I can't think of any other time besides when you are pregnant (trust me guys), that people look at you with such awe when you tell them you are training for an Ironman. Suddenly people stop and treat you like royalty. They want to give you water, rub your feet, and fluff up your cushion (or maybe your bike seat). They offer you carbs, electrolytes, salt tablets, gels, and even fig newtons! Those who have already earned the title of IM or have some type of knowledge or expertise in one of the three disciplines have lots of advice to offer. Everyone knows how to become a triathlete! Besides, you stagger around with that glow after a workout. The only difference is that your stomach is getting flatter instead of fatter. People still reach out to touch your muscles in lieu of a kicking baby inside your womb, sometimes without even asking invading your sacred Irontemple you are constructing through endless workouts. You surrender your body to the sport and the fans.
Triathlon nor pregnancy does not come without discomfort which are just small inconveniences to get to the birth of an Ironman. It is the little things that can take their toll at times, that can bring you to tears and test out your modesty and humility to prepare you for the day. After a while, you no longer care if your teammates see you sweat, bleed, cry, fart, burp, barf, chafe, or see your sacred private parts.
Your body is in a constant state of imbalance as the nutrients are being sucked out to fuel your run, bike and swim. You are constantly reading and asking others "what to do" about the nausea, cramping, chaffing, bleeding, and blisters that are by-products of long distance along to the latest and greatest accessories and products to make this journey more bearable.
If I could bottle up the salt and sweat that drains off my body each day, I would be rich. Instead, I am helping all the companies that produce salt tablets, muscle gylcogen and carb replacment and hydration and nutrition products stay in business. I am going to have a new nickname soon like "Salty Senorita" or "Salt Mine". I am also contributing to the company that makes the GLIDE sticks to prevent chaffing which occurs in many cracks and crannies all over my body that produce friction when in motion. The only other solution for that is to "TRI" naked. My compression calf sleeves rub the back of my ankles raw and so I am keeping the BAND-AIDE company in business too. I am trying to learn how to replenish 16 ounces of water, muscle glycogen, and salt loss each hour without vomitting. I am still believing with all the nausea I am having the only way to go is an IV.
So, here we are in the second "TRI"mester, working this out. Getting stronger, leaner, faster (?), and more fit to handle the final trimester where we will be going even longer, farther and faster. But, nobody said this type of pregnancy would be easy. Overall, it is a "feel good" journey with some small pains on the side. The "glow" and the extreme tiredness are going to be worth the day this Ironman is born. Besides, how often do you get the privelege of training for 12 months (ok so it is slightly longer than the pregnancy where you get a little alien at the end). Conception can be tricky, you have to be financially stable and it helps to be in a solid relationship to support your efforts. Once you successfully sign up, there is lots of preparation to do. Shopping, training, and planning and more shopping. As you get closer, you start to nest, getting everything in order. One goes in with a "birth plan", but having back up plans will help get you through the day. Nobody really knows what is going to happen, but training and preparation are the key to the end. For some, this will be a once in a lifetime experience. The birth of my child was that for me and now I have to remember that this gestation is a GIFT and I am fortunate to be on this journey and for my "TRI" support team including my coaches, my bike fitter/coach who I call my bicycologist, teammates and fellow triathletes, and all my family and friends. I will enjoy the royal treatment while I have the opportunity and go back to being a meer mortal when it is done and then I will be giving the next generation advice. 146 days until the birth of another IRONMAN. Watch out they are replicating every where all over the world! If you don't use protection while training, it could happen to you!
Monday, June 25, 2012
Sunday, June 17, 2012
PLEASE PASS THE SALT!
and the body glide, the motrin, some bandaids, and some ice while your at it! I think most turtles find refuge from the heat in their own shell, but this turtle struggles in heat. I am what the sports books refer to as a SALTY SWEATER! And I seem to pay the price for my body's overactive filter system about 50% of the time. One thing I find myself doing is trying to stay out of the heat as much as possible. That seems like a sure way to win this battle. And why did I sign up for the AZ Ironman you are saying? Why do I even live in AZ? Well as a kid growing up in Pennsylvania, I always thought to myself while I was standing out at the bus stop and could not feel my hands or my nose that I would rather sweat to death than freeze to death and thus I ended up in Arizona after I graduated from college, in the dry heat where you don't sweat. Well, it is a different kind of heat and a different kind of sweat. But, my bike has reminded me that Arizona is a very diverse state and we have beautiful mountains and deserts to explore by wheel. When there is an opportunity to get out of the heat with my bike, I am there.
This weekend was BIKE THE BLUFF ride in Show Low, AZ. We started with a small group going up to escape the heat and ended up with just my husband and myself and 2 other racelab teammates (one who has a beautiful Show Low home with bear warning signs right in front). It was supposed to be a metric century ride and turned out to be a little less. There is a lot of "ISH" in cycling....close enough to a metric century and by the end, I was just fine with that. The good news was that the temperatures were supposed to be 65 to 75 during the ride and then would reach high 80s later in the afternoon. A good 20 degrees below Phoenix temps. We arrived late on Friday night, checked into our hotel, laid out our gear and hit the hay. Morning arrived soon enough and the rituals began. When we arrived, cars were parked in series along both sides of a narrow country road with bikes on cars tops, tails, inside, outside and upside down. We walked to packet pick up amongst most of the other cyclists om their fancy team jerseys who in the pro categories. We stepped up to the table and the guy took one look at us and said "CITIZEN's RIDE", and I joked, how could you tell. And he said, because I was wearing a sleeveless jersey (My racelab jersey ofcourse) and that was not permitted in US Cycling events. As we headed back to the car to get our bikes ready, there were riders on trainers and rollers next to their cars. No aero bars, but lots of fancy carbon road bikes. My SCOTT FOIL, fit in very nicely at this event, but as my friend Bev said, "You're not in Kansas anymore". It was a different world than triathlon. The pro divisions started first and the small Citizen's Ride followed with a small group of 25 riders who mostly also wanted to get out of the heat. The course was awesome, full of what they call rollers through the pines. It went through downtown Showlow and turned on route 260 West through the pines. Then we turned off on some more rolling roads in the middle of nowhere with lots of brush, some livestock, and several cattle gaurd crossings. We turned on route 277 back to route 60. I had brought just enough fluids and was anticipating 2 aide stations like the Race Bible stated. The one that was supposed to be at mile 28 was not there and I was down to one bottle of water and needed more electrolyte. My ride was going well and it flattened out around mile 40 when I checked my stats and I was averaging 17.5 mph. I even passed a number of riders and held them off until the aide station finally appeared and I refueled, but I was starting to have some severe back pain on my right side, then nausea, and then during the 10 mile climb near the end, my adductors/inner thighs were cramping. I had to keep slowing down and I even stopped a few times. My husband actually had come back out to find me on the last mile and told me that he came in second place while I was in the middle of a severe cramp. I rolled into the finish and they had run out of water (which was irritating especially when you are dehydrated and salty). Awards and raffle were starting and I told my husband to go back to the car and get our tickets. Lucky that he did because we ended up winning the grand raffle prize of a pump, bike trainer and a GIANT handle bar and best of all my husband actually came in first place in the Citizen's division. He suprised himself and he got a cool medal and gift card to the local bike shop.
