Weekap, Base 2 Week 5

(Get it? It's a recap of the week)

This was my biggest training week to date, both in time and distance. I'm excited because I feel pretty good physically and I'm not completely stressed out. I'm even more excited because on Wednesday I'm heading to CALIFORNIA for a training weekend on the Wildflower course! Stella and I are hittin' the road! Two main purposes for the trip: to go on vacation and still be able to train (I figure any trips between now and Ironman are going to have to be training-related), and to get some hill experience (SOMEone thought it was a bright idea to sign up for a hilly Ironman when they live in an area where a 27-foot-high manmade hill is the highest point around).

During the week I had a pretty tough treadmill workout, two OW swims, ran 3 days in a row for the first time in a long time, an 85 mile ride (!), some pool swims, some spin workouts, and a long run. Whew!

One of those open water swims was the first of a series of three swim clinics that Coaches Kevin and Rick are putting on before the New Orleans 70.3 race. This one was the first time in wetsuits and the first time in cold water for a lot of the participants. It was only my second time, but I felt pretty comfortable. I was ready for the out of breath feeling since it happened the first time. They say that gets better as you get more used to the cold water. I hope they're right- that 2.4 mile swim in Idaho is seeming pretty long right about now!

Arriving at the lake bright and early:


Mitch, not so sure about this whole "lake" idea, trying to use his Phone A Friend to get him outta here:


Me laughing at Debby's comment that putting on a wetsuit is like "trying to put boudin (sausage) back in the casing":


Mitch trying to pretend he ain't scurred:


But we all knew how he really felt:


Coaches giving last minute instructions:


Boat support crew (who have both done CDA!):


We did it!!






Even Mitch!


Al got caught with his pants down,


...and Coach Rick still looks a little like a weatherman:


Too bad I'll have to miss the second swim clinic- did I mention it's because I'm going to California?!?- but I'll be there for the 3rd one when we swim the whole race course.

And finally, today was a much-appreciated day off!

Weekly totals-
Swim: 8740 yards
Bike: 100+ miles (86 with Stella plus 20-30 on the spin bikes)
Run: 28 miles
Total Time: 14:40

Wednesday OW Swim Report, 03-04-09

This week's OW swim was a memorable one for two reasons:

1) It was the first OW swim of the season;

2) It was my first swim in a wetsuit!

I had tried on the wetsuit a few times since getting it for Christmas, and now was finally showtime. The lake was a balmy 57 degrees or so. Emails had been flying around about booties, caps, gloves, filling your suit with warm water, and cautionary tales of blue lips and hospital visits. I know 57 is pretty cold, but all the folks out in California swim in the ocean all the time and the water barely gets up to 50 out there! I'm coming to learn that when a New Orleanian tries to warn you about "cold", it's best taken with a grain of salt. A few weekends ago, Coach Kevin rolled out of the swimhole for our ride with long pants, long sleeves, booties AND a headband... it couldn't have been much colder than 50.

I got my wetsuit on all by myself and headed to the steps with a group of 3 or 4 others. Some people were already swimming. I was a little nervous but excited too. I stood on the bottom step for a few minutes (about hip-deep) with Greg while we waited for Marcos and Chris to get in. It was the neatest feeling... my feet were cold, but the rest of my legs couldn't feel the water at all! They were just as warm as they had been when I was standing on the shore!

Finally the other two got their act together and we pushed off. You know how when you first step off into the water, you sink a little then come back up and start swimming? Well I pushed off and glided right on top of the water like a cork, no sinking at all! It was amazing!

The cold water did take my breath away a little bit and it took a few minutes to feel like I could breathe again. I did a fair job of sighting (something I'm not very good at), settled into a rhythm, and had a good swim. I decided to do just one half-mile loop instead of two though. For my first wetsuit swim and my first OW swim of the season, I felt like one was enough.

Success!


Coach Kevin, a little under the weather so not swimming but there to help as always:


Coach Rick, looking dapper (and also a little like a weatherman):

I Got A Brick For My Birthday

All the craziness of Mardi Gras is finally over. It's a little sad because Carnival is a really fun and special time of year, but it's nice to actually be able to drive around the city and have everything back to normal. As 'normal' as this place ever gets, anyway.

