T MINUS 7 AND COUNTING

Good morning village people!!!  It is 8:34 AM. 7 days from now at this very moment I will be somewhere in the 2nd loop of a leisurely swim with 3000 of my friends.  Yeah right!!  Still can't believe it is almost here and in all honesty everyday I am getting a little bit more excited and pumped up. I am also getting a little bit more overwhelmed but that is mostly logistics related to packing.  Today is get your shit organized and start to pack day.  I hate to pack for anything EVER so this is stressing me out because there is oh so much more involved than just a week and a half of vacation. Thank God I have Quinn to help me although I am pretty sure she doesn't share that sentiment.  Anyhow.. training this week went well.  Then again it was only 9.5 hours.  I had a pretty good 9 mile run Tues AM with Cindy.  I was pleasantly surprised since I had put 160 bike miles on my legs in the few days prior.  The only other workout of note was Saturday morning's ride.  I had to do 40 and Kerry had to do 2 hrs so we started together on our usual route.  We had a pretty good ride except Mother Nature felt it necessary to get in one last jab.  This time it was the wind.  Tail winds are awesome.  Headwinds SUCK.  As we headed out of Nahant on the causeway we were riding into a very strong head and cross wind.  I can honestly say that might have been the worst 1.5 miles of my life and that is pretty impressive given my biking luck this summer.  The crosswinds were threatening to blow me and my bike into the jersey barrier and the headwind was making me pedal as hard as if I was going up a freaking mountain.  Thanks Mother Nature...you beyotch.  2:24 mins later my 40 miles were done and it was time for my 2 mile run.  I actually felt pretty good on the run and was so happy with myself I expected some applause.  In retrospect I guess it was a good thing there wasn't any.

Kerry was going to Stiles today for a swim but after some thought I decided not to go.  I was supposed to take the day off and although a swim wouldn't matter I haven't had a weekend day off from training since APRIL 8TH!!!!!!!  It was so great to not wake up to an alarm at o'dark thirty although I did wake up at 4:15 and panic a bit because I thought I overslept for my swim, bike or run I was supposed to do.  I managed to go back to sleep until the late hour of 5:45 AM.  After all this time of early morning wakeups it really does become a habit.  I got up and made a pot of coffee and then Quinn and I headed out for an early morning ride to Revere Beach to see the sandsculptures minus the crowds.  I met some old friends down there and we spent some quality time together


They're a bit fragile but a good group!!!

Unfortunately, as happens everywhere I go there, there were a bunch of asscracks who ruined the morning.  I got a picture of one of them.  Bastards

Here an asscrack, there an asscrack, everywhere an asscrack

OK peeps I have to go give my bike a bath and start the packing nonsense before it gets too blistering hot.  I got my confidence and funny back so IMLP here I come!!


