Week 4 just about OVER

I got new bike shoes, and they are so light. I went for an hour bike ride, in pelting rain, at noon trying them out. I really like them. Shimano. Black. Light. I’m going to do another hour bike (hill repeats) and a 90 minute run, after work. Then training Week 4 is over.

Bike Status: After my tune up, I still couldn’t shift to a the big gear and I was very frustrated. Friday night, my good friend and bike partner, George, introduced me to his soon to be son-in-law, Nathan, bike mechanic and bike guru, and he got it to shift nicely. Great job, thanks Nathan.
I just want everything to work right with minimal effort. Is that too much to ask? I've been a bit high strung lately (just ask my co-workers) so I've been trying to mediate (with not much luck) and focus on my race plan (I have it written and now I just need to memorize it). I hope this helps my attitude.

Yesterday, I had to share the one available lap lane with a man and woman who were swimming very fast. I was scared to circle swim with them but they were very friendly and nice. They were laughing and having fun. At one point they were doing sprints and just laughing and sprinting to the end of the lane. They would do kick board drills and create waves; it was great training swimming behind them. I felt like I was open swimming, which I haven’t done yet. Next week for sure.

I was sighting, trying to stay calm as the water was rushing off the wall and waves coming in all directions. When we stopped I commented how nice it was to see people laughing and having fun while doing laps. They thought everyone was so un-friendly. I agreed with them; this pool isn’t the most friendly / welcoming place. They live in Longmont, she does sprint and Olympic distance triathlons, and he’s finished 2 Ironman-distance triathlons. What energy and spirit they had. I even got a high five with a good luck on my Ironman. Their energy was infectious and after they left I continued my 60 minute continuous swim, perhaps a bit faster. I love when that happens.

18 days until I leave for Idaho.

1/2 way through Week 4

I had a good hour swim in the pool. It's only after 30 minutes that I start to feel good and my arms don't feel so heavy. I did feel tired driving back to work. Maybe it is the scalding hot water in the women's locker room. I wish they would fix that.

After work ran 60 minutes. The hills are getting easier and I felt good during 75% of it. I wore my heart rate monitor and on the steep hills it goes up to 180. Is that good?

This song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBEYyHGbwto) got me up the final hill at a good pace. I love Coldplay. The beat to this song just makes me move faster.

Got home and now it's time to relax of the sofa and watch Friday Night Lights Season 3. Guilty Pleasure. I don't ever watch football but I love this show.

This week calls for 10 hours and if all goes well I'll finish at 15; kind of a make up week prior to the taper. My bike got a tune up by the good people at Christy Sports; it's so pretty now, however there is now a slight shifting problem so I'll bring it back tomorrow. And, perhaps buy new road bike shoes and gloves.

I'm working on my racing plan this week and my mental training plan. I'm feeling confident, and strong. 24 days. 20 days until I head north. OMG.

Week 5 Stats

Swim: 3.5 hrs
Bike: 7.5 hrs
Run: 6.65 hrs
Total Time: 17.65
Just a tad shy of 18 hrs. I'm happy.

For the next 28 days I will be reading and re-reading my triathlon book on Mental Training. I've been neglecting this and it shows. Throughout the day I have mini-panic attacks. Today in the pool I was a nervous wreck. So I will read Mental Training every day.

I'm looking forward to Boulder Stroke & Stride in 2 weeks so I can get in my wetsuit and play. Swimming in Boulder Res is so much fun. It reminds me of growning up in Plattsburgh, NY where Lake Champlain was a mile down the road. In my youth, I spent many hot, summer days swimming in this lake.

This coming week I will do one more long ride and then begin to taper.

It's been 1 year and 5 months of preparation for this one day: June 21, 2009.

Ironman Mental Training

I love Hammer Gel Apple Cinnamon
I love GU Chocolate Outrage
I love GU Espresso Love
I love Hammer Gel Apple Cinnamon
I love GU Chocolate Outrage
I love GU Espresso Love
I love Hammer Gel Apple Cinnamon
I love GU Chocolate Outrage
I love GU Espresso Love

Maybe if I keep saying this over and over I will convince myself.

