Ahhh....Recovery

As our coach reminds us every single week in an email, "More is NOT better! Your body needs time to recover and heal."  Recovery Week has finally arrived  after three super intense weeks of training.  Not only is it Recovery Week, I also did not have to travel this week.  Double bonus!  My mind and my body are both recouping and rejuvenating.  Yay!


My foot was definitely bothering me this past Monday morning, after Sunday's long run, but the pain went away after two hours.  And, with the exception of my left hip flexor, the rest of me was a-ok (more proof that the dip in the lake after the workouts last weekend really do aid in recovery)!  


I was so not ready to get back on my bike after Saturday's ride, so I compromised by going to spin class at the gym.  Dennis kicked my ass with a lot of intervals.  But, it felt good even though he told me he could tell I wasn't fully recovered yet.  On Tuesday, I was wondering when I would be ready to get back on my bike.  But, considering I spent time playing on the Internet today mapping routes for this weekend's short ride with friends, I guess four days is the answer. :)

Winning

Note:  This is a long entry.  But this is my journal.  And, a lot happened this weekend.  

This weekend was our 3/4 to Iron Training Weekend up in Clear Lake.  Thanks to a very generous Ironteam alum, who opens up his gigantic party home to Ironteam each year, we have a great training environment and "home base" to swim, bike, run, and celebrate from.   We arrived on Friday night, dropped off our bikes at the house, and headed to the not-so-lovely Anchorage Inn in Lakeport to prepare our nutrition for the next day and get to bed.  

I commented that our hotel room looked like a meth lab.
The next day I learned that Clear Lake is the meth capital of California.  ha ha

At 6:30am, I was in the water for a 2 mile swim.  I remembered to take a Dramamine to combat my newfound  seasickness.  I still got a little nauseated coming back toward the house, but managed to keep my breakfast down.  Win #1  

I was happy with my time and just finally felt "good" in my swim.  Win #2

The bike ride was a different story.  I learned a lot this weekend about nutrition, my mental state, the emotional roller coaster I will experience, and my physical abilities, etc. (which I guess is a lot of why we do big training weekends like this).  

First of all, I didn't eat in between the swim and the bike.  Bad idea.  While I am not a speedy swimmer, swimming is very second nature to me and I tend to forget that it does use up energy, calories, resources, etc.  By Mile 10, my glutes and hammies were cramping and I had already drank a full bottle of water and at least 1/2 of my liquid nutrition. I stopped at Mile 13 to get more water and take some electrolytes to help with the cramping.  

Probably somewhere around Mile 14-16 was lots of climbing, I was still cramping, and the first tears came.  It was the whole "What am I doing?  I am only 1/6 into my day.  How am I going to do this?" pity party.  After feeling demoralized for maybe half an hour, I made it to the descent.  And, it was a reminder that I need to remember, "For every uphill, there is a downhill."

I was warned of "The Wall" and as Sedonia and Phil passed me, I asked how far into the ride before we find it.  About 10 minutes later, Sedonia yells from way ahead, "I think this is it, Jess!"  Just pure coincidence that I found her about that time so I had fair warning.  I geared all the way up, rounded that curve and hauled ass down that hill.  And, yet even though I had been warned by so many people, and even though I knew what was coming, I literally yelled "Oh shit" as my bike rounded the curve and all I saw was pavement going vertical right in front of me.  Luckily, I had so much speed going down that I got halfway up "The Wall" before it became hard again.

At the top of "The Wall".  If only we could have taken a picture
from the bottom of the hill to give its name justice.