HOPE, DREAMS, FEARS AND REFLECTION

When I started this blog I really thought it was just going to be about my Ironman training.  It has turned into quite a bit more.  It has become a snapshot of my life over the past 7 months and how despite the fact that you are training for something huge life continues to move on just like normal.  I also had no intention whatsoever of pouring out as much about my emotions as I did.  I mean let's face it....that just isn't me.  I do think that in order to understand the physical training process you had to know the mental process also.  So one last time I will pour out my feelings about this whole adventure until after the race.  I HOPE I finish. I don't care how long it takes as long as it is under 17 hours and I am an official finisher. I have had DREAMS about becoming an Ironman and how it would feel to come into the Olympic Oval with people screaming and cheering, my family there and cross that finish line and have someone say "Deanne Hobba, You are an Ironman".  Somedays it was that thought alone that got me through workouts.  I am confident that I have the physical capability and mental toughness to do this.  What I FEAR  however is the uncontrollable.  Given perfect conditions I can do this.  What keeps me up some nights is thoughts of getting roughed up in the swim so bad that I can't continue or mechanical bike failure or some medical issue that I could not have planned for or avoided.  For all the Ironman success stories there are a few heartbreaking ones about people who had great training but on race day were dealt a card they just couldn't deal with.  That scares the hell out of me.  How will I feel if I don't finish????  Devastated.  I have never dedicated myself to something like this or poured more of myself into something.  Will I try again???  Not sure.  Certainly not right away because I went broke doing this!!!!  I know that I would get over it but I would be most disappointed for you.. for all of you who followed me along this journey and cheered me on.  A part of me would feel like I let you all down.  Now settle down out there before you blow up my blog page with comments.....I know you wouldn't think that.  I just want all of us to have the happy ending to this journey we deserve.  Last week when Quinn was talking me off the ledge she made a good point.  "All you can do is what you can do"  She also said "Look at what you have accomplished already".  So let's REFLECT run on sentence style:) I lost 125 lbs and became an athlete and signed up for an Ironman and a month later crashed my bike and suffered a head injury and spent three months recovering and getting my brain function back to normal and then spent the next seven months training.  I got up mornings when I didn't want to or it was too cold or too hot or I was sore.  I tried my hardest to become a better swimmer and spent hours on the trainer and on my bike and on my feet pounding out the miles.  I rode or ran in sleet, cold, snow, rain, hail , heat, thunder and lightening.  Over 7 months I only cut short 3 workouts and missed no other ones. According to my logs I have biked 2700 miles, run 608, spent 76 hours swimming and 25 hours strength training.   I have been psyched beyond belief after workouts and broken and discouraged to the core after others.  I have experienced physical and mental exhaustion like I have never seen before.  It has been quite a ride and I am very much looking forward to July 22 at 7 AM when that cannon goes off and I start the last leg of this incredible journey.  Thanks for coming with me and I hope you have enjoyed the ride but please keep your hands and feet inside because we aren't quite done with this ride yet peeps!!!

TRACKING 847 AND 741

So if you are sitting around on Sunday July 22 wondering how Kerry and I are fairing in the race of our lives you can find out.  You can go the the ironman website http://www.ironman.com/  and on race day there will be a link to an athlete tracker which allows you to put in our bib numbers and see what we have completed so far.  Fair warning....this site is notoriously slow in updating things so don't get too nervous if we seemed to have stopped.  I think it only gives you one time for the swim, maybe 3 on the bike and two on the run.  You will have to figure it out on your own because the site doesn't go live until race day and I will be busy. Additionally this site usually has a live feed from the finish line so if you have an idea when I will be finishing you might actually see me on the computer.  A better way to follow me is through the following website http://www.myathletelive.com/ .  I will be wearing a GPS transmitter on the bike and run.  This site loads the course maps for the race so you will be able to see exactly where I am on the course.  Although I will be tracked by GPS the information is transmitted through cellular signal and therein lies a problem.  A decent chunk of the bike course has no cell coverage so there will be no info for a time.  The run course however is good and that is the most important part to track anyhow.  When you go to the site you will see a link to track an athlete and then a list of events.  Just pick Ironman Lake Placid and my name should be there.  No bib numbers here. This is a separate site from Ironman.  For $50 they ship you the transmitter and as many people as you want can track you.  It will be good for my peeps in Lake Placid as they will know when it is a good opportunity to take a nap or eat or shop or when I will be coming by. Now someone in the family who is computer saavy is going to need to be a lifeline to my fanclub in Lake Placid.  On race day the cell towers are just saturated with all the phone use so the signals are spotty at best and getting online is iffy so you may need to relay info to them so they have a better chance of seeing me.  I think this may be a job for you Susan (there's a cowbell in it for you if you choose to accept!).  If at anytime this site says I am traveling faster than 32 MPH you can bet I am on the bike going down the big hill in Keene.  You can also bet I am saying a Hail Mary, gripping the handlebars, feathering my brakes and screaming like a girl!!!!!  If you happen to be in Lake Placid that day this is what I will be wearing.  Functional NOT flattering. I mean seriously...is it that hard to design tri shorts with a slimming effect for your thighs instead of a stuffed sausage casing effect??!!  It will be on under the wetsuit and on the bike.  Yes we bike in wet clothes to start.  Sounds fun huh?! I will be changing clothes for the run though because after swimming 2.4 miles and biking 112 I will want nothing to do with those shorts.  Maybe ever!!!!

