Weekly recap!

A short recap this week…I know, you don’t believe that, my posts are never short.  I’m not sure I even believe it.  Except that I just feel like doing a training recap and check-in with how I’m feeling about my preparation.

NUTRITION

Diet has been poor.  I was doing really well…and then I wasn’t.  I got down to my lowest weight in 4 years…and then I went back up.  I know what I need to do to change this, but I’m struggling.  When I make the time to prepare for the week and have an abundance of healthy food choices, I do well.  But as my training increases on the weekends, so does my level of fatigue.  Napping with the dogs has had a greater pull than grocery shopping and cooking and prepping food.  This needs to change, especially since I have less than 4 weeks until vacation when I know I will be indulging in poor food choices.  So I am buckling down for the next 3 ½ weeks and making good choices.  Preparation is key.

SWIMMING

I have been consistently swimming 3 times per week, and I feel like I am getting better.  Coach Cory is trying to get me to push my pace so I can get my mile time where I want it, and therefore my Ironman 2.4 mile time where I want it.  Clearly I have some challenges in the open water swim, evidenced by my still relatively poor performance in the swim portion of the half ironman this month.  I think what I need to work on is breathing and kicking.  My kick slows me down instead of helping me forward, and I still get a little panicky about being out of breath, so I have to figure that one out.

BIKING

Must get better on the rolling hills.  This will require road trips to Clermont more frequently, which is of course a scheduling challenge as it eats up half a day, not to mention that it makes getting things done in the second half of the day a challenge when both Brian and I are tired.  This past Saturday I actually sat on an indoor trainer for 3 hours and pedaled through 46 miles of the Louisville Ironman course.  While this is certainly not an exact mirror of what it will be like on the course, at least I have an inkling of what to expect.  I hope to do this twice more before the race and get further along to “preview” more of the rollers and climbs.  I have also started a little bit of higher intensity biking to work on strength, so we’ll see how that continues.  However, the more and more I learn about the Louisville bike course, the less confident I am that I can meet my 6 hour bike goal in the IM race.  We’ll see.

RUNNING

I am feeling pretty good about my run.  A great 15K and a strong half marathon in the triathlon this month have given me quite a confidence boost.  What I don’t understand, however, is why I can’t run my weekly runs at a faster pace.  I am fairly consistent at a 9 minute mile pace in heart rate zone 2, yet my races have been much faster.  I know that racing is always faster than training runs, but should it be THAT much faster?  I don’t think so.  I’m just imagining that if I can run my training runs at an 8:30 pace, then my race pace would get even faster.  Frustrating.

REST

I love rest day Mondays!  Towards the end of the week I do not get enough sleep, and Fridays are really tough as I’m typically really tired.  And as I mentioned, the fatigue creeps into the weekends and I tend to let the house work, yard work and other responsibilities lag.  I’m not sure how to combat this, other than to just “get’r done!”

FUN

I am still having fun!  I mentioned in an earlier post that triathlon training really can be lonely.  But I am managing to get some group training in that helps with the feeling of isolation.  I participated in a run clinic for 6 weeks with my triathlon club, and that was social and motivating and fun.  Starting this week I will do my mid-week brick workout in a group ride (followed by a solo run), which will help decrease the monotony.

So with 17 weeks to go (holy crap that doesn’t sound like very long!!!!) I am feeling good.  I have confidence in my plan, I know what I need to work on, but I also know it has to be now.  No more slacking off.  I’ve got two vacations planned between now and Louisville, so those can be my “reward” weeks.  Other than that, it’s game on!  I just have to keep repeating in my head, “You can do it!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hjqrxfvJ0A

A week of ups and downs...and downs and ups...

First, let’s start with Boston.  The Monday that started well.  I was able to track some friends through the online run tracker, I had the live feed from the marathon playing in the background on my computer at work as I read through some budget numbers, and all was well.  Then you all know what happened.  I won’t recap or wax poetic, as so many have done a much better job than I at conveying the anger, sorrow and hope that resulted from that tragedy.  It really affected me more than I expected it to—maybe because even though I have not YET qualified for Boston, I associate with the running community and so experienced a profound sadness.  And then promptly tried to exercise the hell out of it! 

Then more sad news…we lost our beloved greyhound Bo to what was likely bone cancer that resulted in a broken leg that could not be repaired.  A busy week at work, sadness to work through and the impending half ironman triathlon on Sunday was my week. 

