Adventures with Thelma: Episode 6

I was just reminded of what a lucky girl I am to be surrounded by such amazing, kind-hearted and wonderful people.  I've been so focused on keeping things calm and relaxed that I haven't been able to get excited about what's about to happen.  Until now.

I have received many "good luck" wishes and gestures but I don't think they all quite registered until just this moment; and I truly am overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement!

Tomorrow I will hop in a car to travel with one of my closest friends and training partner, meet up with 4 more of my closest friends and some of my family that are able to make the trip, to an unknown land of wind, heat and maybe jellyfish to complete the final leg of this 70.3 adventure.

It took a village to get me here, no doubt!  And though I know I will have to take the final steps on my own, everyone will be there to finish with me.

Coach Sarah, "Coach Lolo" and I have come up with some reasonable times to shoot for, but because I perform better without getting all caught up in the pressure of time goals, so I will keep those to myself if that's alright.

Right now, I want to focus on these goals I have made for myself:

Pre-Race:
- Relax and get as much rest/sleep as possible.
- Eat clean and hydrate well.
- Enjoy the atmosphere, allow myself to feel the excitement...after all, you only experience your first Ironman    event once!

Swim:
- Stay calm and swim on (I know, I know...so overdone right now, but dammit if it's not perfectly applicable).
- Don't get into the chaos of the massive swim start.
- Go off easy and find my rhythm.
- Site often.
- Things (or people) will touch me, people (or things) will swim over me.  Ignore all of it and keep my head down and keep moving forward.
- I may be slow, but get me into an easy consistent stroke and I can swim all day.  Use this to my advantage and come out of the Choptank primed for a great bike segment.

T1:
- Stay relaxed, keep heart rate down.
- Don't rush, but be efficient.

Bike:
- Ease into it.
- Get into a good, comfortable and sustainable effort. Work it, but don't push it.  Blow out the bike and you blow up on the run.
- Remember to EAT and DRINK!  I have a good fuel plan in place, I want to be sure to follow it.
- All this will set me up nicely for the 3rd segment.

T2:
- Get heart rate down.
- Grab watch head off the bike!

Run:
- Start out EASY. Starting off too quickly will break me.
- Take the first 3 miles easy, settle into a good comfortable pace miles 4-9, then try to pick it up for the final 3.
- Again, fueling and hydration is key to a good run.
- Give it all I got.
- Finish this journey with no regrets.

I guess that just about covers it.  From now until then I will be packing and prepping.  So, this is me.
Signing off until after Sunday.

Feel free. Be strong.
Be your own kind of awesome.

Adventures with Thelma: Episode 4

(to be sung to the Happy Birthday tune, pitch accuracy is optional)

Happy anniversary to me.  

Happy anniversary to me.

Happy anniversary to meeeeee.....

Happy

anniversary

toooooooooooooooooooo

meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!  (this should be the highest note the human ear can hear....)

Anniversary you ask?  Yes folks, my triathlon anniversary!

On May 11, 2013, Thelma and I made our debut at the Jetton Park Triathlon.   

Tomorrow, Thelma and I will return to where it started.  I have a lot of feelings and emotions surrounding this event.  It's a little surreal to see everything come full circle.  To see how much things have changed, how I have changed, and yet remained the same..... (insert thoughtful, pondering, philosophical look here) 

Last year was strictly about survival the experience.  This year I find myself thinking that just surviving isn't good enough this time.

Nope.  Not at all.

I want to kill it.

This tri is a 750m swim, 12.4  mile bike and a 5k run.  Up until about a week ago, I have been putting in some decent training hours.  40+ mile rides, brick sessions, 2000m swim sessions in the pool.  Tempo runs, intervals....I've seen some serious improvement in my run.  Bottom line....I've put some good work in and tomorrow's distance doesn't equal half of what I do in one day's training. There is absolutely no reason for me not to do well.  The only thing that can stop me?  

My head.

Where I'm at:

• I've had some knee issues that we think a slight saddle adjustments we made will resolve.  Unfortunately, we haven't really been able to test this theory.  I chose to stay off the bike to get the inflammation under control.  This makes me nervous.  REALLY hoping it's just an adjustment that was needed and all will be ready for EagleMan.  
• I seemed to have picked up some extra weight since last weekend.  I may have celebrated Lori's AG win and ICE Racing's stellar day at the Carolina Half/International a little too much.  Over celebrating + a light training week + eating like you're training hard = a little more padding than normal 
• Open Water.  'nuff said.

Where I'm trying to get to:

• To put the knee issue out of my mind.  We made the adjustments.  Fingers crossed it works.  If it doesn't, then we make more adjustments.  Keep rpms high, keep a good effort on hills but no need to crush them.  Keep the attack in check and live to ride another day.
• Weight.  It is what it is.  Can't do anything about it now.  I know that it will come back off.  Training ramps back up this Sunday with a 50 mile ride.
• Open Water.  I need to keep calm and slow my strokes down.  Reach, glide, relax, and try to sight without breaking stroke.  Goal:  to swim as much as this course as possible.  To not worry about speed or anything.  Just feel the water, feel the stroke, feel relaxed and have a good swim.  This will put me in good spirits and ultimately set me up to have a fun ride and a killer run.

