FUN AND GAMES: THE TAPER!

TAPER

Definition of TAPER

intransitive verb

1

: to become progressively smaller toward one end

2

: to diminish gradually 

Synonyms: abate, decline, de-escalate, die (away or down or out), diminish, drain (away), drop (off), dwindle, ease, ebb, fall, fall away, lessen, let up, lower, moderate, pall, phase down, ratchet (down) also rachet (down), recede, relent, remit, shrink, subside, decrease, taper off, wane

 

After finishing a 6 hour brick on Saturday (5 hr bike ride and 6 mile run) and a 16 mile run on Sunday, the Taper officially begins.  Our bodies are craving rest and recovery.  I set a record of sleeping in until 6 am on my day off.  Sleep has not been easy to come by with a brain and body amped up on continuous motion.  It is hard to jump off the roller coaster to allow the body time to replenish its energy.   

 

The taper could not have arrived at a better time after the last 16 mile run became a job, another task to complete without the joy of running.  It was just part of the job preparing for the ultimate performance and another workout to check off.  When training starts to lack fun, it is time to recoup and let your mind and body go somewhere else.

Yesterday, we had the perfect place for that to happen.  I hosted a bridal shower for one of our IMITs who is tying the knot after Ironman.  Who trains for an IM 2 weeks before their wedding any way?  My friend who I call THE ROOKIE, does!  And it was a perfect excuse to have a party to celebrate our accomplishments and the upcoming big events.  So we gathered with good friends and food and a few fun bridal shower games.  We served Ironman Perform Punch and had an Aide station/Energy Lab with lots of IM Snacks for starters and everyone brought a dish to share!  We played PIN THE DOT on the I (IM LOGO), the MEMORY GAME with race necessities, and NAME THAT GU where you had to taste different gels and guess the flavor.  We ran out of time for the tire changing and transition relays!  My husband and son even carved out an IM pumpkin!  It was fun just hanging out with the friends that have supported each other for the past year through all the ups and downs.

 

In the middle of the party, I became an aunt again after the birth of my husband's brother and wife's first child.  They had been through their own Ironman for the past 3 days and finally made it to the finish with a beautiful little boy as their finisher medal!

 

REST AND RECOVERY ARE KEY TO A HEALTHY TRIATHLETE AT THE START LINE and DON'T FORGET THAT FUN AND GAMES ARE AN IMPORTANT PART of the PRESCRIPTION!

While we were having a great time at the party, a group of Halloween Bandits struck our cars, decorating them with obscenities on our windshields, eggs and as my son put it "an assortment of foods".  It will take a lot more than that to bring us IMIT down!  Besides, all is good now because we reached the TAPER!

 

 

 

TAKE TWO: SOMA

Today I completed my second HALF IRONMAN called SOMA at Tempe Town Lake.  I finished in 6:23:24 about 10 minutes faster than Deuces Wild in Septmeber.  It was our big dress rehearsal for Ironman.

We started the day in the mid 60s and ended it in the mid 80s.  The swim was barely wetsuit legal, but it made for happy triathletes.  This gave us an opportunity to practice swimming in Tempe Town Lake and improve my time.  I have been moving to the left in swim practice into slower lanes, but put a wetsuit on in cooler water, watch out!  I enjoyed the swim, but there was a little bit of wind and felt a little tired on the return leg, but improved my time slightly a little bit from the Deuce Swim which we thought was a little long.  I felt comfortable in the water and only the first 30 seconds were a battle for finding your space in the water and then it was time to slowly pass swimmers and see how many different color caps you could pass.  The old ladies (my group of 45 plus) got the best flag caps.  I passed purple, silver and pink caps along the way.

In transition I started in reverse of what I usually do and I put my helmet and gloves on first, wiped my feet off a little bit because the grass inside of my socks drives me crazy, and then shoes and finally bike.  It made for a little faster transition than I typically do and I was at the opposite end of the BIKE OUT exit.

