Monday, day off from work and rest, knee is tight and pained but gets better over the day
Tuesday, full work day, feeling great!
Wednesday, full work day, awful tired. Wonder if depression setting in?
Thursday, 2mi run in FP before I rolled my ankle :( :( :(
Friday, one hour on the trainer
Saturday, worked on the house
Sunday, worked on the house, ankle still lightly pained.
Regarding Thursday, I was running on automatic and feeling OK but sluggish when I stutter-stepped over some debris and rolled the ankle. I didn't get the tingly burn in the toes like I did 2 weeks ago, but the area under the fibular ankle bone hurts. It's a defined, acute pain when weighted and when I rotate the ankle around.
Overall, recovery is better so far than CDA. After that race, I had sore foot soles and pained/tingly shoulders and neck. My mood swung low Weds and Thurs at which point I realized that I'm not resting or napping enough to promote a fast recovery.
And so ends September.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Redman 140.6 Follow Up and Race Analysis
2 Oct 2012 edit to add #17.
Focusing on a point-by-point analysis and critical review. I'm going to start with 10 points, think on them, and come back with thoughts on each one. This could take some time, maybe a week or two, or maybe it will just all spill out at once.
Focusing on a point-by-point analysis and critical review. I'm going to start with 10 points, think on them, and come back with thoughts on each one. This could take some time, maybe a week or two, or maybe it will just all spill out at once.
1. Goal time of 12:30, actual time of 13:23 I picked my goal time in sort of a stupid way, I like 1-2-3 so I picked a number of 12:30, thinking even that 12:34 would be even cooler. It was based on some science and experience. I had at one point calculated the needed paces in each sport to achieve that time and those paces were do-able on the perfect day. I didn't have the perfect day and I missed my time. But I did PR by 19 minutes! So I'm very happy with my time and have no regrets about it.
2. Race management of dehydration and heat It was hot out during the 2nd loop of the bike and first 2 loops of the run, but I didn't appreciate this in time. The winds kept my dry and let me forget just how much I was sweating. Overall, I did drink a lot on the bike. But I misjudged how much more I needed to drink. Using the arm coolers on the run was one of my more brilliant decisions. Dumping ice down them or soaking them in cold water quickly brought my core temp down. I noticed when they warmed up, they were really making a difference.
3. Low points on the bike My mood crashed around mile 85-90 on the bike and didn't pick up until mile 109 or so (when we returned to the lake). This crash was a combination of low nutrition, foot pains, and probably dehydration. I quickly recognized the mood and instead of letting myself wallow in it I made efforts to bring myself back up. I sang to myself, encouraged myself, noted things I was doing right (like avoiding potholes), made myself smile--stuff like that. But recognizing the mood was the beginning of the fix and I'm happy I did that. I don't always see it quick enough. Was it avoidable? Yes. And that's something I can work on. Another thing that messed me up on the bike was seeing my average speed slowly drop. I kept looking at the Garmin and it seemed that each time I did my heart rate would pop up. This created a mental loop and obsession that wasn't healthy. See #6 for more on this.
4. The Redman course Of my 3 iron races, this was by far the easiest course. It had no hills! See below for more detailed comparisons. The Redman swim was in a smooth current-less lake of good temperature. The bike had really rough roads, long straight stretches, and few hills. The long sections of the bike course is what made the winds so tough, there was no break from them for long periods of time. A downside of the bike course was the rough roads, they took a lot of mental energy and tired my shoulders out. The run was flat and boring, but there were so many aid stations and the loops did go by quickly. In the end repeating the run course 4 times wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. This was a fair course, a fast course. But made harder with heat and headwinds.
5. Overall times and competition I was very surprised to find my time less than 1 hr behind the winning OA female! I came in 11th out of 42 females, putting me in the top quartile while I'm usually a solid MOP in long races. While I'd like to think that I've somehow greatly improved, it's more likely that at smaller races like this I can excel in comparison to the field. I did the same thing at Cutting Edge Half last year--I podiumed in a small field. It probably also means the faster people pick better races? Good for them! Leave the little ones for peeps like me!
6. The marathon Ugh, my slowest marathon time yet, but probably my strongest yet in terms of effort, pacing, and finish. My 4 loops were solidly paced. I don't have the Garmin data yet, but I know that my overall average pace were really slowed down by me stopping at most every aid station until the last loop. I took the first 2 loops slow just to get my hydration and core temp under control. I was continuously telling myself to slow down. This was hard to do, but in the end it worked out for me. I rocked the last loop and finished the last few miles feeling great!! It also helped that I didn't once look at my watch or Garmin during the run. Not even a peek. I let the time goals go and focused instead on being steady and in control. This really worked better for me, especially after seeing what happened on the bike when I started obsessing over HR and pace. Finally, one of my major goals after CDA was to fix my run nutrition, and I did just that here. 5 gels instead of 1. Strong mental control over weak. Because of this, I count my Redman marathon as a success regardless of time. So my iron marathon still needs work, but there's always another race for that :)
7. My swim pace So far this year I've swum 130 miles, a personal record. I quit going to Master's because it messed with my head and stressed me out. I never became faster, but I did get confident in the water. I got smooth and efficient (relatively-- as I could be more smooth and efficient if I'd get better technically), and just like in CDA I didn't experience fatigue during the swim like I did in IMWI. So my swim is solid and steady, just not fast. Every winter I say that's my goal--to get fast--but it hasn't happened yet.
8. Body management For once in a race, I let go of time to manage problems with heat and hydration. I discussed that above. But also I managed the rest of me pretty good too. No blisters! No sunburn! No chafing! I took the time in transitions to make sure these needs were addressed and in the race I didn't have to worry about them, and in recovery I didn't need to expend energy taking care of them. So the few minutes I might have "lost" spraying with sunscreen or rubbing on body glide was worth it.
9. Podium placement I'm still shocked over the fact that I podiumed at the iron distance! Granted, it was a small race, but I still podiumed!! 3rd of 11 in my AG is fantastic! It's also very encouraging, sometimes you start to thinking that these long distance races will always be for "fun" and not for "competition", but this suggests otherwise. I'm not letting it go to my head, I'm not looking for my KQ or anything, but I am feeling encouraged.
10. What comes next? Rest! No more iron until 2014, when I plan again to shoot for a sub-13. But I am thinking about doing more TTT-type multi-day races. :)
11. IMWI vs Redman At IMWI it was all new and fresh. I didn't know how I was going to feel at mile 20, for example I didn't know that my rib muscles could get tired and cause a stress reaction. I enjoyed every mile and soaked in the experience. My swim was scary and weak, the bike was more technical, and the run less boring compared to Redman. You just can't beat the first time feeling, but you also can't compare it much to later races. I did IMWI for fun without solid goals, later on I started picking times and goals.
12. CDA vs Redman Redman was my CDA redemption race. My disappointment with CDA let me to Redman, and I can solidly say that I Am Redeemed. The CDA swim was terribly difficult due to cold and waves, but completing that swim is probably the hardest thing I've ever done mentally and physically in triathlon. The CDA bike played to my hill strengths, Redman not so much. The CDA run for me was a mess and one of the biggest things I wanted redemption on. I knew I could do the run better. I knew it. And I did it!
13. Ankle injury Having an ankle sprain/strain/whatever just 6.5 days away from the race caused a great deal of stress at first, until I realized it wasn't that severe of an injury. Nothing was broken. It was just hurt. But because of it, I didn't run again until the Thursday before the race and that was 2 miles on a treadmill. I worried about how this would play out on race day. Would it be just the rest I needed? Or would it leave me rusted over? In the end, it worked out for me and I was incredibly lucky. My training buddy AJ missed this race due to an ankle sprain :(
14. Taper effectiveness Another CDA problem was over-training and under-tapering. Instead of listening to me I listened to a training plan (that didn't listen to me either). Although I had a steep taper with the ankle injury, this time around I trusted my fitness and just rested. I felt the fog start to clear 2 weeks out and was feeling springy a few days before Redman. In CDA, the fog never cleared and the springyness didn't show up until the Saturday before the race.
15. Two irons in one year This wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, and I'd do it again. I was lucky that I had 12-14 weeks between races. Any shorter and I might not have had such a good experience.
16. Race music! I kept an ear open for good music for the soundtrack, but I really don't remember much being played! I don't know if it's because I was focused or if it was just quiet. On the bike I had Lost In This Moment stuck in my head, but I'm not sure that's Triathlon Soundtrack material. So unlike in CDA and many other races, I don't have a song that summed up the day. I did get a song Friday at the pre-race swim, so maybe I'll go with that one: Wheels in the Sky by Journey. It summed up a lot--where would I be the next day in the race? I don't know, but the wheel keeps on turning, the day will come and go, another day will come with the rising sun, and whatever happens happens...I'm eager to race, ready to go, and I'm looking forward to the finish line arch...and that's what this song means to me. If that made any sense at all!!
17. WTC vs non-WTC. Late addition to the analysis. Seems to me that a WTC race is all about the WTC experience: expo, finisher's clothing, official clothing, the announcer, the pros, the this, the that. And non-WTC is just about the race, the course, the support, and the participants. I loved the non-WTC experience. So while I'm not anti-WTC, I'm certainly more open to doing the non-WTC stuff in the future. They're very different!I've been trying to make it home Got to make it, before too long Ooh, I can't take this very much longer, no I'm stranded, in the sleet and rain Don't think I'm ever gonna make it home again The Mornin' sun is risin' It's kissin' the dayOh, the wheel in the sky keeps on turnin' I don't know where I'll be tomorrow Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'Wohohohohohohoh For tomorrow
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Redman Sprint Race Report and the 140.6 Day After
This will be a much shorter post! And I'm not going to report sprint times, that wasn't the focus of the day. But I will say that I placed 18/20 in my AG. HA HA!
I woke up Sunday morning still unsure of whether or not I'd race the sprint. OK I knew I wouldn't "race" it, the question was whether I'd "participate". I hurt. My right knee didn't want to fully extend. The soles of my feet were sore. My rib muscles were tired. My back muscles threatened to spasm. Yet I was awake, able to move, and in the least wanted to be there to see everyone else's race. So I bee-kini'd up and headed out the door with the group.
At the site, I was moving slowly and unfocused but able to cobble together a TA set up. I kept forgetting things--I was wearing my visor and slide shoes right up to swim time -- but knowing this was just for fun it didn't bother me. Thankfully the temps weren't cold, but it certainly was cool enough to give a little shiver in the tiny clothings!
SWIM: 750m I chose to wear the wetsuit mostly for safety reasons, if I got tired and needed to stop the suit would help keep me up in the water and let me rest. I started nearer the back of the field figuring that since I'm not out to compete I'd just stay out of everyone's way. Big mistake. I ended up with all the new swimmers who couldn't hold a line or keep a steady pace. I would have been safer further up field. But I love seeing the newbies--that was me just a few years ago!!-- so I stayed patient and was careful to not run anyone over. While I was having fun, this was serious for them :) To my surprise, I was able to swim just fine with little pain or fatigue. It was refreshing even! Many swimmers were instead walking or running, but with my tired legs and ankle I chose to swim the entire way and didn't have any problems with hitting the bottom of the lake.
T1: I skipped the wetsuit strippers this time, again to keep muscles and injuries from being yanked and also because I wanted the warm suit on as long as possible! I pulled on my bumblebee socks and took off. I'm Sexy And I Know It played while I was in T1!
