Geez, I've been staring at the screen for the past 15 minutes wondering what to write. Perhaps I'm waiting for inspiration. Not that I don't have things to report. I just don't have anything witty or clever to go along with it. So consider yourselves forewarned.
Three months from today is the big day. Today also is Dylan's (my nephew) 2nd birthday. Sorry...I couldn't let the day pass without acknowledging that milestone! :-) I was telling some friends the other day that the 3-month mark has snuck up on me. And that's a good thing. I don't want to be surprised that, say, May is suddenly here.
While time has been "sneaking up" on me, I'm really starting to notice the results of my baby-steps training regimen. Of course the fruits of my labor are there in plain sight when I look at the numbers--how much I can do now vs three months ago. More importantly, I'm noticing how quickly I recover from workouts. I expect to be tired and a bit sore during and certainly after my workouts. A more telling gauge of my fitness is how I feel the next day. And I'm waking up these days feeling fresh and ready to do it again.
This past week was a "recovery" week--every 3 weeks the endurance and intensity of my workouts dips to give my body a chance to rest without my overall training suffering. So, this was the ideal week to take a spontaneous trip to the mountains with Steve (see previous post). This weekend away was perfect medicine. We enjoyed beautiful surroundings, plenty of sunshine, gourmet meals, and reconnecting with each other. Steve had some killer snow on the mountain and I got in all of my training. Everyone was happy!
Here are this week's totals:
Total time = 9:15
Total mileage = 74.30
Swim = 1:10, 1.80
Bike = 3:15, 54.00
Run = 3:05, 18.50
Other = 1:45
What I'm happy with: my ability to be spontaneous, my diligence in helping my knee heal, my performance on my 8-mile run, and how I felt today on my "brick" workout (2-hour ride followed immediately by a 3-mile run).
What I'm still hopeful about: the you-know-what, that I'll be able to get my bike fit just right, and that I'll be able to better manage my emotional and psychological energy.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Ode to Steve
More than a few things are taking a backseat to Ironman training this spring. (Yes, the kitchen floor still needs mopping.) And as my training sessions get longer and harder, the backseat is getting pretty full. As necessary as this may be to fit training into my already full life, I refuse to put certain things in the backseat. These, primarily, are my relationships. Do I have as much time to spend with friends and loved ones? No. Can I nuture these relationships just the same? Yes.
And so I wanted to take a time-out from logging here my hours and mileage and other training-specific details to publicly exalt the one person who is most impacted by my crazy training schedule: my sweetie, Steve.
Let me bring you back to Monday, when Steve first mentioned a last-minute weekend getaway to the mountains. He's itching to get in as many days as possible on the snowboard before ski season turns to mud season. How about a weekend in Beaver Creek or Vail? he asked. Normally, this is not a tough decision for me. In fact, this is typically not a decision to be made at all but a no-brainer YES. This spring, as you know, is not typical for me. So, I can't believe I'm about to say this...I actually had to THINK about this, this super cool opportunity to visit a beautiful place and have a true getaway with my true love. Whaaa???!!
Seriously...I started to spin. I spun around How do I get my workouts in? What if we get snowed in and I can't get home to my bike? What if I can't find a treadmill?
And then came...What, really, is the worst that could happen? What are my priorities? How can I prioritize both our relationship AND training? Need they be mutually exclusive?
Once I shared my dilemma with Steve, he immediately started helping me problem-solve. He empathized with my concerns about completing my training sessions. He Googled gyms and workout facilities in the area. He helped me brainstorm options. And he totally understood when I said that I need to leave at 7 am Sunday to get back home. My hero. (Cue Luke's theme.)
I have training partners who swim, bike, and run with me, who have done and are currently training for Ironman. These are the people who truly "get" it. Yet Steve is my most important training partner. Even though many of my friends and family are feeling the side effects of my training schedule (thank you), Steve is the one person who lives this schedule every day. I'm gone in the morning well before he gets up and I'm asleep well before he is. In the evening, he may not get my best because I often don't have much left in the tank. And my weekends are full of activities we don't share.
And through all of this, he's always there to listen to me, to ask me, to talk with me, to commiserate with me, and to celebrate with me. He needn't have done Ironman to also "get" it.
As I plow ahead with an increasingly intense training regimen, two things have become crystal clear for me: how serious I am about preparing for Ironman the right way, and how serious I am about not letting our relationship suffer in the meantime. No, rather, I'm determined that we'll become stronger for it.