30 Days

Every morning I'm a bit nauseous.

Every morning I'm tired.

Every morning I think about Ironman.

One more week of crazy workouts and rushing to get everything in then it's time to taper.

"These are a few of my favorite things"

1) Eating Lobster
2) Visiting my family on the east coast
3) Finding people from my past
4) Running at sea level
5) Swimming at sea level

All of this happened in the last week. Life is good. Training for Ironman is another matter.

I had a most wonderful trip back east. My grandmother, as always, brings us all together. I did manage to get some training in (some - the operative word).

Here’s the low-down:
30 minute run in Plymouth Meeting, PA on a humid day. I ran through business parks and on sidewalks – 2 things I do not have in Granby.

80 minute run with my niece Savannah, 20, who just finished her first half-marathon. I’m trying to convince her to sign up for a triathlon. I think she'd be so good.

60 minute swim at the Portsmouth YMCA. Betsy, the front desk person, actually remembered me from swimming there 15 years ago. She said she remembered my smile; how nice is that. The swim was amazing. I felt like I could swim forever. I was never out of breath and it was a bit nostalgic. I used to swim every morning before taking the bus to classes at UNH. I don’t know why I never tried a triathlon back then.

50 minute run by the beach. The loop from my parent’s house, to Rt 1A in Rye. Running felt fast and efficient. I really thought I could run forever; but didn't want to try it. I was never out of breath and the short little hill coming inland from the ocean was nothing. I’m a rock star at sea-level.

Back at 8,000 feet is another story.

But I’m back on the plan. I hiked straight up SolVista with the dogs and down the maintenance road. Then a 45 minute run up and down hills on pavement. Out of Breath. A Lot.

It’s all good. Tomorrow I must bike and swim and figure out how I’m going to get in a 6 hour bike ride this week without a day off. Hmmm. The challenges of Ironman are far and wide.

Peace Out.

Is Lobster on the Training Plan?

It is still a shock to see each morning how many days until Ironman – Thanks igoogle and your gadgets. 40 days…

This week is a 17 hour week. I’m moving stuff around to fit everything in. This week’s big challenge is travelling to the east coast for a funeral. I’m not going to be able to get in a 5 hour bike ride unless I can find a rental somewhere. I will be able to run and swim. I guess this is the true challenge of Ironman; finding a way to train when life gets in the way.

I need to remember that the race is not the test; the test was the training. The celebration comes during the race.

Every day I bike it seems like I am tested by the wind and hills. They have become my nemesis. I can’t choose the days to bike. I have to bike when I can and these days seem to be windy. No matter what route I take there are the hills. There are some flats as I head west to Hot Sulphur Springs but mostly hills. On this route on the left side of the highway is a big ranch. There are cows and horses and train tracks and a river. As I’m biking west, I look over to the ranch and there are horses running. It’s so cool to see and how they kick up dirt as they run. It’s like living in a Cormac McCarthy novel. I love when that happens.

I’m back running on the trails. The little rivers on the trails have mostly dried up and the dogs find the murky, muddy water and come back dirty as can be. It’s okay. Soon there will be no more water for them on these runs. I’m trying to run after every bike ride and I love to bring the dogs with me. I have another long run coming up this week; perhaps running at sea level will be a nice break from 8,000 feet.

I’m looking forward to seeing my family in a few days. It’s been over two years. I haven’t seen my aunts and cousins in over ten years. I wonder if lobster is a good training food. I hope to eat a lot of it.

Week 7 Update - 43 days to Ironman

Highlights:
- Last week of the 8 week spin class. This class was instrumental in getting me ready for long bike rides. Jackie is a great instructor and is incredibly knowledgeable in overall fitness. Check out her blog The Fitness Trail.
- 4 Hour Bike Ride – in the wind
- Most hours in the training plan, I will finish the week pretty close to 15.3 hours
- My real wheel was broken when my bike partner couldn’t clip out fast enough and landed on my bike (who hasn’t been there?), got a new wheel and it’s very shiny.