After we recovered partially, we went with my teammates to Fool's Hollow Lake and went for a 50 minute swim in a portion of the lake that was narrow and like a gently flowing river surrounded by canyon. Was cool enough to get some wetsuit practice in and felt sooooooo good.
The next morning I did my 11 mile long run in my heart rate zone enjoying the smell of pines while my husband did another metricish century ride on his bike. Ironman training complete for weekend. Headed home and dozed on and off while my driver brought me back to the heat.
Nerves are setting in as Ironman gets closer and I am struggling with heat with nausea and cramping and experiencing problems on my bike with back pain as I am getting into longer time in the saddle and doing more climbing. I am going back to my bike fitter tomorrow to determine if I can sustain the aero position without losing power. I did not want to have to go through a saddle search and hoped the saddle that came with the bike was going to work for me. Things feel a bit like they are falling apart and training is starting to take a little bit of a toll. But on the bright side....I can bike 4 hours, run 12 miles and swim over 2000 yards. We are half way there!
I am hoping that adding a little spice to my life will resolve some of the problems and make the long training rides and runs more pleasant. SO PLEASE PASS THE SALT. Doctor's orders this time!
This weekend was BIKE THE BLUFF ride in Show Low, AZ. We started with a small group going up to escape the heat and ended up with just my husband and myself and 2 other racelab teammates (one who has a beautiful Show Low home with bear warning signs right in front). It was supposed to be a metric century ride and turned out to be a little less. There is a lot of "ISH" in cycling....close enough to a metric century and by the end, I was just fine with that. The good news was that the temperatures were supposed to be 65 to 75 during the ride and then would reach high 80s later in the afternoon. A good 20 degrees below Phoenix temps. We arrived late on Friday night, checked into our hotel, laid out our gear and hit the hay. Morning arrived soon enough and the rituals began. When we arrived, cars were parked in series along both sides of a narrow country road with bikes on cars tops, tails, inside, outside and upside down. We walked to packet pick up amongst most of the other cyclists om their fancy team jerseys who in the pro categories. We stepped up to the table and the guy took one look at us and said "CITIZEN's RIDE", and I joked, how could you tell. And he said, because I was wearing a sleeveless jersey (My racelab jersey ofcourse) and that was not permitted in US Cycling events. As we headed back to the car to get our bikes ready, there were riders on trainers and rollers next to their cars. No aero bars, but lots of fancy carbon road bikes. My SCOTT FOIL, fit in very nicely at this event, but as my friend Bev said, "You're not in Kansas anymore". It was a different world than triathlon. The pro divisions started first and the small Citizen's Ride followed with a small group of 25 riders who mostly also wanted to get out of the heat. The course was awesome, full of what they call rollers through the pines. It went through downtown Showlow and turned on route 260 West through the pines. Then we turned off on some more rolling roads in the middle of nowhere with lots of brush, some livestock, and several cattle gaurd crossings. We turned on route 277 back to route 60. I had brought just enough fluids and was anticipating 2 aide stations like the Race Bible stated. The one that was supposed to be at mile 28 was not there and I was down to one bottle of water and needed more electrolyte. My ride was going well and it flattened out around mile 40 when I checked my stats and I was averaging 17.5 mph. I even passed a number of riders and held them off until the aide station finally appeared and I refueled, but I was starting to have some severe back pain on my right side, then nausea, and then during the 10 mile climb near the end, my adductors/inner thighs were cramping. I had to keep slowing down and I even stopped a few times. My husband actually had come back out to find me on the last mile and told me that he came in second place while I was in the middle of a severe cramp. I rolled into the finish and they had run out of water (which was irritating especially when you are dehydrated and salty). Awards and raffle were starting and I told my husband to go back to the car and get our tickets. Lucky that he did because we ended up winning the grand raffle prize of a pump, bike trainer and a GIANT handle bar and best of all my husband actually came in first place in the Citizen's division. He suprised himself and he got a cool medal and gift card to the local bike shop.
After we recovered partially, we went with my teammates to Fool's Hollow Lake and went for a 50 minute swim in a portion of the lake that was narrow and like a gently flowing river surrounded by canyon. Was cool enough to get some wetsuit practice in and felt sooooooo good.
The next morning I did my 11 mile long run in my heart rate zone enjoying the smell of pines while my husband did another metricish century ride on his bike. Ironman training complete for weekend. Headed home and dozed on and off while my driver brought me back to the heat.
Nerves are setting in as Ironman gets closer and I am struggling with heat with nausea and cramping and experiencing problems on my bike with back pain as I am getting into longer time in the saddle and doing more climbing. I am going back to my bike fitter tomorrow to determine if I can sustain the aero position without losing power. I did not want to have to go through a saddle search and hoped the saddle that came with the bike was going to work for me. Things feel a bit like they are falling apart and training is starting to take a little bit of a toll. But on the bright side....I can bike 4 hours, run 12 miles and swim over 2000 yards. We are half way there!
I am hoping that adding a little spice to my life will resolve some of the problems and make the long training rides and runs more pleasant. SO PLEASE PASS THE SALT. Doctor's orders this time!
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Numbers
Pick a number, any number.
4: Just completed meal 4 today
2: Just completed workout 2 and wanting to take nap 2
23: the number of weeks left until Ironman
161: the number of days until Ironman
2000: the number of yards swam today
210: the number of minutes on my bike yesterday
9: the number of miles I ran today
3: the time we had to wake up to get to yesterday's bike ride
10,000: the number of Kilometers in a short race or the number of dollars spent on being a triathlete training for Ironman.
