One…or Two for the Record Books

The 2014 race season has begun and it has been one for the record books, in more ways than one.

First there was the half-marathon (out-of-town!) that was cancelled after standing in a local restaurant watching the electrical monsoon on radar from 6-10am….HOPING to get a break in the weather, long enough, to eek out a 5k. Nope. Didn’t happen. I would’ve had better luck racing a kayak. This was a first for me.

 

A PR in race cancellation. Go ME!

I suppose the first time is always the hardest.

I still don’t like talking about it. Quite frankly, just thinking about it still pisses me off. Mother Nature and I have been butting heads for well over a year now and it’s getting a little tiresome. Sadly, it’s not likely to change anytime soon either.

Now I’m left to running a local half marathon in 2 weeks. It’s going to be hilly and it’s going to be windy, as it’s along the beach then up and over a few bridges. Despite simply using these 13.1 glorious miles as a fine-tuning event for my 70.3 in early May (pace, nutrition…ie no taper for me), there’s no way to enter into it without some serious reservation. I know the route well and it’s going to be hard. A lot harder than the one that got rained out! So wish me luck and for Gods sake, some decent weather! That which doesn’t kill you, blah…blah, blah 🙂

sigh…

On a more cheery note, last weekend I finally DID get to race and even set a few records of the right kind!

I officially kicked off 2014 (better late than never!) with a duathlon!!! If you know anything about me, you know I find it totally rude to exclude a swim from any event. I’d just assume swim-run-swim or swim-bike-swim or just SWIM as opposed to anything else, but race directors never seem to approach me for ideas. Go figure??!!

And so the 2014 opener was just that….a RUDE wake up to the season, but man it REALLY felt good to race again!

It was a short event at 2-16-2, but it was challenging. It was about an hour north of the coast and it chocker full of rolling hills. I did several of my long 80-90 mi+ Ironman training rides/bricks out there so I know the roads oh-so-well!  As a side note, it was also the first time I got to take out this lady and put her to good use, along with a new fit which happens to be drastically different from what is seen here…

All KINDS of changes going on!

Recovering from Ironman has been a very interesting process with more ups and downs than I could ever try to explain. Regaining any semblance of speed has been difficult and frustrating. One day I’d have some, the next I was too tired to hit my warm up swim set. No way to describe it besides….Ridiculous. It was right around the first part of March that I began to notice a difference though. I could effectively hold a variety of paces, in all 3 disciplines, day after day. I was recovering better, I wasn’t feeling as sore and beat up, my mood was better….and I WANTED to race agin. The apathy was lifting. The bad case of “whatevers” that had seemed to plague me for months was waning. Almost 4 months after IMFL, I finally felt recovered.

And the timing couldn’t have been better!

There really isn’t a lot to say about a duathlon and if done correctly, not much time to think about the finer details much less write about them.

Run hard…not too hard though. Build the bike leg to the point the legs feel like they’re going to spontaneously implode, all while wondering how in the HELL are they going carry you through another run. Then run one last time…like your life depends on it.

Last weekend, I’m proud to say I nailed it. I’m not the best pacer in the world and that recklessness is magnified when I have to sprint. It’s something I’ve been working very diligently on across all three sports this off-season. I’ve been far less dependent on the technology and more on me. I still have the Garmin, power meter, and all that other “stuff”, but I’ve better learned what those numbers “feel” like. More importantly, I’m learning the art of “building” to a certain pace, speed, or wattage. It’s not an easy skill to achieve, but the benefits are well worth it.

My 1st and 2nd run were within 10 secs of each other and I rode well above my FTP for 50 minutes or so. In layman’s terms: I’ve gotten a little stronger, a little faster, and maybe even a little smarter. Naturally, I wasn’t as fast as I wanted to be (particularly on the bike), but for the first time…maybe ever…I walked away feeling like I executed a race properly. Not perfectly, but I acted correctly…with purpose and intent. A definite first for me!

My reward….

I earned 1st in the 40-49 AG and received an awesome gift card to use at our local tri shop! Keep the medals and trophies…gimme cash to spend!! woo-hoo!

More importantly though, I finally got the chance to see where I am now, almost 5 months out from completing Ironman. I recovered really well from the duathlon which was the biggest indicator that I’m finally healed up, back to 100%, and ready to go full throttle once again.

