P90X2 Day 4

Completed Total Body workout yesterday morning, which was good...reminiscent of p90X Core Synergystics in some respects, and my abs are sore today.  I enjoyed doing arm weight exercises while balancing, as well, though my balance on the stability ball needs some work!  I think I need to purchase one of those things that I can attach cords to a door, so I can do workouts in hotels, and because our pull-up bar won't fit in any doorways.

Hubby wants to go for a bike ride today, so I'm not sure whether I'll get to Balance and Power later, though I'd really like to do the entire week's workout.  We'll see.  The bike may be chilly!

Only 2 weeks until Ironman AZ for hubby!  Very excited and nervous for him.  And starting to worry a little about keeping the kids entertained for the entire day.  And a little worried about the weather, as it's in the 90s in Phoenix this weekend.  I was hoping they'd be racing in the 60s, or 70s at the most!

P90X2 Day 3

Being in a hotel room, I switched things around a bit and did X2Yoga today, will have to do Total Body and Ab Ripper tomorrow, and won't have a day off on Sunday.  I did run for a few yesterday and felt it in my calves from Plyocide :)  On to X2Yoga...I would agree with other reviewers that I like it better than Yoga X.  It was always difficult for me to commit 90 minutes, and so I would skip many of the balance postures and some of the stretches.  X2Yoga has fewer superfluous moves, and it seems to flow much better.  My glutes hurt!  I don't think I sweated as much as I do with Yoga X, and there is less ab work, but overall, I liked it.

P90X2, Day 2

Completed Plyocide this morning, which was a lot of work, but I was able to do all but one of the moves!  Later I went out to buy some new clothes...oh, boy!  Glad I started this program today, but I think I might incorporate some swim, bike, and run to speed things along...

P90X2...Day One

Just for fun, I thought I would try out the new P90X2.  I have done numerous (too many to count) rounds of P90x over the past few years, which gets a little boring, so I thought it was time to try something new.  Besides, its focus on core strength, stability, and flexibility seems to dovetail nicely with my soon-to-be decided racing and training plan for 2013.

Today was X2 Core.  Some of the moves are complicated, and my stability ball was not properly inflated, AND I don't yet have a medicine ball, but despite all of that, I think it went fairly well.  I can't yet tell how sore I am, but I did sweat and huff and puff a bit, which are good signs.  I felt like going for a run afterward, and next time I'll go with my gut and run if I want to.  As a bonus, it includes foam rolling instead of stretching at the beginning, which I am sooooo happy about (and not) because I am supposed to be rolling out that damned IT band and my quads regularly, but often forget or don't feel like it.  Yay!  I'll keep posting about it.  So far, so good....

Just keep swimming...

I hit the pool today for the first time in, oh, I don't know, 2 months?  I was motivated by a post on Active.com.  A man asked how to get your swimming MOJO back, how to be motivated to swim when you are not motivated to swim, and one very wise woman basically said to just talk yourself into it, and you won't regret it.  I heeded her advice this morning, and she was correct.  It wasn't pretty, but I did it, and I felt better afterward!

I am thinking about races for next year, if I don't sign up for IMAZ, and I'm thinking maybe a few tris, a marathon, and Imogene.  Too much, you say?  Perhaps.  I need motivation to keep training, and races have motivated me in the past.  Hopefully I'll stay injury-free.

Speaking of injuries, my lateral meniscus, which I assumed was really just an IT Band issue, appears to have healed.  Thank goodness, because that is some serious pain!  I hate rolling, but I think it helps.  I have been able to run almost 4 miles again, and while I feel my LM, it does not hurt.  I don't think I have had enough compassion for people with injuries in the past.  It was terrible not being able to run.  I felt sad, unmotivated, and deflated.  I'm hoping never to feel that myself again...

IT Band issues...

...have basically killed my running for now.  It all started back, such a long, long time back...

At the Missoula Half-Marathon, actually, or training for it, anyway.  I have decent days and terrible, terrible days.  I am in ART, trying to get it worked out, but I'll tell you, this problem has ZAPPED my motivation to ride and swim, as well.  I'm not sure why, other than I feel completed discouraged and deflated.  Boo!  And just when I think it's getting better and there is hope, it starts bothering me again.

Sigh.

Holy crap! It's been a month!!

I find it hard to believe it's been a month since I've posted.  Sigh.  Like most things, I have great intentions and then fall off the wagon once I actually start something, if I start at all.  Which brings me to training.  I think, even though I would have denied it while it was happening, I had some sort of post-race blues or training slump after my half-ironman.  Motivation has been lacking.  I've missed two races (FORGOT to pick up my race packet on Saturday for one of them), did some half-assed training for another (which I will expand upon in a minute), and generally have had noooooo problem talking myself out of getting up to train and talking myself into going back to sleep in the morning.  Put on 5-ish pounds during this time, as well.

But, I think I have turned a corner, and I will attribute it, deservedly or not, to Dr. Fuhrman's Eat to Live.  I have been doing it for 2 weeks and am LOVING it so far!  Vacation weight is almost all gone, and I am back at the gym.  Swam 1500m this morning, and I was able to run about 1.5 miles yesterday and walk another mile.  Got back on my bike this week, as well.  Long story short, I'm hoping I'm back.  I have an oly tri schedule for mid-September, and I'd really, really like to race it.  So, I'm training.  And eating better.

Missoula 1/2 Marathon Race Report


My plan for this race was to beat my time of 2:46 from last year, which I knew was totally do-able given I am consistently running about 1:00 faster per mile this year.  HOWEVER, approximately 2 weeks before the race, I went on a long run and after about 8 miles, I could not run another step and had to walk about a mile home.  S#it!  It was my IT band, I'm pretty sure, but on my other leg.  I went to see Dr. Wilkens to get some ART, and it helped a little, but I was terrified!  I ran a few times once we got to Missoula, but was only able to go 2-3 miles before pain began to set in.  So, I rolled, iced, ibuprofened, and stretched for 3 days, and by the day of the race, I felt ready.

Will was running the race with me, as was BS and CB, so this year's bus ride was much more entertaining.  There were superheros in underwear at the start, and a ginormous line for the bathroom.  I was smart this time and took some immodium before we left the house, which really helped my nervous stomach.  We lined up, the cannon went off, there were fireworks, and we were off!  CB, BS, and Will were off like a shot and lost me immediately.  I turned on Runtastic (not so much "tastic", as I would later come to realize), and got into a groove.  There is a slight incline initially, so I took it a little easy so as to not aggravate the IT band too early, but then I was on pace to smash last year's time.  The coolest thing about this year is that even though I had not trained quite as hard, I knew that I could make the distance because I had done it twice before.  The only thing that would get in my way was the stupid IT.  It began hurting ever so slightly at about mile 8 and I popped an ibuprofen.