My heart rate was a bit elevated from the swim and running during the transitions, so I spent the first part of the ride trying to get my HR to come down and then keeping it there.  Every time I passed riders, it spiked up and then I settled back to a more reasonable number.  It was hard to stay steady because there were many sharp U-turns on the course and even a few hills.  The water stations were placed in odd locations.  The first one was in the center, so you had to grab the bottle with your left hand.  That was a bit tricky because then I had to lean on my arm rests from my aero bars and switch hands so I could handle the bottle.  I tried to remove my cap to my personal water bottle, dump the water in, and replace the cap, but I dropped the cap.  The next water stop was placed immediately after the sharpest U-turn, but it was on the right side, so it was easier to manage.  I just squeezed as much water out of the bottle and threw it away.  I became more comfortable with the turns as the ride progressed and I just focused on technique, energy management and the 4 areas that Jeff taught me in our last session (CALM:  cadence, air, leverage, and momentum).  There were a lot of officials on the course checking for drafting and blocking.  I enjoyed passing a lot of people on the ride and finishing strong.  I was not sure how my body was going to react when I got off the bike.  Once again, I had to run my bike to the opposite end of transition to get to my spot.  I took my time changing into my running shoes and getting my nutrition and camelback ready.

I started off slowly and had to battle with myself to get from one aide station to the next where I feasted on water, gatorade, ice, and pretzels.  Ofcourse I carried my magic jelly beans and salt sticks.  I was fighting off nausea and cramping again in a milder form with temperatures in the 80s rather than 90s.  The volunteers at the aide stations were amazing.  How to run 13 miles when you are very very tired and your body is dreaming of sleep?  You tell yourself that you are supposed to be an Ironman in 4 weeks and you have to be able to run or you will have the added stress of making cut offs!  You count, forward, backwards, add numbers, subtract, pretend you just woke up and are going for a 13 mile run, a 10 mile run, a 6 mile run, a 4 mile workout, or just a 2 mile cool down.  You know if you can make it one more mile, you can get a cup of ice to pour down your shirt to help you cool down.  You chant people's names that you are thinking about who have faced hardships and you do it cause they have endured discomfort or just to honor them.  You try to stay in the moment and tell yourself how great you feel when you just let your mind wander on a run.  Whatever you need to tell yourself, you say to get to the finish line.  13 miles of SELF TALK and working through the ROUGH PATCHES.

I was satisfied with my swim and bike today.  I wish I could improve my run, but at this point, I am happy to be able to find a way to stay running and realize the challenge of running on a tired body after completing a swim and run.  I made it to the finish pushing through the discomforts of the day so happy to be done.  A wave of emotion hit me at the end for enduring the discomfort and for improving my time.  I felt better at Deuces, but I performed a little better at SOMA, though the Deuces course was a little bit long.  My biggest improvement seems to be happening on the bike.

It was happy day for me and many of my teammates who finished strong.  So proud of everyone who had the courage to start and for those who had a successful race and made it to the finish.  Even the best athletes don't cross the finish every time, but being a triathlete is about never giving up and learning from each race.

The best part about our team is the spirit, support and comradery.  We even won an award today for best team QUANTITY over QUALITY for having the best racer turnout and spirit!  It really helps to have our families and friends present and even strangers cheer you on.  I can't really get used to people telling me that I, the TURTLE, am an inspiration to them.  That is pretty cool if you can have some positive effect on someone else just for your efforts and accomplishments.  We all get our strength from somewhere and if you can't find it, then just DIG DEEP, it is inside of ALL of US!

I am so happy that Ironman is almost here, but I am also happy that there are 4 more weeks cause I am really really tired at the moment!  Now to just relax in my compression armor and hopefully get some extra sleep tonight!

Preview:  TAKE THREE:  AZ IRONMAN on November 18th.  It will be TWICE as FAR as today's race.  I will just sleep on that thought for now!

Seven Hour Bike Ride

In my last post, I wrote about the remedy for IRONMAN OVERTRAINING SYNDROME or IMOTS being 7 HOUR BIKE RIDE (instead of the 5 HOUR ENERGY SHOT) and that is the theme for this weekend.

The big day finally arrived for the Longest Bike Ride on the IM training schedule.  It was scheduled on the same day of the World IM Championships in Kona, HI where one of our team mates was competing.  Our coach scheduled a 7 hour bike ride followed by a KONA IM celebration to watch the world championships at her home.