Around Mile 40, I'm having a hard time again.  Nick catches up to me there and he rides with me to Mile 53, which is the main water stop and where we have our special needs bags.  I eat half a sandwich, refill my bottles, reapply sunscreen and chamois butter (as most of us girls are already in pain).  I spent longer at the park than I should have, but it was shady and they had wet towels for us.  *sigh*

From there, it's a 30 mile out and back.  The road sucks and is full of potholes.  More climbing.  And, now I've been in the sun for 5.5 hours.  I know the climbs weren't as sustained or as long, but at this point I did a lot of cursing and yelling of "I'm tired of climbing!" and "No more fucking hills!" and "This isn't fun anymore."  And, I was just pretty much in a very dark place, almost lost control of my bike on one of the curves, and thinking bad thoughts about crashing and how no one would find me for at least an hour.  I realize now how pathetic this sounds, but it's pretty surprising what goes through your head after being on a bike for 6 hours and about 5 hours of that being alone.  At one point, I said to myself, "I need help."  And then I had to remind myself that I needed to do this alone.  Maybe 30 minutes later I saw Sedonia again.  She could tell I was not in a good place and turned around to find me.  By now I'm in full on tears and I ask what she is doing because I know she needs to train for her event, too, and not be bothered with me.  She tells me that we train with a team so that we aren't by ourselves.  I tell her that we have to be by ourselves on race day and she reminds me that we have spectators there.  And, every single spectator, most of them a stranger, is rooting for every participant to finish.  She's right.  We get to the water stop at Mile 69 and she asks if I want to turn around.  But, I am determined to finish 100 miles.  So she gets one of the volunteers at the water stop to ride the small loop with me.  Of course, it's more climbing.  But, he does his best to make me laugh and tell me jokes and helps me just spin through it all.  An hour later, we are back at same water stop.  They hook me up with Advil, some Beljum Budder, more sunscreen, peanut butter pretzels, water, and some "Yeah!" by Usher and I'm in a good mood again.  Win #3

At Mile 87 we are back at the park.  And, so a group of 8 of us ride back to the house together.  It was great to all be together and I learned how to draft.  Win #4 

At Mile 96 I'm hungry again.  I ate a few Energy Blasts and holy crap talk about a second wind (or maybe that was the 10th).  So the last six miles were good.  I had energy and I finished strong (and with a smile)!  Win #5

If this picture was bigger, you'd see the 102!

All I could think about was how nice that lake was going to feel as soon as I got back.  I got off the bike down, found my flip flops, grabbed a Coke, and ran into that water.  Win #6

On Sunday, it was time for our 3 hour run on very tired legs.  Due to my lack of running skills, in addition to a foot injury, I still hadn't run more than 7.29 miles in my life.  Our running coach said the first mile would be tough as we loosened up our legs, which it was, and that we could ease into each mile a little more as we feel comfortable.  I did a 4/1 run/walk and after half an hour I realized that I was going to get 10 miles in!  That gave me a huge boost of confidence, not only because it was the most I ever ran, but because I was doing it with legs that swam 2 miles and biked 102 miles the day before.  I definitely did not take enough calories with me on the run (any other day, it would have been enough, but with the huge calorie deficit, I burned right through them).  However, I managed to get in 11.25 miles in 3 hours!  Win #7

Mile 11

  

Summary:

Swim 2 miles - 1:10

Bike 102 miles - 9:57 

Ride time - 8:34 (yes, I definitely lallygagged quite a bit.  And, I noticed I can only ride 9.5mph while I'm crying) ha ha

Run 11.25 miles - 3:07

When I compare the time to our 1/2 Iron Training Weekend only 8 weeks ago, the times are drastic improvements.  Win #8 

Is it fast enough to meet a cutoff?  Not yet.  But I still have 6 months to Arizona.  I'll get there. 

