How did we get to April?

Time sure does fly. I've had good and bad weeks on the training calendar. More bad than good, but I'm recommitting to change that. This Sunday was the South Beach Triathlon and I competed in the Classic distance. I've done this race many times and enjoyed it for different reasons each time. As the first race of the season, it's a great barometer for where I am with my training. And it's always unpredictable. Swimming in the open ocean off of South Beach can be flat calm, choppy with swells, or like it was Sunday...crashing waves with a rip current! I'm not proud to admit that I walked well over half of the swim, because it was low tide, which contributed to the other problems. Walking the swim is not a good way to get a fast transition time, as I proved quite decisively. Leaving the water I was hyperventilating and it took all of the walk to my bike to get my breathing under control. Once on the bike, I was in my element. Don't get me wrong, I still despise any climb and the McArthur and Julia Tuttle Causeways have some painful bridges. But I knew I could get up and over, and I knew I could battle the wind. It may not have been pretty, but I was strong and confident. All of which came crashing down as soon as I had my running shoes on. Really, why do I have the burning and stabbing in my shins, calves and achilles every time I start out on a run? This time it was so bad that I had to walk the first 1.75 miles, and went through 2 packets of BioFreeze to try to alleviate the pain. By mile 2 I could run a little, which I did, but by the time mile 3 was over, I was already on the sand and the sand was getting softer. That 4th mile was back to more of the same pain from mile 1, but I hung in there and once we hit the turnaround, I found some harder packed sand which helped me get in some running. Overall, I was proud of my race - mostly because I did it! I haven't raced for probably close to a year so I needed the shot of confidence. And it was definitely a learning experience. (1) My swim needs work and that means, more than anything else, time in the water. (2) My bike is getting better but I need to really push myself to climb hard and long and regularly - bridge repeats, spin class, whatever - just do it. (3) I have no run. I need to find a run. So I will keep foam rolling, stretching, strengthening and I will keep going out and running. No excuses. The really rude awakening came today when I saw photos from the race. What happened to my waist? When did I become so fat? Oh yeah, over the past 4 years....eating, drinking, and using food/drink as a stress reliever, a reward, and a security blanket. Well that's got to end. I'm counting calories, and focusing on what is in the food I choose so that I make better choices. Started today, but everyone starts somewhere. We'll see where I am in 2 weeks. And I spent 1:50 on my trainer today which is just as much a mental battle as a physical one. So, another solid workout in the books. I'm off to bed.....

A new week....

I've had a bad attitude for days and days now. At first I just gave in to it but that was not in the least bit helpful. It just got worse and I got lost in the darkness. Then came the physical yuckiness that tends to follow the mental and emotional despair. Saturday was rock bottom. A migraine, aches and a sore throat were the physical symptoms but the real problems are intangible and deep within. And then came yesterday, and I went thru the motions to put my gear together, get up, get dressed and put a smile on my face. I met the Tri-Locos at Saga Bay and decided I'm here so I'm going to do this with real effort. And it paid off. I had a great swim and a great bike. The strength session was fun despite the pain and foam rolling never felt so good! Brunch was awesome. I even saw some old friends as an added bonus. And I got new spin shoes! But I still feel it. Deep underneath it all, the toxic baggage is still there. So this week I am going to fight it and not give in. I will not let it grow and take over. Time to fight back

Sometimes you just have a few minutes that make you smile....

Today was one of those days for me. Getting up at 5:30 am to go to spin class is a shock to the system, and my body was certainly acting as though it was in shock this morning. But I got my power intervals done, and even managed 35 minutes walking on the treadmill to stretch out my legs. Ok, so I was also trying to make up for my missed workout last Friday/Monday - I guess that's technically 2 missed workouts! Anyway, once I got home I downloaded my workout data into Training Peaks and took Roxy for her morning walk. That was when I had those special minutes. Walking Roxy is, admittedly, sometimes a chore. I love her to pieces but there are definitely days I just don't have the enthusiasm she has for the walk and have to remind myself that I got to spend the day out and about and she's been locked up all day. Today was not one of those days. Lately our weather has been spectacular and this morning was no exception - crisp, cool and sunny. Roxy had a spring in her step and it was infectious. Her mood became my mood and I chatted to her all the way around the neighborhood as we strolled along in synch with each other. So today I'm grateful for another wonderful memory of time spent with my girl. Let's see if we can muster up another great morning after my swim and run tomorrow. Off to bed...

Why am I so tired?

