The Party's Over: Training Camp Ends

My three weeks in California are coming to an end. Training Camp was intensive, fast paced, yet relaxing as being away from home, you don't have the day to day chores and distractions like cooking, cleaning, scheduling, chauffeuring, and working. Being away from home was relaxing in every way except for the few extra hours we spent in traffic jams. It was actually nice to have someone else make my bed, wash the towels, and cook and clean for me and a GPS and iPad to get me where I needed to go. My only job was to complete my workouts and relax. I was able to complete all my workouts during week 2 of camp while my husband was working. I found the local pools and parks. California was definitely designed for fitness. On the weekends, we were able to sightsee while putting in long runs and bike rides in some amazing places. From ocean views to wineries, weekend 3 took us to Guerneville, CA in Sonoma County for some biking, swimming, and running and to watch my teammates race in the VINEMAN 70.3. My husband and I rode part of the course through small country roads through wine country. The roads were bumpy and rolling with the most spectacular views. I followed a 3 hr ride with a 30 minute run while my teammates went to pick up their race packets. Later we went to the Russian River where the swim would be held and I swam for about 40 minutes and then my husband and I took a canoe out for an hour so he could get a river view. We were staying in a rustic lodge right on the river. There was so much triathlete traffic through the town, we decided to walk a few miles along the river to the pre race party at the house my coach rented for a delicious homemade meal. The next morning, I headed to the start line to cheer my teammates on and tried to capture everyone before, during, and after the race on film and learn what I could about ironman from the outside. I alway find that spectating is often just as hard as racing from standing all day. It was nice to feel calm and not nervous and just take it all in. I was perfectly content being on the outside. I felt that I should have wanted to compete even more from watching, but I think all the traveling and work outs left my body satisfied and not begging for more. While we were waiting for our athletes to come out of the water, a boat pulled up to the shore and within a blink of an eye, a women in a wetsuit was lifted out of the water and CPR was being performed right as people were exiting the water. It was a shock and everyone around was full of worry and disbelief as we waited anxiously for our athletes to make it out of the water and praying she was not one of ours. It was baffling as we tried to figure out how this could happen. Our swimmers were finishing one by one and a name was finally called out and the athlete's daughter who was standing closeby screamed out "that is my mother". It was heart breaking to hear the girl cry out and I immediately thought of my son and how horrible it would be if it was me. I could not hold back my tears for the girl. Her mother was taken away by ambulance and we never learned the outcome, but it did not look good. We had to remain positive to support our triathletes as tragedy can strike at any time whether you are in a race, at home, or crossing the street and we cannot stop racing because of fear. We suspected the athlete suffered some type of medical problem vs an accident since much of the water was only several feet deep. I did not want to go without remembering this athlete and her daughter as they have been in my thoughts ever since. I tagged along with other family members who were watching the race that day and followed everyone during each transition and at the finish line. The next day, I did a scenic speed work out to a state park with beautiful redwood trees and then we joined my teammates for a day of wine tasting set up by our wine expert of a teammate who I have named Wineman. It was a really fun day full of laughter and an education about wines from how to hold the glass properly, swirl, sniff and savor, and let the wine roll down smoothly. My husband brought home a few bottles of wine to continue to enjoy. The next day it was time to head back to LA to follow my son's music tour. His camp performed at different venues during the week and we followed him from place to place. We were very impressed with the diversity of musicians and level of talent and what was accomplished in two weeks including writing their own music, recording a cd and music video and going on tour. All the kids formed great friendships and working relationships and hope to return next year. Music and Ironman have a few things in common...they are both expensive activities, you meet a lot of really neat people, and it can take you to some very amazing places. So even though I had the ocean a mile from our hotel in Marina Del Rey, I could not muster up the courage to try ocean swimming on my own, so I took a break from swimming as there was not enough time to find a pool and it was difficult getting around Los Angeles due to traffic. I did get some extra time in the saddle and had the opportunity to work on my technique and practice riding in wind and on lots of curves since we rode on the bike trails along the beach which covered over 20 miles from Redondo Beach past Santa Monica Pier. The last two days, we spent as a family watching my son body surf, napping on the beach, and walking from Venice Beach to Santa Monica viewing the many types of street performers and people from all walks of life. We saw musicians, skateboarders, dancers, acrobats, all types of bikes and wheeled vehicles, muscle beach, artists,along with marajuiana sales and lots of struggling people. I told my son to embrace diversity and then run for your life! Now that CA training camp is coming to an end, I will do the same...embrace diversity and run, bike and swim for my life! Only 119 days left to get my body in order. Let the triathlon season begin with races starting in August and time to build on the base.