Mile 10, still happyish

By mile 10, it was really letting me know it was not happy and might not cooperate with my plans.  I had been walking aid stations, but after walking around mile 11, re-initiating running was very, very painful.  I decided to run through mile 12 aid station, because I hurt so badly and was quite sure I would not be able to start running again once I stopped.  Shortly after that aid station, I just couldn't take the stabbing pain for one more second, and I decided to walk the last mile.










I was sooooooo pissed, frustrated, and disappointed.  Argh!  My time:  2:53 something, 6 minutes slower than last year, but still faster than Al Roaker ;)

Finish line, PISSED

The really bad part came later, though.  I cannot express how much pain I was in for the next week, especially when I would sit for an extended period and then stand again.  Holy moly.  So, the fact that I have taken a few weeks off might make more sense to readers.  I probably should not have kept running on it...I should have either stopped running at mile 10 or DNF'd.  But, being the stubborn-ass that I am, I didn't stop, and I am just hopeful I haven't done permanent damage.

Anyway, thanks for reading if you did.  :)

Zyrtec and running

Google this phrase, and not a lot of information pops up.  However, I tried to run after taking 1/2 tab of Zyrtec the other morning, and my legs felt like they were filled with lead, my heart rate was skyrocketing, and I was so irritable about the wind I could not run one more step!!!  Needless to say, I have burned this experience into my brain so that I never, ever again take Zyrtec when I have training to do.

On a brighter note, only one more long run (12 mi) until I can taper for Missoula (yay!).  I was supposed to do that run last weekend, but life got in the way, so I am hoping to do it Saturday AM.  We shall see!  My 10 mile run was mediocre.  I felt like I had to stop a lot toward the end, but my pace may have been too fast.  I did not wear my HRM, because I forgot to charge it :(, but I"m guessing it was up there.  I felt like it was a Zone 4 effort at times, even on little hills.  I began to fear I have not been running enough, which might be true.  Sigh.  My consistency sucks.  I wonder what other wax/waners do to run consistently....

Wounded Warrior Project

I'm thinking the Wounded Warrior Project is a nice adjunct to my previous post.

Last Week in Review

I'm not sure whether I have been hit by allergies (my hunch) or a cold, but I have felt sooooo crappy this week.  I did manage to squeeze in a few runs and a bike, though.  Ran 8 hard miles in the middle of the day yesterday like a doofus.  When will I learn?!?!?  I suppose the advantage of doing a run later in the day is that it prepares me for triathlons, where I do end up running later in the day and in the heat.

Thinking about my grandfather, "Pater", today, and the PTSD he brought home with him from WWII, which was known as "shell shock" back then.  He and the family suffered for years as a result, not terribly, but it did come out in some ugly ways, which no one talked about back then.  Since I have been a psychologist, I have seen PTSD ruin lives, break up marriages, make work impossible, etc.  Sometimes it doesn't rear its ugly head for decades, but it has the same effect when delayed as when immediate.  I am grateful for the VA psychologists who work diligently to cure this insidious disease.  Thank you to all who have served, for the families who have supported them or lost as a result.  We are forever grateful.

Pulling my head out of my butt

This week, I am starting to pull out of the post-HIM slump:
Tues:  Run 3.25 miles
Wed:  Swim 1000 meters, Bike trainer spin sprint repeats 30 min
Thurs: Run 5 miles
Fri:  Swim 1000 meters, Bike trainer hill repeats 45 min

I am relieved.  And feeling like I might actually be prepared for my first race in 3 weeks, a sprint tri.

As I was feeling relief, however, R posted this:
http://ironman.com/mediacenter/pressreleases/ironman-adds-ironman-los-cabos-to-global-series

What a fun race that would be!  Water temps at 72 degrees, air temps between 56 and 82.  And it's during our Spring Break.  So now I feel nervous again...

Margarita Moment

B, my buddy and co-star of this blog, has sworn up and down, on numerous occasions, "I will never, ever do a triathlon."  Never say never.  Over a pitcher of very taste pomegranate margaritas, Miss B and I decided to do the Mountain Man Super Sprint Triathlon together.  I signed us up that night, and it's done.  I did have to agree, however, to ride my beach cruiser and wear a tutu.  Small price to pay to spend the morning giggling with B!  She is a little irritated with me, however, and texted me the following last night:  "Going swimming a-hole and then for a run P"  Boy, I LOVE that girl!!!  :)

Watched Will K some A at the Tempe International Oly Tri on Sunday.  It would have been better without the hotel fire at 2:30 am, but whatev.  It was nice to see my honey out there working it!  And, I was inspired, as always, to kick my training into higher gear....

...so, I went running today and was sucking air at 5 mph on the treadmill :(  Finished at under 13 min/miles with some slower breaks.  Dare I say I am out of shape?!?!?!?  Shit, I just signed up for a slew of races!

Payson Sprint Tri, Here I Come!

June 9th.  Be there or be [].

Booooooring!

I should have titled this "My Boring Blog", although I think there is one out there already with that name.  I will say this about a HIM:  It is hard to get motivated to train when A) I have not signed up for another tri; B) I was physically spent and am swamped at work; and C) I let myself off of the hook, very easily.  I'm working on resolving all three issues.

In the mean time, Will and I did ride 18 miles last week, and then I rode another 3 with him as he ran.  He has a race this weekend...maybe it will boost my motivation!  I have been swimming at least once a week and running 1-3 times a week, as well as trying to ride at least once a week.  I guess some people would be happy with that much exercise, but I feel like I'm slacking!  And my swim times are just starting to come back into the range I want them.

Stay tuned...I will sign up for something soon.

Expertise

I was recently reading a blogger's musings about expertise in triathlon, and it got me thinking about training and how I can master this swimming fiasco, and avoidance of swimming is not the answer.  A recent article highlights the importance of practice in becoming an expert, for example, "More generally, the accumulated amount of deliberate practice is closely related to the attained level of performance of many types of experts, such as musicians (Ericsson et al., 1993; Sloboda, et al., 1996), chessplayers (Charness, Krampe & Mayr, 1996) and athletes (Starkes et al., 1996)."  Moreover, consistency in practice really matters, as highlighted in this CNN article:  "Consistency is crucial. As Ericsson notes, 'Elite performers in many diverse domains have been found to practice, on the average, roughly the same amount every day, including weekends.'"  Also, there are a number of hours involved, like, 3000-10000 in order to master a skill.  Well, slacker, what are you going to do about this?

