Feeling Better

2009 has been an interesting year so far.

The moments when things fell into place seemed to be outnumbered by those when things felt off - sometimes due to the physical, sometimes to the mental. IMUSA and the Giant Acorn being obvious examples.

After IMUSA, Ironwoman Canada told me that I needed to cut back. To allow myself to get worse before I could better again.

I did well with getting worse.

And the past week or so, I am finding that I am starting to feel better.

I am not failing as miserably at running. I even had my best 400 about a week and a half ago thanks to some individual attention from Ironwoman Canada. Then, at last week's track workout, Cupcake KO was a wonderful running buddy and pacer. Yesterday, Barracuda BL, the Should Be Sponsored Wife and I went for an easy run. Except none of us seemed to remember the easy part. Great weather and good company had us pushing the pace - maybe to enjoy the coffee reward at the finish.

Less time in the lap lane has been good for my shoulder. Today I had an encouraging Guppy workout. I may have even surprised Ironwoman Canada - she remarked a few times that I looked really good in the water. I almost kept up with one of my Guppy swimming heroes, Sharona, during a 50 sprint. Let's just forget the kicking drills for the moment...

Then there is the bike. I am grateful for a good bike year. This weekend's Seagull metric century ride (kudos to the Peddalin' SQ for completing the full century and achieving impressive TNT fundraising efforts) started off with a discouraging downpour (during which, Barracuda BL, the Should Be Sponsored Wife and I sat in the car and debated bagging the ride to shop instead). Alas, we braved the storm clouds and headed off for a fun day. I would love to do the ride in the future on a beautiful sunny day - but still enjoyed the smooth roads and pretty course. The first 17ish miles were casual. The next 23 included some tough pace line work. And after a decadent rest stop (picture: great band, river view, hot dogs, hamburgers, ice cream and apple pie), we completed the last 23 miles battling crazy cross and head winds.

While part of me would like to say I did the mile century, it was great to finish the ride feeling strong - those last 20 miles of a century can be brutal.

Then today, thanks to Columbus, I was able to join the Should Be Sponsored Wife and the RABA folks for Mondays with Mary. Though chilly, I loved the 35 mile route from Powhatan to Cartersville. Scenic foliage, fast flats, tough hills, challenging rollers and smooth roads - it was great. The Should Be Sponsored Wife was donning her new Fuji - which looked marvelous on her! We warmed up with soup and half-sandwiches afterwards - and I drove home feeling content, sleepy and...

happy.

Giant Acorn Olympic - Race Report

Did you ever have a moment of true greatness or absolute failure in a race?

Well, this weekend's Giant Acorn had both for me.

Saturday's weather turned out to be better than expected. While heavy rains woke me the night before, race day started out overcast and warmer than predicted. The clouds were gradually clearing as I drove to the Lake Anna Marina and set up transition. I met a high school friend, whose husband was doing his first Olympic. I caught up with a few Guppies, who impressed me with their detailed preparations. I also ran into two TRIgirls, gearing up for their latest challenges - one preparing with family support for her first Oly tri - and the other giving valuable advice to other racers on the porto-potty line.

Yet, without the posse' I typically train or race with, I was kind of on my own.

A few minutes before the race, I ventured into Lake Anna - the water was a little chilly at first, but warmed up quickly. Calmly, I waited for the purple caps to begin. When the gun for our wave sounded, I saw a bunch of folks take off - and was impressed by the super speedy swimmers. Still not able to push the start, I just tried to settle in - and not fall too far behind. The first turn went well - I was gradually catching up to the lead group and falling into a groove. But after the second turn, I lost my bearings. I couldn't find the buoys - nor a clustered group to follow. When I finally caught sight of a buoy, I realized I was a bit off the course. Overall, though, it felt like a good swim. With volunteers to help pull racers out of the water - I was optimistic for a decent swim time. And though not a PR - my swim was around 31 minutes.

Going into transition, I felt pretty good. I was excited to get on the bike.

And what a bike it was.

With a solid, consistent effort, I finished the first loop close to my dream goal - to finish at a 20 mph pace. Then I settled in for the second loop - which was a little faster - but felt a little easier than the first. I passed many women - and don't recall being passed by any women (other than a little leap frog with one girl near the end that luckily left me at the front of the game) - to end up with a 20.1 mph ride. While I didn't know the exact split at the time, I knew I was close enough to be psyched.

Getting off my bike, I was happy that my legs felt good. The weather had continued to heat up, but didn't seem too bad. I put on my sneakers and headed out. A five minute PR seemed possible if I could have an average run.

Except I didn't. As I posted on Facebook, it was dismal.

Within the first half mile, my heart was racing and I couldn't catch my breath. Which continued for the rest of the run, as I watched so many of the bikers I passed (and others I didn't), whiz by me on the run. Occasionally I wondered if I should have brought my inhaler. I wasn't wheezing heavily, but I wasn't breathing normally. And I am sure my frustration wasn't helping the situation.

I ended up walking a good chunk of the course. More than any race I could recall (percentage wise). Including IMs.

I finished the race at 3:04. A five minute PR had turned into a 5 minute not PR. The slowest run I can remember for a 10K.

And I couldn't figure it out why right away. Going into the porto potties after the race, I could hear that my breathing was a bit wheezy. Driving home, I started sneezing and gradually noticed that my sinuses were clogged. Later in the evening, I was dealing with some impressive green phlegm.

At best, a delayed onset head cold contributed to a very lackluster run.

At worst, I am just continuing to deteriorate in my running capabilities.

So for now, I'm torn between throwing myself into becoming a better runner -

Or just signing up for aqua bikes!

Times Change

When signing up for the Giant Acorn, I figured I'd be psyched for a fall Olympic race after IMUSA - remembering how I felt post IMFL.

Instead, I'm feeling unprepared. IMUSA left me drained vs. charged. Training has taken a backseat to a bunch or work related travel, problems and deadlines. In the midst of which, I decided that the "Big Nut" would need to be about fun. If I woke up and the weather looked bad - or I felt crappy - I'd roll right back over for some more zzzzzs.

As of this morning, the weather forecast included showers for Saturday.

And in my heart - I am just wishing for it to change into an amazing, beautiful fall day.

Because I have a feeling, even if it doesn't...

I won't be able to let myself back out without guilt and disappointment.