I have officially emerged from my post-Christmas coma. The sparkly-full-of- magic holiday last Saturday left me in a complete catatonic state for the two days following. It's quite remarkable, now that I think about it, that I didn't get sick. {actually...I sort of did get sick. But it never leveled me so I consider that a success.) However, I am also proud to mention that despite being paralyzed and glassy eyed on the couch in my pjs for 48+ hrs after Santa's visit and playing hostess to 30 of my in-laws, I did manage to haul myself up, don layers upon layers of running clothes and bust out a fairly hard 15 miles on Sunday. Twenty minutes after walking in the door, I was back in pjs on the couch. No joke.
Our holiday was full-on craziness. I saw some people yesterday who, when I asked about their Christmas, replied, "Oh it was so nice. Very low key and quiet."
HA!!!!! Mine was not. Not low key at all. And you know what, I like it that way.
We go all out for Christmas in every way possible. My parents did for us when we were growing up and I want the same for my kids. We make loads of cookies, build homemade crafts with greens we cut outside, decorate full tilt, sing songs 'til we're blue, go to parties, fill the house with too many gifts and track Santa until he's in South America. Heck--we even threw the tooth fairy in on Christmas eve!! I am quite sure she helped Santa eat all those Hershey Kiss cookies the kids left for him. And then, on Christmas Day, I hosted 30 members of my husband's family for a little meal. phew....this is making me tired again. That little list doesn't begin to touch the myriad of Christmasy activities and preparations that were happening here. As you all know.... I am not alone here. On top of that, we threw in a birthday for my now 9 year old and um, Marathon training!!!! I sort of forgot about the insantity of December when I picked a January 15th marathon down south.
Amidst all the shopping, parties, basketball games, birthday celebrations and planning, I have been running running and running some more.
I love it.
The weather has cooperated for the most part. There have been a few nasty long runs during which my fuel belt bottles Froze solid and the gels I had made me nauseus. Running sub marathon pace with no hydration and thick gels did put me over the edge a few weeks back. I am proud to say however, that I donned my high heels just hours after that 20 mile suffer-fest and partied the night away. I refused to miss anything this past month!! It's been fun.
Somehow Vacation week is cruising along too fast. The boys are totally enthralled with their buckets of legos and remote control helicopters. I'm finding time to sleep late and feed them breakfast at lunch time. We had a blizzard and we've found our way back to the ski slopes. It's been a good week.
I have been out of blog-ville for quite some time. I couldn't justify the the time it takes to write one. I have read a few but not many.
I have read enough and talked enough to others to say that I have come to this conclusion.
Training for me isn't complicated. It's not stressful or fancy. It's what I do to make me who I am. Racing is in my blood. If I need to miss a workout for some reason (and believe me, it needs to be a GOOD reason) I don't like it, but I know it's not going to ruin the big picture. As long as the rest of things stay intact and consistent. You can't haphazardly skip a workout Monday, Thursday, move Tuesday to Saturday, miss Sunday and do 3 to make it up on the following Monday. Things will start to fall off at that point I believe.
Train consistenly and when you're training, focus on your training.
When you're not training, live a life that supports your chosen hobby and focus on your life.
Try your best not to over think, over analyze, worry and obsess about all the workouts. It will drive you crazy. At least, it would drive me crazy. That's why I choose to 'just work hard.' I am dedicated and try to be smart. I do my best to eat well, sleep well, listen to my aching body parts now that I'm almost , gulp, 41. I enjoy myself too. I really enjoy the work. And, I look at the big picture, I make sure all the components of a good training plan are in place (thanks to my coach Jen I do.....) and then I just do the work. For exacmple, on a Tuesday, I know what Wednesday's work will be. I am always a few days ahead of the plan in my head. I think about my nutrtion and my rest accordingly. If Saturday is a huge day, I will get plenty of sleep on Friday. I even know today, that next Wednesday is a hard day. I have locked that away in my brain so that when it arrives, I am ready. I will follow the plan consistenly until that time and be ready.
I don't know exactly what I'm saying here, or why...... it just seems like people spend so much time worrying about what they are not doing. Instead, try focusing on what you Are doing and do the best that you can with it.
Be Consistent and work hard.
Give yourself a break if life throws a curve ball. Get back at it and start again. You will be fine if you do that.
Happy New Year!!
2011 already?
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Where it all starts
It doesn't matter what your friends are doing. It doesn't matter what they think. It makes no difference whether or not your husband thinks it would be fun or if your parents would be proud.
You can't do it for them.
You Must do it for You.
If you want to succeed, it Must come from your Heart.
Before anything else. If you don't have a hot burning desire to dig deep inside and work your tail off, don't bother.
That might sound harsh. I believe it though. Certain things take too much energy and time and devotion to do it wihtout your heart.
Transfer this to anything in your life. It doesn't have to be Triathlon. Or running. Or swimming. But for me, it is. This post is about my sport.
Some people are born with more atletic talent than others. In other words, genetic potential. This is a sweet little gift from your Mom and Dad or Grandfather and Grandmother. If you were born with a dose of talent, say your polite thank yous and move on. Because it takes a Lot more than that. And more importantly, you don't have to have the perfect amount of genetic potential to be the best of the best.
