Over And Out

This is me- chilling and relaxing before Florida! I am reading Going Long for the 100th time to make a permanent imprint in my brain of my plan for the IM.

Last post for a while- I know I will have so much going on this week I will not have time to get on the computer and play. In my defense, I have gone above and beyond this week with posting to make up for my upcoming absence. :)

I am excited and looking forward to the weekend to come. If you are in Florida, we have a huge Memphis group with a beer stand at mile 1. You will recognize them as the crazy people in costume on the run course, so feel free to stop by and hang out. You will more than likely find me right around there before and after the race, and I would love to hang out!

Thanks again for the friendly support, from both old and new friends. See you on Saturday!

Bringing It All Together

Christy Bohannon is the reason I ever attempted a triathlon. She had just joined my soccer team in New Orleans, and I thought she was a super neat person. We hit it off immediately and have remained great friends till this day. I often tell Dave I wish we lived closer to Christy. In fact, I say it probably once a week.

So, Christy started off pretty much the way I did- a beginner that had a lot of fun and continued to improve. When it came time for me to try the sport, I did everything that Christy did. Here are some of the things that I completely copied from her.

1. She had a road bike, so when I had the choice between getting a road bike or tri bike- I got a road bike. Her bike was entry level aluminum, so that is what I got too.
   
2. She wore Desoto tri shorts, so I got Desoto tri shorts.
   
3. She bought some really inexpensive Lake bike shoes. I went on ebay and found a cheap pair of Lake shoes.
   
4. She suggested a certain pair of bike shorts, so I bought that exact pair.
   

And I am sure there are many, many other things that I copied.

Christy has since moved on in the world of triathlon. She has competed in Worlds. She has run in the low 1:30s in a half IM. She has qualified and raced in Kona. She has completed 3 IMs, including her last one just weeks after being released to walk after a bike crash that left her with a broken pelvis. She is still someone that I call and ask for advice and comfort. She is bringing me tri shorts to Florida to make sure I have something to wear in the race. When I feel like a triathlon ragamuffin, I call Christy (ragamuffin: when you realize you just don't have all of the "things" that everyone else has- in my case, I am a ragamuffin because my entire outfit for Florida is borrowed- among many others things- kind of like house poor, I am tri poor). Christy makes it all better for me, because she has been a ragamuffin before too. She is the one friend that truly understands.


She has patiently answered all of my IM panicked phone calls this month. She believes in me and truly wishes me the best. She is the type of friend that thrives on others' successes. I hope to carry some of her spirit with me next weekend. Actually, I know I will because she will be at the race egging me on and snapping a million pictures- her spirit will be unavoidable! She will be right there in my face, never letting me quit and always getting that smile out of me. I am so lucky Christy helped me get started in this sport. I have had so many enjoyable moments, and I haven't been in a race yet where I didn't have some sort of a good time, and I attribute a great deal of this to Christy :)

Part II- Elliot Perry

And, I just realized how boring these posts must be for some of you, especially those not racing right now. I guess my season has been a little long this year!

The second installment of my mental tricks of the trade goes way back. As a kid, I had a best buddy Shawn in school. We would call each other on the phone at night and watch Memphis State basketball. If you didn't know Memphis Sate before it became University of Memphis, you are young.

One player really stood out to me in the late 80s as a kid- Elliot Perry. He was a point guard for Memphis and went on to play NBA. In 1994-95, he was voted the NBA's most improved player- now that is an awesome honor. That speaks volumes about this man as an athlete.

I liked Elliot Perry as a kid because of his knee pads. To the best that I can remember, he was having a spell of trouble making free throws during one season in college. Someone (coach/trainer/?) told him

Confidence Is The Key

Perry (or the coach/trainer) wrote that on one of his knee pads, and he wore the knee pad every game. When I would watch him on TV, the TV crew would always do a close up of his knee pads to show the writing. And, his free throws improved.

