THE goals

Race #2 brings a whole new set of goals to the table. The Iron Girls race was mostly about finishing and not hurting myself in any sort of permanent way (i.e. drowing, hitting a moving car, etc.) I managed to meet both of those goals but I admit that I found myself thinking I had a lot left to give during that Iron Girls race. Not to get all psychological on you, but I know some of it was mental, and some of it was how I trained the last few weeks before the race...mostly slooooow.

There is no shame, because I finished the race, and met the goals I set for myself at the beginning of the training program. And I learned a heck of a lot. Which means I am ready to step it up, so let me tell you about my goals for the Toyota Open.

Druuuuuuuum roll please...

Goal #1: Begin pushing it on the bike, and I am not talking just mileage. I move slow on the bike, I caught myself doing it today, and then I tried ramping it up. Not to say that I didn't feel the burn, or that I am not sore right now...but I pushed my normal limits. Mind you I was so far back from the front of the pack that I never really caught up.

Goal #2: Learn how to ride in the bike pack. To be honest I am not 100% comfortable on the road bike just yet, and when I was on the hybrid I rarely road with the pack anyway. Time to get over this, I really think the whole drafting thing might make it totally worth it. :)

Goal #3 : Nutrition. Pizza apparently is not a very good training food, who knew? Time to clean this part up. I am going to be doing a 3 day analysis of my eating habits starting on Monday, I will let you know what I find out.

Goal #4: Wipe off 8 minutes from my run time at the Toyota. Which means pushing myself on runs during the week.

Goal #5: Continue to not cause myself any permanent damage. I just feel like this is a good one to hold onto from Iron Girls.

Wish I could say it started with a bang...

As an FYI, I am so not done with shout outs, but I decided to sprinkle them out through the posts.

I began my first week of training for the U.S. Toyota Open Tri this weekend. I wish I could tell you that it started with a bang...it started with more of a fizzle...maybe a snap, crackle, and then the popping sound of my lungs. Whew.

For starters I took nearly the entire week off from training after my IronGirls race. I did run, a little, because I knew that I had half marathon training. My hydration was bad, and I knew that this weekend would be rough. I bonked somewhere around two-thirds of the way into our 30 mile ride. I had flashbacks to my early training, the nauseousness, the weakness, and the pride being the only thing getting my bum back onto the saddle. And then we ran a pretty rough 7 miles this morning.

So ends my whining, but I want to look back on these posts and remember the workouts that were rough. So I don't look back with rose colored glasses about training and think it was all puppies and rainbows. It isn't always puppies and rainbows, a lot of times it is sweat, and tears, and a lot of other bodily functions I try not to think about too much.

Crazy.

Shout Out: To Tina who fell off the bike at White Rock. You messed up your shoulder, and you had a bruise the size of Texas. And yet you still made it to the Open Water Swim a week later. No whining around you, because you are one strong lady.

Shout Outs, Part I

There is no way on Earth that I would have been able to complete this triathlon without my IronGirls. So I am going to do a series of shoutouts to them individually...this might take a few posts but it's totally worth it.

Heck...let me start with my coaches

Coach B: You have more patience than anyone I know (with as much estrogen flying around, this was probably a survival technique) At the end of the day, you and Coach A set the tone of the group and it a positive atmosphere that made us one to come to training...every...single...day...6 days a week. And I know that we all loved having you announce at our race, thanks for making it spectacular.

Coach A: How is it that you are pregnant, and still able to out run, bike and swim me? Crazy. I consider you to be a friend, coach, and role model. I think you might also have race day picture taking down to an art, you were everywhere!

Assistant Coach S: I survived my first Sunnyvale Loop because you made sure the back of the pack stayed together. It was also great to have you at the race helping us with our last pre-race nerves. Thanks!

On to my training partners (this is done in no particular order, and I promise to get to everyone)

FloGlo: I knew the first day of training I was going to love training with you! You are hilarious, and an inspiration to me. You are my girl!

