Ironman success!!

Well, gang, I did it.

Race morning

I actually did get a good night’s sleep only waking occasionally, and I woke up feeling excited and ready. I looked forward to the day with an “I get to do an Ironman today” feeling and it helped. We left the condo at 430 to make the trek into town and only needed to stop twice so I could double check that I had everything. I was chatty and enjoying my breakfast of eggs, toast and coffee. Joe dropped me off as close as he could to transition and we agreed to meet at the transition exit/entrance later. That was when the emotion started to hit me. Athletes everywhere were carrying their bags and chatting about the day ahead. The atmosphere was nervous, excited, happy, sad and every other emotion that you could associate with this day. First stop was dropping off the special needs bags then off to body marking. I got my number and then walked into transition.

I saw a familiar face from Sherwood Park and I borrowed her pump. I chatted with a girl whose bike was set up near mine. It was also her second time, her first being 2006, and we laughed about how we weren’t IronVirgins but it did feel that way a bit. I did see a lot of people I knew and I wished them well, and eventually I did see Carla we chatted, hugged and talked about nothing (I think) but we did comment on a couple of things. Firstly, the music in the first hour was 1960s easy listening and I don’t care what you say, I cannot get pumped for a race listening to “Stand By Me” and “Lollipop”. Secondly Steve King was on the intercom talking a lot about the journey of the day and all the hard work that was behind this one day. Yes we get it. Quiet please!! Eventually we were told to start making our way to the start so we got our wetsuits on and made our way over the timing mats. We separated a bit and I found her one last time for a good luck hug. I started crying and she said “be brave” I said the same thing to her and then left her to get into her own space. I stood on the beach and reflected on the training time and the last 7 years. I tried to find Joe and the friends I knew were here but I couldn’t. I relaxed myself. The day I worked hard for was here. The cannon went off. Race time.

The swim.

About 2600 close and personal friends.

I allowed myself a bit of time to get used to the lake before I started the swim, there was a bit of a shock as I got wet, but I started swimming and it felt good. I followed other people and sighted as best as I could although eventually I ended up veering to the left. I just kept thinking “reach, pull, reach pull” and had a long relaxed rhythm. Halfway to the first buoy the water got really choppy so I did my best to stay within a pack and let other people pave the way. I stayed relaxed and didn’t panic. One thing I will say about swimming with that many people is that it is chaos. Imaging running a race down a narrow path and everyone else is wearing an iPod. It is everyone for themselves. I stayed aware of others around me and did my best to not get punched or kicked and not to do the same to anyone else. It was actually enjoyable. I felt relaxed and strong and took it one buoy at a time. They were numbered and I thought they were every 100m so I used that to gauge my progress. I never looked at my watch so I didn’t have any idea how fast I was swimming, but I was surprised when after about buoy 22 I was at the last 5. I looked up and the shore was closer than I thought it should be. What a treat! I swam strong, started kicking the legs a bit more as my back was getting sore and stiff and made it to the shore. The time on the clock floored me. I had no idea I would come out of the water that fast. I was elated. I raised both arms in victory. That’s when I heard my name and it was Sara right at the exit. I smiled for the camera, and crossed the transition mat and hit my split.

1:35:24

Was not expecting to swim that fast. Can you tell I'm happy?

Transition 1

I love that there are wetsuit strippers that help. And if there is evidence that my body has changed since having kids, its that it took 2 of them to get it off me. Amazing volunteers the whole way. I was making my way to the tent and heard Steve announce that Sister Madonna was out of the water. A big cheer!!

I dried off got all my stuff on for the bike, sunscreened and found Freda. I was absolutely thrilled with my swim and the speed of my transition, I couldn’t stop smiling. Made it out, and again I hear my name. Sara, again with the camera at the mount line. Woohoo I’m off to bike!

5:51

Bike

Me on said climb. 

The first part of the bike is awesome. The streets are lined with people cheering for you. It’s awesome. I knew where to look for Joe but was surprised that Jenn and Maureen were at the first corner. Yipee!! I loved riding main street and loved that I saw Joe because I missed him at the swim start. I was feeling good, fast and relaxed. I was looking forward to the ride ahead. The first climb comes within the first 20km. Short and a bit steep but manageable. 

I rode it when I was in Penticton for the tri in July and it felt a lot easier today. Not sure if it was the race atmosphere or what but I got in a good gear and went up light and fast. I loved looking at the vineyards and orchards all the way to Osoyoos. There were a couple of little hills, but nothing too terrible yet. I knew it was warm, and that there was a tailwind, but I kept the gear strong and made the most of it. I took my liquids and salt in regular intervals and had fun. Richter’s came up before I knew it and I climbed my little heart out. I am not the best climber but I think I’m pretty good. I passed more people going up the hill than who passed me and that’s a victory. I was able to gain some speed during the false flats. I remember crossing a timing mat somewhere and thinking that someone was cheering for me. Three climbs up the hill then the long screaming downhill. The only issue I had was that there was a fair bit of car traffic and people were being cautious on the bike and using their brakes. I commend them for that, but it is challenging when you have a lot of speed and are trying to get around them in a safe manner. I enjoyed the descent. I have no idea what my maximum speed was but I did see 63km/h at one point. Ahead were the seven bytches and I did my best to work the downhills and gain as much momentum as I could for the uphill. There were a couple where I had so much speed that I was blasting people because I was still in that hard gear and powering through. The top wasn’t that far off. Then there were others that I had a spin easy because my approach was slower. It was all good. I was very happy when it was all done. I was tired and my legs were sore, so it was nice to have the flat part to the out and back.

Reality check that anything can happen. Traffic was backed up and we were unsure why, until ahead I could see an ambulance. Someone was being taken off the course on a body board and there was an upset woman in an SUV. We were instructed to go by slowly and I hoped that he was going to be ok. I was now at the out and back and started looking for familiar faces. I’m thinking that I just missed Carla (yay for her) but I did see some familiar faces. At special needs I did a big stretch as my back was really bothering me and refilled my drink with cold blue Gatorade. Nothing else appealed to me so I left it. I commented to another athlete that I was starting to feel tired and I hoped that I wasn’t the only one. She reassured me that I wasn’t. Off I went to tackle the last 60km. I knew there were a few tough climbs ahead, but best of all I knew that my family would be waiting for me along the course. I rounded a corner and saw a crowd and knew they were there. But first I hear my name right beside me. There’s Jenn and Maureen again. But in the distance I could see people in yellow shirts jumping up and down and waving. Joe, my mom, mother-in-law and my kids were all there. The women were wearing the “Go Colleen” shirts from 2005 and the kids were in “GO MOM GO”. It gave me the boost I needed and made me emotional. I choked on a couple of tears and did my best to power through. I spun up in an easy gear but by know it wasn’t feeling so easy. My legs were feeling tingly and my calves were cramping a bit. With my back being sore as well, I was hitting a low point (although the irony is I was climbing a hill!).  The headwind wasn’t helping but I did my best. I didn’t stop although I wanted to. As long as I kept moving I was getting closer to the finish line. I made it into the city and was greeted by cheers along the way. I first saw Carla on the run out, then Sara on the left then my family again on the right. It was so good to see them again. 

A nice little downhill into transition and I was done! I raised my arms in victory then gave Freda a pat before the volunteer took her away.

7:07:33

Transition 2

Ah…the jello slash rock legs. The worst my legs have felt ever after any training or race. I was so happy to get into transition and sit down and before I know it a volunteer had my bag dumped and was helping me out. I opted not to change as it was hot out and I wanted longer shorts. One thing I regretted not having was some Advil but I look up and I see some on a table. That bottle is now missing three. More sunscreen and I am off on the run.

6:44

Run

It didn’t take too long for my legs to loosen up but my feet were going numb and I realized that I didn’t make the proper sock choice. Ah well. Quick out and back and I see my friend Kelly, who says to me ”you are going to kill your time” I respond with an “I hope so”. The run in an Ironman can go any way and it is best to take it in bits and pieces and deal with the immediate rather than focus on long term. My plan was to worry about the moment and work as hard as I could. I love the out on main street. Like the bike, everyone is on both sides and cheering their asses off. I see my friends from home on the side and then a bit farther up is my family. I got really emotional. Joe is trying to hurry me along but I wanted to give everyone a hug and high five. It made my day that Cait wanted to run with me for a bit, so we did hand in hand and I think she would have run farther with me if Joe would have let her. I left them behind with my eyes all teared up. Sara and John were further up the road and they had signs. I loved the “go auntie” one he was holding.

