Hey...I'm back! It's been awhile since the last weekly update, and this has been a good week to give an update for. From now on they will be Monday to Sunday instead of the previous Sunday to Saturday. Pat and I are sticking closely to the official training manual now, and it goes Monday to Sunday. Just this week I'll include Sunday, June 17th. For old times' sake.
Two things I keep in the back of my mind while going by the manual:
(1) The goal is in November. Not now, not next month. I will have races between now and then that I will want to do well in but probably won't as much as if they were my focal event. The manual is for the signature event in November.
(2) I have a half-distance triathlon in less than 5 weeks. So guess what? I am going to tweek the manual. Not because I'm a careless renegade or anything, but because 70.3 miles is a long way to be uncomfortable and ill-prepared. My focus is still in November...I'm just going to bike and run farther than I'm told. And I'm going to throw in some hills, too.
Sunday- 10 mile run. I have forgotten what it is like to run in heat. I decided to run in the morning because the forecast predicted 106 degrees as a high. Turned out to be 108. It was already hot and balmy when I started running at 6am. I was doing a good pace for the first 6 miles, and then the heat and lack of preparation (i.e. proper fueling...when am I going to learn?) got to me. I "limped" the last 4 miles home, dizzy, hot, and not sweating as much as I should.
Monday- The manual called for only a 1 hour swim, so that's what I did. I finally returned to the swim practice and was harshly brought back to my swimming reality: "Use it, or lose it." That's right, folks. Kerry Sue is not a great swimmer, and missing two weeks just makes it all the more complicated. But I did it, was glad I went, and can't wait for next time.
Tuesday- Morning: Easy 10K run with Pat. Evening: One hour ride in north Fresno, just flat and fast.
Wednesday- Almost didn't think I'd make a ride fit in this day, but I was able to ride (the long way) to swim practice and have Ken pick me up. It was a lovely double-duty! Which made swimming feel all the much better from the quick ride (I wasn't sure I allowed enough time for the distance I planned. It ended up being perfect).
Thursday- Track workout morning. Matt H. and Nabil joined Pat and I for some mile repeats. Pat once again was able to pull a sub-6 minute mile, coming in at 5:47. That was too fast for me, and I poked in at 6:01, just missing the goal for under six minutes. Boo hoo. My legs felt tired though, and I was really glad when the three repeats were over!
Friday- Day off. Really- the manual said so!
Saturday- Oh my goodness. I am going to LOVE regular, challenging Saturday rides! I arranged to ride with Jennifer, the friend I made from swim practice. She is such a gem and a blessing! She's a wife, mom, Christian, cyclist and now triathlete. Really? It's like getting a gift straight from God. She's sweet, fun, encouraging and ready to bring out the inner beast on trainings. She's a keeper!
We rode to Humphrey's from her house, a 45 mile ride. It was nice and easy, but super fun and enjoyable. We ran just over 2 miles when we got back, just to get a bit of a brick in.
Sunday- 15 mile run at 8:02/mile average pace. Felt great, lovely (and cool!) morning. The secret? Waking up at 3am to eat a stack of pancakes that was leftover from Saturday's breakfast! I went back to sleep for a couple hours and was ready to go at 5am. My knees are a little sore, but I iced them right away when I got back, and will again this evening.
Great week, great to be back! Woo!
Week's totals: (This is kind of cheating since there are 8 days in this review. Oh, well!)
Swimming: 4300m
Cycling: 81 miles
Running: 36 miles
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
My brother, My Sponsor
I have been blessed with an amazing brother. Not just because he buys me stuff, either, which is very cool. But because he sees the best in me, believes I can do immeasurably more than I probably can, and motivates me to keep living a full, active life.
He recently bought me a new Xterra wetsuit. He found a promotion code online and got it 60% cheaper than their listed price! This is me trying it out for the first time on my recent visit to my parent's:
He also sent me this package, that I received a couple of days ago:
Yes, I have been greatly blessed indeed!!!
He recently bought me a new Xterra wetsuit. He found a promotion code online and got it 60% cheaper than their listed price! This is me trying it out for the first time on my recent visit to my parent's:
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| At One-Mile Recreation area in the beautiful Bidwell Park. I only had to swim 10 laps to get 3/4 of a mile! |
He also sent me this package, that I received a couple of days ago:
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| He heard that I take fruit snacks with me on my rides, so thought I could use a restocking! |
Monday, June 18, 2012
Don't worry...
What happened to the last month? Where have I been? What have I been doing?
Four weeks. That's how long I've kept you all in suspense. Have I been training? Yes. It feels like the answer should be no, but when I look on Garmin Connect it shows me that yes, I have been doing something. Something is always better than nothing. But it hasn't been the something that I have been wanting to do. I have long struggled with trying to please people at the expense of what I want. And so it continues. Turns out there are a lot of people who have missed me the passed several months, including (but not limited to) my husband and children. There have been places to go, people to see, responsibilities to keep in check along the Ironman journey. November will come and go, but the important people in my life are here to stay.
Which makes this whole journey thing really complicated. What I really want to do is swim, bike, run, do yoga, maybe some P90X video all day long. Or at least most of the day. I really, really like it...all of it! I like figuring out where I am going to ride and run. I like figuring out my nutrition and fueling. I like training with Pat and others and having long conversations about training, fueling, equipment, etc. I like setting goals for myself and meeting/exceeding them. I even like having the occasional "bonk" to keep it all in perspective and keep me from thinking too highly of myself. I really, really like it.
What I do not like is the growing guilt of what all of that means. I don't do my homemaking responsibilities nearly as well as I used to. I'd like to think I could if I really wanted to, but I'm over thinking Wonder Woman is real and that I can be just like her. There is only so much I can do in a day, and there are only so many hours I can do it all in. I feel constantly pulled between being a fully responsible wife & mother and training. Training makes me feel strong, like I can do something right and also well. I cannot always say that of the former roles.
But don't worry. I've been blessed with an overwhelming gift of optimism, and I know it will all be alright. I'll figure it out. That's one of the things I said I liked, right?
Four weeks. That's how long I've kept you all in suspense. Have I been training? Yes. It feels like the answer should be no, but when I look on Garmin Connect it shows me that yes, I have been doing something. Something is always better than nothing. But it hasn't been the something that I have been wanting to do. I have long struggled with trying to please people at the expense of what I want. And so it continues. Turns out there are a lot of people who have missed me the passed several months, including (but not limited to) my husband and children. There have been places to go, people to see, responsibilities to keep in check along the Ironman journey. November will come and go, but the important people in my life are here to stay.
Which makes this whole journey thing really complicated. What I really want to do is swim, bike, run, do yoga, maybe some P90X video all day long. Or at least most of the day. I really, really like it...all of it! I like figuring out where I am going to ride and run. I like figuring out my nutrition and fueling. I like training with Pat and others and having long conversations about training, fueling, equipment, etc. I like setting goals for myself and meeting/exceeding them. I even like having the occasional "bonk" to keep it all in perspective and keep me from thinking too highly of myself. I really, really like it.
What I do not like is the growing guilt of what all of that means. I don't do my homemaking responsibilities nearly as well as I used to. I'd like to think I could if I really wanted to, but I'm over thinking Wonder Woman is real and that I can be just like her. There is only so much I can do in a day, and there are only so many hours I can do it all in. I feel constantly pulled between being a fully responsible wife & mother and training. Training makes me feel strong, like I can do something right and also well. I cannot always say that of the former roles.
But don't worry. I've been blessed with an overwhelming gift of optimism, and I know it will all be alright. I'll figure it out. That's one of the things I said I liked, right?
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