My Personal Sherpa

When I was thinking of signing up for IM, I talked it over with a good friend before I ever even mentioned it to my boyfriend because I needed an honest opinion (not so much the physical toll, which I knew would be brutal, but the mental toll).  She told me that her second time training was more difficult as she was single during that go-round.  She reminded me that after a long day of training, the last thing you want to do is unpack your car, rinse your clothes, take care of your bike, and feed yourself.  That comment really resonated with me at how difficult something like this is to do by yourself.  I have a hard enough time taking care of myself as it is with balancing three clients and spending half the month in a hotel.  How was I going to incorporate formal training in to that equation and not be an even bigger basketcase?  I thought about Nick who trained for his first IM on his own, trained for his second with my support, and if I decided to sign up, he would now be training for his third with me in tow.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to do that to him.  We talked about it and discussed that he would be dealing with a cranky, emotional, forgetful girl that was probably going to cry all the time.  But, it didn't seem to phase him.  He was on board with taking care of himself and having to take care of me!    


I hope he understands how much I appreciate him.  I always tell him how much time and stress he saves me.  He figures out where we are going and drives to all the workouts (he says he would have to drive there himself anyway), he gets my bike on and off the car (because I can't reach), he cleans my bike for me, he takes it in for maintenance, he sets up my trainer to save me time, he digs at my IT band (ouch!), he waits for me at the top of the hill, he reminds me not to forget my helmet or my gloves or whatever else I forgot that day, and he hugs me when I'm upset.  I know sometimes it is hard for him because he doesn't really know what to do or what to say when I'm frustrated with having to miss a workout or because I'm just not in my "zone" that training day.  So I just tell him that he needs to remind me that it will all be ok.  And he does.  

At the finish line of Ironman Canada

Perspective

A few weeks ago, we had a sprint tri as one of our workouts.  I completed a few sprint tri's this past summer so I wasn't nervous about my abilities.  Later that afternoon, it hit me like a brick, "Jessica, you just did a tri this morning!" and yet it didn't even phase me.  I thought about how much life and the perception of distance has changed since deciding to sign up for this race.


Our workout tomorrow is supposed to be an "On Your Own" Run.  I hadn't made plans yet, since there are so many beautiful places to run by my house.  I figured I would just work it out tomorrow.  But, last night my boyfriend called and asked if I wanted to run a 10K tomorrow morning because some friends were signing up.  Without really any thought or hesitation, the answer was "OK."  


So I started to pack my run stuff and was laughing at how ridiculous that 30 second conversation would sound to Jessica Hill prior to 2011.  Up until 2 months ago, I had never run more than a 10K.  I methodically planned signing up for that one and was nervous about doing it.  Yet, tomorrow I'm just going to show up and register onsite.  


In October, I was in a hotel gym and didn't have a whole lot of time for a workout.  I ran 2.5 miles and called it a day.  Afterward, I was feeling guilty for only getting such a short workout in. And, then I thought about how two years ago, I couldn't even run a single mile.  


I've learned that any time I get frustrated that I'm not going far enough or fast enough I just need to remind myself of who I was a few years ago.

Ode to Sports Basement

As a marketing girl at heart, I have always been really appreciative of a good shopping/marketing experience.  And, there is one store that leaves me with that "warm and fuzzy" vibe every time I shop -- Sports Basement.  The prices are decent, (although sporting equipment is still pretty pricey even with a discount), and it's just one of those friendly, hip, eco-conscious stores.  As a simple courtesy to their customers, they will take your old running shoes for donations and they have a bin for old electronics they will dispose of for you!  Their gift cards are made out of paper to reduce the use of plastic.  And, the store just *feels* like a basement with all the handmade signs and the USPS mail bins to carry your stuff in (I'm sure that's the point).  