27 WEEKS DOWN 2 TO GO

Wow.  I have finally reached taper time.  I thought the name of this post was fitting since the first post I wrote about training way back on January 15 was entitled "2 WEEKS DOWN 27 TO GO"!  I also think it is amazing that the amount of hours I put in those first two weeks is still less than what I did this week.  AND my legs are still attached.  YIPPEE.  As I mentioned I was pretty shocked when I saw my schedule for this week since I was expecting taper and what I got was UMMM WHAT??!!!!  I even emailed Jeff and said "Can I do this?", "Will I recover in time?".  Jeff gave the whys and hows and calmed my fears.  He said I do not need you recovered by Monday or next Saturday or even July 21st.  I need you rested and ready to go on July 22 and you will be.  Tapering is a fine balance of losing fitness in order to gain freshness.  I trust him so I pulled up those big girl panties and followed the plan.  Despite being barely out of that flat out tired box I had some pretty good confidence-building workouts this week.  Tuesday with Cindy's company I knocked out a 14 mile run.  I certainly wasn't speedy but for the first time in a few weeks I ran continuously without any walk breaks.  Friday was the biggest confidence booster.  I was going to meet Bonnie after work at Stiles Pond for a swim.  I was supposed to do the entire race distance(2.4 miles) but Bonnie wasn't going to be able to stay that long.  Swimming across the pond by myself was NOT an option and I couldn't really do it any other day of the week so I was a bit distraught.  Thanks to an understanding boss and slow day at work I got out early.  Bonnie and I swam once out and back and then headed across again.  Surprisingly I felt better the second time across.  I was so happy when we were done that I wanted to do a cartwell but A.  I have never done a cartwell in my life and 2.  I certainly am not trying to learn two weeks before the biggest day of my life.  Anyhow I have never even come close to swimming that distance before because I don't have that kind of time at the pool so I was thrilled.  THEN something weird happened.  We had been done for about 5 mins and were just talking in the shallow water when my world started to go fuzzy and black.  Bonnie's voice faded away and I thought "Oh crap I am going to pass out!!"  I quickly walked over and sat on the beach and waited for it to pass.  I felt fine after a few minutes but it was scary.  I think being horizontal so long screwed up my equilibrium.  It is also possible it has something to do with my head bashing from the accident.  Whatever the reason I am hoping that since Lake Placid is a two loop swim that won't happen.  We actually get out of the water and back in.  Saturday I was supposed to do 100 miles on the bike and a 2 mile run.  After spending $150 to get my bike fixed I was anxious to try it out.  It was better but not perfect as the chain came off twice. Kerry kept me company for 2.5 hrs then we got separated because she only had 4 hours to ride.  I actually only did 96.65 miles on the bike because it was raining again and I have had it.  Mother Nature clearly hates me and I was not riding in the rain for a little over three miles just to hit a magic number.  Screw you Mother Nature!!!  My two mile run went shockingly well.  Although my legs felt like they were barely moving and forgot how to run I actually averaged a 9:36 min/mile which is rather impressive for me after 6 hrs on the bike.  So onto today..another 60 miles on the bike.  Kerry had a run so I was on my own here.  The first 30 were tolerable although my legs certainly felt tired.  The next 30 were just flat out torture.  My legs were toast, my back was screaming and my ass and other parts were just flat out pissed off at me BUT I did it.  I am pretty sure when I walked in the house and put my helmet on the table I heard the angels and harps and hallelujiahs.  Or I could have just been delirious.  I made it through breakfast and a shower and then it hit me.  Overwhelming exhaustion.  OMG.  It was horrible.  I had a few things to do first but hung on for a few hours and finally made it to nap time.  Out like a light for an hour.  Other than my back I fell ok now.  Well until I try to stand on these wobbly legs.  Bring on the taper!!!!!!  Only 9.5 hours of training next week.  Stayed tuned this week and next as I have lots of race info to come but I am too tired right now.  847...my number.  Details coming soon on how to follow me race day.

