoor bike trainer and cycling workout DVDs are permanent fixtures in our guest bedroom this time of year. But I always seem to be able to make it outside to run. This is partly because, unlike for a bike ride, the sidewalks and trails don't have to be perfectly clear for a run--just safe enough for me to stay upright. My desire to run outside, however, has more to do with my distaste for the dreadmill--I mean the treadmill. Avoiding the treadmill and the bike trainer, however, aren't really options for me right now. Ironman and the quickly-approaching Miami half-marathon have me doing long rides (two hours plus) and runs (10 and 11 miles the past two Sundays). Logging these hours means I usually pop in a workout DVD or turn on the TV and hop onto the bike and ride by myself. Likewise, my long runs on the treadmill mostly have been alone--just me, my iPod, and the news.
I used to look upon the treadmill and bike trainer as necessary evils, last resorts when the weather was most uncooperative. That all changed at Christmastime. Because of my pretty significant goal this year, and because training can't wait until the weather turns nice, I have gained a whole new appreciation for these machines. I've learned that a good balance of indoor and outdoor workouts will make a big difference come June 26. Here is why.
What I appreciate about outdoor workouts. First (indulge me in being obvious), I'm outside. This means gulps of fresh air and sun warming my skin. With every turn, the scenery changes, and breathtaking scenery it is. Outdoors, I have options: I can do an interval workout around the local park and not worry about car traffic. Or I can get in some great climbing without having to venture very far from the house. Or I can head in any direction on the web of bike paths and get in a long endurance run or ride. When it comes to riding and running outside, it's easy to scare up a workout partner or gather a group. And this gives me practice being in a group, which is what I'm doing in races. Thus, most importantly, outdoors workouts simulate race conditions. I can choose training routes that are similar to the race course in terms of terrain, distance, and characteristics. Even better, I can train on the actual race course if it's in the Denver/Boulder area. I view outdoor workouts as "race reconnaissance." I not only become familiar with race conditions, I practice handling the unexpected and unplanned: flat tires, delays, animals, detours, unfriendly weather, etc.
What I appreciate about indoor workouts. I'll start with the most important benefit: I have direct control over speed, intensity, and timing. I can keep exact track of interval duration, change the hill grade in a split-second, and you know how I love numbers! Indoors, I'm also able to multi-task, as best I can. I can catch up on movies and keep up with sports. When working out at home, there's an endless supply of food and water (and my always-willing personal assistant, Steve--thank you sweetie!) and easy access to the bathroom. Thanks to climate-control, I need not bundle up. Nor do I have to worry about flat tires or accidents. At the gym, there's typically some interesting scenery, more the human kind than the mountainous kind. And the most reliable thing about the indoors? It's always there, anytime of day or night.
In spite of our temporary "warming trend" here, I'm trying really hard not to get spring fever. It's much too early. But today gave me a taste for what my training will be like later this year, when I can swim, bike, and run outside without too many layers, for hours and hours at a time, soaking up all the wonder that is the Colorado outdoors. In the meantime, I will soak up all the wonder that is the indoors, Colorado and anywhere my training takes me.
I used to look upon the treadmill and bike trainer as necessary evils, last resorts when the weather was most uncooperative. That all changed at Christmastime. Because of my pretty significant goal this year, and because training can't wait until the weather turns nice, I have gained a whole new appreciation for these machines. I've learned that a good balance of indoor and outdoor workouts will make a big difference come June 26. Here is why.
What I appreciate about outdoor workouts. First (indulge me in being obvious), I'm outside. This means gulps of fresh air and sun warming my skin. With every turn, the scenery changes, and breathtaking scenery it is. Outdoors, I have options: I can do an interval workout around the local park and not worry about car traffic. Or I can get in some great climbing without having to venture very far from the house. Or I can head in any direction on the web of bike paths and get in a long endurance run or ride. When it comes to riding and running outside, it's easy to scare up a workout partner or gather a group. And this gives me practice being in a group, which is what I'm doing in races. Thus, most importantly, outdoors workouts simulate race conditions. I can choose training routes that are similar to the race course in terms of terrain, distance, and characteristics. Even better, I can train on the actual race course if it's in the Denver/Boulder area. I view outdoor workouts as "race reconnaissance." I not only become familiar with race conditions, I practice handling the unexpected and unplanned: flat tires, delays, animals, detours, unfriendly weather, etc.
