Sunday, March 25, 2012

WEEKS 11 & 12 AND SHEER RANDOMNESS

Two more weeks down in this journey.  As mentioned before, Week 11 was a well needed recovery week with a mere 9 hours of  training and then of course Week 12 came roaring in at 13+ hrs and a few pretty intense workouts.  Totals for the two week period were 6 hrs 45 min swimming, 10 1/2 hrs biking, 6 1/2 hrs running and 2 hrs 20 min strength training.  I got out on the bike again Monday after work with my friend Deb.  It was 60 degrees when we started and below 50 when we finished only an hr and a half later.  That cold front also came along with nasty winds that had me wishing I weighed 50 lbs more because I thought I was going to get blown off the bike.  I love my after work rides with Deb but traffic is horrendous and we can only go certain places so it only works for shorter rides. Not once but twice this week I was up at the crack of o'dark thirty to get long bike rides in.  Saturday called for a 3 hr ride.  I would have preferred to ride outside BUT I had swimming at 8:30 so I needed to be done by 7 so I had an hour to recover before heading to the pool.  You do the math. There were plenty of nasty intervals in that 3 hr ride and they were made even more difficult by the fact that the Penguins were not on!!!!!!!!!!  WTF.  Clearly Nickelodeon does not care that I need entertainment on the damn trainer.  I did watch in no particular order (all with the mute button on) an infomercial for some acne product that apparently turns gangly geeky teens into supermodels, the news, the Nanny (thank God for mute!!!!!) and some cartoon featuring a white dog who seems to spend a lot of time looking at his butt.
This dude seems to be very fond of his butt!!!!
Like I said before....don't judge me.  It is a matter of survival. Speaking of survival.... today's workout called for a 14 mile run.  14 miles is hard enough as it is but 14 miles in the cold rain is downright demoralizing.  Thankfully I met Kerry after 3 miles and she kept me company for the next 8 or so.  That helped pass the time.  Aside from just enjoying her company, running with Kerry makes me realize how much easier it is to  train for this kind of event when you don't have kids.  Kudos to her for getting her workouts in around sick kids, social events and life in general. You are a rockstar Kerry!!!!  I was so very happy when my Garmin turned over to 14 miles.  I looked and felt like a drowned rat when I got home.  After a shower it was on with the compression tights and on the couch with the heating pad.  Thank goodness I have a massage scheduled tomorrow.
Tired, soaked and ready for a hot shower!
In random news.....for those of you who don't know I had surgery on my right index finger in November.  Due to arthritis I developed a cyst which was putting pressure on a nerve and causing extreme pain.  It would swell like crazy after swimming and be very uncomfortable.  I have a high pain tolerance and I knew this was not going to work if I was going to attempt an IM so I had it removed.  I had to take two weeks off from swimming.  During the surgery the MD said I had an extensive amount of arthritis in that joint for someone my age and that he "scraped" it out.  OUCH. While the cyst and swelling went away for awhile the pain never did.  Over the past month the swelling has gotten much worse and the pain has been pretty bad.  I found out during my two rides outside that biking aggravates it also since you are constantly changing gears outside and that is the finger I change gears with.  It was so unbearable last weekend that I broke down and made an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon to see if there were non-surgical options to pain relief.  I simply can  NOT have surgery again right now because the last thing I need is to take off two weeks  from swimming again.  Since I changed health plans I couldn't even go back to the guy who did the first surgery.  Anyhow after an xray and checking out the swelling my new MD said that the cyst may very well be back but the pain is from the arthritis and the way to treat that is with a cortisone injection so he stuck a needle in my distal interphalangeal joint.  OUCH
The arrow is EXACTLY where the shot went. Would you expect anything less from an xray tech?
If these shots don't work my only other option is to have the joint fused together.  Of course that would have to wait until after the race.  SO at the ripe old age of 44 knocking on 45's door I am officially old.  I am getting injections for arthritis.  Actually what I really have is a condition called spraybutteritis.  It is a rare disease brought on by years of pumping a spray butter bottle.  You may think I am crazy but look at the facts.....I have this problem in only 1 joint in my entire body and it is the joint I use for the spray butter bottle.  Can't argue with the facts!!!!
You have done me so wrong!!
In one other note of sheer randomness....if  you read the comments left on my blogs you know Jacki is convinced she will be sliced up and murdered in her sleep while in Lake Placid.  She may be on to something and now I am worried because of this