What you need is heart. And skill. And toughness. You can develop your skills. You can study and practice and repeat things over and over and over until you get it right. You can devote months during the winter to improving your run form. You can hire a coach and learn proper swimming techniques. And then you hit the pool or the roads and you dig into that desire that comes from your heart and you practice perfection over and over and over until you get it. That is how you develop your skills. Again, it starts from inside. After all, if you don't want it, nobody is going to motivate you to run back and forth on your driveway doing running drills when it's 32 degrees and snowing!
Heart.
Have you ever watched someone race who is clearly not showing great bike handling skills. Or maybe she doesn't have the best swim stroke. Does she lean back when she runs or maybe her shoulders are hunched and her arms cross over? And yet, she's out in front or close to it? She's fast!? Maybe you've watched athletes like this so you're thinking, hey! Where are her perfect skills? How is that working?
Let's talk about Toughness.
That factor in sport that I believe is Crucial. It can make or break the race. It propels some people into greatness. It comes from deep inside--from your heart.
Let's get this straight before I go on. Toughness is not inherited. It's not something ones wins in the genetic lottery. You develop it over your life and learn how to put it to use. You aren't Lucky that you're tough. You teach yourself to become tough. You work at it. You fight for it. Once you have it, it's yours to keep.
So, what is toughness?
Have you ever been out on a training run with specific goals in mind. You were out there to hit a certain pace as part of specific training for an upcoming race. It was a key workout. Let's say you were running along getting ready to pick up the pace and hit those goals when Bam! wind. You turned around and a wall of wind smacked you down and force you to reach even Deeper! Mabye for a few minutes you thought, forget it! I can't do it today! This was going to be hard enough with no wind, perfect temperatures and flat roads! Now this!? I'm done.
OR... do you change your thinking and employ a fighting spirit against those annoying winds and just go for it anyway. Race day weather is Rarely perfect so get tough and make this happen. Use your heart and dig deep. It must come from within.
Perhaps you were on a race course, thinking that things were moving foward as they should, when a competitor surprises you and makes a pass.
Do you quit? Back off? Give it up to him and say, "oh well...it's not my day."
HellNo! Not if you're tough.
FIGHT Back!!! Get over that disappointment and jump back into the battle.
Be strong. Be tough. It takes heart.
Have you ever been in a race when you felt the overhwelming urge to just stop. To get off the bike, to walk off the road, or to hide under the shade of a table at an aid station? You know that pull...that feeling that you have nothing left. Nothing. Can you fight it? Did you fight it? Did you reach deep inside and pull out the last little teeny bit of strength to get to that ever glorious finish line? If you did, you are tough too.
Don't ever go out there and think 'you're not talented enough or that you didn't win the genetic lottery' as others may have. That is not what determines succes in my opinion. Does it help? Probably. But how much? You can't measure that. Plenty of people are uber talented but they are as tough as a corn flake and that's as far as it goes.
I love this line from a great book I read. "Your future is determined far more by what you do than what you are genetically."
You can't do it for them.
You Must do it for You.
If you want to succeed, it Must come from your Heart.
Before anything else. If you don't have a hot burning desire to dig deep inside and work your tail off, don't bother.
That might sound harsh. I believe it though. Certain things take too much energy and time and devotion to do it wihtout your heart.
Transfer this to anything in your life. It doesn't have to be Triathlon. Or running. Or swimming. But for me, it is. This post is about my sport.
Some people are born with more atletic talent than others. In other words, genetic potential. This is a sweet little gift from your Mom and Dad or Grandfather and Grandmother. If you were born with a dose of talent, say your polite thank yous and move on. Because it takes a Lot more than that. And more importantly, you don't have to have the perfect amount of genetic potential to be the best of the best.
What you need is heart. And skill. And toughness. You can develop your skills. You can study and practice and repeat things over and over and over until you get it right. You can devote months during the winter to improving your run form. You can hire a coach and learn proper swimming techniques. And then you hit the pool or the roads and you dig into that desire that comes from your heart and you practice perfection over and over and over until you get it. That is how you develop your skills. Again, it starts from inside. After all, if you don't want it, nobody is going to motivate you to run back and forth on your driveway doing running drills when it's 32 degrees and snowing!
Heart.
Have you ever watched someone race who is clearly not showing great bike handling skills. Or maybe she doesn't have the best swim stroke. Does she lean back when she runs or maybe her shoulders are hunched and her arms cross over? And yet, she's out in front or close to it? She's fast!? Maybe you've watched athletes like this so you're thinking, hey! Where are her perfect skills? How is that working?
Let's talk about Toughness.
That factor in sport that I believe is Crucial. It can make or break the race. It propels some people into greatness. It comes from deep inside--from your heart.
Let's get this straight before I go on. Toughness is not inherited. It's not something ones wins in the genetic lottery. You develop it over your life and learn how to put it to use. You aren't Lucky that you're tough. You teach yourself to become tough. You work at it. You fight for it. Once you have it, it's yours to keep.
So, what is toughness?
Have you ever been out on a training run with specific goals in mind. You were out there to hit a certain pace as part of specific training for an upcoming race. It was a key workout. Let's say you were running along getting ready to pick up the pace and hit those goals when Bam! wind. You turned around and a wall of wind smacked you down and force you to reach even Deeper! Mabye for a few minutes you thought, forget it! I can't do it today! This was going to be hard enough with no wind, perfect temperatures and flat roads! Now this!? I'm done.