Mountains, here I come!!
And so I wanted to take a time-out from logging here my hours and mileage and other training-specific details to publicly exalt the one person who is most impacted by my crazy training schedule: my sweetie, Steve.
Let me bring you back to Monday, when Steve first mentioned a last-minute weekend getaway to the mountains. He's itching to get in as many days as possible on the snowboard before ski season turns to mud season. How about a weekend in Beaver Creek or Vail? he asked. Normally, this is not a tough decision for me. In fact, this is typically not a decision to be made at all but a no-brainer YES. This spring, as you know, is not typical for me. So, I can't believe I'm about to say this...I actually had to THINK about this, this super cool opportunity to visit a beautiful place and have a true getaway with my true love. Whaaa???!!
Seriously...I started to spin. I spun around How do I get my workouts in? What if we get snowed in and I can't get home to my bike? What if I can't find a treadmill?
And then came...What, really, is the worst that could happen? What are my priorities? How can I prioritize both our relationship AND training? Need they be mutually exclusive?
Once I shared my dilemma with Steve, he immediately started helping me problem-solve. He empathized with my concerns about completing my training sessions. He Googled gyms and workout facilities in the area. He helped me brainstorm options. And he totally understood when I said that I need to leave at 7 am Sunday to get back home. My hero. (Cue Luke's theme.)
I have training partners who swim, bike, and run with me, who have done and are currently training for Ironman. These are the people who truly "get" it. Yet Steve is my most important training partner. Even though many of my friends and family are feeling the side effects of my training schedule (thank you), Steve is the one person who lives this schedule every day. I'm gone in the morning well before he gets up and I'm asleep well before he is. In the evening, he may not get my best because I often don't have much left in the tank. And my weekends are full of activities we don't share.
And through all of this, he's always there to listen to me, to ask me, to talk with me, to commiserate with me, and to celebrate with me. He needn't have done Ironman to also "get" it.
As I plow ahead with an increasingly intense training regimen, two things have become crystal clear for me: how serious I am about preparing for Ironman the right way, and how serious I am about not letting our relationship suffer in the meantime. No, rather, I'm determined that we'll become stronger for it.
Mountains, here I come!!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
What a difference a week makes
Actually, make that two hours. As I promised myself in last Sunday's post, I had an appointment with BJ, my new Muscle Activation Therapist (MAT). Or, as I call him, bestower-of-hope and worker-of-magic.
More on that in a minute. First, the weekly totals.
Total time = 12:10
Total mileage = 95.70
Swim = 3:05, 4.70
Bike = 4:50, 77.00
Run = 2:15, 14.00
Other = 2:00
Second, highlights from the week. As you can see above, I returned to running. I had two solid runs this week, a 6-miler with my dear friend Ali (whom all of you know if you read the comments to my posts :-) and an 8-miler this weekend which turned out to be one of my best runs in recent memory. yahoo!!
And I reached a milestone in the pool: not only did I log the most swim mileage yet for a week, two of my three swims were 3000 meters each (nearly 1.9 miles), which is 3/4 of the Ironman distance (4000 meters). I'm feeling stronger than ever in the water.
I also am happy with having completed all of my workouts despite another (warning: you're about to hear a broken record) busy week at work. This meant awaking before 5am every morning and crashing the moment I get home. Poor Steve did not get my best this week.
Okay, now about my appointment with BJ. Forgive my gushing. I was, in a word, F-L-O-O-R-E-D at what I learned about my body. I learned that my left leg--the hip and knee that gives me the most grief--is, in fact, NOT my problem child. Rather, it has been the workhorse for far too long. And it's finally protesting.
I learned I've been stretching the wrong way for 40 years. I learned how to reactivate my muscles to work for me and support my joints like they're supposed to, rather than giving them the day off and asking my hips and knees to bear the brunt of the abuse I give my body. (sorry) I learned that reactivating said muscles takes mere seconds and is something I can do while lying in bed. I re-learned what it feels like to have my muscles working properly in simple activities like walking. I learned that my hip joints don't have to click and pop when I go up and down stairs. And I learned how to tap into my body's natural healing ability.
All of this and more in two hours.
I'm not finished with MAT, of course. I have several more appointments with BJ and I have twice-daily homework: 5 minutes of simple isometric exercises designed to reteach my brain and muscles to communicate with each other.
