IM training... and the beat goes on..

[Running Mommy]

Well I'm just over a month out from IMAZ and the training is starting to wear on me. I had a solid week, but I did NOT want to do my long ride/run brick today.. But in the true Iron spirit I did it. I haven't recieved my new seat yet so I had the hubby put my mesh seat from the road bike on. It went pretty well. The seat is ok, but I still have some issues after awhile. My hoo ha's just do not like being squished in the aero position. I don't know how the pro women do it??!!:confused: Except maybe they are carrying less weight, so there's less weight on the nether region- if ya know what I mean....
Well I managed 14.77 mph overall which is right in line w/ what I'm aiming for. I want to do 15 mph. The course I ride has lots of rollers and gradual climbs of 1-2 miles. The weather was BEAUTIFUL today! It warmed to about 80 degrees. I'm a bit sunburned but thankfully no wind. My hubby took our son mtn biking and SWORE that it was windy, but I was in the same area and I don't recall any wind... :rolleyes: maybe HE'S the weenie now!!
Anyway I came in from my ride and changed into my running clothes. When Tony saw me getting ready to get on the treadmill he was like "you aren't going to RUN now are you?!"... Ummm YEAH! So I only did 3 measly miles. I had planned on at least 5, but he was giving me the eyeball! :cool:
Went to Red Robin for dinner and I had a grilled chicken sammy and enjoyed the fries guilt free! :p Also shared a chocolate shake with my son. YUM! It's all about the rewards. For me it's not counting calories for one meal a week! :D But of course tomorrow it's back to grilled chicken, fresh vegees and fruit and whole grain pasta...

So here was my training log for the week:
Monday: Off, in nor cal for the bike race. Did do lots of walking if that counts?
Tuesday: 1 hour ride, 1 mi run to break in new running shoes
Wednesday: 1.2 miles in the pool- set a new PR! whoo hoo! And 3 mile run
Thursday: 13 mile run in 2:35, 1 hour spin on trainer
Friday: 2.4 mile swim 1:53. Pretty happy w/ that time as sad as THAT is!
Saturday: 100/3 ride run brick- see above- ride 6:49, run 35 mins

So on we go, another couple of heavy weeks then I'll be heading towards taper! All hail the taper!! I remember them well from my marathon days! :D
Thanks so much for all the support and encouragment you guys have given me! It really means the world to know there are people out there who actually are in my corner. Seeing as how there seem to be so many critics! Though I do have a great inner circle such as my husband, my friend Steph and my cousin Terrie. But you girls have expanded my circle, and that means alot to me!
Y'all have a GREAT week!!! :)
Denise
Oh one thing I forgot.. I had NO cramping on my ride today and think I got my salt "issues" in order. Kept making myself munch pretzels and drank all my carbo pro/ cytomax cocktail. Also took thermolytes from 3 hours on. I also tried the Nuun tablets and they worked great. After I went through my "cocktail" I filled my empty bottles w/ water and added the nuun tablets. It got me through well hydrated and electrolyte balanced! :D
Oh... and I added two pic's from my ride today on my photo page, though I'm not happy w/ my big ol GUT hanging out! :eek: ha ha
http://photobucket.com/albums/a157/tony66denise69/?sc=1

[tprevost]

I am so jealous of where you live! I used to have this 25 mile loop from Shea out to Scottsdale (that was the 2nd time I lived in AZ!) and back around. Of course, that was before all the crazy building so I'd end up on the outskirts... it just made me happy to be there in AZ..... It tends to be on the warm side where we are (just a tad cooler than Palm Springs) but I always loved being able to be outside at night and be comfortable in my shorts/tank top!

You are doing so well with your training! I haven't swam in a wetsuit yet, how will that affect your swim? I know it adds boyancy but does it help w/speed too or reduce effort?

Fabulous job on the bike ride! Whooo Hoo!!! I think I'll have a tough time with those bricks; you make this all sound (& look, based on your pics!) much easier than it probably is!

Keep us posted! We're cheerin' for you!!! :D

Tracy

[Veronica]

Woo hoo - you go Denise!

I'm totally in touch with not feeling like training. The weather has turned crummy here. So lucky me - I get to do the 3 hour Spinerval tape again. :rolleyes:

Not my fave. I have begun to loathe the warm up set. It's the same on all the videos. It's only three minutes, but it's the longest three minutes....


V.

[mommelisa]

Denise - You're doing great! You're really consistent, time wise based on your log below, I think you're going to do really well on April 9th. Yesterday's times were good - 3 miles in 35 after riding for almost 7 hours. Very, very good. I'm so excited for you!!