As if I don't like swimming as it is, now I have to worry about this in the water...and by the way Jacki...I hear this monster thing kills people on land too!!!!!  Just sayin'

Monday, March 19, 2012

A FIRST FOR THE YEAR AND A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE

This weekend marked the first time this year I have been outside on the bike.  After 11 weeks and countless hours on the trainer I just couldn't take it anymore and was bound and determined that my two hour ride Saturday was NOT going to be spent watching those damn penguins from Madagascar.  Not that I don't like them but I can only take so much.  Kerry was feeling the same sense of dread over yet another trainer ride so we hit the road together at 7AM Saturday.  It wasn't exactly balmy....a mere 44 degrees.  On a bike that is chilly.  I had
on from top to bottom...helmet, pullover hat, short sleeve shirt, long sleeve shirt, jacket, gloves (with hand warmers stuck in them), bike shorts, tights, socks, bike shoes and booties over my shoes.  See below

I felt a bit like the little kid in "A Christmas Story" with all the layers on
Riding in the warm weather is far easier in the clothing department.  By the way...did you notice the tennis ball, foam roller and stick on the floor.  I wasn't kidding when I said they are always there.  Anyhow  the ride went well with many good things.  First I wasn't freezing and did not lose feeling in any body parts.  Second I had no feeling of apprehension when I started riding like I had last summer after the accident. Third my wheel didn't fall off.  The only reason I say that is in order to switch from trainer riding to road riding I must remove my bike from the trainer, take off my back wheel, let the air out of the tube, remove tube, remove the trainer tire, put on road tire, reinflate tube and put wheel back on bike.  Seeing as how I am mechanically compromised this is a big deal for me.  I executed everything in a timely manner except getting the wheel back on.  It would be much easier if I had a bike stand but I don't so Quinn had to help.  This was only the first attempt of the season for this so I was happy.  My ride was supposed to be done at 65-75% of FTP.  For me this would be an average of no more than 120 WATTS.  Since it was the first ride out I decided I was just going to ride like I always ride and see how I felt.  As I suspected I have a tendency to ride far too hard which is why my legs want to fall off when I try to run after biking.  I ended up averaging 135 WATTS.  Oops my bad.  There are two kinds of bikers...spinner and mashers.  Spinners prefer an easier gear and pedal faster.  Masher like a bit harder gear and pedal slower.  I am a masher.  I need to become more of a spinner because mashing during a race is like riding and doing leg presses all at the same time.  Not good for that whole "Oh crap...I have to run a marathon now thing".  I will learn.  The one bad thing about the ride was my stupid *&@##% freakin powermeter.  It decided 52 minutes into the ride that it had had enough.  Memory full.  Really??????  How about a little advance notice?  Like WARNING WARNING memory is getting full please delete files WARNING WARNING.  I don't think that is too much to ask for.  In all honesty I didn't even know that could happen.  I thought the damn thing would just write over the oldest file when it filled up like a few of my other devices.  Lesson learned.  So I only had 52 mins of data to send to Jeff which considering I rode too fast isn't such a bad thing but I am sure he got the point from the data he had. So after my 9 hour recovery week of training I am back up to 13 hrs and no days off this week.  Even better the weekend has a 3 hr bike Saturday and a 14 mile run Sunday in store for me.  OUCH.  If you think this is bad look into my crystal ball.

