The Happy Turtle's Journey to the Start: An Ironman Tale

For those of you that believe that you have to be sleek, slim, cut and fast to be an Ironman, think again! Some of our bodies just don’t fit that mold but we have the guts to set our intention, make a plan and see it to the end. In my heart, I believe that turtles CAN fly! The turtle society is not just challenged by fitness, but by the time limits imposed by race companies insisting we keep up with the status quo so they can get to the bars before last call. Well, I suppose there has to be a cut off or us turtles might be out there for days enjoying the sun on our backs. Some stare at the turtles on the course wondering why it even embarks on such a journey and what purpose it has. It is old, weathered, wrinkled, and slow no matter how you twist it. I just know that you can train a turtle and the turtle might teach you a thing or two along the way. We are old and wise and we have a shell that cannot be broken. We want a taste of victory just like our other friends. I cannot find another creature that I am most like. Join me on my journey from start to end to help the Happy Turtle win again!

Monday, August 18, 2014

A HALF OF A CENTURY: Birthday Bash in the Pines

Well the big 5-0 finally arrived and the celebration is underway starting with a training weekend in the pines with close family and triathlon friends and will continue for the next 6 weeks culminating in Chattanooga Tennessee.
Photo: Ready to roll!!
Some call us over the hill and I did spend a lot of time riding over hills this weekend in Flagstaff with a FULL CENTURY ride to celebrate the end of the first half of my life and the beginning of the second!

It was a fairy tale weekend in the life of a triathlete training in high altitude surrounded by pine trees, water, wildflowers, wildlife and lots of food, family, and friendship.  A 100 mile bike ride in high altitude puts you in the zone and reminds you of the high of tri!  It was a breakthrough weekend for me in so many ways pushing back walls on the bike and reaching the 50 year old mark.
Photo: Hardest ride since Tahoe, but made it through. 60 miles that felt more like 80. All in all a great training day with the hills, elevation & great ladies.
Six weeks out from race day is time for fine tuning and one more round of pushing oneself to the next level.  Along with turning 50, it was time to find a massage therapist to assist me with the areas in my body that are protesting.  Time to step it up through the final training cycle before the taper.

This weekend was like a fountain of youth (must have been rejuvenated by the swim in Lake Mary aka "the chocolate lake")  as I feel like time was turned back as I feel rejuvenated and ready to train hard.  I am in a better state of mind then at the finish of last weeks race as the tough times only make you tougher and more prepared for the next step.









I had a session with my bike coach this morning after taking a rest day as he always works me hard.  I thought we would be doing an easy workout and practicing some gear cadence ratio principles and he came with a different game plan after analyzing my data from the long ride.  His objective for me was to work on peak performance and pushing myself outside of my comfort zone to get race ready.  Today he brought a rabbit with him to pace me and we did 12-4 minute intervals at 150 Watts which is my zone 4 with 1 minute rest in between.  I had to maintain 150 watt power level on a variety of terrain so there was lots of practice shifting to stay in the zone.  The moral of the lesson was that THE TURTLE can pedal stronger if she steps out of her comfort zone and has not yet come close to her potential.  There may only be a few weeks to go, but there is still room for growth.

So lets keep this party rolling with higher intensity workouts and more focused workouts and recovery.  Thank you to all those who sent me birthday wishes and shared in my birthday celebration. 


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