Here We Go Again

I have a race report to post up here, but it will have to be put on hold for a minute.   I currently have visiting dog in my back yard, and I need my brain cells for forming a plan. 

Oh, the joys of working in Orange Mound.  How could I turn her away? 

This is why I always carry a spare bag of dog food in my car.  I have a hard time walking away from starvation. 

She was eating the food I gave her, but when she saw me walking away, she left her food to follow me.  And she is starving.  It was pretty hard to choose to leave her when she chose me over food.  A couple of kids said they would take her, and hmpft....you can pretty much imagine how I felt about that.  Of course she is about the friendliest dern dog I have ever met.  Figures. 

I have plan A formed....will see if it works.  I am going to maintain a positive attitude that I don't need a plan B. 

Up and At 'Em

I have resumed training in a style that can only be described as:  do what I can.  No more.  No less.

I feel 90% better.  So, I am right on that cusp of being good, but still at the place where I need to be cautious.  No balls to the wall in training right now :)

I am going to continue on with the race plan, if for no other reason than....I think it will be fun!  Some training blocks are less than ideal, and you can choose:  stay home and wait till a better time, or get out there and do it anyways.  I am obviously choosing the latter.  When choosing between two evils, you should always choose the one you haven't chosen before:)

In an ideal situation, I think that I do need a block of good hard training and racing.  Fast stuff.  Tough stuff.  Plateau breaking stuff.  But I doubt my ability to handle that right now so I will put it off, yet again, for a better time. 

The biggest bang for the buck for me usually comes with a lot of aerobic paced work.  I am able to put in good time, less likely to be sick or injured, and I build a more sustainable body through this type of training.  So, I think this is my path of choice right now while I am trying to rebuild my engine and make sure I don't get sick again.

For example, I was able to run longer this Sunday.  I chose to do the run as follows:  1/3 HR below 140 (ignore pace).  It should feel easy and be embarrassingly slow.  2/3 pick it up slightly more MAF pace.  Pace should get faster, but should still be easy.  3/3 HR can creep a bit, pace picks up a bit, but if you can't sustain the pace aerobically then you have to back down.  So, the goal is to run faster in the last 3rd of the run than the beginning, yet keep it aerobic.  And, since I am not fit, my pace is embarrassingly slow.  But, I was able to descend my run and put in some longer miles that were not very taxing. 

When I am aerobically fit, this run can be pretty fast.   Aerobic training for me is really fun.  It is fun to crunch the numbers and work on efficiency.  I love it when I see my paces get faster and at lower HRs. 

But anyways, that is not happening right now, but hopefully I will move back in that direction with some time.

Goal #1:  No zeros in my log.  No sickness.  No injury.
Goal #2:  See goal number 1 and the rest will fall into place. 
Psuedo-Goal #3:  Should be to get more sleep, but I am not going to make that a real goal because I will just disappoint myself when I play on the computer and don't make my goal. 

Night Night!

Garmins

Any suggestions on updating my Garmin?

I currently have the 305 model (now discontinued).  Battery life is 10 hours max, which is sub-optimal as I am having to borrow a second Garmin from Gina to bring with me for long races and put one on the bike and one in my run bag.  I thought this was a pretty good plan until one of the Garmin's wouldn't sync up and then stay on the for the run during my last ironman.  So, I am trying to just decrease the hassle from two watches to one.

Morgan has started using the 910xt model and suggested it.  I remember her being able to take the face off of the watch and putting it on her bike, and then pulling it off in transition for the the run.  Battery life is 20 hours, which makes it better for longer racing. 

But, I just had sticker shock when I saw the $400.00 price.  I could buy a bike for the price of this watch.  And, I don't even think it has the mounting gear or bike cadence gear included. 

Does anyone have any feedback on this model?

The other option would be the 310xt- $250 

Looks like this one is also 20 hours batter life and I can use it on the bike and then pull it off to put on my wrist for the run.  Still expensive, though.....

Anyone have these models?  Any feedback?  Or a place to get them at a good price?

Bedtime Stories for Friends

My blog has been growing more boring by the post.  I can't seem to find any way to spice up my life from SBR/work/dogs/Dave/drinks.  I think I am going to throw another Ironman in this year just to give myself some drama.  That was not a joke.  I was able to run 60 minutes again and now I think I can do an ironman. 

Kari and Dawn cannot sleep tonight either, so this is a random post of bedtime information for them. 

Andreas Raelert...still my favorite.  Yes, the fact that he is gorgeous does count.  I am hoping that the crash and 4th place at Frankfurt will fuel the fire for a Kona win- I think not having a win under his belt might be a good thing.  He is always my #1 pick. 

This is really old news, but Sergio Ramos got a hair cut some time ago, and it still catches me off guard.  I likey. 