When are the numbers going to end! How I crave just a simple run, bike or swim when you just open the door and go and let your mind wander. When did this become such a calculated activity where you must set your alarm precisely at the time it takes to go through your morning rituals and get to your workout on time, resetting the clocks to track your mileage, heart rate, route, speed, and whatever other information your latest technology will measure, and completing a training workout with a specific distance, time and speed and heart rate to follow. You can meet up with your teammates, but you must stay in your own heart rate zone. What ever happened to running at a comfortable pace where you can hold a conversation?
Turtles should not be intimidated by numbers, but I came to the realization today that the rest of the journey is about pushing just a little longer, a little faster, and completing just a little bit more. I think the days of comfort and conversation are coming to an end and the days of how much farther can you push yourself even when you are tired, your muscles are cramping, your legs and arms are empty and dehydration and depletion are setting in. This weekend was a turning point for me as last week, I accomplished some great climbing and was beginning to feel strong, but this week, my legs never fully recouped so the weekend began on tired legs. The battle was physical, but more mental in how much more I could get out of myself. We returned to Canyon Lake for a ride and open water swim. I started the ride with an unhappy stomach and overal sense of tiredness, but I felt good once I got started and then the heat took a toll, drenched in sweat and limited visibility in one eye from the constant stream pouring into it, the ride became more challenging. I would have short periods of recovery after taking in more fluids, electrolytes and nutrition, but they never seemed to last very long. After 3 hours I completed my second out and back to the parking area and could have easily called it a day, but I was determined to finish the last 30 minutes and though it was more climbing and slow, I PUSHED through it. My teammates were already heading for the water, so I had to make a quick change. My stomach did not want any more food, so I just drank some water on land and then quickly found relief in the cool water. No wetsuit for me cause I was not going to battle trying to squeeze that on over a sweaty and salty body. The temperature was perfect. Not sure if it was in the 60s or 70s, but it felt GOOD! I caught up to the team and as soon as we stopped to regroup, my left toes and inner thigh went into a group spasm and I screamed CRAMP. My coach was with us in the water because she is now officially in training for Ironman this year and tried to rub it out. I was not leaving, so I contemplated just pulling with my arms, but I was able to kick. So we left we a feeling off accomplishment and the post workout high. Someone asked me if they thought I would be ready by November and I said, "Ready or not, I am ready right now".....then Sunday came. The alarm went off at 4:15 am. For the first time this year, I thought, I cannot do this again. I cannot get up another early morning and do a long workout, but I knew I had 3 friends that would be waiting for me and I was the one that said meet at 5 am SHARP (to beat the heat ofcourse). My legs were tight and cramping and I drank some electrolytes, put my compression socks on and finished up the rituals and made it just in time (not without my friends giving me a hard time about my SHARP, but I made it!). I was expecting some cramping and walking this morning, but we were going at a comfortable pace and I was staying in my long heart rate zone, so all was good. But at mile 8, I started feeling fatigued. I have yet to finish one of my long runs feeling the same from start to end...there is usually a brick wall that someone places in front of me a mile before I get back to my car (evil break layers!). So I survived the run, but as soon as I stopped my muscles started cramping again.
I stretched and headed home contemplating the swim workout scheduled for noon in 100 degree heat. I went home and ate meal 2 and took nap 1 and when I woke, I had that feeling again, that I could not do one more thing, not one more! But, as one of my teammates said, I experienced that "IRONMAN GUILT" and ate meal 3 and got my suit on and drove myself to swim. They are able to keep the water cool at ASU, so that helps....cause swimming in 90 degree water is no fun. My coach swam in my lane today, so that pushed me a little more than I would have on my own, but there was not a lot left in the arms or legs. Oh the so good feeling afterwards and headed home for meal 4 and longing for nap 2! Looking forward to Monday, Monday, Monday....my day off.
Only 161 more days to count the miles, minutes, laps, speed, sets, repitions, yards, miles...Numbers, numbers, numbers. On 3 I am going to take nap 2 and dream about meal 5.....ready....one, two, three!
23 weeks
161 days
4: Just completed meal 4 today
2: Just completed workout 2 and wanting to take nap 2
23: the number of weeks left until Ironman
161: the number of days until Ironman
2000: the number of yards swam today
210: the number of minutes on my bike yesterday
9: the number of miles I ran today
3: the time we had to wake up to get to yesterday's bike ride
10,000: the number of Kilometers in a short race or the number of dollars spent on being a triathlete training for Ironman.
When are the numbers going to end! How I crave just a simple run, bike or swim when you just open the door and go and let your mind wander. When did this become such a calculated activity where you must set your alarm precisely at the time it takes to go through your morning rituals and get to your workout on time, resetting the clocks to track your mileage, heart rate, route, speed, and whatever other information your latest technology will measure, and completing a training workout with a specific distance, time and speed and heart rate to follow. You can meet up with your teammates, but you must stay in your own heart rate zone. What ever happened to running at a comfortable pace where you can hold a conversation?
Turtles should not be intimidated by numbers, but I came to the realization today that the rest of the journey is about pushing just a little longer, a little faster, and completing just a little bit more. I think the days of comfort and conversation are coming to an end and the days of how much farther can you push yourself even when you are tired, your muscles are cramping, your legs and arms are empty and dehydration and depletion are setting in. This weekend was a turning point for me as last week, I accomplished some great climbing and was beginning to feel strong, but this week, my legs never fully recouped so the weekend began on tired legs. The battle was physical, but more mental in how much more I could get out of myself. We returned to Canyon Lake for a ride and open water swim. I started the ride with an unhappy stomach and overal sense of tiredness, but I felt good once I got started and then the heat took a toll, drenched in sweat and limited visibility in one eye from the constant stream pouring into it, the ride became more challenging. I would have short periods of recovery after taking in more fluids, electrolytes and nutrition, but they never seemed to last very long. After 3 hours I completed my second out and back to the parking area and could have easily called it a day, but I was determined to finish the last 30 minutes and though it was more climbing and slow, I PUSHED through it. My teammates were already heading for the water, so I had to make a quick change. My stomach did not want any more food, so I just drank some water on land and then quickly found relief in the cool water. No wetsuit for me cause I was not going to battle trying to squeeze that on over a sweaty and salty body. The temperature was perfect. Not sure if it was in the 60s or 70s, but it felt GOOD! I caught up to the team and as soon as we stopped to regroup, my left toes and inner thigh went into a group spasm and I screamed CRAMP. My coach was with us in the water because she is now officially in training for Ironman this year and tried to rub it out. I was not leaving, so I contemplated just pulling with my arms, but I was able to kick. So we left we a feeling off accomplishment and the post workout high. Someone asked me if they thought I would be ready by November and I said, "Ready or not, I am ready right now".....then Sunday came. The alarm went off at 4:15 am. For the first time this year, I thought, I cannot do this again. I cannot get up another early morning and do a long workout, but I knew I had 3 friends that would be waiting for me and I was the one that said meet at 5 am SHARP (to beat the heat ofcourse). My legs were tight and cramping and I drank some electrolytes, put my compression socks on and finished up the rituals and made it just in time (not without my friends giving me a hard time about my SHARP, but I made it!). I was expecting some cramping and walking this morning, but we were going at a comfortable pace and I was staying in my long heart rate zone, so all was good. But at mile 8, I started feeling fatigued. I have yet to finish one of my long runs feeling the same from start to end...there is usually a brick wall that someone places in front of me a mile before I get back to my car (evil break layers!). So I survived the run, but as soon as I stopped my muscles started cramping again.