THE SPIRIT OF THE IRONMAN

Since I have been to two IM races I know how amazing the atmosphere is and what an everlasting effect it leaves on you.  While I can't wait for my family to experience this I know that a lot of my loyal blog readers and village people probably will never see nor participate in an Ironman.  I think that unless you experience this you can never fully understand why anyone would want to do one.  I watched a video today that is the closest thing I can think of to give you a taste of the experience.  The video is from Ironman Coeur D'Alene in Idaho held a few weeks ago.  It is the finish line from the 16:56 mark to the 17 hr cutoff.  As you watch the video note a few things.....the place is packed and rocking.  It is almost midnight and these spectators and athletes have been going since 7AM but it is a total party out there.  In no other sporting event would the last finishers get such a reception.  The video is a little over 8 mins long and I urge you to watch and listen to the entire thing.  If you are pressed for time skip ahead to around 3:48 in when a woman named Cathy Stevens has 30 seconds to get across the  line and become an official finisher. Unfortunately she doesn't but what takes place in the next 4 minutes of the video is what the Ironman spirit is all about.  Enjoy.....and my family.......bring the tissues!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndY9xptZI9w&feature=youtube_gdata_player

ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF

Somewhere someone has their nubby little fingers on the switch for the light at the end of my tunnel.  Apparently they think it is funny to keep turning it on and off.  I, however, do NOT share their opinion!!!!  In fact if I ever find said person I will pummel the everloving crap out of them.  As I mentioned last post I had two good workouts in the beginning of the week and the light was on.  Friday thanks to Deb and Bonnie I got a 90 min open water swim in.  We went to Stiles Pond after work and Deb and I swam for awhile then just as she had to leave Bonnie showed up and took over.  Thanks to both of them for sticking with me and keeping me company out there.  While my right shoulder pretty much always bothers me once I get into swims over an hour my left one was killing me too after.  I could barely lift my arms to drive home.  I had a suspicion that it was the full wetsuit.  Having my arms covered was making me work too hard. But I got the swim in so the light was still on.  Saturday Kerry and I headed out for yet another epic, long, hot ride.  She had 6 hrs to do and me 5.5.  She did the trainer for 30 mins before we left so we could finish at the same time and run together.  For the most part the ride was uneventful except I still have gearing problems and have to take my bike back to the shop again this week which makes me want to throw the damn thing off of a cliff right now

That bad thing would be my bike right now!!!

I also got bit by a damn greenhead fly.  Those things are viscious.  I have a bruise the size of a quarter on my arm with two teethmarks in it.  BASTARD.  And ugly too!


If only I had a flyswatter

Despite my chain coming off yet again we made it home safe and sound AND HOT.  It was 93 freakin degrees by then.  I rode 92 miles in 93 degree weather. Light still on. Oh great let's go run for an hour now.  As usual we ran towards each other and when we crossed paths headed for Salem Common  because it is mostly shaded.  It also happened to be the headquarters for the Gay Pride parade that day so Kerry and I ran under the rainbow of rainbow balloons and ran a few laps.  Having people to look at kept my mind off how crappy I felt for awhile as did thoughts like "No wonder I can't find a nice guy....they all have their own boyfriends!!!"  and "Wow..that guy is totally rocking that dress better than I ever could!!".I lasted somewhere around 40 mins before the wheels came off and the light went out.  Once again Kerry was making it

