Gotta Train Despite Wind and Rain

Weekend Day 1 -Yesterday was supposed to be an open water swim at the lake; however, water temperature drops forced us indoors to do a long swim in the pool. One mile non-stop, no problem right? We started swimming and I was making Phelps' time (okay, not really but what if?). Nevertheless, we had established a very good pace. About 550m into the swim, the first sound of thunder. This resulted in a lifeguard panic of sorts and everyone being cleared out of the pool and off the pool deck. Lifeguards say that a 30-minute break after the sound of thunder is required. This meant that every time they hear thunder, the 30-minute break started over. Long swim day was a bust! I was entirely disappointed...but you can't control the weather.

Weekend Day 2 - Today was a bike/run brick. Weather forecast - no rain, warm temps and 17-19mph winds!!!! Are you kidding me?!? Nine of us riding into and against the wind. Seriously!!! I spent 95% of my time avoiding a draft off the pack. I would either fall back to bike solo or take a pull for the pack. We've heard rumors of the winds in Arizona and today was a really good trial run. Taking a 4-minute pull was a grueling task but it felt good. Following the ride, we ran a mile and a quarter just to feel the transition.

Most importantly today - I began Endurox after the ride (recovery drink) and did a much better job of nutrition on the bike. I took in the bottle per hour and consumed my gel and/or jelly beans every hour. I must admit that today is one of the best days I've had from a recovery sense. It's very odd not to want to take a nap afterwards. I am sitting here typing rather than sleeping. What a great day and again, a great group of ladies (and our token male) today! Excellent day despite the wind.

I can't end this posting without telling you about probably one of the funniest things I have seen in a long time. As any cyclist knows, sometimes you gotta go where you gotta go. Wedged between two real estate signs was a lily-white hiney squatting to pee. "Behind" the behind, a dead deer...where else could you see such a sight. As the cars drove past, these real estate signs miraculously repositioned themselves. Too funny! I love my cycling buddies! :) Anonymity guaranteed!

Overtraining and Nutrition - Revisited

One of the misconceptions I have had during the course of training has been "more is better" where excercise is concerned and "less is better" where food/drink intake is concerned. This week has been a huge "I told you so" experience for me. A good friend, Alison, who completed her first IM race last year, has been a blessing throughout every step in this process. Yesterday at lunch, I had an opportunity to discuss my theory with her in more depth which, in turn, led me back to the drawing board and rethinking my theory.

One of the goals that I've had for IM training is to lose weight...Mistake #1. I learned quickly in my research and in talking with her and other athletes that while training for any IM event, weight loss is not a goal or should I say cannot be a goal. I've been so excited when I look at my watch to see that I burned 2500+ calories on a long ride or 1500+ on a long run. What I've realized is that I have been starving my body of key nutrients it needs to not only endure but equally to recover. My new rule of thumb has to be...Recovery drink after 1 hour of swimming, 2+ hours of cycling, and 2+ hours of running. And, I have ordered Infinit which is tailored to your own needs while endurance training. I believe that these two things will greatly increase my chances of finishing IM successfully. It's important to consume between 200-250 calories per hour of exercise when training or competing in an endurance event.

Mistake #2 is about the amount of exercise. On Tuesday night, I hit a wall. I was so exhausted that all I wanted to do was sleep. Despite it being a swim session night, I wholeheartedly believed that you couldn't have propped me up in the pool and had me stand there for an hour without falling into the water and drowning. Once again, the important part of training is listening to your body. The quote about "undertrain and you don't start; overtrain and you don't finish" is definitely true. Therefore, I am scaling back a bit of the intensity with which I have been training and listening to others and my body where intentsity and longevity of training sessions are concerned.

Many thanks to my friends Alison and Cindy as well as their predecessors for getting me and my training partner on track! Goal now is IMAZ 2009 with no major bonking! :)

H20 and Soda No-No

I have joked for the past few years since becoming a serious cyclist that I am one of the few athletes that I know that does not drink water. I know people will say, "It has no taste so how can you not like it?" That's precisely the issue - it has no taste.

Over the past year and a half, I have watched my intake of diet Wild Cherry Pepsi double if not triple. It's become my new addiction. I have spent some time now seriously researching artificial sweeteners, diet drinks, weight loss/gain, etc. and how these are all or can be interrelated. So, with that said, I am making a commitment (PUBLIC COMMITMENT) to cut out my soda consumption which means limiting myself to one soda per week and replacing it with some H2O beverage of sorts. This morning I am drinking a G2 packet in my water and will later try a flavoring packet that contains no Splenda.