Drew Brees signs for 100 million dollars.  Hines Ward retires from the Steelers and Kari has now defected to the Saints.

While I have absolutely no clue who Matt Bomer is, based on this picture from a prospective line-up,  I could give him the nod for the role of Christian in the 50 Shades of Grey movie. 

That is all I have for Kari and Dawn tonight.  I really, really need to go to bed.  Halfway through the work week!  I heard weekends!!!!!!!

Making Memories

Today I was able to extend my run a bit...maybe I am turning a corner?  :)  I felt good enough to run and the lungs were cooperating, so off I went.  I barely had any plantar fasciitis or hip flexor pain, so while I have traded off some fitness, I have gained something in return.  Things happen for a reason. 

As I was be-bopping along suffering at a 9:30 pace, the song "Shakedown Street" by the Grateful Dead came on my ipod.  I immediately got a huge smile on my face and remembered a college game back in the day when we played William Carey.  I don't remember much about the game except that William Carey was ranked in the top 5 in the country and we got our butts' kicked.  I can't tell you if I played well or poorly.

But, I do remember that we had convinced our coach to let us drive our own cars, and on the way home some of us piled in Kat's Trooper...with a bunch of 40s.  So, we had just lost a soccer game together and were driving home, drinking 40s, and blasting the radio.  That is my memory...us girls just singing along to Shakedown Street.

So, I started to think, what are my memories from triathlons?  I sometimes remember times, passes, wins, failures, suffering, and victory.  But, I also remember a lot of random, funny things that are sometimes even more lasting than the actual race.  So, I tried to picture old races and write down the first thing that popped into my mind.

Rebel Man 2006 (my first tri):  girl with curly blonde hair passed me on the run- for some reason she was memorable, and later came to be a friend (Leslie Brahm)

Cedars of Lebanon 2006:  convinced my sister to come with me, and she slept in the car the whole morning.  She got out of the car to cheer me on the run, and I never knew the difference.  So funny!

Sunfish 2007:  My friend Christy popped her head out during the swim and I heard her say "go Damie!"  It was so funny I always remembered it.

Rock-N-Roll half-iron 2008:  I made Joy stop at Taco Bell AND let me get a fudge round at the end of the race.  Then we almost ran out of gas on the way home and had to coast the downhills on the highway.

Chattanooga Waterfront 2008:  I remember running past a water stop at mile 1 and "Die Another Day" by Madonna was playing.  It was so fitting for the moment.

Ironman Florida 2008:  I remember seeing Marit and Eggers at the turn around cheering for me.   Then I immediately went into the port-o-potty.  Whoo hoo! Then I had all of these friends at mile 1 too.   I was soooo happy! It was like a huge friend fest.  I remember thinking, how could you not like ironman?  It is a big party!

MightyMite 2009:   I rode down to the race with Hawaii Steve, and spent the day joking with Lucia and Lisa (who wrote AARP next to their racks in T2).  LOL!  I remember there was a headwind heading back to the cars, so we let Kevin pull us the whole way back on the bikes after the race.  Then, Steve had a cooler full of beer waiting for us.  :)

AGNats 2010:  Kari ran past me on the run.  I was dying, and she was just talking and smiling.  I remember thinking I was going to tell JH that Kari was totally dogging it out there.  When I finally finished the race my mother-in-law had a beer waiting for me.  THANK GOODNESS!  I was the only one after the race with a beer and had many jealous comments.  :)

So, this was just a sample of things I remember from races.   I love that I can hardly remember some of the actual racing, but I almost always remember the time I spent with my friends.  It will be so much fun 10-20-30 years from now to have a funny race memory pop into my head.  Maybe a song will remind me of someone or something.  Good times.

Staying Enthusiastic

It is not hard for me to be enthusiastic about triathlon.  All I have to do is watch an ITU race or listen to a new podcast on Legends of Triathlon or Competitor Radio to add a little dose of triathlon energy into my life.  It is a great sport!

But lately, while enthusiasm is high, my actual ability to do anything has been low.  That lingering sickness (28 days not, but who is counting?:) is, well, still lingering.  The doc called me back in yesterday and I went in to find out the lung x-rays look not so hot.  So, off to a pulmonologist I go.  I swear, didn't I just do an ironman 2 months ago?  My lungs were just fine then...  So, it is probably nothing bad, we just need to figure out what it is and get the right treatment.  Until then, I have enough medication in me to make life tolerable. 

With maturity (not that I am saying I am mature, but sometimes I show signs of development) comes patience and acceptance.  Getting ill and injured can be a part of sport, even for the most conscientious and healthy people.  But, I do think God has a plan for things, and we just don't always see it until later.  Maybe there is something else I am supposed to be doing with my time right now.  So, my 3 weeks off has turned into 7 weeks of touch and go.  It will seem like a drop in the bucket when I am back to training consistently, so no sweat.  What I miss most right now is being able to go for a run.  And, I am also desperately wanting to work on my swim.