BIKE: 14 miles. Brrrrrrrr now the cool air was all over me with nothing but knee high socks to shield my skin. I was surprised to find that I wasn't dead last and that I was able to hold a fair pace on the bike. Again, my being at the back was a dangerous place to be, just like they can't swim straight or steady new bikers can't ride straight or steady either. They'll learn, so again I just stayed careful and patient. It was a two loop course along the lake. I was looking for my friends and their costumes but didn't have much luck. My legs tired out fast but the only pain was in my poor butt. Not chafing really, more of just every bump causing ouch-ouch-ouch.
T2: I think my Wild Ones song played in T2 :)
RUN: 3.1 miles. I tried to run slowly but my right knee wasn't having any of it. Sharp pain on the outside when it flexed with weight. But walking was perfectly fine, so I did that. I knew I'd be walking the run, but for some reason it still bothered me to do it. I tried a few times to run, to test if getting warmed up more improved anything but it didn't. I was surprised to see toga-guy from yesterday on the course, as well as a few others who recognized me from yesterday. Damn they have endurance volunteers at this event too! Walk, walk, walk, carrying my Nuun water with me to keep working on hydration. At the club tent, I danced a bit to I'm Sexy And I Know It, celebrated a bit, than ran it in for a good finish. Here a few volunteers recognized me again :) The bee costume makes it easy for that :)
Up to now, I was incredibly happy with how the entire weekend went. I'd hit my goals, I'd accomplished so much, and I'd managed the 140.6 through high and low points. So what follows next is like icing on the icing of the cake.
TH told me after the sprint that JP said I'd podium'd Saturday. My response was "git the hell out", and so we headed to the results board to check. Maybe she meant TT, or another Tracy? Nope, sure enough, I was listed as 3/6 in my AG!!!!!
Oh boy, now that meant I needed to stay for the awards ceremony. Hope DH is OK with it! We retrieved the bikes, dropped them at the truck, and looked up the schedule for awards--11am, only 40 mins away so yes we could stick around for it. Oh and heck yeah I was wearing my bee-kini on the podium! Along with my sprint race finishers medal so everyone could see that I raced that as well ;) And as if the day wasn't great enough already, I found that I'd bumped to 2nd place in my AG. Things got even better when on the drive home I realized that the 3/6 listed in the results wasn't the whole story, there was really 11 peeps in my AG. Yahoo!
Thank you DH for letting me stay, cuz this podium was likely the high point of tri career to date and being able to accept it was a dizzy-ingly wonderful experience!
On the drive home, I was tired and sore but high on the weekend. Poor DH did all the driving, I owe him HUGE for this too. By the time we hit Joplin, my leg muscles started to spasm and ache and walking was a painful thing for my right knee, which didn't want to extend straight at all now.
Long drive home....long weekend...and I expect a long recovery :)
But keep in mind that my 50K is just 3 weeks away, so I can't quit now!
I woke up Sunday morning still unsure of whether or not I'd race the sprint. OK I knew I wouldn't "race" it, the question was whether I'd "participate". I hurt. My right knee didn't want to fully extend. The soles of my feet were sore. My rib muscles were tired. My back muscles threatened to spasm. Yet I was awake, able to move, and in the least wanted to be there to see everyone else's race. So I bee-kini'd up and headed out the door with the group.
At the site, I was moving slowly and unfocused but able to cobble together a TA set up. I kept forgetting things--I was wearing my visor and slide shoes right up to swim time -- but knowing this was just for fun it didn't bother me. Thankfully the temps weren't cold, but it certainly was cool enough to give a little shiver in the tiny clothings!
SWIM: 750m I chose to wear the wetsuit mostly for safety reasons, if I got tired and needed to stop the suit would help keep me up in the water and let me rest. I started nearer the back of the field figuring that since I'm not out to compete I'd just stay out of everyone's way. Big mistake. I ended up with all the new swimmers who couldn't hold a line or keep a steady pace. I would have been safer further up field. But I love seeing the newbies--that was me just a few years ago!!-- so I stayed patient and was careful to not run anyone over. While I was having fun, this was serious for them :) To my surprise, I was able to swim just fine with little pain or fatigue. It was refreshing even! Many swimmers were instead walking or running, but with my tired legs and ankle I chose to swim the entire way and didn't have any problems with hitting the bottom of the lake.
T1: I skipped the wetsuit strippers this time, again to keep muscles and injuries from being yanked and also because I wanted the warm suit on as long as possible! I pulled on my bumblebee socks and took off. I'm Sexy And I Know It played while I was in T1!
BIKE: 14 miles. Brrrrrrrr now the cool air was all over me with nothing but knee high socks to shield my skin. I was surprised to find that I wasn't dead last and that I was able to hold a fair pace on the bike. Again, my being at the back was a dangerous place to be, just like they can't swim straight or steady new bikers can't ride straight or steady either. They'll learn, so again I just stayed careful and patient. It was a two loop course along the lake. I was looking for my friends and their costumes but didn't have much luck. My legs tired out fast but the only pain was in my poor butt. Not chafing really, more of just every bump causing ouch-ouch-ouch.
T2: I think my Wild Ones song played in T2 :)
RUN: 3.1 miles. I tried to run slowly but my right knee wasn't having any of it. Sharp pain on the outside when it flexed with weight. But walking was perfectly fine, so I did that. I knew I'd be walking the run, but for some reason it still bothered me to do it. I tried a few times to run, to test if getting warmed up more improved anything but it didn't. I was surprised to see toga-guy from yesterday on the course, as well as a few others who recognized me from yesterday. Damn they have endurance volunteers at this event too! Walk, walk, walk, carrying my Nuun water with me to keep working on hydration. At the club tent, I danced a bit to I'm Sexy And I Know It, celebrated a bit, than ran it in for a good finish. Here a few volunteers recognized me again :) The bee costume makes it easy for that :)
Up to now, I was incredibly happy with how the entire weekend went. I'd hit my goals, I'd accomplished so much, and I'd managed the 140.6 through high and low points. So what follows next is like icing on the icing of the cake.
TH told me after the sprint that JP said I'd podium'd Saturday. My response was "git the hell out", and so we headed to the results board to check. Maybe she meant TT, or another Tracy? Nope, sure enough, I was listed as 3/6 in my AG!!!!!
HOLY SHIT I PODIUMED IN AN IRON RACE!!!!!!!!!!
GIT THE HELL OUT!!!!!
Oh boy, now that meant I needed to stay for the awards ceremony. Hope DH is OK with it! We retrieved the bikes, dropped them at the truck, and looked up the schedule for awards--11am, only 40 mins away so yes we could stick around for it. Oh and heck yeah I was wearing my bee-kini on the podium! Along with my sprint race finishers medal so everyone could see that I raced that as well ;) And as if the day wasn't great enough already, I found that I'd bumped to 2nd place in my AG. Things got even better when on the drive home I realized that the 3/6 listed in the results wasn't the whole story, there was really 11 peeps in my AG. Yahoo!
Thank you DH for letting me stay, cuz this podium was likely the high point of tri career to date and being able to accept it was a dizzy-ingly wonderful experience!
On the drive home, I was tired and sore but high on the weekend. Poor DH did all the driving, I owe him HUGE for this too. By the time we hit Joplin, my leg muscles started to spasm and ache and walking was a painful thing for my right knee, which didn't want to extend straight at all now.
Long drive home....long weekend...and I expect a long recovery :)
But keep in mind that my 50K is just 3 weeks away, so I can't quit now!
Redman 140.6 Race Report: Run and Post-Race
RUN: 4:53:49. Slowest iron marathon yet, but 2nd out
of 11 in my AG and 7th out of 42 in my gender. Flat out-n-back
course along the lake. 4 loops. TH was right there as I came out of TA and she
ran with me a few mins towards the club tent. It felt so great to see a
familiar face and actually talk to someone. I’d been alone in my head for the
past 8hrs! Then at the club tent I had a huge crowd cheering for me! OMG the
energy I picked up there. They were like a caffeinated gel J
It was hot, and my first order of business was getting
cooled off and hydrated. Adding my arm coolers to the pack list was a late
addition on Friday (arm warmers seemed more useful when packing in STL with 60F
temps) and the late change of moving my T1 and T2 bags to the bike allowed me
to grab the arm coolers for the run. This was a saving move. Here’s the run, 1
lap at a time.
Lap 1: 1:09:33, goal was to get hydrated and cool off. I was
happy to find that as I came out of TA my legs felt great—no wobbly, bricky
feeling and no foot pain from the bike. Once I’d passed the Energy Station at
the club tent (Work it Smoochie!!) I settled in and took stock of my needs: slow
the hell down and get water. I was still carrying my garmin in my left hand,
and it took about a mile before I realized why. I needed to put arm coolers on
and that’s impossible to do with the garmin on. I came to this realization by
the 2nd aid station—the one with the guy wearing the toga. I pulled
on the sleeves, he dumped ice down both arms, I put the garmin on, grabbed some
ice, and took off. This became my pattern for the next 2 loops. Stop at the aid
station, don’t walk it, and get ice and iced water. I wondered if having the
ice in the coolers would burn my arms? It was sometimes painfully cold, but no
burns. The arm coolers also worked great with the ice sponge buckets, instead
of stuffing sponges I’d use the sponges to wet the coolers with ice water.
Ahhhh that felt so good.
Stop, ice, drink. Stop, ice, drink. When I was running I
think my pace was good, the stopping didn’t seem to affect my running pace. I
also spent the first lap mapping the course, landmarking the aid stations, and
planning my nutrition. It wasn’t until mile 4 that I had my first gel—mint chocolate.
I wished it was caffeinated, but it helped anyway. I perked up and kept going.
I re-entered the Energy Station to find a long line of club mates cheering me
one—OMG that was FUN!!!! Hit the turn-around, and back out for lap 2.
Lap 2: 1:17:09, goal still to get hydrated and cool off,
same as the first lap. This lap went pretty much like the first one. Stopping
at aid stations, icing, and drinking. This time around I better appreciated the
chalk signs my friends put out for me, funny notes about nutrition and hydration
and words of encouragement. J
Around mile 8 I took my 2nd gel, a hammer tropical—yuck. I felt like
I was drinking amazing amounts of water and I expected my stomach to get
distended, or at least I expected to need to pee. Neither happened. At the
turn-around near mile 10 I stopped for the porta-potty but not much came of it.
This was worrisome, because I also wasn’t sweating like other runners around me
were. I was dry! Was this the wind again? Not if others are sweating! Still I
felt like I was drinking way more than I should to have a happy tummy, the same
fear I had from the bike. I’d stop at an aid station, drink water, stack that
cup with another water cup, grab an ice cup, and leave. Sometimes between aid
stations I’d have 3-4 cups stacked! And I was drinking most of it, yet my
thirst was unquenchable. I was craving something…something…but couldn’t figure
out what. Cold. Wet. Just craving. I let my mind wander on this to find a
solution, but I couldn’t think of anything I wanted to eat. I had an orange
hammer gel (yuck) at mile 12. I kept moving and came around to the Energy
Station again. Less peeps there, but still a wonderful feeling.