OR... do you change your thinking and employ a fighting spirit against those annoying winds and just go for it anyway. Race day weather is Rarely perfect so get tough and make this happen. Use your heart and dig deep. It must come from within.
Perhaps you were on a race course, thinking that things were moving foward as they should, when a competitor surprises you and makes a pass.
Do you quit? Back off? Give it up to him and say, "oh well...it's not my day."
HellNo! Not if you're tough.
FIGHT Back!!! Get over that disappointment and jump back into the battle.
Be strong. Be tough. It takes heart.
Have you ever been in a race when you felt the overhwelming urge to just stop. To get off the bike, to walk off the road, or to hide under the shade of a table at an aid station? You know that pull...that feeling that you have nothing left. Nothing. Can you fight it? Did you fight it? Did you reach deep inside and pull out the last little teeny bit of strength to get to that ever glorious finish line? If you did, you are tough too.
Don't ever go out there and think 'you're not talented enough or that you didn't win the genetic lottery' as others may have. That is not what determines succes in my opinion. Does it help? Probably. But how much? You can't measure that. Plenty of people are uber talented but they are as tough as a corn flake and that's as far as it goes.
I love this line from a great book I read. "Your future is determined far more by what you do than what you are genetically."
Monday, November 15, 2010
Progress
It's been so long since I've posted I had to go back to see what that last post was about!!
I was apparently really tired that day. Now, I'm tired of reading that title. It's Making me tired!!
The theme for me this month has been soreness. I was beginning to feel like I might never walk across the room, or reach onto a shelf, or sit on a chair without a guarded,'ooooh ouch ahhhh....'
I have been Hurting for Weeks!!!!
My body has been going through some changes. I've been asking it to do things that it's never done before.
Circuits upon circuits of slamming medicine balls, jumping repeatedly onto massive tires, throwing medicine balls up at a wall - catching it- bend into squat and repeat. and Planks! oh the planks. Planks with one arm, planks while climbing mountains, planks while moving a ball back and forth and doing a push up! Crazy hard fun stuff. But my body has been Screaming!!
On top of that, my run mileage is gradually climbing. While the running hasn't been overwhelming, trying to run up my neighborhood hills (I mean, mini mountains) has left be begging for mercy. My quads have been shaking and rebelling on more than one run lately.
My last strength workout was Thursday night. I woke up Friday feeling all cocky and proud. I felt fine! I drove to the pool for a great swim. Haha...I am fine. I can keep up with those guys and handle this No problemo. (my new strength group is 99% men).
Ahem..
I spoke too soon.
(and I must interrupt this post, that I am writing while watching Dancing wth the Stars, to say that Jennifer Gray is one Hot 50 year old!!! You go girl! Motivation to keep the body in Shape! )
So yes, I spoke too soon. Serious DOMS! Yup---delayed onset muscle soreness. I had it. My upper body was talking.to.me.
What was it saying?
"Hello Momma! You are Wrecking me! I am getting ready to show you what this is for!"
It was time for some adapting. My body finally decided to stop taking this abuse and put all this hard work to some good use.
By Sunday morning, I was feeling just fine. Allejuia. I had a long run on tap and I wanted it to be good.
You know what? It was INCREDIBLE!!!! Now, my Heartrate and pace were controlled and monitored throughout. I am sure that helped things. However, something amazing happened. Something that is Rare for me. In all my years of running.
I never got tired. My legs did NOT get tired. At all!!! I felt Great! Fine. I felt the same at mile 15 as I did at mile 7. It was fabulous!!! And mystifying!
What's happening here??
Ding ding ding. I get it. Finally, I am getting stronger. My muscles are experiencing that thing we read about. Resistance to fatigue. Yup...that's what that was.
I am running more and more. I have double runs some days, and about 15 more miles/ week than I'm used to. That combined with some effective and well planned strength program and I'm seeing the results.
Sure, there's a good chance I was just havinga good day. But it was enough. Enough to build my confidence and give me the kick to keep working just as hard.
I was apparently really tired that day. Now, I'm tired of reading that title. It's Making me tired!!
The theme for me this month has been soreness. I was beginning to feel like I might never walk across the room, or reach onto a shelf, or sit on a chair without a guarded,'ooooh ouch ahhhh....'
I have been Hurting for Weeks!!!!
My body has been going through some changes. I've been asking it to do things that it's never done before.
Circuits upon circuits of slamming medicine balls, jumping repeatedly onto massive tires, throwing medicine balls up at a wall - catching it- bend into squat and repeat. and Planks! oh the planks. Planks with one arm, planks while climbing mountains, planks while moving a ball back and forth and doing a push up! Crazy hard fun stuff. But my body has been Screaming!!
On top of that, my run mileage is gradually climbing. While the running hasn't been overwhelming, trying to run up my neighborhood hills (I mean, mini mountains) has left be begging for mercy. My quads have been shaking and rebelling on more than one run lately.
My last strength workout was Thursday night. I woke up Friday feeling all cocky and proud. I felt fine! I drove to the pool for a great swim. Haha...I am fine. I can keep up with those guys and handle this No problemo. (my new strength group is 99% men).
Ahem..
I spoke too soon.