And the best part? The part that made me want to cry in relief and screech with delight at once? For the first time, I heard someone tell me that the goal is to help me live the lifestyle I want. There was not a single mention of rest or time off. Why shouldn't you be able to do the things you love and feel good doing them? was BJ's rhetorial question. You should, was BJ's very real answer. I just need to relearn how to do them properly.
Despite the progress from yesterday's session, my knee was not terribly happy during the last half of today's 60-mile bike ride. It will take time for the current inflammation to subside. Fair enough. I now can be patient instead of upset with my overstressed joint. And if I'm to demand that it perform for 140 miles of constant movement in June, is this not the least I can do?
More on that in a minute. First, the weekly totals.
Total time = 12:10
Total mileage = 95.70
Swim = 3:05, 4.70
Bike = 4:50, 77.00
Run = 2:15, 14.00
Other = 2:00
Second, highlights from the week. As you can see above, I returned to running. I had two solid runs this week, a 6-miler with my dear friend Ali (whom all of you know if you read the comments to my posts :-) and an 8-miler this weekend which turned out to be one of my best runs in recent memory. yahoo!!
And I reached a milestone in the pool: not only did I log the most swim mileage yet for a week, two of my three swims were 3000 meters each (nearly 1.9 miles), which is 3/4 of the Ironman distance (4000 meters). I'm feeling stronger than ever in the water.
I also am happy with having completed all of my workouts despite another (warning: you're about to hear a broken record) busy week at work. This meant awaking before 5am every morning and crashing the moment I get home. Poor Steve did not get my best this week.
Okay, now about my appointment with BJ. Forgive my gushing. I was, in a word, F-L-O-O-R-E-D at what I learned about my body. I learned that my left leg--the hip and knee that gives me the most grief--is, in fact, NOT my problem child. Rather, it has been the workhorse for far too long. And it's finally protesting.
I learned I've been stretching the wrong way for 40 years. I learned how to reactivate my muscles to work for me and support my joints like they're supposed to, rather than giving them the day off and asking my hips and knees to bear the brunt of the abuse I give my body. (sorry) I learned that reactivating said muscles takes mere seconds and is something I can do while lying in bed. I re-learned what it feels like to have my muscles working properly in simple activities like walking. I learned that my hip joints don't have to click and pop when I go up and down stairs. And I learned how to tap into my body's natural healing ability.
All of this and more in two hours.
I'm not finished with MAT, of course. I have several more appointments with BJ and I have twice-daily homework: 5 minutes of simple isometric exercises designed to reteach my brain and muscles to communicate with each other.
And the best part? The part that made me want to cry in relief and screech with delight at once? For the first time, I heard someone tell me that the goal is to help me live the lifestyle I want. There was not a single mention of rest or time off. Why shouldn't you be able to do the things you love and feel good doing them? was BJ's rhetorial question. You should, was BJ's very real answer. I just need to relearn how to do them properly.
Despite the progress from yesterday's session, my knee was not terribly happy during the last half of today's 60-mile bike ride. It will take time for the current inflammation to subside. Fair enough. I now can be patient instead of upset with my overstressed joint. And if I'm to demand that it perform for 140 miles of constant movement in June, is this not the least I can do?
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Between two worlds
This Sunday finds me in a strange place, and not one I'm particularly fond of. I'm at once strong and weak. Building up and falling apart. Really happy and really cranky. Is this what I signed up for?
My swimming continues to soar (see below). Biking, I love more than ever. And running? Well...UGH. Whoever thought running was a good idea? And fun?! At this moment, you couldn't convince me that there's a more inane activity than running. Try.
I 86-ed all running workouts this week. First it was the hip muscle that reared its ugly head again. Once that healed, my chronic left knee canceled my 10-mile run this morning. I know it's only early March and I have lots of time to run. And yet, before I know it, it will be late May and time will be running out.
Yes, there is good news from the week. First, let me share my weekly totals.
Total time = 11:00
Total mileage = 77.65
Swim = 2:55, 4.65 miles
Bike = 5:10, 73 miles
Run = 0, 0
Other = 2:55
So, the good news? Two things. My fellow Coeur d'Alene trainees and I rode the simulated bike course again this Saturday. This time we rode one loop of the entire course--56 miles. In one word: ***-kicker. Despite some setbacks due to above-mentioned knee issues, and the fact that this simulation is really HARD, I finished strong and rode the entire 56 miles. Based on my performance, I should have no problem meeting my bike time goal in the actual race.