look easy while I looked like they should put a tag on my toe and wrap me in a plastic bag.  But once again my friend Kerry the aspiring Kenyan marathoner kept coming back for me.  We have fallen into this routine where I go back and get her while biking and she comes back to get me running.  Of course all my friends have to come back for me while swimming.  WHATEVER.  I hate swimming:)  Anyhow I covered a measly 5.5 miles in that hour which is far below my normal pace.  Once again I was losing confidence.  As soon as I cleaned up at home Quinn and I went to lunch but surprisingly enough I didn't even eat my body weight in food which is what I have been doing lately.  According to all my gadgets I burned 3100 calories during yesterday's workout!!!  As the day wore on and the evening approached I was just burned out and lacking confidence.  I knew I had a 2.5 hr run today that I wanted to start at 4:30 to beat the heat and still have time to head to the pond for my 1:15 hr swim.  I poured out my thoughts and fears and complaints and Quinn listened like the most awesome sherpa and best friend that she is and then gave me the pep talk I needed.  Thank you Quinn.  She knows just when to tell me to deal with it and just when I need reassurance.  Before getting all my stuff ready for the run in the am I checked my email and saw the best thing ever.  I had put a comment to Jeff in my run upload that being tired, not recovered and not running well was killing my confidence.  He told me that I AM tired and he was taking my run off the schedule for tomorrow so he wanted me to just swim and get as much sleep as possible.  Thank you thank you thank you.  Someone turned my light back on.  I felt immediate relief.  So this morning for the first time in months I slept past 3 dark o'thirty.  I went to the pond with Cindy and got in mostly a non-stop 1:15min with my sleeveless wetsuit and felt better.  It was an added bonus to see and talk to Cindy.  After that I went to the beach to meet Quinn but it was too damn hot so we went to Salem Willows and found some shade and I began training again in earnest...by sleeping

Coach's orders

It is nice to have my light back on but I am thinking that could spell trouble too!!!


I am afraid this is the case this week

As I opened up my training plan for next week I couldn't wait to see how much my volume would decrease since a 3 week taper is pretty standard for an IM race.  Unfortunately my coach seems to favor a 2 week taper.  Next week includes 4 days of swimming (one requiring me to swim the whole 2.4 miles!!), 3 days of biking including a 100 mile and 60 mile days, and a 14 mile run thrown in for good measure.  UMM WHAT?  ARE YOU F'N KIDDING ME?  WHERE IS MY TAPER?????  I think there are some emails to my coach coming up this week.  UGH.  I am pretty sure that light at the end of my tunnel is a train!!!!  Stay tuned

MIDWEEK RANDOMNESS AND PICS

So for the first time since June 12th I had an ok run yesterday morning.  It wasn't spectacular or effortless mind you but I didn't feel like I was hyperventilating the whole time or my heart was going to explode or that my legs had the strengh of overcooked spaghetti.  I started at 4:15AM and got in 9 miles before work.  This morning I was on the trainer at 4:15 AM and put in a 90 min ride that featured 40 mins non-stop at a high power level.  Yes that hurt BUT it wasn't unbearable and I was actually able to get to the correct power which I have been struggling to do lately.  When I uploaded these workouts I wrote a comment to Jeff that I finally feel like I am getting some pep back in my legs.  He sent me this chart and told me my Training Stress Balance reached an all-time low on Sunday.

 What does that mean???  It means I was flat out tired, exhausted and my muscles had given up.  My training load was too much for my rest periods.  There is little to no hope of having good workouts at that point.  However apparently that is exactly where I was supposed to be.  Yes I did training camp with my body in that hugely negative

...flat out tired box!!!!!!  This gives me more hope that race day really will be easier and faster.  Check out some random training camp pics.  Thanks to Coach Tom for taking them.



Can we please start?????





We are going downhill that's why it looks easy



I'm hot Kerry..can we stop now???

 



                                                                        





OMG Deanne you are so jacked I can't get this zippered!!!



Kerry and I are the two on the right totally rethinking this swim thing.





Really??  Does this lake have to be so big? That's a long way.





                        Very important cheerleading component of race day.  More cowbell!!!