I had a long run on Lundi Gras and decided to run all the way down St Charles, which is the parade route. It was 7:30 on a Monday morning and people were already out getting their areas set up on the neutral ground for the parades that night. It was like running through an obstacle course- ducking through tents, dodging around camp chairs and barbecues, weaving in and out through barricade tape. I was in the Carnival spirit though so I enjoyed it. I love the excitement that you can feel in the air at Mardi Gras time. Over the weekend while I was running I spotted the Rolling Elvi, complete with police escort, all ready for the night's parades... (pictures courtesy of rollingelvi.com. I didn't have my camera with me)









I was all ready to catch a 100th anniversary Zulu coconut, the most prized of all Mardi Gras throws, on Fat Tuesday. But unfortunately I had to leave early that morning to drive to South Carolina for my uncle's funeral, who tragically passed away at the much too early age of 60. It was very sad, especially since he remarried about ten years ago and has a 6-year-old daughter. I'm glad I got to be there though, and I'm glad I got to see my family. They don't all get together much. It was a long drive, about 750 miles, but fortunately I was able to bring Miz Kai along as a most excellent traveling companion. Everyone loved her, especially the kids. She was such a very, very good girl with all the commotion, new people, and being in a strange place. She was steady as a rock. I couldn't be more proud of her. Did I mention that she and the kids loved each other?



The day after I got back was my birthday, and I celebrated by going for an 80-mile ride followed by a 30-minute run. My coach offered to give me the day off on my birthday, but I mentioned that it would probably be a better idea to give me the day *after* my birthday off, so that's what she did. But after that long ride, I was so tired I didn't make it past midnight and one drink!

As I usually do on my birthday, I did a bit of reflecting on the past year. 26 was a pretty good year for me. One of the bigger milestones of that year was my first triathlon. I had been thinking about triathlon off and on for a few years by that point and I finally decided now was the time. I was coming off of a long layoff due to shin splints and I was barely up to running 3 miles but I wanted to do it anyway. Not to mention the fact that I'd never swum in open water, nor did I have a road bike. So off to Alabama I went for the Grandman triathlon, with the hybrid bike in the back and Beverly along as moral support and cheering section. I got scraped up before the race even started by falling in a hole unloading the bike race morning. That day taught me two things: I really CAN do this, and I will NEVER again ride a hybrid bike in a race.

So, here comes 27. Just about 12 months from the day of Grandman I'll be doing my first Ironman. I'd like to do a few other things in my 27th year, like run my first non-Ironman marathon, enter an agility trial with Kai, get a little better at this cycling thing, get a better handle on how to balance training/job/Kai/etc, be a little more social, a little happier with myself, and when all is said and done, to not forget to enjoy the ride.

Rain, Rain, Rain

I guess we've been too spoiled by such nice weather for our group rides these past few weeks, because it rained ALL weekend! I couldn't complain too much since we have had a nice long run of great days. But I did complain a little. I'm a wuss about the rain. Running in it isn't too bad, as long as it's not pouring, but biking in the rain is scary and not fun.

I knew it was going to be raining Saturday morning, but I still trudged out to the swimhole at 6:30 to see what the group was up to. If there was any training going on, I'd feel guilty if I didn't show up. Turned out there were only about five of us who showed up (not including either coach, I might add!). A few were going to run instead, but that plan got scrapped too as the skies started to really open up. Rick said he was going to the gym to ride the spinning bike. Three to four hours on a spin bike? NO thank you, not for this girl! I was tired and cranky anyway, so I decided my plan was to go home and go back to sleep. The weather cleared up a little in the afternoon so I did Sunday's long run instead of the ride.