(and I must interrupt this post, that I am writing while watching Dancing wth the Stars, to say that Jennifer Gray is one Hot 50 year old!!! You go girl! Motivation to keep the body in Shape! )
So yes, I spoke too soon. Serious DOMS! Yup---delayed onset muscle soreness. I had it. My upper body was talking.to.me.
What was it saying?
"Hello Momma! You are Wrecking me! I am getting ready to show you what this is for!"
It was time for some adapting. My body finally decided to stop taking this abuse and put all this hard work to some good use.
By Sunday morning, I was feeling just fine. Allejuia. I had a long run on tap and I wanted it to be good.
You know what? It was INCREDIBLE!!!! Now, my Heartrate and pace were controlled and monitored throughout. I am sure that helped things. However, something amazing happened. Something that is Rare for me. In all my years of running.
I never got tired. My legs did NOT get tired. At all!!! I felt Great! Fine. I felt the same at mile 15 as I did at mile 7. It was fabulous!!! And mystifying!
What's happening here??
Ding ding ding. I get it. Finally, I am getting stronger. My muscles are experiencing that thing we read about. Resistance to fatigue. Yup...that's what that was.
I am running more and more. I have double runs some days, and about 15 more miles/ week than I'm used to. That combined with some effective and well planned strength program and I'm seeing the results.
Sure, there's a good chance I was just havinga good day. But it was enough. Enough to build my confidence and give me the kick to keep working just as hard.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Sometimes I Like to Curl up in a Ball,
So no one can see me because I'm so small.
Sometimes I like to run ever so fast, I sometimes come first, but I sometimes come last.
Sometimes I like to stand still as a tree, and watch everyone rush around about me.
Sometimes I like to just walk round and round, I pigeon step, pigeon step, till I fall down. (ok--I don't do this very often. But my middle son sure does!! Makes me laugh...)
Six or seven years ago, my dear Aunt Jane gave my kids an adorable little book by the same title as my post. The author Vicki Churchill captures the feelings in our home in just the right way. Aunt Jane died very suddenly of a brain tumor almost 5 years ago. This book always makes me think of her.
This morning when I woke up, all I could think about was when I could possibly figure out how to crawl back into bed. My body shuttered when the alarm screamed at me at 4:30. I was still awake a mere 3 hrs before. I was in panic mode when I looked at the clock and saw the time in the middle of the night. I had missed my early morning swim on Monday. I was fried that day for several reasons and shut the alarm off by mistake. I Had to swim today. I had to. I was running out of options for fitting in my 2 / week dates with the pool.
So I got up.
Last night was such a bad night. Why does that happen? Yes, it was election night and I am pretty worked up about a few things happening in Maine right now. Specifically, an issue that was voted on by the entire state but only impacts My county. I'll just leave it at that. So I was up too late watching the poll numbers (fyi--- both issues are still statistically tied. But it's not looking favorable for my side.) and my husband was out late for something.
One thing after another and the next thing I know, insomnia.
But I got up.
I swam. I swam pretty hard and felt pretty good!!! I couldn't imagine even diving in the water as I looked at my face before. My eyes were puffy and red from my sleepless night. The cool water stunned me. SO, I just moved my arms and completed the workout. After a few hundred yards, I was focused on the job at hand.
And as tired as I am now, I'm more than happy that I dragged my butt out of bed and started the day off right with a swim.
I imagine everyone has those days. Those mornings when you do not think you can possibly accomplish one darn thing on 'the list.' Maybe you're too tired, too busy, too stressed, too sore. Who knows. I do know that it's always easier to just put it off. It alwasy makes sense at the time, to turn the alarm off or to just take one day off.
I also know that what puts you ahead of everyone else is when you make the conscious decision to just DO IT! Learn to ignore the little devil on your shoulder that is convincing you to back down. Have you ever finished something that was hard to start or hard to complete and said to yourself, "Boy, I wish I hadn't done that." Probably not. I know I haven't. That is what dragged me 40 minutes away from my bed early this morning after getting 3 hrs of sleep. I feel good now. Tired, but healthy. I feel stronger and more energetic than if I had just crawled down to the kitchen blinking for my coffee cup. (ok, I did do that but I took it in the car with me to the pool.)
You get my drift.
Get UP!! Do It!!!
There. that's my little pep talk for today.
And then, as Ms. Churchill says so aptly says,
"But when the day ends and the sun starts to fall,
Then I do what I do best of all.
I find somewhere soft,
somewhere cozy and small....
and that's where I like to curl up in a ball."
Sometimes I like to run ever so fast, I sometimes come first, but I sometimes come last.
Sometimes I like to stand still as a tree, and watch everyone rush around about me.
Sometimes I like to just walk round and round, I pigeon step, pigeon step, till I fall down. (ok--I don't do this very often. But my middle son sure does!! Makes me laugh...)
Six or seven years ago, my dear Aunt Jane gave my kids an adorable little book by the same title as my post. The author Vicki Churchill captures the feelings in our home in just the right way. Aunt Jane died very suddenly of a brain tumor almost 5 years ago. This book always makes me think of her.
This morning when I woke up, all I could think about was when I could possibly figure out how to crawl back into bed. My body shuttered when the alarm screamed at me at 4:30. I was still awake a mere 3 hrs before. I was in panic mode when I looked at the clock and saw the time in the middle of the night. I had missed my early morning swim on Monday. I was fried that day for several reasons and shut the alarm off by mistake. I Had to swim today. I had to. I was running out of options for fitting in my 2 / week dates with the pool.