We met before the sun came up, threw our bags stocked with extra clothes, food, and water into the sag wagon, and gathered for quick instruction.  We were faced with something that has been missing all summer, COOL AIR.  We had to decide if we needed extra layers because the coolness was probably only temporary.  I opted for long sleeve under my jersey for warmth and sun protection. 

I realized I forget my bike socks so I asked my coach if she could loan me a pair and she handed me a pair of IM socks.  I was hesitant about taking them from her because legend has it that it is bad luck to own any IM logo gear until you are crowned an IM.  I am hoping that is not true if you are just borrowing the item.

As soon as the sun started rising, we were off.  There is usually a lot of chatter and catching up that goes on at the beginning of a ride.  I have gotten into the habit of taking a slow start to get warmed up and not trying to keep up with everyone who sprints out of the chute.  I like to start slow and pick up speed as the muscles get warm.  9 miles into the bike ride, we were faced with a 3 mile hill.  When we reached the top, many teammates pulled off at a gas station to use the facilities.  I was just getting warmed up and decided I did not want to stop and the rest of the group would catch back up and pass me up anyway. 

I raced down 9 mile hill on my own.  It seemed like it took a long time and I know I was going to be faced with going back up this long steady steep hill in a short while.  At the bottom of this hills lies a small town named Rio Verde.  My favorite part was just around the corner, 8 miles of roller coaster hills adjacent to the McDowell Mountains with spectacular panoramic views.  This leads into the hilly community called Fountain Hills which has a fountain in the center of its rolling and steep hills.  We were given another challenging route to climb out of the town with one very steep climb and my mind wondered why we were being subjected to this extra treat when 9 mile hill would be waiting for us on the trek back.  When I got to the main road called Shea Boulevard, many of my team mates had taken an easier route and ended up in front of me.  I think that was an evil trick after I followed the coach's directions, but I was happy to see my teammates.  Eventually I caught up and passed a few riders as we road up the Beeline (north of where the Ironman course is located and a more scenic portion of the road) to Bush Highway.  It was a bit windy and at times, I felt like I was riding through chocolate pudding and just pedaling in place, but I am always trying to simulate possible race conditions to help put my mind at ease and remain calm.

We reached the turn around and it was all down hill....well that was until we returned to 9 mile hill and it is exactly that a very long long long long, well you get the picture, long hill!  I actually felt pretty good.  The weather was cooler and my stomach was happy.  The time was going by quickly because of having my teammates around me, the sag wagon, and trying to eat and drink 200 plus calories an hour.  My picnic for the day consisted of 1/2 Bonk Bar (the official IM bar), a pack of mini fig newtons, 1 PB&J lunchable, 1 pack of GU Chomps, 1/2 Bonk Bar, 3/4 banana, and potluck of leftovers along with 1/2 bottle Ironman Perform and 1/2 bottle water and 1 salt stick every hour. 

At the top of 9 mile hill which I conquered on my own slow and steady, I refueled and then had 1 1/2 hours left to get 7 hours in.  Anything was easy after that so I rode until the clock struck 7 hours of moving time.  Everyone went their own way to get the extra miles in as the route was 100 mile long.  I ended up completed 116 miles in 7 hours.  The actual time on my clock was 7:10 and I hit the IM distance 112 around 6:45 which helps me with my overall goal of finishing the Ironman.

This ride was different than the rest.  I felt decent.  I started off slow and I worked on the things I had learned in my last session with Jeff on cadence and shifting.  The weather was perfect and I did not suffer from nausea or cramping.  I even felt like I could have run after the ride (at least part of a marathon).

LONGEST BIKE RIDE COMPLETE:  CHECK.  Is it time to TAPER.....NOT YET!  But the longest ride is now behind us and the next time I will do this distance will be on November 18th.  The rest of the day was spent relaxing and watching the Ironman World Championships with my coaches and teammates.

