Question of the Day:

Question of the Day:
Are pain and ectasy really just the same sensation, emotion or chemical reaction?  In my opinion, the distinction between the two is our perception at any given moment. 

These were my thoughts as I finished up my run and my week of triathlon training at a moment when pain and ectasy seemed to come together.  Our mind has the power to interpret how we feel at any given moment.  I think when the final workout comes around each week, there is a sense of accomplishment, another checkmark on your list, and knowing you earned a day of rest and recouperation.

This week culminated in a 3 hour bike ride and open water swim at Canyon Lake which is located in the Superstition Mountains in AZ.  The ride is a nice climbing workout and I was able to reach the end of the road 2 times (last time I did not quite make it back up to the top on the second try).  Though still challenging, I could feel that my body was stronger than last time and I was happy to not be the lone turtle and had a  few riders around me for most of the ride.  Turtles are not very social, but company is really nice when you are in a tough situation.  The weather turned warm this weekend and temperatures were probably in the 80s during the ride.  This made it less traumatic to get into the cold water afterwards for an open water swim.  The water was probably in the 50s and I was fine in my sleeveless wetsuit since the sun was shining down on us.  The hardest part was at the end when my coach was giving us some tips and we were just standing there in the frigid water.  It was reassuring to know that I probably can use my sleeveless suit for Ironman.  I like having full range of motion in the shoulder.  I was hopeful that the cold water would be therapeutic and prevent muscle soreness after this ride, but a few hours later all I could think about was how am I going to run 8 miles tomorrow. Tomorrow came and I made it through the run.  I know in another month, I will be looking back and it will be easier to run on Sundays after riding on Saturdays or atleast one can hope.

This week I also felt like I am inside of the book, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN (that I reviewed in an earlier blog).  I am really enjoying getting to know and share this experience with my team mates and learning about each one.  Every person has a story to tell and our Ironman story is just beginning.  I have to stop myself and look at the calendar.  239 days to go.  So many hours to create some really good material for our book, but so little time to get it all in! I am not sure which is better, reading each chapter or getting to the end of the book!  Time to put my pen down for the moment.

Stay tuned for more turtle tales!

Progress Report from the House of Turtle/Things a Turtle can do when she TRIs!

After 2 months of training with racelab, progress is beginning to show.  The cold is gone and spring allergies have arrived, so outdoor workouts are full of sniffles, but that has not slowed this turtle down.  The training is starting to depart from the discomfort zone into the fun zone as my body seems to be adapting to the workouts and schedule.  The extra rest day last week also helped, so never say no when your coach offers you time off!

Here are some of the good things a turtle can do when it TRIs:
1.  RIDE A BIKE:  If your bike fitter puts shorter cranks on your bike, you can complete a full circle and maintain a more consistent cadence.  My bike rides this week were much more enjoyable as I adapt to my new position on my bike.  This is part of our experiment to see if you position the turtle properly, she can recruit the proper muscles for more efficient pedal stroke with those short stocky legs.  The wider handlebars also force the turtle into better alignment in the cockpit (that is what my fitter calls it).  And I can't say enough about pedals that are easy to get in and out of.
2.  RUN IN CIRCLES:  The Track Workout:  Something happened this week on the track as the turtle was able to do her intervals closer to the 2 minute mark and sometimes even below.  At the end of the workout, the turtle ran a 1:45 interval during a relay race (we won't mention the cookies she almost lost).  One of her team-mates yelled out...."who let the turtle out".  Oh for those of you that are fast, this is big progress for a turtle who has not done much running over the past 10 years.
3.  LAY BRICKS:  So happy to have my first brick workout.  I guess I just like construction as I feel better on my run after a bike ride with less stiffness.  My brick was a 75 minute bike followed by a 2 mile run.  I hope the bricks stack up after a 112 mile ride.  Build slowly and make sure the foundation is strong.
4.  TREAD WATER:  Preparation for the OWS:  Swim practice was fun rehearsing open water swim techniques in the pool in preparation for our first scheduled lake swim on Sunday pending on weather.  It was quite a mob scene practicing a mass swim start, sighting, drafting, and basic survival.  I am excited to put my wetsuit on.  I am really loving swimming more and more.