I stretched and headed home contemplating the swim workout scheduled for noon in 100 degree heat. I went home and ate meal 2 and took nap 1 and when I woke, I had that feeling again, that I could not do one more thing, not one more! But, as one of my teammates said, I experienced that "IRONMAN GUILT" and ate meal 3 and got my suit on and drove myself to swim. They are able to keep the water cool at ASU, so that helps....cause swimming in 90 degree water is no fun. My coach swam in my lane today, so that pushed me a little more than I would have on my own, but there was not a lot left in the arms or legs. Oh the so good feeling afterwards and headed home for meal 4 and longing for nap 2! Looking forward to Monday, Monday, Monday....my day off.
Only 161 more days to count the miles, minutes, laps, speed, sets, repitions, yards, miles...Numbers, numbers, numbers. On 3 I am going to take nap 2 and dream about meal 5.....ready....one, two, three!
23 weeks
161 days
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Survival
I was thinking about how the past week has been about going with the flow especially when the flow sometimes gets clogged up. Isn't that just what Ironman will be like. You can prepare every waking hour, but when the day arrives, you just have to go with the flow.
We took a road trip with my parents to Vegas to start off our summer vacation after spending the weekend in Prescott. We were just going for a quick 2 night stay at Mandalay Bay to hang out at the pools and to see a few shows. Our morning started off at 5 am with a quick 1 hour bike ride before taking off. Sometimes when you are in unfamiliar territory you get carried away with exploration and when we returned we threw off my parents itinerary causing a little beginning of the day stress. My son had been running a fever and we had no medical care available due to it being the Memorial Day Holiday weekend, so he sucked it up and the road trip began. We stopped at Willow Beach which was on the Colorado River with Nevada on one side and Arizona on the other. I had hopes of doing an Open Water Swim, but my courage crawled under a rock when I found out the water temperature was 48 degrees and my sleeveless wetsuit would not come out of the bag. Instead we enjoyed lunch with a view and proceeded over the new bridge that goes over Hoover Dam. It makes for a faster drive into Nevada, but the new bridge impedes your view of the dam and the river. We headed straight through Boulder City right by Lake Mead when I started salivating wanting to get my wetsuit out, but we had show tickets for that night and wanted to take a dip in the Lazy River, so I held onto hope that I would get an OWS in on the way home.
So we arrived at our hotel and managed to get a quick swim in. My son was not a happy camper and started complaining about not wanting to be there. He was not feeling well at all, but all I could do for him was give him motrin and throat lozenges. My throat was sore too. We just had to tough it out. We made it to the show which was the Cirque de Soleil, Beatles LOVE show in the round. It was amazing watching very talented dancers, acrobats, extreme skaters, etc. entertain us to Beatle Music. The next morning I decided to take my day off and we spent the first few hours taking my son to a walk in clinic at a Walgreens for medical care. I decided I would find out if he had strep throat before having myself examined. He had 103 fever and double ear infections along with an inflamed throat and cough. The nurse practitioner did not learn after the first time he stuck a stick down his throat gagging him and causing him to vomit, he yet did it a second time to get a throat swab. He did not have strep, so I did not get checked out since I managed to not get a fever. We left with antibiotics, cough and throat medicine and took Jeremy up to rest in the nice comfy cozy hotel room, while my husband and I enjoyed a few hours poolside. After letting my son catch up on rest, we headed to the Elvis show, another Circ show watching more performers flip, jam, sing, and defy gravity to Elvis music. Fun, fun, fun!
Oops, I got a little off track with all the Vegas stuff....back to training....I managed to fit my "speed work" in on the strip the next morning, but by the time I figured out how to navigate Las Vegas Boulevard, my workout was nearly over. I had to keep climbing up and across 2 bridging to cross every main intersection in town, so my first step workout I guess. We only had a few hours to fit in a quick swim, stop off at The PAWN SHOP, where the reality tv show Pawn Stars is filmed that we love to watch and lunch in Boulder City....again just a few miles from the shores of Lake Mead. My parents had to go pick up their dog and I once again was deprived of my OWS! When you take a trip with other people and you don't have your own car, you lose a little bit of control.
We spent the remainder of the week in Prescott to enjoy the cooler weather. Now I could get back on track with workouts. On Thursday, Scottie (my bike) got his first flat. His tires comes off super easy and the only area I struggled with was getting air in the tube. I wasted another CO2 cartridge...so back to the old drawing board with flat tire clinics now that Scottie is officially broken in. He is actually ready for his 90 day tune up as he his clanking and talking back! Got a few pool swims in at my parent's community fitness center in hot water (ugh, I hate hot water). My 12 mile run was on a scenic path that used to be a railroad track around a lake, through large rock formations and through some ranches. I was greeted by one mule deer and a few giant jackrabbits. The next big ride was today on the other end of the Skull Valley Loop ride in Prescott. We went out with the bike shop owners of our favorite bike store in Prescott called High Gear. We went through downtown Prescott on Highway 89 through a scenic mountain pass and down to a town called Wilhoit and then back up and continued up a few more climbs to Thumb Butte, a popular rock formation that can be seen from all over Prescott and surrounding towns to complete a 3 hour ride. The second weekend in altitude and climbing was a lot easier than the first, but 12 hours later, I am officially sore. The temperature was perfect this morning in Prescott and then sadly we had to return to the Valley.