What I appreciate about indoor workouts. I'll start with the most important benefit: I have direct control over speed, intensity, and timing. I can keep exact track of interval duration, change the hill grade in a split-second, and you know how I love numbers! Indoors, I'm also able to multi-task, as best I can. I can catch up on movies and keep up with sports. When working out at home, there's an endless supply of food and water (and my always-willing personal assistant, Steve--thank you sweetie!) and easy access to the bathroom. Thanks to climate-control, I need not bundle up. Nor do I have to worry about flat tires or accidents. At the gym, there's typically some interesting scenery, more the human kind than the mountainous kind. And the most reliable thing about the indoors? It's always there, anytime of day or night.
In spite of our temporary "warming trend" here, I'm trying really hard not to get spring fever. It's much too early. But today gave me a taste for what my training will be like later this year, when I can swim, bike, and run outside without too many layers, for hours and hours at a time, soaking up all the wonder that is the Colorado outdoors. In the meantime, I will soak up all the wonder that is the indoors, Colorado and anywhere my training takes me.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
The master plan
I mentioned a few posts ago that I'm a big-picture girl. I love to live in the world of master plans. So you can understand my excitement last week when I received my Ironman training plan from my coach. This plan does not yet detail what I'll be doing each minute of the day in training. At this point, I'm simply getting comfortable with aspects such as how many hours I'll be devoting to training each week, what will be the general focus for the week, and when my preparatory races will be. So, in the interest of answering "how does one train for Ironman?" I thought I'd share some of these big-picture features with you. I've also confessed that I'm a numbers gal, so consider yourself forewarned. :)
It's funny, the difference a few hours makes. On December 31st, Ironman training still seemed a year away. I woke up on January 1st and--smack--there it was staring at me in the face. So on that note, off I go to the gym!
- From now until June 26th, I will put in at least 320 hours of training. Over the next 172 days, this is an average of almost two hours a day. Of course, some days will--hallelujah--be complete rest days. Other days will be spent running an hour after riding for five. The volume and intensity will vary from day to day and week to week, all designed to push me beyond what I can do now and then allow my body to recover.
- Of these 320-ish hours, about 20% will be spent in the water (pool now and lake come May); nearly half will be on the bike; almost 30% will be running; and the few remaining hours will be invested in strength training and yoga. If I count active recovery and massage in this total, I'm looking at probably 400 hours.
- There are 25 weeks until Ironman. This equates to an average of 13 hours per week spent training. Because my training plan cycles through 3-4 weeks "on" and one week of "recovery", some weeks will be light--more like 8-9 hours. Other weeks will have me training 15+ hours.
- During my most intense period, I will be training 16-18 hours per week. This will happen for eight weeks total, sprinkled throughout April, May, and June. Forgive me in advance if I seem to drop off the face of the earth during that time. :) My true "peak" will be the week of June 6th. After that week, I will begin my taper period: backing off on serious training, going into maintenance, and doing all the other kinds of prep for the race, like packing.
- January 30th will find me in sunny Miami for a 1/2-marathon. This race gets my running mileage up early in the season so I'm hopefully not playing catch-up too close to Ironman. The main motivation for picking this particular race, though, is to get all the ladies together for a warm-weather getaway! There will be eight of us flying in from all over the country to run the 5k or the 1/2-marathon. And I'm sure there will be some beachtime and visits to South Beach thrown in for good measure.
- On May 15th, I'll do the Santa Fe Century. This not only works well, timing-wise, for Ironman training, it's a terrific excuse to visit Santa Fe in the spring! A bunch of us are planning to do the ride together. It's a 100-mile ride, and I'm fully expecting my coach to tell me to run several miles right after.