  My coach does a training camp in Lake Placid about a month before the race.  I got the details last week and it will include a 13.1 mile run Friday afternoon, 112 mile bike Saturday followed by a 4-8 mile run and a 1.2 mile swim Sunday.  How's that for volume.  More on the camp later but those are the kinds of hours I will be putting in the last 10 weeks of training. One more thing before I sign off....it is now time for me to work on getting into race shape.  Yes I am in good shape but I am a few pounds over my usual weight and about 5lbs over my race weight.  Since I will have to carry every extra pound up and down countless hills on race day and attempt to squeeze them into a wetsuit I need to make it as easy as possible on my body so I need to buckle down and watch what I am eating a little better.  I eat insanely healthy for the most part but lately have been slacking a bit.  I made a little sign to put on my fridge which will serve as a reminder of what I am trying to do and why.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

THE VILLAGE PEOPLE PART 3.........QUINN

I am quite sure that just the title of this blog alone makes Quinn want to run and hide under a rock somewhere.  She would prefer to stay in the background and go unnoticed but that isn't going to happen.  I think you can have all different types of best friends.  They are all equally important but love and support you in different ways.  I consider my Mom and sisters all my best friends and get something different from each of them.  I also consider Quinn my best friend.  She is also my sherpa......no...not this kind of sherpa.  More of a race sherpa.  Lucky for
her I don't usually travel to races with all my belongings tied up in bundles so she doesn't have quite as much to carry as that dude.  I manage to keep it to a phone, maybe a jacket, and car keys on those rare occasions when I actually drive myself somewhere. I guess she could be my chauffeur sherpa too because I hate to drive anywhere.  It would be ok if I was the only one on the road but that never happens. Quinn does so much more than just hold my crap on race day and drive me places.  She is probably the only person I can stand to have anywhere near me on a big race day when I am nervous.
This is how most vacations are spent!!!
 After many years of living in the same apartment (almost 20..yikes) she probably knows me better than anyone else.  She possesess an uncanny ability to calm me down which comes in handy on race day as well as everyday life (like anywhere in public when people get on my nerves....which is well.....everywhere in public!!!)  She is also able to convince me that I can do and finish whatever race I am about to attempt.  She is the ultimate race sherpa. Quinn has come to see me in races from 5K's to marathons and sprint triathlons to half ironmen. She has accompanied me to NH, Maine, Chicago, RI and all over MA.  She even drove one of the vans for our 12 person relay across Massachusetts a few years ago.  It takes a special person to agree to spend 48 hrs driving 6 smelly runners and their crap across the state on very little to minimal sleep.  Of course she did institute a "TIPS OR NIPS" policy meaning after running your section of the race you needed to hand over a nip or tip to Quinn in order to be allowed back in the van.  Thankfully I do a lot of races with beer available to help her pass the time.  Not only
Gotta pass the time somehow

does Quinn research the course in long races to pop up different places to cheer me on but she manages to organize my family to get them in the right places where they need to be. As members of this family you know that is no easy task.  Sometimes I think some of you could not find your way out of a paperbag with a map (but I love you anyways!!!!).  She did an awesome job along with Danielle in Chicago and I ended up seeing them 3 times during the race.  She will be invaluable in herding everyone along in Lake Placid.  It is weird that during long races I worry about my family being bored or not being where they need to be but I know Quinn will have it all under control.  She always does and that is why she is my best friend and I am eternally grateful for and to her.  I do however shake my head in amazement at least three of four times a week that we haven't killed each other in all these years.  There are plenty of times when we retire to our separate rooms to get away from each other until we forget what we were arguing about.  Speaking of arguing...Quinn called me lazy this morning.....I found this amusing.  I work 40 hrs a week and work out 12 plus hrs a week...how can I be lazy?  She's right of course.  If it isn't in my training plan I probably don't want to do it.  I never go downstairs to get the mail.....I just don't feel like walking down  a flight of stairs.  If I drop something on the floor I will be more likely to step over it as opposed to picking it up.  Now if my training plan said spend 20 mins picking your crap up off the floor I would probably do it. Or maybe if it said run up and down the steps at your lactate threshold pace and finish strong with a trip to the mailbox I would get the mail.  Ok fine you win...I am lazy.  Whatever.  By the way today is Lynda's birthday.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY LYNDA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(you too Aunt Lorrie!!!!)  Do you know I knew Quinn for at least a year before I knew her first name was Lynda and her last name was Quinn?