I am hoping that this sacrifice will also put me more on track and assist me in meeting my IMAZ goal. Wish me luck as I attempt this task/goal and better yet, wish those around me luck as I withdraw from caffeine!

Here We Go Loopty Loo x Two

What a beautiful day today to be outside cycling! Several of us decided that we would venture out and do a 60-miler today. I started the morning out with a group of 5 ladies, 4 of which are taking part in the IMAZ event. We know that at IMAZ we are going to have to do multiple loops so we chose to do a 30-mile loop twice. For the second loop, we had a wonderful opportunity to cycle with some long overdue familiar faces - our regular women's cycling group. Overall, I had a really good ride. I felt much stronger on the first loop than the second but managed to maintain a good overall pace for the day! As my training partner and I have discussed many times before, it's important to work through the mental aspects of endurance training. She had a tough time today but was able to complete the entire route. My struggle this week was the run...it's been great having each other to pull the other one through alternating tough mental exhaustion we've experienced at times. Today was also a reminder of the many things that change when you embark on the training journey for any major event. It was so nice to be reminded of the days when things weren't so schedule oriented and just enjoy being with some really good cycling buddies. What a great group to be a part of!

"Spring"ing Forward and Leaving the Trainer Behind

Tomorrow morning marks the first day of spring and I am so excited to put winter behind us. Although our winters don't compare to the colder states, winter either toughens you up and serves as excellent conditioning for the warmer months or it breaks you to the point where you just don't wanna get on the bike. With that said, I hit the open road today prepared for a beautiful afternoon of cycling. How happy was I to be off the indoor trainer and enjoying "Spring Eve". I had grown so accustomed to getting on the trainer that I headed out the door without my cycling bag...no gloves, no helmet, no cycling shoes as I drove across town to my starting point. This resulted in a 15 minute delay to return to get my gear.

Needless to say, I am ecstatic about moving beyond the colder months and ready to put some major mileage on "Buzzbee"...Happy Spring Cycling! :)

But I Don't Wanna...

Last night was a 3000m swim. We headed to the pool around 8pm so we didn't have to contend with the local swim team and the water aerobics class. When we arrived, we quickly got a lane which was a blessing in and of itself. We set up all of our swim gear and propped up the infamous scuba/swim board where our workouts are written.

The first 300m went by very quickly. We swam these at a planned L1 with no problem whatsoever...posted a good time, felt strong in the warm up and moved on to the drill sets...again no problem. Then, it happened! My brain began a slow rebellion and began to try to overtake my arms. Before I could react, my body and brain had waged a war against one another. Regardless of the message that my arms tried to communicate to my brain, it refused to cooperate. By the next set of drills, my mind was set and now had the functioning capacity of a 4-year-old who had just been told he/she had to take a nap. And the message my brain was sending to my arms was crystal clear...I was not going to take a nap!!!...LOL. I hit a wall in my mind that wouldn't allow me to be positive about the remaining 2300m. The remaining segments of the workout seemed to grow disproportionately second by second, minute by minute. What to do?!?

Thankfully, my swim partner kicked into action as she begun to see this battle unfold in the expression on my face. We abandoned the planned workout and spontaneously created one of our own. Last night for whatever reason, I just couldn't take the monotony of the planned workout, looking at the board and all that remained was just too much. Needless to say, in the end, we were able to successfully complete the 3000m workout in a timely fashion. I was very pleased to finish it despite feeling as if my mind and body were swimming in separate lanes!

I write this as a reminder to myself that sometimes, it's pushing through the mental roadblock that makes all the difference between being a triathlete and choosing just to be a spectator. I already recognize that there will be many days ahead when a swim, bike or run workout just doesn't seem manageable or even the least bit stimluating; however, if I can push through to the other side, change gears, rework it, I know that I can stay on track and be successful. :)

{Note to self: Remember this posting for battles yet to be encountered!}

The Triathlon Community

Last night, my training partner and I ventured to the community pool as we do several times a week (I have previously written about these stressful experiences). This time we went much later and the outcome was well worth it. I not only swam the longest distance I've ever attempted, I did it with much less "pool anxiety" and no fight for a lane. Great evening of training!