Ocean Front View

Training with a view makes Ironman training something even a normal person might want to do. This IM training camp is just what the doctor ordered. I managed to find my way around the tri valley area with the help of our friendly ipad and gps. OK, so I am starting to accept technology into my life. I swam in two different city aquatic centers and a man made lake, found a few running paths at local parks, and am slowly learning some of the nice bike routes. We took a drive up Mt. Diablo where die hard cyclists go to climb. We also took BART into the city for the 4th of July and had to buy sweatshirts and blankets to stay warm. We indulged in clam chowder in the sourdough bread bowl and some ghiardelli hot chocolate. I salivated as I watched other swimmers in their wetsuits in famous Aquatic Park in the San Francisco Bay since I did not bring my wetsuit with me. Then we snuggled close together with 10,000 other people and watched a spectacular fireworks display over the water. After a nice relaxing week training in the cool temperatures in the East Bay area of San Francisco, reading some of my triathlon books, and seeing a few movies while my husband worked, we packed up our hotel room, and headed south to Monterey, CA. We found our hotel, packed our muscles with some glycogen via pizza, and got our gear ready for the next morning. My brother Greg, the ultra cyclist included us on his cycling route and arrived to join us and serve as our cycling Sherpa the next morning since he was familiar with the coastal route. I woke everyone up against their wills at 4:30am to get an early start and beat the traffic. We took the route on highway 1 from Monterey to Big Sur, CA and back. I had run a section of this route back in 1997 during the Big Sur Marathon, but due to a mudslide, the course was changed to an out and back from Carmel, so reaching Big Sur was a first for me. I had trouble sleeping the night before because this route was described for experts which I do not consider myself to be in that category. It was highly recommended to go early as a lot of tourists and large motor homes travel on this section. We started through a lush green forest in the fog and after a few miles appears the ocean. The views continue to get bigger and better just like the jagged rock formations above and below along with the climbs. My breathe was taken away more from the views than from the hard climbs. Much of the view was covered in mist and fog, but it did not take away from the beauty. I was singing GOD BLESS AMERICA to myself as we transitioned down into rural farmlands. Did you ever imagine cows on the beach or even pine trees and redwoods because that is what came next. We made it to Big Sur State Park and my brother had to get a roast beef sandwich at 8:30am. We were taking the sights in and then I realized I was supposed to be doing a training ride, so I encouraged the boys to get back in the saddle as I also wanted to beat the traffic. Climbing out of Big Sur was a little tougher, but the entire experience was surreal...California Dreaming! I felt strong until the last 4 miles out! According to my statistician, we rode 63.5 miles with a ride time of 4:30 something. The climb back took longer. I was holding on for dear life and did not follow my heart rate closely, but every time I checked, I was in my long zone. My brother took off and left us behind in the fog on the trek back and then he left for his next climb. Dennis and I did not get enough of the view so we drove the route, stopping for lunch at a hidden restaurant that we found on the bike ride with spectacular ocean views and then onto Big Sur and a walk to a beach. You have to hike at least a mile to get to the few beaches with public access. We decided to take the drive known as 17 mile drive to determine if that would be a good place for my ride and run the next day. We did not realize it was a private route in Pebble Beach and you had to pay to take the drive. It was not really bike friendly, so we deccided to find a different route. Finally headed back to our hotel and replenished our glycogen stores with some Paella del Mar and went to bed. We headed to Carmel the next morning and decided to park there and ride toward Carmel Valley which is a rural paradise filled with beautiful green countryside, farms, and wineries. I went out for 30 minutes and turned around while Dennis kept going and found some more awesome climbing while I returned to the car, transitioned into my running gear, and headed back out onto the marathon course to get my 10 mile run in. One thing I discovered today was that I seem to do better if I take jelly beans or chewies every mile after going for an hour...this may be part of the solution to maintaining an even energy level without the nausea. It was amazing taking in the views one more time by foot. You get a different perspective on foot, 2 wheels or by 4 wheels. I enjoyed them all and hope to come back to do them again. We checked out of our hotel and headed to Fisherman's Wharf and Cannery Row. We took a trolley ride around Pacific Grove. We saw lots of Harbor Seals and a few even visited us while we were dining on the water. What's not to love about this place. Well...as I write, my husband is driving us through the California Traffic. He makes sure I get to where I need to go whether it is on my bike or in the car. We love the scenery and the active lifestyle and the weather in California....but not the traffic. Does a perfect place really exist? Well, I think we were pretty close to heaven this weekend and with an Ocean View...who can ask for more than that.

