Shifting Gears

While not quite a year in review or list of new resolutions, some changes seem to be a'brewing.

Last year, the past 12 months, have been a static-charged experience. There was so much to learn, so many distances to accomplish, so many obstacles to overcome. To think, last December, I couldn't swim in a wetsuit or take in more than 100 calories during a workout, let alone complete an IM, a half IM or even a marathon.

It's been a crazy ride.

Now, there is less anxiety stepping into off-season training. Rather than continuing along the path of constant uncharted territories, the next year is already feeling a little more...familiar. And with that comes a sense of peace - and dare I say - confidence?

I don't have to participate in every race that pops up - I can choose the ones I really want to do.

I don't have to stick to every single workout exactly as prescribed - I've learned enough about my body to brave adapting some training sessions on my own.

I don't have to worry (as much) about whether I can merely do something - I can focus more on attempting to do it better.

As crazy as it may sound, I've been feeling charged since IMFL - like there are untapped wells still be explored in my triathlon future.

Instead of painstakingly plotting every minute detail of the roads ahead, I think I am going to sit back a bit and see where this next journey takes me.

Relativity and Reality

Recently, I checked out a few of my old blog entries, including one where I predicted an upcoming tough workout would seem less so a few weeks (months) out. I am not sure how much I believed it at the time, but yes, that workout would be a little less daunting now.

And sometimes I'll be hanging out with friends or neighbors who'll be asking me questions about my training - as if it is something special or as if I know what I am doing. Which I find so funny, because I am still such a fumbling back-packer most of the time - one who has, thankfully, learned a few tricks along the way.

But Eagleman is quickly approaching. I told myself, don't really worry until it is a month away. OK, so the counter shows a zero in the month slot, no biggie until the race is two weeks away. My latest rationalization is convincing myself that the race won't be close until we hit single digits in the days column (which will be, oh, tomorrow). I've got my back-up plan ready - one week will be the next procrastination marker before panicking.

My body is trained to do the distances. My mental outlook concerns me more. My competitive spirit will not carry me through this race, as I really don't have much of one. More likely, sheer determination will be the emotion that gets me through the tough moments. And remembering to breathe.

I'm focusing on the positive during these last two weeks of workouts. Like forcing myself to run 6 miles in the heat of the day Monday. While I can't say I enjoyed it - I wasn't quite as miserable as I normally would be. Today's Masters swim had a few encouraging moments. Longest distance completed to date in the hour class - 2600 meters. A few fastest 100s - somewhere between 1:45 and 1:47. I am still the slowest in my lane, but sometimes I am almost keeping up (until we go distances beyond 100s).

Relatively, I am still slow and not quite aggressive enough.
Reality, I will never place in my age group (unless I am doing triathlons at 90).

No wait, focus on the positives...

Relatively, I am going further, sometimes even faster, than I ever have in my life.
Reality, finishing Eagleman, hopefully with a few minutes to spare, is really my goal.

Vacation - A New Definition?

How did it happen?

I am on a girls’ weekend trip in South Beach, with two other TRIgirls. Are we hopping the bars? Are we dancing in clubs? Are we on the beach (OK, surprisingly, it is pretty chilly here in Miami to be anywhere near the ocean)?

Nope.

We are tucked in our beds, since about 10:00 pm, winding down for an 7-8 hour slumber.

Why?

Because we are all in agreement that we want to wake up early tomorrow for our scheduled 8 mile training run.

We’ve also planned a run for Monday before we head back home.

Our IPODs and Garmins are charging. We packed our workout gear and sneakers with as much deliberation as our beach and nightlife outfits.

And if the predicted chilly temperatures end up being just bad weather predictions, we have our bathing suits in tow for an open water swim.

I’d write more, but my other training cohorts are fast asleep – and I best wrap this up so I will be just as chipper as they will be when our wake-up call rings at the crack of dawn.

Surviving the Repeats

It is over. For this week, anyway.