This weekend is a slooooow weekend which is something the turtle is very proficient in.  I will be doing a 2 hour bike ride and working on my pedaling technique, a 6 mile run, and an open water swim.  LIFE IS GOOD!  I enjoy the easy weekends even more and I am appreciating rest more and can see how rest, hydration and nutrition impact the overall picture.  The next few weeks will be building again  for our upcoming Olympic Triathlons in Tempe Town Lake on April 15 and May 5.  This year they will have different meaning as I will be visualizing what it will be like repeating the loops come November and crossing the finish line and hearing those 6 little words "Beth Kozura, You are an Ironman".

From the House of Turtle

This has been a long week for the turtle.  One of my training buddies gave me a turtle hat and the card said, "Behold the Turtle.  He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out."

I have been a bit under the weather this week between running here and there from Sedona with my husband to taking my son up to Flagstaff to snowboard over his spring break (I stayed off the slopes for everyone's safety!) and getting some condensed workouts in a long the way.  I started with a cough which eventually turned into sinus congestion and have been plugging along at a slow pace.  My coach actually had given me an extra day off with my travels and I was able to make it to our group bike ride on Saturday.  We had a pleasant ride on the Ironman course (got a little closer to the turn around, but have not gone all the way yet).

I had my bike retrofiteed with shorter cranks and double rings replaced my triple on the front earlier this week.  They put wider handlebars on and got me fitted and Jeff worked with me on my pedaling technique for an hour or so.  I learned about scooping ice cream out of the bowl to activate my posterior leg muscles.  I also got new pedals which in my opinion makes all the difference as I can unclip without any conscious effort.  Life is good now.  On Saturday for the first time, I was able to use my muscles during the upward phase of the circle.  We discussed the possibility of going with a carbon road bike over the tri bike to give me more versatility, however finding one that will work continues to be a challenge.  Jeff is doing more research and then hopefully in the next few weeks we will make a final decision.  Many folks are still saying that this process does not have to take so long nor be so painful, but I am comfortable with where I am and want to invest my money on the best fit this time around.  The turtle has special needs and the turtle is patient!  The purple chameleon still has a little work as she got a new headset, but that is not quite right, so my new bike shop guy is ordering a better one.

Today I was scheduled for an 8 mile run.  Eventhough I have not had any muscle aches or fever, my body is still shouting out for a break and the run was a struggle.  This was my longest run in a while due to having to step back and get my calves stretched out.  They were giving me some trouble today even with the compression socks.  I try to embrace workouts like this as I tell myself this is preparation for the hard moments or hours on race day.  Our group swim was canceled so I just went to my community pool and swam an easy 1500 trying to focus on my technique.  I was tempted to go try an open water swim with a few teammates, but the voice of reason came over me (and that of a few good friends) since the water temps were in the upper 50s.

Speaking of friends, a racelab teammate is the true meaning of friend.  They are an army of yellow that always show up for workouts with a smile, they tell you good job even when you know you are struggling, they give you tips and they share in your pain.  They are proud of your efforts whether you set a PR or intended to perform better that day.  They always check in on you whether it is a facebook post or quick text.  Sometimes we share a post race meal or a movie.

Then there is family, the ones that have to hear about, see and smell all your efforts during the week.  I am happy that my family is on board because that takes away the stress of not being there as much, not having meals made, not having laundry done, and not being able to stay awake.  It helps that my husband has rediscovered the joy of cycling.  He is riding on the road and mountain bike and reconnecting with a passion from the past.  He is the natural cyclist in the family, so we are trying to make sure he gets his time in and that we make some time for him to do an event or two. 

Looking forward to a restful Monday, recouped health, and a new week of training and making new turtle tales to tell.  Remember the turtle makes progress only when he sticks his neck out!

Oh The Places You Can GO.....on your bike

The title seems fitting for it was Dr. Suess' birthday recently. 