So I got up.
Last night was such a bad night. Why does that happen? Yes, it was election night and I am pretty worked up about a few things happening in Maine right now. Specifically, an issue that was voted on by the entire state but only impacts My county. I'll just leave it at that. So I was up too late watching the poll numbers (fyi--- both issues are still statistically tied. But it's not looking favorable for my side.) and my husband was out late for something.
One thing after another and the next thing I know, insomnia.
But I got up.
I swam. I swam pretty hard and felt pretty good!!! I couldn't imagine even diving in the water as I looked at my face before. My eyes were puffy and red from my sleepless night. The cool water stunned me. SO, I just moved my arms and completed the workout. After a few hundred yards, I was focused on the job at hand.
And as tired as I am now, I'm more than happy that I dragged my butt out of bed and started the day off right with a swim.
I imagine everyone has those days. Those mornings when you do not think you can possibly accomplish one darn thing on 'the list.' Maybe you're too tired, too busy, too stressed, too sore. Who knows. I do know that it's always easier to just put it off. It alwasy makes sense at the time, to turn the alarm off or to just take one day off.
I also know that what puts you ahead of everyone else is when you make the conscious decision to just DO IT! Learn to ignore the little devil on your shoulder that is convincing you to back down. Have you ever finished something that was hard to start or hard to complete and said to yourself, "Boy, I wish I hadn't done that." Probably not. I know I haven't. That is what dragged me 40 minutes away from my bed early this morning after getting 3 hrs of sleep. I feel good now. Tired, but healthy. I feel stronger and more energetic than if I had just crawled down to the kitchen blinking for my coffee cup. (ok, I did do that but I took it in the car with me to the pool.)
You get my drift.
Get UP!! Do It!!!
There. that's my little pep talk for today.
And then, as Ms. Churchill says so aptly says,
"But when the day ends and the sun starts to fall,
Then I do what I do best of all.
I find somewhere soft,
somewhere cozy and small....
and that's where I like to curl up in a ball."
Sunday, October 31, 2010
A Change in Routine
And apparently, that results in Pain!!
I know there's really no such thing as good pain and bad pain. Seriously, pain is pain. It hurts and it's uncomfortable.
However, I know the pain I feel right now is temporary and is a result of a fun new regime I have going on.
Way way back when I was small (no pun intended), and before the age that many think one should 'specialize in one sport,' I started things off as a swimmer. That lasted, oh, about 15 years.
After my swimming life was over and it ended rather abrubtly with an 800 free relay at the University of Delaware, I turned back to running.
I ran and ran and ran.
And then, I got married. And had a baby. And then another. And then another.
Two years after that, I raced in a triathlon. ( I could say it was my first but I had done a few over the years... just two or three and they were with my creaky college-transportation mountain bikes, I changed my clothes behind a towel after the swim, and I had basically no idea how to ride a bike.)
I love Triathlon now. That is what I call myself. I'm a triathlete. It's still going strong.
And yet, I have decided that a change in routine, a diversion, is needed. I had a great 2010 season. I was able to pull out a few wins, I had a few PRs, and best of all, I had fun. But, things were just a little less than exciting for me. I'm not sure why. I honestly haven't pinpointed that. It was just something inside me. Something was missing.
July 24, 2011 I'll be toeing the line at Ironman Lake Placid for my 2nd time. I have decided that I love that distance. I think it suits me at this age and I truly love the challenge of figuring out how to get through those 140.6 miles with as much strength, power and speed as possible. I'll be ready.
But Before that...I'm turning myself into a Runner again!!!
Yahooooooooooo! I'm totally psyched. January 15, 2011 I'm running the Charleston Marathon in South Carolina.
I trained hard for a marathon a few years ago. Chicago 2007. I was in great shape and felt super confident about my run speed. I flew to the midwest with Mark and met Mary and Andy there for what was supposed to be a fast race. Well, just like this year, the suprise heat wave knocked us down. This was the year they stopped the runners who weren't done by 4:00 or something like that. It was in the 90s with nasty humidity that was held in by the big city walls. Yuck. I failed and didn't even come close to my goal time.
I haven't really been hung up on that race but I do have the desire to be properly trained to run a marathon again.
But why focus on running when I have an Ironman coming?? I'm in Maine. Starting about now, it's too cold (for me anyway) to do my rides outside. Soon, the roads will be wet, snowy, icy and it's impossible to go out. Like many, it's all trainer riding for many many months. I'm ok with it... for a while. And for certain types of rides. But let's be honest, it's a sure way to burn out if you're not careful.
So for now I run,and run, and run. And I love it. I am still swimming and I am still biking, but not as much. After January, those things will pick back up and I will have an amazing run base to carry through the spring.
The other change, the one that is kicking my butt, is a total increase and revamping of my strength program.
I am seeing a personal trainer weekly now. She has me doing things I've never seen or heard of before. Every week a new part of my body is screaming and begging for mercy. I recover from one session in time for the next one and then it's back to wobble around mode. I also bought a TRX system and will incorporate that into my routine soon. As soon as I can move again. And, I hope to join this group of great men and women at this clubhouse where they are led by an instructor through intense cross-fit like workouts. It's sure to be a blast.