Happily, the HIM went amazingly well, and I ended this sad week on a really high note! 

I am now on week 13 of my training plan (only 18 to go!), and at times I have struggled with trusting the plan, with whether I’ll be ready for the Ironman or not.  Of course, when I have a bad training day I start to feel like I’ll never be able to work my endurance/strength/speed up to the level I need to in order to meet my IM goal.  Then I’ll have a good training day and feel a bit better.  And so it goes, back and forth, the usual ups and downs of a long training plan.

My attitude approaching the Clermont HIM was very strange.  I wasn't that stressed about it.  And that’s a big deal, because I can really get my OCD on when prepping for an important race.  I kept saying aloud (to anyone who would listen) that this was just a “training race,” that I wasn't “ready” for this distance, that it was “practice.”  And mostly I believed that.  But I always want to do the best I can, and rarely hold back if I think I can push harder.  In fact, I was the team captain and instigator for our local Corporate 5K race which a small number of our staff participate in every year.  I usually run it as fast as I can given the 16,000 participants, and the majority of my coworkers walk it.  I decided this year to walk with them so that I wouldn't overcook my quads just 3 days before the triathlon.  Some running friends suggested I just “run it slow.”  Yeah, that doesn't work for me.  I go all out, all the time.  So walking was the best way to control that—and you know what?  It was SO relaxing!  I feel somewhat guilty saying that, because for some participants, walking a 5K is a really big deal—and if that is where you’re at with your fitness, that’s great!  But for me, a 5K walk was my rest day, and it felt really good and stress-free.

Um…where was I?  Oh yeah, my attitude towards the HIM.  So I truly was intending to use this as a training race to (1) practice nutrition on the course, which meant I was planning on increasing my fluid and supplement intake a LOT and (2) see how hard I could push on the bike and still have legs for the run.  Oh, and (3), I was really interested to see how my swim would go given all the work I’ve been doing in the pool.  So with all this in mind, I was pretty laid back and calm.

The things that did make me nervous:

• Water temperature: a month ago it was 69 degrees and I borrowed a wet suit.  This time, no wet suit, cooler temps and wind blew through in the days before the race (effectively cooling the lake), and I am wimpy in cold water.
• How hard SHOULD I go on the bike?  I know the course, but I’ve never done the “big” climbs (Sugarloaf, Buckhill, The Wall) on my tri bike before.  I didn’t doubt I could do it, the question was just how fast?
• The run didn’t cause too much stress because I had a really great 15K recently, but I couldn’t help but think back to the Olympic race a month ago where I was struggling to maintain pace on a 10K, feeling like I just wanted to curl up in a ball and go to sleep on the side of the course.

So race morning arrives, and The Weather Channel got it completely wrong.  Before we left home, it said that there was a 5% chance of rain at 6am, and from 7am on, a 0% chance of rain.  As we drove to Clermont, in the POURING rain, I check again and now there is an 85% chance of rain at 7am.  Ya think?!

We arrive in Clermont to a seemingly deserted area.  There are not many people doing this race!  It is sprinkling and breezy, but the downpour has not followed us yet.  When I pick up my race packet I see the sign—water temps measured at 77 degrees, wet suit legal!  Too bad I don’t have a wet suit.  So now I start worrying even more that I’ll be too cold in the water.  After setting up my transition area, covering my shoes with towels in case it rains (it still looks like it might storm), I head down to the water to try to get a swim warm-up in.  I get to the water, seeing that most everybody is wearing a wet suit, step in…and it’s not cold at all!  They must have taken that reading in a cold spot to help the athletes out and make it a wet suit legal event.  So I start swimming—and the waves and current are pretty choppy!  I feel completely out of breath and unprepared and…there’s the announcement calling everyone out of the water so we can start.  All the women go together in the first wave, so I head back to shore.

So here we go, National Anthem, moment of silence for Boston, and it’s 60 seconds to the start.  Nothing I can do now except try to clear my foggy goggles and get going!  And we’re off…I get a good running start and porpoise jump through the water until I start my swim stroke.  Then, as usual, I see the women all swimming away, much faster than me.  There are only 22 women starting, so the usual arms/legs/swatting/washing machine effect of a triathlon swim start lasts only seconds, and I soon carve out my little space.  I get tired so easily in the swim!  The choppy water and current are both strong and daunting, but I know this means it will be easier once I make the turn across the back parallel to shore, and then the turn home.  Although I can feel myself struggling, I get to the first turn buoy faster than I thought I would (at least it seemed faster), and sure enough, the current is better swimming parallel to shore.  When I make the final turn home I just try to stay in line with the finish and not swim too far off course.  I did an okay job, but apparently I pull left when I swim because I had to keep correcting my trajectory towards shore.  My legs have a tendency to sink, so I really need to work on my kick.  But my stroke and body rotation felt good. 

