Where's My Crystal Ball?

Tomorrow is race day – the Monument 10K. At least 30 TRIgirls are running the race – almost all of us on one of six teams.

Before getting into the purpose of this post, I have to say, actual race days are so much more fun because of TRIgirls. From seeing the friends you’ve trained with for months out on the course to the extra cheering squads to the pre and post race activities. I feel so fortunate to be a part of this group and to be surrounded by so many wonderful women.

As part of our pre-race festivities, Coach G posted a challenge to the TRIgirl teams – to guess our finishing times. The team whose predictions are closest to their overall times wins.

At first I was going to predict a 64ish minute time – which was about 3 minutes faster than last year’s race. Then I remembered I ran the Turkey Trott this past November in about 64 minutes – and convinced myself to go for a little extra push beyond my comfort zone. So, I changed my estimate to 61:40. I will have to average a sub 10 minute/mile pace to hit this. As long as I am not having a bad day – I “should” be able to do this. There is even a chance that if I am having a great day, I may even be able to do better.

Yet, I am a bit queasy with this goal. Due to very stiff and sore muscles this week, my last two runs have been less than stellar. I've felt like I was moving through quick sand and could barely keep my easy pace. Today is the first day that I have been able to walk like a normal person. I am hoping it is a good sign that my muscles will be completely recovered tomorrow morning.

And I have to factor in time to grab at a special frozen banana from one of our TRIgirl cheering squads – as long as I am not too delirious and can remember the secret word.

Watch out for the sea of pink that will be invading Monument Avenue tomorrow!

Good luck, racers – and especially all TRIgirls!

The Things I've Forgotten

With all the running around from one gym to another, from one workout to the next (sometimes the same day), I often feel like I am losing my mind. I can almost guarantee I will have forgotten something in the flurry of bag packing – no matter how diligently I try to go through my mental inventory. Here is a list of items I’ve discovered missing in my training bag over the past few months:

• Running sneakers (thank goodness for an extra pair, slated for Goodwill, in the trunk)
• Towel for bike class (had impressive sweat puddles that day!)
• Deodorant (bar soap works better than you might think)
• Work Socks (wore shoes barefoot)
• Workout Socks (wore work socks)
• Shoes (stopped by home before work)
• Goggles (OK, somebody just hid mine as a joke, but it was a scare that had my traipsing around the locker room one morning)
• Pony Tail Holder (looked like Medusa by the end of the workout)
• Watch (spent the day looking at my bare wrist)
• Sports Bra (wore regular bra)
• Regular Bra (wore sports bra (this was after a swim, but before work, then weight, bike training))
• Underwear (don't ask, but it reminds me of a Seinfeld episode...)
• Water (TRIgirl Devil Face shared an extra bottle with me)
• Make-up (had an extra set of most items in my pocketbook)
• Hair Spray (borrowed some from TRIgirl LD)
• Tennis Balls for Guppy Class Drills (well, that was slightly intentional - though I've been told if I "forget" them next week, I'll be carrying everyone else's while they swim without)

The Wetsuit

I've ordered my wetsuit. With custom TRIgirl logo, of course.

This will be the wetsuit that will fit so beautifully, I will overcome feelings of being suffocated.

This will be the wetsuit that will protect me from all things that go bump in rivers, bays, lakes and oceans.

This will be the wetsuit that will keep me warm during my first open water swim at Smith Mountain Lake on May 5th.

This will be the wetsuit that I will don at Eagleman, in the brackish Choptank River.

This will be the wetsuit that will keep me afloat during the two 1.2 mile loops at Panama City for Ironman Florida.

This wetsuit has a lot to live up to. Let's hope it is up for the challenge.

Fezzy vs. the Steps - by Fezzy

I have been a bit annoyed at Mommy recently.

After being gone all day at work and workouts, she finally comes home. She gives me a little bit of attention and then it is time to go upstairs to bed.

She used to scoop me up and kiss me all the way up the stairs. I would try to bite her nose or lick her ears in return.

But lately, she calls Buttercup and me, and says "Upstairs!"

Then she is gone,

WITHOUT ME,

and Buttercup gives me a sideways glance as she follows Mommy.

I do a little tap dance, tilting my head ever so cutely. I bark to remind Mommy that she forgot me. And up until now, Mommy would eventually come down to carry me up the stairs.

Well, today, Mommy isn't coming back down.

I see her peeking around the door and I hear her saying "Come on, Fezzy!"

I am waiting for you to come and get me, I bark at Mommy.

"Come on, Fezzy!"

Mommy seems very far away. I am so little. The stairs are so tall and scary.