Lap 3: 1:17:09.I stopped by special needs to get my bee hat,
it was too hot for the dress so I skipped it. I also grabbed two of my gels and
a sport beans package. Thankfully I shouldn’t need any more hammer gels. By
this time I was cooled off so hydration was my main focus. All along I’d been
reining in my speed, knowing that the current feel-good feeling could dissipate
in minutes later on in the run. This lap was marked by a diaphragm cramp on the
right side. It forced me to slow down a little more, which in the end was a
good thing. But for all the pains I expected to feel, absent from it all was my
ankle! Nothing!! Like it never happened.
At the first aid station someone yelled my name, I looked
back and saw KP from CSP! The first time by I thought, no that can’t be her…why
is she here…I’m just confused… Also at this station the guys controlling
traffic across the path got to know me and my name, they provided lots of
smiles as I came through. J
I’ve had this diaphragm cramp before and knew it was too
much effort. So even though I wasn’t going all that fast, I dialed it back so
more until it faded. By this time, the volunteers at the stations knew me and
what I wanted as I came through. At the toga station I tried some of their salt
packs and found that to be a wonderful feeling on the tongue. My face was
gritty with salt and my body soaked it right up. I’d already tried a few
endurolytes up to that point, but blehck those are awful. Toga guy dumped ice
my sleeves, I turned down the offered fruits, and kept going.
I chugged along, by now getting pretty bored with this
course. But I had my rhythm down and I was happily able to push myself to run
to the next aid station instead of walking between them. This was a problem in
CDA—my mind just dropped out of the game and I walked a lot between stations.
Not so this time. I set goals between aid stations and hit them, bam bam bam. It
certainly helped that in this lap I had my 4th gel, I could feel
those working for me. I also noted somewhere in lap 2 or 3 that my right knee
was hurting—a tendon or connective tissue pain. I thought it might be from the
ankle or from carrying the water cups. Something was throwing me off balance.
On the way back, I found it was indeed KP from CSP! I
stopped to talk with her a bit before moving on. Seeing familiar faces is
pricesless in these long events. As I passed Louis’s I went by my friends!!
Energy Station #2! By now, my cramp had gone away, I was still drinking a lot,
but still not peeing or visibly accumulating water anywhere. Near the
turn-around I saw a sign saying something about the autumnal equinox. Through
the Energy Station, turn around (saw some TNT peeps there!! J) and back out for the
final lap.
Lap 4: 1:11:39. By now it was getting dark. I’d enjoyed the
setting sun over the lake in lap 3 but now the sun was completely gone soon
into lap 4. Also by now the energy on the course was even lower than before.
People in this race weren’t at all chatty! In previous laps I’d say words of
encouragement only to get a grunt or nothing in reply. In this lap, I didn’t
care. I said good job to everyone I came by regardless of whether or not they
looked interested in hearing it. I needed to hear it, so I think in the end I
was mostly talking to myself.
All through the run, I took things one mile at a time. All
the mile markers were in place and sometimes it was hard to see mile 11 or mile
23 go by when I’m in lap 1 or lap 2. But now all those signs were either in the
past or current. I celebrated each sign as I went by, smiling to see mile 3
while in the 2nd lap, happy to see mile 16 go by as that meant only
10 more, then finally mile 20. My plan was to have my final gel at mile 21—I’d
saved a 2x caffeinated gel for just this moment. At first I worried this gel
was a bad idea—my heart raced and I thought maybe that caffeine would upset the
tummy—but it settled in soon enough. By now I’m grinning ear to ear as the mile
markers go by. Near mile 22 the aid station is out of ice and cups, so I get a
bottle. In the end, this was the greatest thing. I didn’t have to carry a cup
and worry about splashing it. My pace had picked up and this time I let it go.
I had concerns about running in the dark—what if I turned my ankle on something?
But the moon was out-- a nice half-moon – and I could see just enough to run
with some confidence. Mile 23 was in the back end of the course in the park
where the turn-around was. By this point my face was tired of smiling.
I was passing runners quickly at this point. Many were
walking and sometimes I felt like the only person still running. I wasn’t, it
just seemed that way. I got a lot of jokes about my wings and how they made me
faster. This kept me rolling. Mile 24 came up in the dark, it was so dark I
worried about missing an upcoming turn in the course! Last time through the
toga station-that guy was still there after all these hours—and them mile 25!!
I saw a young runner ahead of me kiss the sign J
He was walking, but on his last lap.
Last time past the guys controlling traffic, last time past
Louis’s (my friends were still there, OMG it was so great to see them!!), then
finally the homestretch. By now I’m comfortable running and letting my body
pick the pace. No more reining in at this point. Mile 26 sign came and went.
I passed the RV area, someone asked me how much more I had
to go and I said “.2 more!”. He thought about it for a second, then started
yelling for me! Round the corner…I could see the lights. The club tent area was
empty…passed the last aid station to dump my water bottle…and down the chute!
OMG all my friends cheered me in, it was fantastic!
And it was only then that I realized my race time: 13:23. I
hadn’t looked at my Garmin or watch at all during the run and in the end that
was the best thing. I was disappointed—I wasn’t under 13hrs like I wanted to
be. I looked at my Garmin finally to get my run time of 4:54-ish. Another disappointment,
but a very brief one. OMG I’m done! I did it! My 3rd iron distance
at the 8th Redman triathlon. I thought that was a nice coincidence of
numbers.
Post-race: Unlike before, I made it out of the Redman finish
chute without visiting medical. I felt great, still upright and able to walk.
DH and friends met me at the back of the tent, and I wanted to badly to convey
to them how wonderful it was to see them but all I could do was cough—my usual
long run hack-like-I-might-vomit cough.
The high of finishing kept me up for a few hours while I
repacked my bags to get ready for Sunday. Thanks to TH who moved Frea and got
her ready, and grabbed my TA bags for me. Even though I trusted her, for some reason
I needed to see it all for myself, my brain just wasn’t remembering things. I
kept asking about the bags, over and over, I just couldn’t get focused. But
what do you expect after a race like this?
We walked back to the tent, and I was finally able to see
everyone. I’d wondered all day how their races went and now I wanted to hear
all about it. Although I was hungry and thirsty, I wasn’t ready for either yet.
But I started to shiver and my feet, which had been hurting the last few laps,
were finally starting to complain loud enough for me to pay them attention.
Time to go home, shower, and prep for tomorrow’s sprint!
At the hotel I ate my bag of apple chips—a reward I picked a
few days ago. Nom nom. DH was wiped and ready for bed but I kept chatting away.
My pained feet kept me sitting on the floor and let out a few whines when I’d
realize something I needed was at the other end of the hotel room. J I slept great that
night, after chatterboxing to DH a few minutes. I had so many stories,
questions, more! But off to sleep and rest for Sunday’s big bee-kini race.
This report is the play-by-play of the day, I have another
post in mind for the analysis.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Redman 140.6 Race Report: Bike and T2
BIKE: 6:39:34 for ave of 16.8 mph. 4th out of 11
in AG, 16th out of 42 in gender. 2-loop mostly out-n-back course with
rough roads and city traffic for parts of it. No major hills, mostly flat.
This will be a hard write-up. I’m not sure I’ll be able to
capture or convey what happened on the bike. One lap at a time.
Lap 1: 3:12. The ride starts off along the lake before
cruising north through town. These sections go by faster because a lot happens
and it’s all fresh. I started out a bit fast, not a pushing-it fast, but
definitely taking advantage of the fresh feeling I had. I made conscious
efforts to dial it down, and settled on a pace best described as “I’m not
working hard, regardless of how fast I’m going”. On a course like this, it’s
easy to push a faster pace. There wasn’t much wind in the first loop and the
temps were still pleasant. I enjoyed seeing the “halfers” on their way back
home and I was looking for my club mates. Not surprisingly, this was raising my
heart rate. I was surprised and frustrated by seeing it continuously in the
140-150 range—way too high for my goals and what I trained for! Seeing this
only jacked me up further. I kept feeling like pulses of adrenaline kept
hitting me. At one point I had to quit looking for people and just stare at the
road. But I still had a happy smile on my face J
I hit the turn-around at 26 miles in 1:25 an d hit 28 miles
at 1:32, I was right on course if not ahead of schedule for my goal time of 6-ish
hours. But I had to pee since coming out of the water. I was by-passing aid
stations with porta-potties on the bike for no good reason. Finally at BAS4
around mile 30 I stopped to refill bottles and pee. When I left the bike my
average speed was 18.0 and when I got back on it was 17.4 mph!!!! I didn’t
think I’d stopped for that long! Could I make up that time?! No! For once I
appreciated pee’ing on the bike. I still didn’t want to do it, but I could see
where it made a difference.
On the return trip headed south, I found the tailwind to be
helpful. Again I thought I could “make up time”, but instead I had to chant to myself
“can’t save time, but I can save energy”. Around mile 44-45 a cyclist ahead of
me crashed, not sure what happened but it hurt to see him go down. I started
looking forward to the turn-around, wondering who would be there and what I
would say to them. I remembered JM doing this race in 09 and what he said to us
as he went by. I was set on staying positive and thinking I would sing “OOOOOOOOKlahoma
is the place for me…”. Even though those aren’t’ the real lyrics J
The turn-around went by so fast, RM and his sombrero were
there and I got such a laugh out of it J
Had me smiling for the next few miles. Overall I wanted to be faster on the
bike and being behind at the turn-around hurt me a bit inside. But I was spot
on for nutrition: 100 solid calories q45 mins, and 200 liquid calories q60-70
mins. Things were feeling good and I was ready for more.
Lap 2: 3:27. Special needs was 3 miles into the ride, I
grabbed my entire bag contents and took off. Here’s where things started to
slip a bit. It was a slow decline that I didn’t recognize in time. For the 2nd
lap I knew where my turns and landmarks would be. I made mental notes in the
first lap—hay fields, fences, tractors, signs…things to dangle like a carrot as
the next goal and plans of how to fuel in certain sections. I also knew the
winds had picked up and that for the north and east sections I’d be in a
headwind coming from the northeast. No worries, just take one section at a
time.
In the first 7 miles of the 2nd lap, a tan car
pulled in front of me just after an intersection. That woke me up a bit, but
rattled me too. It seemed to take a long time to the first left turn and my
race math was starting to slip. It was around this time, about mile 70, that my
feet started to hurt and tingle. I was surprised at this—this wasn’t a problem
in training! But as I’ve done before, when I ride into a headwind I mash the
pedals. So even though I was being careful about it, I wasn’t careful enough. I
had so many distractions anyway…my HR was still high and my average speed was
still dropping.
Around this time I started watching even more my mood and
systems. I started singing under my breath my Redman Song (Keep on Dreaming) as
well as “Lost In This Moment” by B&R. How that got in my head I don’t know,
but I also had the lyrics messed up. Lost in this moment with you, I am
completely confused”, and that about summed it up. I used the tailwind in the
west section to recharge before turning around to ride into the wind, and
planned ahead to have my water bottles refilled and nutrition in place, knowing
that a headwind takes my attention from those needs.
Also competing for attention was the road conditions. Rough!
Not just potholes but also just rough sections. They were painted and I was
able to “shoot the gaps” to go around them, but this was taking a mental toll
on me, as well as wearing out my shoulders and hands. Things were starting to
hurt. I had calculated that the turn-around was mile 86 but had it wrong, it
was only mile 81. I stopped again at BAS 4 for water and bio-break. Not much
came out there, and that was my first hint that I was dehydrated.