The results so far? Almost every day I wake up to a new body part screaming at me. Today is Brutal!! I saw my trainer on Thursday. I had done some plyometrics on my own on Tuesday which left my quads on fire. After Thursday's workout, it hurt to sit. It still hurts to sit. Yesterday morning I ran 11 miles with some good hard efforts mixed in. I showered, ate, and then hopped in the car for a soccer game. A soccer game in which the parents took on the kids. And we PLAYED HARD!!!! Woah!!! It was 90 minutes of all out sprinting and stopping and kicking and moving back and forth and side to side and even a few slams on the ground.
I hurt everywhere today. My hip flexors barely allow my legs to lift themselves to climb the stairs. It still hurts to sit, albeit a bit less. My back muscles are sore, my neck is sore. Oh I have no idea what else. My legs just ache. Yesterday on my run, my glutes pulsed and felt like bruises with every step.
I can't imaging how the 7 miles I'm about to do now will feel.
I think when my body desides to stop rebelling against all the new crazy workouts I'm going to feel and be better than ever.
But for now: OUCH!
p.s. Happy Halloween!!
I know there's really no such thing as good pain and bad pain. Seriously, pain is pain. It hurts and it's uncomfortable.
However, I know the pain I feel right now is temporary and is a result of a fun new regime I have going on.
Way way back when I was small (no pun intended), and before the age that many think one should 'specialize in one sport,' I started things off as a swimmer. That lasted, oh, about 15 years.
After my swimming life was over and it ended rather abrubtly with an 800 free relay at the University of Delaware, I turned back to running.
I ran and ran and ran.
And then, I got married. And had a baby. And then another. And then another.
Two years after that, I raced in a triathlon. ( I could say it was my first but I had done a few over the years... just two or three and they were with my creaky college-transportation mountain bikes, I changed my clothes behind a towel after the swim, and I had basically no idea how to ride a bike.)
I love Triathlon now. That is what I call myself. I'm a triathlete. It's still going strong.
And yet, I have decided that a change in routine, a diversion, is needed. I had a great 2010 season. I was able to pull out a few wins, I had a few PRs, and best of all, I had fun. But, things were just a little less than exciting for me. I'm not sure why. I honestly haven't pinpointed that. It was just something inside me. Something was missing.
July 24, 2011 I'll be toeing the line at Ironman Lake Placid for my 2nd time. I have decided that I love that distance. I think it suits me at this age and I truly love the challenge of figuring out how to get through those 140.6 miles with as much strength, power and speed as possible. I'll be ready.
But Before that...I'm turning myself into a Runner again!!!
Yahooooooooooo! I'm totally psyched. January 15, 2011 I'm running the Charleston Marathon in South Carolina.
I trained hard for a marathon a few years ago. Chicago 2007. I was in great shape and felt super confident about my run speed. I flew to the midwest with Mark and met Mary and Andy there for what was supposed to be a fast race. Well, just like this year, the suprise heat wave knocked us down. This was the year they stopped the runners who weren't done by 4:00 or something like that. It was in the 90s with nasty humidity that was held in by the big city walls. Yuck. I failed and didn't even come close to my goal time.
I haven't really been hung up on that race but I do have the desire to be properly trained to run a marathon again.
But why focus on running when I have an Ironman coming?? I'm in Maine. Starting about now, it's too cold (for me anyway) to do my rides outside. Soon, the roads will be wet, snowy, icy and it's impossible to go out. Like many, it's all trainer riding for many many months. I'm ok with it... for a while. And for certain types of rides. But let's be honest, it's a sure way to burn out if you're not careful.
So for now I run,and run, and run. And I love it. I am still swimming and I am still biking, but not as much. After January, those things will pick back up and I will have an amazing run base to carry through the spring.
The other change, the one that is kicking my butt, is a total increase and revamping of my strength program.
I am seeing a personal trainer weekly now. She has me doing things I've never seen or heard of before. Every week a new part of my body is screaming and begging for mercy. I recover from one session in time for the next one and then it's back to wobble around mode. I also bought a TRX system and will incorporate that into my routine soon. As soon as I can move again. And, I hope to join this group of great men and women at this clubhouse where they are led by an instructor through intense cross-fit like workouts. It's sure to be a blast.
The results so far? Almost every day I wake up to a new body part screaming at me. Today is Brutal!! I saw my trainer on Thursday. I had done some plyometrics on my own on Tuesday which left my quads on fire. After Thursday's workout, it hurt to sit. It still hurts to sit. Yesterday morning I ran 11 miles with some good hard efforts mixed in. I showered, ate, and then hopped in the car for a soccer game. A soccer game in which the parents took on the kids. And we PLAYED HARD!!!! Woah!!! It was 90 minutes of all out sprinting and stopping and kicking and moving back and forth and side to side and even a few slams on the ground.
I hurt everywhere today. My hip flexors barely allow my legs to lift themselves to climb the stairs. It still hurts to sit, albeit a bit less. My back muscles are sore, my neck is sore. Oh I have no idea what else. My legs just ache. Yesterday on my run, my glutes pulsed and felt like bruises with every step.
I can't imaging how the 7 miles I'm about to do now will feel.
I think when my body desides to stop rebelling against all the new crazy workouts I'm going to feel and be better than ever.
But for now: OUCH!
p.s. Happy Halloween!!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Triathlon Workshop Announcement
If you are a beginner Triathlete or would love to enter your first race in 2011 but have questions about where to begin, please join me during your lunch break for a helpful session.