I did spend the afternoon on Friday reading the book IRONHEART about a young high school swimmer who who survived a terrible car accident several weeks after he graduated. He had earned a college scholarship in swimming and he was on his way home from a swim workout when his car was struck by a dump truck. It was about his journey from a Coma to Kona. It was a fascinating story about survival and as a health care provider it was really enlightening to read about the patient's perspective from his first memories of waking up and trying to put the pieces together. He was truly a survivor and another inspirational story for us Ironman wannabes and how the race has so much more meaning to most people that take it on. It is rarely just about the race. I could not put the book down, but if you are not interested in the medical miracles and are expecting the book to be about Ironman, you may want to choose a different story. This books was about survival and second chances and not giving up. Sometimes you cannot change the circumstances that surround you and you just have to go with the flow until you have the opportunity to make your move, continue on your journey, and cross the finish line. You can probably bet that once you finally achieve your goal, there will be something new awaiting you around the corner.
We took a road trip with my parents to Vegas to start off our summer vacation after spending the weekend in Prescott. We were just going for a quick 2 night stay at Mandalay Bay to hang out at the pools and to see a few shows. Our morning started off at 5 am with a quick 1 hour bike ride before taking off. Sometimes when you are in unfamiliar territory you get carried away with exploration and when we returned we threw off my parents itinerary causing a little beginning of the day stress. My son had been running a fever and we had no medical care available due to it being the Memorial Day Holiday weekend, so he sucked it up and the road trip began. We stopped at Willow Beach which was on the Colorado River with Nevada on one side and Arizona on the other. I had hopes of doing an Open Water Swim, but my courage crawled under a rock when I found out the water temperature was 48 degrees and my sleeveless wetsuit would not come out of the bag. Instead we enjoyed lunch with a view and proceeded over the new bridge that goes over Hoover Dam. It makes for a faster drive into Nevada, but the new bridge impedes your view of the dam and the river. We headed straight through Boulder City right by Lake Mead when I started salivating wanting to get my wetsuit out, but we had show tickets for that night and wanted to take a dip in the Lazy River, so I held onto hope that I would get an OWS in on the way home.
So we arrived at our hotel and managed to get a quick swim in. My son was not a happy camper and started complaining about not wanting to be there. He was not feeling well at all, but all I could do for him was give him motrin and throat lozenges. My throat was sore too. We just had to tough it out. We made it to the show which was the Cirque de Soleil, Beatles LOVE show in the round. It was amazing watching very talented dancers, acrobats, extreme skaters, etc. entertain us to Beatle Music. The next morning I decided to take my day off and we spent the first few hours taking my son to a walk in clinic at a Walgreens for medical care. I decided I would find out if he had strep throat before having myself examined. He had 103 fever and double ear infections along with an inflamed throat and cough. The nurse practitioner did not learn after the first time he stuck a stick down his throat gagging him and causing him to vomit, he yet did it a second time to get a throat swab. He did not have strep, so I did not get checked out since I managed to not get a fever. We left with antibiotics, cough and throat medicine and took Jeremy up to rest in the nice comfy cozy hotel room, while my husband and I enjoyed a few hours poolside. After letting my son catch up on rest, we headed to the Elvis show, another Circ show watching more performers flip, jam, sing, and defy gravity to Elvis music. Fun, fun, fun!
Oops, I got a little off track with all the Vegas stuff....back to training....I managed to fit my "speed work" in on the strip the next morning, but by the time I figured out how to navigate Las Vegas Boulevard, my workout was nearly over. I had to keep climbing up and across 2 bridging to cross every main intersection in town, so my first step workout I guess. We only had a few hours to fit in a quick swim, stop off at The PAWN SHOP, where the reality tv show Pawn Stars is filmed that we love to watch and lunch in Boulder City....again just a few miles from the shores of Lake Mead. My parents had to go pick up their dog and I once again was deprived of my OWS! When you take a trip with other people and you don't have your own car, you lose a little bit of control.
We spent the remainder of the week in Prescott to enjoy the cooler weather. Now I could get back on track with workouts. On Thursday, Scottie (my bike) got his first flat. His tires comes off super easy and the only area I struggled with was getting air in the tube. I wasted another CO2 cartridge...so back to the old drawing board with flat tire clinics now that Scottie is officially broken in. He is actually ready for his 90 day tune up as he his clanking and talking back! Got a few pool swims in at my parent's community fitness center in hot water (ugh, I hate hot water). My 12 mile run was on a scenic path that used to be a railroad track around a lake, through large rock formations and through some ranches. I was greeted by one mule deer and a few giant jackrabbits. The next big ride was today on the other end of the Skull Valley Loop ride in Prescott. We went out with the bike shop owners of our favorite bike store in Prescott called High Gear. We went through downtown Prescott on Highway 89 through a scenic mountain pass and down to a town called Wilhoit and then back up and continued up a few more climbs to Thumb Butte, a popular rock formation that can be seen from all over Prescott and surrounding towns to complete a 3 hour ride. The second weekend in altitude and climbing was a lot easier than the first, but 12 hours later, I am officially sore. The temperature was perfect this morning in Prescott and then sadly we had to return to the Valley.
I did spend the afternoon on Friday reading the book IRONHEART about a young high school swimmer who who survived a terrible car accident several weeks after he graduated. He had earned a college scholarship in swimming and he was on his way home from a swim workout when his car was struck by a dump truck. It was about his journey from a Coma to Kona. It was a fascinating story about survival and as a health care provider it was really enlightening to read about the patient's perspective from his first memories of waking up and trying to put the pieces together. He was truly a survivor and another inspirational story for us Ironman wannabes and how the race has so much more meaning to most people that take it on. It is rarely just about the race. I could not put the book down, but if you are not interested in the medical miracles and are expecting the book to be about Ironman, you may want to choose a different story. This books was about survival and second chances and not giving up. Sometimes you cannot change the circumstances that surround you and you just have to go with the flow until you have the opportunity to make your move, continue on your journey, and cross the finish line. You can probably bet that once you finally achieve your goal, there will be something new awaiting you around the corner.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Getting out of the heat.