Another thing about winds—they dry you off and you don’t
realize how much water you are losing. I wasn’t sure of the temps, but I was
also thinking that I wasn’t appreciating just how hot it was too. A double
whammy. The winds were keeping me cooler in the heat, but it was still hot and
I couldn’t keep track of how much water I was losing. Even though I was
continuously sipping from the aerobottle (I managed to go through at least 5 of
them, as well as 2-3 regular bottles) I was behind on hydration. Once that
goes, so does nutrition and focus. I had to get this under control.
I passed one rider along the side of the road stretching out
cramps, then another on the ground with medical crews around him. That’s not
me, I told myself. That’s not me. Yet.
Once I turned into the tailwind, I started focusing on
water. This was around mile 90. If I did anything to move my feet in my shoes,
the tingling came back. This was terribly distracting. My HR was still high, my
pace was dropping under 17.0, and this had my mind all jacked up. Then somewhere between mile 90 and 95, my
mood tanked.
I was having brief dizzy moments. I wanted to ride and quit
at the same time. I knew I needed to eat and found some gels with caffeine.
These helped, but I was still dehydrated. For a few miles, I didn’t think I was
going to be able to run! I finally realized just how low on water and high on body
temp I was, and it wasn’t feeling good. But I kept the pedals turning. I was
miserable and loving it, all the same time. So even though I didn’t think I’d
be able to run, I wanted to try it. I chastised myself for mentally quitting
the run before I even finished the bike! Focus! Drink! Keep moving!
I refilled the aero bottle again and just drank, drank,
drank. I knew this could upset my stomach in the run, yet at the same time I
knew I wouldn’t run at all if I didn’t do this. I forced it down—something I’m
not always able to do.
Overall, the bike was a bit of a disappointment for me yet
still a PR. However, it’s a PR on the easier iron bike course I’ve done, so it’s
a mixed success. Overall, I ate 1000 InfinIT calories, 100 sport bean calories,
500 powerbar calories, and 200-300 gel calories for a total of about 1800-1900
calories on the bike. I had one more
powerbar that I probably should have eaten. Having the garmin display by
average bike speed was good and bad. It kept ramping up my anxiety, so I’m not
sure how to handle that yet. I hit a pretty low point in the ride but I’m happy
that I recognized it for what it was and took charge of the problem.
T2: 5:46. 4th in AG and 14th in
gender. My feet weren’t hurting much by this point, and I knew from IMWI that
even if they did hurt, it would go away soon enough. I took my time in TA to
get everything right, but was still bumbling along. Body Glide on toes,
t-shirt, sunscreen and ice from a nice volunteer, race belt, visor, arm coolers
and a mint gel in my hand, garmin from the bike clipped into my wrist band but
still in my hand. Go!
Redman 140.6 Race Report: Prerace, Swim, and T1
Race morning. TA opened at 5am and the swim started at 7:15,
so my alarm went off just after 4am. Coffee, banana, some peanut butter, I
think a Lara bar… my usual pre-race foods. I was pretty calm considering that I
felt like I was forgetting something critical. But no, just calm and cool!
Outside the weather was perfect. A great ambient
temperature, light winds, and what appeared to be a cloudless sky. It was dark
setting up in TA and I kept getting lost amidst the fencing, tents, and
sidewalks. This race seemed to lack the electrical feeling of my previous
races, whether it was because the race was smaller or because there wasn’t loud
music and announcing, I don’t know. I initially put my T1 and T2 bags in the
changing tent before learning that I could leave everything with the bike. That
was the only change I made that morning. Got my timing chip, waited in a long
line at the porta-potty, spent the national anthem putting on the wetsuit,
wanted to hang around DH but he sent me off (like he did in IMWI), then left
for the water. I was feeling great—awake, fresh, and ready to go!
SWIM: 2.4 mi in 1:37 PR!!! 6th out of 11 in AG, 25th
out of 42 in gender. 2-loop counter-clockwise triangle in low-mid 70’s quiet
water, wave starts, in water start. For what might be the first time ever, I didn’t
have to pee before starting the swim. I didn’t warm up other than swimming a
few strokes to get the suit wet and test my goggles. I could stand at the start
area but treaded water lightly to get my blood moving. When the wave started, I
was near the back but mostly in the middle. There were only 40-some female
athletes in the wave and I think the aquabikes started with us too, so it was a
decent crowd but nothing like an M-dot mass start. The only problem I found at
the start was that the little orange buoys were awful hard to see in the water!
I could only see one at a time, and I had to look—a glance up wasn’t enough.
I was bumped and jostled for most of the swim, unlike my
other IM in which I separated from the main field and had some space. This led
me to think that I was in the middle of my pack and maybe moving faster than
expected, as I thought it was increased speed that kept me from being dropped
from the wave. In the end, that wasn’t really the case. The field overall was
slower than the M-dot races.
Since I couldn’t see the buoys easily, the crowding was a
benefit. I looked for other swimmers to make sure I was on course. But I found
as things went along that I was swimming the straightest OWS yet, most every
time I looked I was right on course! This eased my mind, but I still just had
to know and sometimes just stopped to find the buoys in order to be sure I was
on course.
In this swim I realized why swimming is maybe such a
stressor for me. I can never take my mind off what I’m doing and just “forget”
that I’m swimming, like I do in biking and running. You can let this one go, my
mind keeps tumbling over location, heading, etc, and I don’t lose track of
time. I’m aware of every minute. That makes for a long 1.5hrs.
I did the first loop in 47 mins, but the first loop included
the swim out from the first buoy I think. Either way, it told me that I wasn’t
moving faster than expected and instead it was indeed a slower field. I’d had
some worry that the waves coming behind me would run me over, and some did, but
I kinda missed them on the second lap. Like I said, having the others around me
helped me know where I was.
Overall, this was a fantastic swim, even it if wasn’t the
1:30 I wanted. I was thrilled to see 1:37 on my watch! 7 minutes isn’t all that
much time, and I don’t think going faster would have helped me the rest of the
day.
T1: 6:29, 7th in AG and 24th in
gender. There was a decent run up the beach and I was actually able to jog,
none of the usual dizziness after swimming. I saw BN and IT on the way up, and
DH was at the arch at the top. I was apprehensive about using a wet suit
peeler, I wasn’t the yank would be good for the ankle but I took advantage of
them. Washed my feet, got to the bike, and just took my time getting ready. HRM,
chamois butter, jersey, sunscreen, gloves, wipe grass from feet…then jog out.
RM was at the exit with a sombrero!! Off we go!
Friday, September 21, 2012
Redman Pre-Race
My other pre-race post was more of a play by play, and didn't cover how I felt. This post will do that.
In CDA I was over-trained and under-tapered. I knew that to some extent going in but didn't realize the depth of it. I had my trust in the training plan and it's source. Turns out my trust was misplaced. Hard lesson to learn, but that's what I learned.
This time around, I actually worried that I was tapering too hard. The mental fog of training lifted 1.5-2 weeks before the race (it didn't clear until race week in CDA) and the physical fog lifted 1 week out. I have to give my 7-days pre-race ankle injury some credit for the physical recovery!
At 48hrs pre-race my body was fresh and energetic. I was nervous about my ankle, but it wasn't hurting, sore, or tight. At 24hrs pre-race it just didn't seem real that tomorrow I'd be racing. TOMORROW?!!? I was so calm and chill, but I was having moments of brainlessness, lack of coherent thought, indecision....and this time instead of it being fatigue it was just the expected pre-race nerves and such.
My ankle seemed perfectly fine, no pain yet some residual purpling near the toes. My tape wasn't sticking very well and I planned to just replace the key sections of it for the run.
My goals? 12:30 on the perfect, wind at by back, downhill all the way type of day.
1:30 swim
6:00 bike
4:30 run
and 30 mins of transitions and extra time.
Can I do it? I don't know, but one way to find out!
In CDA I was over-trained and under-tapered. I knew that to some extent going in but didn't realize the depth of it. I had my trust in the training plan and it's source. Turns out my trust was misplaced. Hard lesson to learn, but that's what I learned.
This time around, I actually worried that I was tapering too hard. The mental fog of training lifted 1.5-2 weeks before the race (it didn't clear until race week in CDA) and the physical fog lifted 1 week out. I have to give my 7-days pre-race ankle injury some credit for the physical recovery!
At 48hrs pre-race my body was fresh and energetic. I was nervous about my ankle, but it wasn't hurting, sore, or tight. At 24hrs pre-race it just didn't seem real that tomorrow I'd be racing. TOMORROW?!!? I was so calm and chill, but I was having moments of brainlessness, lack of coherent thought, indecision....and this time instead of it being fatigue it was just the expected pre-race nerves and such.
My ankle seemed perfectly fine, no pain yet some residual purpling near the toes. My tape wasn't sticking very well and I planned to just replace the key sections of it for the run.
My goals? 12:30 on the perfect, wind at by back, downhill all the way type of day.
1:30 swim
6:00 bike
4:30 run
and 30 mins of transitions and extra time.
Can I do it? I don't know, but one way to find out!
Redman Pre Race Week
Let's see if I can remember all of it...cuz now it's Tuesday post-race and it's all kinda hazy!
I think I took Monday off. Then rode my trainer bike Tuesday morning. After a half day at work, I drove out to Dr H's office to buy more k-tape. In one of the luckiest Tuesdays ever, he was there and offered to tape this injury for me! I don't know how to thank him for this, I hope I can think of something. He put on 4 pieces--2 around the back of the heel/achilles to support the injury that was along the bottom/outside of my foot, one that wrapped from lateral calf bone down around the ankle and back up laterally to keep the foot from rolling inward (everting?), and one stirrup up both sides to keep it all together. This felt really good, like a little sling keeping things together.
I also had a big realization after leaving the office. I was nervous about calling him beforehand to see if I could squeeze in an appt, for two reasons. First I hated to take advantage of his time and act like I'm so important to the world that I should be squeezed in last minute. But second I knew that if he gave ANY inkling that my upcoming race was a bad idea I'd take his advice very seriously. No one yet had suggested that, everyone was supportive and encouraging, so I don't know why I feared he'd be any different. Then as he reminded me of his marathon last year in which his knee started to hurt and yet he continued anyway--I realized that I had really nothing to fear. If anything, he's an Enabler :) I left his office not only with my ankle supported, but also calmed nerves. Again, I wish I knew how to thank him for all this.
Wednesday was another day off as we drove to OKC.
Thursday was swim practice in the lake. As we walked to the beach, I remembered the layout, park, and other memories of Redman 2009. And I was shocked to see how low the water was--the waterline was waaaaaaaaaayyyyy out there! The beach was a long, red walk across exposed lake bed. But worst of it all, it was windy. It was a steady wind, not gusty, coming across the lake and towards the red beach. Winds + Water = Waves! Not big waves, but enough that it was tiring to be out there. And enough to scare me a bit. Could I do this for 2.4 mi? I did in CDA...so I knew I could do it...but I didn't want to do it again! No matter that the water temp was perfect--that temp at which you don't even feel the water on your skin (low-mid 70's?). I swam 20 mins or so, picking all directions to get a feel for the waves that might plague me on race day... I left with wacked nerves and a somewhat sick stomach. I knew a lot could change in the next 48hrs, and I hoped for it. Later on we went to a gym were I got to swim in their small, dark pool. I practiced missing breaths like I would be doing in wavy water. Skip a breath, stay calm, and get it back on the next try. I also practiced getting some water in the nose, cuz I knew that could happen too in waves. Oh geez, my nerves. Then I did a short 2 mile run on a treadmill to test the ankle. It wasn't pained at all, good news! And my legs felt so fresh, awesome news! The rest of the day we spent in OKC at the Nat Memorial trying to forget about the water, keep my legs from getting tired, and wondering just what I was going to eat pre and post race. I didn't have that planned yet.