But I know how to jump up one step - I've been doing that ever since I was a puppy to get into our playroom with all my toys.

I can even go up four steps. I learned that trick with Daddy on our front stoop.

But, there are many, many steps to get to Mommy. I prop my front legs on the bottom step, but don't know what to do next.

OK, maybe I will try just a little push. Up go my back legs.

Hmmm - let me try that again. Front legs, back legs. I am past the second step!

I suddenly have momentum and am flying up the rest.

Before I know it, I am dancing in front of Mommy.

She scoops me up, gives me kisses - and I lick her ears.

As long as I don't have to go downstairs, I'll be OK. For now, I am tired and ready for bed.

Zzzzzzz.

Cravings

This week, I was reminded by Triathlonmom that we are halfway in our training program to Eagleman – and, thanks to her efforts, a very cool counter has been added to the footer of my blog where I can watch the days tick away to this major race.

I know our training is about to move up to the next intensity level. And I know that I need to seriously evaluate my nutrition plan – for both workouts and races.

Overall, I’ve made a few changes in my diet since my last nutrition post. I am eating more without gaining weight. Breakfast is becoming a regular occurrence. I’m remembering to take a sports bar or jelly beans for workouts that will be over an hour. Most of the time, my beverage of choice is water (well, and some wine, too).

Yet I seem to have predictable hankerings. For a post-workout breakfast (still can’t figure out how to eat anything more than a sports bar before early morning workouts), I really want a bagel. So I pick one up at Manna Café, the little food shop in my office building. Lately, I’ve been adding either a Naked Fruit Smoothie or V8 to my purchase to have as a mid morning snack. Yep, often a cup of coffee is on my receipt, too.

At lunchtime, you can usually find me online at Christopher’s Runaway Gourmet (and usually TRIgirl LD will be waiting with me). This is probably my most balanced meal of the day – low fat chicken salad, fruit or cucumbers, small piece of cheese and a slice of yummy, crusty bread – with butter. I can eat this stuff day after day to the amazement of some of my coworkers.

Dinner is probably my most unusual meal. I crave cheese and salt. So many nights, I end up cutting up some fresh mozzarella, seasoned nicely with some good ole kosher or sea salt. At least when tomatoes are back in season, I can add a few slices for a healthier and less bizarre supper.

While my overall nutrition is better, my guess is that it isn’t good enough. I know the drill - more fruits, veggies and whole grains. My main problem is that I’d rather skip a meal than waste calories on something I don’t want or won’t enjoy. And I think there may be a small fear that if I eat the healthier choice – let’s say whole wheat bread vs. the bagel – I’ll still want the bagel and will end up eating it – or something similar – before the day is done.

Small steps - and I’m ready to take the next one or two. Just need to figure out which ones are most important – or the ones I’ll be more likely to adopt.

A Blustery Day

With temperatures around 70 yesterday, I was itching to be outside - and played hookey from indoor bicycling to ride at West Creek.

The ride started off beautifully.

And then the lions of March started roaring.

I hit a few parts of the course where the wind either slowed me down or propeled me along. Which made for an interesting workout.

But, I should have paid attention to the warnings - like the leaves that were suddenly swirling about in mini tornado fashion.

Because when I soon thereafter hit a section of road with no buildings or trees to act as buffers, I found myself struggling to keep control of the bike. I was literally being pushed across the road by the strong gusts.

After about 15 miles, I'd had enough and decided to fit in a short run instead of completing a longer bicycle ride.

I guess it may have been good practice for Eagleman and IMFL - which I hear can be windy.

Flipping

For my past two swim workouts, I’ve been flailing about, attempting what are supposed to be flip turns.

I’ve had a few people say – why bother – there are no walls in the ocean.

Which is true – and if I really wanted to simulate an open water swim, I’d need to find a way to not push off the wall at all – nor take a little breather when doing a regular turn. Maybe remove the lap ropes and lines, generate some wave action, dump in a few gallons of salt and throw in some jellyfish.

And I think the biggest benefit of flip turns – well, when I can actually incorporate them smoothly into my swimming – will be that I won’t be able to take that additional breath or two. Which, I’ve come to learn, really makes a difference. Without that extra air, swimming, especially longer distances, becomes a wee bit more challenging and tiring.

Not to mention, they “should” help me keep up a little better with some of the faster swimmers – and maybe even improve my time in pool sprint triathlons.

So, this past Sunday and Monday, I tried to include flip turns for a least a quarter of each workout. It wasn’t always very pretty.

The baffling part is that I used to be able to do them when I was a teenager (or at least some version that may not have been “technically” correct, but fairly smooth). I’m very comfortable, even still, doing water acrobatics, from all my childhood practice when my friends and I would pretend the pool lap lines were balance beams and would create little gymnastic routines.