This is the first year we decided to leave town quickly after my son finished up school this year. Looking forward to spending a week in cooler weather up in Prescott, AZ where my parents live and a brief road trip to Las Vegas. The thought of doing long runs and rides in extreme heat really does not appeal to me and with Ironman in November in AZ, the chance of the temps being in the 100s is very slim to none (though there are 2 earlier races that could potentially be in the heat) so I am happy to take any opportunity to get out of the oven. It is not often we take a whole week to chillax together and as long as my bike can come along, I am up for the adventure. Unfortunately when we arrived, my son spiked a 102 fever and here we sit away from home and on a holiday weekend, so motrin and rest are our ticket, hoping to get him well enough to enjoy the Lazy River at Mandalay Bay and 2 shows in Vegas....however, now the momma turtle has a sore throat, but the good news is that I got my long ride and run in this weekend, but I had to elect to skip my swim this afternoon. So let's not think about the sore throat right now and get to the bike ride and run.
My husband informed me right before we left Scottsdale that the temperature was going to range from 37-60 degrees which I found hard to believe since Prescott is usually 10-20 degrees cooler but we were coming from 90-100 degrees. Once he showed me proof, I grabbed my long cycling tights and a heavier jacket, gloves and headband and I was very thankful the next morning when we went out for the ride. It was sunny and cold! Evenknow we did not need to get up early to enjoy cooler weather for this ride, my biological clock still woke me up around 4:30 am and I waited for my husband to rise and we took off by 6:30. I was supposed to ride 3.5 hrs in my long HR zone which my coach gave me this week which is 125-148 which is typically the range I ride in, however, we were in a place that is full of steep hills and it is hard to find a route that does not contain a monster hill. We chose to do an out and back course from Prescott Lakes to Skull Valley. We had to ride up 6 miles to get to the 6 mile climb up to Granite Mountain. Sorry, no pictures. We were holding on for dear life on this ride. What should have been a fast enjoyable 11 mile descent into Skull Valley was filled with gusty cross winds along the switchbacks. It was scary but like a thrilling amusement park ride. I was happy to get off at the bottom of the hill and we stopped at the General Store in the cute little town. Some guy rode by on a horse and asked us if we saw any loose cattle wandering by. When we walked through the shop, it was full of Southwestern knicknacks and 4 bearded old men sitting around a wood burning stove. The winds were more in our favor on the ride back. I had to dig deep through the wind and on the long climbs feeling a little under the weather, but it was a fun adventure as always. My main discomfort and reason that I was ready to get off my bike after 47 miles was the back pain I was having on the climb. I am still thankful for Scottie the bike and hopefully we will iron out what is causing the discomfort in my technique and position. I have also slacked off on my strength and flexibility and I think that will help prevent the back pain in the future. It has gotten harder to fit those parts in as the workouts are getting longer, but priorities.
So I woke this morning, looking forward to another workout in cool weather. I had a 10 mile run on my schedule and opted to one of the flatter trails I could find around Willow Lake and Embry Riddle University. Something strange occurred with my heart rate. It was all over the place and especially on the high side. My long running HR is 135 to 147 and only 5 minutes into my run, I looked down and I was 150-170, without being short of breath. I got a signal saying low battery on my GPS but it seemed to be reading the mileage and time ok. I think it may have been the altitude and perhaps the bug that my son shared with me. It took me 1:55 to complete 10 miles. I could not go any slower.
There is always adversity to overcome whether it is wind, illness, cramping, flat tires, or cold weather. Instead of wallowing in self pity, I know I have to just let these experiences make me stronger. Pain never lasts forever and really we forget it once it goes away and we remember the good things. Deciding when to push and when to rest still remains to be foggy line. We had an Ironman Meeting this week and talked about how we were feeling and about when to back off. Eventhough we are using science to design the plan, we need to really learn to listen to the little voices in our head and signals from our body. Though, I am certain that part of this journey is learning how to ignore those little voices and listening to your heart. This afternoon, I listened to the little pain receptors in my throat and decided that swimming may not be in my best interest.
As training gets more intense, I am hoping to learn to use my turtle shell as body armor to keep away injury and illness. For now, I will have to stick to vitamin C, motrin, and rest.
Happy Training, Stay Cool!
My husband informed me right before we left Scottsdale that the temperature was going to range from 37-60 degrees which I found hard to believe since Prescott is usually 10-20 degrees cooler but we were coming from 90-100 degrees. Once he showed me proof, I grabbed my long cycling tights and a heavier jacket, gloves and headband and I was very thankful the next morning when we went out for the ride. It was sunny and cold! Evenknow we did not need to get up early to enjoy cooler weather for this ride, my biological clock still woke me up around 4:30 am and I waited for my husband to rise and we took off by 6:30. I was supposed to ride 3.5 hrs in my long HR zone which my coach gave me this week which is 125-148 which is typically the range I ride in, however, we were in a place that is full of steep hills and it is hard to find a route that does not contain a monster hill. We chose to do an out and back course from Prescott Lakes to Skull Valley. We had to ride up 6 miles to get to the 6 mile climb up to Granite Mountain. Sorry, no pictures. We were holding on for dear life on this ride. What should have been a fast enjoyable 11 mile descent into Skull Valley was filled with gusty cross winds along the switchbacks. It was scary but like a thrilling amusement park ride. I was happy to get off at the bottom of the hill and we stopped at the General Store in the cute little town. Some guy rode by on a horse and asked us if we saw any loose cattle wandering by. When we walked through the shop, it was full of Southwestern knicknacks and 4 bearded old men sitting around a wood burning stove. The winds were more in our favor on the ride back. I had to dig deep through the wind and on the long climbs feeling a little under the weather, but it was a fun adventure as always. My main discomfort and reason that I was ready to get off my bike after 47 miles was the back pain I was having on the climb. I am still thankful for Scottie the bike and hopefully we will iron out what is causing the discomfort in my technique and position. I have also slacked off on my strength and flexibility and I think that will help prevent the back pain in the future. It has gotten harder to fit those parts in as the workouts are getting longer, but priorities.
So I woke this morning, looking forward to another workout in cool weather. I had a 10 mile run on my schedule and opted to one of the flatter trails I could find around Willow Lake and Embry Riddle University. Something strange occurred with my heart rate. It was all over the place and especially on the high side. My long running HR is 135 to 147 and only 5 minutes into my run, I looked down and I was 150-170, without being short of breath. I got a signal saying low battery on my GPS but it seemed to be reading the mileage and time ok. I think it may have been the altitude and perhaps the bug that my son shared with me. It took me 1:55 to complete 10 miles. I could not go any slower.
