This would be a great day to write a well thought out post. I have some topics and time, but I just don't have the energy. At some point last night, my body turned on me and I spent the rest of the night and the morning crying on the bathroom floor (which has a lot of dog hair on it, by the way. I never noticed. Totally gross when your face is on it).

Vomiting out of both ends, I must have flushed the toilet 50 times...and the shower has been rendered unusable for a few days. I needed multiple places for projection. It lasted almost 8 hours.

I have not thrown up in 6 years? I have not been sick in so long, and I have forgotten how horrible it is for your body to be truly sick.

I first blamed it on the food at Book Club. And, since I didn't actually read the book, wouldn't it be fitting that I got food poisoning? However, every single other person from Book Club feels just dandy.

And since I still feel 100% horrible 20 hours later...looks like I have a a circulating virus bug on my hands. The sweet life of a pediatric physical therapist.

Here's to hoping for enough fluid/calorie intake coupled with a total body rejuvenation to get me to the starting line of my race on Saturday. I was (or am?) looking forward to using a borrowed disc for the first time ever.

Weekly Bone

After my last post, I realized I am going to have to take tighter control in the next 5 weeks of my days. Like the 4 hours of sleep last night....not going to cut it. I have been unnecessarily grumpy with extraneous things like the weather (totally out of my control) most likely because I am not balanced (somewhat in my control :) Just 5 weeks away (Julia). I can do it!

I love it when life throws me a bone, though. Today I begrudgingly woke up at 4am to join an unfamiliar group of guys for a long ride. I hemmed and hawed about doing this ride. As usual, I worried that the ride would be too hard for me, and I would compromise my long ride by going out too fast in order to keep up. And, as usual again, I worry too much. The ride was great- the guys were great- my riding was great.

I followed it up with a 60 minute brick run. Some more good stuff. My legs feel completely awesome and my knees are as normal as they are going to get. All of my hard work is paying off. I don't get a bone every day, but when it comes my way, I recognize it and feel thankful. As ironman training starts to wrap up, I can say that I have done the work. I am finding ways to get it done.

Highlight of the week: learning hands on how to change my tubular tires. I now feel so smart. And did you guys know I was racing on a front tubular 404 all season long that had NO GLUE? The bike shop has wondered how I have not met my death this year.

+ and -

I figured I would start the post off with a positive. ( + )
Yesterday I had a nice round of 5 x 1 mile at approx half marathon pace. I have not been on a track since January or early February, so I was not truly looking forward to the oval. It was not a hard workout, but sometimes I get a little dread when facing the track and the clock, even at easier paces. However, a nice surprise awaited me as I ran about 20 seconds per mile faster than anticipated at what felt like a very easy effort. Mile repeats at ANY pace never feel easy to me. I could hardly believe it. Somewhere in the middle of the workout, I realized that having a good base is truly amazing.

And now for a negative rant ( - )

Today was the day that I finally got pissed. I have suffered through the heat and humidity of the south for months on end. I have stayed disciplined to my HR and gutted through workouts. I have swallowed my pride and let the mph go. I have increased my fluid intake beyond my own comprehension. I have stumbled out of the door at odd hours in the morning to "beat the heat."

But honestly, training in the heat does not make you stronger. You are not automatically fast in cooler weather after you have slogged out miles in the heat. I have decided I am just dumber and slower for all of this. I was so mad riding home today- seeing the mph and just dying in the extreme heat. I woke up earlier and tried so hard to make the best of the day. Now I know that I can ride a very slow pace at a low HR in dangerous heat. Yea me.

Grrrrrr!!!!!!!

It is just stupid. The heat is destroying my training. It is infiltrating all of my discipline and hard work. It is making a mockery of my determination to be fit for my ironman.

Our weather forecast today:
SEVERE
Extreme heat index. Outdoor exposure should be limited.
104F feels like 115F

So if you live somewhere and your training is getting "hot" at 80 degrees, I don't want to hear about it. And likewise I won't complain this winter at 30 degrees when you are 14 below. :)