But, I’m hopeful about figuring this whole flip turn thing out. I’ve done some research online and am looking forward to my next swim when I can try out some of the tips I’ve found. For example, I think I am twisting way too soon. It sounds like I should really complete the somersault, then turn.

Once the basic form starts falling into place, I’ll work on stopping the little head bobbing thing I am doing now when nearing the wall to try and gauge at what point to start the turn (and to sneak the extra breath or two that I’d normally have taken with a regular turn).

Would welcome suggestions from the expert flippers out there…

Shamrock 8K - Race Report

And a great time was had by all...

OK, maybe that should have been the ending to this post, but it also felt like the right way to begin. With the Shamrock 8k as the first race of the season for 11 TRIgirls (and tomorrow's half marathon for a few others) this weekend's races have set the stage for a promising season.

Thank goodness the weather improved from yesterday's pouring rain. Thank goodness eight TRIgirls were able crash at TRIgirl MW's wonderful beach home. Thank goodness we had a great pre-race meal of yummy pizza and a healthy salad - and a relaxed, fun evening of fabulous conversation.

And a big happy birthday to TRIgirl TD!

Now on to the actual race report...

Pre-Race Registration and Expo - Smooth as silk - and great deals on sneakers and training gear (and yay - finally found my Mizuno sneakers - in pink - at a terrific price).

Weather - Chilly, windy, but clear. I'm guessing the temperatures were in the 30s with wind gusts up to 15-20 miles per hour. But the rain was gone - and for most of the morning, the sun shined down to warm us up just enough for good race conditions. A few times, the wind would whip between the buildings to surprise a bit, but overall, it wasn't too bad.

Course - Virginia Beach has a very flat course that runs through a "strip" of restaurants and shops, as well as a nice concrete boardwalk for the last mile or so. It was great to run with TRIgirl MW for the first half the race - until she picked up the pace a bit more than I thought I could handle. For the last few miles, had the weather been warmer or less windy, I would have positioned myself along the closest perimeter to the ocean. But since the wind was in my face at this point - I tried to plop myself in the middle of the boardwalk.

Times - I think every TRIgirl had a good race. Some ran the distance without walking for the first time - some took off signifcant times or had PRs. For me, the race was a PR - 48:27, including one mile close to my "new" tempo pace at 9:25 and two miles within reason to my old tempo pace of 9:40. My first mile was not very good - a 10:05 - but mostly because a group of us started so far back, that the first mile became a zig zag game to find an opening to get into the groove. My last .9ish mile, though I felt like I was pushing it, was also at a slower pace - probably around 10+/mile.

I went into the race just wanting to finish at a sub 10 minute/mile pace - which I did - possibly for the first time ever for an official race (there may be one 5K from my younger days, but I am not sure). But after hearing about the major gains by a few TRIgirls, I started to feel like my 3-5 minute improvement from previous 8Ks really wasn't a big deal. My progress in this whole exercise thing is so painstakenly slow at times.

And then I wondered if I just set the "bar" too low. I was a special education teacher for nine years - and became an expert at setting reasonable, reachable goals for my students, breaking down their learning tasks into realistic chunks that they could attain.

Am I breaking down my own training too far? Should I be setting goals a bit further ourside my comfort zone?

Then I decided to just stop over analyzing the situation.

Could I have ran faster? Maybe.

Did I have a better time than ever? Yes.

And, most importantly, did I have fun? Yes.

It was a beautiful day and I participated in an event with some of my favorite people. From piling into MW's SUV to find parking - to celebrating in the race tent with beers (just a sip or two for this wine loving TRIgirl) and at a local bagel shop for breakfast - I reminded myself of all the things I should be grateful for this race weekend.

...and a great time was had by all.

For Just One Day

For just one day, I’d like to run like Jackie Joyner-Kersee, swim like Janet Evans and bike like Lance Armstrong. To switch bodies and see what it feels like to be so amazingly athletic. To run with lungs that can accomplish a 4 minute mile. To swim with shoulders that cut through the water like oars. To bike with thighs so strong they can climb hill after hill after hill. To learn to what extent their power is true gift and how much is hard work. To see if what I consider “effort” compares to their ability to drive themselves through discomfort or pain. To experience their mental stamina and focus.

While it would be humbling (and probably depressing) to return to the world of back-packers, maybe I would have learned how to move with better technique or what it is like to truly push myself to the limit.

Holy Cramps!