Friday was another swim in the lake. It was still windy, but more of a soft gusting wind. The weather forecasters predicted similar winds for race day (Saturday). I only wanted a super short test, I think it took longer to suit up than it did to swim. Maybe 10-15 minutes at the water? But the lake was smooth, quiet, small waves only. This was the greatest therapy for yesterday, a re-assurance that yes the lake can be quiet, and yes I can swim whatever the lake presents to me tomorrow. I tried to keep all this nervous to quiet to anxious to calm from DH, he was so level all week and I think that was the greatest calm support I could ever ask for. I missed him in CDA, he's the only person I can really spill fears to. I can with training partners, but it's different with him. I owe him HUGE.
The rest of the day we spent at a museum. I had some apprehension about being on my feet, but in the end it was quiet and relaxing. And I loved seeing DH enjoy the museum, he knows more about that stuff than I'll ever learn. And if I'd have been in a more calm state of mind, I would have asked so many questions. But I couldn't focus on much for long. I kept playing out race problems and solutions in my head. If..Then...If...Then...
The rest of the Club showed up later Friday, and the excitement was too much for me. I wanted to hear all the stories, all the news, how's everyone doing....so when the option for dinner came up I bowed out. I needed quiet and calm. So we watched an SVU marathon (the other kind of marathon!) and stayed at the hotel. More If...Then...
I think I took Monday off. Then rode my trainer bike Tuesday morning. After a half day at work, I drove out to Dr H's office to buy more k-tape. In one of the luckiest Tuesdays ever, he was there and offered to tape this injury for me! I don't know how to thank him for this, I hope I can think of something. He put on 4 pieces--2 around the back of the heel/achilles to support the injury that was along the bottom/outside of my foot, one that wrapped from lateral calf bone down around the ankle and back up laterally to keep the foot from rolling inward (everting?), and one stirrup up both sides to keep it all together. This felt really good, like a little sling keeping things together.
I also had a big realization after leaving the office. I was nervous about calling him beforehand to see if I could squeeze in an appt, for two reasons. First I hated to take advantage of his time and act like I'm so important to the world that I should be squeezed in last minute. But second I knew that if he gave ANY inkling that my upcoming race was a bad idea I'd take his advice very seriously. No one yet had suggested that, everyone was supportive and encouraging, so I don't know why I feared he'd be any different. Then as he reminded me of his marathon last year in which his knee started to hurt and yet he continued anyway--I realized that I had really nothing to fear. If anything, he's an Enabler :) I left his office not only with my ankle supported, but also calmed nerves. Again, I wish I knew how to thank him for all this.
Wednesday was another day off as we drove to OKC.
Thursday was swim practice in the lake. As we walked to the beach, I remembered the layout, park, and other memories of Redman 2009. And I was shocked to see how low the water was--the waterline was waaaaaaaaaayyyyy out there! The beach was a long, red walk across exposed lake bed. But worst of it all, it was windy. It was a steady wind, not gusty, coming across the lake and towards the red beach. Winds + Water = Waves! Not big waves, but enough that it was tiring to be out there. And enough to scare me a bit. Could I do this for 2.4 mi? I did in CDA...so I knew I could do it...but I didn't want to do it again! No matter that the water temp was perfect--that temp at which you don't even feel the water on your skin (low-mid 70's?). I swam 20 mins or so, picking all directions to get a feel for the waves that might plague me on race day... I left with wacked nerves and a somewhat sick stomach. I knew a lot could change in the next 48hrs, and I hoped for it. Later on we went to a gym were I got to swim in their small, dark pool. I practiced missing breaths like I would be doing in wavy water. Skip a breath, stay calm, and get it back on the next try. I also practiced getting some water in the nose, cuz I knew that could happen too in waves. Oh geez, my nerves. Then I did a short 2 mile run on a treadmill to test the ankle. It wasn't pained at all, good news! And my legs felt so fresh, awesome news! The rest of the day we spent in OKC at the Nat Memorial trying to forget about the water, keep my legs from getting tired, and wondering just what I was going to eat pre and post race. I didn't have that planned yet.
Friday was another swim in the lake. It was still windy, but more of a soft gusting wind. The weather forecasters predicted similar winds for race day (Saturday). I only wanted a super short test, I think it took longer to suit up than it did to swim. Maybe 10-15 minutes at the water? But the lake was smooth, quiet, small waves only. This was the greatest therapy for yesterday, a re-assurance that yes the lake can be quiet, and yes I can swim whatever the lake presents to me tomorrow. I tried to keep all this nervous to quiet to anxious to calm from DH, he was so level all week and I think that was the greatest calm support I could ever ask for. I missed him in CDA, he's the only person I can really spill fears to. I can with training partners, but it's different with him. I owe him HUGE.
The rest of the day we spent at a museum. I had some apprehension about being on my feet, but in the end it was quiet and relaxing. And I loved seeing DH enjoy the museum, he knows more about that stuff than I'll ever learn. And if I'd have been in a more calm state of mind, I would have asked so many questions. But I couldn't focus on much for long. I kept playing out race problems and solutions in my head. If..Then...If...Then...
The rest of the Club showed up later Friday, and the excitement was too much for me. I wanted to hear all the stories, all the news, how's everyone doing....so when the option for dinner came up I bowed out. I needed quiet and calm. So we watched an SVU marathon (the other kind of marathon!) and stayed at the hotel. More If...Then...
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Injured one week before the race!
RUN: about 1 mile?
SWIM: 4000y straight through, mostly pulling
BIKE: 17.5 in 1hr on the trainer
Today's plan was to swim then test the ankle on a treadmill run. To double the fun, I was also going to test the bee-kini in the swim and run. It's a bit of a gamble to try to run one day post injury, but I was going to be with TH, and she sees through the bravado. Or bullshit, as DH corrected me. HAHA!!
Plan's changed a bit with the pool, so we just did a short run around the 'hood. It didn't hurt much at all, it's a little stiff and just the shoe touching the area under the ankle bone was a little painful. TH could see me limping though. She advised to stay off running the rest of the week.
I want to run. I almost ran again later in the day. I just have to KNOW how it is. But I kept her advice in my head. No Running. And because she said that, I didn't run anymore. She's right. I know it.
But maybe I should be Queen Cleopatra instead of a bee for this race. Queen of Denial.
It really doesn't hurt all that much. If I plant the foot and rotate I get a sharp pain, but that only happened once and I've been walking around and up/down stairs all day.
So I went to the Y and swam, again I just had to know--can I swim? Try as I might, I still kick a little bit in rotating. I went with a pull buoy. The first 1000y my shoulders and arms hurt--this gave me a scare about how little swimming I've been doing the past 3 weeks. Did I de-condition? Will I have the aerobic capacity to swim but not the muscular adapation?!??
No, I was OK. By the time I hit the first 1000y I warmed up. I think swimming along the rec area and L-shaped wall I was swimming funny and distracted, thereby messing up my stroke. Once I moved over, I plugged along just fine.
In fact, I plugged along for 4000y! Most all of it was with the pull buoy, I occasionally tested without it but found it hurt the foot. I felt like a bit of a fool in the pool--swimming 80 mins with a pull buoy and I couldn't help but wonder what others were thinking. Why do I wonder about that? Who gives a sh!t what others are thinking?!
Plug plug plug. For the first time since early June, I did a straight-thru long swim. I didn't watch the counter and let myself lose track of time and distance. I just swam-swam-swam. Easy pushes off the wall slowed me down but I just swam-swam-swam. I wonder how much of it was just nerves. Planning, thinking, wondering, packing, getting ready for the race. With my face in the water, the quietness, the isolation -- it's a great time to think and get lost in my own head.
I felt great after the swim! I've been wanting that confidence boosting swim, and I have it DONE.
Afterwards I did a trainer ride just to extend the aerobic workout and keep testing the ankle. No problems there, not even the clip in/out. But we'll see on Tuesday how it is in the real world. My left ankle is my dominant ankle when I clip in/out!
Afterwards I K-taped it to help reduce swelling (what little there is) and tried to stay off it with limited success. Without the pain to remind me, I just get to doing things. I started packing for the race, starting with the bee outfits!! Then my tri club gear!
SWIM: 4000y straight through, mostly pulling
BIKE: 17.5 in 1hr on the trainer
Today's plan was to swim then test the ankle on a treadmill run. To double the fun, I was also going to test the bee-kini in the swim and run. It's a bit of a gamble to try to run one day post injury, but I was going to be with TH, and she sees through the bravado. Or bullshit, as DH corrected me. HAHA!!
Plan's changed a bit with the pool, so we just did a short run around the 'hood. It didn't hurt much at all, it's a little stiff and just the shoe touching the area under the ankle bone was a little painful. TH could see me limping though. She advised to stay off running the rest of the week.
I want to run. I almost ran again later in the day. I just have to KNOW how it is. But I kept her advice in my head. No Running. And because she said that, I didn't run anymore. She's right. I know it.
But maybe I should be Queen Cleopatra instead of a bee for this race. Queen of Denial.
It really doesn't hurt all that much. If I plant the foot and rotate I get a sharp pain, but that only happened once and I've been walking around and up/down stairs all day.
So I went to the Y and swam, again I just had to know--can I swim? Try as I might, I still kick a little bit in rotating. I went with a pull buoy. The first 1000y my shoulders and arms hurt--this gave me a scare about how little swimming I've been doing the past 3 weeks. Did I de-condition? Will I have the aerobic capacity to swim but not the muscular adapation?!??
No, I was OK. By the time I hit the first 1000y I warmed up. I think swimming along the rec area and L-shaped wall I was swimming funny and distracted, thereby messing up my stroke. Once I moved over, I plugged along just fine.
In fact, I plugged along for 4000y! Most all of it was with the pull buoy, I occasionally tested without it but found it hurt the foot. I felt like a bit of a fool in the pool--swimming 80 mins with a pull buoy and I couldn't help but wonder what others were thinking. Why do I wonder about that? Who gives a sh!t what others are thinking?!
Plug plug plug. For the first time since early June, I did a straight-thru long swim. I didn't watch the counter and let myself lose track of time and distance. I just swam-swam-swam. Easy pushes off the wall slowed me down but I just swam-swam-swam. I wonder how much of it was just nerves. Planning, thinking, wondering, packing, getting ready for the race. With my face in the water, the quietness, the isolation -- it's a great time to think and get lost in my own head.
I felt great after the swim! I've been wanting that confidence boosting swim, and I have it DONE.
Afterwards I did a trainer ride just to extend the aerobic workout and keep testing the ankle. No problems there, not even the clip in/out. But we'll see on Tuesday how it is in the real world. My left ankle is my dominant ankle when I clip in/out!
Afterwards I K-taped it to help reduce swelling (what little there is) and tried to stay off it with limited success. Without the pain to remind me, I just get to doing things. I started packing for the race, starting with the bee outfits!! Then my tri club gear!
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Head wasn't in the game
BIKE: 30 miles in 2hrs, NT to PdS
RUN: 30 mins and 2.3 miles
We'll get to the run. The bike first.