I'm really interested in how your nutrition works out for the race, too. That is one of the hardest areas for me, I tend to forget to get those early calories in and then I'm messed up for the end of the race. For Soma, I saw a nutritionist, and she told me what to do at exactly what time, and I was fine. I just followed her directions exactly! ;-)

Tracy - the wetsuit gives you a little extra boyancy and the pros always take time off their swims when wetsuits are allowed. I'm not sure that I would, I'm not the greatest swimmer! I have noticed, though, that I don't kick as much when I'm wearing one, its a lot more upper body. I hated my wetsuit at first, because I'd gotten one that was too small. It made me feel claustrophobic and I panicked the first time I wore it in a race. Ended up doing the entire swim backstroke!! lol. Then I got one that actually fit and it was awesome. Funny how that works!

Hope you both are resting today!!
- Melisa

[Lise]

Go Denise! Go Denise! Go Denise! YAY! :D

You are so cool. I am very impressed with how you're doing on the swim. You've got that part in the bag. I think that doing the three mile run was really important. OK, so it wasn't 5. But neither was it nothing. Sometimes the getting out there and doing it is more important than how much I do.

I know what you mean about the training wearing on you. A nurse at work qualified for Boston when she ran Chicago. So now she's training hard for Boston, and she's getting pretty tired of it. She looks great, though, strong and confident. And so do you. Your legs are so powerful! The gut...why oh why the gut? Like you, I have lean arms and legs, and a gut! Keep going. I am so excited to be cheering for you on 4/9. L.

[tprevost]

Why don't ya grab a ticket and come and cheer with us at the IMAZ???

Tracy

[Lise]

Why don't ya grab a ticket and come and cheer with us at the IMAZ???

Tracy
Hey! I just wrote that I wished I could do that in the other thread! Great minds thinking alike! I've actually pondered it. I am flying to the other coast on another April weekend to my cousin's wedding...still...I'm going to look at my April schedule. It would be so cool....so very cool....maybe... :) L.

[Running Mommy]

hey Lise I'll let you know if something cheap comes up on Southwest. I subscribe to their DING thingy and they email me promotions everyday. You can get some really good deals! I'd LOVE to meet you.. But I do also understand that's it's a long way to travel to meet a complete stranger! ;)
Thanks all for the support! I'll write more later, I went and drove the bike course today. But now I have to head outside, my bike is next on the tool stand for a wash down! She got awfully dirty yesterday... The cassette is covered in gritty sandy dusty stuff. Desert dirt! :p
But you should see Tonys mtn. bike! Man is that thing trashed!!! :D

[crazycanuck]

RM...

I decided to go for a 100km (turned out it's actually 99km but didn't know until i was in my house cooling down...grrrrrr....) road ride on my v dirty mtn bike...But i am in two minds about cleaning it as it's going to get v dirty this weekend as we're doing a 100km off road ride/event down south...

If i could be there to cheer ya on, i would be...

The taupo (NZ) Ironman is on this weekend...talk about cold water & BIG hills (as zub zub & others may know)....did i mention BIG hills?

cheryl

[mommelisa]

But now I have to head outside, my bike is next on the tool stand for a wash down! She got awfully dirty yesterday... The cassette is covered in gritty sandy dusty stuff. Desert dirt! :p

Ok, I need help with this! I am very embarrased to admit that right before my 1/2IM, I took my bike to the lbs because I wasn't sure exactly what parts I was supposed to clean and how to clean it myself! I always end up getting grease all over the place. Now, I do wipe her down all the time, but everything else???

Can we get together and do bike cleaning 101?? And can we add in practicing how to change a flat??

[mommelisa]

Hey, I have plenty of room here, Lise, if you come down! I know Tracy has a hotel and her kids with her, but if you come down, you can stay here!

[Running Mommy]