I learned a lot this weekend about my body, my mind, my nutritional needs, and my spirit.  But, mostly, I learned that I can do this.  Win #9

  

3/4 Weekend

I've been focused on so many things lately, that I haven't been able to think about the idea that our 3/4 Training Weekend is only two days away.  This weekend, we will be training at Clear Lake with a 2 mile swim and 106 mile bike ride on Saturday, and a 3 hour run on Sunday.  Unlike our Halfway Training Weekend, I am somewhat looking forward to this weekend.  Saturday will be a really good barometer for me on how Aquabike will go.   The only thing I am worried about is my newfound seasickness.  Clear Lake is choppy, and I am going to need to get my hands on some Dramamine if I don't want my teammates swimming through my breakfast. And, as far as the run goes on Sunday, I don't *need* to run 16 miles yet for a November event so I don't have this undue pressure on myself.  My goal is to get 10 miles under my belt (although anything more than 7.3 will be a small victory).  Stay tuned....

Bootcamp #2

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, this weekend was our second Bootcamp weekend.  Saturday was an open water swim (which I missed due to my little meltdown), spin, run, core, run, spin, run, core, and run.  And, Sunday was a long pool workout, bike ride up Mt. Diablo, and run, core, run, stretch that ended up just turning into a run and stretch (thank goodness)!

Sedonia trying to cheer me up by asking if I could smile without moving my nose.
Try it.  You'll laugh.

Then we were off on the run through the Presidio and Pacific Heights toward the Lyon St. stairs.  Talk about UP-hill!  The Physical Therapist has me on a 4/2 run/walk as I get my feet better.  But there were parts where I could just see the hill ahead and said, "screw it, I'm running until I get to the hill."  My heart rate was at 176 just WALKING some of those hills.  Anyway, up we go and then down and around again to the bottom of Lyon St. stairs where we have all kinds of "surprises" waiting for us like climbing the stairs and doing squats, coming down and doing planks, climbing two at a time and doing push ups and lunges, coming back down for bicycle crunches, and then hopping up the stairs again.  Unfortunately, my run on the way to the stairs was slow so I didn't make it to hopping part before it was time to run back to Sports Basement.

Waddling up the steps -- mind you there is a landing and
 then two other sets of these puppies to go up.

After another hour of spinning, it's time for a 20 minute run down to the "monkey bars" area for a core workout.  However, it was probably only half core-ing with a lot of playing thrown in.

Then it was time to go home, stretch, take an ice bath, shower, refuel with some Shabu Shabu and head to bed.

Sunday was a long pool workout.  I really enjoyed this workout, but I felt like a log.  I made a flippant remark about feeling like one and Tami said, "Well, you're supposed to.  That's the point."  OK, mission accomplished!  After the swim we were then reminded that there will be many times during our event that we will feel like crap and we just have to push through it.  We have training weekends like this so we know what that feels like. 

Me and Dana, my swim lane buddy, doing kick drills.
Dana and I swim very synchronously and are always side by side.

After the swim, it was time to ride up Mt. Diablo -- another mountain I am intimidated by, but it ended up being ok.  It rained most of the 10 miles to Diablo and, thankfully, the sun came out just as we started to ascend.  I probably only climbed about 1500ft before it was time to turn around.  The word to describe Diablo is "relentless" because there is no relief.  I was still a little emotional from the day before, had a minor fall (didn't get hurt), was physically taxing my body, and was looking at this breathtaking view, and again, just started crying (and then laughing that I was crying when I wasn't even sad).  

The sun came out as we started the climb and gave us this amazing view!

Descending Diablo

We capped off the day with an hour run.  I was only doing 2/2 run/walk since I was beat and trying to save myself for the second run we were going to have to do a little later.  The weather is getting colder and about 30 minutes in, it starts to HAIL!  We got soaked.  I also discovered that hail hurts more when you run vs. walk.  Maybe it was the weather, or maybe it was because he's just a nice guy, but after we got back from the first run Coach Mike said we could stretch.  No core workout.  No second run.  Yippee!  Another Bootcamp in the bank!

Meltdown

There have only been a few times in my life where I go to bed upset and wake up still feeling upset.  However, once in awhile I wake up knowing that something in my little world is not right.  It happens after a big break up.  It happens after a loved one dies.  And, it happened this Saturday.