Melinda: Seriously, there were weeks on the bike I wanted to quit the whole triathlon sport. You reminded me no shame and I got back on the bike. You are a spectacular lady. Team in Training is lucky to have you!

Stephanie D: You are too sweet, and you have a sense of humor that never quits! Plus you are all kinds of an amazing writer, the poem for post-race dinner was...perfect. I hope you keep training, but I know we will stay in touch regardless!

JR: You have more energy than anyone I know, and I don't think I stop laughing whenever you are at training. (You also throw one mean post race dinner celebration.)

Jennifer B: You are one of the people I am always trying to keep up with on the bike. Your training took has just taken off, and it has been such a pleasure getting to know you over these 3 months. I would also like your banana pudding recipe...thank you.

Leona: Thanks for carpooling, and for being the one who researched everything triathlon. I learned more tips from you that I would have ever known otherwise. Get excited about Toyota!

Teresa: The group would never get started training on time without you :) Whenever we gab, Teresa is the one getting on the bike telling everyone to get their bums moving. She is tough, no doubt about it.

Cara: Anyone who crashes mid race and then gets back on the bike to finish...with no thought of quitting! Amazing. Way to go Comeback Kid. (Don't worry, you weren't too grumpy before the race, you were speaking in full sentences and everything)

Officially a Triathlete

I am officially a Triathlete.

I got a few goosebumps saying that...it's true though and I am amazed that 3 months went so quickly! I am a triathlete, I think I am going to have to keep saying that to myself for awhile until it sinks in. Wow.

Let me tell you about the goals I achieved today:

Finish a triathlon...Check!
Not walk the run portion of the race except for the water stop...Check!
Don't Drown...Check!
Finish in under 2 hours...Check! (1 hour and 43 minutes)

And because I do something crazy/dumb every single time I race or train, I have to share the worst battle scar story ever. My only injury the entire race is a straight, skinny raw line across the bottom of my stomach. The culprit...my race belt. I thought it was marker until I poked it, and yelped. At least Cara fell off the bike, skidded sideways, ended up with road rash, calmly fixed her chain, got back on the bike, and then she passed me! That girl is officially nicknamed the Comeback Kid! No wonder, she is tough!!!

Whew...it was a day. Thank you to my girls for our pre-race prayer, that definitely helped calm to the storm of butterflies in my tummy.

Oh, and next Saturday I begin training again for my next triathlon. I know you must wondering what flavor of crack I must be smoking...but this crazy sport is addictive. Or at least I am beginning to think it might be the people and the energy are addictive. Either way, I am hooked!

Check back tomorrow, I am beginning a series of shout outs to my training partners who I couldn't have finished without. Until then, this tired triathlete is hitting the hay.

The Calm Before the Storm

There are officially 12 hours and 20 minutes before my wave of the IronGirl Triathlon begins. 3 months of preparation, sweat, blood (bike chains are vicious) and some happy tears during our pre-race dinner last night.

The question everyone has been asking me today...How do you feel?

I feel ready, or I should say I feel like there is nothing more I can do. I have trained hard, worked hard, played hard, and hydrated hard. There is nothing left to do than to put it in God's hands, and have faith.

Aw, come on! You are feeling something besides inner peace...it's your first triathlon! I know that's what some of you are thinking. Honestly though, I am a procrastinating pro...and like all things I am procrastinating on giving into nerves. Tomorrow morning I am going to have entire flocks of butterflies ricocheting off my insides. (Do butterflies fly in flocks? I will have to look that up later). Tonight is about prep, and rest.

I do want to add a random list of things that I know are going to make me nervous/queasy/jittery/OCD tomorrow morning.