Friday Fun

After I had been training for tris for a few months, I saw this post and vowed to myself that I would read it again when I had been training for a while.  Oh, how true much of it rings!  Enjoy!

So you wanna be a Triathlete?

by clarkendurance on August 22, 2011 in General

Tags: triathlete, Bike, run, swim, Clark Endurance, Nick Clark

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Fact: you will not become efficient at swimming, biking or running over night. Sorry to burst your bubble. This is NOT an easy sport.

Check your ego at the door because chances are someone fifty pounds heavier than you will lap you in the pool. Not to mention she will be ten or fifteen years older than you.

You will be passed on the bike many times and you will never be the fastest runner in your town.
You will have early morning workouts. Really early.
You will plan your weekends around your swim, bike and run.
You are up while others are sleeping.
You are training while others are sitting.
You will discover others who also follow this blood, sweat and tears cult.
You will eventually get a flat tire... and have to change it all by yourself.
No matter what you hear, triathlon is NOT an inexpensive sport.
Warning, it is extremely addictive, hence the impulse spending on wetsuits, bikes, running shoes, aero bars, aero helmets, speed suits, power meters, GPS heart-rate monitors and many other ‘gotta have items.’
You will hate swimming more times than you like it for the first year.
You will suffer through road trips with whiny fellow triathletes.
You will suffer set backs.
You may experience an injury.
You will develop a love/hate relationship with a foam roller and ice baths.
You will at some point realize you need a coach.
You will hate swimming for the first year.
You will wear tight clothing.
You will not like how this tight clothing fits or looks.
Your age will take on a whole new meaning.
You will discover a whole new meaning for tan lines.
Food will become an extremely important part of your life.
You will learn new words such as GU, cadence and brick.
You will hate swimming for the first year.
You will spend more time on your bike than on your couch.
You may lose a friend or two because you spend too much time swimming, biking and running, and they could careless about your heart rate training, foam rolling pain or 20 mile bike ride.
You will learn patience.
You will be humbled.
You will start to realize you are paying money to put yourself through pain and suffering, but for some odd reason, you LOVE it.

This sport called Triathlon, becomes a part of you. You start to plan your entire year around sprint, international, half-iron or full-iron distance races. Your vacations become racing, and you start to realize that this sport called triathlon could become a life-long adventure.
Many people settle for things in life. They settle for a crappy job, marriage, friends, food, place to live and overall fitness and health.

Those who desire more or those who want more out of life than a drive-thru window and boring sitcom, will choose triathlon or an activity that makes them happy. An activity that will change their life. Triathlon will change your outlook on life, your career, your marriage, your goals, your friends and many other things you thought you had figured out. It’s not just crossing a finish line or a boring finisher medal. It’s the countless hours that got you to that point. A moment in time that you will NEVER forget. A moment that you will discuss with your family and friends for hours if not days after the event. These discussions will most likely be about how you could have done better. At what point could you have swam faster, biked harder or ran more efficient? This is what will go through your head everyday until you get the opportunity to suffer again.

So you wanna be a Triathlete? Enjoy the ride and train hard!

Two Weeks

Apparently, that is how long it takes me to recover from a simultaneously wonderful and terrible HIM.  Two weeks.  I ran hills in the hood Tuesday, sort of slow, biked hills yesterday, sort of slow, and then took off for a 4-mile tempo run this morning, feeling good!  I ran 4.0 miles in 46:31, average 11:38-minute miles...yay!  Although it was at lower elevation, it was not flat.  And I wore my HIM stuff, which gets stares, like, "Did she really...nah.  I bet she stole it."

So, now I am starting to think seriously about my docket for the summer.  I know I want to do a sprint or two,  an oly, and maybe a half-marathon, but I'm not sure about another HIM this summer...it is a lot of training, and I have to support the hubby on his quest for IM glory.  But it would be good for me to have a lofty goal to keep me honest.  I have a hard time committing to training just for the sake of training, but give me something that scares me, and I am motivated!  Self-discipline has never been a strong suit of mine.  I really do admire it in others, and have even aspired to improve mine, but alas, flying by the seat of my pants is my default.  Left to my own devices, I can be my own worst enemy...procrastinating, skipping, shortcuts.  But if I feel enough anxiety about something, that changes.  Dramatically.  Hence, a scary-ish race.  Decisions, decisions...

Swim, Bike, Rest, Decide

Yesterday, I MADE myself go to the gym after clinic, which ended early (hooray!).  I swam 1000 meters, very slowly (30:40), just not able to swim a 50 in under 1:18.  My breaststroke 50 was 1:30, so you know my freestyle was slow!  I then got on the bike and just spun easily for a while, and after I was warmed up, I decided I could push a little and did some hill climbs, 1 minute standing and 1 minute sitting, with 2 minute recovery.  I felt pretty good, except the top of my knee, just above my kneecap in the center, which hurt a little.  Hmmm.  I rolled my legs out last night, and boy, is my hip sore!!!  I am trying to decide on my next race, feeling a little unsure about what I want to do, exactly.  Maybe Payson?  Probably Mountain Man Sprint.  Likely an Oly in late summer/early fall.  Should I try another half before I commit to IMAZ 2013?  So many decisions.

Post HIM Run

Today marks 11 days since my first HIM, so I decided it was time to go for a run.  I picked a somewhat hilly 2-mile loop.  It kicked my butt.  I felt pretty exhausted toward the end.  I wonder how much time it really takes to recover...

RR Ironman Oceanside 70.3, 03/31/12

The sea was angry that day, my friends…

If you’ve read any of the previous posts, you’re likely familiar with my trepidation going into this race.  I was feeling underprepared related to illness and injury, and just flat-out scared about the swim.  I was ready to go the night before, and amazingly, I had not forgotten ANYTHING!!!  We went to bed early-ish, and thankfully, the Best People in the World (BPW, a.k.a., dear friends B and R) offered to wake and bring the kids so Will could take me to the race early.  I awoke at 1am and had trouble getting back to sleep.  Will said he woke up at 3 am, and I was sleeping, so I guess I did go back to sleep…

 

Kids ready to roll!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The alarm went off at 4-ish, and I started feeling nervous.  I am the type of person who gets sick on the first snowboarding trip of the season, even though I’ve been snowboarding for 15 years, so you can imagine the type of sick this race was eliciting.  Luckily, I had packed Immodium.  Unfortunately, it takes a while to kick in.  Eventually, we packed up and headed out.