She might have been thinking of a way to push me over the edge here!!!
Thank you Lynda for listening to me piss, moan, whine and complain when things hurt or I don't want to do something.  Thank you for putting it into perspective and making me realize how lucky I am that I have the ability to attempt this stuff at all.  Thank you for making me laugh and taking care of me when I needed you to.  My deepest apologies for traumatizing you when I crashed my bike and for asking those four questions over and over again.  You are my best friend and you know we all consider you to be just another member of this crazy family which I am sure scares the hell out of you!!!!!!
Oh no...she's starting the birthday celebration early!!!!!

Sunday, March 11, 2012

WEEKS 9 & 10 AND RECOVERY

The totals for the past two weeks come in at 2:15 hrs strength training, 7:15 hrs swimming, 11:30 hrs biking and 6:30 hrs running.  This adds up to a whopping total of 27 1/2 hrs of training averaging out to 13 3/4 hrs per week.  Definitely a step up from the previous weeks and a good reason why I feel a bit like a truck ran over me.  Week 9 began on Monday with a scheduled swim and run.  Week 9 also began with me dealing with extreme nausea and feeling like hell.  There was simply no way I could work out on Monday.  Didn't even want to...NOPE, NO THANKS, NOT INTERESTED.  In the big scheme of things missing an hour swim and 45 min run aren't going to have any effect at all on my performance come race day so no big deal.  There will always be missed workouts over the course of a long training plan because well....life happens.  As long as you get most of your workouts in consistently you will be fine.  Despite knowing and understanding this I chose to ignore it.  Why you ask?  I am a MORON!
Hopefully I don't advance too far on this scale!!!
Tuesday morning I woke up feeling marginally better so I decided to go swimming before work and do Monday's scheduled swim.  The swim was barely tolerable and by the time I got to work I felt like hell again.  I had some stuff that needed to be done and after that I went home.  I promptly fell asleep for a few hrs and since I felt ok when I woke up I went out for my 45 min run from Monday. Did I mention I can be a MORON?!!!  By the time that was over I felt like hell again so I went back to sleep.  I am sure you can guess what is coming next.  I woke up and felt ok so on the trainer I went for my scheduled Tues ride.  MORON. Doing three workouts in one day is no big deal when you are healthly but unbelieveably stupid when you are fighting off some virus.  I ended up missing my workout with Jeremee the next day but managed to get the rest of them in.  I did however not feel 100% better until Friday evening.  The week ended Sunday with a 1:45 run with Cindy and Kerry.  It was so nice to run with them again.  Our schedules don't match up like they used to so it is great when we can all run together.  Time passes quickly listening to Cindy's stories.  We spent most of the run talking about how we should slow down and blaming each other for pushing the pace.  It is usually Cindy or Kerry's fault in the first part of the run but always my fault later.  I am clearly built for endurance (and pancake eating but that is another story) so I feel much better once I get an hour into the run.  For Week 10 I was back on track and had a few long workouts.  Thurs called for a 2 hr bike and since I don't like having to come home after work and do long workouts I prefer to get them out of the way in the morning.  I start work at 7AM so that meant an early wakeup and on the bike by
That would be 3:45 AM people!!!
Saturday brought a 3 hr bike which I think may just be my limit on the trainer.  I was going out of my ever loving mind trying to pass the time.  I was sick of listening to music so I turned on the TV and proceeded to amuse myself by watching a few episodes of the highly educational and thought provoking show
Don't judge me.....whatever it takes
I was feeling a bit beat up after this ride and could feel the increased training load starting to take it's toll.  Sunday ended the week with a two hour run which I had to do by myself for various reasons.  My legs felt like spaghetti the first 50 mins but a bit better for the rest of the run but I was oh so very happy to be done.  Since I had already seen next week's schedule I knew I not only had a recovery week coming up but Monday completely off from working out.  Next week's training hours only total 9 and believe me I am happy about that.  As soon as I got back in the house after my run I stretched and hit the living floor to roll out all of my aches and pains.  After breakfast and a shower my legs were still pretty cranky so it was time to break out the recovery tights.  These are awesome but almost as difficult to  get on as a wetsuit.  It is still
These freakin things cost almost 100 smacks!!!!
like trying to put a size 2T tights on my adult size 8 legs.  They are compression graded just like the compression socks given out in the hospitals after surgery.  Instead of just providing compression and aiding blood flow to and from your calves they do that for your whole leg.  They aren't miracle workers but they do make my legs feel better.  That's all I have for now.  Stay tuned for a special mid to late week post this week.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

