Week Ten of FC Coaching/Training--- Blessed Recovery Week

Disclaimer:  This blog is a documentation of my now second Ironman Journey for AZ Ironman 2013. I’m doing this race for a former patient, Sunny, who just recently passed away from a brain tumor. I hope that I can honor her well as I take her on my journey.   Format will be random, i.e. quick journal format, random thoughts, motivational quotes, pictures of random moments and memories along my journey. For the most part, it’s documentation for me and may not be to exciting for anyone else to read, but for those of you brave enough to ever wonder…could I do an Ironman or even just a triathlon?  I then offer you a firsthand account of what goes on in the mind of an Ironman age group triathlete including all the highs, lows, emotions, fears, rants, etc, etc.   Please forgive any spelling mistakes as I’m sure I am just happy to get everything written down, just chalk it up to fatigue from lots of training! 

Current Stats Overall:

SWIM:  ~159,062 Yds   

BIKE: ~ 1122.77 Miles    

RUN: ~   3542 Miles   

Strength: ~ 24:55 hr/min

Other      ~ 11:06 hr/min (PT, Stretch, etc. )

Total Training Hours:  257:58 hours/minutes

Oh, blessed recovery week. Seems I’ve been having more redline days then not. I’m so ready for this week of recovery from training. I also had to just mentally unplug thanks to stress, health issues, and mental/physical exhaustion from everything. With Yosemite scrapped off my plans yet again. I took three days off and literally I’ve fallen off the face of the earth.  It’s been good.  I did make a road trip to Phx one day, and enjoy shopping for a bit at some of my favorite stores. And got a chance to hang  out for the evening with a good friend, who not realizing how bad I needed to,  was able to help me face some demons  that I didn’t realize that I still was holding on to.  It was a good night with a good friend. I’m looking forward to hanging out some more in the next few weeks for a few races down in Phx to prepare for Ironman AZ . Lot’s of changes are going to be coming on the horizon. Some of it scares the hell out of me, other things, not some much, the time has come for a change. I realize that after learning of the death of a friend, that I’m not going to just sit here and wait for life to happen anymore, I’m not going to settle.  So, on that note.

Monday rolled around and while I was tired from my long trainer ride on Sunday, I got to the pool late, as I had a doctor’s appointment with some semi good news for the most part.  I will be okay to wait on surgery until after Ironman, but then will have to take two weeks off of work with a lifting restriction.  Mentally tough evening after that conversation with the doctor. Lot’s of scary thoughts in my head.  I made it to the pool and got in my 1800 yds. I don’t seem to be progressing as of late in my swim. Kind of just keeping it the same pace. I’m thinking more of it has to do with me not getting good nutrition in as I’m not eating very well for a while now.  My plan to work on that when I get the rest of the week off.

Tuesday I was very late getting out of work. Like not until after 5 PM.  And it was a rather stressful day from everything else going on personally.  So I got home and managed to get on my trainer for 55 minutes.  It was slow, but I got it done. I was so tired, I was asleep pretty quick .Felt really sore, just tired. Helped knowing  I could sleep in….and knowing I didn’t have to work the rest of the week.

 Wednesday, I did sleep in til  7:30 AM. Then over to ortho appt that I had to reschedule from Tuesday. And off to swim. I was so tired, I almost fell asleep in the chair waiting for my appointment. I got to the Y and got my swim in, and felt pretty good for the most part. 2400 yds with intermittent pull buoy, then I was on the treadmill at the Y for 55 mins and just 4 miles. I was tired. So tired, that by the time I got dressed, I walked out and headed straight for the soda machine, grabbed a Coke, and once I got to the car, I was in redline mode. I had to kick back and drink the entire can, and just sleep for about 20 minutes, I couldn’t go anywhere. It hit so quick.  Once I felt good enough, I ran a few errands around town, got home and well basically laid on the couch and slept/watch a movie for the rest of the night.

