100 Miler #2 -Woo Hoo!

Whew!  Got the last long ride in and I'm so glad!  I rode 100 miles with "a friend of a friend" (Tiffany G) and had a blast.

Tiffany is an amazing runner - she just won her age group in the Colorado Marathon last week (3:19) and she's running New York City marathon next weekend. And if that wasn't enough, in August she signed up for Ironman Cozumel, giving her only 3 months to train!

Tiffany is one of those rare people that make you laugh within minutes of meeting her. She has an infectious smile and great sense of humor. She's the perfect person to do a long ride with because I think we laughed the entire way.

And I learned something very important: Don't ride 100 miles in the "up" position on a tri bike!  I normally ride in the aero position which is what you're supposed to do on a tri bike. But Tiffany had a road bike and even though she had aero bars, she didn't like them so she stayed "up" the entire way. Because we were talking so much, I did too but I learned that you use different muscles sitting that way AND it puts a lot more pressure "down there" and I now have  a serious case of saddle soreness!

Tiffany's husband, Patrick, came along for most of the ride. He just signed up for Ironman Wisconsin (Sept 2011) and like Tiffany, is a fast runner but fairly new to the sport of triathlon.

We rode to Boulder and back. The foliage was past it's peak but still beautiful to look at. The road we took is one of my favorites (same road I've taken several times with Scott) because its mostly flat and has such a nice view of the foothills. The road winds its way through the countryside and for this reason, it is a popular road for cyclists.

Tiffany flatted not long after the start of the ride and it took awhile to get it fixed, but it was good to go over changing a flat again. It started to get really windy as we sat on the roadside and I wondered if we would be able to finish the ride. The weather seemed to change from warm to cold, sunny to cloudy, windy to still several times during the ride.
When we headed back, we noticed that we were only at 54 miles when we went through Hygiene. By then, we had been riding 3-4 hrs and we both commented on how 70.3 races are the way to go because after 3 hrs on a bike....well, it takes a serious cyclist to want to keep going. Tiffany and I briefly toyed with the idea of just going back and ending the ride with 80 miles. But we quickly dissed that idea and decided to go for the full 100.

Patrick peeled off at mile 79 and Tiffany and I kept going to north Ft Collins. We were both so tired and my knees were killing me. But chatted all the way through FC and back to her house in south FC. All in all a GREAT ride!

And just to show how amazing Tiffany is, I got an email from her today saying that she ran 6 miles on the treadmill after the ride...she's definitely Ironman material!

Today I did a fairly hard Master's swim workout. I didn't get to do the entire workout but probably got in at least 2000 yards. My legs are not that sore which is nice!  I'm looking forward to running tomorrow and doing Spinervals on Thursday. Then, on Saturday, I plan to run 3 hrs and ride a fast 50 on Sunday. After that, it's taper time!!!

Still Pluggin' Away

Ran 2 hrs this morning with Marshall and felt really good. That was very encouraging since last week I could barely finish my 2 hr run. Today I felt like I could've gone further but had to get my kids to their soccer games and needed to stop at 9:00. But I'm psyched that I felt that good - almost like old times!

Tomorrow will be my last long ride - YAY!  I'm riding 100 miles with a friend of a friend who is training for Ironman Cozumel. Her name is Tiffany and I've known her for a few years. She's a really fun gal so I'm looking forward to riding with her. I think her husband, Patrick, is going along too.

After that, I'll start to back down the mileage of the biking. Not an official taper (yet) but will "only" have to ride 40 - 50. I think I'll try riding faster on that ride. But since the running is going well, I'm going to try to eek out one more long run next week and go for 3 hrs. I didn't have any pain during today's run (I did afterwards but I'm used to it) so I'm going to go for it either next week or the following weekend. I've been feeling kind of nervous about not running as much as the other folks training for AZ IM, but there's not much I can do about it.

As they say, it is what it is!