Feeling fresh at the start.

I tried my best to only walk at aid stations but sometimes it was hard. So I walked with aggression for 50 steps and then would run again. Sometime I had to repeat that until I could get going. It was hot and I was tired and my back was still bothering me. I made use of everything at the aid stations: sponges, pop, water, fruit. If it looked good I took it. I modified my strategy. I rarely get the opportunity to run lakeside so I wanted to enjoy myself. I saw Carla on the run when I was about 3 miles from the turn around. We hugged and she asked me how I was doing. I gave the honest answer of “it all hurts” she said the same. I wished her a good finish. I followed my plan and made it to the turn around with a big hoot and holler and was happy to be on my way back. I did my best to encourage people coming the other way because it wasn’t that long ago that was me. I enjoyed this part. Talked with other athletes and high fived sister Madonna when I saw her (amazing!). Ten miles became seven then I was back within city limits and the single digit countdown of kilometers began. Dusk was gone and it was dark except for the streetlights. Supporters were still out, some the same ones I saw hours earlier. I stayed smiling and thanked them for their encouragement. The gradual uphill on mainstreet was feeling hard but I ran as much as I could then use the 50 step rule and start again. Then came the lovely down hill and I started to pick up some speed. More people were lining the streets cheering us in. I made the turn with one mile to go and it really started to hit me that I was going to finish the race. I see Jenn and Maureen again and stopped for a hug and a high five. 

Look at my time!

I may have yelled something about my race time. One more turn and then it’s the lakeshore out and back I hear my name and it’s Joe and my mom cheering me in on the left. I turn to go down lakeshore and Sara, Amanda and Allie are right there. I pick up more speed. I am less than a mile from finishing and I can’t stop smiling. I run this last part as hard as I can. I didn’t think that it was possible to hurt more but I do. I keep pushing on wards. Last timing mat and then it is the turn around to the finish. I can see the lights in the distance. I know the finish line is there. I can here Steve King announcing people in. In 4 minutes that’s going to be me. I can see the lights are closer and the crowd is loud.1 minute: finally the last 100m, friends to the left and family to the right and fans on both sides push me to the finish. I cross the line with arms raised. I’ve done it. I’m an Ironman again.

5:47:42

Finish time 14:43:04 (1:04:33 improvement)

Favourite photo of the day, naturally. I am now a two time finisher and a proud IronMom.

Mantra

This message is a few days early but it will be my mantra come race day. I'm posting it now in case I don't have time to do it later.

I have been thinking about the race a lot. I have prepared as best I could (I think) and I am ready to give it my all (probably). I admit I have a fear of failure. Not the failure that I am not going to finish, because unless there is something out of my control, I will. It's the failure that I wont have the best effort that my training and preparation has given me. That being said I have had some amazing races: a 3:08 90km bike split that includes transition time (which I am still a little WTF over) and a top half age group and gender finish at a different triathlon. But there is still a worry that I won't race my best. I have race goals in my head and a few know about them and I felt reassured by the "yeah I think you can do that" response I have received as opposed to the "are you sure that's not too aggressive" that I think myself sometimes. Either way, I will use my mantra to schieve my best.

Even though...

I feel like I have been saying "I'm tired" a lot. But that is an accurate description. I am physically and mentally tired. I have shed more tears our of frustration and exhaustion these past few days than in the year before it. My body has finally reached maximum so I need to ease back and allow myself more rest.

My body knows that. My brain isn't quite there yet.

Even though I trudged through a run last week and spent 5 minutes sitting on the curb bawling my eyes out.
Even though I was fighting back tears trying to rationalize cutting my latest bike ride short.
Even though I am yawning from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed.

My body is practically screaming at me to rest. My brain is looking at it and shaking its finger.

I know listening to my body will win. I hate doing it. My brain hates being wrong.

Confidence restored!

Just like that.

Did my last of the long workouts today. The full 180km. I was impressed by my ride time and that I kept on going when I was feeling tired. It sure helped me to ride with someone. I felt so good after the ride that I did a short run after.

Broken no more.

Feeling broken

I had my first emotional breakdown today. I couldn't stop crying. My body hurts and I am tired. I think a lot of it is from yesterday's run and how physically and emotionally draining it was. That's how the past couple of weeks have been. I miss my family. I know they miss me.

I am so glad that I have one last long workout and then the cut back begins.

I am ready to be done training. I want to enjoy my morning coffee and not wonder how I am going to balace the day's workout, or what the strategy will be. I look forward to running to run, not to go a certain time. I look forward to swimming but spending more time in the hot tub.

I know what I am doing is working for me. I have had 2 excellent race experiences and I know that the majority of the work is done. I know that a couple of bad training experiences aren't going to break my race day, but I feel like they are trying to break me.

Blurrrrr

I am in the middle of week 21 and it seems that the past 21 weeks have gone by in a blur. I can remember the big races but not a lot of what's in the middle.

I know I have done a lot in those 21 weeks and in the few weeks before that. August is here. This is the month.

My body is tired and the panic of not being trained enough is setting in. I know this is normal for this point in training. I believe in myself. I can do it. But still....

The past 21 weeks have been a blurrrrr....

Through the eyes of a six year old

I had the rare opportunity to spend some quality time with my six year old. We went to Capital Ex (here on refered to as the carnival) just him and I. We took the train to get there and he loved it. We rode rides and had junk food. It was the best $85 I have spent in a very long time.

I was encouraging him to go on some of the rides alone and he said to me "I like them better with you mom". Made my heart melt.

There are days that my littles do nothing but fight tease and cry and sometimes it is hard to remember the little sweethearts that are inside when they are pushing my buttons and grating on my last nerve. Oh sure when they are tucked into bed asleep they are angels, but it is nice to see evidence when they are awake.

My training has taken so much time away from my family and I am glad that I was able to get some back. Too bad there isn't a carnival every month.

Holding back

I have really held a lot back in this blog and I apologise for it's lack of real insight. I am a relatively private person, but will share my thoughts and opinions if asked. I don't like to monopolize the conversation and I don't always want all the attention (a shocker since I am an only child).

I have written numerous posts on a training run or ride, or even while sitting and I have thought that they were a bit too personal. I know that people are quite open in blogs, but I am not. Unless you ask.

I am still flattered by the compliments that I receive. I don't need validation to to hear what people think about what I am doing, but it does mean a lot to have support, especially of the family and friends that mean so much to me. 

Tired still

I am looking forward to the countdown to race day, when there is more time in my day and I am not so tired. Have I said that a lot? I feel like I am saying that I'm tired a lot.

The workouts are exhausting, but I also miss my family. There are times that I am present physically, but my head has checked out. I am snappy and short and I don't mean to be.

I knew the training would be hard but this is a facet that I didn't think of.

Road trip!

Heading to Penticton today. I'm racing the Peach City Olympic distance triathlon Sunday sandwiched between some riding on the Ironman course. I am looking forward to having the time to do this.This is not my goal race, or even one that I am racing for time, but for the experince of the hills and weather.

 I will miss the kids, but for my own sanity I need these breaks every now and again.

I inspire?

I have had three people in the last week tell me that I inspire them. They have thought of me when they were having a tough time in their workout, and it has helped them to push through fatigue and discomfort because they think that I am doing more.

I'm flattered.

It isn't my intention to inspire. I do know that I am part of a very small group that trains for Ironman, and even a smaller group of women and yet a smaller group of mothers of young children. I'm lucky to be in that group.

I do what I can with my time. I work hard. I plan. I complete. I bitch. I moan. I get it done. I inspire. Apparently.

Update

This week has been tiring. My body is still recovering from last weekend's race (and my mind) and coupling that with early wake-ups has left me tired and a bit grumpy. The kids also want to fight it out most minutes of the day and it is exhausting to be a referee.