As a kid, this delivered a very powerful message to me. I started writing Confidence Is The Key on one of my soccer shin guards from the time I was a grade schooler- all the way through college. I did not play a game without a shin guard that did not have Confidence Is The Key written on it.

Somewhere on my Florida gear, I bet you will find a magic saying....

Gathering Thoughts Part I

I have so many things that I think about when I compete at any event. I have a psychology background, so I really feel that mental training is just as important as physical training. And, of course there are times when my mentality is low- you have probably even seen it at times on the blog- and that is okay because I am a real person that experiences the same doubts and fears as the next person.

I always carry different inspirations with me in a game or race. Some are serious, and some are fun. Some of my favorite inspiration comes from movies. If you are looking for some motivating movie watching, let me make 2 suggestions- Vision Quest and Without Limits. If you are not ready to be a front runner or challenge Shute at 168 after watching these movies, I don't know what will motivate you.

But my all time favorite is Star Wars! I am a Star Wars freak. In college I had Star War posters all over my room and a Star Wars bed spread. Yes, I was (am) a dork. I was even Princess Leia for Halloween with a great R2D2 beer cooler. I think Dave threw away or hid all of my Star Wars stuff when we got married. He insisted the posters come down. Boo! But, at least I still have my Star Wars lunch box.

Okay, so here it goes- my top Star Wars quotes for racing:

1. May the force be with you.
2. Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try.
3. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.
4. You must do what you feel is right.
5. Stay on target.
6. Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.
7. Size matters not.

:) If you don't remember these quotes, I insist that you put your old, original Star Wars tape in your VCR immediately.

What's Up?

Not much here I can say. Sorry I have not been a great blogger this week. I have started my new clinical at the Memphis City School system. I love it. I love working with children with disabilities- of all ages. Going to the schools is so cool- I get to see the kids in their everyday environment. It is a lot of fun for me. Unfortunately they don't hire new graduates, so it doesn't look like I will get a job there anytime soon.

And at nights I come home and hang with Roo and Lilly Lizard (at least that is what I have named her. Dave vetoed the name, so we are supposed to have a renaming tonight). It is so much fun for me to have a new baby in the house. She is crunched up right now behind me on the couch, snoring. Of course I am getting attached, which is exactly what Dave did not want. But, I did contact a rescue agency, Dog's Second Chance, and Lil Liz is getting put up for adoption. It has been hard to think of giving her up- I hope I find a young, energetic dog lover like me to take her. Oh well- she can stay here as long as she wants to.

And, the rest- well, taper time is here. I am very happy as I was just getting tired of having something(s) to do every single day. It was time for me to wind down. I went to yoga this week and realized how tight I have become- it is amazing what loads of training can do for your body in both a positive and negative way. I have been slowly losing the negative energy that I accumulated with miles of training- tired body = tired mind. Wow, so that is it! Nothing neat-o to post about today. Sometime this week I will try to write about the things I will think about in ironman- the things that inspire me. Star Wars and Elliot Perry will be among the topics. More on that to come.

Damie and pregnant Andi doing a tree pose at Yoga Elements in Erie, Colorado. This studio is owned by my friend Andi- if you are in the Erie/Boulder area, check it out! Yoga= Good.

Puppy Rescue

Again.

Well, I said this was something I wanted to do in my life. God must've agreed because it seems like there is no shortage of animals coming my way.


This little poots is maybe a six month old puppy mix. She was wondering our neighborhood for about a week. Some guy said she was in his back yard, but he never fed her and called the pound to pick her up. She went without food for over 5 days. Imagine what I wanted to do to this man.

She must have left his backyard, and some other neighbors found her. But, when push comes to shove- no one wanted to help her have a place to stay for the night. Luckily for me, and for the puppy, Dave is thoughtful and kind. He said she could stay with us until we found her a home. He didn't even put up a fight with me. That is great partnership.

So, I headed out the door for a run, but I will take some cuter pictures later. She is so lovable and sweet. She loves everything- and licks everything. Beware of her tongue, it is lethal! She wants to be by me and on me all of the time. She likes Roo, and she even likes Presley the cat. She has not chased the cat once. You can tell she is just in puppy heaven with food, a warm place to sleep for one, and some attention.