This weekend was our second Bootcamp, which is two days of long training of swim, bike/spin, run, and core/strength.  While Arizona is still six months away, I am also training for Vineman Aquabike, which is only two months away. Therefore, our workouts are getting longer as we finish up our "Build" phase.  


I understand that I am in charge of my own destiny, so to speak.  And, there are always different choices I can make.  I chose to take a job that requires travel.  And, I chose to sign up for an Ironman with having never formally trained for anything before (probably shouldn't have done that).  And, I chose to sign up to train with a team that is not based in the South Bay, since I wanted to do this with people I already knew.  So I didn't want to complain.  I kept saying to myself, "you make your own bed, you lie in it."  But, this weekend, I just fell apart.


Despite the long workouts, physically, I am ok.  Mentally, I am spent.  


I am tired of going through TSA every Monday morning, schlepping around two laptops, and continually effing up my shoulders and back.
I am tired of working long hours and trying to squeeze in what little workouts I can on the weekday and then feeling like crap because I'm not consistent.
I am tired of coming home on Thursday, grabbing my personal stuff out of my suitcase, and throwing it into a different overnight bag for the weekend, along with trying to figure out what else I need for the next few days.
I am tired of trying to get as much work done as I can on Fridays before 2pm, to get to Physical Therapy and then get to the East Bay before the 680 becomes horrendous.
I am tired of planning and assembling all the nutrition I am going to need for the long workouts.
I am tired of all the driving to/from weekend workouts (even though I'm not the one driving).
I am tired of finally getting home and then needing to stretch for a good half an hour, wash all the bottles, shower/change, decide what to eat/cook dinner, only to eat and do dishes and it be time to go to bed.
And, then on Sundays, I am tired of repeating everything from the day before, only to then have to drive back to the South Bay, unpack the weekend bag, unpack the suitcase still sitting there from Thursday, do laundry, re-pack, call for a cab for the morning, and start the whole process all over again.


I know that everyone has these feelings.  We each have something unique going on in our lives that make training even more challenging.  And, while what I just wrote really isn't that big of a deal, it's tiresome when it happens over and over again.  The house gets neglected.  Friends complain how they never see you or talk to you.  And, the sad part in all of this is that I just took a very relaxing vacation.  


I know I can get a roller bag to help with the laptops, but that requires time for me to shop.  I know I can workout in the mornings at the hotel to be more consistent, which I do when I don't have 7am meetings.  I'm sure there is a solution for everything I'm tired of listed above.  But, this past Saturday, that alarm went off at 5:30am and I felt awful.  Not tired.  But just plain awful.  So I cried my eyes out for 20 minutes, laid in bed for another half an hour thinking about how exhausting this whole process is, and then joined up with the team after the swim workout was complete.  I had another cry on the run.  And, even had a minor laugh/cry on Sunday's bike ride.  Hopefully I have released enough toxins to keep me sane for awhile.  Plus, it helps when I journal about all these things (the whole purpose of this blog).  
.  

Thank You

A few weeks ago, I reached my fundraising minimum for Team In Training.  I know the avid cyclists and triathletes aren't exactly big fans of Team In Training, since we chit chat and ride side by side and clog up the bike lanes, but it's a great organization.  It gets people achieving things they never imagined possible.  It creates a platform for those that will turn in to hard core cyclists and triathletes, but just needed that community and coaching to get started.  It creates camaraderie among strangers.  I can't tell you the number of times I have yelled, "Go Team" to a stranger or had the same happen to me when I'm out on the road (or grabbing lunch after a training session). And, most importantly, it raises money for a good cause.  As I've mentioned in my fundraising page and emails, one of my best friends is in full remission today because he takes a daily medication called Gleevac.  Gleevac's research dollars were fully funded with monies raised by Team In Training.  You can choose to train on your own, pay for a coach, or you can choose to raise funds in exchange for a coaching staff.  I chose the latter.