I have managed all my recovery workouts this week. The swim was a tough one to get through, but as the week has progressed they have gotten easier, but not easy. I'm looking ahead to the tough weeks ahead with excitement. At the very least, I get to escape the screaming.

Half Ironman Success!

Yesterday I raced a not so little local half Ironman. Long story short, the day was rainy and cold, and I finally achieved my goal of a sub-7 hour finish by finishing in 6:16. Aside from having a panic in the swim, the day went my way. I worked hard, stayed focussed and smiled the whole way. I am pleased with my result.

That is a bit of an understatement. I knocked my socks off. It has been a while since I have set a goal for a race and achieved it. If there is only one more PB I am to get this year, I am hoping it will be at Ironman.

Lately I have been concerned that my training isn't enough for the Ironman that I want. Luckily, I still have 6 weeks to fill in the gaps that I need to:

 - finish a 7+ hour ride
- have at least two others that are 6 hours
- run 2.5 hours at least twice
- swim 90 minutes continuous at least twice

Really, it isn't too bad but there is a bit more build up that I have to do in order to get there. Carefull planning is what it will take. There is still a lot of family time and fun time.

Emotional

A friend of mine completed an Ironman on the weekend and I am so happy for her. She wrote an amazing account of her race. Having experienced it before it brought a lot of memories and emotions of my first Ironman, from the apprehension I had at the start of the swim to the elation of crossing the finish line.

I'm looking forward to (hopefully) experiencing it all again.

I'm having a difficult time putting into words how I am feeling. I'm hoping that everything that I am doing, and that I will do will be enough to get there. I hope all the sacrificing will be worth it.

I want to have a good race this weekend. I want to race my hardest and do my best. I'm starting to get really nervous. This race is 8 weeks away from the big one and I am already feeling the knots in my stomach.

Taper!

Well, it's really a cut back week bit since there is a race this weekend I am calling it a taper. The race will be my 4th Great White North half Ironman. I am looking forward to seeing what my training is acheiving for me, and to see how sound my nutrition strategy is. I am going to race it to the best of my effort.

Peanut is done kindergarten and it made me sad. My first born is now in grade one. Soon he will be 6. Where has all the time gone. I keep starting at him and am amazed at the boy he is growing into. Of course there are the days when I am going nuts, but I love who he is and I don't want him any other way.

Do not compare thee to others!

Does everyone do it at some point? I am comparing my training to my friend who is also racing GWN next week and IMC. She is out training me big time and it's freaking me out. I am doing the best that I can, I think.

I look to some of my role models and see quality over quantity. I know that the less is more approach is what works best for me, I just need to reharness my confidence in it.

Pointing out the obvious

I am a terrible blogger. I don't have the time to do this so it doesn't get done.
I'm tired and hungry and feel like I can eat anything in front of me.
I'm feeling strong and I think I am going to have a good half Ironman next weekend.

The run I had on Saturday was very hard. I knew it was going to be difficult within the first 5 minutes. I don't like that feeling. My body felt tired and it was a struggle. I tried a different nutritional strategy and that didn't work, so that's good to know. I did try to motivate myself by thinking of what others in my age group would be doing (not slowing down). I know I will be racing tired and I did my best to maintain the race pace I want.

Ride of my life (so far)

It was a few days ago but I haven't had a lot of time to sit and write about it. Because of weather I rearranged my training and ended up doing a long ride on a Monday afternoon. The weather was perfect. I had about a 90km loop planned. I made amazing time to the halfway point and sent hubby a message that I would be cycling in to a headwind so I would be longer than I thought.

The wind seemed brutal, but it wasn't affecting me too badly. I saw a flag on a pole. It was hanging limply. Hmmm...maybe it's windier on the highway? The went was ripping past me, I was sure of it. Kept looking at my Garmin and saw I was holding a good pace. Saw another flag hanging limply and then clued in. I was the headwind!!

Once I realized this I kept up. There were times that I was working hard but for the most part it was a moderate effort. I wanted to keep the average pace as high as I could. I was at 40km at 1:19, 60km at 2:06 and 88.5km at 3:08. Seriously, I have NEVER had a ride like this. Ever.

I am noticing the difference with a compact crank. I am able to work farther down the back cassette comfortably. And I am able to stay in the big ring while climbing.

Click and also lap tanks don't have jets

Things have been feeling really good this week. I don't know what the magic is but I feel nourished and well rested. In fact. I am eating right now, even though I don't feel hungry, but because I did an almost 40km ride and need to refuel my body. See what I have learned?

Cutting the workouts seems to be the right thing to do. I'm training smarter, I think. I may even add another rest day since I have a long run and long ride to do this weekend. I am enjoying the bike and even got 3 rides this week, which is a treat and most likely won't happen again until July.

As for the pool. I thought that the lap tank did have jets along the edge. Until I realized that it was me. Who knew that a bowl of strawberries, blueberries and granola for breakfast would do that?? Haha!! At least I'm not peeing in the pool.

Goodbye Dot

Today was the day that I sold my bike. She fared me well: 4 sprints, 3 Olympic, 3 half Ironman and 1 full Ironman, plus countless hours on the road and trainer. I hope she is just as nice to her new owner (and that I won't see her on kijiji soon).

Rode outside again, and it is getting easier. I was able to give my husband a couple of quiet kidless hours in the house. He has been generous with our family's time that he deserves this kind of down time too. 

I ate a donut today and didn't share.

Battling the wind

Out here, the wind is a given. The only way I can prepare myself for riding in the wind is to, wait for it, ride in the wind. No one can predict what race day weather will be like so it is best to be ready as best as you can for anything.

That being said, I would be lying if I didn't feel a bit discouraged yesterday. Another day of an uneven ride. 42km out and the same back, severely unbalanced. I felt like I was working hard both ways. On the way out when it is supposed to be easier I felt like I couldn't get any speed and I even thought that a tire was low. On the way back I was battling the wind. My friend was breaking it for me (she is used to this route), but after about 10 minutes I would fall back. The only time I didn't was in the last 10km when I really wanted to be finished the ride and be out of the wind. 

She and I were talking about our respective goals for the race. We have had different experiences. I have yet to have a good long distance triathlon and I am hoping to improve both my half and full Ironman times. She is hoping to do the best she can, but doesn't think she will be close to either time, nor does she really care if she is. 

I was reflecting on this on the ride. Do I need to change my goals? Am I in the dark as to what I am actually capable of? Am I really working as hard as I can? And does is matter? This reflection was occuring on the ride into the wind where I was starting to feel a bit defeated. I know what I would like to achieve. I think I am working hard enough.

She also only swims once a week and that got me thinking that maybe I should drop one swim and extend the other. Drop the swim, but get on the bike more, if I can swing it. The bike is where I need the most work and where I have the greatest room for improvement. I am starting the second half of training and the best time to make changes is now. I will try it this week.

I hab a code

Thus begins my struggle. My nose is dripping. My body is tired. Do I cut back time and intensity or do I still go ahead?

I was talking with a friend and she isn't feeling well but is still pushing through. I was the pot calling the kettle black when I asked why she didn't let up. She said she has a race in three weeks and feels a bit unprepared. I can understand that. Even though my race is 12 weeks away, I wonder about it too.

I'm tired more often than not. When Junior sleeps past 6 (or isn't rowdy until then) I feel like it is a small victory.    I do my best I guess.

I have found that decreasing the number of weekly workouts, but increasing the length of some of them, has been the right thing to do. For example, it is nice to know that I only have to swim today instead of also trying to fit a bike workout this afternoon. It gives me more time with the family and time to get other things done.
I do feel more "rested" this way and a whole lot happier.

Half assed

Yeah, I'm whiny today. I was up more times than I can count (if I can only count to 5) with the older fuzzies last night, coupled with Junior's early wakeup and I was dog tired tostart my day. I spent the day with Peanut's class on a field trip and it was the most amazing day. I love watching him interact with his class mates. I learned that one has a crush on him. Awwww.

