You Just Gotta Push Through It!

So I woke up this morning at 7am. I so did not want to wake up...My bed was all warm and cozy, and I had been rudely awaken in the middle of the night by a cousin who will remain unnamed, who decided it would be really cool to show off our recently cleaned basement. Side note to self, don't clean out the basement again.  But I digress. So it was early, and it was wet, and I was tired.  But the schedule said we had a 35 mile marker and I needed to go do it.  So I got up, put my bike on my car and drove out to Walnut Creek.

Me, not too happy to be up in the morning.

.

But, it wasn't raining that hard, and I thought it wouldn't be that bad, so I went.  And when we started it wasn't that bad.  We were all a little cautious, but I think happy to start out...

But then it started to rain, pretty hard, right at the beginning, and going down the first really steep hill was really scary and I went like 5 miles an hour.  My hands began to cramp like they used to when I went down hills, braking the whole way.  When I was at the bottom, I began to think that maybe I wouldn't do the Three Bears, that maybe it would be ok to just put my bike on the SAG car, and not do the whole thing today.

But as I rode, the weather cleared up some, and the sun came out for a little bit, and by the time I caught up with Bill and Julanne and we changed Bill's flat tire, using 3 CO2s in the process, we were all happy and ready to tackle the bears.

And the bears were actually pretty nice.  It rained right at the beginning but for the majority of it, it was nice and a little sunny.  Going down Papa Bear was a little scarier than normal because it was wet, but since it wasn't raining, it wasn't too bad.
We were in Moraga, about 8 miles away from being back at our cars, all excited because we knew it was basically down hill from there when Bill realized he had another flat.  This time we called for a pick up, and Julanne and I thought we would just bike back quickly.  Maybe it was our bad luck, maybe it would have happened anyway, but I am convinced that because we decided to skip that last hill (going straight on Mt Diablo instead of going over Deer Hill) it began to pour down on us as soon as we has passed the turn off to go up the hill.  The rain pelted down on us the whole way back, harder than it had all day.  I was just happy that I knew it would soon all be over!

We finally got back, and thank goodness Michelle took pity on us, and told us we could go home with no core!  so I got into my car, turned on my heated leather seats, and my outrageously loud radio, and bobbed along as I warmed up on the way home.  By the time I got home I had a smile on my face, because I had done it.  I had thought about not doing it all, but I didn't give up.  And I finished it, so I was happy.

Of course, my voice is rapidly leaving me, and I had to cancel on Warriors tickets because I feel like I am getting sick...but that is besides the point.  I biked the Three Bears in the rain and it only took me 3 hours and 17 minutes!  :) Which means my next bike marker is going to show so much improvement I can't wait!

(Ok, I can actually wait...and can't wait to sleep tomorrow and not work out at all!)

Top of the World

I can't get over how much I like climbing! Don't get me wrong. It's not easy.  I climbed 3,500 feet today to the top of Mt. Diablo, and there were parts of it that we so incredibly hard.  I started thinking about my breathing, wondering if I was going to be able to get enough oxygen to my cells to make enough energy to keep going (stupid physiology class, has me thinking about stuff like that).  And once we finally made it to the top, after about 3 hours, I was caked in salt.  I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror and there was white stuff all over my face and stuck in my eyelids. It was kind of goopy...but it made me smile. 

If you ever wonder whether it's worth it to push yourself to do something that you think is too hard, or challenging to do. Let me tell you, it is TOTALLY worth it!  I feel great....

Now of course I realize that today I only swam 3000 meters and biked 40 miles, and in seven months I am going to have to do that and then bike 72 more miles and then run a marathon...um...ok, I have to admit I am kind of scared.  But I'm going to do it, because I know my body can do whatever it is my mind has decided it will do!

Sunday I'll Be at the Top of the World!

Sunday I am going to the top of Mt. Diablo again.  This time with my new bike.  It's all carbon, but doesn't have a third gear in front...I wonder if it will be harder or easier than the first time I went up.

Super Great Week, Super Tired Now!

So tired, and training is really still just beginning.  This was my week:


Tuesday: Wake at 7am: Work and then spin at night.

Wednesday: Wake 4:50 am: Swim 3200 yards in the morning, work, track at night 10 minute warm up, then 6x800, then 40 minutes of core.

Thursday: Wake at 4:50 am swim 2100 yard, work, 40 minutes core, then night at the Academy of Sciences.

Friday: Wake at 9 am (yeah!!!): Swim 3100 yards, run 45 minutes, then movie and dinner.

Saturday: Wake at 7 am: 35 mile bike ride, 1 mile run, nap, then potluck dinner with college friends.

Sunday: Wake at 6 am: Triple Brick (30 minute spin, 20 minute run)x3, 40 minutes core, Calendar release party at sports basement.

Spin at Sports Basement (three times)

 Run to the bridge and back (three times)






Monday: Tomorrow is a holiday! I am going to sleep in and do NO TRAINING!

I am super, super tired!  But hey, it was all worth it because I got the spirit cape this week!!!!