There is always adversity to overcome whether it is wind, illness, cramping, flat tires, or cold weather. Instead of wallowing in self pity, I know I have to just let these experiences make me stronger. Pain never lasts forever and really we forget it once it goes away and we remember the good things. Deciding when to push and when to rest still remains to be foggy line. We had an Ironman Meeting this week and talked about how we were feeling and about when to back off. Eventhough we are using science to design the plan, we need to really learn to listen to the little voices in our head and signals from our body. Though, I am certain that part of this journey is learning how to ignore those little voices and listening to your heart. This afternoon, I listened to the little pain receptors in my throat and decided that swimming may not be in my best interest.
As training gets more intense, I am hoping to learn to use my turtle shell as body armor to keep away injury and illness. For now, I will have to stick to vitamin C, motrin, and rest.
Happy Training, Stay Cool!
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Six Months and Counting
The Magic Clock
How many people sit around counting the months, the days, the weeks, the hours to their big day. Maybe graduates, future brides, expectant mothers.....not I....I count the months, weeks, days, minutes, and seconds left until Ironman. Every time I blink, the number of days on my counter gets lower. Just 6 months ago, I sat in line at 5 am to sign up for Ironman AZ 2012 and here I am with only 6 months left to pack for this very exciting trip. The road ahead is steep and long, but if you just focus on each step, you will summit before you know it. There is not much time left for procrastination. I would say it is time to get down to business. I am finally getting comfortable in the middle distances and ready to start building on the base that has been built.
Progress Report:
Swimming: The workouts continue to work on technique and I am comfortable swimming 2000 meters in the pool or open water. My open water swimming is much faster than my pool swimming and I still consider swimming to be my strong sport and I am relaxed and enjoy this part of triathlon training (though my coach still continues to try and make me more efficient, but all I feel is out of breath when trying to implement changes). I especially enjoy finding a pool that has cool water instead of hot now that we have reached the 100s in AZ.
Cycling: My new bike rocks. I have gained speed and power on my new carbon road bike with shorter cranks that enable me to get more power. I am not having to work as hard on my new bike and am able to ride with a lower heart rate at a faster speed and keep up with more teammates on our group rides. I can comfortable ride for 3 hours. Meeting the bike deadline during the race is no longer a concern. Will meet with my bike fitter very soon to assess my saddle and add aero bars, however, I am actually getting attached to the saddle that came with the bike and I am enjoying my current position.
Running: Finally feeling more comfortable running but track workouts and long runs are still the most challenging workouts for me. My muscles seem to be more elastic and foregiving and I am having less tightness and cramping. I have comfortably reached 10-12 miles for my long run. I still feel like running is an area that has room for improvement as I have definitely slowed down with age, but I am not counting on speed during an IM, just hoping for sustainability and being able to run a good portion of the race cause 26.2 could make for a long walk home!
I look forward to the next half of the journey where we just continue to climb up, up, and away until our bodies are programmed to swim, bike or run in our sleep. In fact, I am starting to read a book on mental training to help prepare my mind for the long day and all the tricks my mind and body will be playing on November 18th. The tool of mental rehearsal or visualization has been effective in helping athletes reach their peak performance during their big moment when it counts. I have competed against myself over and over again and some days the mind prevails and helps the body complete the task and other days our body breaks down and our spirit breaks with it which can end your race or make the outcome less desirable. The only disadvantage I find when I dream about a race is that I wake up tired and sometimes it is hard to motivate yourself to get to the start line.
The next 6 months is really all about getting to know yourself very well and simulating the different challenges you may face on that day and practicing pushing through boundaries. And other times, it is having the strength and courage to know how to adapt to the unpredictable or when to stop.
COURAGE
Speaking of courage: This weekend I participated in the "NOT ONE MORE" bike rally where many of the local bike shops, clubs, teams and individual cyclists came together and rode downtown to the AZ Capitol to honor cyclists who have been struck and injured or killed by motorists to plead with our legislators to pass laws to protect cyclist from distracted drivers and to encouarage vehicles and cyclists work together to make the road safer for everyone. The 3 cyclists that I mentioned in an earlier blog were all able to make it to the rally in neck braces, wheel chairs, and slings. The survivors were fortunate as names of fallen cyclists were read and remembered. It is amazing to be part of the cyclist community filled with strength and spirit, but all of us together cannot withstand the impact of a moving vehicle, so there is much work to be done. This organization is starting a campaign on You Tube highlighting cyclists experience to try to faciliate cooperation between cars and bikes on our roads. Will post more about those as they become available or you can go to notonemorecyclist.com/.
Addiction and Codependence: Triathlon is a drug!
Some people might say if you have to have an addiction, pick one that has some healthy side effects. So, I have to admit that it is hard to get through a day without a workout or three and if you have to take off more than one day, you will go through withdrawals. When you have to do long workouts or short hard workouts, you can no longer do them on your own, but you rely on your training partner to text or call you to make sure you wake up and to make sure you show up. Just make sure you read the warning label before you sign up for an IRONMAN and it helps if your family agrees to support this habit that strips you of your dignity as you change clothes in parking lots, depletes your savings account as you have to buy the proper equipment, gear,and then all the right accessories and the extra fees for fitters and coaches and fancy outfits, and it impedes in your bodies natural biological clock as you wake up at 4 am and you go to bed at 8pm not to mention the workout, eat, nap cycle in between. Just wish that the ones you loved in the beginning will be the ones that love you in the end and they will not send you to rehab when you cross the line, but maybe they will sign up for the insanity next!
Counting Keeps You Sane, so keep your eye on the clock!
How many people sit around counting the months, the days, the weeks, the hours to their big day. Maybe graduates, future brides, expectant mothers.....not I....I count the months, weeks, days, minutes, and seconds left until Ironman. Every time I blink, the number of days on my counter gets lower. Just 6 months ago, I sat in line at 5 am to sign up for Ironman AZ 2012 and here I am with only 6 months left to pack for this very exciting trip. The road ahead is steep and long, but if you just focus on each step, you will summit before you know it. There is not much time left for procrastination. I would say it is time to get down to business. I am finally getting comfortable in the middle distances and ready to start building on the base that has been built.
Progress Report:
Swimming: The workouts continue to work on technique and I am comfortable swimming 2000 meters in the pool or open water. My open water swimming is much faster than my pool swimming and I still consider swimming to be my strong sport and I am relaxed and enjoy this part of triathlon training (though my coach still continues to try and make me more efficient, but all I feel is out of breath when trying to implement changes). I especially enjoy finding a pool that has cool water instead of hot now that we have reached the 100s in AZ.