I will be giving a free clinic at Lululemon Athletica in Portland, Maine on November 15th from 12-1 p.m.
I will help you figure out what races are best for you, what equipment is needed, when you should begin your training for next season, how to train during the winter months and more.
Lululemon is located at 22 Milk Street in the Old Port.
If you have any questions please comment here or drop me an email at angela@trimoxiecoaching.com
Hope to see you there!!!
I will be giving a free clinic at Lululemon Athletica in Portland, Maine on November 15th from 12-1 p.m.
I will help you figure out what races are best for you, what equipment is needed, when you should begin your training for next season, how to train during the winter months and more.
Lululemon is located at 22 Milk Street in the Old Port.
If you have any questions please comment here or drop me an email at angela@trimoxiecoaching.com
Hope to see you there!!!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Children
I have three.
Three boys.
They are my world.
I am going to stray from my usual triathlon chatter to talk for a bit about my boys. Don't worry, I'll get right back to my swimbikerun babble shortly.
But something happened yesterday that truly had a profound effect on me.
A few nights ago, I went to bed in tears. That sounds a bit too dramatic for what was happening but the truth is, I was at the end of my rope. I ended my day feeling useless. My mothering felt ineffective. I have been feeling totally incapable of reaching through to my boys. I stare at photos taken from earlier years and find myself sad. Things were easier then. I was hardly ever 'mad' or upset with them. We just cruised around doing things you do with babies. We've watched a lot of family videos lately from when the kids were 1, 3 and 5 or ages near that and I tell ya..they were SO cute!! Oh I miss that stuff. Sure, they were much more dependent upon me for the basics in life--getting them dressed, feeding them, washing their faces in the tub, and for that matter, carrying them. But they were small and I was their world. It was easy for me to carry them around, hang their coat on the hook, plunk them in their high chairs for lunch and then throw a ball around the playroom.
I'm totally simplifying things of course. It really wasn't that simple. But somehow, I feel as if I am spinning my wheels right now. The boys are 11, 8 and 6. They are fabulous children. They really are. I'm their Mom so of course I think that but hey, I really do think they are awesome kids.
And yet.... every-single-day I have to tell them the same things over and over and over and over! I tell one not to drop their shoes at the bottom of the stairs, another to put clothes away instead of throwing Clean clothes in hamper because it's easier, please pack your soccer stuff (we do this 5x week so it should be easier by now!), where is your coat?, dont' throw the kickball inside, blah blah blah blha blah. Funny...as I write things out it all seems SO totally unimportant. But the jist is that I'm talking about basic things around the house that each of us needs to be responsible for. We are a family of 5 and I do feel that as each child grows, he needs to be able to do things for himself and to help keep things rolling along smoothly. Having to explain these things day after day after day after day after day, it starts to feel like nobody is listening.
So that's that.
Last night I was about to go to bed. Mark asked me if Cameron (he's 11) told me the story about Jack. (ficticious name)
Earlier in the evening Cam had told me that there was something he wanted to talk to me about but he never did.
So Mark told me.
Cam started the story by saying that "something happened today with my friends and I hate it when this happens."
At recess, Cameron saw some boys over in a group. Some of them were boys he plays with. As he walked over, those kids ran away and he saw Jack on the groud, hurt. Jack ended up in the nurse's office getting ice for his hurt leg.
Later on at lunch, Cameron was already sitting at a table with some friends. ( I am not sure if they were the same ones that had been bothering and I believe hurting him outside.) Jack came over to sit there too, limping and holding the ice bag.
As Jack started to sit down, this boy that had hurt him, swooped in and 'stole' his seat and left no room for Jack.
Jack left and found an empty table and sat down alone.
The rule in their cafeteria is that once you sit, you stay there. The teachers don't want the kids moving around.
Cameron is a rule follower...Big time. However, he decided to risk it.
He stood up from the table where his friends were sitting and moved to sit with Jack.
When Mark told me this, tears just spilled out of me.
That's My boy. He gets it. He totally gets it. I am actually blown away by how sweet that was and how proud I am of him. Cameron is not the child who is most comfortable in social situations. He has felt awkward along the way while trying to develop friendships. It hasn't been easy for him. And despite the fact that he now feels 'safe' with this group of popular boys, he still went out on a limb to reach out to this poor little guy who was undoubtedly feeling horrible and sad yesterday.
At that moment I realized how undeniably wrong I had been in feeling so much frustration with these little kids.
I was allowing myself to get so hung up on the day to day mundane tasks. The small stuff. The details in our world that make our homes run more smooothly but don't mean one iota in the big picture of life. Who really cares I guess if Nick's shoes are alwasy left at the bottom of the stairs with his coat on the floor?
If I can somehow show these kids that kindness and compassion is what matters, then I feel I have succeeded. Tonight at dinner, I will have Cameron tell his brothers the story. He clearly has a lot to teach all of us.
Thank you Cameron. You're awesome.