Oh the Places You Go in Arizona:  Seeing Sedona

Should you could you see it in a car

No, I should not would not see it in a car

Should you could you see it from a far

Would you could you see it from a plane

You could, but I would not see it from a plane

Would you see it by foot

Maybe I would see it by foot

Would you could you from a bike

You could and I would from a bike

You could even see it from a hike

But I would and could see it better from a bike

The training continues and we took it up to Sedona, AZ this past weekend.  My husband and I were celebrating our 15th anniversary and decided to head up to one of the most beautiful places in AZ.  We packed up our bikes (road for me and mtn and road for him) and headed up north to beautiful Red Rock Country.  We found a wonderful Bed and Breakfast in the Village of Oak Creek called the Canyon Villa Inn which added to the charm of our stay.  We had a cozy suite with a jacuzzie tub, fireplace and spectacular view of the famous Bell Rock and Cathedral Butte right out our window and balcony.  We arrived on Friday and headed for a quick 4 mile hike around the 2 rock structures and then my husband headed back out on the trails while I got my 4 mile run in.  We enjoyed meeting some of the other guests at the B&B for appetizers and then found a perfect restaurant called Cuciuna Rustico where we loaded up on some carbs for our bike ride the next morning.  The place was full of ambiance with a dome sky filled with stars and crystal stars hanging from the ceiling with beautiful sounds of guitar serenading us.

I found a 40 mile bike route on one of the local bike shop websites (Absoulute Bicycles) that we chose to take that started right from our B&B after a lovely breakfast at the Inn with the other guests.  We headed back down rt 179 away from town on the new and improved road with bike lanes, but after several round a bouts, the bike lane came to an end and we had to negotiate a narrow shoulder on curvy roads to get to the turn off at Beaver Flats.  As I started climbing up the first steep hill, I had a moment of regret and panic about the task at hand only to learn that the climb was not as long as I had anticipated and 6 miles of rolling hills on a plane were what was in store on the way to s small town called Cornville.  It was not an uphill battle, but a rolling windy downhill rural trek with a few livestock sightings and not too many cars on the 2 lane road.  After 6 miles we got to an intersection and had a short climb over another pass and into Page Springs where we were surrounded by a few miles of broken down ranches with horses, goats and other 4 legged creatures.  I thought I was going to have my first race with some dogs but luckily they were fenced in.  We were not sure exactly where we were headed as the road started curving around a ridge and then more curvy windy roads.  Soon we came upon a few wineries.  We learned that Arizona does indeed have wineries.  The road continued on with a little more climbing and one more steep section to get to 89A which is the main drag that connects Cottonwood to Sedona.  We got to ride about 10 miles toward the beautiful red canyons and into town.  The guy at the bike shop had mentioned a climb into Sedona but the first 5 miles appeared to be downhill (not without a strong headwind) and then we found the hill.  The views were spectacular and my husband would ride up ahead and then take pictures of me pushing up the hill!  Eventually we reached west Sedona and had to negotiate through a bit of traffic for a few miles until we reached rt 179 where we headed 8 miles through the deepest red rocks up, down and around magestic rock formations.  When we reached our starting point, I had a few more minutes of time on the bike, so I took my husband on the route I had run the night before.  I was only scheduled to ride for 3 hours and he had not had enough, so we parted ways and he stayed out for another hour while I went back to our room.

Later we headed out to sightsee and find some good eats.  We searched for a vegan joint called Chocolata Tree where they grow their own food and make chocolate.  It was yummy and it was nice for my husband to find a place were everything was dairy, egg and beef free to suit his dietary needs.  Then we went back to our room and passed out.

The next morning I rose at 6:30 and went for my 7 mile sunrise run before breakfast with my camera in hand.  I took a few pictures of empty lots that were for sale wishing we could make Sedona our home.  My husband went for another mountain bike ride while I soaked up the view for a few hours.  I decided my legs had enough.  I really thought I got my fill, but after lunch my husband wanted to go explore this area we found called Soldier's Pass.  We parked at a trailhead and were only getting out to take pictures and 4 miles later we returned to the car!

Oh the Places You Go.  Just in Arizona alone there are so many places.  To see it on a bike is even more amazing then seeing it on foot or in a car.