Now if Mother Nature will just cut me a little slack…

But as I listen to the rain pelting the bayou behind the house and wind whipping the trees that doesn’t seem to be in cards anytime soon!

That which doesn’t kill you…..

Run Happy, My Friends!

Core Power Fit Kit GIVEAWAY!

Oh the weather outside has been frightful! And that’s putting it mildly….

With over half the country under snow and/or with temperatures around freezing, I know we’re all growing tired of Old Man Winter. I admit that I’ve been in a bit of a funk….a hibernation mode if you will. Oh I’ve done my training, but this rude decent of the polar vortex down, into the deep south, has left me lacking the motivation for much else.

Needless to say there is a lot to catch up on around here! And what better way to get that started than with a Monday GIVEAWAY!

Recently, I was offered the opportunity to be an ambassador for Core Power. If you’ve been around here for a while, you know that they have been my go-to recovery drink since way back to their Honey Milk days. It’s not often that I find a product I use 100% year around without fail….no substitutions. This is my post-training drink of choice when real food is not an option.

We all know how important recovery is to maximizing the benefits of each training session. And how essential it is to get your nutrition started within the 30 minute post workout window. Sometimes that can be easier said than done, but this stuff helps you help yourself!

Core Power has created the ideal recovery drink for you! It’s got the science in the bottle, however all that science in the world won’t help if athletes won’t crack the top. Therefore one of the most vital elements of any recovery drink, in my opinion, is taste. If isn’t palatable, then it won’t be consumed. If it’s not consumed, then it is of no benefit.

I’ve personally tried almost every recovery drink out there and Core Power actually taste GOOD! I look forward to finding it in my bag after workouts and I make sure that I NEVER run out. My husband and I keep an ample stock of strawberry-banana on hand and we have no difficulty reordering by the case through Amazon.com

Now I know not everyone may be chomping at the bit to head out and order up a case of something new and untested. Luckily, singles can be found at grocery stores and most Wal-marts locally. Or there’s an even better option….

You can enter to win some right HERE, right NOW! In addition to a few bottles of Core Power, you’ll also get you’re very own fit kit which will include:

• A Ogio Core Power gym bag!
• Yoga mat
• Towel
• Stability Balance Ball
• Camelback water bottle

What’s a person gotta do to win, you ask??

Well here’s the deal…

1. Tell me what you’re favorite recovery food/beverage is right now
2. Like Core Power on Facebook and tell em’ I sent ya’ over
3. Give Core Power a Tweet and a Follow as well

Winner’s will be drawn at random and will be announced next Monday, February 24, 2012. The Core Power Fit Kit will be shipped to the winning party within 4-6 weeks.

Good luck and try to stay warm out there…

Spring will be here before we know it!

Run Happy, My Friends!

Moving Forward….

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, survived Black Thursday Friday, and is taking full advantage of Cyber Monday (my personal favorite)!

Just so you know, Ironman recovery is a real bitch. I’m just now turning the corner and feeling like I’ll actually BE able to race again next year. Which is a good thing because:

a) while I was still high on Ironman invincibility, I got the OK to race a 5k this coming Saturday…..

but “just for fun!”

Who the hell races a 5k just for fun? Especially when the only training done, over the past 12 months, has been in the highly aerobic playground known as Zone 2???!! Just for reference, my heart rate gets higher when I vacuum my house. Ask around, there hasn’t been much of THAT happening.

and

b) my jeans are officially shrinking!

Crap! I was trying to be so careful, but it was inevitable. It’s time to seriously get moving….and more than a leisurely hour a day to support these healthy eating habits!

Yes, it’s time to move forward…

The Ironman high (and calorie burn!!) is long gone. I’m now left with tight pants and a looming 5k that’s making me MORE anxious than 140.6 miles did a month ago.

But it’s all good. I’ve actually decided a little fear isn’t such a bad thing. It keeps the senses sharp, like a knife! 😉

As I move away from longer (not long, just uber long) distances, I now have the opportunity to sprinkle some challenging events into my schedule once again. I can take the time to race and recover from events I might not normally elect to do because they’re not necessarily my favorites.

In other words, it’s time to get uncomfortable…to push the boundaries in a different way….to grab the bull by the horns and dare to hold on!

2014 is going to be about utilizing each opportunity and taking every single last second for what it’s worth. If Ironman taught me anything, it was the importance of taking full advantage of every single moment life hands out because second chances are few and far between.

So this is how I’ll be moving forward…

Starting with a “just for fun” 5k on Saturday!