1. My wave has the pro triathletes in it. I thought this was a cruel joke on the rest of us, but then I realized it is probably more of a cruel joke on them. At least I have a cute light blue swim cap...seriously who wants to wear yellow swim cap?!?!? No thank you.
2. I haven't practiced drying my feet off during the transition when I move from swim to bike. What if I forget?? What if I end up running feeling like my socks are made out of sand paper because my feet were covered in post swim concrete grime??
3. I haven't practiced putting my shot bloks in my jersey before the biking...oh I am not kidding anyone...I am going to practice this one a couple of times tonight.
4. What if I forget my bike...this one is courtesy of Leona.
5. What if I fall off my bike trying to dismount (It's happened, totally legit)
6. What if I have to pee during the bike or run...I don't want to lose 15 min waiting in line at the port-o-potties!
7. There is only one water stop during the run in Texas, July heat. The heat index tomorrow is 89 degrees. When you run you add 20 degrees to get a feel for what the heat is going to be like. So my body is going to feel like it is 109 degrees outside...and there is one water stop.
   
8. I have never ran with water before and the gospel of racing is never try something new during race day. But it is gonna be HOT...
9. What if the pink wrist band the little old lady gave me at sign in and told me to guard with my life because it is the only way they are going to let me race, falls off somewhere in the next 12 hours. Seriously...3 months of training rest on one little pink wrist band...that is a lot of pressure.

To continue with my MO of procrastinating on stress, I cleaned my kitchen, took out my trash and blogged. Then I am going to put on one of my fav training songs and beginning packing THE bag which will hold all my gear...and maybe...just maybe get a little sleep before the big day tomorrow.

Happy racing everyone and all my love to my IronGirls!!!

A violent breakup with the treadmill

The treadmill and I are no more.

Once upon a time (January-March '08) I was a gym rat. I lifted weights, and hit the cardio machines like nobody's business. Then I got burned out.

Are you really surprised??

So I decided to pick up running and then moved onto the Triathlon training. It gives me socializing time (seriously, we talk while we bike, run, and swim...as best we can anyway), a goal to shoot for (10 days and counting till my first Tri!), and the fitness aspect I was looking for.

Anyway, I got the bright idea to go to the gym for a run instead of around the neighborhood for a change. It was AWFUL! I hated the running pace, I hated my music, I hated the gym's music, I hated the people talking, I hated the people on cell phones (seriously, why are you at the gym?), I hated it all.

I lasted 11 minutes and 37 seconds before I hit the emergency stop button (there was no other stop button on the machine) and was pitched forward so hard that I hit my stomach on the front hand rail, and nearly fell on my butt. I gave the treadmill the stink eye and informed it that we had to see other people.

After I picked up what was left of my pride I went outside for my run.

I learned that I love the quiet of running outdoors and being up early enough to see the sunrise. I love the sound of my feet hitting the pavement and my own breathing in my ears. I learned that I love when my body sets its own pace and my mind is at peace. I love that for that 40 minutes my only focus was one foot in front of the other.

I love easy runs on my own because it is a kind of therapy. I love long runs with other people because I keep running far after I want to quit.

Running might be a metaphor for life.

My love/hate relationship with running

I love to run.

Well, no, that isn't really true. Running makes me sweaty (yuck!), it gives me blisters (one so far, and I am a little proud of it), it hurts, and in the Texas heat I have to wake up ridiculously early so I don't die from heat exhaustion (generally I don't start firing on all cyclinders until about 10am or so, and yet I run at 5:30 in the frickin morning).

So I love to run, but I hate to do it.

However, here is the thing. Out of all three sports I train in, running is my favorite. Why? It makes me strong. Remember how I said I have never been an athlete? Distance running of any kind has always been this pie in the sky sort of thing for me. Me...run? No, I am not a runner I would say...I don't have the genes necessary for running or being athletic. That's what I used to think.

And yet, I am a runner, I am now an athlete. It is part of who I am, part of my identity, something that makes me feel strong mentally and physically and proud of what I am doing. For instance I ran 8 miles last Sunday...EIGHT! It hurt, and I was sweaty, and I wanted to quit 30 min. into the run...but I didn't. I fought through it and I felt on top of the world when I finished. I don't really get that same high from biking or swimming. Mostly I am like yay! I am not the last to finish our bike workout! Or...yay! I didn't drown at swim practice tonight.

My expectations are a little lower I think.