Sunday morning, it was STILL raining but I knew if I didn't ride then, it wasn't going to happen at all. So out to the swimhole I went. This time, there were 8 of us who rode. Five turned around at Venetian Isles (about a 45-mile round trip) and Marcos, Leslie and I continued on to Ft. Pike. It would have been about a 63-mile round trip, but shortly before the turnaround point I got a flat. Yay. Marcos changed it for me (while the three of us got eaten alive by swarms of biting gnats) and we made it back. 60 miles was plenty for me, even though I was supposed to ride 80. Oh well. Some days you have it, some days you just don't. At least the two hour nap I took after I got home felt good!


At the swimhole, with Stella waiting to be unleashed:

(Normally this parking lot is PACKED with cars for the weekend ride!)


Marcos: "Huh? I'm awake, I swear..."



Al, ready to ride as always:



Me, pretending to be excited about riding in the rainy wet:

(did it work? No?)

Nope, Still Don't Like It

Another long run Sunday. 14 miles today. The weather was perfect too- sunny and 70s. Normally I enjoy the alone time on these days, but for various reasons I did not want to be alone with my thoughts today. So I tried running with the Ipod. I listened to a few songs and a few chapters of my audiobook, but that was about all I could take. I ditched the Ipod after about mile 5 and was much happier.

It turned out to be a good run. About 25 mins faster than the last time I did this distance, and I felt just as good if not better than last time. It's interesting because I don't feel any different today than I did a few months ago. But comparing those two workouts to each other shows that obviously things have changed. The training must be working!

In other news, Carnival season is well underway. I went to the Krewe du Vieux parade last night, widely known as one of the most satirical and THE most "risque" parade of them all. A few years ago, this was the first Mardi Gras parade I ever saw. My mom was visiting so we both went. After the first few floats with gigantic replicas of male genitalia, swimming sperms on sticks, the walking krewe of "Pizza Sluts" with strategically placed pizza boxes (think SNL's Dick in a Box skit), we realized we weren't in Kansas anymore! The theme for this year was "Stimulus Package". Warning: pictures not family friendly...!

Race Report- Mardi Gras Half Marathon 2009

Pre-Race:
Of all the days for my Garmin to act up, of course it picks race day! I was getting dressed at about 5:40 and noticed that the screen on my Garmin was totally blank. I put it on the charger and yup, 0%. When I took it off of the charger the night before to leave it out with the rest of my clothes, it must have never gone into hibernate mode and the battery ran down. It has NEVER done that before. Go figure. I did a pretty good job at not freaking out at that point. I got picked up at 6:00 by my GNOTri teammate Marcos. The race started at 7:00 so we figured we'd be fine. But once we got to the Superdome, it was a huge free-for-all and we sat in the truck waiting in line to park for at least twenty minutes. The good thing about that though was that my Garmin had more time to charge- I had brought my laptop so it could continue charging on the drive. My warmup was running from the truck to bag check, then from bag check to the starting line. I managed one or two quick stretches along the way. The weather was perfect- about 50 degrees. I'm glad I decided not to wear anything more than a tank top and shorts. Ran into Coach Kevin and Coach Rick at the start line.


Race:
For at least the first three miles, it was insanely crowded. I couldn't get a good rhythm going. The buildings in the FQ were messing up the Garmin too. I remembered my coach saying, "the only way your plan won't work is if you go out too hard, or mess up your hydration". I definitely wasn't going out too hard, so I stayed calm. Because of all the pre-race craziness, it took me a while to relax and get my mind settled down. At about mile 3 was when I kind of "woke up" and started smiling.

Things that made me happy- Seeing lots of friends along the way (including Beverly at Audubon Park- THANKS for coming out, girl!). Cheering for the guy leading the race as he came the other way down St. Charles (I was only at mile 5 or 6 at that point!). The Team Spot-Tees aid station at mile 8, where everyone was dressed as vampires, complete with fake blood and bats hanging from the trees. The people playing Chariots of Fire on a big boombox (I told them it made me feel like I should be running in slow motion). The spectator with his mp3 player rigged up to a megaphone so we could all hear it. The guy who dropped his Gu packet and actually stopped to pick it up.

Things that irritated me- There was just one really. Between mile 8 and 9 I must have run through at least three clouds of cigarette smoke from the spectators. Seriously, people??