Run Happy, My Friends!

Ironman Florida- 13 weeks and counting…

 

I have no idea how it’s possible to have even LESS time during a step-back week, but that’s what happened.

It was the week before school and earlier in the summer, I decided to postpone every doctor appointment, dentist appointment, orthodontist appointment, trip for school clothes, haircut…..

You get the point….

There was a lot of running around being done and not, all that much, much resting.

I’m going to spare you the details since there was less volume this week, but “less” is very relative right about now.

Something I was both shocked and a little saddened to learn.

I was hoping for a week on the couch…kinnda….

I got a little over 10+ hours of work done and even had some ridiculous intervals thrown in to be sure my neuromuscular system didn’t develop a sudden case of rest-induced amnesia.

Between you and me, I’m not sure I ended the week feeling all that “rested”….

Maybe rested is the wrong word because, come to think of it, I DID actually feel a bit more rested by weeks end.

What I really wanted, was to feel refreshed and rejuvenated….

I wanted to feel energetic like I did back in May, before my training volume and the outdoor temperature jumped to increasingly obnoxious levels….

I wanted to feel like I could clip in and speed through 90 miles at 20+ mph…

I wanted my legs to willingly climb the stairs, to the 1st floor of my house (oh why did we build on the water???), while carrying those 40 bags of groceries….

HA! No such luck!

Maybe, by Thanksgiving! 😉

We’ll see….

Next week starts a 3 week, bike heavy block. Funny, there’s an awful lot of running in there too??!!!!

Yea, it looks a lil’ intimidating….

But then again, so is 140.6.

One day at a time….

Ride Happy, My Friends!

 

Alive and Well…

It’s a good day!

I’ve made it through the biggest build phase for Gulf Coast 70.3 and so this week I’m rewarded with some well deserved rest….plus a little sprint tri on Saturday.

My last event was back in May, but March 2012 was actually the last time I took part uninjured. This was also when things began to fall apart. 2103 has been a year of change in effort to keep this body in motion!

The most monumental thing I’ve done is hire a coach.

When I decided to race IMFL, I felt like I needed the help to get through the year uninjured. I really believed I trained fairly hard and so maybe a little help backing off would keep me in the game, so to speak.

Time would show I wasn’t REALLY working as hard as I thought!

It was fun and games through base training.

Then we began the building blocks. Every day was harder than the next and I started to quickly see where I had been slacking in the past.

I quickly learned it was a bad idea to look more than 1 day ahead in Training Peaks. It was just better NOT to know!

Amazingly, as hard as it was though, I was able to complete each session, recover, and get up and do it again. Most evenings I went to bed feeling like I’d been in MMA fight, but by morning I was ready, willing, and able to repeat the process. The ability to absorb what she was giving me was simply remarkable.

I wasn’t carrying residual soreness or on the brink of injury.

During this last week, which naturally contained the highest volume and intensity to date, my hips started to get a little snarky. I have to believe a 4 hour bike/run brick followed by a 2 hr run the next day would do that to most of us mere mortals though.

It was a very manageable snarkiness and as I come up for air (and coffee) today, I’m realizing how vital it was/is to have an experienced coach to guide me through the process.

The race results will be what they will, but to make it through these workouts successfully after the year of injuries I’ve had speaks for itself.

Everything happens for a reason….

If I hadn’t been graced with the stress fracture, I would’ve never understood how much day-to-day help I needed. I would’ve never made that step to align myself with what will, no doubt, end up being the most valuable training tool I have…..

My coach…

Yesterday, as I finished up my run…hot, exhausted, and with sore feet…it truly felt like the end of a long race.

It didn’t matter how fast I was going only that I was still able to go….

I knew the hardest of the work was done and my body had held up. I was so happy and so grateful to have been able to complete every single bit of it because you just never know.

Sometimes we take that for granted…

injury…illness….it changes perspective a bit.

So now it’s race week and ohhhh it’s been a long time since I’ve gotten to chase that carrot!!

Time to pick a tri kit (blue or red??), get the pedicure, pull out the wetsuit, and grease the chain…

Good times are ahead!

Race Happy, My Friends!

Better Not Bitter

A good friend asked me earlier today why I wasn’t writing much.

Truth is, what I’ve had to say hasn’t been too cheery. You can only bitch and moan about being hurt, healing, and regaining fitness for just so long…

Eventually, the world says, “ENOUGH ALREADY!”