I went home that night and put Dr. Hoy all over my tired muscles and squeezed into my full body compression gear and went to sleep.  My alarm rang at 4:15 this morning.  Woken up by an external alarm clock and not the one in my head is rare for me.  It was a morning that I felt like I could have finally slept in.  No rest for the weary Ironman.  Today was my husband's day.  He was riding in the Tour de Scottsdale, a 70 mile bike ride that goes around the beautiful mountain preserve near our home.  I dropped him off the start and parked the car and then I took off on my training run where I planned to spectate the tour.  I made it out 9 miles before the bikes finally caught up to me.  The leader was out in front of the first pack and then several large packs passed by and I was unable to spot my husband.  I wondered how long I should wait since I was not certain if he was in one of the front packs and within a few minutes he was leading his own little pack.  Then I headed east 2 miles to try and catch them again on a different part of the course.  I could see some bikes go by so I tried to hurry because I knew he would be in one of the early groups, but I tired IMIT can only run a 12 minute mile so fast.  I did make it in time to get one more view and he had moved up to the back of a larger pack.  I needed to get back to my car so I could go pick up my son before my husband finished, but I had what I thought were 6 more miles to go which turned into 7, doing 2 extra miles than was on my schedule.  I got to watch the short course cyclists for the last 5 miles of my run. 

Today I mastered the 12 minute mile.  Every time I have a long run, I manage to get slower and slower running on tired legs.  I am not proud of the time, but I am proud and I would be totally satisfied if I can RUN the Ironman course and am not forced to walk or crawl!  I can cut myself some slack knowing that I rode 116 miles the day before and still able to get up and get the run done.  More importantly we made it back to the finish to see my husband finish in 3:07.  He is awesome.  I only wish I had a little of his speed.  I had hopes of being able to actually ride with him when I got my new faster bike, but he got motivated and got faster too and he is still on his 20 year old Italian Steel Frame.  For being an IT guy, he really needs to get with modern technology and then watch out!

To top the day off, my brother picked me up and took me to SWIM practice for an hour of slow easy laps to cool down and help the sore muscles.

So if you are wondering how to recover from IMOTS, take a 7 hour bike ride and then follow it up the next day with an 18 mile run.  YOU WILL FEEL GREAT!

LIFESAVERS

IMIT (IRONMEN IN TRAINING):
Do you feel tired all the time?  Do your muscles ache before, during and after your workouts?  Are you having trouble sleeping?  Do you suffer from pain in one or all of your joints?  Are your muscles so tight they feel like a leather belt?  When you move, do your muscles go into spasm? 

You may be suffering from IMOTS (IRONMAN OVER TRAINING SYNDROME).  Some athletes go into a IMMD (IRONMAN MELTDOWN), while others take sleeping aides, magic rubbing ointments, or whatever over the counter cocktails they can safely mix together.  Your coach might recommend a shot of 7 HOUR BIKE RIDE to cure you of your IMOTS!

We all have experienced one or more of these symptoms and we each have to find a way to get our weary bodies through the last 6 weeks of training and to the start line with a strong healthy body.  I wanted to take the time to recognize how I am getting through these ROUGH PATCHES (as one of my VIPs likes to call them) and talk about my LIFESAVERS.

My LIFESAVERS are the people who make a difference in giving me the physical and mental capacity to keep training.    Lately, my massage therapist (Cory), has been the lifesaver who has helped relieve the tension in my entire body and especially get mobility back in my arm and shoulder and deal with the pain I have been having in my arm and shoulder and every other part of my body.  My stick helps to roll out my screaming muscles, my 400 SKINS full body compression gear aides in muscle recovery, and Dr. Hoy's miracle cream alleviates some soreness and provides some temporary relief.  But, nothing works like the healing touch of the hands.  Cory does an amazing job molding my muscles back into the shape they are supposed to take around my skeleton.  He is able to release the tension that builds up over miles of training and restore my range of motion and abolish trigger points.  His knowledge of how the body is connected and his passion for healing along with being an IM himself, he takes the extra time to keep this IMIT moving forward.  I thought I was going to be able to make it through this journey on my own, but I am most grateful to have someone that can keep me in the game as what I thought was an individual sport really requires a full team of players.