I spent time with all the fuzzies when I got home and made supper. I grew more tired as the night progressed and I was looking for any excuse to skip tonight's workout. We did our regular nighttime routine of teeth brushing and stories and once Junior went to bed we went downstairs for a little bit of TV time. I half assed half my workout while the kids enjoyed a favourite program. I was texting a friend, telling her that my heart wasn't in it. She said that sometimes it isn't, but you still have to get done what you can. She also gave me permission to be flexible. I didn't want to be on the bike at almost 10pm so half a workout it was.

Also, I guess letting the kids watch TV before bed is half assed parenting. Half a gold star for me?

oh snap!

I know that no one is making me train for Ironman, therefore I shouldn't complain that I am feeling tired. I am bringing this on myself, right? I am not trying to be amazing or make others feel inadequate, however, when I am informed of one of the 90% of the population is feeling tired today I want to snap a bit. Feeling tired seems to be the new norm for me. It's a mix of training and lack of sleep and really, there are only a few things I can do to help either. There is a minimun that I need to train in order to finish the race. But I want to do more than finish. I want to do my best. I can only get so much sleep as it is dictated by how well the fuzzies are sleeping and when they get up. Quality of training suffers. There is only so much rearranging I can do in a week to make everything fit. I still want to spend time with my family.

So when the momma to my right with the perfect hair and make-up holding the Starbucks complains that her only baby was up at the god forsaken hour of 830? Yeah, I want to snap.

First race of the year!

I ran today's half marathon in a smidge under 2:06. A solid effort marred by several trips to the toilets during the race. I got so effiicient at it that I only ended up losing 30 seconds on a few. I was on track to make my sub 2 goal until kilometer 15 when I ended up using the toilet, running away and then 30s needed to go back. At that point things transferred to survival mode. I just wanted to get the race done. Some kilometers were run at the goal pace and others were run slightly bent over. It was tough, but so am I, so I got it done.

The positives are abundant: I still was only a few minutes off my best time, and I didn't specifically train for this race. I discovered that gel blasts are not running friendly when I am pushing the pace.

I was also treated to a night in a hotel so I could relax and have some time to myself and not have to wake up and drive at 530 in the morning.

More than just the race...

A friend of mine DNFed her A race for the year. Naturally she is sad and disappointed. I am not going to comment on her feelings, but on something a friend said to her. She was told that she is soooo much more than the race. This is true. My friend is loving and caring, a determined athlete who rarely complains about her life or what is on her training shedule, a friend who can help pick you up when you are down, and speaks the truth.

The list of things that I admire about her is as long as my arm and it breaks my heart that this is was the result of today.

So yes, she is more than this race.

It is a good check for me too. I am more than what the result of Ironman will be. It does not change who I am. It may enhance some positive and/or negative qualities about me but it doesn't define me. It will be what it will be.

Insight is lacking

So I am realizing that I have absolutely nothing insightful to say! I had a friend over for lunch yesterday and I was talking about my blog and how I don't want it to be negative. I try to focus on the positive and use that to remind myself when things are hard. There are others with a lot less that do a lot more and some will never utter a harsh word about it. I have been encouraged to write it all down, because the journey isn't always going to be rainbows and sunshine.

With each workout I do feel like I am getting stronger and getting closer to my goal. I will be honest and say that during some parts of my ride on the weekend I did question my ability about meeting my more aggressive time goals this year. Each ride is going to have highs and lows, and the race is going to have it too.

Like mommy like...

Sweetpea sees me use the foam roller and she also stretches on it.

Peanut sees me on my trainer and lodges his training wheels so he can ride his bike without going anywhere.

Happy Mother's Day!

I will start this out by saying I am very lucky to be a mother and for that I am greatful every day. I was spoiled by my husband and the fuzzies.

Did my first outdoor ride this year. Battled the wind for 78km but felt confident that the what I have been doing has been the right thing.

And now a fuzzy needs me....

Paperless

Last time I did Ironman I had a paper log where I kept track of me training. I had intentions of doing it again, but this is the middle of week 9 and I have yet to do so. Instead I use an online log to track my workouts. I have been using it ever since I was training for the San Francisco Marathon in 2007. It's neat, concise and keeps the data. However, I miss being able to sit down and flip through a journal. Maybe I will get some time to start adding the entries before I become forgetful. Hmmm...maybe that's what those early mornings can be used for.

I said a while ago that I was feeling low but I didn't think I would be staying there. Things are definitely getting better for me.

Fueled by latte

The most amazing swim this morning. Not sure if it was because I had a cut back week or the caloric and caffeine jolt in a grande cinnamon dolce latte, but I was swimming faster with greater consistency than I have in years! Holy crap. I was seriously shocked. I know I work hard and I try to make the most of every minute that I have.

I am also embracing the "eat when I'm hungry". I have no weight to lose, but I am having a hard time shaking the  need to drop the baby weight. If my workouts are rocking because I am eating, then that's what I need to remember.

I am flattered with all the postive feedback that I have been receiving. Thanks everyone.

Time goes fast

As I was swimming this morning I was thinking of a friend of mine. Her fourth Ironman is less than 2 weeks away and it doesn't seem that long ago that she just started training for it.

Soon enough I am going to be in the same position. My training cycle is a third over and the builk of the hours will be in the next three months. Expect to be tired, hungry and super fit!

I hate listening to my body

Today I chose rest instead of an easy run. Even though I know it was probably the right decision, it was still hard to not run. I have had the runs before that have sucked because I was too tired and I did it anyway.

Training smart.

FFS

Another week done

This week has been exhausting on so many levels. New lows were hit this week but I don't think I will be staying there. There are things that I cannot change and that I try my best to accept.

Summary for week 7!

Swim - 1:55 4800m
Bike - 5:55
Run - 2:17 21.6km

A couple of highs: longest trainer ride ever at 3h and longest run of the year at 14km. Most of that pushing a stroller.

Life is throwing more at me this week to I need to relax and get ready for it.

They can't all be good

 That was the theme for both of today's workouts. My swim was a tough slog and on my "fast" sets I couldn't do it so I focussed on technique and just got the distance in. My run was an "incomplete". I couldn't get my breath and I had to cut it short. I am certain that it was residual fatigue from yesterdays 3 hour spin.

I'm not sure how well the balance thing is working out. This morning I was very sleep deprived and quite surly. I put Peanut in front of the computer to play Angry Birds so I could get some more sleep. This is a wake up call (ha!) for me. There is something off about this schedule. This is week 7, next week is a cut back week and the end of the base phase. The next 8 week macrocycle is build and I need to be fresh and rested if I am going to handle the long runs and rides.

Riding mental

If running 54 laps around a track with a stroller is running mental, then riding 3 hours on my indoor trainer is riding mental. With snack breaks (for the older fuzzies), naptime for Junior and a bit of refereeing, the total time it took was 3:40. Not sure what the distance equivalent of that is. It doesn't matter, but I did it. I even remembered to take in lots of calories while on the bike, and I had a huge snack after. My legs feel pleasantly tired.

What I need to do is come up with a workout, get used to really working the gears that I want to race in.

And Junior even slept in until  615am!

Checking in

I'm here. So busy and not enough (well rested) hours in the day to write. Still training, still parenting, still plugging along...

Perspective

Remember growing up when everything seemed so big? Hills were big and roads neverending? That's how I felt about the street I grew up on. It is on a hill and there is another hill in the middle of it. Every now and again I run this road and look at my youth. I remember where my friends lived. The house that burned down. The lot that was vacant the whole time I lived there (15 years) and still was 5 years later. And I love running past the house I grew up in. I always said that if given the chance I would buy it. That's not true now because I love the house I am in and I actually know the owner and when she told be about all the renovations she did I was no longer interested.

 Anyway I started on the west end and ran east. The first hill seemed like nothing today, but I can remember thinking it was so steep whenever I rode my bike up it. I barely noticed the hill in the middle. I can distinctly remember it being 400m long and a 10% grade growing up. How did they manage to flatten it? I picked up speed down the other side, ran past my old house, rounded the corner and ran down the hill on the east side. This is a good steep hill and I do remember flying down it on a bike. This one is probably 5% grade and about 100m long. A challenge in my youth but not now that i am a strong adult runner. And this neverending road is a mear 1.55km. And it took all of 8 minutes to run.