She even uses the bathroom outside when I say- let's potty! She looks at me the whole time, "Am I doing it right? Am I doing it right?" So, she gets a lot of praise.

She is a whole lot of puppy- she needs someone that can tolerate the puppy phase- meaning lots of attention, correction, and love. She doesn't need to be stuck in someone's back yard by herself. If anyone in the area is interest, please let me know. I am very picky- you have to love her the way I love my animals. So, if you are willing to give kisses, snuggles, treats, firmness (yet pushover at times too), then you might be the right person for this pup.

Roo is teaching her the shoe game here. It is his favorite game- basically tug of war with a pair of my old shoes. He teaches every dog that comes over the shoe game. It is really funny!

Ha Ha!

This picture cracks me up! Gina and I actually stopped in the middle of a race to take this picture! ha ha! Shows how serious we were about the race, I guess :) And, the funny thing is, I remember feeling kind of yucky during that race- but looking at the picture, I don't look like anything is wrong at all! So, so funny.

2 years ago, Gina and I were rivals in the road race series. We secretly liked to beat each other, and we had never met personally. I introduced myself to her after the 10 miler in the series, this very same race. I figured, well, we can't ignore the fact that we are racing each other, so we might as well introduce ourselves!

And look at us now- stopping in the middle of races to take pictures.

Okay, I promise, promise not to do this in Florida. Everything will be about moving forward and I will not pose for the camera. I just had to get it out of my system.

The Real Stuff

I have stopped counting down the days- I have somewhere between 2-3 weeks before Florida. Sweet! I have enjoyed all of the training, and I am really excited to finish the big event. It is now October 2008- and I remember my first little triathlon was in April 2006. Boy time flies! I don't have any pictures from that first triathlon, but here are some pictures from my second triathlon in May of 2006. It was the best little sprint I have ever done- 200 swim in a pool, 8 mile bike, 2 mile run. Awesome! I was in the beginner category, too.

Here is what I remember about this race.

• I had to give myself a pep talk about the swim. I was still a beginner so there was a lot of panic, even for 200 yards. (To be honest, I panicked in my 2nd year of racing too in the water). I remember telling myself I could do it and to swim hard- I mean, I was trying to break 2 minute 100s here, guys!
  
  
• One of my goals was to have a faster T1 and T2 time. So, I didn't put on any extra clothes in transition this time around. In my first race I put on a tri top, socks, drank some gatorade, etc...
• On the bike I really tried hard to ride my fastest! LOL now-so cute! That is why I love the beginner friendly races. There are all kinds of people out there like me just trying to improve! Maybe I went 18mph for 8 miles? I don't quite remember, but it was a good improvement for me from my first race.
  
  
• The run was special for me. I had just reached a milestone in my first triathlon of being able to run 3 miles without stopping. After a horrible soccer injury, I was just happy I could run and didn't think that any pace was too slow. So, I was excited to see if I had improved any from my 1st to 2nd race. I had gone to track one or two times (in the very back of the pack, mind you) and had ditched the knee brace. I asked Coach Paul what he thought I could run. He said, and I remember very clearly. Go out at a 7:30- and I think you can pick it up for the second mile. Now, a 7:30 to me was going to be a huge improvement. I think in my first tri I was at 8:30s? But, funny how someone puts a thought into your head and then you make it happen. First mile of the out and back, 7:30 on the dot. Second mile, 7:00. Well, he told me to go faster, so I did. Funny how I was dead on what he thought I could do.

I am not sure if there is a big point in this post. It is fun to look at the big picture and the journey that we can take with triathlons. I know for me I can get down or be hard on myself when I read or hear about people doing this race in x:xx:xx time or these intervals at x:xx pace at a HR of 90 (I mean WTF? Some people have crazy/insane athleticism). It is fun to blog about your best intervals, your best runs, and your best races. But, I don't think they are realistic- and I bet that there are even days for pros where they have to walk or feel like giving up. And honestly, speed is very relative. I might be fast compared to so and so- but then I am super slow compared to the next person. And, I think that workouts are very, very individual. Some people thrive on getting their butts kicked daily, while others need more moderation.