My next LIFESAVER is Jeff, who I call my bicyclologist, because he knows everything BIKES and not only did he create a bike to fit my short stature, but he has been there through the entire journey providing me with individualized instruction and endless tips about the bike and how to ride it.  Most people think riding a bike is second nature, but it is really not something that we are born with and though some might be natural at pedaling, there are optimal ways to pedal to produce power and conserve energy.  In fact, we had a training session where the focus was about energy management and working on the best strategies for pedaling and changing gears.  Jeff taught me a way to remember key principles for riding with an acronym he created that he uses when training cyclist at all levels called C.A.L.M which stands for cadence, air, leverage, and momentum.  Using these principles, he taught me ways to work on cadence and shifting to manage my energy for endurance riding, specifically for Ironman.  He is the most passionate teacher and has so much knowledge to share.  He has an amazing way of teaching the basics I was missing to try and fill in the gaps from the simplest skills to stopping, starting, cornering, pedal technique, changing gears, using your upper body as an anchor and engaging all 4 limbs, and standing, along with nutritional tips, bike accessories, and how to get through a "rough patch" when your mind does a 180 and you have to get your head back in the game to move forward.  He always shares the latest and greatest research on riding a bike and is an eternal learner who seeks data from his clients and then develops individualized strategies for them based on their learning style.  Jeff knows what I need and he has been there to help me achieve my goal of finishing an Ironman.  He talks for the entire time I am with him and I have spent countless hours captivated by his knowledge which will come in handy on race day as I repeat the words he has put into my head.  I have to give Jeff a lot of the credit for helping me find the "right" bike and teaching me to ride it.  Don't assume just because you can pedal that you can ride!  His voice will be by my side during the 112 mile bike ride.

Other LIFESAVERS on this journey are my ANGELS.   One day at a team meeting, my friends Al and Dee and I called ourselves the ANGELS for Charlie's Angels, but we were playing a game with our friend and our team name was Paul's Angels.   Everyone is lucky if they have one angel watching over them, but I have been lucky to have 2 angels watching over me from the beginning when I jointed the racelab team.  We send daily texts, do some of our extra workouts together, and take girls nights out when in crisis or not.  They are my life line when the chips are down or up.  We laugh together and we cry together and we hang tough together.  When one angel is down, we find a way to turn things around.

Besides my angels, I have an entire team of support between all the racelab coaches and athletes.  If one person is struggling or excelling, the SEA OF YELLOW is always close by at group workouts, races, meetings, emails, or on facebook to energize, encourage, lend a hand, give a pat on the back, a hug, or a "I know how you feel" nod.  The coaches serve as our guides leading us through the workouts day after day and week after week.  The IM team makes it easier to get up at 3:30 in the morning as I look forward to sharing the journey with them.  The sag vehicle is always a source of comfort to remind you that you are not alone on this journey along with filling up your water bottle!

And last but not least again is my husband and my son who are tolerating this crazy schedule and enduring my absence like true IM fans.  Without them to come home to, I might not survive.  They are my favorite flavor in my pack of LIFESAVERS and I am thankful for their support in encouraging me every step of the way.

We are a step closer to the START Line.  I completed a brick workout with a 71 mile ride/3 mile run on Saturday and our longest run today of 20 miles followed by an hour swim.  No athlete can achieve this without a pack of LIFESAVERS.  I am thankful that my IM budget has been extended to include everything I need (even if we are in deficit spending).  We will balance the budget at the FINISH LINE.  Sometimes you have to give a little to get a little.  I know I will be rich at the END!

"DOWN" in the Valley

This past week has been the toughest week both physically and mentally since signing up for Ironman.  We are getting so close to the start line yet the stakes are getting higher as the days melt away.  I had a flashback to the book I received and devoured last Christmas called YOU ARE AN IRONMAN by Jacques Steinberg as each athlete that was followed in the book faced roadblocks along their journey and especially closer to the start.  The suspense of whether each athlete was going to make it to the start kept you turning the pages.  As most IMITs have learned by now, signing up a year in advance does not come with insurance or any guarantees that you will make it to the start line (though I highly recommend that IRONMAN corporation start selling insurance for their races so their athletes can recoup some of their losses...although I have learned that the steep entry fee is the least of your costs for the year).