It looks like my big August and September races will either have to be pushed aside OR, as Dave suggested, walking to get the medal.  And, he is right.  If I am going to talk the talk about how it is awesome to just get out there and do it no matter how fit/fast you are, then I have to walk the walk.  For someone that doesn't even do triathlon, Dave sure has a lot of wisdom.  He says he gets it from watching all of us miss the point.   

What have I been doing with myself you say?  Nothing.  Working and sitting on the couch.  Usually in that order because work drains me.  But, Breesy likes to keep me company.  But, when I do feel good, I am getting on the trainer or trying to get out of the door for something!

As do the doggies.  I  have read A LOT of books lately.  Most of it trash.  Dave says I would be a genius if I actually read good books.  I argue that reading any old thing is good exercise for your brain.  Does everything come back to the quantity versus quality issue?

Time to go to work.  This is one of the faces by the door that watches me leave in the morning.  How can I leave this?  Isn't that so pitiful and sad?????  I will have to take a picture of the happy face when I get home to post on here.  Night and day difference!

Stay happy and enthusiastic!  Good things are right around the corner!

Losing Stuff

Slowly turning a corner- first day out of bed.  Foster Mom Michelle helped me keep myself under control (it seems left to my own devices I just run myself into the ground).  An easy zone 1-2 ride with lots of talking made the morning a good one.  My lungs are still fighting the lingering infection, so I was happy to spend the rest of the day reading and watching Star Wars.  I still haven't left the couch.  Life is good.

 

Living a more minimal life has been on my mind quite a lot lately.  Less junk, less expense, less need.  Dave and I have been working on this slowly over time.  I have been getting pretty good at it in some areas:  I buy very few clothes, I drive used cars until they die, and I really don't mind that our furniture also graced our college house.  Our bedspreads don't match, but they work.  We are debt free except for the house, which is a little ghetto but almost paid in full.  But, one thing that bothers me is looking around my house and seeing so much junk.  Junk everywhere.  An attic full of STUFF.  A garage full of STUFF.  We have 2 refrigerators that are just sitting in the garage.  Time to get them on craig's list.  We have all of these wedding gifts (kitchen gadgets and such) up in the attic.  Why?  Why did I think I needed that STUFF?

I don't need it and I don't want it.  I want to look around and see order and purpose. 

I don't know how we accumulated so much.  If we don't use it, we need to lose it. 

So, I am on a mission to sell or give away stuff and free up space and energy in my life.  A junky home is a reflection of a junky life.  Time for me to clean house in and out!

On To Wellness

After 20 days of misery, I finally have some meds to crush this bronchitis.  Yes, I said 20 days.

Normally I don't wait so long to take care of my body, but this time I played it wrong.

I think I have a really strong body as a whole, but I have always had lung/respiratory/sinus issues for years and years.  My immune system is historically weak when it comes to treating these things.  No amount of fitness seems to matter.  

I KNOW not to let sinus infections turn bad.  Some people wait it out, do the netty pot, take some OTC crap, and they are fine.  This just doesn't work for me. 

So today when I finally got in to see the doctor, he just stared at me when I told him how long I have been battling this.  "But, Damie, you KNOW that you can't let it go on this long.  If you move from a sinus infection to bronchitis you have a lot of trouble.  WHY were you waiting?"

Um, because I feel pressure from all of the cool kids that I should never have to take antibiotics because tough/healthy people don't take them?

I am not allowed to do this again.  In the future, my doc gave me 3 days max then I have to come see him.

Thank goodness- antibiotics are now in my hands and I am not going to listen anymore to people that try to tell me to battle out bronchitis.  Trying to be tough really just makes me do stupid things sometimes.  I still feel awful, but I am so happy that I am getting ready to feel better!

I think I have accomplished 4 bikes, 2 swims, and 2 runs in the past 2 weeks, and they were all so, so awful and sick and dumb.  Dang me for losing all of my fitness.  I tried to run 1 mile this week with Dave.  It was so miserable I started walking after 3 minutes and let him finish the run while I read a romance novel.  (you are probably wondering why I had a romance novel with me in the first place, right?  I always say be prepared :) 

I was hoping to go on this huge racing bender in the next few months.  Dave even approved the big bender.  Benders are fun, when you are healthy!  I am not sure if I will be able to really pull it out now, but I am going to try.  Getting back in shape is not going to be pretty, but hopefully by Thurs/Fri I can be training a little bit again.  And, what I lost in fitness, I gained in Olympic Trials watching, so the glass is still half full.

xo