 Perspective...

Spring!

I think it is fair to say that spring is here! I was out this evening and the air had that crispness to it, you know the kind after a rainstorm. The sky is clear and the sun was shining. And now the sun is setting and I can see the colours in the sky. Does this mean that soon I will be riding outside? Possibly. I stand by my wussyness and refuse to go in extreme conditions, at least right now, but I am looking forward to the whir of my tires on the road and the scenery rushing by me. I am looking forward to when my parents are settled in their new house and we return to our regular routine. I hope this means that I will be able to do a long bike ride during the week. Then the shorter ride on the weekend with the option of the brick run. My husband has "called" Thursdays for fishing and I cannot argue with him about it. He is being flexible around my training and he deserves some down time too.

Nice

Isn't it nice to sit in a chair, in peace and quiet, legs extended on an ottoman?

The $13 workout

$11 for childcare and $2 for the post swim coffee. All worth it.

The kids like the childcare at the gym and even though the workout takes away from family time, they are still socializing and are happy. And then I am happy.

Everyone wins.

Week 5 done and a question for you.

Summary:

swim - 1:32 3600m
bike - 5:53
run - 2:14 20.9km

total - 9:49

This is one of my biggest training weeks EVER! I am looking forward to a rest day today.

When I did Iromnan in 2005 I coiuld count on one hand the number of weeks that were over 10 hours. I am hoping I am doing the right thing

I am pretty sure I have some silent readers among those who comment. For those that so say things, thank you. I appreciate the support. For those that don't, why not? xoxo

Nutrition pass!

I used gatorage on my workout today and it helped. I also remembered to eat enough today. Yay me!

I split up my workout to 3 20 min bike/10 min runs and it was a fantastic way to do it. Great for the mental because I only was thinking 10 or 20 minutes at a time. The bike was easy because I did a long one 2 days ago and I have a tough 90 minute workout tomorrow so I wanted the legs to be "fresh" but I tried to work a bit harder on the run. Each 10 minutes segmant was faster and farther than the one before. The first one I increased speed every 2 minutes, the second every 90 seconds and the third every minute. It really gave me confidence in my running speed.

The unfortunate thing about running by time instead of distance is that when it seems like your children are about to kill each other in the playroom, running faster doesn't end the workout sooner. And I was running too hard to give an effective stern voice. Why is it children choose to be at their worst when you are occupied?

Nutrition fail

Yes, it needs to get addressed ASAP. I didn't have an issue during the long spin yesterday but it was when I tried to do my late night swim that I felt the effects of not wating enough during the day. Usually after a hard workout I am not hungry for the rest of the day. I need to force myself to eat more.

The sleep is an issue too. I don't think I am getting quality hours at night and I am waking u much too early. Darn that Junior! Good thing he is cute.

The pain bank

A friend of mine came up with this phrasing during a hard workout (or was it a race?). Good thing I didn't say a good friend, haha. When you are suffering during a workout you are depositing into the pain bank. Your account grows with strength (I assume the interest is compounded daily, if not hourly) and you are supposed to withdraw it all on race day.

I made a hell of a deposit today: 12km on an indoor track that has an incline, running without music while pushing a stroller.

Still not whining.

The chocolate diet

I'm not usually a big fan of the sweet stuff but there is something about those little Cadbury bunnies that I love. They are becoming extinct in this house.

Priorities

Family time prevailed this week so I skipped a workout. I am totally fine with it. I have a big week coming up so I am going to enjoy the extra rest day and Easter food and drink.

This week's summary:

swim - 1:00 2000m
bike - 3:00
run - 58:00 9.7km

Total time 4:58

I am noticing that I am starting to feel tired. I need to look at my nutrition under the microscope again. The fuzzies are really good about asking for food when they are hungry and asking for things like cheese and fruit. I need to follow their example.

Intervals!

Intervals were on tap today, mainly because I wanted to run fast. I like to have a plan and I thought that it would be fun. Whoops, I mean "fun". I was definitely out of my comfort zone for them and that's what will make me a stronger runner. The first couple were not paced appropriately but the last three were better. I was able to get faster with each lap rather than hang on for dear life.

Note to self: don't plan intervals 15h after a tough hilly bike workout. The legs aren't happy.

Ah suck it up, right?

And please note that I am not whining!!

Summary of thoughts

Summary of this week:

swim - 1:30 (3500m)
bike - 5:30
run - 1:49 (16.9km)

Total training time - 8:49

No surprise that I feel tired. The jump in biking volume did me in a bit. Looking forward to a cutback week and an extra rest day.


I have managed to attemt every workout that has been on schedule. Although a couple were shorter than planned, I didn't bail on any of them.

The kids do cheer me on when I am running on the treadmill and I think they have gotten used to the background noise of it while they play in the basement. I really wish that Junior wasn't up so early, because then I wouldn't have to take time away from them to train. I do feel a bit guilty about that. I feel like I owe them my best effort if I am to be away from them.

Coming a long way

When I feel discouraged I like to remind myself of how far I've come with my training. When I first stared road cycling I had a hard time moving into the big ring at the front and when I could, it was only for short periods of time. Now I can spin in it for more than an hour at a time and I am working my way through the gears at the back. It isn't always easy but it can be done.

I remember having difficulty getting through an hour on the bike when the limiter was physical. Now it seems that it can be the mental. It does help to have a plan when riding, or at the very least, some company. I push myself the hardest when I am leading a group class because I don't want them to think that I can dish it and not take it.

I used to not have the strength to stand on the trainer, and now I think I have run out of gear options. I never thought that I would ever say that.

I can tell that I am getting stronger. I really hope it pays off on course.

Afraid of the goose egg

I an driven by the numbers to a point. I have learned that pushing my body too far in order to check off a specific distance ran (or the like) is a poor strategy in the long run. I like checking things off in my training plan. I didn't want to miss a workout this early on. I know if there is a time to miss a workout, the early weeks are it, but I just don't like doing it.

Today I did my long spin in the morning and then the swim late at night. Like 930pm late. I was dreading the short walk to the pool and at one point was hoping that maybe someone would have soiled the pool and it wouldn't be good for swimming. Ah, luck was not on my side.

I told myself that if I was too tired that I could bail and at least I tried. I also told myself to suck it up. I got in the pool and managed 1000m, and only the last 100m were challenging for my stroke. I was swimming relaxed and smooth and without regret.

So no goose egg after all.

First run

I have such amazing revelations when I am out running but I can never seem to recall anything when it comes down to writing an entry.

I went for the first outdoor run from the house since we moved (the one in Canmore at the end of February doesn't count). I know I have run the same streets before but tonight it felt different because now I was running through my neighbourhood. I was seeing everything in a different light. I will admit that I like to snoop through people's windows and see what they're up to and compare their house to mine (mine is better xoxo).

Because of circumstances I started out running on the treadmill before moving outside. The effort outside felt the same as on the treadmill but was :16/km faster. And I did feel like I could keep running. I didn't have music or my garmin. I ran by feel and listened to the sounds. It was a very relaxing run.

Boring update...

I enjoyed a rest day today, and ate too much crap. Went to see the hunger games. did today's bike yesterday, and the rest of the week is a training puzzle.

Another week done:

Swim - 1:50 (3700m)
Bike - 4:00
Run - 2:06 (20.6km)

7:56 total training time

I start off excited but by Saturday morning I am looking forward to the rest day.

If only...

There is the common misconception that the amount of sweat indicates how hard a workout is. The two are not related. However, if there were a correlation, then I would have had the most awesome workout in the history of spinning as I sweat so much today I had to wring out my headband.

Gross.

Eureka!

I have made some discoveries this week.

Spinning before swimming is no longer how I am going to do things. I didn't spin first yesterday and I had an amazing swim. The main set was 20 x 100m at about a 750m TT pace. I managed between 2:07 and 2:14 for them. The majority of the slower ones were the last 3 since I was getting tired but I had time to finish the set so I did. I kept my stroke as even as I could and I tried to do the same with my breathing.