Ok, so I thought I'd give Y'all a little update. I woke up Sunday morning w/ absolutely NO soreness whatsoever in my legs. My shoulders.. Now that was a different story. I think the combo long swim friday and being in the aerobars for 6+ hours saturday did me in. Tony was nice enough to massage out the kinks though. He really is SUPER that way. :)
But I was amazed that from the waist down I had no soreness AT ALL! Occasionaly I'd feel my quads a bit when I was doing a deep knee bend, but that's it. I attribute that to a good long soak in my 60 degree pool right after I finished. I basically stretch out the legs, grab a powerbar and go stand in the freezing pool.
I always take Sunday off, but today is usually an hour in the pool and a short 3-4 mile run. I only ended up doing a half hour in the pool because I still have a bit of residual shoulder soreness. I then ran 5 miles. My left hammy is giving me some problems and I'm a bit concerned about it. It didn't bother me at all this weekend or on my long run last week, but the weekend before it cramped on my long brick. Well tonight that spot started acting up again. I took the run slow- didn't push the pace AT all! And shut er down at 5 miles. I really wanted to do 6... Oh well. I'd rather take it a bit easier now and have strong legs for the long hard stuff. Anyway, lots of ice and some advil are in order I'm afraid.
Tomorrow morning I'm going to try to drag my butt out of bed early to get my hour in the saddle done before my dentist appt to finish my root canal! :eek: Fun stuff I'm sure! UGH!
Everyone have a great week!
Denise
oh- MM- Tony- the grand sherpa- is my bike mechanic/washer..:D I've done it before but I always fight w/ the chain cleaning thingy. He gets frustrated watching me struggle w/it and goes "oh just let ME do it!".. No problem HONEY! ha ha
As for the tire changing... sigh... I'm not that good either. Actually if the tire is supple I have no problem, but a supple tire such as the Vredsteins I used to run are also prone to pick up road debris and thus FLAT! So Now I'm running michelin carbons and haven't had a flat since(fingers crossed) but thank god because the stronger tires tend to be harder to get off the rim. My other issue is always getting that last little bit of tire seeded back on the rim after you change it. My fingers just aren't strong enough or something? My new bike has 650's and I'm on the hunt for bomb proof tires for her. It came w/ Rubinos I think? Rudy at trisports said they are good tires. But I don't want "good" for the beeline- I need BOMB PROOF!!! :p

[tprevost]

Hi Denise!

Its so interesting the way our bodies react to the stresses we put on them. I'm sorry you've got twinges/soreness going on; I'm sure it is a bit disconcerting. It sounds like you are doing everything right as far as not pushing too hard, ice, advil etc. It could just be a delayed reaction to the posture change on the bike in combo with your other workouts. I'm just learning about this cold water after the workout thing. I'm going to try that one once I get to the point of actually working hard on the bike. Maybe you should go get yourself a sports massage ;) It also sounds like your hour in the saddle tomorrow should be very gentle as well. Take good care of your body; its doing a great job for you!!!! :D

AND, you are so lucky Tony will get those kinks out! I'm lucky if I get a few quick squeezes on the shoulders!

I ended up getting some type of kevlar tires on my bike. I'm sure they weigh a ton but I will be riding solo a lot and I do not want to get stuck with a flat out in the boonies! Too scary! I'd like to know what you end up chosing for your bike and how you like them!

Keep us posted!

Tracy

[mommelisa]

RM - have you tried using one of those foam rollers? They work really well, especially on the quads, IT band and hamstrings. It helps to work out some of the kinks that build up. Stretch gently and take good care and try to go easy on it the next few days, they're the worst to rehab in my opinion.

I agree with you on the pool thing. After a long run or a marathon, I always get into the pool. I had two friends who came down to do the RNR in January from Boston. It was the first marathon for both of them. When I brought them home, I made them sit in the pool for about 15 minutes. They were calling me some names, but they felt really good the next day vs. being sore. It helps relieve the inflammation, for sure.

One of the nice things about buying my bike at BR is that I have free service there... Maybe I'll just keep taking her there for baths! ;-) I had Bontrager tires and they were terrible, they kept splitting all over the place. I replaced them with Continentals and haven't had any problems. I didn't care if they were heavy, I was just so afraid to flat that I'd take anything. I know that I'm going to have to try to be prepared for IMFL, though. I told my dh that we need to practice it the last day of every month. (kind of like buddy check 12 day!) I guess that's today.

Hope the root canal is going well.
Melisa

[tprevost]

Denise,

How are you feeling today? Hopefully the dentist was uneventful...

Just wanted to see how your bod' is doing?!?!

Tracy

[Running Mommy]

Dentist went ok, root canals are never fun..
I received my new selle strike saddle so I put that on the road bike to try her out. I think she's going to work out fine but I need to fine tune the position a bit. I still have a few sore "areas" from last weeks 100 miler.. ugh. Gotta love saddles and that tender soft tissue..:o
My hammy is fine today, but of course I didn't run, so we'll see tomorrow. Actually we'll see thursday- my long run day. Tomorrow is 1-2 hours in the saddle and an hour swim.
Thanks for checking in with me. I can't wait to meet you in person! Just over a month away! OY!!! Next week is the Bon Jovi concert and I realized that it's exactly one month from IMAZ. - Did I mention that I'm a HUGE Bon Jovi fan??!! Jon Bon Jovi mmm mmm mmm- he's one fine specimen of a human being... :D
Oh- also got wind that they are changing the run course from two loops to three. It will be more spectator friendly thats for sure.