Around 4 o'clock this morning, I woke to an impressive calf cramp. I haven't experienced one for a long time - though a few weeks back I wondered if they would start rearing their ugly heads again with all the training.

By the time 6:00 rolled around, I was a little sore and stiff getting out of bed. I did some mild stretching, grabbed two bananas, extra Gatorade and headed out to our workout - 3 miles of running, including my favorite "fast as you can half mile repeats," followed by two hours on the bike.

The workout went fairly well - I was a little cautious at times during the run and bike, pausing occasionally to stretch my calf if I felt like the muscles were teasing me with another possible cramp.

While spinning along mindlessly during the two hours, I remembered a story about my husband and leg cramps.

A little background...my husband is naturally athletic and spent his younger years excelling at a variety of sports before blowing out most of his joints. Handball, and I mean the New York one wall kind, was his favorite. He would probably play for 15-20 hours a week.

And a little more background...at the time of this story, we played cards every Sunday evening with friends. We'd have a huge spread of food and play Hearts, Spades and May I for hours.

So one Sunday, after my husband had spent most of the weekend at the handball courts, we were in our usual seats, dealing out the cards. All of the sudden, my husband was on the floor, gripping his leg, and shouting "Ow, oow, ooow." At first, we all thought he was kidding - overreacting to a bad card play. Then we realized it was a cramp. But before the one cramp subsided, another one attacked his other leg. So he was literally rolling around on the floor holding both legs. And even though we all knew it was a miserable and painful situation - watching him was just the tiniest bit funny at the time - and became a "remember when" story for many a future card night.

Indulgences

In many ways, I am a major tree hugging liberal. I don't mind (too much) paying taxes. I think quality education - whether public, private or home-based - is the key to our future. (As an ex-special education teacher, I cringe when people complain about teacher salaries.) I am a strong proponent of striving to make our environment as good, if not better, for future generations.

Give me a good book and wonderful music and I'll trade you our high definition television (just don't tell my husband).

I love to be surrounded by nature, whether experiencing a gorgeous sunset, an invigorating hike through the mountains - or even a walk through the neighborhood with Fezzy and Buttercup.

Though please make sure there is bathroom with plumbing somewhere within walking distance.

And, boy oh boy, am I a sucker for a good massage or a few hours in a hot tub.

My generous and kind neighbors have just invited me over for some hot tubbing. And my plans to stay home, while the hubby is out of town, to clean my closets, have flown out the window. My only goals now are to resist the temptation to drink too much wine or to stay out past 10:00 since we have a mega workout tomorrow starting at 7:00 am.

My Ever Changing Moods

Today’s run.

I woke up with the hope it would get me back on track with training. The antibiotic drops were relieving the pink eye. The chest cold was down to just an occasional cough. Even the road rash was healing to pinprick scabs. It was time to get back with the program.

We were scheduled to do a four mile negative split – two miles slow, two miles fast. Usually I check Garmin every half mile or so to see how I’m doing, especially when the little mile lap beeper goes off. Between starting in the dark and keeping the volume turned up on the IPOD, I kept missing the beeps to see my mile pace.

After finishing the four miles, feeling like I pushed myself reasonably hard for the negative split, I quickly looked at Garmin's workout history. 10:15, 10:19, 10:12 and 9:35.

I have to say I was disappointed, discouraged, disheartened, diswhatever; those times did not seem like a very good negative split.

Driving to TRIgirl coffee, I realized the math didn’t work out. I had finished all four miles in 39:28. Hmmmm.

So, after pulling into the Starbuck’s parking lot, I checked Garmin’s history again. Oh – lap one was really just my pace for 4 seconds (how that happened, I have no idea). Look at that – there was a fifth lap – with a 9:18 time.

And with that tiny realization that the fifth lap was really my fourth mile, it was like the skies burst open with singing angels, sunshine beams and vibrant rainbows.

I had a decent negative split. 20:35/18:53.

It seems so silly that such a small detail changed my whole mood – my perception of the workout – my sense of accomplishment. Like a day when the scale registers a pound lighter than normal – even when knowing it is water weight that will likely be back tomorrow.

Maybe the mile times shouldn’t have mattered – but I have to say the actual ones were a relief, a welcome sign that maybe not too much ground was lost these last few weeks.

Setbacks

But don't you ever give in
Taking one step forward, slipping two steps back
There's an empty feeling that you can't forget
Reaching out, reaching out for a helping hand
...
But now I'm the one to decide
Who needs, well I don't need, who needs you?
(from "Who Needs You")

These Queen lyrics have been stuck in my head - like my own personal soundtrack.

Was it just a few weeks ago I was so happily and proudly writing about PRs?

