IMAZ 2007 tales from the road...

[Running Mommy]

Wheewww! yet ANOTHER week of training is in the books!!
It was kind of a rough week for me. I felt really run down for a good part of this week, and it carried over into my long day today. Ugh... It was not so fun! But in true "iron" form, I put in the miles (75 on bike, 10 mi run) as prescribed.
My cousin likes to tease me about my "tales from the road" as it always seems like SOMETHING happens to me when I'm out there.
Well today did not disappoint. I had a little road rage "situation" - or so I thought, so I had to pull over and call 911. It wasn't directed at me, but it was on my training loop and I didn't want to be caught in the crossfire. So not only did I have to stop to call 911, but I also had to stop and talk to the officer to give my statement as a witness. Basically what it was is that a guy saw a couple dumping trash in the desert and he confronted them. They then got in his face and it escalated from there. But the good thing is I was able to give a good description of the scoflaws and we both had plate #'s. Plus I had seen them drive by me a couple of times, so they must have been dumping a lot of stuff. So the officer ran the plate and was going to pay them a visit.
Ahhh yes, tales from the road... hee hee
The one bad thing with all of that is that afterwards I kind of got caught thinking about it and not taking in my nutrition. So when I hit 50 miles I kind of hit the wall. But once I stopped and got some food in me I was better. In fact thinking back my legs were fine. There were three things that made it a long day out there- my crotch, my neck, and my head... Yes, I have saddle issues , and my bike is very steep so I'm slammed down low on the aerobars. So my neck gets fatigued- yes it just needs to build up strength again, and my head... Mentally I was letting the demons come in. I hate that. I try to tell myself to "get out of my head" but somedays thats easier said than done.
So yes, another hard week is in the books. And as much as this is hard, I really love the feeling of training hard. I love knowing that I'm on top of my game. I wish I could always feel this way, but I'd be burnt beyond recognition if I did this all the time. So I just need to enjoy it now knowing that after April 15th I'll have some nice time off. Of course that is unless I get a kona slot...... Yes, I'm in the lottery (YIPES WHAT HAVE I DONE?? she asks herself everyday). The funny thing is they are announcing the lottery slots the day of IMAZ. I had this vision of crossing the finish line and hearing Mike Reilly say "and she'll be with us in Kona. Denise Amos YOU are an IRONMAN"... OY!! I think I would collapse from SHOCK!!
Ok, so here is my training log for the week:

Sunday: Swim 1500 mtrs 30 mins
Monday: Run 4 miles (44 mins) in am, 1 hour Pilates in pm
Tuesday: Swim 1500 mtrs in am (30 mins), Ride for 1 hour in pm (16.2 mi)
Wednesday: 1 hour ride, 3 mi run brick
Thursday: Swim 2500 mtr in am (1:05 ) Ride 20 miles (1:13)
Friday Offffffffff
Saturday: BIG BRICK! 75 mi ride 4:52, aver 15.4 mph, run 10 mi 1:57 (blecchh) hard run, actually had to stop and retch at 7.22 miles. Hot today and I think it got to me.

Okey dokey! Hope you had a FABULOUS week! And that next week is equally fab! And ya'll keep yourselves healthy out there!
For all those flu/stomach bug sufferers out there- rest up and hydrate. Get well soon! I'm doing my best to dodge it! (fingers are crossed).
Ciao!
Denise
- oh, one more thing. I got a package from OZZ this week! Ms. Canuck was so kind to send me a tee shirt from IM Western Australia. I was so excited I was busting!! I can't wait to wear it around the Iron village in April. Maybe some cute aussie will come to race IMAZ and I can impress him with my spiffy shirt!!

[Wahine]

Way to go RM. You'e seriously gearing up.

I'm still in my base phase as IM Can is at the end of August. Uggghhh. there goes my summer.

What did I do this week:

Mon - swim 1500m and yoga for 1.5 hrs
Tues - hill run 1 hr and bike 1 hr on trainer
Wed - swim 2500 m and bike 1 hr on trainer
Thur - run 30 min with 20 min at tempo pace and 50 min hill workout on bike
Fri - 30 min swim 1500 m
Sat - 2 hr run (cold sufferfest!), about 11 mi and 1 hr in wt room
Sun (tomorrow) - 3.5 hrs on the bike. Miserable outside so I'll likely be watching Lord of the Rings.

Next week will be pretty similar but with longer workouts on the weekend and a longer swim during the week.

I agree with you about how you feel. I love feeling like I'm pushing my body to it's limit and that I'm on top of my game plan. It's almost a spiritual thing.