This race had two separate transition areas, and we were allowed to drop our running gear at T2 on Friday afternoon, which I opted to do.  After dropping my stuff, we went to IM Village and our kids and the BPW’s kiddo raced in the Ironkids’ 1 mile run.  Very fun!   

Number 1 finishes!

Number 1 finishes, too!

 The suggestion for race morning was to get dropped off at T2 to set up your gear, and then ride with your bike gear plastic bag, wetsuit, and morning clothes plastic bag to T1.  1.25 miles.  At 5am.  I didn’t think this sounded safe; Will and I decided instead that he would get as close as he could to T2 and I would walk my bike and gear to T1.  We were not alone.  SO many triathletes!  Some riding, some walking.  It was crazy.  I learned later some woman had been seriously injured riding from T2 to T1 when her wetsuit got caught in her front wheel and she endoed onto the pavement.

Got to T1 safely and learned that I was on a rack with all the other 40-44 women!  Everyone was very nice, very helpful, zipping, answering questions, etc.  It was a nice distraction, and I was feeling a little better.  Will made it over, and I actually felt like I was ready…for a few minutes.  I did overhear a very large woman say, “I’m expecting to finish the swim in 50 minutes…so embarrassing.”  I felt like I would be excited to finish in 50 minutes, but whatever.

Swim:

Wave start!  Prior to queuing up with our wave, I watched the pros start and saw something black in the water.  I should mention at this point that I saw Jaws when I was 7 years old.  For years, I had troubles with open water, including fresh water, for fear that something would bite me.  So, to see something black in the water I would soon be swimming in was a little unnerving.  It turns out it was a seal!  How cool is that?  I did not see any seals while swimming, but Will said they were there with us!  I lined up just in time to see Andy Potts and the other pros run by us out of the swim.  We made our way to the boat ramp, and I felt the water…58 degrees was chilly!  And I had left my neoprene cap and booties in the hotel room…boo!  They announced our wave and we all got in.  My breath was promptly knocked out of me.  I tried to put my face under, let the cold water into my wetsuit, put my face under again, but I started to feel that same sort of shallow, tight breathing and panicky feeling I had experienced at Lake Powell in October.  I laid on my back, tried to relax.  I was on the outside and toward the back, FREAKING OUT!  How am I going to make 1.2 miles of this?!?!?!  The saltwater was another obstacle…yuck.  Gun goes off, women swimming.  There was some water commotion, but I was at the very back, so it wasn’t too bad.  I just could not get my face under water without difficulties breathing.  I swam breast stroke with my head above water for probably 5-10 minutes.  I know a couple of other age groups passed me.  At one point, I looked behind me and saw a few other women with pink caps struggling too.  Finally, I could put my face under, but try as I might, freestyle wasn’t happening.  Is that water in my goggles?  Am I taking in too much saltwater?  Why can’t I just swim straight?  Why can’t I breathe?  More age groupers passed me while I continued to breaststroke.  Breathing was labored.  A man grabbed my leg.  I kicked someone in the face. I stopped at a paddleboard.  The lifeguard was sooooo nice.  “Grab on, you can hang out as long as you like.”  I hung out about a minute and forced myself to press on.  Another buoy, another buoy.  Stop and rest.  Another buoy, another buoy.  Little by little, I made it to where the breakers ended and the swells began.  Wow.  I thought I would be more scared, but really I was just worried about being taken off course, swept away.  I’m pretty sure the swells were 4-6 feet.  There was a storm surge moving in, expected to crest on Sunday afternoon.  The interesting thing was, the swells came from various directions, as they moved in off of the ocean and hit the breakers all around us.  Rounded the corner marked by red buoys, then on to the orange buoys marking the second half.  My neck and shoulders began to hurt, and once I was out of the swells, I decided to try freestyle again.  It felt pretty relaxed and easy, but I zigzagged a little, so I mixed it up with breaststroke.  

Geek in a sausage suit

Eventually, I heard someone yelling my name and looked up to see my beloved and my beautiful kids.  It was exactly what I needed.  I got out of the water in 1:14, totally disappointed, as I had expected to finish in 55 or so.  20 minutes behind…ugh.  All the bikes on my rack gone.  Ugh.  I am going to be last, again.  Ugh.  Wait a minute, my goal was to finish, right?  And I finished the swim, right?  And I made it with minutes and minutes to spare, right?  Pull your head out of your butt and get moving!!! 

I’d like to take this opportunity to comment on how amazing the volunteers were.  Helping with my wetsuit, fixing my sleeve, packing my stuff up, offering encouragement.  I am so appreciative!

Bike out

Bike:

I got on the bike, encouraged by the cheering of Will and the kids and the BPW, and I’m thinking, “I might actually pull this off.”  A few miles in, I remembered my bike computer and my watch, realizing that at the end of the swim, I had stopped my watch, rather than lapping it.  I fixed the watch and pulled my bike computer out, and it flew out of my hands and into the weeds!  Oh, well, I guess I’ll have to wing it.  Will and the BPW had warned me the roads were slick, and I had brand new tires, so I took it easy on the corners.  I passed some people, and some people passed me, and the first 20 miles were pretty uneventful for me, though not for the other 5 people with flats that I passed.  Before the 30-mile mark, there was this HILL to end all HILLS.  I saw about 15-20 people ahead of me walking their bikes, but I really wanted to ride it, so I tried.  About 1/3 of the way up, I got off and walked, passed by a very large lady still pedaling.  Humbling.  As I got closer to the summit, I started to be able to make out some of what the 2 “cheerleaders” at the top were saying, and it was not exactly positive, but I think it was meant to be encouraging.  I’m pretty sure they were Marine drill sergeants!  The female made some comment about my skirt and how it’s important to look good, and I laughed heartily and got back on…fun downhill, though I have no idea how fast I was going.  There were more hills after that, and I was riding uphill with a 54-year old at mile 39 when we decided that we were probably on the last hill, judging by the elevation map we had studied online.  WRONG!!!  After the first hill, the rest seemed easy, and because I was at sea level, my breathing was good, so I rode them all, even though others didn’t.  1600 feet of elevation gain! And I ate sooooo much hammer gel on that ride, a little bit every 20-30 minutes, which I think paid off on the hills and probably during the run, as well. I started getting tired at about the 50-mile mark, and about 2 miles out, we rode behind a strip mall where I could smell hamburgers cooking, so I started craving a burger.  And it was raining.  

