Tuesday, December 31, 2013

So long, 2013!

I’m so busted.

People have been asking “when is your training going to start?” & I've been giving the cop-out answer of “oh I’ll start in January… after the holidays”. Welp, here we are. That means… to-mor-row:



My training hasn't really ever stopped, but it’s been fairly easy compared to what’s in store for 2014. Before I know it I’ll be on here whining about my 20+ mile run or 85+ mile bike ride & wishing to have my current schedule back. Thinking about doing a workout like that at this point seems so far-fetched, but soon it’ll be my reality. And as tired, sore and worn down as I may be from it… I’ll still secretly think of myself as a badass. I say “secretly” because I’m surrounded by so many people that are WAY more badass than I am & I’m not about to compete with that.

It still hasn't really hit me that I’m on the Ironman Journey because I've barely had time to think about what’s happening tomorrow. For example:  I’m currently not focused on IM performance, I’m only thinking about the Resolution Run tomorrow morning & wondering if I can get my 1st 2014 PR on the 1st day of the year :)

But I suppose before I even think about tomorrow, I should do some reflecting on this past year. What would a year-end blog entry be without this, right? When I think about 2013, one word comes to mind immediately: Progress. This past year has absolutely, without a doubt, been a year of progress. I started in January when Mike Swan became my triathlon coach. I still consider this to be one of the best decisions I've ever made. He is a phenomenal coach & mentor to so many people, and I couldn't ask for a better person to lead me to the Ironman Arizona finish line.

February I started a new job at a larger company with a larger job title… & definitely now have a larger network and overall understanding of accounting :). In March I ran (& finished) my very first marathon after going to physical therapy for months because of tendinitis in my left knee. In May I completed my first Olympic distance triathlon, started a relationship in June-ish, finished my first 70.3 in July, and continued to PR all over the place thereafter! And… in September had my first ever podium finish.

I, in no way expect every year to be like this. So for all you Humble Superheroes… I know that PRs aren't going to happen every time I race, but I’m enjoying it while it lasts mmkay? With Wildflower 70.3 and a full 140.6 on my schedule this upcoming year, I won’t be making too many 5k & sprint appearances. I’ll be more like Crouching Cyclist Hidden Runner with my training. You’ll come to know me by my spelunker-like head lamp flashing by you in the wee hours of the morning.



Progress has been evident in all facets of my life this year. Of course I hope that this is happening EVERY year, but I think that 2013 this word shines above the rest. I haven’t written out my goals/resolutions/manifestations for 2014 yet, but I hope that I will continue to progress in all areas and to practice staying PRESENT.


With that said… I better go enjoy the rest of this day! Wishing you a safe, fun night full of sequins and bubbly :). Happy New Years Eve everyone!

Monday, December 2, 2013

IM Journal: Log #5

It’s December?? I had no idea December came right after August this year. Where did all the time go??

Yesterday was one of those days where I was thankful during my workout. Sometimes I’m thinking about other things, hating it or viewing a workout as more of a social hour… but other times I can be present, focused and thankful (possible mantra?  :)  ).

I’m only on my bike once a week at this point, & yesterday was the first morning I had a longer & more difficult route. I’ve been doing a pretty easy 20 mile workout the past few months but Coach is starting to increase the load a bit & I’m more than ok with that!

Famous last words.

I was back on the SB tri course hills (Gob, Toro) and covered a little over 37 miles on this beautiful December morning. East coasters are battling snow & freezing temperatures while I’m worried about getting a tan line from my bike jersey! I prefer to do my rides with other people, but if I have headphones (one ear only. Safety first.) I can have a pretty enjoyable time out there on my own if the mileage is under 50. Maybe it was the caffeine, but my ride felt great and, like I do during most workouts, I imagined myself to be in the Ironman race.

I don’t think all emotions/reasoning of signing up for the race have quite reached my Cerebrum because I still think of Ironman as some far off fantasy. It is neither. It’s 348 days away but I know that is going to fly by SO fast and soon enough my 80+ mile bike days will remind me the whole dang time that this is now my reality. It’s starting to become a little real to me with having 12-13 mile runs every week & seeing “lake loop” on my schedule. (SB people… you know what that means.)

I’ve had a lot of different reactions from everyone since signing up, top reactions include: blank stare/zero level of interest, “WHY”, “I’m impressed!”, and “I’m never going to see you”.  All reactions are followed up with the same question: “when does your training start?”. Um… it started 2 years ago? I’m not really sure how to answer that question because there’s not a specific date/time when workouts get crazy. I’m currently “maintaining” then will slowly ramp up for a half Ironman in May (Wildflower) & continue piling it on after that until November.