Swim is finished and I head to transition.  Brian is at the fence talking me through as I put on a wind vest (thinking that I’ll be too cold on the bike without it), and try to steady myself because I’m dizzy from the swim.  Not my best transition, but I did okay, and off I go.

The start of the bike is windy but flat and I settle into a rhythm.  When I get to the rollers that I’m familiar with, I realize my legs are pretty tired, and this scares me.  Did I kick too hard on the swim? Why would my legs be tired already?  But I’m sure as hell not going to slow down, so I just keep at it.  At about mile 14, we turn into a headwind.  And it’s a long stretch of rolling hills that seem to only go up.  I just keep hoping that the wind will not change direction because we come back on the course in the opposite direction, which should mean a really nice tailwind!  But this is Florida in springtime, and the wind has a mind of its own.

Soon we get to the first of the tough climbs…I say we, but really it’s a lonely ride with such a small field.  The men started 10 minutes after the women, so there are quite a few tall, lean guys flying by me on really nice bikes.  No women ever pass me, though.  I even pass some men who had obviously passed me on the swim but underestimated the bike course.  I get to Sugarloaf, the “big” climb, at the 1 hour 28 minute mark, and I’m feeling pretty good.  I’m not quite halfway done with the course, but knowing the big climbs are done and that I should have a tailwind for a little bit, I aim to finish the bike in under 3 hours.  I’m happy when I get back to that long, rolling stretch of road and indeed have a tailwind.  I’m flying at 24-25 mph for a while, having a lot of fun.  Then with 11 miles to go I make a turn that gives me an unfavorable crosswind.  But I know this course and keep telling myself "11 miles is nothing."  I come in at just under 3 hours and 1 minute, not too bad.  However, my lower back had started aching just a little.  My hamstrings had started complaining more than a little.  I was so nervous that they would cramp when I bent over to put on my running shoes.  But they didn’t!  I got through T2 in 1 minute, really easy, calm execution, and I’m out on the run.

Brian is there running beside me telling me there are only 5 women ahead of me, telling me how good I’m doing and offering great words of encouragement.  The run course is two loops, and I know I’ll pass the start/finish area a couple of times and get to hear his supporting words just when I need them most.  As I run, I remind myself that I have to keep eating and drinking, and so far that’s going pretty well.  My stomach is not rebelling too much, and I manage to take in fluids and more nutrition as I make my way through the 13.1 miles.  Since the course is a double out-and-back, I see the women in front of me.  Number 5 I pass pretty quickly, she’s shuffling.  Number 4 doesn’t look bad coming the other way, but before I even reach mile 4 I’m passing her, offering words of encouragement.  Number 1 and 2 both look really strong and are way ahead of me.  I also cheer them on—I know they’re competition, but I like to see women do well in competitive events.

As I pass Brian before mile 5, he’s telling me that the number 3 girl is cramping, telling me to go get her, run her down.  I see at the next turn-around that she’s not doing well.  So right when I get back to where Brian is to start the second loop, I pass her.  She’s walking and clearly having a bad run.  I offer words of encouragement, and she says “you’re number 3, go get ‘em.”  As competitive as we can be, I just love the encouragement we have in this triathlon community!  So holy crap!  I’m in third place!  I could see earlier when they passed that the woman in second was going to take the lead, because she was gaining on #1, and by the time I see them again there is a new leader.  1^st place is looking strong and not tired at all, and now second place is looking like she’s hurting.  After I make the turnaround, the woman behind me in fourth seems to have found a second wind, she’s running strong, but when she passes me she yells “second place is only 2:30 ahead of you, only 2:30 ahead!”  So I pick it up.  Not because I think I can catch number 2, but because I’m afraid number 4 is going to catch me!  By mile 11, I start to feel a little tired, but I think I’m still keeping pace, trying to focus on leg turnover and to just keep moving.  I cheer on number 1 as she passes me in the other direction less than ½ mile from the finish.  As I get to mile 12, I see number 2.  She is clearly struggling, but I know at that point that I’m not going to catch her.  But I also know that I am solidly in 3^rd and won’t get caught.  So I push my legs to finish that last mile, and they get heavy, but I know a mile is nothing so I just continue.  I’m so excited to finish and finish well!