Before the nasty chest cold. Before the bike fall. And before today's appearance of some gunky eye weirdness. Things I didn't need if I had my druthers.

Yeah, I've plugged along through about 80-90% of the workouts - but they haven't been great. A medium distance run instead of intense repeats. A horrible first swim after being out of the water for a week and a half. A pathetic long distance run at a slower pace than I've done for over a year.

Maybe it is my own fault. I try to ignore being sick. Usually I think it works to my advantage. With the help of a few over-the-counter drugs, life seems normal. And before I know it, the irritating symptoms have disappeared. But not always. More than once, I've stubbornly tried to do it all, wheezing and coughing, to only later end up in the doctor's office with a diagnosis of pneumonia. Today, TRIgirl LD looked at my eyes with concern suggesting I might have pink eye. To which I said - and believed whole heartedly - nah, I think it is just allergies. (I still am not convinced it is pink eye and reserve the right to wait till tomorrow before even considering it.)

Positive thinking - I am a firm believer that it is just as, if not more, powerful than any drug.

In the meantime, I'm itching to feel strong again. To continue making progress. To stop worrying that these annoying interferences are causing major setbacks that will take my backpacker, non-athlete self, weeks to regain.

I'm hoping, that maybe instead of taking one step forward and slipping two steps back, I've accomplished two steps forward and have only slid one step back.

I'm really hoping.

Share the Road!

This past weekend I joined a few of my wine club and triathlon training friends for an impromptu getaway in the Outer Banks. Since an important workout was planned for the weekend, I hitched Amarone and TRIgirl DL’s bike onto the back of my car and kept my fingers crossed that they wouldn’t fly off during the three hour trip.

The schedule for Saturday’s workout was an hour bike, followed by an 8-10 mile run. A quiet “beach road” ran parallel to the main road and appeared to have a nice shoulder. Heading out, we realized that by riding on the side closest to the ocean, we would miss most intersections and not have to worry about traffic lights.

It felt great to be on the bike. First, because after three months of spinning on an indoor trainer, being outside was such a pleasure - cruising past quaint beach homes and glimpses of the ocean. Second, because after three months of spinning on an indoor trainer, riding on a flat road, without the added resistance of a trainer, felt effortless. Even with a strong crosswind, we maintained an easy to moderate exertion level – at a pace that was somewhere between 16-17 miles per hour.

After a half hour, we turned around, still staying on the ocean side of the road, though now we were going against traffic. In the distance, I noticed a wide RV approaching. As he got closer, I waited for him to move over. But he didn’t. He kept on charging down the road, hanging over the lane and the shoulder. I had two choices – to cross over the other side of the street or to move further into the shoulder, where the dunes had overflowed excess sand. I chose the dunes. As RV man sped by – I could feel the breeze from his extra large vehicle whizzing by. Then I noticed I was in deep sand and my back tire was skidding out. A few seconds later I was on the ground.

After picking myself back up, I started to get angry. Did RV man not see me? Was he trying to teach me a lesson? Did he think I was on a mountain bike and could handle the dunes? My knee was split open and I had an impressive six inch road rash on my shin, but overall, I felt OK and resumed riding, trying to shake off the fall. Ironically, a mile or two down from the mishap, a sign was posted with a picture of a bicycle and the message “Share the Road.”

Yeah – RV man – guess you didn’t see that sign? Share the road!

About a mile or two from the house, TRIgirl DL got a flat – so I finished the rest of ride by myself to get the car and pick her up. As I put the bike rack on the trunk, I noticed my hand was feeling jammed up and a throbbing bump was appearing on my right outer thigh.

After cleaning out the sand and grime, TRIgirls DL, LD and I started the run. At first, I felt pretty good, telling myself that moving would keep the blood flowing. After about three miles, I started to slow down a bit. After six and a half, I started feeling lightheaded and very dehydrated. I walked a bit till I found an open store - a hair salon - where I grabbed some water. I felt a little better, and pushed myself to finish the 10 miles, jogging for a little over 8 total, at a sloooow pace.

I spent some time mulling over why I felt so miserable on the run - worse than I had in a long time. I had really wanted to run the full 10 miles – but just didn’t have it in me. Could the blood accumulating in the scabs and bumps drained me? Did the adrenalin rush from the fall wear me out? Did I just not drink enough water? Were the antibiotics I had started taking to finish off the lingering chest cold wreaking havoc with my system? Some combination of the above?

Regardless, I was just happy the workout was over. I took a long shower and wondered what RV man would have done if we had been riding with the traffic. Would he have moved over or would we be hanging off the side of his camper like squashed bugs?

What would it have taken to get him to share the road?