Hot to Trot

Back on the workout schedule today following a 4-day vacation in Key West. The break from working out wasn't planned but in the end, it really felt good to get a time-out from the swim, bike, run routine. Today, it was full on!

It was a run ladder today pushing all the way from L1 to L5 in the heat. It was so hot out there but I successfully completed the entire ladder and actually felt good having had four days off. Have I mentioned yet that I love people who water their grass during my run times??? Started another attempt at nutrition planning today (there's always some sort of eating plan to try). Hoping to see a difference by the next event which is now going to be in August.

Glad to be back exercising especially considering a stressful work day! :)

A Legal Perspective: How the Bicycle Safety Act Helps Cyclists

Yesterday, I was headed down Pickens St. As I approached the intersection of Pickens and Blossom, a cyclist was coming in the opposite direction. The light was red and there were two cars on the same side as the cyclist, one in the forward moving lane and one in the turn lane. Without skipping a beat, this cyclist (not a commuter) swerved around both cars into the outer lane headed in the opposite direction and headed out into the intersection all while running the red light. To say that I was appalled would be an understatement but I was equally embarassed and angered by his disregard for those around him. Had he been hit by a vehicle, I can only imagine the headlines in THE STATE newspaper.

So with that said, I wanted to share this article. Granted cyclists have rights as stated in the article; however, we can do a lot to help ourselves, too, by following the same laws that we expect motorists to adhere to. As always, SHARE THE ROAD works both ways!http://www.greaterblufftonpathways.org/sum.pdf.

A Leap of Faith

Swim drills, swim drills, swim drills. We cranked out 2450m last night at Drew Wellness Center. This was one of the better swims that I've had as far as really pushing myself harder and trying to stay as focused as possible on swim stroke. I am still trying hard to "get my glide on". Having ventured home to my parents' house for Father's Day, I finally was able to see the video my mom taped at the Langley Pond Triathlon. Okay, what an eye opener and an ear opener with my father commentating in the background most likely without even realizing it. This was the first time I have been able to see my swim stroke rather than relying on someone to describe it to me. (Not to mention really getting to see what moves the most in my tri suit while I am out there running...some things are just not meant to be seen in video footage.)

Anyway, our swim was overall a typical swim night; however, a young lady (late 20's, early 30's) working with a gentleman in one of the outer swim lanes caught my attention upon arrival. It quickly became obvious that she was taking swimming lessons. The more I watched her the more inspired I became by her, step-by-step, overcoming her fear of water. She'd giggle anxiously and at times struggle somewhat frantically in the water to make a connection with her surroundings. Eventually, her swim instructor tied an apparatus to her as a swim aid - almost like a leash of sorts that would allow him to pull her back up after she jumped in the deeper end of the pool. I wondered whether it was beneficial or more gave her a sense of security that she wasn't completely on her own and unattached. Regardless of the swim aid, it was written all over her face - terror. Over the next hour, I watched her evolve. As if she were a child again, she was jumping in and getting out ready to do it all over again. Several times during my swim, I had given her verbal encouragement and an occasional "thumbs up." At one point, she said, "I am making progress." So, when my workout concluded, I could resist no longer. I had to go speak.

I went over as she was attempting to master floating on her back. As I introduced myself, she giggled again but this time with pride rather than apprehension. Her accomplishment was huge and was written all over her face as she told me, "I'm from the islands and I don't know how to swim." I had to tell her that she was my hero last night! What an amazing transformation in the span of less than an hour.

I say this in my blog not to give myself acknowledgement for encouraging her but to recognize what she did for me last night. There are so many times in our lives when we never stop to think about who is actually watching us. You never really know, unless someone tells you, the indirect impact you're having on an individual's life. I found strength last night in an unexpected place simply watching her take a step off into the unknown and conquer her fear. I couldn't have been prouder! She was an Iron(wo)man last night and she probably doesn't even know it :)

The Heat Is On...

My training partner and I had the opportunity to hook up with the Breakaway Bettys group this morning for a ride out throughFort Jackson and into Lower Richland. As the ride progressed off the fort (my least favorite part of all routes) and out into the Horrell Hill area, I moved this route over into the "favorite route" section in my memory bank. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also had a phenomenal opportunity to talk with another cyclist who recently moved here from Arizona. She was able to provide a number of pointers to us with regards to the true meaning of "dry heat", hydration, elevation (or lack thereof), etc. This information will undoubtedly be invaluable to us once we get on the course in Arizona.