But, I didn't want to write about the swim today; I wanted to share about the local triathlon community of which I am very proud to say I am now a part of. One of the things I've noticed about swimming in a public/community facility is the number of people and variety of people you encounter. I can tell you that there hasn't been a single swim session that we've gone to the pool where we weren't asked what we're training for and been given an opportunity to trade stories with other local triathletes. Last night was no exception. We had the opportunity to be swimlane neighbors with a middle-aged woman who has been doing triathlons for a few years now. She decided to challenge herself and has begun her personal journey to complete her first Ironman event in September in Florida. On the other side of us was a gentleman who has only completed one sprint triathlon. His goal this year is to complete the international distance triathlon in Hartsville towards the end of the season. The three of us stood around for a while laughing about the 70+ year old participants who've passed us before in running events. He laughed about being third to the last out of the water for the swim. Again, it didn't really matter. As we stood around swapping stories, I had a feeling within that made me smile internally.

I am continually amazed at what a welcoming, friendly community of athletes I have been given the privilege to surround myself with. Whether it's laughing about being slow in an event, sharing a horror story about a missed opportunity or just being able to carry on a conversation with someone about goals and hopes for the tri season, I truly feel that I have found another community that I am proud to be a part of. It's different from an exclusively cycling community but the underlying theme is the same...people training, people trying to improve themselves or their lives and people wishing to be a part of something special with other people who share the same interest. I am very proud to be a triathlete!

Puffing to Pedaling...More About Me

Over the past few months, I have had several people continue to ask additional questions about why I am interested in completing an event such as Ironman. For many who know me and now for those who haven't known me as long, I was an avid smoker until 4 years ago. I can recall numerous days when even though I wanted to get out and run, I couldn't because I couldn't catch my breath to run to the mailbox. I did well to make it running around the block without listening to my lungs whistle random tunes back at me in opposition of cardiovascular activity.

So, I eventually made the decision to quit. I did great for almost 8 months despite the emotional struggles associated with the weight gain that often accompanies smoking cessation. I fell off the wagon and started back on New Year's Eve at the conclusion of 2005. I decided that after 8 months of not smoking any cigarettes, I could easily smoke one cigarette and get away with it...that was a mistake. I smoked for several months after having "just one" cigarette before quitting again. I have continued to resist the urge despite the numerous stressful times in my daily tasks (i.e., driving, work) that I have wanted nothing more than to step outside and have "just one" one last time.

With that said, I had to find another outlet...something healthy to replace something terribly unhealthy and both psychologically and physically addictive. First came running or should I saw shuffling along while others ran miserably slow beside me to keep pace with me. Then, I found cycling and it began to open up a whole new world for me. I had ridden a bike before but would often stop, get off the bike, smoke a cigarette and hope back on to continue down the trails. This time I truly found cycling and it's purpose and place in my daily life. I love the freedom that comes with riding out on the open roads, I love the friendships I've made as a result of being part of a cycling group/community and I love the competition and challenge that defines being able to identify myself as a "triathlete" now. All of these things have changed my perspective on smoking (that's not to say I don't miss it from time to time), healthy living, lifestyle choices, etc.

It is these reasons and factors that contribute to who I am and my ultimate goal of completing an Ironman. As I watched friends cross the finish line last year in IM events, I heard those words that still echo over and over in my mind during any tough workout or while icing any injury...to hear the announcer loudly and proudly say, "Tonya Lewis, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!"...that's why I am doing it...it's the icing on the cake in this phase of my journey.

USA National Challenge Competition Ends

Having joined the local triathlon club in the fall of 2008, I had my first opportunity to participate in the USA National Challenge Competition as part of the Northwest YMCA Triathlon Club. Despite my minor injuries and winter-related illnesses (thank goodness that's over), I logged in 517.92 miles. That is the overall totals for three months of my initial IMAZ training. Initially, this seemed like a lot but knowing what lies ahead is a reminder that this is nothing in comparison to what's to come. Nevertheless, I welcome the challenge. As a club, with a great deal fewer participants, overall we came in 20th in the total logged miles for clubs out of 45 clubs. I had a good time participating and reporting my daily mileage. It seems like a bigger deal when you report to "someone" and are part of a team rather than simply writing it in the tri-log.

Can't wait to see how many miles I log in the coming months. Hoping to get off the trainer and on the road when the weather warms up!