I am at the point where the training is taking a toll on my body which can be contagious like a rapidly spreading virus that tries to spread to your mind.  I have been dealing with arm and shoulder pain and just really sore and tired muscles that do not seem to be rebounding.  For the most part, it does not stop me from putting the miles in, but you can get caught up into a vicious cycle.  I suppose I would not be human if I did not get stuck "down" in one of the Valleys.  This weekend was an example of testing limits.  A six hour bike ride could not get me down.  I am strong and I have done the mileage before.  Add a little heat to the mix with IM cocktails and snacks and you can get a violent reaction in your stomach, your personal cooling system and then your mind.  I had an enjoyable 4 hours of riding through some rural AZ roads.  We were fortunate not to be amongst the group that got chased by a pack of dogs.  We had good sag support during that time.  Then we were heading back to the park where we started on some rolling hills.  My stomach was overstocked and I was waiting for that moment where I would upchuck cliff bars, Gu chomps, salt sticks and my secret formula on my bike Scottie.  I have read about athletes getting sick on their bike, but have never experienced it first hand.  In the meantime, it was getting hot and I was having back pain, burning in my feet, tightness in my adductors and empty legs in addition to the growing nausea.  When we got back to the parking lot we still had 90 minutes to go and the sag vehicle was not there and so we continued to the rolling hill section.  I was suffering and my face could not hide it.  On the uphill return ride, I was pedaling on empty legs with no gas and worried about my overheated body.  I had a moment where I let out a cry (as much as an IMIT could release with dried up tears due to dehydration) and the thought of unclipping and pulling over on the side of the road took over my mind.  I knew I needed to cool down somehow and I was hopeful sag vehicle would be in the parking lot so I could get some cold fluid and so somehow I had to leave my body (separation of body and mind) and just continue.  The yellow truck was now in sight and I was able to pull out my cold water bottle and dump part of it on my body and drink the rest.  I was revived enough to find a flatter section to try and complete the 6 hours.  I had a short surge of energy and then some cramping in the adductors (nothing like being kicked when you are already down...the Ironman Gods were certainly testing me).  When my clock hit 90 miles, I decided to call it a day.  Most of my other team mates got 95 to 100 miles in but my official BONK the last hour fried my body and mind.  During that time the questions pop into your mind of WHY and HOW and WHAT IF.  I was all set to go on the 2 mile run that was on our schedule to work on transition and my coach asked me how the ride went and I replied, everything that could go wrong today, did and she benched me from the run even though I said I could do it.  She decided that I had enough that day and it was time to stop.  That came as a surprise because Ironman is about overcoming those moments, but I guess we are saving that for the day when it really counts.

I spent the rest of the day nursing an upset stomach and trying to refuel because the next morning I had  a 16 mile run.  I decided to do another run with just me, myself and I because I really did not want to bring anyone else down with me.  I took it slow because that was the only speed in my body that was working.  My muscles were still empty and my stomach had settled but was still reliving some of the day before.  It was more an exercise in strengthening the mind so it can overcome or ignore fatigue and keep going.  I felt really low at the end, because most IMITs do what they do because they have enough moments where they love the feeling of moving their bodies through the water and air with speed and wind...this just was not one of those days.  I felt a bit discouraged because when I look around at my teammates who are doing the same training, they look strong and they seem to have gained a lot of speed.  In looking inward, I find that I am returning to my routes of being a TURTLE and that my wing buds are damaged and not growing into the wings that will make me fly.

If I work hard enough, I can get out of this valley.  I have made it this far, how hard could 49 more days of training be.  GIVING UP is NOT an OPTION here.  I decided to finish my weekend with our group swim at ASU because my shoulders seemed to be moving better and were painfree for the moment, so after debating with myself, I drove the 30 minutes to go swim.  Our coach just had us swim 100s and work on form.  My arms felt looser after having a very aggressive massage on Friday and using compression wear, Dr. Hoys, and stretching.  It was just what I needed to put out the fire that had been burning in me and quiet my mind (if only for an hour).  All was good.  I got to spend a little time with my family and went to movie and dinner later that night.  It is so hard not to have energy to be 100% present and feel like you are missing out, but I am lucky that we are a tough bunch and we will make it to the start.  For my less fortunate friends who's injuries have sidelined them, I will take your spirit and strength with me and try to make it to the start for all of us and your time will come later.  I guess I have slacked off on mental training and this was just a little reminder that you your body and mind have to work together or be strong enough to take over when one is depleted.

Today is REST and tomorrow is back to training.  I thought I was ready but this was just a wake up call that there is more work to do.  Time to start climbing out of the valley and reach the peak on November 18th.