I made it through this morning’s workout due in part to:

• An observation made last night during a play session with Fezzy. As I threw his various toys about 50 feet across our house, I watched his exuberance and joy as he charged down his stuffed frog and squirrel. He happily ran as fast as he could – and while his splayed leg transition turns may need some technique work, his efforts made me smile. He played long and hard – never giving up the chase. And made me realize that maybe I needed to approach the repeats with a little less of a “training” perspective – and with more with a “hey, let’s go for it” kind of spirit.
• An email from my sister-in-law – whose twin daughters are competitive – and I mean like regional and national caliber – swimmers. From the email “Good luck with tomorrow's workout! If it makes you feel any better, the girls will already be in the pool at 6 am, which means a 5:15 am rise time, 15 minutes later than they do all week for school. They will swim and do dryland until 8:30 am.” And it did make me feel better. I remembered being their age – and sleeping late on weekends till 10 or 11 o’clock – and thought – if they can have such discipline and commitment at their young ages, the least I can do is stop whining and work on a better attitude.

So, I went to bed fairly early. When the alarm buzzed at 6:15, I stole a few extra winks, but resisted the urge to find some sort of excuse to stay in bed until bike class. During the car ride, I chuckled as the car temperature gauge dropped from 28 to 22 degrees - when I pulled into the Maramarc parking lot, a few minutes late, but before the group had headed off to start the run drills.

First was the timed mile. Honestly, it was cold. It was tough. My breathing was less than great. And I wouldn’t have minded stopping about half-way through. But I finished with a more consistent pace than some earlier attempts and with a 20 second gain after the first drill in December – an 8:20 mile time.

After a few minutes rest, it was time to start the four half miles. My first one was rather awful – a 4:30. The next three were consistent, better and within an acceptable deviation from my target pace - 4:19, 4:20 and 4:18.

My legs were a wee bit more tired than usual during the subsequent hour and a half bike. And afterwards, while heading to TRIgirl coffee, I realized, in the midst of the relief that the workout was over, that I was relishing the idea of a nap.

An idea I happily indulged a few hours later.

Gearing Up for Saturday

I am trying to get in the right mindset for Saturday’s workout.

It’s not the hour and a half bike that concerns me.

It’s the darn timed mile, then four half mile repeats, at the crack of dawn, in the freezing cold, before getting on the bike.

OK, I won’t be hearing any roosters crowing at 7:00 am – but waking up at 6:15 on a Saturday morning, to arrive on time for what promises to be a torturous workout, seems pretty early and unnecessarily evil to this sleep loving TRIgirl.

And maybe it won’t be quite as cold as the past Tuesday and Thursday when I ran with temperatures in the teens, but I have a feeling it will not be the most pleasant running conditions.

Then there is the “go as fast as you can” factor. I have done enough timed miles and repeats to know, all too well, the burning lung, lactic acid and thigh exploding feelings integral to these workouts.

Plus, it is just plain hard for me. To go fast. As fast as I can. Which really isn’t very fast at all.

So far this year, the "running fast" drills have probably been my least favorite part of this Ironman training experience. Up until now, I’ve only done two half mile repeats in a row. Not sure if I mentioned – this week - we are slated to do four repeats – after the 1 mile timed run. I’d rather do the 1 hour bike, 8 mile easy run, workout planned for a few weeks from now. I'd possibly rather do an hour of sculling.

Rant aside; I’m going to spend the next 32 hours trying to:

• Enjoy the day off from workouts.
• Focus on the good training week I’ve had so far. Two PRs – for a six mile run last Saturday that even started off at my easy pace (60:26) - and a 300 meter swim even after six 50 meter sprint drills on Tuesday (6:03).
• Visualize feeling strong and capable, running effortlessly for the timed mile and 4 repeats. (I have a feeling this will be a slightly amusing and unrealistic vision – but if I can daydream about winning the lottery…)
• Remind myself that what seems hard now, will seem easier in a few weeks. If I completely screw up this Saturday – hopefully – I will have nowhere to go but up the next time this workout is scheduled.
• Appreciate that so much of the progress I have seen is due to pushing myself during the drills I dread the most.

With any luck, maybe the worst part about this coming Saturday will be dragging my sorry body out of bed when the alarm clock sounds.