Here are my results:

Total 5:29:17, 3^rd out of 18 finishers (22 started)

Swim 37:52, 10/22

T1 2:49

Bike 3:00:54, 18.6 mph avg, 2/18

T2 1:00:00

Run 1:46:44, 8:09 pace, 3/18

Lessons learned: there will be ups and downs.  Learn from the downs and move on, ride the ups but learn from those too, trust the training plan, and HAVE FUN!

The lonely sport...

Many times I have heard triathlon described as a lonely sport.  And I do often see people on tri-bikes, in their aero bars, pedaling away all by themselves.  This past week I felt a little bit of that.  For my approach to the Ironman, I am following a very specific plan, which is what works for me.  I have to have something to stick to or else I go completely the opposite way and get lazy and into that "oh I'll just make up that workout tomorrow" frame of mind. Knowing that approach would never work for an IM, I picked a plan and I'm sticking to it. 

But that's just it--it's my plan.  No one else I know locally is following the same plan.  Hell, there are hardly any others training for an Ironman.  Those who are each modify our plans to fit our particular schedules.  I know no one who can just put training first and work, family, school, etc. second.  I had to start with my work schedule, which thankfully is fairly steady and consistent this year (the very reason, in fact, that I picked this year for completing an Ironman).  Then I had to fit in the swims, which are set through the Masters Swim program.  Amazingly, they fall on the exact days the training plan suggests!  Then the rest of it gets fit in, but of course I have to deal with weather and special events popping up.  Oh, and don't forget the gym.  I know most long-course triathletes say to let the gym go, but I am a firm believer in core-strengthening in the gym and its direct benefits to performance (and decreased pain and discomfort) on the swim, bike and run.  So I picked a gym with easy access, a shower and a convenient location.  Finally, my husband!  How do I find time for him (and also not take away from the things I need to do at home)?  I am eternally grateful that he is supportive of this endeavor and that he bikes with me (and attends all of my events as my support crew and cheerleader).  Today, in fact, a friend asked him if he was participating in a particular upcoming bike ride, and he responded (only half-jokingly), "I don't know, Becky just tells me what's on the schedule for the next day and I go."

On our refrigerator is my training plan schedule, hand-written (in pencil) on a monthly calendar, as well as the weekend "honey-do" list that we need to accomplish before going on vacation next month.  The structure is needed to keep me sane and on track.

But I digress...sort of...the point is that everything is planned out, week by week, so I can accomplish this big goal this year.  Last week a little feeling of loneliness hit me while out on a solo bike ride.  I take my bike to work with me on those days I have to get a PM ride in, and when 5:00 hits, I'm changing into my cycling gear and heading out the door.  Riding the same route can sometimes get monotonous, but it doesn't bother me too much.  And I really don't mind riding on my own--there is no pressure to either (a) keep up with somebody or (b) worry whether I'm going too fast/too slow for somebody else.  But I do enjoy sharing the joy of a bike ride with others who enjoy it.

On this particular ride I wanted some company.  Not because I wanted to talk to someone, just to share the journey.  It felt lonely.  But then I went to my masters swim class and once again felt part of a community.  Although there really isn't much socializing during the swim (since talking while swimming doesn't normally work out very well), it is still a semi-social event.  Many of us attending the masters class are new to swim class as adults.  We're working through our stroke deficiencies together, commiserating (and celebrating!) our challenges and achievements.  And then there is the run clinic that I've been participating in for the past few weeks.  It's only an hour once a week, but the support that everyone gives each other as we work through sprint drills or new running form is just awesome.  And then there are the group rides with my triathlon club.  Although triathletes should really train on the bike without drafting, since drafting is not allowed in a triathlon, I am still able to join the group at some rides and just ride a little bit off the back of the person in front of me. 