I need a plan when it comes to an at home spin workout. I know I can work hard, I do it with the group, but I have a tendency to chat on the phone or play games when I am by myself. I am letting myself spin too much in too easy of a gear. I know there is a place for that, but I want to be strong on the bike and I can't always piss around.

I have pinpointed one of the reasons why I have tension in my shoulders and it isn't related to swimming. I am prevented from pursuing (IMO) the appropriate couse of action and that is frustrating me.

Tree trunks are strong

That's what my friend Jenn texted to me when I said my legs felt like tree trunks. I then replied that they are heavy and don't bend. Yes, I was being whiny. My run was tough from the start. Maybe it was because of improper post workout fueling yesterday, or because I only got 5 hours of sleep. Maybe both. Whatever the issue was it made the run hard, but I did slog through it. I am looking forward to taking it outside when the weather is a bit warmer. My wuss factor is still pretty high right now.

Starting another week!

My weeks build intensity as they go, so it is nice that they start slow. (hey, a poem!)

Seriously, I like that I don't have 2 workouts on Tuesdays, although I will probably add a third swim later.

Today is my last spin class of the session and I have loved teaching it. It will start up again in 2 weeks.

Solid!

First week of training done and it adds up as follows:

Monday-rest Rest
Tuesday- bike (intervals, hills, etc) 45:00 done
Wednesday-long run 1:15 (11.3km pushing the stroller)
Thursday-swim and bike 2250m assorted (54:00), 1:00 on trainer
Friday- brick 45:00 bike, 10:00 run
Saturday-long bike 2:00 on trainer
Sunday swim and easy run 1600m assorted drills, 40:00 progression run

Swim 3850m (1:45)
Bike 4:30
Run 2:04 (19.8km)

Saturday's long spin was a "grind" of sorts. I had one ear to the music and the other to the fuzzies who were playing. Junior napped for the first 1:15 of it too. I missed having a group (or at least someone to talk to who wasn't fighting with a sibling) so that's what made it drag.

Sunday I did a swim that was mostly drills to work on my pull and position. I even did kick drills that I hate so much.

The run was great. I did a 10 minute warm-up and then increased the speed about :20/km every 10 minutes. 35 minutes total then a cool down. I have been running the long runs faster than I thought I would, so the natural pregression is to run faster with the other runs. I don't want to get caught up in one pace. I know that I won't be in a position to "race" the run of Ironman, but I do have my sights set on a half marathon PB at the very least, so I want to keep upping my speed.

Overall, I am very happy with the first week. I didn't miss a workout and I felt like I had energy. There were a couple of workouts that were tough to start but I always did and was happy with the result.

Now the best part? I have rest until 5:20pm Tuesday! Woohoo!

Carnage

One week of training and working yields the following laundry:

7 sport bras
6 tanks
2 tanks with built in bra
4 pairs of cycle shorts
3 pairs of running shorts
2 pairs of other shorts
3 pairs of crops/capris
11 pairs of socks


Not to mention the stuff I wear to and from the gym which also gets sweaty and stinky.

The damn internet!

The last sentence above came to haunt me today. I was too tired and I didn't want to get on my bike but I did.

Oldest fuzzy was "star of the day" at school so I went to volunteer in his class. Doing so I miss the coached swim group, so I did the workout before. My only gripe is that the workout I was emailed was more challenging than the one the group did! Anyway, being up and in the pool before 645 is new for me so my body took a bit to wake up. I felt tired all day but still did my hour on the bike.

See? No excuses. Now don't mind me as I pour a glass of wine and get excited about tomorrow's workout that it only an hour long.

Cupping

Today I had my first massage in years. I have a lot of tension in my upper back and I needed it gone. Rolling it out on a tennis ball just wasn't working for me. Igot a massage and some cupping done. It was my first experience with it. It felt odd, and a bit painful in some places but bearable. My back looks like I got into a fight with an octopus!

I didn't have a good sleep last night. Too many hours spent awake listening to a not sleeping baby. I had a nap this afternoon which wasn't long enough. I didn't want to get up and teach, but I did. The spin class was hard for me, but luckily I had a good mix of music today and an awesome workout planned and made it through. For the next few months I am going to have to teach my class then do another 15 or 20 minutes on my own to get the time up.

I made the promise early on that I wasn't going to make excuses and I still won't.

Pre-flection

The pre base period is done and I would say that I was successful at getting a good base for the official base period of training. I did at least one of each discipline each week, but mainly 2 of each and sometimes 3. I did at least 6h a week of activity and that it pretty good to start.

The weeks "look" manageable, but the volume is pretty low to start. The biggest thing to fit in will be the long bikes. I will have to be creative with the weekly scheduling, and top of my time management.

I have been flipping through the training log of my first Ironman. Honestly, it is amazing that I actually finished it I made a lot of mistakes training, but I did do some things right. I was a big advocate of quality vs quantity. I will be doing similar things this time. I did not do a lot of long distance riding, and I know that hurt me on race day. I am not making that mistake again. My training right now is more bike focused and back then it was run focused as I was training for the Vancouver Marathon. Not this time!

The gist of the training schedule (as per my training manual) is as follows:
Mondays-rest
Tuesdays-swim and bike
Wednesdays-run
Thursdays-brick or separate bike and run
Fridays-swim and bike
Saturdays-long bike and easy run, or brick
Sundays-swim and (long) run

The weekday workouts are reasonably short compared to the weekends. I will be swapping Thursdays and Fridays, as the coached swim group meets Thursdays. I will be tweaking the days a bit to fit in with our family schedule. I know there will be times that life will make it challenging, but I will do my best. I want to get to the finish line so I will make it work.

Shall I start making a batch of "suck-it-up" to have on hand?

Spinning like I mean it

I had a tough but good spin today. I focused on higher cadence stuff. Basically simulating riding the 40km part of an Olympic triathlon. I know I am getting stronger and I am excited to get out on the road.

That being said I got the "go ahead" to buy a triathlon bike. I sent hubby a picture of me standing beside one with a sad face. He later asked me if I needed one. I know that I don't need one, but I do see myself doing triathlon for a very long time, and I think it would be comfortable. I have been doing a little bit of shopping and hoping to get the best bike I can for the money that I can spend.

I know it isn't going to make me a better triathlete and I know that I can finish any distance with the bike I do have. Can I justify it as a need? Absolutely not. It is a want. But doing Ironman is a want. I don't need to to this. I want to. Will it make me happier to have it? No. Maybe? I am not unhappy without it. Will it make me faster? Ah...now that's a question. ;)

Swimming but going nowhere

Tough day at the pool. Each stroke was a struggle to do. My shoulders and upper back are so tired from swimming. The coach says that's normal and I am doing it right. I guess retraining the muscles to swim properly is going to make me tired. I am used to my legs being tight and tired but having this in my upper body is a new sensation to me.

Suck it up, buttercup

Wardrobe fail this morning. Went to the gym to do my run and didn't have my shorts with me. Had to do my run in my long yoga pants. Not the most comfortable feeling, being drenched in sweat like that. I see people running indoors in pants all the time and I think they have lost their marbles.

We were running late this morning and the shorts got left behind. At least I had my shoes!

Perspective

There are things bigger in life than Ironman training, or even exercise in general. I am always grateful for my family, even though there are times when I am too tired to speak properly, or to frustrated to communicate effectively. I know they love me for me and really don't care what the outcome is.

That being said, I did drag my tired body to the pool for my scheduled swim. I added in a bonus run as some friends of mine raced a half marathon and killed it. I was inspired to run fast.

The swim was tough. I was telling hubby that the effort on my fast sprints was not reflected in the time. He said they can't all be good workouts and he is right. He gets the high five of the day. After breakfast I was all dozy on the chair and said that I was going to go swimming after supper: the pool would be less crowded and hopefully I would feel more awake. He strongly suggested I get up and go right now since I wouldn't want to go after supper. He's right. I am glad that I don't have to head over now. I can relax and maybe get into bed early.