TD and TH joined me for this. It wasn't a widely advertised run and in the end I was happy for that. I just wanted to ride with people who knew me and knew what I was getting ready for. A small, trusted group was perfect.
What wasn't perfect was my mental state. Flat. Dry. No energy. No life. Blah. From sleeping poorly last night to my crappy grab-whatever breakfast to my lack of interest in doing this ride, the whole morning was just going poorly.
The ride was great though. The cars were nice to us, the sun was behind clouds, the roads were clear, and we had a quiet wind that tailed us on the way home to make it even better. I was worriedx10 about crashing or having something go wrong. That didn't happen until the run.
After the bike I really didn't want to run, but I knew I should. Part of me wanted to, the part that is OCD triathlete. The other part of me just wanted to .... do .... nothing. Not sit, not eat, not rest, not run, not train. I couldn't explain it. Or shake it.
TH and I took off to run. I figured I'd get into the run in a mile or so. I did, just not in the way that I expected.
About a mile in we came to the end of a new street from which we had to step over the curb into rough dirt and grass, and BAM. Rolled the left ankle. OW OW OW OW OW OW. And OMG I'm going to throw up...heart racing, pain, sick, hot, sweaty, scared. All at once. I'm so glad TH was there, she's so calm and level, if I'd have been alone I don't know what I'd have done. I quickly fell to get the weight off the ankle, and so there I sat in a weedy former-field. Waiting. Wondering.
I didn't hear anything crack. I could move it without more pain. It was more of a painful tingle from my 4th and 5th toes all up towards my calf on the lateral side. I stood up after a few minutes. I didn't hurt more to hold weight. I started walking. And fought the urge to throw up. Fight it. Fight all of it. The fear and panic and worry. Just calm done.
We started walking. That was OK too. It hurt, but I could do it. Eventually we started running again, slowly, but moving. We turned around to get back to the vehicles and end the run. It did hurt. But not as bad as it did in March when I really injured it. So maybe this wasn't so bad?
By the time we finished, it still hadn't swelled or purpled. This all seemed like good news. I ran some errands on the way home (WF and BRR) and was just mindless. Wondering how this will all pan out. I just gotta wait and see how it feels later. :(
RUN: 30 mins and 2.3 miles
We'll get to the run. The bike first.
TD and TH joined me for this. It wasn't a widely advertised run and in the end I was happy for that. I just wanted to ride with people who knew me and knew what I was getting ready for. A small, trusted group was perfect.
What wasn't perfect was my mental state. Flat. Dry. No energy. No life. Blah. From sleeping poorly last night to my crappy grab-whatever breakfast to my lack of interest in doing this ride, the whole morning was just going poorly.
The ride was great though. The cars were nice to us, the sun was behind clouds, the roads were clear, and we had a quiet wind that tailed us on the way home to make it even better. I was worriedx10 about crashing or having something go wrong. That didn't happen until the run.
After the bike I really didn't want to run, but I knew I should. Part of me wanted to, the part that is OCD triathlete. The other part of me just wanted to .... do .... nothing. Not sit, not eat, not rest, not run, not train. I couldn't explain it. Or shake it.
TH and I took off to run. I figured I'd get into the run in a mile or so. I did, just not in the way that I expected.
About a mile in we came to the end of a new street from which we had to step over the curb into rough dirt and grass, and BAM. Rolled the left ankle. OW OW OW OW OW OW. And OMG I'm going to throw up...heart racing, pain, sick, hot, sweaty, scared. All at once. I'm so glad TH was there, she's so calm and level, if I'd have been alone I don't know what I'd have done. I quickly fell to get the weight off the ankle, and so there I sat in a weedy former-field. Waiting. Wondering.
I didn't hear anything crack. I could move it without more pain. It was more of a painful tingle from my 4th and 5th toes all up towards my calf on the lateral side. I stood up after a few minutes. I didn't hurt more to hold weight. I started walking. And fought the urge to throw up. Fight it. Fight all of it. The fear and panic and worry. Just calm done.
We started walking. That was OK too. It hurt, but I could do it. Eventually we started running again, slowly, but moving. We turned around to get back to the vehicles and end the run. It did hurt. But not as bad as it did in March when I really injured it. So maybe this wasn't so bad?
By the time we finished, it still hadn't swelled or purpled. This all seemed like good news. I ran some errands on the way home (WF and BRR) and was just mindless. Wondering how this will all pan out. I just gotta wait and see how it feels later. :(
Friday, September 14, 2012
Only training a few hours, but still short on time!?
Monday Day off
Tuesday 6.99 speedwork 6x800's; 1hr bike
Weds Swim 2600 in 1hr
Thursday Bike 1hr then a 1hr/6mi run
Friday was gonna swim...
How is it my training is so reduced yet I still don't seem to have time? Because I waste it. I get tired, sloppy, unplanned, and lose momentum. I just come to a near dead stop.
Which isn't all that bad during a taper. I'm not supposed to be running around stressed, tired, and go-go-go. But at the same time I'm not supposed to be rotting away doing nothing.
On the plus side, my mental fog is cleared. I was in a meeting this week and actually paid attention to what was being said. I was able to tolerate the longer days at work without suffering quite so much. I was awake through the day, but unfortunately awake into the night too. I'm not sleeping all that great. 10pm comes around and I'm still waiting to fall asleep.
I missed the usual Thursday run for sleeping in so the run was later after work. I was gonna run over lunch but didn't plan things right. The run through TGP was great though (saw AB riding home as I got started!). My tummy was too full of yogurt (I really gotta quit eating so much of that...) and my legs were sludgy, but it was a great run!! It felt so easy (but a little boring) and I tried to control the pace as practice for the upcoming race.
I had planned to run Friday morning, then it turned into the afternoon, then I ended up at work until 7pm. So no swimming for me. I tell myself I'll swim over the weekend. We'll see. I'm not so good about that. But I'd really like to get one more solid, confidence-building swim before the race.
The mental fog is clearing, but the physical fog is still being wiped away. Another week to go!
Tuesday 6.99 speedwork 6x800's; 1hr bike
Weds Swim 2600 in 1hr
Thursday Bike 1hr then a 1hr/6mi run
Friday was gonna swim...
How is it my training is so reduced yet I still don't seem to have time? Because I waste it. I get tired, sloppy, unplanned, and lose momentum. I just come to a near dead stop.
Which isn't all that bad during a taper. I'm not supposed to be running around stressed, tired, and go-go-go. But at the same time I'm not supposed to be rotting away doing nothing.
On the plus side, my mental fog is cleared. I was in a meeting this week and actually paid attention to what was being said. I was able to tolerate the longer days at work without suffering quite so much. I was awake through the day, but unfortunately awake into the night too. I'm not sleeping all that great. 10pm comes around and I'm still waiting to fall asleep.
I missed the usual Thursday run for sleeping in so the run was later after work. I was gonna run over lunch but didn't plan things right. The run through TGP was great though (saw AB riding home as I got started!). My tummy was too full of yogurt (I really gotta quit eating so much of that...) and my legs were sludgy, but it was a great run!! It felt so easy (but a little boring) and I tried to control the pace as practice for the upcoming race.
I had planned to run Friday morning, then it turned into the afternoon, then I ended up at work until 7pm. So no swimming for me. I tell myself I'll swim over the weekend. We'll see. I'm not so good about that. But I'd really like to get one more solid, confidence-building swim before the race.
The mental fog is clearing, but the physical fog is still being wiped away. Another week to go!
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Only 48?!? Not 80?!
BIKE 48 miles in 3hrs
RUN 4 miles in 36 mins
After last weekends 200k festival of bike miles, you'd think that I'd be DONE biking. I am. But I'm having that Taper Battle again in my head.
You're being lazy. No you're tapering. It's gorgeous outside, you're stopping at 48? No you're resting. But it's a perfect day and I feel great! NO YOUR TAPERING.
Ugh. The next two weeks will be interesting.
The mistake I made going into CDA was that I didn't rest hard enough. "Rest with as much intensity as you train", that's what we are told. I took training seriously, focusing each workout and not doing junk work. Now it's the same thing. I need to make this a No Junk Recovery taper.
This ride was planned to be 40 miles with an option to lengthen. Hills on the way out (D Rd to Val), then down the bluff, then flat with hopes that the winds were favorable. Some people (including the lazy side of me) think that favorable means tailwind. But the go-go-go side of me was happy enough to find a headwind on the flats!
My legs were a bit burned on the hills, but once I warmed up I was great. We had a few new riders who didn't know the course which worked great for me. Usually I'm charging ahead but they kept me from going too nuts on what's supposed to be restful riding. It did border on Junk Recovery, but I was having fun riding with them :) I was them at one point years ago--the slower rider--so I'm happy to ride with them knowing that someday they'll maybe be leading the charge for others.
My goal for the brick run was a low HR and not get injured. LC, TD, and AMH all joined for the run. I'm hoping the new people become regulars in training and I no longer think of them as "new people" :)
Today was hard to plan--only 40 miles-- what do I eat? How much water do I need? I had only 200 cals of InfinIT and a Lara Bar, and 2 back-up gels. I almost seemed to think I didn't need to eat at all!! But no, I do, and I mis-planned this even though I ate all listed above. I was growling by the time I finished the ride, OK, for the brick run, but growling again once done. And I didn't bring recovery food. And I stopped for errands on the way home (Johnnie B's for my bee tights!!). So when I got home I scarfed. Then felt sick.
Oooh this taper thing is having a rough start.
On a good note, IMWI is today!! I spent the afternoon thinking good thoughts and tracking friends on what looked like a perfect day up there :)
RUN 4 miles in 36 mins
After last weekends 200k festival of bike miles, you'd think that I'd be DONE biking. I am. But I'm having that Taper Battle again in my head.
You're being lazy. No you're tapering. It's gorgeous outside, you're stopping at 48? No you're resting. But it's a perfect day and I feel great! NO YOUR TAPERING.
Ugh. The next two weeks will be interesting.
The mistake I made going into CDA was that I didn't rest hard enough. "Rest with as much intensity as you train", that's what we are told. I took training seriously, focusing each workout and not doing junk work. Now it's the same thing. I need to make this a No Junk Recovery taper.
This ride was planned to be 40 miles with an option to lengthen. Hills on the way out (D Rd to Val), then down the bluff, then flat with hopes that the winds were favorable. Some people (including the lazy side of me) think that favorable means tailwind. But the go-go-go side of me was happy enough to find a headwind on the flats!
My legs were a bit burned on the hills, but once I warmed up I was great. We had a few new riders who didn't know the course which worked great for me. Usually I'm charging ahead but they kept me from going too nuts on what's supposed to be restful riding. It did border on Junk Recovery, but I was having fun riding with them :) I was them at one point years ago--the slower rider--so I'm happy to ride with them knowing that someday they'll maybe be leading the charge for others.
My goal for the brick run was a low HR and not get injured. LC, TD, and AMH all joined for the run. I'm hoping the new people become regulars in training and I no longer think of them as "new people" :)
Today was hard to plan--only 40 miles-- what do I eat? How much water do I need? I had only 200 cals of InfinIT and a Lara Bar, and 2 back-up gels. I almost seemed to think I didn't need to eat at all!! But no, I do, and I mis-planned this even though I ate all listed above. I was growling by the time I finished the ride, OK, for the brick run, but growling again once done. And I didn't bring recovery food. And I stopped for errands on the way home (Johnnie B's for my bee tights!!). So when I got home I scarfed. Then felt sick.