Tomorrow's goals:

• PR - kinda goes without saying, but I said it anyway
• Keep Calm and Tri On
• meaning - get the hell out of my own head, have faith in my training and my ability
• #STFU, #HTFU, #GTJD

Race face engaged.

Adventures with Thelma: Episode 1

You remember Thelma, don't you?

Well, we have our first triathlon of the season this coming Saturday.  I wasn't going to talk about it...basically because I've been in denial that it's actually April and it's actually time to do it, which means I'm that much closer to June which means I'm two months away from 70.3 and it is all very scary.

Last summer I did sprints, and this will be my first attempt at the international distance.  The actual distances vary from event to event, but Saturday I will be doing a 1500 yard swim, 27 mile bike and a 10K run.

The swim start times were released on Wednesday and they will be sending us off in pairs in 15 second intervals.  I'm seeded #179....out of 220, paired with a gentleman (whom I'm hoping will be extremely chivalrous and not let anyone pass me) in the 50-54 age group and we will start at 9:26:15.

My Predictions:

• The water will be cold.
• I will finish at least 45 minutes behind all my friends.
• Lori I think will finish in the top 5 in our age group, if not place within it. She is quick in the water and on the run, and getting stronger every day on the bike.  
• It's completely possible I will be in the bottom 20 finishers.  
• Mr. van Voo, who is starting 30 seconds behind me, will pass me in the lake within 2 minutes maximum of our start since he's been feeling so aquatic lately...and I have to assume that his brother won't be far behind.  Both men are beasts on the bike and I know Mr. van Voo is a ninja on the run.
• My navigator on this road trip, we shall call him Mr. C, is a killer on two wheels and will have a strong showing coming into T2, giving him a good advantage on the run.

My Strategy:

• Don't get pulled out of the lake.  Because that would suck.
• Lasso the two brothers as they swim by me and ride on into shore.
• Do my best to ignore all indications of hypothermia.  
• Don't crash.  Because that would really suck.
• Look like Thelma and I know what we're doing.
• Don't die.  Because that would really really suck.  Like...a lot.
• Keep cuss words and vomit to a minimum on the run.
• Eat pizza and drink beer after we finish.
• Celebrate heartily later that evening....after a nap.

And there it is.  

Stay tuned.....

  

Random Thoughts going into Richmond

With Richmond Marathon in 4 days, I decided to share some thoughts that are going through this runner's mind.

• So Hungry
• Wine may not be the best way to hydrate.
• 26 miles.  It's all fun and games until the last 4.
• I am stalking Weather.com
• And I thought 3 miles of tempo work was hard....
• So Hungry
• I haven't found the perfect mantra just yet.
• I think I'm in denial.
• My Sharpie is packed.
• I'm a little curious about the Junk Food Stop.
• It feels weird to not swim this week.
• Something tells me I should cherish this no-swim week.
• So Hungry
• I still haven't picked out my outfit.  
• I do have my socks chosen.  So that's a plus.
• The thought of taking 7 gels kinda makes me gag.
• My gut tells me I will soon be reminded how much it hurt.
• My gut will soon tell me it doesn't like it when I consume 7 gels.
• Yup. Still in denial.
• I need fried pickles.

4 days.

Party on, Garth.

p.s.
See shameless fundraising plug here:  
https://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/running-for-chiari-when-every-minute-counts/69303

On Deck: Tri Latta

So, last month we did the Jetton Triathlon where I survived a washing machine.  This weekend we will be trying Tri Latta.  I just read the event details and here are my TOP 10 THOUGHTS, in no particular order, as we gear up for this 750 meter swim 17 mile bike 3.1 mile run.

1. Never again will I register for a race where I have to be in a park no later than 5:30 am and my swim wave doesn't start until FREAKING 7:00. okay. 6:58. same difference. 
2. Thelma and I will be safe on the bike course.  All the slow people are told to stay to the right.  The way I figure it, everyone will be passing me on the left where traffic is while my arse will be stuck to the right. :)
3. There should be a water noodle division.
4. Why would they assign me a black cap.  Who the hell is going to see me drowning if I'm in a freaking black swim cap????
5. I know we're athletes and all....but why can't parking be closer?  I really don't want to walk that far.
6. I should be allowed to swim with my swim buoy.
7. Can we come up with a different phrase for "body marking"?  It sounds so....permanent.  
8. One perk of finishing after all your friends is that they will all be ready to administer CPR when you cross the finish line.
9. If there are no radio-type devices allowed on the road courses, how can Siri yell at me when I get lost?
10. I'm never doing this again!

Party on, Garth.

The Thirteenth Hour

Clothes set out, number on, post race dry clothes packed and breakfast at the ready.

In thirteen(ish) hours, I'll (hope to) have finished 13.1.

Here we go....