But, what I'm sure most people like about Sports Basement is the shopping parties!  Whether you win one in a contest, or you coordinate a special event at their store, they will offer shopping parties that provide a 20% discount to anyone with the party (there's no limit to what you can use it on).  They also offer parties as fundraisers and provide the discount toward the cause.  Every store has different lounging areas of couches and chairs and some even have community rooms.  But, what's really cool about the parties is they  provide beer, drinks, and food!  And, if you get 50 people to attend one of the parties, you also get a $50 gift card.  


Since I joined Team In Training, my opinion of SB is even higher than it was before.  You can always find a group of people spinning in front of Sports Basement on a Tuesday night at their Walnut Creek and Sunnyvale locations.  We also spin there on the weekends once in awhile.  They let us use their community room for a nutrition clinic and they catered lunch for us.  We've used one of their open space areas to do our core workouts.  And, today, we had a spin/run/core workout at the San Francisco SB and they provided bagels, coffee, and juice for us.  


While I haven't gotten into the whole Kinesio taping thing yet (although I assume my knees will appreciate it at some point), the other day I saw they actually had Team In Training branded Kinesio tape!


I could write for paragraphs about how awesome this store is.  I just think it's refreshing to shop in a store that has that mom and pop feel to it, even though it isn't one.  I also love how Sports Basement has really created a focal point for so many running groups, ski clubs, yoga classes, and TNT teams.  


If you are in the Bay Area and you haven't shopped at Sports Basement yet, I highly recommend it!  If you aren't in the Bay Area, you can always shop online at www.sportsbasement.com! :)

The Torture Chamber

It is highly recommended to get frequent massages and visit the chiropractor while training. I haven't really given much thought to the chiropractor yet, but I did start getting monthly massages.  My cousin is actually my massage therapist, which probably motivates me more to go than if I went to a stranger.  Why would someone possibly need motivation to get a massage?  


Because it's literally 60 to 90 minutes of torture!  Every time I leave from a massage session, it feels the same as being scolded by the dentist that I didn't floss enough.  


I would guess at least half of my issues are associated from bad posture at work, from being a desk jockey, and from carrying a 25 lb backpack (yes, I weighed it out of curiosity at the airport recently).  But, I know the entire lower body pain is from training.  I stretch and I roll, but it's not enough.  I need to be rolling at least 20 minutes a day, in addition to the workouts, in addition to the core, in addition to work, in addition to life... *sigh*   And, while stretching doesn't physically hurt (very thankful for those years of ballet), I sound like a whimpering puppy when working my IT band.  

Officially Overwhelmed

I've reached the point where I am officially overwhelmed.  I should caveat this statement that even if I wasn't training for an IM, I would be overwhelmed with work demands alone.  So much of my life has been inappropriately self directed by putting other people's needs before mine, and over the past 4 years, I have really had to re-learn how to take care of myself first.  However, I am really struggling right now in juggling priorities.  Is work more important than training?  I truly can't answer that question.  Ninety-nine percent of us will agree that we need to work, in order to live the lives we want.  Of course, how much we work is a different story.  But, at the end of the day, I am the most important person in my life and I am trying to do something extremely selfish.  So does that put training above work?  


While the amount of work I have right now is an anomaly, I truly can't get past it.  If I could just tell myself that "it's ok" and this is just four weeks that will be tough, I could let it go.  Unfortunately, I just haven't been able to admit that.  Instead, I OBSESS with the workouts that I am missing because I'm still sitting in meetings and conference calls at 7pm at night.  I know that, in the end, everything will work itself out, but right now, I just can't think that way. And, I know that if I don't fix it soon, I'm going to have a meltdown (even more so than I have in the past 3 days!).

It's No Laughing Matter

This weekend we did several core workouts that really kicked my ass and made me question why I haven't been doing my core workouts three times a week like I should be.  I truly don't mind the core workouts because they always leave you with that "good pain" the next day.  However, when you get 40 friends together in some compromising positions and you hear all the grunting, screaming, moaning, and heaving breathing, I can't help but bust out laughing.  And, laughing just makes you lose whatever good you were trying to do!  I guess this is the one area where I might be better off training by myself! :)

Step Ups