Blessings Happen

Someone once told me that you can never really appreciate the good days unless you experience the bad days and that's what happened this weekend.

Saturday was somewhat of a down day and Sunday was terrific. Rode 60 some miles with my new friend, Scott Taylor, and had just a wonderful time.

The weather could not have been better - sunny, upper 70's, no wind, AND the trees were absolutely gorgeous. We rode through the Boulder countryside and I was oo'ing and aw'ing the entire way.

But the really good part was that a new friendship was made. I've ridden with Scott before and I find that the more I ride with him, the more I like him. We talked about a lot of things and he helped me with some issues I've been dealing with (he also helped me change my first flat tire and for that, I will be eternally grateful!).

It was refreshing to ride with someone who could talk about more than just training, who wasn't afraid to talk about emotions or what is important in life. He shared some things with me and I shared some things with him. It was truly a breath of fresh air to ride with him.

I've always thought that the only way to grow as a person is to face the inner demons we all have lurking deep within our souls. The catch is to let those demons out and wrestle with them face to face. I think some people never allow them out and live their entire lives in denial (or they drown them in alcohol) but I'm trying to meet them head on and gradually take them down. And that means experiencing every emotion possible along the way. Its scary sometimes and the road gets a little bumpy but with good friends like Scott, its well worth the ride.

(Photo of Coot Lake, outside of Boulder, taken on 10.17.10)

Head Games

I really wish the Ironman was next weekend. Not that I'm completely ready for it but because, well, I'm tired of training.

I'm tired of the weekend grind...long run on Saturday (although for me, the runs haven't been that long) and very long ride on Sunday.

Now that I think about it, it's actually the long ride that I'm tired of. As much as I love cycling and I'm doing fairly well on that aspect of the training, I'm tired of being gone every Sunday morning. I want my weekends back.

Now, lest you think that I'm being selfish, keep in mind that I've been doing long bike rides every single weekend since May.  I'm just looking forward to getting back to the old days, of doing a long run on Saturday and enjoying Sun morning with my kids.

That's a huge factor for me - missing my kids on Sunday mornings. Pre-Ironman, I would lounge in my jammies with coffee and the paper until it was time to get ready for church. I would usually play some kind of silly game with them and we always seemed ot have a good time. We'd go to church 2-3 times/ month and I would come home refreshed and ready to start the week. Now, I'm so tired on Sunday nights, I can hardly walk and Mondays are spent in a sleepy, tired fog.

I think I'm just a bit down today. My training partners are in Denver tonight to run the Denver half-marathon tomorrow and I guess I'm a little jealous. But it didn't work out and the fact that I couldn't run a decent half right now doesn't help matters either.

But I am excited about feeling in better shape this year than last year. I keep reminding myself of that. With the exception of running, I really feel better now than I did this time last year.

Yesterday we all met out at the "new lake" (see photo) and swam for a little over an hour. It was cold at first but I warmed up quickly, partly because of the neoprene cap that Kevin lent me. I really hope the water in Tempe isn't any colder than that.

I swam fairly well and felt that I could've easily swam longer, so that's good.

Today, my goal was to run 2 hrs. I was a little nervous as I hadn't run that long in quite awhile. I started very slow and well, stayed very slow the entire time. It bummed me out a little to be running so slow (and it didn't help to hear my husband say "gee, I think I can run this pace in my 70's" - GRRRR!) but I told myself to keep going. Kurt dropped off at mile 3 and I went on to Jo Jo, back to Monfort, and then home.

I was probably doing an 11 or 12 min pace at the end. My legs were hurting so bad I almost cried. I felt like I used to feel at the end of an 18 mile run. My quads ached and my feet hurt (ironically, my heel didn't hurt at all). Great. I'm doing an effin' Ironman in a little more than a month and I can barely run 2 hrs.

I hobbled up the driveway and into the house. Showered, ate, iced my hip, and got my kids to their soccer games. It will be fine, I told myself over and over again. Just think how far you've come...blah, blah, blah.