Over the past couple of years, Brian and I have met so many new and amazing people through our biking, running and triathlon groups.  We have different backgrounds, we represent all ages, we have different professions (in fact I don't know many of the professions of some of the people I swim/bike/run with frequently!), but we all enjoy getting in some exercise and participating in this little subculture we've created.  Some of us are training for specific events, others for a first running race or century or triathlon, others just want to stay fit or get fit.  Many have always been into sports (I've been doing some sort of sport since I started playing softball at age 9), and others never did anything remotely like a sport until later in life.  And I think what I find so amazing about all of these groups is how welcoming everybody is.

I was just at a baby shower this weekend and talking to a friend of a friend who I hadn't seen in a while.  We had belonged to the same marathon training program a few years ago, so we were talking about that because she had gotten away from running and was thinking of getting back into it.  She brought up how at first she thought that she shouldn't join because people would think she was too slow or not good enough, but that she was completely wrong and instead found a wonderfully supportive group of people.  As we talked further about that, I was talking about a woman I met a few years ago through cycling and who I continue to encourage to reach her next level of potential (because I know she has more levels to climb!). I mentioned that I know she is extremely encouraging to runners who feel they are too slow.  As we talked, we realized that this woman knew her and did just that--encouraged her when she was wanting to quit, and got her through it.  Small world, but not surprising.

So although I know that my Ironman journey may occasionally feel lonely, I also know that I can always find my swim/bike/run buddies to relieve that loneliness and feel connected to this amazing group of people once again.

I encourage you to find your group...no matter what your interest, I guarantee there is a group of people, close to your home, getting together for it soon.  Ask The Amazing Google Machine, it will find them for you. 

All it took was one good run...

 

 

Throughout the week I often think of various ideas, themes, or simple issues that I want to write about in this blog.  Sometimes it's easy and obvious, like a race report or a big challenge I want to get off my chest or explore via the exercise of writing about it.  Other times I struggle with what I want to share.  This past week was one of those where the idea kept growing day after day, and it was fairly negative.  I don't like being negative.  I typically choose to surround myself with positive people, and even when I don't feel all that positive, I try to put on a glass-half-full kind of face.  But this past week was tough, and I was feeling overwhelmed.  The entire blog was going to be about that feeling of being overwhelmed and how I deal with it.  But then a funny thing happened...I had a great 15K race on Sunday morning, and my attitude completely changed!  All it took was one good run...

The power of physical activity is truly amazing.  I believe health to be a combination of many factors, some tangible, some not.  Fuel, what we feed our bodies, certainly contributes to our health.  We are learning more and more all the time that natural food sources serve our bodies best, with processed foods contributing to so many negative health factors.  Mental health is also important, which is why I try to surround myself with positive people who contribute positively to my well-being (two positives in one sentence don't make a negative, do they?).  And I try to be positive for others.  Mental health must impact physical health.  Miserable people look unhealthy--I imagine there is some correspondence between negativity and poor health.  And exercise really does a body (and mind) good! 

I think it's too easy sometimes to forget how helpful physical activity can be, because feeling tired can make us want to curl up and sleep or do nothing, when the opposite--vigorous activity--ultimately really make us feel better! Certainly rest is sometimes the right thing.  But most of the time, even a little bit of activity can elevate the mood.  I know there must be some scientific explanation for this having to do with endorphins and cortisol and other things that I recognize but can't actually define.  But does it really matter why?  It feels good, so do it!

This past week was really rough for me.  I had a number of challenges in my exercise routine.  First, on Tuesday morning I went to the gym for the first time in two weeks.  In reality I had only missed 3 strength training sessions, but since I only go twice a week, that translates to 2 weeks without lifting weights.  Although my session at the gym went okay, I was sore by the end of the day.  My run and swim that evening were rough because I could feel the soreness setting in to my legs, and every time I pushed off the wall of the pool I was afraid of a calf cramp.  The usual loosening of the muscles after a mile into my run didn't happen, either, so I was pretty much sore the whole time.

Wednesday I was supposed to run in the morning, but slept in instead.  That meant the running clinic after work had to be followed by my one-hour run.  That was actually a decent workout, because by the time I started my run, I was warmed up from the drills we did in the running clinic.  And it was pouring rain, which was really fun! Until the lightning started and I still had 2 miles to run...not fun.  By the time my hour was up, my legs were just really tired and I was ready to be done.

Thursday morning I woke up exhausted but once warmed up at the gym had a good workout.  Then came the worst...a crash on my roller trainer Thursday night.  It is amazing that I haven't fallen off that thing before (for those wondering what it is, here is a photo--the bike is not actually stabilized by anything, so balancing is key). 