It’s going to be a long, worthwhile (most of the time) road to race in Arizona… and I know that. It will also require a lot more mental prep, strength training & higher food bills than I’ve ever had to deal with in the past, but I’m looking forward to seeing my own mental/emotional/physical growth and continuing to prove all the “doubters” wrong.  :)

I think another goal of mine should be to revisit the bigger picture of what I’m doing at/around the first of every month. After this entry I’ll only have to do this 11 more times anyway! Yikes. I’ve made a few (fitness) goals for December alone… we’ll see if they last and if I choose to make them rollover goals. I would like to really concentrate on strength & foundation training, going to yoga at least once a week, and staying committed to not eating meat (except maybe some fish). The reason being is that my body feels better without it, just not sure how that will factor in with my training!


We’re still a GO on Christmas cookies though...

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

IM Journal: LOG #4

Ok, this daily log isn't’ so “daily”, but in my defense there isn't too much activity happening on my side yet.

Since my last log I have been running/biking/swimming/yoga-ing per usual but have been able to get in a few high altitude runs up in Mammoth (approx 8,500ft) and have recorded a few vital stats & pictures. Since I currently live at an altitude of about 50ft I definitely could feel a huge difference running at altitude! I may have to spend more time up there to work on natural blood doping.  :)  

I’m not sure that I really want to share any of my “before” pictures, measurements or weight on a public forum, but just know that I do have the info recorded! Maybe if my “after” pictures & stats are a lot better I can add in the old ones for comparison. After seeing so many models in magazines, social media, etc it makes me scrutinize my body way more than I should (even though I know that I’m seeing the result of good Photoshop jobs & know the models aren't training for any races). Yay for body image issues.


Currently I am just maintaining a base level of fitness and trying to find a balance between getting my workouts in & having an off season! I’m not sure if it’s because of the fast-approaching holiday season, but all I want to do is sit on my butt & relax!! :)

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

IM Journal: Day 3




Red cup = workout reward (as promised to myself). There will be many more of these to come I’m sure!
The hardest part of a morning workout is getting out of bed. After hitting the snooze button about 17 times (this is normal) I got myself up & to the pool. Once you jump in the water the hardest part is done!  My current goal for Master’s swim practice is to swim at least 1 mile (which I round up to 17 laps). Coach AB kindly reminded me this morning that I will need to be swimming 4000m (40 laps) for my Ironman training. I can’t even imagine! My highest lap count to date is 24… & it’s a slow 24.

I have been swimming for almost 2 years now & this sport is by far my weakest area of the triathlon. We have a LOT of work to do here!  However, I’ve actually started to enjoy swimming and really appreciate its cross-training value with running. Plus… I can see the sunrise while I’m in the water (yes, I took this):



Right!? Good morning, indeed.


Also, I had sent an email yesterday to IM Arizona to inquire about how many slots were available, how long it took to sell out, etc. so that I could provide some hard facts but no such luck. I was pleasantly surprised that they responded so quickly, but said that due to their policies they could not tell me any of that information. All I could get out of them was that “all slots were sold out within minutes”.  Boo.

PS- my knee has been feeling a little tendinitisy since the half marathon. I'm crossing my fingers that it's not coming back!  

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

IM Journal: Day 2

It still hasn’t quite sunk in. With the registration process being over & done, it felt like any other day. Like most Tuesdays I was not looking forward to going to track (sorry, I know a lot of people love it. I’m not one of them) and was hoping for bad traffic, an earthquake, something to get me out of going. But even running a bit late still got me there in time before the group took off for the warm-up. I was happy to see Coach Mike and a lot of other friendly faces, & got a few Ironman comments and congratulations for even signing up and wanting to do a race.

Our little army of reflective gear and headlamps made way to the track to get our work out of 8x800 in. The one good thing about running in the dark is that you (or at least I do) run faster because you can’t see your feet J. Per usual I thought “I can’t do the whole workout. I’ll just do 6 out of the 8 or maybe I can sneak away without anyone noticing.” I never say of this out loud… it’s always an internal bargaining system I have with myself to get through a workout. My brain tells me I can’t get through a workout, so I at least start the workout to see if this is true or not, and most times (if not all I think?) I get through the whole thing! Then when it’s over I feel super awesome and somewhat surprised that I just did something I didn’t think I could do one hour ago.

I realize that this is probably going to happen for the next 55 track workouts and all of the next 362 days of training. But who’s counting?  I already don’t feel like getting up at 5am tomorrow to go swim, but know I’m still going to do it anyways. Physically- I’m absolutely capable of any & all workouts that I will get, but it’s going to be one heck of a mental battle. Even with the “easier” workouts I sometimes have a tough time getting through them, so I can only imagine what my brain will think when it knows I have an 8 hour brick!


I’m thinking sleep is an important factor here... and also rewarding myself with post-workout coffees. J

Monday, November 18, 2013

IMAZ Journal


I’ve decided to keep a daily journal/log of this next year in preparation for Ironman Arizona on November 16, 2014. This will be my first (& maybe only Ironman race since it’s painfully expensive), so I decided that it is absolutely necessary to record as much as possible during this journey! My original plan was to race IM Kalmar, but in all ways it made more sense to have my first IM race in Arizona. I had considered signing up for an Ironman for a while & for a few months had my sights set on IMAZ.