Ah well....tomorrow is another day...

Two Steps Forward, None Back!

Had a great weekend!  It was much different than I had planned but it turned out really well.

This is worth mentioning because that's how Ironman (or marathon) training goes; things change and sometimes, they change for the good.

First, I missed my lake swim on Friday. I had planned to go at 4:30 with Brenda, Sarah, and Kevin. But two obstacles got in the way: weather and housework. The temperature dropped and it got windy in the middle of the afternoon AND there were dark clouds on the horizon. But that alone would not have kept me from going - it was the fact that my house was a wreck, I had nothing planned for dinner, and I just couldn't leave things that way. So I bagged. Not something I do very often.

I swam twice last week and Wendy says I only need to swim 2x/week anyway so I didn't bag on a regular workout, it was more of a bonus workout. Still, I hate missing a planned workout.

But the good part is yet to come. Saturday I ran 1 hr and 40 mins!  I felt really good. I started really slow and when I realized how slow I was running, I started to get down about it. But I just told myself to shut up and keep going!  And I ran out to WOW, something I used to do all the time. I love running out there. It's 4 miles from my house to WOW and I took a long loop back (out to Center Place and back) so I'm pretty sure I ran 10 miles (and I just realized that makes it 10 min miles and that is hard to take...arrgh!).

My hip hurt the usual amount but the heel didn't hurt at all. I really think I've nipped the plantar fascitatus (Sp?) in the bud. That's great. I had to ice my hip when I got home but it was bearable.

So, Sunday was supposed to be a 3 hr ride and 1 hr run. But for the first time, we had bad weather (for riding): rainy, windy, and cold. The cold wasn't so bad but it's no fun and not safe to ride in the rain. So I made a last minute decision to run again (easily) and ride on Monday, since Kurt had the day off and could be home with the kids.

I haven't ran two days in a row in years. That's a big no-no when you have an injury. But I just felt good and I felt like running. So off I went and what a great run!  It was raining a little bit and I had some good tunes on my Ipod. I lost myself in the music and ran for 40 mins. Felt great - no hip trouble - AND when I went to church afterwards (which is when my hip would normally be extremely painful), I was fine!

All day Sunday I just felt physically good. Anyone who runs knows what that feeling is like - it's a wonderful feeling. I felt lean, fit, and super-charged.

Today is Monday and I just got back from my ride. Rode hard for 3.5 hrs!  It's a bit challenging to ride by yourself, let alone go that long. One thing about riding long by yourself that is so different from running is that all you hear for that period of time is the light roaring sound of the wind in your ears. Its not safe to ride with music so you hear nothing but the wind, traffic, and the sound of your tires for however long you ride versus music when running. I always feel like I'm in a trance when I get off my bike from a long solo ride just because of not hearing or talking for a long time.

What a great ride, though. I went to Pierce, then east for about 5 miles or so. I only stopped twice and kept a fairly fast pace the entire way. Since I did Master's swim this morning too, I feel tired but good. The back-to-back runs this weekend really re-energized my psyche and the swim/ride combo today was just the right amount of exertion. A good training day, for sure.

I will say, however, that Ironman training would be extremely difficult for single parents to do or for anyone with kids who doesn't have help. Without Kurt being home today, there's no way I could've gotten that kind of a ride in. I feel very lucky to have a situation in which I can train fairly easily and still homeschool my kids (although there are times when it's impossible to get a workout in that is needed).  Marathon training is very do-able, but Ironman training adds a whole other layer to the complexity of normal family life. More on that later.

Cloud Nine!

This was one of my best training days ever!  I rode 100 miles with two great guys - Todd and Scott. And I felt fantastic! 

Todd and Scott are very fast cyclists - they averaged 22 mph on the ride so it was hard to keep up with them. Actually, I didn't really keep up with them - they rode ahead and then waited for me. But I averaged 18 mph and felt really good.