This week's summery:
swim - 1:30 (3400m)
bike - 2:50
run - 2:25 (23.7km)

So almost 7h in total when added up. I am looking forward to having my treadmill up and running (ha!). I also need to figure out what I am going to do around spring break...

Brick boo yeah!

Did a brick workout today. An hour on the bike then 20 minutes run.

I am starting to pay attention to the watts and distance that I am riding. I know it is on a spin bike so accuracy may be iffy, but I like numbers. Funnily, I looked at what I did on both my hour rides this week. Distance differed by .1km but average watts by 15. What the...

Did a tough interval run yesterday. Pukeworthy. I was thinking of some of the insane interval workouts I know others do and that's what helped me go. I want to be in the "fast kids" club and tough workouts like this will help me get there.

Morning workout envy?

Something I never thought I would actually say, but I do have a small part of me that wishes I were able to do the early morning workouts. With hubby's work schedule it doesn't work, unless I wanted my morning to start at 3am (and no pool that I know of is open then). Jr doesn't sleep well enough so there is no guarantee that at 6 or 7am he will be sleeping.

I like the idea of being able to exercise while the family is sleeping and then it doesn't take any time away from them. My current option is to put them in childcare while I do a workout. I am not opposed to that as they like it there and get to play with kids their own age a bit more.

Also as the day progresses my enthusiasm decreases, so I like the idea of getting it out of the way.

Stroller Run Wednesdays

Some of my friends do "Tempo Tuesdays" so this is my answer. Yes, the more appropriate answer would be to do the tempo run. Shhhh.

28 hours away

A quick trip to the mountains to spend the night with friends. Many paralyzers drank and a ton of laughs. Even a run on Sunday morning in the mountains. Last time I ran in Canmore I was pregnant with my daughter and duped into thinking that a half marathon was 23km (it isn't, you know!!). Totally worth it, even though 8.5 of the 28h were spent driving, it was nice to get away.

This week's summary:
swim 1:00 (1.9km)
bike 2:45
run 2:17 (21.3km)

Atta girl!

Something the swim coach says to me. I know it is something that one would say to a dog, but I think it is funny.

I am not the fastest in the group, not by far, but my hunger to improve is huge.

We did fast, faster and fastest 25 m repeats. 28-30s was fast, 25-28s was faster and 21-23s was fastest. I swam 25m in 21 seconds!! Funny thing was that after most of the repeats I would look at the clock and say "wow" out loud because I didn't think that I could swim that fast.

My arms and back are so tired after swimming and even a bit during. I have never swam like this and it is proof that I made the right decision by signing up for the class.

Another stroller run

Another run around the track with the stroller done. Sets of 5 laps was how I could get through it. Including warm-up and cool down laps (and a dash to the bathroom) I was just shy of 11km today. I timed each set and they got progressively faster.

We are getting settled in the house. It feels like home already.

Birthday!

It's my birthday. It's also moving day. Both good things. Fueled by a junk food breakfast, it will be a long but productive day.

Last week's summary:
Swim 1:00 (1800m)
Bike 3:05:00
Run 1:15 (12.8km)

So a shortish week since the run and swim that would normally be on schedule isn't today.

Back to full steam with the real IMC training plan starting in 2 weeks.

Little fish in a big pond

I moved up a lane today. Mainly because there were 4 people in the lane that I have been swimming in, and I moved to a lane with only 2 people in it. It was a good move for me. One of the other swimmers was quite fast and the other swimmer was a bit slower than me. I would always catch up to her at the end of a 50, no matter how much lead I gave her. Swimming with faster people really forced me to work harder as I didn't want to get dropped. I also was reminded of the power of the draft.

My back, shoulders and core are always sore after a swim. I am really concentrating on being powerful through my stroke, and not over rotating, and not crossing over my body, and swimming with a strong pull, and.... you get the idea.

Training has been easy this week. I took a much needed rest day yesterday as there has been so much to do in preparation for the move, and there have been a few nights where sleep has been a bit short. Not an excuse, per se, but I do need to do what's best for my body (and I hate listening to my body) and be able to get through the next week.

Scary...

I have put in the first 2 weeks of the official training plan for Ironman. It is 11 workouts: 3 swim, 4 bike and 4 run. I'd be lying if it didn't look a bit scary to me.

The sweat smiley

You know when you work hard and you get that pool of sweat on the inside of your bra and possibly on the front of your top? I didn't get that today. Instead I was soaked all the way to the bottom of my tank. Awesome!

Energy debt

I took an unscheduled rest day today. I have been feeling tired and not feeling like myself. The latter is usually an indication that I need more rest or more to eat. I have been meaning to track what I am eating but I haven't started yet. I am sticking to mainly healthy choices. Sleep can be out of my control. I can go to bed at an early hour, but if the kids are unsettled then we are too. The past two nights I have gotten about 5 hours of good sleep between them.

Swim yesterday went well. 1800m total and I am happy that I can finish the whole workout in the class. I have been paying attention to the rest breaks and not taking more than what is suggested. I do find I get tired in the workout but it's a good tired. I did an hour on the spin bike first, just to get the saddle time in. Nothing challenging in terms of power or gear, but trying to maintain 90rpm.

I do know that I will have to make some scheduling changes once my parents are able to resume sleepover night with the kids. I can't have the workouts get longer and harder as the week progresses. I need to divide them better. I do have to work around teaching spin Tuesday evenings and coached swim group Thursday mornings.

So far I am enjoying the journey and I am glad that I am keeping up for the most part.

How do they do it?

Both the older fuzzies had school this morning so that leave almost two hours for Junior and I. I have my current training schedule set up to have that morning as a long run day and I attempted it with the stroller at the indoor track. Now it may also be because I didn't get a lot of sleep last night, but it was a PITA to get through and I gradually was slower and slower. Hardly enjoyable. Maybe when the weather is nice we can take it outside?

The frustration started before we even left the house. As I was packing up to go I grabbed my gym bag and things must have shifted because my iPod turned on and I could hear it. I left it knowing I would be grabbing it later. However, "later" I couldn't find the damn thing! I easily spent 15 minutes searching all the pockets in my bag and came up empty. FFS. So no distracting music aside from the group fitness class that was on the field below and when that was over there was nothing except my own thoughts. Which, after being up most of the night, weren't original at all! So I am rethinking my current plan of the long run on Wednesday with the stroller.

I have friends that can run for hours with their running stroller. I don't know how they can do it.

So much to do

The condo for the race and surrounding days is booked, so that is one less thing to stress about. However, we will be moving in less than two weeks and the list of things I need to get done before that date is long and I need to pick away at that.

The next two weeks will be busy and exciting and I am looking forward to it all being done. I can't wait for the memories that will happen at the house and I am going to love watching the kids grow up there. It is so the right move for our family. They are so excited and are counting down the sleeps. It is so cute when Sweetpea asks if her stuffies will come to the new house. And her shoes. And her brothers.

Next week is a cut back week for me. I have three full rest days, although one will be lots of lifting, packing and unpacking.

I'm a triathlete!

..sort of. My workout today was a brick bike and run, then I hit the pool. If I triathlon involves a spin bike, abnormal distances and doing the events out of order, then I totally rock.

Another week of completed workouts for me.

This week's summary:
Swim 1.5h (2900m)
Bike 3:20
Run 2:01 (19.2km)

Body is feeling sore and tired, but the good news is that I don't have a workout planned until Tuesday afternoon so it is like having 48h off!

Poor mommy

Poor mommy didn't have a good night's sleep and was woken up too many times by a girl who needed cuddles.

Poor mommy was woken up too early in the morning by two handsome boys who wanted to play.

Poor mommy couldn't put her feet up because daughter wanted to colour and oldest son wanted to do a puzzle.

Hardly a poor mommy, I know. I am very lucky. Today's run got preempted by life but it did get done as planned. 42.5 laps of the indoor track completed. I even managed to gradually increase the pace to finish fast but strong.

What do you do when you're doing a boring workout?