I have never been as happy to see a transition area as I was to see T2.  I had hoped to make the ride in 3:45, but alas, it was a 4:06 ride.  Simultaneously relieved and disappointed, I dismounted and started running into T2.  Again, helpful volunteers pointed me in the right direction, retrieved my bag, and racked my bike, and I was off and running!

Run:

Amazingly, I never felt wobbly coming off of the bike…I had tried to be conservative on the ride, having heard horror stories about people who overdo it on the bike and explode on the run.   And I was so energized by my family and friends being there, cheering me on, that I felt like I was floating for the first few miles.  Best feeling in the world.  By then, Will and the kids and the BPW had been joined by the LA transplants, hooray!  On the ride, I kept thinking about all of them being there, waiting for me.  About setting a good example for my kids.  About being tough as nails, strong as an ox, fast as a…?

Nice venue!

The beginning of the course was flat and lined with spectators.  Most of the onlookers were great!  Little kids yelling, “You can do it!”  “Go Ironwoman!” and adults cheering, “Go 1648!” “You’ve got this!”  Go…[pause while said person looks for my name on my race number]…Heather!”  There were some weirdos out there, too:  “Just remember you CHOSE to be out here.  You SIGNED UP for this!  You PAID for this experience!  ENJOY it!” or “Step it up!  You gotta’ dig deep!  It’s all mental…mind over matter!”  I just tried to smile and cheer and cheer other runners on.  It was both energizing and demoralizing to run a loop course, as I knew a lot of the people I ran by on the first loop were about to finish.  Those who stood out:  2 amputees just ripping it up with their cool cheetah-inspired leg, a 69-year old woman who had calves like rocks, a dude in a wheelchair.  They all SMOKED me, along with MANY others…old people, fat people, walking people.   Very humbling.  I know this is my first year in triathlon, I know I am 43 years old, and I know this was my first 70.3, but I think I expected to be more competitive.  The good news is there is nowhere to go from here but up.  And I am motivated to do better next time.  And I had to remind myself at this point in the race that my goal was to finish under the cutoff time.  So I plodded along.  The second part of the loop was hilly, and I had to walk some hills in order not to trigger my IT band issues too early in the run.  Onlookers saw this as a sign that I was slacking or tiring and tried to motivate me.  But, truth be told, I felt pretty darn good during the entire run.  No blisters, no troubles breathing.  The temperature was cool and cloudy until mile 12.  It was nice.  Will ran with me from miles 6-8, which was very encouraging and took my mind off of the run for a while.  I made the 3:08pm cutoff at mile 8 with many minutes to spare and knew I could finish!  And the woman who was embarrassed by her 50-minute swim did not make the 8-mile cutoff.  She was pulled from the race and had a DNF for the day.  

Me, at the finish, 8:34:37!

My own doubts were triggered again at mile 12, when a very well-meaning volunteer yelled, “You have 15 minutes to make your age-group cutoff…STEP IT UP!!!!”  Crap!  I thought we had until 4:18pm!  It was 3:38pm.  My official 8:30 cutoff time would have been 3:51pm.  I didn’t think I could run 1.2 miles, at the END OF AN HALF-IRONMAN, fast enough to make it to the finish by 3:51pm, but I thought I would try, and I stepped it up.  When I could see the finish line, some man yelled, “Way to step that shit up!  You could pass 3 people before you finish!  Go! Go! Go!”  And pass 3 people before the finish line I did.  And I finished.  And I heard the announcer say, “Here comes Heather from Flagstaff, Arizona.  You did it, Heather!  Way to go!”  I did it.  Finished that race in 8:34:37. I was last to finish in my age group, but not last overall.  I watched the last person cross.  Her name was Heather.  She was escorted across the finish line by 30 cheering volunteers and an arch of balloons.  It was a beautiful sight.  

Half-a-century ride!

Yesterday, I finally completed a 50-mile ride, a goal I have had for a few months, but have been unable (for one reason or another) to actually attempt.  What a relief!!!  It was quite painful, maybe more than I had imagined it would be, especially in my quads and my sitbones.  Last night, I ordered a new pair of bike shorts that had great reviews from women who do long rides, so I am hopeful I can take care of the sitbone issue.  The quads, well, we'll see.  A few things about my route:  there is a hill similar to Oceanside at mile 18, climbing about 400 feet over 3 miles, with another 200 foot climb a few miles later; part of the route had the WORST ROAD EVER, with frost wedges/breaks every 20 feet...thud thud....thud thud....thud thud (man, is that annoying!); very few bikes or cars on the road, even though it is Spring Break here.  I don't think I took in enough calories during my ride, but luckily, I was able to make it.  That will have to change for the race, but I think I can dial it in over the next few weeks!

It's gettin' real

We are leaving for California in two weeks.  Two weeks from today, actually.  I am starting to freak out, on the inside, where it counts.  I think I can make it, but honestly, I'm most worried about the run.  And my knee.  Will it hold up?  I've been afraid to run the past week.  What if the IT band is painful?  What if I re-aggravate it and cannot run?  Will I be able to make the cutoff if I have to walk the whole thing?  I could probably walk it in a little over 3 hours at a hustle pace.  I guess we'll see...

On a brighter note, I had a swimming lesson on Sunday, which was very helpful.  We worked on streamlining my stroke and on 1-beat kicks instead of flutter.  The kick makes it so I don't become so winded when I go hard.  And I can reliably do 1:12-or-under 50s.  I even got a 1:02 on my last 50...hooray!!!  She's really nice, but always looks a bit confused after I stop swimming, with her head cocked sideways.  If she had a beard, she might stroke it.  We had a good laugh about my uncoordinated breast stroke.  Apparently, the coordination of my kick and stroke is a bit off, and it was funny watching me try to put them together correctly :)  I feel much more confident that I'll be able to shave some time off of the swim over the next few years.  I'd like to be able to get out of the water and not have to chase people down on the bike in order to not be last.  Ultimately, I'm going to have to work on my body tolerating looooooonnnnnnnngggggg bikes and runs if I am going to be able to do a full Ironman.  But, I should probably get through this Half first...