The hours and training sessions never seem to be enough; I seem to have lost short term memory about how hard past workouts are and think I’m not doing enough. I forgot how whipped I feel after each session. Then, when I look at future workouts I wonder how I will get it all in.

Some how I do; or close to.

I’ve had to cancel a few social activities and I'm taking longer lunch breaks (But NOT cancelling Friday Happy Hour) but it’s all coming together. I can’t say enough about how huge it is for me that my co-workers are so positive and encouraging during all of this. They seem to look the other way when I arrive a bit late to work or take a long lunch. They are the best!

I'm still thinking about post-Ironman while swimming laps and biking. What will I do? Thinking about my free time post-June 21 makes the time go by. I think about a yearly marathon and mountain biking. I think about hiking 14,000 footers in Colorado.

Today is a 2 ½ hour run and tomorrow is 90 minute bike and 60 minute swim. I’m actually looking forward to it.

This is one of my routes. Nice view looking north to the Never Summer Wilderness:

Running Impediments

Last night I ran according to the plan but had several impediments that not only made the run interesting, but made the time pass as well.

1) Running in the mud on the slopes near my house. There is a trail that runs through the ski area and over to a residential area. I love this trail because there is never anyone on it and the sweeping views north are amazing. The views aren’t of dramatic peaks but of valleys that you
can just see the glaciers moving through thousands of years ago. There are squirrels and birds the dogs chase and I call them back on task after a few minutes. There are hundreds of little rivers I must jump over as the slopes melt, and as I approach the turnaround point the mud is sticking to the bottom of my running shoes and my feet feel like they weigh twenty pounds. We run back the way we came, I drop off the muddy dogs at the house, change socks and shoes, and start running towards the top of the hill in distance.

2) It’s raining but not too cold. I listen to my mp3 player. Coldplay comes on at the moment I start the ascent; I’m motivated. I decide to run to the other side of the hill for ½ a mile then I will turn around. I plan the entire route in my head and know it will all equal 2 hours. As I get to the top of the hill I see squirrels on the fence post; they don’t move. They watch me run by. As I crest and start down I feel great; I love the downhills. Then I see the herd of mule deer – some in the road and some on the hillside feeding.

They are so cute. They have the biggest eyes. They look up at me, and some start to head up the hill. I stop and look at them and think about what to do. I turn around, cutting this segment short, and head back up the hill. I will just extend on the other side so I run an hour.

3) Something is wrong with my vision. I can’t see clearly when I look down at the road. I cover one eye. I cover the other. Something is weird. The rain is coming down harder but I feel strong. I’m having a migraine. I see the visual amebas floating in my sight. It lasts for ten uncomfortable minutes. I run through the weird feeling I get when the visuals affect my sight. I keep running, I even run back up the hill that forces me to walk in the past. The migraine ends, finally, but during the last twenty minutes of my run, I get the numbness in my hand and mouth. I get home and I’m hot and cold, and have a major headache. But I ran through it. I get in the house, stretch, shower, eat, and head down the hill to meet friends for a cocktail or two.

50 Days To Ironman

Today I went for an hour swim at the Y. The workout felt good.

After work I have a 130 minute run. I hope the rain holds out. Although, running in the rain is fun as long as it's not too cold; meaning lower than 40 degrees.

Every morning I wake up thinking about Ironman.
Every night I fall asleep thinking about Ironman.

What will I do after Ironman when there is no daily plan?

When I was biking with my friend Tina last week I told her how I was thinking if I have no races to train for I would never go on a 3 hour bike ride. I would go on a 3 hour mountain bike ride but not road biking. I think after Ironman I might try a mountain bike race at Winter Park Resort. I just found out there is no more Crested Butte Off Road Triathlon I was looking forward to this race. I'll have to find another Xterra. I want to do the Boulder Marathon in September. I'll see how my body feels after 140.6 miles.

I have 50 days to get ready for the biggest race of my life (so far). 50 days.