So I just wanted to give a very big thank you to all of my friends and family and Marilyn's friends and family (my honoree who I miss very much) that have supported my fundraising efforts.  I am so fortunate to have such a wonderful network and support system.

She's a (Double) Brick House

Our first big double brick of the season is done.  I wasn't sure how I would fare since I haven't ridden in three weeks due to vacation and work travel.  We headed up to Napa early early on Saturday morning and went for a 38 mile ride.  We did some climbing, and then we climbed some more, and then we went up Mt. Veeder and we climbed and we climbed and we climbed.  OK, so I guess it wasn't that bad, but when was it going to end????  And, the whole time I kept thinking, "I have to do this again?!?!"  The downhill was pretty crappy and I had to spend my time weaving in and out of any smooth road I could find, which really was non-existent.  It was bouncy and hurt my hands.  I was extra cautious since it was a technical descent, and when we got back to transition, I discovered two of the guys crashed into each other on that road and another one crashed on his own.  OUCH!

I felt good mentally and physically (sometimes I really surprise myself) and went off on the run.  I haven't ran in four weeks as I have been in PT for my left foot.  The therapist said my range of motion was getting better and I asked if I could try running so she put me on a 4/4 run/walk plan.  However, it hurt almost immediately (in fact, more than it ever has so that really is a bummer).  So I mostly "walked with purpose" and ran on my toes/balls of my feet when I could (which is probably good training for getting rid of a heel strike anyway).

Then it was time to do the rinse and repeat.  The first thing I noticed was how much my sit bones hurt.  Getting back on that saddle after not being on it for an hour sucked.  And, after about 5 miles in, I started to feel really demoralized by the wind.  I was slowly approaching a dark place and wondering how I was going to make it through the next three hours.  I had a little vent session with Tami (thank goodness I was riding with someone) and then it was like that bad spot never even happened.  I find it so interesting on the bike that every mile is different.  Your attitude can swing to opposite sides of the pendulum from mile to mile.  

When we got back, I was ready to go off on another 50 min run (shuffle/walk) again.  I stuck to my 4/4 plan and ran on my toes, so to speak, and felt ok.  Granted, I didn't cover that much distance in the second brick run, but I was just pretty happy with my attitude after 7.5 hours of training.

And, when I found out the others on the team (including the really strong riders) said it was a tough climb (let alone to do it twice), I just felt like singing....

She's a brick----house
Mighty mighty, just lettin' it all hang out
She's a brick----house
The lady's stacked and that's a fact,
ain't holding nothing back. 

  

 

What's A Triathlete?

Triathlon season has begun.  Events are popping up left and right and you can pretty much find an event to participate in every Saturday and Sunday for the next 4 months.  I have been struggling with the concept of what defines a triathlete. I sure as heck wouldn't consider myself one.  I have completed a couple of sprint tri's.  And, now I am training for this ridiculous test of mental and physical fortitude because I had some sort of spiritual/religious experience last summer.  But does that make me a triathlete?  I say no.  I've been pondering this question, but I couldn't articulate why I feel that way.  So I looked triathlete up in the dictionary and it says, "A competitor in a triathlon."  Well that hit the nail on the head.  I am not competitive.  I am not "racing."  I refer to that thing-that-is-happening-in-November as an "event" or as "IM".  I don't call it a "race."  It will be a race to many people.  The pros will race against each other.  The age-groupers will race against themselves.  But, the only thing I am racing against is that 17 hour clock!


I keep thinking about Julia Roberts in Notting Hill saying, "I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her."  And, I'm just a girl that is not afraid of swimming, enjoys cycling (even though sometimes it makes me cry), and wants to get better at running.  Does that make me a triathlete?  I don't think so.  Perhaps it is because I haven't "competed" in a traditional Olympic distance "race" yet.  But, I guess since there is one practically every weekend for the next 16 weeks, I just need decide which one I should do.