Oooh this taper thing is having a rough start.
On a good note, IMWI is today!! I spent the afternoon thinking good thoughts and tracking friends on what looked like a perfect day up there :)
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Black Diamond trails
RUN 12.7 miles in 3hours. YIKES!
DC and TH did this together. After a tired week of trying to recover but not managing it I planned to run 3-4hrs today. Screw the mileage, just go for time. Yeah, that's what I tell myself. But when I get out there I can't help but look at the mileage.
It worries me a bit that I only ran about 13 miles..I'm training for 26.2 and 50K so how does 13 help me!?
I need to be patient, and rational here. Hard to do during a taper, I know, but think about it. The run felt great and I'm very certain that under rested conditions I could have gone all day. Isn't that the goal? I'm trained to go all day. When rested.
Simple math! REST!
I planned this run a few weeks ago after hearing about the "toughest" trail in the area--GreenRock. It had a black diamond on the trail signs--yikes! This is my new favorite trail--rugged, hilly, rocky, switchbacks, wide, narrow, sloped. You're so busy watching the trail that you fail to look up and appreciate the steep valleys, the thick trees, the lack of sun from all the trees, and the quiet solitude of no cars or human sounds in the distance. Ahhh.....LOVE IT.
I managed to not get injured, and when I came home later I wasn't all that sore. Perfect. Tired, but not sure. Easier recovery this way.
So I'm still a little mental about this long-run-that-wasn't-long. But I was in a "cardio zone" for 3hrs. That's damned fine. Besides, would running 20 miles on those trails help me in OKC?? One side of my head knows it won't, but the other side worries otherwise.
DC and TH did this together. After a tired week of trying to recover but not managing it I planned to run 3-4hrs today. Screw the mileage, just go for time. Yeah, that's what I tell myself. But when I get out there I can't help but look at the mileage.
It worries me a bit that I only ran about 13 miles..I'm training for 26.2 and 50K so how does 13 help me!?
I need to be patient, and rational here. Hard to do during a taper, I know, but think about it. The run felt great and I'm very certain that under rested conditions I could have gone all day. Isn't that the goal? I'm trained to go all day. When rested.
Simple math! REST!
I planned this run a few weeks ago after hearing about the "toughest" trail in the area--GreenRock. It had a black diamond on the trail signs--yikes! This is my new favorite trail--rugged, hilly, rocky, switchbacks, wide, narrow, sloped. You're so busy watching the trail that you fail to look up and appreciate the steep valleys, the thick trees, the lack of sun from all the trees, and the quiet solitude of no cars or human sounds in the distance. Ahhh.....LOVE IT.
I managed to not get injured, and when I came home later I wasn't all that sore. Perfect. Tired, but not sure. Easier recovery this way.
So I'm still a little mental about this long-run-that-wasn't-long. But I was in a "cardio zone" for 3hrs. That's damned fine. Besides, would running 20 miles on those trails help me in OKC?? One side of my head knows it won't, but the other side worries otherwise.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Not a good time at the pool...
SWIM 30 minutes, about 1575y
Oooof. That's pretty bad. 31 laps in half an hour, and some of that was kicking!
Today was my first day back to the pool after the annual closure. Why do they always schedule these just before my A races? Every year...I should write a letter ;)
I wanted to swim but didn't feel like it. But I knew that once I get started I can settle in to a rhythm and change gears. Not so today.
I had no form, a pained left shoulder, no focus, a headache, no interest...every excuse in the book. So I cut it short.
This means I need to work a little harder to get some "good confidence" swims in before Redman!
Oooof. That's pretty bad. 31 laps in half an hour, and some of that was kicking!
Today was my first day back to the pool after the annual closure. Why do they always schedule these just before my A races? Every year...I should write a letter ;)
I wanted to swim but didn't feel like it. But I knew that once I get started I can settle in to a rhythm and change gears. Not so today.
I had no form, a pained left shoulder, no focus, a headache, no interest...every excuse in the book. So I cut it short.
This means I need to work a little harder to get some "good confidence" swims in before Redman!
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Restored in a Thursday run
RUN: 6.6 miles in 57 mins, 8:38m/m pace and ave bpm in the low 140s.
BIKE: 21 miles in 75 mins, 6x4min "hard"
I woke up still super fatigued. It was a struggle to climb the stairs. Yet I wanted to run, knowing that sticking to my schedule was the best thing for me. So up and out the door I went.
At the park, I didn't even go through a warm-up routine. I just stood there. As we started out, it took only 1 min or so before that heavy leg, quicksand, mud feeling set in. I thought for sure I'd just drop off the back of the pack.
But as the miles continued I felt better! By the end I didn't have any oomph for speed and I certainly had no finishing kick, but I did finish steady. I was honestly surprised to see that out ave pace was 8:38!! LC and JF ran with me, the miles pass by so quick with them :)
After the run, I felt better than I did before hand! Like blowing the carbon off the plugs! Or blowing the IronFuzz out of the lint-trap of a brain I have right now.
The bike was particularly uninspired. I went "harder" on the intervals but I certainly didn't go "hard". I did what I could. I noticed today on the bike that I was more focused on time than on my overall goal. When this Redman thing started, I was really focused on the overall goal of a 12:30 type of race. The numbers would be in my head as I SBR'd through July and August. But I found today that my mind could only consider how many minutes were remaining in the 4 min intervals. It wasn't until later at the last interval that I remember to thing about 112 and 6hrs instead of 4 mins.
And I didn't commute in to work today. And as luck would have it, the parking garage is under some construction so since I came in late to work I'm parked on the 6th floor. And I'm too stubborn to take the elevator......
16 days to go! Nothing major to do, except decide which running shoes I'm going to wear. My older Adrenalines have 250+ miles, my new ones have <150 a="a" but="but" comfy="comfy" don="don" fit="fit" have="have" miles="miles" new="new" ones="ones" orthotic="orthotic" p="p" still="still" t="t" the="the" yet="yet">
BIKE: 21 miles in 75 mins, 6x4min "hard"
I woke up still super fatigued. It was a struggle to climb the stairs. Yet I wanted to run, knowing that sticking to my schedule was the best thing for me. So up and out the door I went.
At the park, I didn't even go through a warm-up routine. I just stood there. As we started out, it took only 1 min or so before that heavy leg, quicksand, mud feeling set in. I thought for sure I'd just drop off the back of the pack.
But as the miles continued I felt better! By the end I didn't have any oomph for speed and I certainly had no finishing kick, but I did finish steady. I was honestly surprised to see that out ave pace was 8:38!! LC and JF ran with me, the miles pass by so quick with them :)
After the run, I felt better than I did before hand! Like blowing the carbon off the plugs! Or blowing the IronFuzz out of the lint-trap of a brain I have right now.
The bike was particularly uninspired. I went "harder" on the intervals but I certainly didn't go "hard". I did what I could. I noticed today on the bike that I was more focused on time than on my overall goal. When this Redman thing started, I was really focused on the overall goal of a 12:30 type of race. The numbers would be in my head as I SBR'd through July and August. But I found today that my mind could only consider how many minutes were remaining in the 4 min intervals. It wasn't until later at the last interval that I remember to thing about 112 and 6hrs instead of 4 mins.
And I didn't commute in to work today. And as luck would have it, the parking garage is under some construction so since I came in late to work I'm parked on the 6th floor. And I'm too stubborn to take the elevator......
16 days to go! Nothing major to do, except decide which running shoes I'm going to wear. My older Adrenalines have 250+ miles, my new ones have <150 a="a" but="but" comfy="comfy" don="don" fit="fit" have="have" miles="miles" new="new" ones="ones" orthotic="orthotic" p="p" still="still" t="t" the="the" yet="yet">
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Still too tired, and the pool is still closed
Day off, not even bike commuting!
I called the Y last night, the pool doesn't open until Thursday. Which means I won't swim until Friday.
I'm still so tired. I feel great just sitting here (although I admit to wanting a nap...) but as soon as I do more than walk down the hall my legs go numb with fatigue.
Happily I have the energy to walk down the hall! I've had days in which the hallway is just too damned far to even get to!
I need to rest. No benefit of speed or endurance can be gained from training hard right now. So my goals are to recover from this past weekend, focus on great sessions this weekend (where benefits can be made), and start making specific race plans for packing and execution.
I called the Y last night, the pool doesn't open until Thursday. Which means I won't swim until Friday.
I'm still so tired. I feel great just sitting here (although I admit to wanting a nap...) but as soon as I do more than walk down the hall my legs go numb with fatigue.
Happily I have the energy to walk down the hall! I've had days in which the hallway is just too damned far to even get to!
I need to rest. No benefit of speed or endurance can be gained from training hard right now. So my goals are to recover from this past weekend, focus on great sessions this weekend (where benefits can be made), and start making specific race plans for packing and execution.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Failed Tuesday speed work
RUN: 6.1 miles in about an hour
BIKE: 12 miles in about 45 mins
I shouldn't say the speed work was a fail. I did go to the track, I ran parts of the workout (4x1600m, 1st 1200 at open mary pace, last 400 at 10K pace) in that I ran 4x1600, and I pushed through some numbing fatigue to get it done!
Yesterday was a rest day, but I sure as heck don't feel rested! I felt OK until I got half a block into this run. Immediately my legs were shaky, my mind unfocused, and feet dragging. Tripping over the sidewalk, curb, or minute crack was a possibility!! Yet here I was, jogging off to the track.
Usually I feel a little "cold" until I have 20 mins of warmup. After just over a mile today or WU I didn't feel any better at all. At all! I had visions of falling on the track and getting scraped up, of twisting my ankle or knee, or some other injury due to running in a fuzz-brained, shaky state.
That looked like a really great workout! I would like to get back to it someday, but that someday will probably be next year.
I found myself running some negative scripts in this run. When your head starts focusing on what's going wrong or what could go wrong, then suddenly you're measuring or counting each step. Then each step becomes an ordeal. With some effort, those scripts can change into positive ones about still moving, the efficiency of my stride, the way the track just disappears under me with each step...once I do that the laps just go by smoothly with so much less effort.
For this run I was so fatigued, in my head I was able to clearly make the last 1600 the last mile at Redman. That's how it felt!
The ride was cut in half, just an easy spin on the trainer to stretch out and move the leg muscles.
No commuting today :(
BIKE: 12 miles in about 45 mins
I shouldn't say the speed work was a fail. I did go to the track, I ran parts of the workout (4x1600m, 1st 1200 at open mary pace, last 400 at 10K pace) in that I ran 4x1600, and I pushed through some numbing fatigue to get it done!
Yesterday was a rest day, but I sure as heck don't feel rested! I felt OK until I got half a block into this run. Immediately my legs were shaky, my mind unfocused, and feet dragging. Tripping over the sidewalk, curb, or minute crack was a possibility!! Yet here I was, jogging off to the track.
Usually I feel a little "cold" until I have 20 mins of warmup. After just over a mile today or WU I didn't feel any better at all. At all! I had visions of falling on the track and getting scraped up, of twisting my ankle or knee, or some other injury due to running in a fuzz-brained, shaky state.
That looked like a really great workout! I would like to get back to it someday, but that someday will probably be next year.