The second success this week came today in the pool. I captured some time trials, to set a sort-of baseline of performance at this point in the season. My mom was my time-keeper. Thanks a million, Mom!! :-) I swam a 200-meter set (four laps in the pool) and then an 800-meter set (a half-mile) after a short rest. Indulge me the details. Mom timed my 200m swim as a whole, then timed my 800m swim both as a whole and in 50m splits. Here's the point: I'm aiming for not just a good overall time, but also a consistent pace throughout the entire 800 meters. So, if I'm doing it right, each lap's time should be within a few seconds of each other.
And that's exactly what happened. First, the 200m time: it was 8 seconds shorter than this time last year. Which is huge for me--to shave that much time off means great gains.
As for the 800m time? I was a whole minute (plus 4 seconds, to put a fine point on it) faster than my time last year!! I know I'm a better swimmer now, but I didn't expect that much improvement. And better yet--my time per lap was very consistent...and my last lap was one of my fastest for the whole set. As with my cycling, if I can maintain this performance in the race, I also will beat my swim time goal.
I head into this coming week with one major goal...and I know my friend Ali is reading this so she'll appreciate that I will definitely be calling her MAT to get some attention paid to this left knee. I'm determined to get my running moving in the same direction as my swimming and biking.
Very soon, goshdarnit, I WILL report here some running successes.
My swimming continues to soar (see below). Biking, I love more than ever. And running? Well...UGH. Whoever thought running was a good idea? And fun?! At this moment, you couldn't convince me that there's a more inane activity than running. Try.
I 86-ed all running workouts this week. First it was the hip muscle that reared its ugly head again. Once that healed, my chronic left knee canceled my 10-mile run this morning. I know it's only early March and I have lots of time to run. And yet, before I know it, it will be late May and time will be running out.
Yes, there is good news from the week. First, let me share my weekly totals.
Total time = 11:00
Total mileage = 77.65
Swim = 2:55, 4.65 miles
Bike = 5:10, 73 miles
Run = 0, 0
Other = 2:55
So, the good news? Two things. My fellow Coeur d'Alene trainees and I rode the simulated bike course again this Saturday. This time we rode one loop of the entire course--56 miles. In one word: ***-kicker. Despite some setbacks due to above-mentioned knee issues, and the fact that this simulation is really HARD, I finished strong and rode the entire 56 miles. Based on my performance, I should have no problem meeting my bike time goal in the actual race.
The second success this week came today in the pool. I captured some time trials, to set a sort-of baseline of performance at this point in the season. My mom was my time-keeper. Thanks a million, Mom!! :-) I swam a 200-meter set (four laps in the pool) and then an 800-meter set (a half-mile) after a short rest. Indulge me the details. Mom timed my 200m swim as a whole, then timed my 800m swim both as a whole and in 50m splits. Here's the point: I'm aiming for not just a good overall time, but also a consistent pace throughout the entire 800 meters. So, if I'm doing it right, each lap's time should be within a few seconds of each other.
And that's exactly what happened. First, the 200m time: it was 8 seconds shorter than this time last year. Which is huge for me--to shave that much time off means great gains.
As for the 800m time? I was a whole minute (plus 4 seconds, to put a fine point on it) faster than my time last year!! I know I'm a better swimmer now, but I didn't expect that much improvement. And better yet--my time per lap was very consistent...and my last lap was one of my fastest for the whole set. As with my cycling, if I can maintain this performance in the race, I also will beat my swim time goal.
I head into this coming week with one major goal...and I know my friend Ali is reading this so she'll appreciate that I will definitely be calling her MAT to get some attention paid to this left knee. I'm determined to get my running moving in the same direction as my swimming and biking.
Very soon, goshdarnit, I WILL report here some running successes.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
No more messing around
That was my reaction when my coach gave me my March training schedule. I've been training for Ironman, really, for a few months now. But March will see the biggest gains yet. And it only gets longer and more intense from here. By the end of March, I will be swimming 3/4 of the final distance, biking 75 of the 112 miles, and running over half the marathon miles.
This post has two topics. First, I want to reflect on the past week, my first week back to training after spending last week in Florida (see previous post). Second, I'm starting something new, something that I want to do at the end of each training week. I often get asked how much training I'm doing, so every Sunday evening I will post here my training totals: how much swimming, biking, running, and "other" activities I've done for the week. The "other" category will include yoga, strength training, and other cross-training (e.g., hiking).