 

This is more difficult on a tri bike than on a road bike, too, because of the geometry of the bike.  Anyway, I was already unhappy about having to cut my session 5 minutes short in order to make swim class, and then I couldn't get my shoes unclipped from my pedals, panicked, and fell AWAY from my desk, which I had situated myself next to in case I needed to grab something instead of falling.  That doesn't work when you fall in the other direction.  So I'm in my office, on the floor, still clipped into my pedals, foot cramps setting in because I'm all twisted, knee hurts so I knew I banged it up...I was pissed!  After I managed to untangle myself, I of course checked the bike for any damage.  Only a scraped pedal, not too traumatic.  Then I inspected my knee, which was in a lot of pain.  Over the next couple of days I found that my knee took the hardest hit, followed by my hip (which now has a beautiful purple and gold souvenir bruise), and a little bruising on the ankle and forearm.  I still went to swim, which did not go really well, nor did it improve my mood.  The next morning I also went to my scheduled swim, which went much better and I was in a pretty good mood for most of the day.  However, by the time 5:30 o.m. rolled around, I was tired, cranky, and in no mood to do my planned transition bike/run.  On top of that, Brian had begun happy hour a little early and was not going to join me on the bike ride, so I skipped it.  The negativity continued Saturday morning, when my planned 3 hour bike ride started well enough but didn't finish well at all.  Halfway through Brian and I started arguing, my legs were tired, my seat was hurting me really bad, my bruised knee hurt, and the wind in the last 20 miles was demoralizing.  Wah and woe is me...

But after all of that, Sunday morning arrives along with a 15K that I had no idea how to approach.  My stomach was upset from overeating ice cream the night before, my attitude was dejected from having a bad training week (meaning I had NO confidence in my athletic ability at that point), and I hadn't run a 15K in so long that I didn't know how to approach my pacing.  So I decided to just go with it and try to keep up with some friends whose pace is close to mine.  It was a gorgeous morning for a run on a really nicely laid out course.  So I just ran.  I tried to keep a couple of friends in sight, feeding off the company of yet another running buddy, and we just kept at it.  My stomach was not feeling normal, but it was tolerable.  My legs felt fine, though in my mind I kept expecting them to revolt at any time because of the hard bike ride the day before, like they did at mile 9 of the Gasparilla half marathon in February.  But at mile 5 of the race (after a very long mile 4...why is it that sometimes a stretch of a mile in a race seems so long?), I realized that I was feeling pretty good.  Brian, Tom and Gary had finished their 5K and I ran by them cheering me on, grabbed some water from Brian, and picked up the pace. Just before mile 7 I got a side stitch, which was weird, but I worked it out and with about 2 miles to go I picked it up a little more.  The stomach then started to complain a little, but I kept telling myself it's only 2 miles!  That's nothing!  There were two guys in front of me that I was aiming to pick off...a mile to go, passed one, then passed the other soon after.  As I turned the corner for the final stretch, with Brian, Gary, Tom and Denise cheering me on again, I had a surge of a final kick and passed another dude.  When I saw the clock reading 1:10:55, I thought there was a mistake.  But there wasn't!  So I was thrilled.  And that's all it took to change my attitude. 

So I'm back to positive, remembering why I am training--because I love it!  Yes, I will have bad days, maybe even bad weeks...but it will turn around.  Training pays off, exercise is a good thing, and the next time I feel overwhelmed I'll remember to take it just one step at a time, because all it takes to get back on track is one good run.

Race report and slaying the dragon.

Me and Mom

I never did do a race report for my March 24th Olympic Distance triathlon in Clermont, so here it is:
Woke up at 1am the night before the race with stomach pains/cramps.  Brian had gotten what we thought was food poisoning but was likely something else that he passed on to me.  Though I did not suffer as badly, it still really sucked.  The middle of the night pain was not unbearable and never resulted in any bathroom emergencies (TMI? sorry) but I could not get back to sleep.  My anxiety was tough to control knowing I had to get up at 4:30.  I started singing 99 bottles of beer on the wall but kept getting distracted (well, bored) and thinking of other things.  I remember getting to 71, and I might have fallen back asleep right before the alarm went off (I hate that!).  Cancelling the tri was not an option, but as the stomach pains continued and I worried about eating--I didn't feel like eating but knew I needed to fuel up.  By the time the race started the pain had subsided--whether it was from the Pepto or the adrenaline or the attempt to ignore the pain, who knows.