Summer Vacation aka Ironman training camp...let the fun begin!

Most people seek out a nice warm place to retreat from the daily grind in the summer time, but if you are a desert turtle from Arizona, you might consider a little cooler climate to escape to. This summer we decided to spend a few weeks in California after dropping my son off at a 3 week music camp. I decided that I deserved a 3 week summer camp too....so I have officially started my own 3 week ironman training camp to break up the regular routine. I packed up my bike, wetsuit, and running shoes along with all the necessary gear and plenty of reading material including nutrition books, yoga and strength training for triathletes and most importantly mental training for peak performance. So, for the next three weeks the theme will be about the turtle tri-ing California, a long state which has an abundance of bike routes, water, and trails along with triathletes to ride, swim, and run them! First stop: Annaheim Hills to train with teammate Luis who I like to refer to as Wineman (cause he is training for Vineman and Ironman and he knows a lot about wine and is planning wine tasting outing for our team). We arrived with a truck full of triathlon gear and music gear for our camps and headed directly to the beach. Luis took us to Long Beach to swim in the bay while my family walked across the street to frolick at the beach. We donned our Zoot suits and dunked right in. As we were getting our feet wet, Luis had to share with me that he saw a baby stingray in the water the day before to get my adrenaline going! There was actually a swim lane roped off to follow and the temperature was perfect. We swam side by side for a while and then got into school formation. We were aiming for "the bridge" which Luis had gestimated the mileage based on that of the road that parallels the shore (not sure if that is an accurate way to measure, but who am I to judge). We then proceeded under the bridge which was kind of creepy as the water was very high and I felt like I was in the sewer like in the movie flushed away and might bump into some river rats....could not be any worse than Tempe town lake....on the other side, we swam along the line of boats and enjoyed the taste of salty gasoline. It did not matter too much because I was swimming in cool water at the beach in Cali! I was happy as a Sea Turtle and it is always nice to have a companion for when your imagination runs wild as to what you are swimming with. When we finished, I requested to feel what the ocean water was like to swim in. It is just another fear to overcome. After a few minutes, I realized it is a totally justifiable fear, but one I would like to face and that it is a totally different sport. Now I am beginning to feel like I am made out of aluminum and not iron! We capped the swim off with a walk through the beach town and a yummy Mexican meal. By the time we got settled in for the night, my alarm clock was ringing before I knew it at 4:30 am and the pre-bike ride rituals began. Luis decided to take us on an urban path that many cyclists ride to the beach since we had a brick workout that morning. The weather was perfect and it was a nice change to ride a fairly flat course with short curves and hills to maneuver from section to section. I had to remind myself to look up at the shore once we arrived at the beach. The surfer dudes were gathering and lots of groups of runners and cyclists were all around. We passed the arenas where the Ducks and the Angels play. I even got to change another flat tire despite it being a very clean, glass free route. My tire managed to pick up a thorn from a plant or possibly one of the wooden bridge crossings. Tire changing time is getting faster and I finally successfully used a co2 cartridge! With short breaks due to needing a photo and the unplanned tire change, Luis and I made the quick change to our running shoes and got our 3 miles in. It was nice to feel comfortable for the whole time without feeling sick or cramping...the feeling I hope to have on ironman day which is now officially 20 weeks away. I love my aero bars and seem to have made the transition to them with ease thanks to my wonderful bike fitter. Finished with good food and friendship the part I love most that keeps the turtle tales going. We dropped my son off at his camp and headed north to Pleasanton, CA. Our drive was much tougher than our bike ride as we were stopped in California road construction at its finest adding a few extra unwanted hours to our trip....much more enjoyable to save those for the bike. I wonder which one of us will be having more fun at their summer camp, me or my son. Stay tuned for More CA adventure to follow.

12 MONTHS GESTATION...in the 2nd "TRI"mester!

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!

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!

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

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.