Following the ride, three of us headed out through the Shandon neighborhood for a 4-mile run. My training partner and I were joined by Meg, a Breakaway Betty, who is always full of life. She was such a positive motivation for us today. The humidity was excrutiating and we found ourselves on the front lawns of those who decided to do a late Sunday morning watering of their lawns. We also encountered a young woman watering flowers with her hose and we politely asked her to spray us, a request I am sure she doesn't get very often. This was quite satisfying, although temporary, it was a motivation to proceed forward. Before too long, the run was over.

As with my other increaased endurance workouts, it continues to be an issue of mind over matter. I am finding that my mind is the one part of my body that I am going to have to strengthen the most. This has consistently improved over the training months past but it still continues to be an area that I need to work on. I have to get mentally tougher...It's too easy to just think about walking just a little bit. This is undoubtedly counterproductive as it often leads to walking a little bit more...and more...and more. Regardless, it was a successful completion of the brick workout.

What wasn't successful: Let me just add that sometimes, things just don't go as planned. At a major intersection, one of the group spotted random coins all over the pavement. I proceeded to assist her with picking them up. Then, the light changed. Everyone moved forward, well, that is everyone except me! You would have thought that I had never clipped in to a clipless pedal before. Right foot - miss; left foot-miss; try again - miss; try another time - denied...As the light changed again, I had no option but to run across the intersection, bike between my legs, holding this one lonely quarter that I just HAD to pick up. I have no doubt that the image left with those drivers at this intersection today was sometimes you can look the part and still not be able to fit the part. I know for sure they were thinking, "Does she REALLY know how to ride that thing?" I got a quarter thought, right? How much is YOUR pride worth? LOL

Tour de Cure Metric Century

Two words...hot and hilly! Today, 200+ cyclists came out to participate in the Tour de Cure event at Ballentine Park in Irmo, South Carolina. The goal was to raise as much money as possible to support research for diabetes. The Bobby's Biker team, the team that I rode with, had 80 members and raised over $10,000. Pretty impressive I think! I am very proud of the accomplishments of the team that I rode with.

During the course of the event, my training partner and I got to ride with another IMAZ participant. Rick, who I quickly realized is absolutely awesome, shared many insider tips about participating in the event. He has completed two Ironman events, one feeling good and one not so good. The most important thing he said to us is that when you step off the plane in Arizona, "you have to be hungry for it!" Riding today after a week out of commission has just reinforced the importance of overall health in my pursuit of being hungry for it. It was very tough, at one point, my HR was 206 as I tried to breathe (nasal breathing today was out of the question). It wasn't my best performance but I completed the ride. Afterall, Ironman is about pushing ourselves beyond our limits. It's pushing through the pain to hear those words, "Tonya Lewis, you are an Ironman!"

Rick also stressed the importance of "not peaking too soon". I told another IMAZ participant just yesterday that "I am a different kind of fruit; I peak later in the season than you." I am learning how important it is truly to race YOUR race and not be completely and totally preoccupied with what everyone else around you is doing. It's very easy to want to keep up, be competitive, hang with crowd. I think that this will be one of the most invaluable lessons I will learn over the next 6 months. I WILL RACE MY RACE! Thanks Rick for an awesome day of cycling and knowledge shared.

What's Your Body Telling You?

I was supposed to race today in the Festival of Flowers Race in Greenwood. I made the trek to Greenwood, prepared like always, and woke up knowing that today was not a race day for me. Over the past two weeks, exercise has increased and my sleep patterns have decreased. Therefore, I made the call this morning that I was not in the best mental frame of mind or physically prepared to race. As much as it frustrated me to pull out at the last minute, I had to accept that I was not mentally up to the challenge today. It's times like this that pushing our bodies can put us at an increased risk for injury and illness. Although I don't think that my exhaustion would have resulted in this, I made a decision to not participate. So, I don't have a race report to share except that I did come home and run 6 miles tonight. That part felt good overall but I will go to bed tonight knowing I made the best decision today for me. With that said, my next Olympic distance race will be Tri the Parks in August.