So I ended up going out very conservatively. At about mile 8 I decided it was game time and I needed to start really getting after it. I picked up the pace to about 8:00, then to about 7:45 a mile or so later and held that to the finish. It got tough and I got tired, but nothing ever really hurt (like the inside of my ankle did at Vegas) so I thought that was really good. I definitely had to do some serious self-pep-talks in the last two miles or so though! There were tons of spectators lining the course for the last few tenths of a mile. That was great. Rounding the final turn and seeing the finish line just up ahead was even better! Chip time was 1:46:28. A new PR- woot!


Cooldown and post-race:
Ate some bananas, walked around, found Marcos. Watched the marathon winner finish. Saw Coach Kevin and Coach Rick again. Came back home and did a warm-down jog with Marcos and Kai. Texted my coach :)


Now it's time for my favorite race day tradition- the post-race pizza! Domino's, here I come!

A Time To Reflect...

Ana of Paco Collars lost her beloved Paco to a freak accident this past Saturday. The previous week, a friend of a friend died suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of 36, leaving an 11 year old daughter behind. Even though I didn't know either her or Paco personally, there's no way I could be unaffected by the enormity of these tragedies. It's caused me to do a lot of thinking.

When I meet someone who has experienced a great loss in their past, or if I find out that someone I know has gone through that kind of experience, I think I subconsciously accept that as the way things were supposed to work out. Like that person was always someone who was going to lose that family member. Like it was always known, or has always been that way. But then something like this happens, and I think, no no, that's not right, it isn't supposed to happen like this. This isn't the way the story goes. And then I realize the subconscious assumption I've made about those other situations. I realize, this is how my mom felt when she lost her mother at a young age. This is how G felt when his brother died. Those things weren't supposed to happen either.

I know that all sounds silly and probably insensitive. It's not meant to. But as someone who has the luxury of never having lost like that, it's something I've never been forced to fully process. Do things happen for a reason? Someone like me might say yes. Someone like my mother might ask, what possible reason could there have been for my mom to die so young?

I am also a person who likes to have a plan and structure for my life. Not knowing how the story ends really gets to me sometimes. Do I have five days left with Kai or five thousand? Will she die of old age after a long happy life, will she get some awful disease, or is some freak accident going to take her away from me, like Paco? Will I know it's coming, or will it happen suddenly? Will I be with her when it happens? I just worked out how long 5000 days is- 13.7 years. In all likelihood, I have less than 5000 days with Kai since that would put her at about 19 years old. Thinking of her remaining life in terms of days- even thousands of days- just made me shudder a little. I'm constantly haunted by images and thoughts of what might happen to take her away from me. Maybe 'haunted' is too strong of a word, but it is definitely something I think about more than I should.

When she dies, am I going to be one of those people saying "no, this isn't supposed to happen like this!"? Later on, after she's gone, will I be one of those people who I have somehow assumed always knew it would end the way it did? Will I feel like I wasted any of our precious time together, and would I ever forgive myself for that? And the hardest question of all, the one guaranteed to make me cry if I think about it long enough, what will my life be like without her in it?

I love her so much it hurts sometimes, and I know some of that hurt comes from the knowledge that our time together, no matter how long it ends up being, will be far too short.

Sometimes I want to shout at myself, JUST ENJOY THE DAYS YOU HAVE!! IT MAKES NO SENSE TO BE WORRYING ABOUT HER DYING WHILE SHE'S STILL ALIVE!! A smarter person might be able to do that better than I seem to. It's the not knowing that is so hard to deal with sometimes. Although, if given the option, I would probably still choose to not know. What I do know is that right now, she is living and loving and warm and fuzzy, and snoring away on the beanbag behind me. And I know that I'm going to continue to love her, protect her, share silly, fun, goofy and cuddly times with her, and revel in the deep bond we have for as long as the story allows me.

Rest peacefully sweet Paco, and may peace also come to your family in time. And K, wherever you are I wish peace to you too, from the knowledge that you raised your daughter to be a strong person who will turn out just fine, even though she'll never stop missing you.