Doc vs. Jadito Hill

I had mostly recovered from this disgusting crud bestowed upon me by my second-born, and I lined up a sitter for Sunday, so I could go on a nice, long run (11 miles).  I had everything ready, took off, and was feeling pretty good, when I came upon my first nemesis...Jadito hill, a 140-foot climb over .40 miles, the bulk of which occurs over about .20 miles.  This hill happens early in my run, and most days, I end up walking the steepest part.  It serves as a nice warm-up for the next big hill, a 100-foot climb in less than .10!  So, I'm feeling good, and I get to Jadito hill, and I am able to keep running, and I make it all the way to the top!  And I feel proud.  And I feel a little pain in my IT band area.  So, I take it easy up the next big climb, and it hurts a little more.  The next big climb on my loop is 190-foot climb over .85 miles, and about .7 miles in, my knee begins to hurt so badly, I have to walk. I try slowing my cadence, speeding my cadence, shortening my stride, lengthening my stride (DEFINITELY NOT RECOMMENDED), running on my toes, striking mid-foot, heel-striking, and nothing, nothing took away the knife-stabbing-under-my-kneecap pain like walking did.  So that's what I did, about 4 miles into my run...I walked home.  I did a total of 5.3 of my 11 miles.  And I felt defeated, and scared.  I have a half-marathon to run in 4 weeks, after I ride 56 miles!!!

To make matters worse, I had my first swim lesson last night.  I showed up a little early to warm up, but my coach arrived 15 minutes late, so I swam 18 laps.  She had me work on my stroke a bit and do some kick and speed work, which made my knee scream at me.  So, again, I felt a little defeated.  And scared.  I have put so much time and money into this race already, I just can't imagine not being able to finish.

In the battle against Jadito, I won.  I hope I didn't lose the war.

Back on Track

So, recovering from this flu has taken a bit longer than I had hoped, but I think I am back on track.  Yesterday, I did hill repeats for 45 minutes, which JUST ABOUT KILLED ME, or so I thought (see previous post), and this morning, I did 1000 meters in the pool in 27:57 (including goggle issues) and then did 4*4 minute fartleks on the bike.  Happy Leap Day!  I am beginning to feel better, however.

On a related note, I had my bike fitted yesterday.  Wow, that is an intense process.  It took almost 2 hours.  I did learn that my left leg is slightly longer than my right, and we put a wedge in my right clip, which appears to help with my pedal stroke.  Also, I was stretching out like Superman, which is probably why my neck hurt on the trainer last week.

Exhaustion, and my birthday...

On a psychological note, I find the idea of exhaustion fascinating.  During my first triathlon, A SPRINT, mind you, I walked part of the run.  I felt "exhausted", and believed that walking would help.  It just made me feel worse, because I knew how short the distance really was. Given how difficult the swim had been, however, I felt justified.  During a recent attempt at an olympic-distance, I felt good afterward and wondered aloud whether I maybe had not gone hard enough.  I just felt exhausted during part of the run, and seriously considered walking, but didn't.  It turns out that exhaustion might just be a psychological phenomenon, in other words, it's all in my head.  Joe Friel talks about it in his blog, and here is an article interviewing a researcher about the topic:  Sports Science Update: Perception is Everything

On a personal note, my birthday is this weekend.  It has been lackluster, to say the least, because I went home sick yesterday from work and did not feel like doing anything, and then I felt like poo last night, waking up many, many times coughing.  However, this morning, I am feeling a bit better (yay!).  I made almond flour pancakes and have decided I need to order more finely ground flour, though they were pretty good.  I cancelled my swimming lesson and need to reschedule.  And I am planning to go for a short run today, to try and get back on the training wagon for this week.  The kids and hubby got me a Waterfi and waterproof ear buds, so I can swim with music and train with music during monsoons!  And my stepmom got me a cool vintage chainmail handbag.

cool vintage chainmail bag

LOVE IT!
Otherwise, it is going to be mellow, which is fine.  I'm just glad to be alive.  A man I went to high school with passed away this week from cancer.  It kind of puts things in perspective.  I am very, very grateful for all that I have and for all that I can do.  I am grateful that my loved ones are healthy and blessed with good fortune.  I am grateful that we have the means to allow me to train, though I realize I could probably find a way even if that weren't the case.  Can't wait to train this week!  Oceanside is only 5 weeks away...

Three for Thursday

1.  Been sick.  No training.  Sucks
2.  Tough as nails:  Train your brain
3.  Inspirational:  Why I became a triathlete

Hoping to ride on the trainer tomorrow night.

Taking care of business

The kindest friends are helping me take care of some business.  For my birthday, good friends and co-stars of this blog, B and R, bought me 3 swimming lessons with a master swim coach in town!!!  I am super excited, and I scheduled my first lesson for next Sunday.  Inspired, I scheduled a bike fitting for today, but sadly, woke up feeling like crapola, so I re-scheduled it for next Tuesday.  I am looking forward to seeing how the bike feels after the fitting, and to seeing whether I can sit on the damned thing for more than 2 hours without extreme pain.  I got 3.5 hours of riding in on the trainer this weekend (yay!), but sadly, did not run or swim as I should have :(  I may try to get out and run in a few, despite feeling horrid.

I'm getting there, slowly, but surely.

Tempo Run

Now I do realize that most other people in the world don't give a shit about this sort of thing, but last night, I ran 7.14 miles, with hills and wind, in 1:21, which puts my overall pace at around 11:30-minute miles.  I have never run so fast for so long.  AND I ran hills the day before on the treadmill.  AND I wasn't racing.  AND I did a negative split (of about 35 seconds/mile!).  It feels so good to keep getting stronger.  According to the IMTalk guys, I can continue to improve for the next 10 years as long as I can stave off injuries.  I hope they're right!

No Ragnar :(

Some locals are doing the Ragnar Del Sol next weekend, and a spot opened, but I have to work Friday and can't make the start time.  I am very disappointed, but maybe it is for the best since I would only be 4 WEEKS out from my A race at that point!!!  How did this happen?  It seems as if time has flown by.  Will I be ready?  Can I get all of my training in over the next few weeks?  Am I going to be able to stay in the saddle for 3.5 hours?  Will I make the run?  Will I be able to swim in saltwater?  Will my nutrition plan work?  So many questions for my first big race.  I'm nervous...about logistics, my performance, and about the poor souls who will be there to support me (don't want to let them down or make them wait around too long).