I’ve been through this process a time or two, so I know this for a fact.

So while I licked my wounds and made the slow return back to the wide world of triathlon, I elected to keep things on the down low and focus on the work at hand.

I am very happy to say I’ve come out the other side a bit better than when I entered. I’m stronger and smarter than I was 6-7 months ago.

Ideally, the end result will show the same.

Time will tell….

159 days 14 hours 10 minutes and 32 seconds

But really, whose counting??!! 🙂

I imagine you’ll hear more from me in the coming weeks and months as things are finally trending in the right direction.

Good things are up ahead!

Ride Happy, My Friends!

Keeping Recovery Simple

Recovery is a discipline just like swimming, riding, and running yet very few of us have perfected it…

Maybe because it’s the most difficult.

There is no doubt about its importance, but all too often it tends to get pushed to the back burner.

Life takes over.

It happens.

And that can lead to a very unpleasant training cycle…or two….hundred 😉

NOT that I would know anything about that…..

Yesterday I was told to cut my workouts short if I wasn’t going to be able to cool-down, stretch, and eat properly following each session.

No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

So I started looking stuff up, as I tend to do, to see just how “off” things have been….

Then decided to share my findings, as I also like to do, because I KNOW y’all can’t be recovering like everyone says they are!!

Not judging, just saying’….

This is probably more than anyone wants to read, but for you scientific minds it’s the basic chemistry behind recovery and how to add up your recovery points.

This is the more simplified version.

Googling “TQR” or “total quality recovery” produces some nifty spreadsheets from various strength and conditioning sites that may or may not be useful as well.

The main point here is that these scales are EASY!

I can honestly tell you that unless I sleep with my HR monitor on, I am not checking my pulse in the morning. And I won’t even admit how many times I’ve done THAT!

This is a quick behavioral audit to keep recovery front and center….

FYI, my numbers have apparently been around 11 for as long as I can remember…and they should really be closer to 17….

YIKES!!!

Train Smartly, My Friends!

Hotter Than….

Hell in an oven right about now!

As a result, I was feeling my annual need to say something about how essential it is to adjust run paces to the heat, humidity, and overall misery of the great outdoors.

Every year twitter starts buzzing (twitting??) and the questioning starts on Daily Mile…

“Its so damn hot….How much should I slow down?”

Which really means,

“How much should I struggle to maintain my normal pace and hope I don’t keel over and die?”

It’s a given that we MUST dial things down a notch or two in the summer and if you’re the type that freaks (who me???) when the Garmin trends higher and higher as the temperature does the same,

Well, these two charts are for you…..

from RunOnTexas.com

Another way to look at it below from jeffgalloway.com

This was from long ago before he became the run/walk advocate he is today so this is geared more towards straight out runners….

Estimated temperature at finish – adjustment – 8min/mi becomes:

55-60 degrees – 1% – 8:05
60-65 degrees – 3% – 8:15
65-70 degrees – 5% – 8:25
70-75 degrees – 7% – 8:35
75-80 degrees – 12% – 8:58
80-85 degrees – 20% – 9:35
Above 85 degrees – Forget it… run for fun

You can check out the long version here: http://wp.me/p1lOIa-lt  if you’re so inclined, but the information isn’t new.

Keep in mind, these examples only factor the temperature. They are not adding time for long runs or recovery runs.

However, depending on where you’re reading this, some “experts” would argue that ALL summer running should be “easy” and that it’s a good time to put down the GPS for a few months.

Easier said than done, I know….I KNOW!!!

I tend to follow the 1st flow chart because heat and humidity combined tend to be our biggest issue down here in South Mississippi.

This morning, at 5:30am, our low was 88F and the humidity was 92%. Now when the sun rises the humidity drops a bit to the 70% range, but the temperature rises to the 95F range….

It usually only takes a week or two, struggling through June workouts, for me to realize why I consider the summer my “off-season.”

At the same time, it’s always good to keep things in perspective and realize it could always be worse!!

OUCH!

Y’all stay safe out there!

Run Happy, My Friends!

It’s the Law

I love coming off a recovery week.

It’s not that I feel all that spry and energetic, but it’s a chance to see what the body is truly capable of doing.

I always write a reduced volume week into my plan because I know, based on past experience, I need it to prevent injury. During the week itself I always tend to doubt its true validity….despite the science behind it.