Sometimes I'm Not the Sharpest Tool in the Shed

Since Christmas I have been obsessed with swimming in Aquatic Park.  I got my neoprene swim booties and my neoprene swim cap, and I thought I was ready for the cold.  I thought all of my friends were being a bunch of wimps for not wanting to join me.  My attempt to ring in the New Year with an open water swim was delayed because of being sick, but this weekend I finally convinced Bonnie and Eddie to go swimming with me!

When we got there, there were five people swimming without wetsuits, so I thought the water must be warm.  Well, maybe not warm, but at least acceptably cool.  How wrong I was!  My plans to swim 60 minutes were foiled by the fact that my hands froze into claws and I couldn't even keep my fingers together to push back the water correctly. And then there was the fact that I couldn't even swim freestyle because I would get a headache from the cold when I put my face in the water...so after 30 minutes of mostly back stroke, I realized that I don't always have the best ideas, and we got out of the water to run our 6 miles.

Sherri had the right idea showing up after the swim, just to do the run.  And finally after 6 miles my feet had thawed out, and I had warmed up a little.

And then afterward we got to go eat Pulled Pork Sliders...now there I made a good decision, because they were awesome!

Sprint Tri in Photos

So this morning I woke up at 5:05am and it was 38 degrees.  I have proof....

Here I am setting up my transition area...very important to have all your bike stuff together, and all of your run stuff together, and all organized.

Then you have to take off your clothes in the cold and let them write your numbers all over you...

They also write your age on your leg...Coach Tony was trying to help me get a date....

Once you are all marked up, and your stuff is set up...the first thing to do is swim...at least today we were in a heated pool!

And of course they make you swim, up and down each lane, swimming over people in front of you...

Then it's out of the warm water into the freezing cold air...did I mention it was 38 degrees? Time to get all your bike gear on for a 14 mile ride.  Too bad I couldn't get my bike pants on, so I had to do it in shorts...

And after 14 miles as fast as you can, it's time to run a 5K...but at the end, everyone gets to break the finish line ribbon!

500 yard swim, 14 mile bike ride, 5 K run: 1 hour, 40 minutes, and 52 seconds...

The best way to spend a Saturday morning that I can think of!

Oh, and all the people are great!

And afterward don't forget to bring warm clothes to bundle up in, because it is still only 40 degrees.

Super Excited for this Weekend

So after 7 days in bed, I got right back in the saddle and had tons of fun at spin class on Tuesday night, ran on Wednesday, then spin again on Thursday.  Today was supposed to be a swim day, but I'm not really ready for a swimsuit...so I decided to sleep in an hour...I can miss one day of swimming....especially since I want to be well rested for our first tri of the season tomorrow.

Tomorrow at 6:30am we are all checking in for our first team Sprint Tri in Santa Rosa.  I am super happy we get to use all of our tri gear (tri suit instead of swim suit) because I realized when packing my new tri bag last night...I am so clueless about how to do anything efficiently.  Which is funny because last night my friend Cathy was going on and on about how I am the most efficient person ever. Now I feel pressure to figure this all out quickly!

Anyway, tonight I'm driving up to have an Iron Team sleepover and then swim, bike, and run tomorrow! The only thing we aren't using is our wetsuits, so I have convinced some of the coolest girls on earth (you know who you are!) to meet me at Aquatic Park on Sunday, so we get some open water swimming this weekend as well.

If you want to be super cool too you should meet us at 8am on Sunday at Aquatic Park. We are going to swim, then run, then do core.

Just look at how happy people who swim at Aquatic Park look:

New Year, New Outlook

So I thought I was going to start 2011 off running....well ok, swimming in the bay, and then a nice 4 hour workout the next day.  I mean I am training for an Ironman, right?  What better way to start a year that is going to be full of training?

Alas,  I've been in bed for the past four days, and I brought in the New Year, by sleeping straight through it.  Apparently I put too much stress on my body during Christmas.  I keep thinking that when doctors ask me if I have been stressed out lately, that I haven't.  I associate being stressed out with being sad and depressed...but apparently I can stress my body out by doing too many things that are all making me happy.  I guess in the weeks leading up to Christmas I had been trying to do everything.  Studying for finals, going to Christmas parties, creating a calendar, working, training, dating...I can't think of one day or evening I had to just relax.  It was all so much fun, but apparently I need to slow things down a little bit if I want to make it through this year.

So as I lie in bed right now, thinking about the new year, I realize I am going to have to figure out how to find some time for myself this year, and find some time to relax.  It scares me to think of this, because it means I might not get to do everything I want to do, and I am worried that I won't have as much time for my friends and family.  But I am hoping that they understand.  I have one goal this year, and it is to complete Ironman Canada.  I knew that would take a lot of time and physical training, but I guess I didn't realize it would also take sacrifice. I am not going to be able to do everything I want to this year. 

I guess it's good I got sick this week, and am starting the year off in bed.  Now I can think about how I am going to get through this year. It will probably take a while til I find a balance. But at least now I know what I need to be working toward.