I found myself running some negative scripts in this run. When your head starts focusing on what's going wrong or what could go wrong, then suddenly you're measuring or counting each step. Then each step becomes an ordeal. With some effort, those scripts can change into positive ones about still moving, the efficiency of my stride, the way the track just disappears under me with each step...once I do that the laps just go by smoothly with so much less effort.
For this run I was so fatigued, in my head I was able to clearly make the last 1600 the last mile at Redman. That's how it felt!
The ride was cut in half, just an easy spin on the trainer to stretch out and move the leg muscles.
No commuting today :(
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Week Summary
After this weekend, I have two more weekends to prep for Redman.
Three more weeks!
Summary: 16:16 hrs. Goal was 15:30, guess I should be thankful the poo was closed?!
SWIM none!!!
BIKE 184.7 miles in 11 hours
RUN 34 miles in 5:16
Bike commuting: 24.8 miles
Two hundred miles biking in what should be rest weeks. Watch that bike commuting!
Three more weeks!
Summary: 16:16 hrs. Goal was 15:30, guess I should be thankful the poo was closed?!
SWIM none!!!
BIKE 184.7 miles in 11 hours
RUN 34 miles in 5:16
Bike commuting: 24.8 miles
Two hundred miles biking in what should be rest weeks. Watch that bike commuting!
Long ride in Isaac's remnants
BIKE: 125 miles in 7:20. Ave 17mph.
100 miles in 5:54
112 miles in 6:32
Yup, a 200K! This was a ride that almost didn't happen. I selfishly planned a great route, invited a few trusted friends, and planned planned planned. But there wasn't much I could do about the weather. The radar looked clear but it was still cloudy and misty. I can handle some mist. So off I go.
0-75 miles: My group of 4 reduced to a group of 2--me and IT. He's a steady rider with a great attitude who I was happy to have along for this segment. The rain wasn't bad, but the MCT paths were wet and debris-covered. Aside from a train in the first 2 miles, and a near miss with an old black dog, this first 75 miles rolled on by. I had a low spot in miles 20-35, just a low mental energy and lots of doubts about what I would after IT broke off and I went out to finish the miles. This weighed heavily on my mind until I just decided it--I would finish this, and I would stay on the MCTs.
Once that was out of the way, I focused more on the ride. This first part of my route followed the Ice Cream ride roads from a few weeks ago. By adding back in the loop for the long route, we added about 10 miles to the ride. Fine for me as I was out for the miles. Thankfully IT was willing to go for it. We had headwinds and crosswinds on the long stretches. Winds suck, but I've learned to Embrace The Suck. We wove, rolled, turned... hit some more rain...and made it to the truck at 74 miles in 4:30. This first part went great, my nutrition was solid, hydration a little low, my stomach doing great, my feet not hurting (but I was getting tired of them being wet), but my butt was uncomfy. That just reminded me to keep form on the bike.
75-125: I was on my own for this one, and I'd planned it that way so I just rolled right into it. My original plan was to do 120 miles, but I calculated that if I rolled all the way up to the end of Watershed I'd get 125! How could I resist?
The first miles zipped right along, I'd downed a 2x caffeine gel- that certainly helped. Then it started to rain. Hard. Other cyclists stopped under overpasses, I just kept going. It was hard to see at some points, my feet were wet again, and it was probably a stupid thing to do. But it stopped soon enough.
Taylor Swift's "Ours" was stuck in my head.
Rolling rolling rolling, everything feeling good. I kept thinking about food. When can I eat again. What's next to eat. What will I eat. So I ate, another powerbar, another gel. More caffeine!
Hit the turn around before the end of Watershed. Hoped my math wasn't off. Cuz I was certain that I'd do another out-n-back from the truck just to hit this magical 125 number...
When I finished the 75 miles, I was just under the 17mph ave, but in this segment I hit 17.0. I kept watching to get to 17.1 but it's hard to shift the averages like that at the end of a long ride! I was feeling really good and picked up the pace on the way back.
I started singing "Even If It Breaks Your Heart". Outloud. Softly, but outloud. Taylor just wasn't rockin' enough for this. I needed to keep moving.
There were many times that it crossed my mind to stop and rest, but I never did. That's just the head playing tricks. The legs and heart don't want to stop, it's just a head game. But the head wars with itself, part of it saying "oooh just a few minutes rest" and another part says "but the more we keep going the sooner we are done!". This latter part usually wins.
Unless it's CDA, then the former wins. Dammit.
A few near misses with some kids, a deer that came awful close, and an intersection that I couldn't remember if I went through or not yet...this last part went better than expected!! I'd thought I'd hit that deep dark feeling but I didn't.
On the way home--ACDC's Thunderstruck. I'd heard this on the way to a rain Castlewood a few weeks ago. Still fitting.
125 miles. Hot Damn.
100 miles in 5:54
112 miles in 6:32
Yup, a 200K! This was a ride that almost didn't happen. I selfishly planned a great route, invited a few trusted friends, and planned planned planned. But there wasn't much I could do about the weather. The radar looked clear but it was still cloudy and misty. I can handle some mist. So off I go.
0-75 miles: My group of 4 reduced to a group of 2--me and IT. He's a steady rider with a great attitude who I was happy to have along for this segment. The rain wasn't bad, but the MCT paths were wet and debris-covered. Aside from a train in the first 2 miles, and a near miss with an old black dog, this first 75 miles rolled on by. I had a low spot in miles 20-35, just a low mental energy and lots of doubts about what I would after IT broke off and I went out to finish the miles. This weighed heavily on my mind until I just decided it--I would finish this, and I would stay on the MCTs.
Once that was out of the way, I focused more on the ride. This first part of my route followed the Ice Cream ride roads from a few weeks ago. By adding back in the loop for the long route, we added about 10 miles to the ride. Fine for me as I was out for the miles. Thankfully IT was willing to go for it. We had headwinds and crosswinds on the long stretches. Winds suck, but I've learned to Embrace The Suck. We wove, rolled, turned... hit some more rain...and made it to the truck at 74 miles in 4:30. This first part went great, my nutrition was solid, hydration a little low, my stomach doing great, my feet not hurting (but I was getting tired of them being wet), but my butt was uncomfy. That just reminded me to keep form on the bike.
75-125: I was on my own for this one, and I'd planned it that way so I just rolled right into it. My original plan was to do 120 miles, but I calculated that if I rolled all the way up to the end of Watershed I'd get 125! How could I resist?
The first miles zipped right along, I'd downed a 2x caffeine gel- that certainly helped. Then it started to rain. Hard. Other cyclists stopped under overpasses, I just kept going. It was hard to see at some points, my feet were wet again, and it was probably a stupid thing to do. But it stopped soon enough.
Taylor Swift's "Ours" was stuck in my head.
Rolling rolling rolling, everything feeling good. I kept thinking about food. When can I eat again. What's next to eat. What will I eat. So I ate, another powerbar, another gel. More caffeine!
Hit the turn around before the end of Watershed. Hoped my math wasn't off. Cuz I was certain that I'd do another out-n-back from the truck just to hit this magical 125 number...
When I finished the 75 miles, I was just under the 17mph ave, but in this segment I hit 17.0. I kept watching to get to 17.1 but it's hard to shift the averages like that at the end of a long ride! I was feeling really good and picked up the pace on the way back.
I started singing "Even If It Breaks Your Heart". Outloud. Softly, but outloud. Taylor just wasn't rockin' enough for this. I needed to keep moving.
There were many times that it crossed my mind to stop and rest, but I never did. That's just the head playing tricks. The legs and heart don't want to stop, it's just a head game. But the head wars with itself, part of it saying "oooh just a few minutes rest" and another part says "but the more we keep going the sooner we are done!". This latter part usually wins.
Unless it's CDA, then the former wins. Dammit.
A few near misses with some kids, a deer that came awful close, and an intersection that I couldn't remember if I went through or not yet...this last part went better than expected!! I'd thought I'd hit that deep dark feeling but I didn't.
On the way home--ACDC's Thunderstruck. I'd heard this on the way to a rain Castlewood a few weeks ago. Still fitting.
125 miles. Hot Damn.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Blue Moon run in Isaac rain
RUN: 14 miles in about 2:10-14 9:36 m/m ave
BIKE: 19.3 miles in 75mins
As I did Thursday, I knew within miles this was going to be a tough run. But I had good company (TH) and I knew I could do it. Physically, I'm capable. Mentally, that's where I'm starting to struggle. But at least I recognize it.
No, let me be honest. Physical is getting to be a struggle too.
I'm taking a guess too in that I think I'm letting myself get dehydrated during the day.
Tropical storm Isaac came into town overnight, blocking out the blue moon so no picture of it. But we did get rain on the run, just like I was hoping. It was great while it was raining, but as soon as it quit we just had that sticky, stinky, humidity. But I like running in the rain, right?
We did 2 loops at CCP plus some extra. We saw JM a few times :) but didn't get to talk.
When we finished the first 2 loops at only 12, and my goal was 14. To be sure, that number comes from a training plan that has no idea where I am in my training, my specific goals, or my level of fatigue. It's just a number.
But it's all just a number. 2.4, 112, ,26.2.....all numbers. But those number are the goal, they are why I get up early to train, the reason I push a few more hundred yards, why I go for that extra interval, and why I kept going after 12 miles for 2 more.
Sooooooo tempting to stop at the truck. But I won't quit at Redman, so why would I quit here?
The rain had let up, but I did get a reward for continuing--a waterfall that has been quiet all summer with the drought was now a loud, full flow. Was that not there before? It was, it was quiet. But now I get to enjoy it.
TH went the extra mile today. I didn't, and I'm OK with that. When I finished it was raining again and my legs were doing the painful, rubber-bandy feeling thing as if they were about to cramp up. Both legs, down the back hip to ankle. They never cramped thankfully.
The rest of the day was all about rest. Rest rest rest. And drink drink drink.
BIKE: 19.3 miles in 75mins
As I did Thursday, I knew within miles this was going to be a tough run. But I had good company (TH) and I knew I could do it. Physically, I'm capable. Mentally, that's where I'm starting to struggle. But at least I recognize it.
No, let me be honest. Physical is getting to be a struggle too.
I'm taking a guess too in that I think I'm letting myself get dehydrated during the day.
Tropical storm Isaac came into town overnight, blocking out the blue moon so no picture of it. But we did get rain on the run, just like I was hoping. It was great while it was raining, but as soon as it quit we just had that sticky, stinky, humidity. But I like running in the rain, right?
We did 2 loops at CCP plus some extra. We saw JM a few times :) but didn't get to talk.
When we finished the first 2 loops at only 12, and my goal was 14. To be sure, that number comes from a training plan that has no idea where I am in my training, my specific goals, or my level of fatigue. It's just a number.
But it's all just a number. 2.4, 112, ,26.2.....all numbers. But those number are the goal, they are why I get up early to train, the reason I push a few more hundred yards, why I go for that extra interval, and why I kept going after 12 miles for 2 more.
Sooooooo tempting to stop at the truck. But I won't quit at Redman, so why would I quit here?
The rain had let up, but I did get a reward for continuing--a waterfall that has been quiet all summer with the drought was now a loud, full flow. Was that not there before? It was, it was quiet. But now I get to enjoy it.
TH went the extra mile today. I didn't, and I'm OK with that. When I finished it was raining again and my legs were doing the painful, rubber-bandy feeling thing as if they were about to cramp up. Both legs, down the back hip to ankle. They never cramped thankfully.
The rest of the day was all about rest. Rest rest rest. And drink drink drink.
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