But being the good girl that I am, I follow the rules of training and do what I’m suppose to do…

Which is not much more than sitting around wondering why I feel worse recovering than actually grinding my body down to the ground each day…

I tend to be achy, MORE fatigued, and generally feel “off”.

Wisdom prevails…

All part of the repair and adaptation process.

After weeks of challenging the body by continually increasing the stress it’s been asked to absorb, it’s now in recovery mode. Each and every tendon, ligament, muscle, and nerve bundle is gradually adapting and rebuilding a solid foundation. In principal, the body will also be able to continue to progress and perform without risk of injury or illness.

I does something else kinnda important too…

This recovery and adaptation not only returns the body to its previous level of fitness, but it will actually take it a step further to an increased level.

In this case, overcompensation is a GOOD thing!!

The overload causes the fatigue, then recovery and adaptation allow the body to overcompensate, and go on to attain a higher level of fitness.

Yesterday was my 1st workout coming off my recovery week. It was a long 50+ mile riding session. I completed it without any doubt or reservations plaguing my muscles or psyche. I can promise, without last weeks recovery, I wouldn’t have been able to do it with the same amount of physical stamina and/or the same mental outlook. Today I feel as fresh as I did yesterday. A good sign that the body is ready and willing to handle the increased load once again.

THIS is when you really notice the benefit of rest!!

So the next time you try to cheat your way out of a recovery week by sneaking in a few extra miles or picking up the pace think about the “law”.….

and don’t be tempted to break it!

You’ll be thankful, as you start the next block of training and can really FEEL your progress.

Train Happy, My Friends!

Peace of Mind

As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23:7

 

It’s recovery week around here and that tends to mean there’s lots of catching up to do.

Catching up on sleep, cleaning, laundry, errands, and anything else that’s been neglected these past few weeks while swimming, cycling, and running for hours upon hours.

In addition to all that good stuff,  I’ve decided I’m also going on a quest….

I’m going to spend the week trying to find a little peace of mind.

Now I consider myself a pretty strong person. The type that doesn’t give up or give in easily….who perseveres in good times and bad….

But I have a little secret…

I really, really HATE to be uncomfortable!

Not like, “it’s kinnda windy and cold to be out running 10 miles” uncomfortable.

Or even, “there aren’t any bathrooms for 10 miles so I guess I need to pee in the bushes or on my bike” uncozy.

Naa, that’s a non-issue.

What I’m talking about is that down to my core discomfort.

The place where you know your head is going to ruin things long before your body ever has the chance.

I’m talking about the, “WTF am I doing??? I just rode 40 miles, into a constant headwind, at 20 mph and now I’m 3 miles into 6 mile run dealing with the heat, the humidity…I hurt like a son-of-a-bitch and I REALLY don’t like this shit anymore.”

Yeah, you know it! That’s the kind of uncomfortable I’m talking about!!!

I really don’t care for it much at all. To be honest, I don’t handle very well either.

I normally train to avoid this type of unpleasantry, at all cost, by building my endurance above and beyond race distance when at all possible.

That’s not really feasible this go round.

This time it’s different.

It’s unpredictable, it’s unfamiliar, and it’s starting to get VERY uncomfortable!

Every time I put on my shoes, get on my bike, or step to the pools edge I’m so consumed with fatigue I swear I’m not going physically be able to complete the task at hand.

Yet somehow I do.

This is how the program works. I know this. I studied it. I’ve implemented the protocol myself and assisted others numerous times. It works. You break the body down, rest it, and let it adapt to improve. It’s not a difficult concept and I can deal with that process just fine.

What I can not handle is the self-doubt when things hurt; when my legs and arms feel like steel beams, or when my paces and splits make it appear that my finishing time will be closer to a FULL Ironman as opposed to a HALF! ugh! 😦

So this week I’m on a mission….

To figure out a way for my mind to be ok with the discomfort my body feels and move past it instead of focusing on it.

To know that the discomfort is ok. It is not unbearable. It is temporary. And it will pass…

Somehow…

Someway…

Eventually…

I also need to get a good grip on reality and stop focusing so much on paces, splits, and averages right now.

The 1st step is to admit you have a problem….

Apparently everything I need to know is right here:

Doesn’t THAT look nice ‘n easy??

The fun never ends…

A constant string of parties, one after another, around here!! 😉

I’ll let y’all know how it goes!

Run Happy, My Friends!