I do know that other people struggle with saddle issues, but I wonder if I should get a new, really awesome pair of bike shorts, have my bike fitted by a professional, or get a new seat, or all of the above.  It is hard not having a coach sometimes, because I feel like a coach could steer me in the right direction.  Or a huge network in a tri club.  Our tri club is very, very small, and no one has a ton of triathlon experience yet.

The past few days of training have been pretty good...got a 24-mile ride in on Friday with Will, a 10-mile run in on Sunday, a 2000-meter swim (57:09!) and short bike with hill repeats yesterday, and a 3.5 mile run with hill repeats today.  Hopefully a tempo run tomorrow, swim Friday AM, looooooong session on the bike Friday PM, and long run Saturday or Sunday, depending on the weather.  We might go snowboarding this weekend, as well, just to take advantage of the change back to winter weather from early spring!  I feel pretty motivated this week, but it has been hard to get up early.  It seems like many nights, there is some sort of plot to keep me up later than I would like.  I should be in bed by 8:30, but I've been staying up until 9:30 or 10:30 this week.  I know, I know, those are "normal" bedtimes for adults, but getting up at 4:15 or 5:15am is much more difficult for me when I stay up "late".  Old am I.

Charley Horse!!!

I had a great swim yesterday...well almost.  I did make 2000 meters in 56:11, which is a PB.  However, with about 400 meters left, I got a charley horse in my calf.  I used to get them regularly, while sleeping, when I was pregnant with my daughter, but haven't had one in a while...I had forgotten how painful they are!  And, of course, I was in the deep end.  The ironic thing is, I had eaten a banana early that morning, which is not typical for me.  I'm actually kind of glad that it happened, because I got through it just fine, and if it happens in open water, I will be prepared.

Training has been going fairly well since my crash.  I got Maybelle back, all fixed up and pretty, and rode her on the trainer for 2.5 hours last Friday night (what an exciting life I lead!).  I had some saddle issues that prevented me from riding any longer, but, I was able to stay in aero position the entire ride, which was a huge relief.  I am going to lower my seat a little tomorrow and see if I can last longer this weekend (weather is supposed to be yucky).  I really, really should get my bike fitted by Amber at the local shop.  I did not get to do my long run last weekend, because I am a slacker sometimes and did not get up early enough, so it's lucky I got a 6-mile tempo run in earlier in the week.  I have decided that running on cement sidewalks sucks. I have started using Run Tracker on my phone, and I find it's motivating to hear my pace every 5 minutes so that I can make adjustments.  I'm at a steady pace of 12:30 minute miles for my long run, as opposed to 16:38 last year at this time.  I'd still like to get to 10, but I think that could take a while.  

As far as nutrition goes, I am reading Wheat Belly and seriously considering going grain-free for a while, but definitely cutting out as much wheat as possible.  I am slowly adding back in some higher-starch carbs like sweet potatoes and yogurt, but in small quantities for now.  And, like everyone else, I have started eating a serving or two of chia seeds every day...need those Omega-3s.  I'm feeling great when I stick to the plan.  When I eat pizza or sugar, not so much.  

I am trying to decide how to structure races this summer.  I will likely do the Mountain Man Sprint and Olympic (though I may do the half), and other than that, I'm not sure.  Maybe a marathon?  Maybe Missoula?  I could probably be ready, but I am scared...

Sucky Sunday

While 7 miles into a planned 40-mile ride out Lake Mary Road on Sunday, when it seemed all stars had aligned and we had actually found a sitter, my rear derailleur snapped in half.  Of course, my bike seized up, and I could not get my shoes out of the clips, and I went down, hard, on my left side.  I landed in the road, even though the bike lane is huge, and I panicked and then calmed as I realized no cars were flying at me doing 55 mph.  Phew.  I scooted out of the road and assessed the damage.  Maybelle was unrideable.  So, Will rode the 7 miles back to the car.  Several bikers asked if I needed anything (very kind community), and I waited for either Will or a serial killer to come and pick me up.  It was cold, and I was a little damp, so it was a bit unpleasant.  Though, to be fair, I did have a tasty snack, plenty of water, and an iPhone.  The cost to repair Maybelle will be $125-150.

Here are the things I contemplated while out there.  1) I did not REALLY want to go on that ride, but I REALLY needed to.  And I struggled as a result of 3 days of running in a row, with a 9-miler on Saturday...my muscles were tired...DOMF?  So I huffed and puffed and rode with all I had, which wasn't much.  But I'm pretty sure I was just warming up.  2) I had contemplated doing a solo ride in Sedona, instead, especially if we had had trouble finding a sitter.  This would have been a disastrous decision on so many levels, as it was difficult to even walk my bike.  Grateful that did not happen. 3) I am not invincible.  My bike, although new-ish, could encounter difficulties on any course.  I need to learn more about bike maintenance.  Of course, it would not have helped one lick with this situation, but you get the point.  4) I am not yet a strong rider, and I need many more miles in the saddle.  5) What was a dead cow doing out on the road, anyway?

Maybelle will be ready on Wednesday, and I am planning to try again, if the weather holds.  And although I think any time outside doing something active is probably better than a typical office day, I hope this Sunday won't suck.

2000 meters in under an hour...

...just barely.  And I worked hard for it.  I found some sort of glide in my stroke a week or two ago, and it shaves time off.  The downside is that when I start to get tired, my form slips.  The downerside of that is that it actually takes more out of me to swim without the glide.  I know my strokes are too long and slow right now, but I feel like I can get faster now that my form is better.  I think I will take a swim lesson or two before the half.  But my swim yesterday was very relaxing and enjoyable.  I was well rested from NOT training for the 3 days prior, so that helps.  I blew off a long ride Sunday.  And Monday and Tuesday, I was swamped with work.  I'm a little frustrated with myself for not trying harder to get out on Sunday.  And for not working on reports over the weekend.  Not following through with a daily/weekly plan is probably my Achilles.  I will do better this weekend.

Diet...mine has its flaws.  I think it's time to follow a plan instead of winging it.  When I wing it, I do well in the AM and then am starving before bed.  I need to have a plan that makes it so I don't feel so hungry at night.  Will investigate and report back.

Oly Tri...Check!

I met most of last week's goal and completed an olympic-distance triathlon on my own:  1500 meter swim, 25-mile bike, and 6.2-mile run in 3:38 (not counting transitions).  I attempted to change something in my stroke form and ended up shaving 3 minutes off my 1500 meter time...yay!  I have to admit that I was very nervous that I would bonk on the run, but I stuck to the nutrition plan and had plenty of energy during the run.  I'm not sure I would have held on for 13.1 miles, but I met my goal.  What a relief that is.  I may not have had to switch down to the Sprint distance race from the Olympic distance in December, after all.  Live and learn.