[Lise]

Gotta agree about Jon Bon Jovi...:D

I am so impressed that you are not sore after that big ride. When I ran the marathon, I came home and soaked in a hot tub, even though I'd been told not to. What a mistake. Cool water. Really. You've just proven that point for me! Today I was thinking that "the race" is what we focus on, but the training is an amazing achievement in itself. You do so many more miles in training than on the big day itself. Be proud of yourself. What a great life. L.

[KSH]

Oh... and I added two pic's from my ride today on my photo page, though I'm not happy w/ my big ol GUT hanging out!

Well, if you ask me... you look healthy! Like an athlete.

What has really surprised me, is that all triathletes do NOT have the same body type.

Just because you (general you) aren't stick skinny, doesn't mean that you won't kick some skinny gal's butt.

It's all about training and what your body can do.

And, let's face it, even when you (not you directly, a general "you") don't have a *perfect* body, training makes you feel lighter... and a couple of extra pounds don't matter... because you (general "you") know that you can kick butt!

Congrats on all the training! Sounds like you are going to a great job! You will FINISH!

[Lise]

What has really surprised me, is that all triathletes do NOT have the same body type.
This is what shocked me into trying triathlons in the first place. I went to cheer for a friend at the Accenture Tri here in Chicago, and I saw old people, heavy people, unlikely triathletes. My favorite was a fat woman in a clown suit, who carried a sign on the run that said, "Don't Take It Too Seriously!" I have always wondered if she wore the clown suit on the bike, or if it was part of her transition set-up. Well, it would help you find your bike! I love it that so many different kinds of bodies are out there, doing the tri. :D L.

[Running Mommy]

Love that tag line Lise.. Of course I had to finish the verse! :D

Yeah I'm an "unlikely" triathlete, but I don't think thats all bad.
IMNA (Ironman North America) sent me an email asking if I wanted to become part of the "adopt an Ironman" program. You basically go into schools and talk to kids about IM and being active and such. Of course I jumped at the chance. In my email back to the lady I explained that I'm prefect for it because I don't look like the typical Im athlete, and that my line to them is "it doesn't matter your size or shape, what matters is that your active and healthy". Hopefully they pick me for the program.

[Lise]

Oh, I hope they pick you! That would be so cool. I am daydreaming about how my childhood would have been different if a Denise/RunningMommy-type triathlete had come and talked to my class. Wow. To have that image as part of "what's possible" for a girl like me would have been profound. Even if you don't do it as part of that program, maybe you could go to your son's school and do a presentation anyway! The kids would love the wetsuit, and your bike is the coolest.

I ran this morning with a friend. I was having trouble waking up this morning, and kept falling back asleep and dreaming that Tracy, from this board, had flown to Chicago to go for a run with me, and I couldn't seem to get it together to go running. Couldn't find my shoes, had the wrong keys, stuff like that. :confused: It was a relief to just get up, get dressed, and go run for real! It's snowing here, sort of drizzle-snow, wet, cold, and grey. I pulled on my bright red Nordic walking shoes, which are great for running in wet, icy conditions.

As we ran, I told my friend about you guys. She's run a marathon before, and done one "mini" tri (I keep correcting her, "SPRINT" not mini!). She totally surprised me by saying, "I want to do an IM. But I suppose I should do something more than a mini tri first." Wow! The things you find out about people! She's a short little woman--we sprint the last block of our run, and with my long legs, I always finish 1/2 block before her. I know she'll be very inspired by the IM stories here.

Rest up, Denise. I know the feeling of exhausted but can't rest. Maybe go for a lesiurely walk if you're too keyed up to couch surf. Take it easy. Get the body off high-alert. I'm thinking cherry pie thoughts for you. I keep a can of light cherry pie filling on hand, to eat on top of my low fat frozen yogurt, or on graham crackers. Not the same as pie, but not bad, either.

Enjoy some well-deserved recovery time! Remember, you're building muscle when you rest. L.

[KSH]

Love that tag line Lise.. Of course I had to finish the verse! :D

Yeah I'm an "unlikely" triathlete, but I don't think thats all bad.
IMNA (Ironman North America) sent me an email asking if I wanted to become part of the "adopt an Ironman" program. You basically go into schools and talk to kids about IM and being active and such. Of course I jumped at the chance. In my email back to the lady I explained that I'm prefect for it because I don't look like the typical Im athlete, and that my line to them is "it doesn't matter your size or shape, what matters is that your active and healthy". Hopefully they pick me for the program.

Yea, that would totally ROCK if you could go into schools. It will let kids know what they can do and encourage them to try it! You could even discuss with them that there are tri's for kiddos too!