So, I think the best way to judge yourself is to look at your improvements over time. You and only you. You can't get caught up in the next athlete's training plan or race result. And, you probably can't even really get caught up in your own race to race comparison. You have to see the big picture of yourself.

blah blah

There is really nothing to blog about today. I did write a long post about some tool that wouldn't let me share a lane with him yesterday in the pool, but blogger was having some probs posting it, so everyone was spared. Beware of the guy in flippers, middle aged and mean, that won't share a lane unless you circle swim with whatever underwater snorkling he is doing. He will literally whine out loud if you ask to split a lane with him.

Otherwise, things are just usual around here. I have worked the past two days, which I am sure pleases my family. I try to explain that training for an Ironman is work, but I guess if you are only spending money and not making money it tends to make people think otherwise.

I am trying to eat a little healthier, which means I can't touch the cupcake sitting in my fridge. I also didn't put cheese on my sandwich or my black beans and rice. None of this is fair. You know that saying, "if the furnace is hot enough, it will burn anything?" I think that only applies to men.

It is not officially taper time yet, but when it is- I am sure you all will know as I start to moan and groan about how out of shape I am in- how fat I am- how I didn't train enough- etc... Until then, there is still some work to be done (just in different doses). :)

Bikers and Boozers

Yesterday wrapped up my big training days.  My final 100 mile ride/brick.  The bun is in the oven...no, that isn't the right saying.  The hay is in the barn!  That is the one!  No buns in the oven, that would be bad.  

To make my last big day really BIG, I went straight from my brick to the 2nd annual Bikers and Boozers tour.  This is a loosely organized bike tour from bar to bar in Memphis.  Although I missed the first half of the bar tour, I met everyone at Just One More, and made it to Bogeys, P and H, and the Buccaneer Lounge.  

Laura and Damie:)- I mean, I really should have been napping.  But, after 10 text messages from every bar and a finally message saying "where in the hell are you?" I just skipped the shower and made an appearance.  Beer is good carbo loading, so I have heard.  Oh, and Laura and I spent the whole night refreshing the Ironman Live updates on Kona on her i-phone.  

Andrew and Casey- the night is still young.  The shenanigans are about to begin.  :)

Okay, so I nabbed a picture of Laura after many bar visits knocking a picture off of the wall behind her.  Andrew is trying to put it back up before we all get kicked out of the bar.  

Dave and Lisa:  Dave was put on suicide watch because LSU was losing to Florida.  We had to start planning our whole bar tour around him to make sure he could watch the game and wasn't going to hurt himself as our favorite Tigers started to get crushed.  Lisa was in charge of making sure he was okay.   

Robby and Casey:)

The night (for me at least) ended at Mike Cooley's 40th surprise birthday party.  I am sure he loves that I posted that on a public forum.  Mike Cooley is 40 and sporty!  Ha ha!!!!  By the time we reached the party, I was starving.  I literally asked people to give up their places by the counters so I could eat.  All I really did was eat at the party.  It had been 5 hours since I had eaten last + beer = hungry.  So, this party girl eventually headed back to the house and to bed.  Now it is back to the daily grind- run/ride.  Off I go!   

Finally....

A happy Damie- look at that true smile!

My research group and our presentation on spinocerebellar ataxia and balance. This was a great day!

the last day of official class has come and gone.

There are no tears around here! Nope, like I have said before, I am way too old to stay up past midnight studying the motor pathways, learning the parameters of nerve conduction velocity testing, and making sure I know which facets slide horizontally. School is for the young. The only other initials I want behind my name are IMF (ironman finisher) and BQ (boston qualifier). So, one day it may look something like this:
Mrs. Damie Roberts, PT, DPT, MS, IMF, BQ.
From now on, all additional letters have to be non-school related (that is, after I earn my DPT in May of 2009).