These past few days have been a roller coaster - big highs and big lows with very little cruising in between. My workouts Saturday were disappointing in terms of making progress on the fitness front. But I swam with a manatee in the water off South Beach - how amazing!! It was big and slow and gentle and friendly, and I was smiling the whole time. What a treat for me. I love being in the water, but this just made my whole weekend. Ignoring the poor performance in the workouts, besides the manatee there were a couple of other good points. First, I didn't have much pain at all in my lower back or shins/calves. And second, I did the core/strength work so I'm hoping that accumulates to put me in a better place physically. Sunday I took back-to-back spin classes rather than ride with the group, followed by 15 minutes walking on the treadmill. Hard but not impossible. And Sunday night was excellent - dinner at Smith & Wollensky with my parents and the Steebs. Claudia, Skip and Larissa (and Nolan) are visiting from Pittsburgh for Larissa and Nolan's Spring Break from Penn State, and we all got together for a family evening of good food and good fun. It was so good to see my parents, and we went for a walk on the Boardwalk before dinner because the weather was spectacular. I am very lucky to be able to enjoy these special times with them, and to continue to create really nice memories. Mom looked gorgeous in a new red and black dress, with her jewelry on and hair done. Daddy looked very well, and seemed to be enjoying his chat with Skip. I am having dinner with the Steebs again tonight before they head home, and am really looking forward to it. Yesterday I spent the evening cleaning out closets. It was time to do some purging - physically and emotionally. I now have a couple of bags of garbage and 12 bags for Goodwill! And I'm not done yet! It feels good to be focusing on fresh starts all around. Now if only the brand new AC were working properly.....!

Almost at the end of week 1....

As the first week of IM training comes to a close yesterday, I thought it time to share some thoughts....I'm badly out of shape! If all goes according to plan tomorrow, I will have completed each workout on my training schedule for week 1. The plan for tomorrow is a 1 hours swim in the morning and a 1 hour spin class in the evening. I was absolutely exhausted and so sore on Monday that I could barely move and badly needed sleep to recover. By the end of Tuesday, things had improved. Wednesday was an unplanned rest day due to Court early in the morning and a lot of work to do keeping me in the office in the evening. But I did the Wednesday run this morning on the planned rest day. So far I have to admit that I am slow in the pool, but still love being in water. I'm OK on the bike except for saddle-soreness - I can only hope this IM training is not as painful as the last. Is it the extra weight that is causing more pain? Another reason to lose it. Today's run was slow and hard, but the usual burning shins, calves and lower back did not make much of a showing. Again, the weight is crushing me so I have to keep focused to lose it. On that note, my diet has been hit and miss. Making a meal plan and shopping so that I have fresh food will be a good step forwards, along with preparing salads etc. ahead of time. All tasks for this weekend. My last thought....so far, so good. I'm still motivated and engaged.

Ironman Mont Tremblant...here I come...

Kickoff weekend is over and I'm sore! Ironman Mont Tremblant is on August 17 and I will have my toes in the water at the start, and hope to cross the finish line in 14:something. This will be Ironman #4 for me having started in 2008 with Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, then 2010 was Lake Placid, NY, and 2012 was Arizona (in Tempe). Each year our group grows, and each time I have raced I have improved. Despite getting older, I still have a PR in me and although I will never actually qualify for the World Championships in Kona, I can keep trying. Thanks to some fantastic cooler temperatures overnight for the past few days, our swim on Saturday morning was not a shock to the system because the water temp was warmer than the air temp. I had a rocky start in my sleeveless neoprene coffin (aka wetsuit), and about 7 minutes in I unzipped and peeled the top down to my waist. After that, smooth swimming. The run was a casual 11 minute mile pace, which I used to consider slow. But now, with the issues I've been experiencing in my lower back, calves and shins, I barely get to run without searing pain. I was fine the first mile, continued but with breaks for the next 2/3 mile, and ultimately walked to a completed distance of 2.75 miles. Given the possible problems, it was a victory to only feel slight discomfort and to take it easy so that I don't actually injure myself. Diana then led the group in a torturous session of core work and foam rolling. And thank goodness she did - I need that and to be part of a group all enduring the same misery and cracking jokes all the way through, it was almost bearable. The morning concluded with a kickoff meeting and breakfast gathering at Coach's house where there was more hilarity and some important information shared. This morning's adventure was 1:30 on the bike and another core/stretching workout with Di. I rode mostly alone, which is fine because I have to race alone and it builds mental toughness. In fact, I was rather proud of my pace-keeping in spite of some headwinds, and not having been riding for several months. My core is decidedly sore, but I'm about to assault it a little more by starting my 30-day challenge that I found in a magazine. If I can do all this, and add some swimming lessons, before my first Tri of the season on April 6 in the South Beach Triathlon, then I will consider rewarding myself with a compact crank or a computerized scale. But that's getting ahead of myself. So off to do some more exercises and then collapse into a hot bath followed by bed. 167 days until Ironman Mont Tremblant!

Some bad, some good...

Well I'm sure one glass of wine won't break the calorie scale but the entire bar of Cadbury Fruit and Nut I ate is going to tip it way over. Too late now. On the upside, I contacted my favorite swim coach Eddie T for some much-needed pool time to relearn my stroke. Saturday will be here before I know it. So I'm determined to have a plan with extra resources to get me thru the first crazy hard month of training. Part 2 of that plan is a 30-day challenge using all body-weight boot camp style exercises. Part 3 is enlisting my Loca buddy JT to meet me at some classes at Pinecrest Fitness to keep me committed and interested. Maybe yoga, maybe spin, maybe something completely new. So that's my plan. And if I workout morning and evening, maybe I won't have the energy to open a bottle of wine and water will do. Stay with me here...