This is my Journey into the World of Ironman. It's my journal/documentation of the ups and downs of what it takes to be an age-group athlete training for an Ironman triathlon. This is more of a way for me to remember what I am doing over the course of the training season, as any Ironman Athlete can tell you, sometimes the days can blur into one training day of swim, bike, run after another. So, while some may not find this at all interesting, those that wonder...could I do an Ironman? Do I have what it takes to do an Ironman? I give you a peek into my journey and days to complete my next Ironman. Forgive any misspelled words/awkward sounding sentences. I'm pretty happy just to get them down on paper. Consider it a test of your mental skills to figure out what I'm saying. Hope you enjoy reading my journey. I'll see you at the Finishline!!!
Current Training Totals:
Swim 84,950 yds 34:59 hr/min
Bike 1518.59 Miles 113:11 hr/min
Run 373.82 Miles 79:44 hr/min
Other/ 31:45 hr/min
Strength
Overall Training Time: 259:39 hr/min
Monday- Well, I’m apparently SOOO excited about taper. That I chose to make today “honorary taper day”. I was tired when I woke today. I think from the fun effects of running at 10,000 feet in cold and windy conditions, then driving back to Billings and getting in my swim. Then not being able to fall asleep. I made it through the day, but then barely dragged my butt home, laid down on the bed, and was out for 4 1/2 hours. I was nauseous again today, so I didn’t eat much, and I just felt crappy all day. Oh well, I did enjoy my nap, and I’ve accepted that it’s my body’s way of saying I needed rest. So , I rested. Plus, with that extra “time” on my training schedule form last week, I figure I’m good. :)
Tuesday- Man. You would think I would feel pretty awake today? Instead I felt more tired. Last year, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde started appearing at this time. I’m starting to get a glimmer of them, but it’s luckily not as intense. I got work done today. I got home, I still ended up taking a hour long nap. but then I was up and off to the Y for a hour run on the treadmill, then in the pool for 2200 yds. Nothing to exciting, I did enjoy my hot tub massage. It’s funny, just when I think I can’t do any more, my body wants to sleep, I manage to push through the fatigue and I get the workout in, and surprise myself. This makes me happy. I may have stated this in last weeks post, but I don’t remember, so if i’m repeating this, then it’s a pretty awesome thing I’m feeling right now with my training. I’m not sure i’m at 100% healthy, but I’m really, really close. I also, kinda feel like I’m 100% trained. I’m getting the workouts in, I’m getting the nutrition in, I’m getting the hydration in, I’m getting my Base Performance in. I’m feeling….good. Tired of course, but, good. I like this feeling.
Wednesday- Typically today is my day off and I get on one of my long workouts. But I took Sunday off to do my 10K at 10,000 Feet. So, out of the kindness of my coworkers, they let me work half a day to noon, and I went and got in my longest swim for training of 4400 yards, and a “easy” 2:15 run. I got out of work around 12:30, I got home, I threw my bike in the Escape and ran it over to the bike shop. I had noticed some weird sounds coming from it while I was doing my 50-60 cadence at 125 power. It was consistently making noise, so I got a few leads on a good bike shop and I took it in for a tune up. Hopefully all is well, and I’ll have it back ASAP. I then ran over to the Y, and jumped in the pool to start my 4400 yards swim. I’m happy to report, that I actually felt comfortable doing it. The ENTIRE DISTANCE. every other 200 yards I used the paddles, just to make sure I kept my shoulder doing okay, it was sore, but nothing bad. As always, am the first one in the pool, and last one out. I finished with a fist pump in the air. Hopefully the life guard wasn’t laughing to much at me. Into the hot tub to stretch out the muscles. Next I had a 2:15 easy run. But I was also waiting anxiously for the bike guy to call, and hopefully pick up my bike before 6pm. So I had planned to go run on the treadmill, until I heard from him so I had a quick access to run and get the bike, then finish out my run. Well, as it got closer to 6, he never called. So I resigned myself to having to go pick up my bike tomorrow when the shop opens at 9 am. Thats if my bike is done, he had 4 before mine to fix. Fingers crossed I can start my ride as early as possible, cause I ‘m not sure what the weather is like tomorrow. The possible 20% today turned in to pouring today. So, I pray I can get out and get another Molt Loop Ride. Fingers crossed. SO, needless to say, I finished my long 2:15 hour run on the dreadmill. You know you have been there too long when the CNN news cycles through 3 times. Finished at 7 ish. Then back in the hot tub, shower and to the store for some quick errands. Then Home for the night. I get to sleep in and be ready to go by 9 AM to hopefully pick up my bike, and get on the road ASAP. Fingers crossed.