- And on June 4th, I'm doing the Boulder Sunrise Triathlon. This is an Olympic-distance race, not quite 25% the distance of Ironman. The one bummer about doing an Ironman so "early" in the season is that there aren't many local triathlons I can use for training--it's too early in the season! The Boulder Sunrise happens to be one of them, and better yet, it's right up the road in Boulder. The Olympic distance is nice, too--it's not so long that I'll be overtrained for Ironman, and it's not a sprint distance, which is too short to even be worth the effort. The benefits of this race are that it will take me about 3 hours to complete (making it an endurance event), it's in a very competitive location, and it will be my chance to practice the logistical elements of triathlon.
It's funny, the difference a few hours makes. On December 31st, Ironman training still seemed a year away. I woke up on January 1st and--smack--there it was staring at me in the face. So on that note, off I go to the gym!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Here's to a happy, healthy 2011
Happy New Year everyone!! I hope this finds you warm and safe. I am so excited for 2011 I can't stand it. Two big things happen this year: Ironman, of course, and this also is the year I turn 40. My plan is to celebrate my 40th birthday feeling better than I ever have. So far, so good.
As we enter the new year, I wanted to share with you another of my goals. Part of my Ironman training includes an Olympic-distance triathlon in Boulder on June 4th. This race will be an important piece to the whole picture: as my only pre-Ironman triathlon, it will be my "warm-up" race, my chance to dial everything in and practice my race prep and execution, as well as my transition strategies.
More importantly, this race provides me an opportunity to contribute to something near and dear to me. This triathlon is part of the "Tri for your cause" series and, as such, requires all athletes to raise money for a charity of their choice. I have chosen the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. Several years ago, my father was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, cancer of the plasma. Since then, I have witnessed his very aggressive treatment, a significant part of which is two stem-cell transplants. He's still fighting the disease, and researchers continue to work to discover not just the most effective treatments, but hopefully, someday, a cure.
Aside from supporting him from afar (he lives in Florida), I can raise money for this cause. I have set my fundraising goal for this triathlon at $200--an amount that's both very achievable and respectful of the less-than-stellar economy we currently live in. I realize that many of us have little room for donations such as these. My request for your contribution comes from love, not from presumption. If you can give, it is deeply appreciated. If you are unable to, it is completely understood.
For a secure way to make donations in my name online, go to my page: http://www.yourcausesports.org/members/fundraising/?id=478. If you have any questions about this race, about the MMRF, or about donating in other ways, do not hesitate to drop me an email.
Wishing you all a healthy start to your 2011. Thank you, everyone.
As we enter the new year, I wanted to share with you another of my goals. Part of my Ironman training includes an Olympic-distance triathlon in Boulder on June 4th. This race will be an important piece to the whole picture: as my only pre-Ironman triathlon, it will be my "warm-up" race, my chance to dial everything in and practice my race prep and execution, as well as my transition strategies.
More importantly, this race provides me an opportunity to contribute to something near and dear to me. This triathlon is part of the "Tri for your cause" series and, as such, requires all athletes to raise money for a charity of their choice. I have chosen the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. Several years ago, my father was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, cancer of the plasma. Since then, I have witnessed his very aggressive treatment, a significant part of which is two stem-cell transplants. He's still fighting the disease, and researchers continue to work to discover not just the most effective treatments, but hopefully, someday, a cure.
Aside from supporting him from afar (he lives in Florida), I can raise money for this cause. I have set my fundraising goal for this triathlon at $200--an amount that's both very achievable and respectful of the less-than-stellar economy we currently live in. I realize that many of us have little room for donations such as these. My request for your contribution comes from love, not from presumption. If you can give, it is deeply appreciated. If you are unable to, it is completely understood.
For a secure way to make donations in my name online, go to my page: http://www.yourcausesports.org/members/fundraising/?id=478. If you have any questions about this race, about the MMRF, or about donating in other ways, do not hesitate to drop me an email.
Wishing you all a healthy start to your 2011. Thank you, everyone.
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