I was spinning this morning and watching the group fitness class below. Here is what I discovered:

-66 participants: 62 female, 4 male

-26 participants wore a lululemon tank

-16 participants wore shorts, 8 wore pants, the rest wore capris. All bottoms were black

-4 participants wore a hat

-9 wore too much make-up

-21 participants used the 5lb dumbbells. 19 of them were in the back half of the class

I also discovered that without a plan I find spinning boring. Tomorrow I have 1:30 on the schedule and I am going to have to come up with something.

Swim today was 1900m and I finished the whole workout. We did 3 x 100m descents and my times were 2:15, 2:12 then 2:02. We also had to do some hard pulls and were my arms ever tired at the end. Apparently I am reaching too much from the shoulder joint instead of reaching with a body roll. Something else to work on.

It's been a good start to the week. Yesterday was a 45 minute spin which did feel a bit tiring and today was a 40 minute run.

I am noticing that I am getting stuck running the same pace for my runs. It is time to mix it up...

Satisfaction!

I am looking at my training program and every single workout was crossed off this week!

2 swims totaling 1:30 (3150m)

3 bikes totaling 2:59

3 runs totaling 2:02 (18.2km)

The schedule of how I fit everything in will work until the end of March. I do anticipate some disruption when we move (possession in 3 weeks!), but I may have to drop the kids in childcare so I can get the workouts done.

The only scheduling issue I had was I didn't spin before swimming on Thursday, but today I ran before swimming and the swim didn't feel any worse at the start than normal.

I also did a 500m time trial and my benchmark is 11:48 (2:21/100m)

Another spin success! Today's workout was 1:44 in length and a mix of aerobic and anaerobic. I don't have a lot to say about it although I do feel like I worked my ass off and it ended up on the floor in a pool of sweat.

Double your pleasure!

Today was my first double day of training. Initially I was going to spin before my swim class, but a daughter who wanted me to lay with her last night took a big chunk of sleep away from me. It isn't often that my kids want to cuddle so I take what I can get. Everyone was short on sleep and Jake was the first to wake up at 8:10 and he needed to be at school in 20 minutes because he was leaving on a field trip. Luckily today is the day that my MIL takes him to school so there wasn't the rush to get everyone out the door. I made the decision to have a relaxing coffee and spin later in the evening.

I had a great swim! It was my longest distance since GWN 2009, a total of 2150m. A lot of it was pull but I did every stroke. I am working hard on my form and keeping that arm bent during the pull. I also discovered that my "fast" pace is only slightly faster than my "1500m pace" pace but feels about 10 times harder, so something not good is happening with my stroke.

I teach 2 classes Thursday night (thanks to one of my SIL who looks after the kids) and it worked out that I could spin after. I managed a half hour at an easy tension and held 90 rpm for most of it.

So my first double day is done.

And I got a notification that there is space for Cait in one of the preschool programs Wednesday morning. So starting next week Jake and Cait will be in school and Justin and I can run the track together. Excellent!

Also. I have seven followers yet only two comments. And I've heard there are lurkers out there too. Hmmmm......

I love that I am able to work and train at the same time. I lead a 45min spin class Tuesday nights and I am thrilled that they are a hard working group, even though there are all sorts of levels of fitness. Everyone works to the best of their ability and I could not ask for anything more.

I am sitting in front of my training log trying to come up with a balance for this week and next. I am glad that this is only pre-base and if I miss a workout it isn't the end of the world. I am working on consistency.

I was laying down yesterday and thinking about Ironman and my stomach was jumping. I remember the first time I did it. I was staying with my SIL's family outside Penticton and every time we drove into town I could feel the anxiety building. Last year I had the same feeling knowing I was there to register for the race.

It's a good feeling because I know it isn't something that is easy, and this reminds me that I need to work hard to make it happen. I want the finish. I want the cheers at the end of the race. I want to feel proud of the accomplishment. That motivated me the first time. It will motivate me again.

Basement of fun!

I know at some point it will morph into the basement of pain, but right now it is fun to watch the three fuzzies play and interact. Free entertainment. A lot of stop and start as I mediate and move kids about but an hour done. My longest run since the marathon and hopefully getting longer.

Busy busy

What a crazy week it has been. We listed our house for sale Monday and have had 12 showings since, including some at very inconvenient times. It has been madness keeping everything clean and ushering three kids out the door on time. However, we had a showing last night right at supper time and they made an offer that evening. So, our house is conditionally sold! The conditions will have to be filled by the end of the week so fingers crossed that all is well.

When we had the first "second" showing our realtor's assistant told us to present the house with a warm smell like vanilla or cinnamon. Last night we were eating McDonald's cheeseburgers and french fries when the potential buyer walked through. It must have smelled like home to him.

The training summary for this week is low: 1 swim, 2 bikes and 1 run. I was going to do something today but just couldn't muster the time or energy for it so I am opting for some trash TV and a glass of wine instead. I am looking at the next month and training will have to take a back seat since we will be moved into the new house within 5 weeks. There is packing and cleaning to be done and that is priority. Rest assured that I will need to do something in order to de-stress.

Just keep spinning

I was very lucky to be asked to lead some of the Saturday classes for the Edmonton Triathlon Club. They are a great group of people who like to work hard and are an enthusiastic bunch. I was honoured to be asked. I am also appreciated there. The give an enthusiastic round of applause after the class and I usually have no less than 5 people compliment me after. That is no nice to hear.

When I first started triathlon and riding my bike I would have difficulty riding in the big chain ring for more than about 10 minutes at a time and never for more than a third of a long ride. The first ever Olympic distance triathlon I did I think I rode it all in the middle ring. Over time I have made an effort to use the big ring and have been impressed that I am able to hold it longer and longer. I am now able to do the majority of my strength sets in it and I am working towards the outer part of my back ring. One of my goals for Ironman is to do most of the ride in the big front ring.

Today's class (1:35)was a combination of low cadence high gear climbs and medium gear high cadence intervals. The big ring was not happening for the sprints but hopefully it will. I was also getting a kick out of one of the women in the front row who was gear matching me. I will keep my eye on her.

Trying to be hip

I have joined a tri swim group to help with my stroke. It has been a long time since I have been part of a coached group and I think it is going to make a difference. I have already been given tips to try. I also look forward to the workout.

The good thing is that I have a good body position and body roll. I need to work on the last half of my stroke. Once I made some corrections I could tell the difference and I did feel more powerful, although I was getting tired. One thing I was told was to try to pull the water past my hip as I have a tendency to come out of the water early. I am hoping that eventually I will consistently swim 100m faster than 2 minutes.

My endurance for a continuous swim isn't there yet. My goal for my second swim of the week will be to build that but still incorporate the tips I have learned.

Bits and pieces coming back

It isn't a shocker that today's run was difficult to get through. Once I was running I realized that all I had eaten was toast and PB for breakfast and a ham and cheese sandwich for lunch. The memory that running is difficult when not properly fueled came back. However, it became mind over matter and I finished the intended workout thanks to the BBM chat with a friend. Yes, I can type and run at the same time. I'm a mother. It's called multi tasking.

A good rule of thumb to follow is to eat when they eat because when they are hungry I probably am as well.

Life is busy right now. It's easy to forget.

Where to begin....

I am a mother of three and my children are a big part of my life. I am an IMC 2005 finisher and I have always known it wouldn't be the only one I would do. My lifetime goal is to do one in every age group. This year I am in the 35-39 age group and it is the 30th anniversary of the race so it fits! Well, on paper it does. Whether or not it fits into actual life will be determined and is the point of this blog.

This will be a training journal of sorts. Hopefully the whining and excuses will be at a minimum (it really is a pet peeve of mine) but with three kids 5 and under there is bound to be some. I'm not supermom and I don't have boundless energy. I am just going to do the best that I can every day.

Right now the goal is to find balance. I just finished the first week of "pre-training" where I did two workouts of each discipline. I want to continue that pattern. Right now when the workouts are short it looks like it will work. My work and life schedule for the next couple of months make it easy to find the places to fit the workouts in. The formal training plan starts 24 weeks out, on March 12.

It will be quality over quantity. I don't want the training to take more time away from my family than it has to, but I know there are some long workouts ahead of me. Probably some early mornings and late nights at the pool or on the treadmill as well. Such will be life. See? No whining and complaining.