Cycling: My new bike rocks. I have gained speed and power on my new carbon road bike with shorter cranks that enable me to get more power. I am not having to work as hard on my new bike and am able to ride with a lower heart rate at a faster speed and keep up with more teammates on our group rides. I can comfortable ride for 3 hours. Meeting the bike deadline during the race is no longer a concern. Will meet with my bike fitter very soon to assess my saddle and add aero bars, however, I am actually getting attached to the saddle that came with the bike and I am enjoying my current position.
Running: Finally feeling more comfortable running but track workouts and long runs are still the most challenging workouts for me. My muscles seem to be more elastic and foregiving and I am having less tightness and cramping. I have comfortably reached 10-12 miles for my long run. I still feel like running is an area that has room for improvement as I have definitely slowed down with age, but I am not counting on speed during an IM, just hoping for sustainability and being able to run a good portion of the race cause 26.2 could make for a long walk home!
I look forward to the next half of the journey where we just continue to climb up, up, and away until our bodies are programmed to swim, bike or run in our sleep. In fact, I am starting to read a book on mental training to help prepare my mind for the long day and all the tricks my mind and body will be playing on November 18th. The tool of mental rehearsal or visualization has been effective in helping athletes reach their peak performance during their big moment when it counts. I have competed against myself over and over again and some days the mind prevails and helps the body complete the task and other days our body breaks down and our spirit breaks with it which can end your race or make the outcome less desirable. The only disadvantage I find when I dream about a race is that I wake up tired and sometimes it is hard to motivate yourself to get to the start line.
The next 6 months is really all about getting to know yourself very well and simulating the different challenges you may face on that day and practicing pushing through boundaries. And other times, it is having the strength and courage to know how to adapt to the unpredictable or when to stop.
COURAGE
Speaking of courage: This weekend I participated in the "NOT ONE MORE" bike rally where many of the local bike shops, clubs, teams and individual cyclists came together and rode downtown to the AZ Capitol to honor cyclists who have been struck and injured or killed by motorists to plead with our legislators to pass laws to protect cyclist from distracted drivers and to encouarage vehicles and cyclists work together to make the road safer for everyone. The 3 cyclists that I mentioned in an earlier blog were all able to make it to the rally in neck braces, wheel chairs, and slings. The survivors were fortunate as names of fallen cyclists were read and remembered. It is amazing to be part of the cyclist community filled with strength and spirit, but all of us together cannot withstand the impact of a moving vehicle, so there is much work to be done. This organization is starting a campaign on You Tube highlighting cyclists experience to try to faciliate cooperation between cars and bikes on our roads. Will post more about those as they become available or you can go to notonemorecyclist.com/.
Addiction and Codependence: Triathlon is a drug!
Some people might say if you have to have an addiction, pick one that has some healthy side effects. So, I have to admit that it is hard to get through a day without a workout or three and if you have to take off more than one day, you will go through withdrawals. When you have to do long workouts or short hard workouts, you can no longer do them on your own, but you rely on your training partner to text or call you to make sure you wake up and to make sure you show up. Just make sure you read the warning label before you sign up for an IRONMAN and it helps if your family agrees to support this habit that strips you of your dignity as you change clothes in parking lots, depletes your savings account as you have to buy the proper equipment, gear,and then all the right accessories and the extra fees for fitters and coaches and fancy outfits, and it impedes in your bodies natural biological clock as you wake up at 4 am and you go to bed at 8pm not to mention the workout, eat, nap cycle in between. Just wish that the ones you loved in the beginning will be the ones that love you in the end and they will not send you to rehab when you cross the line, but maybe they will sign up for the insanity next!
Counting Keeps You Sane, so keep your eye on the clock!
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Mothers Tri to do it all
Seems appropriate to do a tribute to all mother triathletes in honor of Mother's Day. One of my teammates asked me how I was going to be able to train for Ironman and take care of my son. I have been reminded more than once about how big of a commitment this is. Did the guilt seep into my mind and cause me to question my priorities, maybe for a second. Us mothers are by nature multi-taskers so the timing of my decision to train and compete in an Ironman this year was not something I considered to be an impossible dream. In fact, my son is at a good age to reap the benefits of having parent models who set challenging goals, work hard, and do their best to achieve them. I also have a supportive husband though a bit leary about how we could do it all, who has allowed me to put my competitive desires first this year. Being in the health profession, I also believe you can make health and fitness fit into any lifestyle. So maybe this is a bit extreme, but I believe the positives outweight the negatives in this scenario. The other truth is that my son is breaking out of his coccoon to become a teenager and is desiring more independence and though he still needs his parents close by for guidance and supervision, he is quite content to be left home on a weekend while the long miles are being logged. Everyone is happy. Sometimes a mother's brick workout consists of bike, stop home and feed your child or drive them to school and then run, you do whatever it takes to make sure everyone is taken care of and your miles for that day are complete. Your child gains some independence at other times and has to make their own lunch or do their own laundry or get themselves out the door for school without you standing over them with verbal instruction. Teamwork is required and everyone steps up to the plate and takes their turn. And other times, you just have to be ok with dirty dishes filling the sink, sweaty clothes piled up on the floor, and a trail of crumbs. There is always tomorrow to clean up.
The best gift in my lifetime was a son. Some day he is going to leave the house and live out his dream. As a woman and a mom there comes a time where you can no longer just serve others, but you need to find purpose and passion so you can be a better mother, daughter, friend, wife, sister, athlete, or professional. Triathlon training gives back so much that for every hour you put in, you get so much back including fitness, good health, low resting heart rate, lower blood pressure, lots of friends, lots of laughs, and lots of stories. I think mother triathletes have a lot to offer this sport and say a lot for what women can do in this world. Not all of us have to win our age group, but it is very fulfilling to be a part of a sport that keeps giving. It is time we kick our fit up and enjoy what we receive from our beloved sport!
The best gift in my lifetime was a son. Some day he is going to leave the house and live out his dream. As a woman and a mom there comes a time where you can no longer just serve others, but you need to find purpose and passion so you can be a better mother, daughter, friend, wife, sister, athlete, or professional. Triathlon training gives back so much that for every hour you put in, you get so much back including fitness, good health, low resting heart rate, lower blood pressure, lots of friends, lots of laughs, and lots of stories. I think mother triathletes have a lot to offer this sport and say a lot for what women can do in this world. Not all of us have to win our age group, but it is very fulfilling to be a part of a sport that keeps giving. It is time we kick our fit up and enjoy what we receive from our beloved sport!
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