THE VILLAGE PEOPLE PART 2......SISSYS

A while back I wrote about how I have acquired a village to join me on the IM journey.  Two very important and invaluable members of my village are my sisters Jacki and Tracie.  Just thinking of them makes me smile.  Growing up we fought like cats and dogs.  Always two against one but the teams changed all the time depending on what we were fighting about.  We also followed the stereotypical birth order personalities.  I was the oldest (well-behaved and over-achieving), Jacki in the middle was the troublemaking black sheep of the family and Tracie as the youngest was the do no wrong spoiled brat.
We look so angelic and innocent!!!!
 I couldn't ask for two better sisters and although I know all of you think you have the best sisters you are wrong.  I do.  Hands down.  Since this is my blog I win.  SO THERE.  I would do anything for my sisters and inflict bodily harm on anyone who attempted to hurt them.  Just a few examples of what we do for each other......Jacki lost a contact a few years ago at a family gathering so I made her an eyepatch so she wouldn't have blurry vision all day.
AHH MATEY...made from a paper plate, foil, garbage ties and runnerbands
Tracie desperately needed an endoscopy to figure out what was going on with her stomach and it kept getting postponed so Quinn, Ariel and I offered to do it instead.  She declined for some reason.  Whatever.  Just trying to help.
I thought we looked competent enough to pull this off!!!!
SO if I could be one place in the world it would be at home on my Mom's couch sitting with Jack and Tray.  Of course we would be sitting on 1/8th of the couch  on top of each other with Jacki digging her feet under my legs.  It doesn't matter how much space is available, the three of us always sit next to and on top of each other.  Undoubtably we would be hysterically laughing most likely about nothing.  I am not sure we ever really know what we are laughing about.  Of course after all that laughter our eyes will be watering and tears running down our faces which inevitably leads to Jacki asking "Do I have black on my face?". This will of course start us laughing all over again.  The three of us together provide much entertainment for the rest of the family.  I hate hate hate that Jacki lives so far away.  I  miss her always and so much.  As far as I am concerned Jack had the world's best laugh.  Once she starts it is all over because hearing her makes me laugh.  Last week we did "Facetime" using her IPhone and Quinn's IPad. What a great thing to be able to talk to and see her at the same time.  As soon as the connection was made and we saw each other guess what we did.....yep..started hysterically laughing.  Jacki would like you to believe she is a hard ass but she really isn't.  Under that tough exterior she has a heart of gold and a soft-spot for the underdog.  Since she lives so far away she doesn't see me race very often so it was awesome that she surprised me and came to Chicago to see me run the marathon.  I am so glad she got to experience that atmosphere.  Lake Placid will be infinitely more amazing with her there. In addition to providing me with so many incredible memories she also gave me an amazing nephew...Josh.  Having Tracie here with me is a Godsend.  We often joke that we are the orphans of the family since we are so far away from everyone else.  Not only do we live less than eight miles from each other but we work at the same place.  The best time of the day is my morning hug from my sissy Tray.  I think we provide amusement to people at work especially if they are listening to our conversations which go a bit like this...."So we need to" "Yes how about tomorrow" "Ok" "Don't forget to" "I won't". Conversation over ......most of it takes place in our heads.  We spend a lot of time on the same wavelength so words are unnecessary sometimes.  Tracie possesses a phenomenal inner strength and I hope someday she finally realizes what an amazing person she is and how much she has overcome.  Tracie has had the opportunity to see many races and I couldn't imagine not having her there in Lake Placid.  There is no way I could get through life up her without her.  She has been one of my biggest cheerleaders!!!!  She too has provided me with many incredible memories and an amazing gift.....my beautiful niece Ariel.  So to both of my sissy's..you are incredible people, wonderful mothers and I could NOT imagine not having you in my life.  I simply can NOT wait to share this IM experience with you.  I love you sissys.
The world's best sisters!!!!