Back is better, gonna try again

Yesterday: 1hr on the trainer using commercial break intervals.

Last Thursday, I awoke to a sore back which by the end of the day became spasms. It was shocking just how debilitating that was! I'd rather break a rib! But by Friday it was just sore, by Saturday just tired, and by yesterday OK.

So here we go again. Get a plan together and get it going!

It's December!

BIKE: Indoors, 70 mins, abt 18 miles.

Icy Iron 2X, here I come!

I had a bit of an overwhelmed morning. One of those instances in which I realize by To Do list is HUGE. The overwhelmed feeling usually gets me after a certain threshold is crossed, for today it was the realization that I still don't have the FBR website finished. Tonight!!

This life I'm leading of late to bed, late to rise is coming to an end. I feel so purpose-less right now. Back in my Iron days, I fell asleep reviewing the day and awoke with a solid game plan. Now, I just fall asleep and then wake up. I was tired all day but loved it. I miss the goals, the purpose, and the drive.

And so like I said a few days ago, my near year begins now. It would help if I could sign up for a big goal race, but let's not get too crazy here. The biggest signups on the horizon are the Pigman, the TripleT, and the Double Chubb. By the end of December, I'll likely be registered. Yeah!!

Until then, let's get a few goals in place. Change is slow, and it's still technically the off season, so let's pick a few small goals to have in place by this Sunday night, at which time a few more can be made.

1. Get in bed before 9:30pm. Have the book down, head on the pillow, and lights OFF.
2. Get out of bed before 5:30am. The dog can help here! That's a full 8hrs of sleep, more than enough.
3. Wake up to a glass of water. Before coffee, before food. Time to quit being sort-of dehydrated all day long.
4. Put away the salt shaker. Limit it to one use a day. What's with the recent salt addiction anyway?
5. On otherwise off days, get out do something for 30 mins.

These aren't hard goals. Get to 'em, and have these down by Sunday.

IM Songlist

Got a hundred scars I should have run away
Now tattooed on my skin
There's a side of me that just won't stop
Dancin' in the flame
Maybe I just get off on the pain

And so begins a new year

Training year, that is. There's a calendar year, an academic year, a fiscal year, and now there's a training year. One key difference is that the training year starts differently for everyone. Some start earlier, some later. For me, December to September is my training year.

Should I re-name the blog? It's no longer "One Year To IMWI 2010". Now it's....well what are my goals for 2011? Wow, where to begin this?

Races I'd like to do:
April:Double Chubb 50K trail run.
May: Triple-T Triathlon.
June: Gramma's Marathon.
September: Savageman 100 Triathlon.
And one superfast HIM race.

Here's a wrench in the plans. There's now an opportunity to qualify for World Long Course in Las Vegas at the August Pigman HIM in Iowa. I'd have to place in top 5 of my AG, I think the rolldown is 10 places. I don't have any real ideas that I'd qualify, I havent been training for weeks so it's hard to imagine going anywhere fast right now. But if'n I did qualify, that means an HIM in August, Sept, and Nov. I love me HIM's, but do I love them that much??

Gotta decide now! Sign-up is right around the corner for most of these races. What are some other goals?
1. Sub 4hr marathon (current PR 4:06)
2. Sub 1:45 half marathon (current 1:53)
3. Sub 5:15 HIM (current PR 5:27, average though is 5:40-ish)
4. Sub 40 min HIM swim (currently about 43 min ave)
5. Sub 22 min 5K
6. Sub 50 min 10K
7. more?

Training plan goals for next year:
1. Saturday MEC rides to get FAST on the bike
2. BRR Tuesday speedwork to get FAST on the run
3. Swim lessons with JM to just learn how to swim
4. Swim Master's classes to get FAST on the swim
5. Year around strength training to get like Dara ;)

Looks like I want to get fast this year!

Still recovering...

Can you believe I have ANOTHER injury??? This time an avulsion fracture of the distal left fibula. I swear the best way to learn anatomy is to be injured. I can throw around some fancy words now!

It was one week ago on the Thursday run. Not 5 minutes in, I rolled my left ankle HARD. We heard the crack. I hit the deck and rolled afraid to put weight back on it. Oh it hurt, but not unexpectedly. I almost kept running. But the crack had me scared, it sounded like a small piece of plastic breaking. I got a ride back to my car, but by the time we reached the parking lot, it was already swollen! I rushed home to ice it, wondering what I'll do now.

I went to work, surprised by how little pain there was. The swelling was increasing and so was the discoloration. Hubby and boss both encouraged imaging. I was torn. I was walking, going up and down stairs, feeling stiff but OK. Was I really hurt?

So we ended up at an ER that night for xrays. Initial dx: avulsion fracture, suggested but not definitive. Elastic wrap, gel splint, crutches, and another script for pain meds. Recommendation: follow up with specialist.

Next day, I was lucky to get into Dr M. Before the appt we picked up my images and only then was it real. The radiologist had read the films overnight and dx'd the fracture. The ride to Dr M's office was long. I was in denial up to that point, thinking this was all a waste of time. No dice. Dr M took me off crutches, recommended a different ankle brace. I can swim with good tape once it feels OK. I can bike with the brace again once it feels OK. But running is out for 3-4 weeks, then re-evaluate. Nuts.

So here I am one week out. I tried biking on the trainer Tuesday with pain. I can walk, do stairs, and it seems all else. Frustrating. I miss running!

Still recovering, still just thinking

I feel like someone flipped a switch in me. Just months ago I was this powerhouse of energy and motivation. Heck, just go back to any post in July or August and compare that to what you'll see here.

The last week or so I've been mostly pain-free (just can't pick up anything heavy, and still some rib pain with crunches) but also mostly exercise-free. What!? No exercise?! Note I'm not using the word Training. No Training. Too Early. (I'm just reminding myself of that).

Last night I began to wonder, when will that urge come back? Am I in a lull because I don't have the high to feed off of? Because the momentum is gone? So do I push myself back out there, or just wait on it?

I'm Back!

Saturday: 1st ever cyclocross race, 9 mile race. 1st place in Womens 4. OMG!

Sunday: trail run in Queeny 4 miles, then 2nd CX race in Antire Park. 10 mile race. I think 8th place out of 21. Awesome!


I'm not sure if anyone else besides me reads this or not. But just in case, here's a brief run-down of why I've been gone so long. It will also help to remind me later of why I quit typing in here.


One week to the day after IM I fell and was injured. Injury has got to be about the hardest thing to deal with for us. It was especially hard because I was just feeling good enough again to go for a run or ride that weekend to continue the high I felt after finishing the race. It's awful hard to go from 15-20hrs a week to 0 hours a week, just like that.


I'd started some posts, thinking it would be good to track the recovery process. But they all tended to go negative. I'd lament the fact that I couldn't even ride the bike on the trainer. I'd wallow in fear of long-lasting or permanent injuries. It just got bad, so I decided to take an extended break.


Turns out, that was the best thing to do. I'd log any runs or ride, but not here. I wouldn't call it training, it was just a run. No Garmin, no goals, no reason other than fun. I'd been looking forward to this all summer, so it was funny that once injured the last thing I wanted to do was sit still!

My goal was to be recovered by my birthday--today! Happy Birthday to Me!!