The swim was horrible.  I truly hated every second of it, which made me sad because I was so looking forward to liking the swim this time!  It had nothing to do with technique and everything to do with the conditions. Cold water, wetsuit that was a little too snug, strong wind and current, low lighting (cloudy) made it difficult to see the buoys.  An all-around mess.  On a good note, I did not get overly tired on the swim from the actual swimming part, just the swallowing-water-and-struggling-to-stay-on-course part.  I went through a lot of negative self talk on that swim, which of course didn't help.  I was so happy when it was over.

Transition was not as quick as usual, notwithstanding getting the wetsuit off (I had help from a "stripper"), but I was slower than usual compared to others.  I made a conscious effort to drink frequently and eat (1 gel) on the bike since I know I will have to do that for the IM.  It was SO windy, yet I felt like I was doing okay.  I passed so many people, only 4 or 5 men passed me, no women passed me on the bike.  But the wind took its toll and I did not have a very good average.  The last few miles were flat but the headwind felt like a brick wall.

The run started out okay, my legs felt fine, but my stomach was not happy.  I tried a lot of positive self talk, telling myself just to focus on quick feet, a quick turnover, but I still couldn't get my speed up to where I wanted it.

In the end, I was disappointed overall, but I got over that quickly because I know I gave it all I had.  I did have a lot of doubts crop up in the form of "If I am struggling at this distance, how am I ever going to complete an Ironman?"  Every time that popped in my head (which was often during the last 2 miles of the run), I pushed it out and reminded myself how much more time I have for training and I'm not supposed to be ready for the IM yet.

So here I am in week 10 of my training...week 10!  I can't believe it!  It is significant because my training plan is broken into three 10-week sections, each with a different goal.  So I have almost made it through a third of my training, the Base Phase!  I must admit that I skipped my first training session this past weekend.  I was supposed to do a 75 minute run on Sunday, and I slept in, which felt great!  So then I planned to run later, no problem...but the day progressed and I just didn't make it happen.  I thought about making it up on Monday, my rest day, but then decided not to.  And I am absolutely fine with that.  So in total, for 9 weeks of training, I missed 1 run and 3 strength training sessions.  Since the strength training are "extra" I don't really count those as a missed workout.  I'd say that's pretty good!

As I enter the second phase of training, the Build Phase, I must admit I'm a little nervous.  As I was writing out my calendar for the next 10 weeks, I realized that the time investment does increase quite a bit.  A third swim per week is "officially" added, but I was already doing three swims, so that's no big deal.  But the weekends now have two sessions per day, a bike and a run on both days.  Sometimes this is in the form of a brick/transition workout with the run immediately following the bike, but others will be two-a-days, meaning I'll have to fit in a morning and evening workout, usually on Sundays.  That's going to be tough.  Two other challenges in this section (at least that I've identified so far)--a half ironman distance event this month, which I'm not prepared for, and a vacation at the end of May.  For the HIM race, I am fully going into it as a training exercise, testing nutrition and not worrying too much about performance.  Of course I will try my best, but I won't push it so hard that I'll need two weeks for recovery.  As for vacation, we're heading to San Francisco for 5 days (well 4, really, because the 5th day consists of travel all day).  It will be no problem to get runs in, but I won't be taking my bike, and although there are some masters swim class options, I doubt I'll be able to fit them into the schedule.  Plus I'll be eating a lot of yummy, non-paleo stuff!  I'll get plenty of exercise because we'll be renting bikes for a day and walking everywhere, but it's not triathlon training.  I will try not to worry too much about that, but I know it will cause some anxiety.

Speaking of yummy, non-paleo stuff...I regretfully have been eating too much of it lately.  I am still having trouble getting back on track with my eating.  Last week the evil stomach plague from hell stayed with us through Friday in the form of major intestinal cramping every time we ate something.  It was awful!  I hadn't gone to the grocery store due to being sick, I still got my workouts in but often with uncharacteristic heartburn throughout, and at night ate for convenience and comfort rather than fuel.

This week I am back on track.  I went shopping and cooked my healthy food for the week.  Everyday I am still battling the Overeating Dragon, trying to push back against wanting to continuously stuff my face.  Surrounding myself with healthy foods helps, as does the disappearance of the evil stomach plague from hell. I've decided that April is going to be a fantastic month!!