Day 363:
About 30 minutes before online registration opened, I began to feel physically nauseous and anxious about whether I would get a slot since this race sells out quicker than a Pearl Jam concert. I used my work phone to call John who was shadowing my registration & was trying to secure a secondary slot in case I didn’t get in, and shut my office door to prevent, or at least delay, any interruptions. (Employee of the year, I know. Sorry boss!)

I credit my successful entry to online shopping all of my years typing in numbers on computer keyboards. My rapid-fire fingers apparently got me in just in time. Not only did the general entry slots sell out in less than 20 minutes, but the foundations slots (TWICE the entry fee amount) sold out as well! There are currently a lot of angry comments on the IMAZ Facebook page declaring that it would be more likely to “be struck by lightning” than to get a slot from online registration. But… I got one. I prefer to look at it as this race was meant to be for me, which gives me more assurance that I chose correctly and that I CAN and WILL do this race.

AND IT WILL BE EPIC.

 
With shaky hands I printed and emailed about 5 copies of my registration confirmation to myself (just to be really sure) & was very glad to have John on the phone to remind me that I needed to breathe. He already has 2 races under his belt so I think he could better comprehend the significance of the registration process & was able to be excited for me. I’ve since moved on from “wanting to throw up” to “what the $*#& did I just do”.  It hasn’t totally registered yet that I’ve just signed up for a life-changing year-long HUGE commitment. (My bank account doesn’t seem to have this problem however.)   I know quite a few people that have trained for & completed Ironman races, & have seen some people day in and day out of training… from signing up to crossing the finish line. I have a pretty good idea of what to expect. I’m not trying to qualify for Kona… just trying to get across the finish line in one piece.

I’ll tell you what though… I’ve set myself up for success. I have an amazing coach, support system of family and friends behind me, and former (& current) Ironman racers at my fingertips. I also have Badass Betsy who is going on the IMAZ 2014 journey too :). Now all I have to do uphold my part in this and train my little heart out (not literally. I would like to walk around with a Finisher’s medal for a bit ah thank you). Oh… and to make sure I stay away from lightning.  ;)

I’m currently in “off-season” (or so I’m told) so the crazy 7 hour bike rides won’t happen for a while, but for now I will continue to maintain my running, biking, swimming and yoga fitness. Veterans refer to this as “base training” which is their equivalent to my peak training I think. Maybe I should take before/after pictures? Change my eating habits? Or state for the record that I think 16 mile runs and 60 mile bike rides are really hard. It will give me something to laugh at in 8 months when I’m in bed by 7pm on a Friday night & completely delirious.

During my hard track workouts and races I’ve imagined myself being in an Ironman race, tracked multiple athletes, & have bawled my eyes out watching everyone cross the finish line. It’s crazy to me that I’m going to be on the other side in less than a year and will actually BE running in the race instead of just pretending. I might forget what “weekends” and “past 9pm” means, but am very much looking forward to taking on this chapter/journey/challenge because even though I don’t KNOW what it’s like on the other side… I know what’s waiting for me there.

 

YAYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Post-Season Bliss




Quick Stats:

-Races: 8+ (3 half marathons, 1 full, 1 olympic triathlon, 1 half IronMan, 1 long course, 1 sprint, & multiple shorter running and swimming races)
-1st attempts: 2 (marathon, half IronMan)
-PR’s: 6

 
2013 has been quite a year for me! It’s been a looooong busy year but has produced some really great results and a LOT of improvement. Coincidence that every distance I raced this year resulted in a PR since I’ve had Mike Swan as my coach? I think not. I can say enough about Mike & what an incredible athlete and coach he is and how much I appreciate being one of the MANY athletes’ under his tutelage.  

I also realize that I’m pretty small time in the running and triathlon world. I’m satisfied with my progress over the past year but I’m hungry for more. I need to be better, faster, stronger. After my short “off season” that is J. I am not mad that my workouts this week include skiing, yoga and drinking big girl hot chocolates. Oh… & waking up to this the next few days:


Sorry, that was rude.  It’s been almost a year since I’ve had an off-season & I’m really enjoying (& appreciating!) my time off

Anyways, this Monday, I will be attempting to sign up for Ironman Arizona 2014 (it’s not official until its official), which means that starting January I will be throwing the training hammer down for most of 2014. I know it’s a bit overly optimistic to race a full Ironman since I haven’t been in the sport for that long, but for me it’s a natural progression for what I’ve been putting in the books the last few years.  I’m not trying to go to Kona… just to cross the finish line & hear Mike Reilly call me an Ironman.

I’m extremely grateful for the coaching training I’ve received this past year, for all the support , not having any injuries and I’m very much looking forward to another year of improving, fine-tuning & hopefully a few more PR’s! I’m not looking forward to dark cold mornings at the pool… but you gotta take the good with the bad.

Once you drink the kool-aid, it’s hard to stop… but I’ll take a small break to stop & smell the almond croissants.



 
Cheers!