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.