Thursday- Woke this morning tired. I slept in. I knew I could though, because I couldn’t get my bike until 9 am. Then when 9 rolled around, I called the bike shop. Still not done, he will call me back around 10 AM. Still not done. I seriously used this time to sleep. Then 10:45 he called. All set, bring the shoes, and let’s make sure we are all good to go. See you at 11:30 AM. Whew…I’m a little frustrated as I really wanted to be done with my ride early today. now I’m resorting to possibly needing to do a trainer ride, because I know storms are forecasted for the afternoon. So I head to the the shop, he tells me everything he did. Tweaked the detrailer a bit, checked out the bottom bracket, did a thorough check of the bike, all looks good. Ok, so on the trainer we go….after a few minutes in the cadence and pace I was at before…..click, click, click. There is the noise. Darn it!! This tri bike is more finicky then a…wait, I won’t finish that sentence. But man…what the heck? So I peddled for another few minutes with the guy climbing all over me and the bike looking for the sound. Then I jumped off. Finally, we determined it was coming from the seat. Particularly from the Xlab carbon water bottle holder and the pouch that was by the seat holding a spare tire. REALLLY??? So, because I was changing it out anyway, we took it off. Got back on….no sound. Oh COME ON!!! It’s now 1:00. With his help we switch out the single water holder to the double holder. Looks old school and not very aero, but I need to get on more fluids on my ride, especially my Base Rocket Fuel. I want three bottles of Rocket Fuel so I have no excuse to try and conserve. I will not have the issue I had last year. So we get it all switched out, and I jump on one more time, no noise. Ha Ha!!! I was super happy that is was something so simple, yet frustrated that it was something so simple. I was frustrated that it was now going on 1:30PM and I still had 4:30 hours to ride and 45 min to run. The guy thou was awesome! He took good care of me, and I was out the door by 1:45. So, home I go, watching the clouds start to form in the sky. Thinking to myself, darn it, I could be done with my ride by now if I didn’t have to take it to the bike shop. But I know she needed to have a tune up and it was good for her. But then…Dr. Jekyll arrived. In full force. I got home, I got my back tired changed out to ride the trainer, I got her all setup on the trainer. And I was feeling ill. I was shaky. again. I laid down to relax for a bit to see of the nausea would go away. I ate something, because by this time, I realized that I didn’t really eat much at all today. My nutrition sucked. So I ate and relaxed…another hour goes by. Then I get distracted by some chores, laundry. I don’t get on the trainer until 4:15 pm. I’m toast. I’m now grumpy, I’m getting emotional, I’m in the brink of tears, I distract myself with some tv shows on the trainer, I make it exactly 1:38 hr/min. and I get off. I lay on the floor in front of the fan. What. The. Hell? Where is this coming from? I muster up all the positive motivation quotes I can think of. I look up Ironman Cowboy and how he is on Ironman 41 out of 50 out starting the run, and I know he is more tired then me. I think of turning my boxes red on Training Peaks, I think of how I DNF’ed last year. My brain basically flips me off..and the waterworks begin. I laid on the ground and cried, for a good 15 minutes. Ladies and Gentlemen…welcome to the wonderful world of TAPER.
I managed to muster up the resolve to get up, go take a shower. And then I get some food in my system. I lay on the bed and I look up my Ironman blog from last year at this time. I read the blog titled Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Whew, I am right where I need to be. While I hate the fact that I didn’t do my whole ride. I’m happy, that I know I melted down just the same last year. I’d train and have a really good day, Wednesday with my swim, and then the next day, it’s like I don’t even know what I’m frickin doing. Ha Ha…and I paid for this. So, after reading this blog post, I let myself off the hook. Once again, I must of needed it. I’ve got the fitness in my body, I have what it takes, I will do this. I’ve Got This.
Friday- Better today mentally, I just totally didn’t let myself think about it at all. Except to show a few people my Tapering Triathlete Warning. It helped, and I arrived home to feel pretty good for once. I called up one of my best friends and wished them a Happy Birthday today. And then I made up some cool tattoos for IMB. I have a few other top secret ones, but I am not sharing until race day. I need to still tweak them a bit before final prep. Then off I went to swim. I was going to try and get in my run from yesterday that I missed, but decided, I need to let that go. That day is done. No Looking back. Only forward. So Lift and then Swim. A short easy 1700 yards. Hot Tub. Home. Relax.
Saturday- Woke today, feeling surprisingly awake. At least for the AM, By the afternoon, my brain went into taper mode. I ended up coming home and took a hour nap. on the bike trainer by 5pm, then I grilled a steak, relaxed, and well…Bed.
Sunday- I had my first Race Nightmare this morning!! How appropriate with it being exactly two weeks away from Race Day, and start since I woke up late at 6:30 AM. It’s was so darn vividly real too. My normal “taper” nightmares are that I sleep in, and don’t get to the start on time, then I get there, and they are already swimming, and I can’t start.
This morning, I had a different kind of dream, I dreamed that I had a good swim, and then, on the bike I finished!!!! But the officials wouldn't let me go on the run. They kept saying I didn’t make the bike cut off time. And I was pissed, I kept saying, I was good on time, I finished the bike and now I could run. I had visions of DNF’ing AGAIN, and how I once again, was not going to get to run across that beautiful finish line. I was devastated. Then I had several thoughts in my head, 1. How come I don’t remember riding the course? I Know it was hot, but I don’t remember being hot, and I wasn’t “sore” from my ride, how can I miss the cut off time. 2. Why the heck didn’t my coach, Jillian, who was there to cheer me on, not get on my ass and tell me to move?? And where was she anyway??? (ha ha sorry Coach) Then I had all this dread, how could I do this a second time? and now I was going to have to go do it again, I’m not sure I had the desire to do it a third time and keep failing at it. Then I woke up. Awesome. And that’s the self doubt portion of TAPERING rearing it’s ugly head.
I spent the day at work, ignoring my nightmare so I couldn’t let it get me down. Then I came home, had a nice 20 min nap, and got on the treadmill and worked my hills with a 5% grade. I was pretty happy with my workout. I was tired, It was hot. But I got it done, and pretty darn close to the times coach wanted, give or take 20 seconds in pace. Shower. Dinner. Relax.
13 days and counting. TAPER BABY!!! TAPER!!!!!!
Here is the weather obsession portion of the taper….I’m now within range of checking the weather in Boulder…Multiple times....Every day. I honestly won't believe any of it, until I’m in the race. last year it forecasted 85 as I was riding to the race site in the morning. And ended up 95 ish with 100 plus degree ambient heat. Yep. Not going to stress. I also heard the water temp went down to 70.5 degrees. I’m not worried about the swim, regardless, I’m in a wetsuit, I’m not trying to win any awards. All is good.
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