Phew! There is SO much to catch up on how do I even begin? I guess let's start where I left off... which will be my post indoor bike mini-meltdown last Saturday (it's been so long that I've posted that I have to put the date... saturday April 23rd!). After suffering on the trainer for three and a half hours Negative Nelly crept into my head. 'If you can't ride your bike for 3 and half hours... what makes you think you can do an Ironman?' All you athletes know Negative Nelly... she pops up at the most inconvenient times and tries to persuade you to FAIL. Ms. Nelly herself popped up post ride and my head only went downhill, tumbling towards the feeling of failure, heading into the dark, depths of Negative Nelly.... Sunday (April 24th) I had a 1:45 progression run where each mile had to be faster than the last. I hit my goals and got in over 12 miles. I should have been happy about that workout. But I wasn't.
You know when you do long run and you think about stuff going on around you? Some people find running cathartic and can tune out. Not me. It's the few minutes (or hours) of my day where I can plan my next move. I like to stay one step ahead.
So I realized that the very next weekend (April 30th-May 1st), I would be missing not one, not two but FOUR social events due to training. Then, on Mother's Day, I have a 4:30 bike plus a 45 minute run.... and my parents live almost 2 hours away.... and I'll be coming back from DC late Saturday night.... so yes, Mother's Day is now IM training day. AND - I'll be in lake placid for Father's Day. Basically, I've become a bad friend and daughter.
I felt so guilty missing important outings for my friends & family (bridal shower, birthdays, baby shower) and now, my parents? Great.... Lucky for me I have the most understanding and loving parents in the world so they keep telling me not to worry. But of course I do.
So let's recap because I know I'm rambling... I had an uber crappy workout that killed my confidence, I missed four things in one weekend, I'm missing two important family days... oh yeah... add in about 60 hour stress filled work weeks... this had left me in tears and hopeless. I was so extremly overwhelmed and the last week of work has been insane.
So let's fast forward to present day. I kicked Negative Nelly to the curb and she is banned from my brain. I had some really amazingly solid workouts, including a super long ride up to Bear Mountain which I climbed not once, but twice! That was Saturday April 30th.
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| Top of Bear Mountain |
Work was still pretty terrible last week but Thursday was our last day of taping til August! woohooo!!! I still have a ton to produce and write but with taping out of the picture it takes away a huge layer of stress.
And I got a super great email from my Dad that I wanted to share with you. He heard how frustrated I was and how Hard it is for me to say "no" to things I want to be a part of. He also told me about the "eat an elephant" quote... and I actually practiced what my Dad preached for once.
Hello Bean, (yes, that's his nickname for me)
Mom told me you might be getting a little down because you are saying "no" to things. You are not saying no you are saying YES to a goal, to a dream and to a vision. The pain is temporary the pride is forever. Stay focused, so that no matter what happens you leave with I am glad I did rather than I wish I had. That is the pillow test. When you put your head on the pillow at night you have to ask yourself those two statements. Only you can give a true answer.
Love
DAD
Of course, I cried after I read it (hey, give me some credit I was in a fragile state!) but it's very true and I need to remind myself of this because even though there's only 76 days left... the journey is far from over.
This past weekend was a whirlwind but I did my longest bike/brick workout yet. Saturday I was in DC so I ran 14 miles in 2 hours along Connecticut Ave, to the National Mall and back. It was HOT down there but I had a solid run. Then it was bridal shower time for my friend Steffy! This was the ginormous salmon I had to carry on my lap in the car.... hahah it was so funny!
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| The picture doesn't do it justice... this sucka was huge! |
Yesterday when I woke up my legs were a bit sore from the run and I was nervous about my long solo bike then run. But I put my big girl panties on and got going. The ride was beautiful... sunny skies... I wore my race kit I'll be wearing next Sunday at the Zof and focused on my nutrition. I got in almost 71 miles with over 3500 ft of climbing. The only weird and painful thing that happened was a bee stung me in the neck on my bike! I was coasting down a short but steep hill and I felt something hit my neck, I heard a buzzzzzz, and then pain. Ugh - thank goodness I'm not allergic cause it was seriously right by my jugular.
I made it back home and then took off on my 45 minute run. I was surprised with the pace I was holding. I averaged an 8:35 mile for 45 minutes and I was on a hilly course too! I definitely felt tired and my legs were heavy but I just kept going til my watch hit 45 minutes. The second I stopped the day's adventure hit me and I got a bit light headed and really, really tired. My lungs burned a bit and I started to cough. I was proud of what I got done and then it was off to a Brazilian steakhouse for an early dinner with my family. You can bet I ate a ton of food there!
oh, I also got my first awkward "tri-burn" of the season... can you tell what bike position I was in most?
This morning, my legs are pretty thrashed and I'm still tired. I have a pool workout to do but I'm gonna get it done after work tonight.
I'm really proud of what I have accomplished so far in training. My 3x a week bike plan is really paying off... I feel really strong on my Roo and even though I'm not the fastest I could be, I'm definitely in a better biking place than last year. And I'm staying on top of my running and swimming, while making gains.
76 DAYS TIL PLACID!!!
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