So far this week, training has gone really well.  10 weeks until the HIM!  I'm scared, and excited.  And scared. Need to get in many, many miles this weekend, so I hope the weather holds.  I incorporated some lifting again this week and paid dearly, with a headache.  I need the strength training, but may have to just do one set of each for now, or use lighter weights.

Mission (not to miss a single training session this week) Impossible?

My goal for this week is to not miss one single training session this week...I am supposed to do a simulated oly tri on Sunday, so hopefully the weather will cooperate.  It has been miserably windy, though, so I'm a bit worried.  I might have to do an all-indoor oly tri...watch people come and go from the gym for 3.5 hours!  It's been an easy week so far:  1000 meter swim Tuesday, bike with 4 60-second 100% hr bursts and 4-min recovery and 45-min recovery run on Wednesday, and hill repeats (3 for 30 seconds all-out) this morning.  I am going to have to move my schedule around a bit to do another oly tri in February or Early March, because I doubt seriously I will have time next weekend (clinic day).  

I had a client with a prosthetic leg this morning, and we talked a bit about all of the amazing things people can do these days with prosthetic limbs.  He lost his about 4 months ago, but has altered his motorcycle and is looking forward to his "computerized" leg already.  Some people are so amazing...their will to live, thrive, even in the face of adversity.  It humbles me almost daily.  I am grateful my body can endure some of the torture to which I have been and will be subjecting it.  I hope it holds up!

Motivation Monday...Inspiration to Keep Getting Up and Out There

While listening to the IM Talk podcast a few months ago, I came across the story of Sister Madonna Buder, a nun in her early 80s who completes triathlons of all distances, including the full iron-distance.  She's been to Kona, and was hoping in 2011 to be the oldest woman on record to compete in the World Championships.  She did not make it, but her story is inspirational to me, the thought that there are badasses out there in their eighties, doing amazing things with their bodies and minds, makes me want to take on new challenges.  Here is the interview:
IM Talk Interview with Sister Madonna
I will try to post inspiration every Monday, as that is when I seem to struggle most with my own motivation to train.

As far as training last week, I was able to get all in except for my long ride :(  Sadly, we do not yet have a trainer, the weather was horribly windy this weekend, and I had to work on Saturday.  Excuses, excuses.  I am really going to try to do a long ride in Sedona this weekend...wish I had a training partner sometimes.  I would ride with Will or R, but I don't like to hold them back, and riding alone can be daunting.  Excuses, excuses.  But here is what I did accomplish the rest of the week:  Thursday:  3 mile run with 4x400 sprints and hills, Friday:  2000 meter swim and bike, Sunday:  5.7-mile run in the hilly hood.  I did get my butt out of bed this morning to ride, as well, but it was an easy recovery ride, so I don't feel like I did all that much (40 minutes @ recovery pace).  I will try to enjoy recovery week, rather than feeling guilty!

Motivation to Train

I'm always looking for ways to enhance my motivation toward exercising, and here are two cool new things I have access to (well, almost for one):

Le Tour Indoor Cycle with Google Maps Courses which we now have in our gym; and

An iPhone game where you play a zombie apocalypse game as you run!

I rode up Snowbowl road on the Le Tour bike yesterday, but was only able to make it 6 of the 7 miles before I had to leave.  The zombie game has not yet been released, but I hope it's fun.

As a training aside, I did run 5.6 miles on Sunday with the toe issue, which hurt.  I swam 2000 meters in 1:05:43 yesterday before Le Tour ride, and I ran 4x400 sprints this morning.  We watched the Walking Dead last night, and I had the worst dreams and trouble sleeping after 2:30am, otherwise I would have made it to the gym this morning.  No more Walking Dead on weeknights...I think it makes me tense.  I wonder if the zombie game would activate my SNS and make me run faster?!?!?

More Review

There are 90 days until my 70.3 in Oceanside.  This past week in training accurately reflected the year:  milestones met and obstacles encountered.  On Tuesday, I swam 2000 meters (first time ever) in 1:07, which is only 3 minutes under the time cutoff for Oceanside.  On Friday, I swam it in 1:02.  This was very encouraging, since it was the first time ever I swam sub 50-minute miles!  For most of the swim I had AWOLNation's song, Sail, playing in my head, and I was surprised at how quickly the second half of the swim went by.  I had planned to do my long run afterward, but coming out of the shower, I tripped and sliced my toe on a broken glass jar some jackass left in the shower.  I started bleeding pretty badly and a nice woman went for help.  As I was trying to figure out what had sliced me, I cut my finger!  They administered first aid and closed the showers, and I had to fill out an incident report. It turned out to be difficult to walk on the toe, so I bagged the run and went home and called it a day.  Yesterday, it hurt too much to run on it before work, and it did not appear to be healed enough to swim, so I ended up not training.  We'll see what today brings.  I am grateful to myself that I completed bike and run hill repeats earlier this week, as well as a bike sprint session.  I have yet to complete my long run and bike.  I did run for .4 miles after my bike on Thursday, which felt a little yucky, but then again, I've been pretty sore this week after not doing much most of December...

Ontri allows you to run reports on various time periods, so here are the training totals for this year, July-December:

• Swim:  26.14 miles, 26:43 hours; starting pace:  67-minute miles, current pace 50-minute miles;
• Bike:  758.48 miles, 47.20 hours; pace:  unchanged;
• Run:  229.89 miles, 53:02 hours; pace in 02/11:  16:38-min miles, recent pace 12-min miles.

I'm not including January-June, when I logged many more running miles, as I kept track of them only on paper.  But it is encouraging to see progress over time, and my attitude about swimming has improved significantly this week knowing that I'll likely make the swim cutoff in Oceanside.  Also, I don't have to stop every lap or two to catch my breath.  I've begun incorporating a length of breaststroke every 5 laps (down from every 3 laps a month ago) in order to catch my breath, which seems to help.  I initially started doing it to help with sighting and to prepare for the Palm Springs race, in case I had another panic attack and had to do breaststroke the entire time.  But now, it just seems like a good idea.

It has been nice being home with Will and the kids more this week, and I am dreading, just a little bit, my return to work, as we are headed into the second busy season of the school year.  It will be challenging to fit training in, but essential.  I am committed.  Hopefully the obstacles will be few and far between.  Happy New Year!