So, to celebrate my survival of school, I went on my last long run today. Just kidding, that was not a celebration, but I did go on a 3 hour run. I still never get the point that running at noon when it is still in the 80s in Memphis is never a good idea, but I made it. Today, I was solving all of my running problems in my head. I came to peace with the fact that running does not feel easy for me now that I am not running 40-50 miles a week and going long every weekend. My legs are tired and long runs hurt. I finally understood- my body is doing the best it can for me at this time. As I came to peace with all of this, I bent down to dig a stone out of my shoe- at mile 17 of my run (17 is my lucky number, BTW). I looked over and guess what I found?


Yup, my very own four leaf clover. I have a great gift for finding these- it is my super power and hidden talent. But, I realized the other day that I did not have one for myself- how could I go into my first IM with no four leaf clover? There are only 6 people in this world with a 4 leaf clover from me- I try hard to deliver them in times of need. (If you want one or need one, just let me know and I will get right on top of that for you!)

So, coincidence that I found my four leaf clover as I was coming to peace with where I am with my running? I think not. That baby is going with me to Florida for sure!

And, to top off my entry into the world of no homework, class rankings, and terribly written tests: a night out with my girls. I said I wouldn't put some of these pictures up, but ha ha! Here we are- looking our best! (All of us are so ragged out from training, etc...)

Joy, Laura, Damie..Fun :)

Everyone with a goofy face (Joy only gets half of a face in this one).

Yes, I feel as tired as I look. But, a good night with friends makes it all go away:)

Tuesdailies

On tap for today- 3 hour ride with 4x20 min intervals + 30 min brick.

Problem: Thunderstorms in a.m., rain + storms predicted for rest of day and evening.

My Problem Solving (Lack-of) Abilities

Normal Me: I guess I will have to do this on the trainer- I hate riding in the rain. It is not safe. I won't get in a good workout.

Guilt-Ridden IM Me: You are so lazy- get out there and ride. You are just trying to avoid it. Riding outside is a better workout and you know it. You are letting IM training get the best of you- this is your tired self talking.

Normal Me: Listen to your instincts. Pre- IM Damie would stay in. Don't go.

Guilt-Ridden IM Me: Lazy, lazy, lazy. You'll never get as good of a workout on your trainer. You are taking the easy way out.

20 Minutes Later

So, I give in and get on my bike. .5 miles from my house, I have someone honk at me. .75 miles from my house I almost flat on a big pot hole because no one will let me over. Someone, somewhere was trying to tell me something.

Then it starts to rain. The thunder rumbles. I swear up and down for not listening to my instincts and book it home- completely soaked by the time I reach my house. Poor Roo is outside, waiting on his mommy to rescue him. (And, to illustrate what a great dog I have, yet again, Roo didn't even care he was wet, but he was really concerned that I was and proceeded to lick me dry).

Roo-poo in his rain gear :)

And The Kicker...

I still had 2 hours and 15 minutes left to ride (including those 4x20 minute intervals- very hard for me to do on the trainer and get my HR up there). I couldn't get the DVD player to work and Dave was too busy at work to help. I was getting frustrated and grumpy.

But, I got on my bike and sweat up a storm. I nailed my intervals. Believe me when I say that this workout stinks on the trainer, but I always feel a little tougher mentally after I do it.

It is still raining outside.

PS: Dave says I need a better background. He doesn't like the pink "boring" one. I guess I will have to update soon.
PPS: I think the shiny blue dance outfit deserves its own post. I will deliver that soon. :)

Some Sunday Pictures

Sunday morning- 10 miles in the forest! This is one of the prettiest runs in the Memphis area. It is also one of the hardest, but it is very easy to find happiness in the hard parts of the run when you look around and realize how lucky you are to be running on a Sunday morning in such beauty.


Remember Lucia Colbert? 1991 Hawaii Ironman finisher (among a million other things)? Here she is...looking a little dorky just like me in our stylish socks. But hey, when it is a little chilly in the am, these things feel good!