[Tri Girl]

Great job, ladies!!!! Although I'm a tad bit envious that you're both getting to do an IM again this year, I sooooo don't miss those long weeks of training. I'm finding it harder and harder to get the motivation to workout 5 days a week now...sad how I've fallen from IM grace...
Keep it up girlies- we're all out here pulling for you!

[rocknrollgirl]

Great job guys...keep it going!!! You make me want to start a thread for the non-ironman, non-first timers!!! The middle distance girls.


Ruth

[KSH]

Wow... the training looks solid Denise! Way to get the miles in, even when you felt tired and drained.

That is so cool that you got a shirt from Ms. Canuck.

Kona? Eh? What are the chances of "winning" the lottery? Are there any qualifiers to win the lottery? I suspect not... as I heard some guy who hadn't even run a 5K won it one year. Although, he was required to finish a HIM by a certain date, I do believe.

[Running Mommy]

Yeah the lottery is luck of the draw. And I imagine there are THOUSANDS of us kooks willing to shell out 50 clams just to be in the lottery...
Lets just say the odds are against me. But I have this wierd karma with race lotteries, I tend to get picked. Lets just say I have a perfect record. Now I still don't think I have a hogs chance in heaven to get picked. But if I do, I'll be convicned that pigs really CAN fly...
Sigh... I just wish I had that kind of luck with the lotteries that involve large sums of money....

[KSH]

Yeah the lottery is luck of the draw. And I imagine there are THOUSANDS of us kooks willing to shell out 50 clams just to be in the lottery...
Lets just say the odds are against me. But I have this wierd karma with race lotteries, I tend to get picked. Lets just say I have a perfect record. Now I still don't think I have a hogs chance in heaven to get picked. But if I do, I'll be convicned that pigs really CAN fly...
Sigh... I just wish I had that kind of luck with the lotteries that involve large sums of money....

Hey... all you can do is enter your name and try...right? And if you tend to get picked... your odds are very high!!!

[crazycanuck]

Hey RM,

Why not take a pic of you in that IM Western Australia shirt & show it to us funky chickies?


C

[knapplaura]

Denise,
I hear you, another tough week! We are starting to get some nice weather here, I am fearing the heat in Phoenix though!

My tng week (i always start counting from Monday):
MON-easy swim (1200m) and weights
TUE-7 mile run, 1000m swim, 15 min spin bike
WED-1.5 hour bike, 3.5 mile run, 1800m swim
THUR-8.5 mile run
FRI-500m swim and aqua jog (i hurt my hand in a fall and it hurt to swim)
SAT-15 mi run, 3000m swim
SUN- 73 mi bike, 5.5 mi run

Sunday was so hard for me on the bike, my tng partner was hurting and we stopped for him to eat 2 meals! 73 miles felt like all day long, and i am hoping next weekend will be better!

Good luck,
Laura

[Running Mommy]

Great to see your training is on track. I hear you on the long ride taking forever tho! I estimated that the total of my 3 stops and dealing with the police cost me 30 mins...
but whaddya gonna do?
Anyway, hopefully we can actually meet in person this year! I mean heck, we live in the same state and are doing the same RACE!!

Anyway, I'm having a BAD day today. I think I have some health problems brewing and I'm a bit stressed. You see I had cervical cancer in 01. As a result I haven't had a period since then. I'm on the pill, and eveything has been checking out ok, so I've just been going with it.
Well about 2 weeks ago I started getting really BAD - and I mean BAD- cramps. So I went to the doctor last week, she did a pap and sent me to the lab to have blood taken. She didn't seem too concerned, said that everything seemed to check out ok. And the fact that I wasn't bleeding was a good thing. Well this morning I woke up to a mess. Yes, I'm now bleeding..... sigh..... UGH!
So I guess now I'll get to visit the doctor again.... sigh...
I don't need this right now.

[Offthegrid]

Oh, no. I'm so sorry. I hope everything is OK ...

[ladyfish]

We'll send all our healthy wishes and prayers your way! You don't need THAT kind of stress ever, but especially when you are training for the IM!

Good luck homegirl! (I live in AZ vicariously through you and your descriptions of my home state--I still miss it every day) Even the rattlesnakes!!!

[KSH]

Denise,

I hope everything is OK! How scary.


Laura,

You would never want to ride with me... For a 73 mile ride I would probably have to stop 3-4 times! HA!

[rocknrollgirl]

RM...I am sending a little karma and some healing thoughts your way. I hope everything is ok.


Ruth

[crazycanuck]

(((((Rm))))) Sending good thoughts your way kiddo.

Take care & don't forget to

c