I also feel good about my nutrition today. I carbo-loaded yesterday, which basically consisted of three over-sized, high carb meals with one yummy bowl of ice cream before bed (reduced fat, of course). Before the ride I had a huge bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter, sugar, and milk added in. Then during the ride I consumed:

Two bottles of dilute Gatorade

One 8 oz container of 100% fruit juice (consumed when we stopped at the car to shed layers)

One half pbj sandwich (ditto)

3/4 of a Powerbar

One Soy bar

One package of "chews" (I'm blanking on the brand name right now)

One bottle of Boost (240 calories)

I felt like I over-ate but I also had tons of energy too. When we got back to the parking lot, I was curious to see what it would feel like if I ran, so I put on my sandals and ran around the parking lot! Todd and Scott were laughing their heads off. I actually felt good and was kicking myself for not bringing my running stuff!

If you've been reading this blog, you know how hard it's been for me not to run very well this year. So, to ride 100 miles at a fast pace and then get off and feel like I could run at least a 5k (probably more), was just a wonderful feeling!

The ride was good for a few other reasons as well. We started with a bigger group of people and its really fun riding with so many of my friends. We have such a fun group of people in our tri club. I feel very lucky to be a part of such a fun group.

So, an hour and 15 min swim on Friday and a 6 hr ride today - woo hoo!  I'm on a roll, baby!

2 Outta 3 Aint Bad

So, that's my other motto these days. If I can't do the long runs now, at least I can swim and bike.

And honestly, I think that's ok. I think that most triathletes have one of the three sports as their "weakest link". I just never guessed that running would be mine! But it is now.  I ran one measly hour this morning whereas my training comrades ran 16 miles.

But I have a different take on it now. Even Todd, our resident IM guru, agrees with me on this one (he actually planted the seed in my head). Most people only run 10 - 12 miles of the marathon anyway before walk/running the rest of the way. So, he said I should just train up to 2 hrs of running and call it good. With a strong swim/bike base and the ability to run 2 hrs without too much pain, I should be able to have a good race.

Todd also said something that I should be saying: that the race is all about nutrition!  It was nice to hear that from a non-RD, experienced IM'er. And he's right. So that's good news for me because I'm a sports dietitian and I have a clear picture of what I need to do nutritionally to get through the race. I did it in Florida (although I still need to eat more than I did then) and I'm having awesome "second winds" in my long rides, so I must be doing something right. More on nutrition later.

We swam at the new lake yesterday. I was worried about the water being too cold, even though I knew it would be good practice for AZ. It was colder than before but not too cold to swim. In fact, it felt really good.

I swam 1 hr and 15 mins, most of it by myself. Brenda and Todd were ahead of me and Sarah and Kevin were behind me. Sarah eventually passed me but that was good because she wasn't too far ahead of me and it was comforting having someone relatively close to me. Sarah is swimming really well and I have no doubt she will do great in the Ironman.

I swam a steady pace. I didn't feel like hammering it nor did I feel sluggish. I was relaxed and steady. It gave me time to think about some things. Funny how swimming is almost like running has always been for me - a time to relax, unwind, process, or just veg out.

Today Marshall came over to my house and we ran exactly one hour. We ran pretty slow and although my hip was hurting at the end, it was bearable. And later, at the kids' soccer games when I had to run back to the car to get their water bottles and then way over to the restroom and back to the field, my hip felt fine. I was very relieved.

Tomorrow I'm going to try biking 100 miles!  Scott Taylor wants to do 100 and since Kurt is home with the kids, the weather looks to be perfect, and I have someone to ride with, I decided to go for it. Might as well. I just don't want what happened last year to happen again this year: missing the opportunity to ride that far. So, I'm going for it. I feel ready for that distance - I've done five 70+ milers with no trouble so going 100 shouldn't be too bad. We'll see!