Woke Thursday with the plan to head to Phx for my day off. I was out the door by 10 am. Slow start, but I just couldn’t go any faster. Was down in the heat by 11 ish and got to hit up some of my favorite stores, then meet up with my good friend and we hung out the rest of the afternoon/evening. It was so good to hang out by the pool, relax, drink a beer or two, and get dinner. Nice to just RELAX. No pressure, no stress. It good to just not really think. To get some good advice on my frustrating issues and have someone who understood what I was dealing with. 

Friday I woke at 11am. Really? 12 hours of sleep? I didn’t even workout yesterday? but I was so tired that I couldn’t get out of bed any sooner. So be it. I finally got up, and managed to get in my 50 min run. I have to relate a creepy moment… I run out in my subdivision, and now I do at least one of my long hill repeats that takes me up to the water tower by our subdivision9 about a mile long hill). When I got to the top, I was taking a break to drink water. Well, the locusts were out and I noticed a few at the bottom, but not too many in the middle. I was sitting there with my head phones on…and suddenly just felt this “feeling” and  heard this "noise", I took off my headphones, and literally I could “hear” the grasshoppers moving across the grass, then when  looked down and to my right, it was kinda like a swarm of them. Like one every foot, and they were all crawling from left to right in front of me in their slow creepy crawling way. Needless to say I didn’t stick around long. I was just a bit spooked.  Once home, I showered and I then headed off for a much needed massage that I have been neglecting. Wow. I really have been neglecting. Because I’m doing less volume, I have not felt as much pain and tightness as I did the first time, so I have not gone to my monthly massage. I was so not in tune with my body, cause what I thought was sore. The massage therapist found everything else that was tight. So, note to self. My monthly massages are going back on the schedule…no questions asked. It felt really good, and the first good sleep i've had in awhile.  

Saturday I was up by 7ish, and on the road by 8 AM for my three hour ride. I felt good for once,  I was able to stay for the most part in the recommended training plan/zones. I was averaging a good pace. A nice pace  that makes me happy. Then I was off on a 3 mile run.  It was hot, but  I felt good for the most part.  Then once I was done, it was nap time again.

Sunday  I woke, feeling a bit better finally but still tired. I was slept in again as I’m sure it was much needed. Then I was on my trainer for my short 55 min bike ride. Then I was off to hangout with my girlfriend and get organized and stuff ready for her baby shower in a couple weeks. Had a great dinner, got my favorite dessert. The way we both ate, you’d think neither of us had eaten in weeks, me with training, her with growing a baby. We had a good laugh when we realized we were so focused on food we hadn’t talked for  about five minutes.   

In other good news:  My niece did her first CC meet EVER!! And although I know she was hanging back with another friend, she still ran a good time. She isn't as competitive as her brothers, but I think once she starts learning what she wants, she’s gonna surprise herself with how far she can go. Super excited for her.

Also, a patient of mine that I worked with in Billing, MT, just got called today for his new set of lungs!! He is only 21 yrs old and man he is an awesome kid. I’m so excited for him, I’ve been doing the happy dance with updates, last one was his first lung was getting sewn in.  So praying for him and a good recovery. He deserves it!!!

Got my training plan for the next three weeks. Going to be interesting and challenging. I have time trials again, which I’m very happy for to see what I have improved on. I finally can do my run, now that my hip is doing better.  I MUST get my nutrition better. NO EXCUSES. It just needs to be done if I’m going to make this work. I also have decided to not do my Olympic Race this weekend, and opt for the recommended five hour ride. But I think I’m going to ride the race course, as they want a “flat” course. I’m sure not going to get that up here.   I’ll see how the week progresses.

The first step

To living the life you want

Is leaving the life

You don’t want

Taking the first step FORWARD

Is always the hardest

But then each step forward

Gets easier and easier

And each step forward gets

You closer and closer

Until eventually what had once been

Invisible

Starts to become visible

And what had once felt

Impossible

Starts to feel possible.