First, the past week. It was in every sense a rollercoaster of emotions. Monday was my first day back to work and I quickly found it therapeutic and healing to talk out loud about Dad and the events of the week prior. It was difficult, for sure, but I needed to be surrounded by people who cared. And, blessedly, that's what was waiting for me at work. As the week went on, my spirits picked up. Then Friday came. And I bottomed out. Sigh.
As far as training went, I completed all scheduled workouts. With the onset of March comes an even more focused and serious mindset with regards to both training and nutrition. No more messing around, indeed.
Second, my training totals for this week (time is listed in hours:minutes).
Total time = 11:10
Total mileage = 80.45
Swim = 2:30, 3.85 miles
Bike = 4:05, 61 miles
Run = 2:35, 15.60 miles
Other = 2:00
I feel pretty terrific in the pool and on the bike. My running is simply good enough--not stellar and yet not awful. Today's run was 8 miles. The first 7 were great. Bummer I was still a mile from home. Apparently my left knee thought 7 miles were plenty. I had to sweet talk it into finishing the run and then I treated it to some good stretching and TLC once home. I have a feeling I'll be doing this a lot this spring.
And speaking of spring...I'm trying hard not to get ahead of myself. But Saturday's 3-hour bike ride was outside and boy was it rejuvenating and exciting. The temps hovered around 45-50 and the sun did her best to show her face. Even better than the close-to-ideal riding conditions was that I rode with my dear friend Cindy. A few days prior, I'd gotten a solid bike fit and bought aerobars--extensions off the front of my handlebars that give me another riding position option, one that's more "aerodynamic." Short of buying a tri-specific bike, these aerobars are designed to put the load on my skeleton, not my muscles, while riding and thus will help save those muscles for the run. They also give me more power, just with how I'm positioned on the bike. And, being more aerodynamic, I should shave some time off because there's less wind resistance. All that being said, I'm very happy with both my new bike fit and aerobars.
And on the topic of spring, I can't wait to "spring forward" next weekend! It will make training outside after work that much easier.
I hope this post finds you happy and healthy and at peace. Thank you, as always, for reading.
This post has two topics. First, I want to reflect on the past week, my first week back to training after spending last week in Florida (see previous post). Second, I'm starting something new, something that I want to do at the end of each training week. I often get asked how much training I'm doing, so every Sunday evening I will post here my training totals: how much swimming, biking, running, and "other" activities I've done for the week. The "other" category will include yoga, strength training, and other cross-training (e.g., hiking).
First, the past week. It was in every sense a rollercoaster of emotions. Monday was my first day back to work and I quickly found it therapeutic and healing to talk out loud about Dad and the events of the week prior. It was difficult, for sure, but I needed to be surrounded by people who cared. And, blessedly, that's what was waiting for me at work. As the week went on, my spirits picked up. Then Friday came. And I bottomed out. Sigh.
As far as training went, I completed all scheduled workouts. With the onset of March comes an even more focused and serious mindset with regards to both training and nutrition. No more messing around, indeed.
Second, my training totals for this week (time is listed in hours:minutes).
Total time = 11:10
Total mileage = 80.45
Swim = 2:30, 3.85 miles
Bike = 4:05, 61 miles
Run = 2:35, 15.60 miles
Other = 2:00
I feel pretty terrific in the pool and on the bike. My running is simply good enough--not stellar and yet not awful. Today's run was 8 miles. The first 7 were great. Bummer I was still a mile from home. Apparently my left knee thought 7 miles were plenty. I had to sweet talk it into finishing the run and then I treated it to some good stretching and TLC once home. I have a feeling I'll be doing this a lot this spring.
And speaking of spring...I'm trying hard not to get ahead of myself. But Saturday's 3-hour bike ride was outside and boy was it rejuvenating and exciting. The temps hovered around 45-50 and the sun did her best to show her face. Even better than the close-to-ideal riding conditions was that I rode with my dear friend Cindy. A few days prior, I'd gotten a solid bike fit and bought aerobars--extensions off the front of my handlebars that give me another riding position option, one that's more "aerodynamic." Short of buying a tri-specific bike, these aerobars are designed to put the load on my skeleton, not my muscles, while riding and thus will help save those muscles for the run. They also give me more power, just with how I'm positioned on the bike. And, being more aerodynamic, I should shave some time off because there's less wind resistance. All that being said, I'm very happy with both my new bike fit and aerobars.
And on the topic of spring, I can't wait to "spring forward" next weekend! It will make training outside after work that much easier.
I hope this post finds you happy and healthy and at peace. Thank you, as always, for reading.
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