These girls are the bomb! Lisa, Nannette, (me), Lucia, and Giselle. They are the fastest and most dedicated women out there. Even more importantly is they share a great friendship and are fun to be around!



And, of course no race would be complete without Gina! Okay, so we were quite a bit slower than we were last year, and the year before that, and.... But, we are now motivated to start kicking some butt again. I am learning so many little lessons about myself and racing this year, and I can't wait to use them and improve!

Okay, just 4 weeks left until Florida. I am ready to go! Two more hard weeks and then some taper time. Oh, and it is time to tighten up on my nutrition- my worst discipline in the sport. Like Marit, maybe I will try the October no candy challenge. It sounds horrible, but maybe necessary?

Date Night!

In a nutshell:
1 bottle of Malbec (Argentina) wine - $10. :) yummy!
Dinner at Pete and Sam's, family Italian style. Bring your own wine.
Snuggle on the couch and help Damie get some new tunes on her ipod.

Here are our contributions to the ipod for the night, after a bottle of wine.

Damie:

• Blurry: Puddle of Mud
• Thelma Houston: Don't Leave Me This Way
• Soul Decision: Faded
• Shinedown: Fly From Inside
• Big Country: In a Big Country
• System of a Down: Toxicity
  

Dave:

• Seether: Rise Above This
• September: Cry For You

Now, Dave was only able to contribute a couple of songs. I veto a lot of the songs he picks- he could workout to the Doors, and I need more 80s and hair band type music. But, he did well with September, as I had never heard their music and I really liked it.
This picture really has nothing to do with date night- this is a Key West picture. But, I think Dave and I are due for another vacation together. (Nothing race related, either!).

Next, please.

I only have 1 test left in my DPT program. That's right, next week is my last final. I will be free of my student life as I know it (sitting for up to 8 hours straight while daydreaming about being outside, staying up well past my bed-time studying, working on countless dumb group projects, etc...). Next up, clinical rotations!

No more crying about tests. No more skipping out on time with friends because I have to study. No more grumpiness at 9:30 at night because Dave is running off to bed and I have to stay up and read. Freedom is right around the corner! I can taste it! (until I get a job, then I can moan about the daily grind...heh heh).

So, what have I done with my free time today?


Ummmm... my daily dose of Alan Smith's very nice body is no longer available to me on blogger. Where did he go? Since I can't just click and look, now, I had to dig up some pictures.














But, as cute as Alan Smith is, he can't compare to Dave, who last night ran around the house naked with a hydration pack on his waist saying "look at me, look at me, I am a triathlete!" Now that was frickin' hilarious and pretty cute too!

Oh Swimming....

(Sigh)

I don't understand why swimming is so mean to me. Seriously, if I had put as much effort into cycling as I have swimming, I would be so much better cyclist. Actually, that is a great idea. I will can swimming and replace it with cycling. I would probably have the same swim results with a better overall time in my races.

If you look closely, you can see an F formed on my mouth. Only one word was about to come out as I glanced at my watch and saw my time at my last sprint triathlon!

This morning I trudged through the mud, I mean water. My times are the same as they were last year- maybe only slightly better than the year before when I first started swimming. So, what is it going to take? If my consistent 3 x a week is not enough, then what is? 5 x a week?

I love swimming. I tell it every morning at 5:30 am too. I say...I love you. We are friends. And, I am not lying. I do like to swim. I think it is fun! What is not fun is seeing that same ol' time on the clock. My "fast" is the same speed as my "medium." Actually, I don't have any speed. Forget I said fast.

Okay, so at least I can swim- and more than two laps now. I have not panicked in a single race this year. I have not flipped over on my back and wondered if I might drown. And, I guess I can keep that same medium speed and hold it longer, so that is improvement, right? But what about fast? When does that happen? Or strong- when will I feel strong in the water?

(not everyone needs to answer those questions...especially those with the response that looks something like NEVER). Ha ha ha!!!!