I have to 'smack' myself every so often, when things are wild and crazy around the house. These kids are here because I brought them here. I mean truly, I 'made' them! They didn't knock on my door and ask for this life. I brought them into the world and it is my responsiblity, with my husband of course, to show them the way. I am so so insanely lucky to have them all. Two of my 3 kids spent several weeks in the neonatal intensive care when they were born, one was born prematurely via emergency c-section, one was at high risk of brain damage since the cord was wrapped twice around his neck for 12 weeks during my pregnancy (I used my swimming history to 'will' him to do flip turns while he was swimming around in there to unravel himself--it worked!), and yet all of them are incredibly healthy.
I am Lucky!!
So how dare I feel exasperated like I do at times. It's normal, I know, but I need to step back and remember all this. The important things.
My guys:
So after my Proud moment last night with Cameron, I was able to keep the happy Mom hat on and accompany my other little guy to his field trip today!! Oodles of 3rd graders at a cool mine in Western Maine. It was 37 degrees and SNOWING when we arrived! Yikes. It turned out to be a fun day. After learning some interesting facts about all the valuable gems and minerals found on this site we went into a real bona fide cave! Actually, a tunnel. It's a man made tunnel that they used to mine in. Check it out!!!
black tourmaline
open your eyes Tommy!
________________________________________
I'll post again soon and get back to Triathlon!!! I have a few new developments that I'm excited to share. Actually, I've been scheming about things for a while but the plans are finally in place.
I can't wait for 2011!!
Three boys.
They are my world.
I am going to stray from my usual triathlon chatter to talk for a bit about my boys. Don't worry, I'll get right back to my swimbikerun babble shortly.
But something happened yesterday that truly had a profound effect on me.
A few nights ago, I went to bed in tears. That sounds a bit too dramatic for what was happening but the truth is, I was at the end of my rope. I ended my day feeling useless. My mothering felt ineffective. I have been feeling totally incapable of reaching through to my boys. I stare at photos taken from earlier years and find myself sad. Things were easier then. I was hardly ever 'mad' or upset with them. We just cruised around doing things you do with babies. We've watched a lot of family videos lately from when the kids were 1, 3 and 5 or ages near that and I tell ya..they were SO cute!! Oh I miss that stuff. Sure, they were much more dependent upon me for the basics in life--getting them dressed, feeding them, washing their faces in the tub, and for that matter, carrying them. But they were small and I was their world. It was easy for me to carry them around, hang their coat on the hook, plunk them in their high chairs for lunch and then throw a ball around the playroom.
I'm totally simplifying things of course. It really wasn't that simple. But somehow, I feel as if I am spinning my wheels right now. The boys are 11, 8 and 6. They are fabulous children. They really are. I'm their Mom so of course I think that but hey, I really do think they are awesome kids.
And yet.... every-single-day I have to tell them the same things over and over and over and over! I tell one not to drop their shoes at the bottom of the stairs, another to put clothes away instead of throwing Clean clothes in hamper because it's easier, please pack your soccer stuff (we do this 5x week so it should be easier by now!), where is your coat?, dont' throw the kickball inside, blah blah blah blha blah. Funny...as I write things out it all seems SO totally unimportant. But the jist is that I'm talking about basic things around the house that each of us needs to be responsible for. We are a family of 5 and I do feel that as each child grows, he needs to be able to do things for himself and to help keep things rolling along smoothly. Having to explain these things day after day after day after day after day, it starts to feel like nobody is listening.
So that's that.
Last night I was about to go to bed. Mark asked me if Cameron (he's 11) told me the story about Jack. (ficticious name)
Earlier in the evening Cam had told me that there was something he wanted to talk to me about but he never did.
So Mark told me.
Cam started the story by saying that "something happened today with my friends and I hate it when this happens."
At recess, Cameron saw some boys over in a group. Some of them were boys he plays with. As he walked over, those kids ran away and he saw Jack on the groud, hurt. Jack ended up in the nurse's office getting ice for his hurt leg.
Later on at lunch, Cameron was already sitting at a table with some friends. ( I am not sure if they were the same ones that had been bothering and I believe hurting him outside.) Jack came over to sit there too, limping and holding the ice bag.
As Jack started to sit down, this boy that had hurt him, swooped in and 'stole' his seat and left no room for Jack.
Jack left and found an empty table and sat down alone.
The rule in their cafeteria is that once you sit, you stay there. The teachers don't want the kids moving around.
Cameron is a rule follower...Big time. However, he decided to risk it.
He stood up from the table where his friends were sitting and moved to sit with Jack.
When Mark told me this, tears just spilled out of me.
That's My boy. He gets it. He totally gets it. I am actually blown away by how sweet that was and how proud I am of him. Cameron is not the child who is most comfortable in social situations. He has felt awkward along the way while trying to develop friendships. It hasn't been easy for him. And despite the fact that he now feels 'safe' with this group of popular boys, he still went out on a limb to reach out to this poor little guy who was undoubtedly feeling horrible and sad yesterday.
At that moment I realized how undeniably wrong I had been in feeling so much frustration with these little kids.
I was allowing myself to get so hung up on the day to day mundane tasks. The small stuff. The details in our world that make our homes run more smooothly but don't mean one iota in the big picture of life. Who really cares I guess if Nick's shoes are alwasy left at the bottom of the stairs with his coat on the floor?
If I can somehow show these kids that kindness and compassion is what matters, then I feel I have succeeded. Tonight at dinner, I will have Cameron tell his brothers the story. He clearly has a lot to teach all of us.
Thank you Cameron. You're awesome.
I have to 'smack' myself every so often, when things are wild and crazy around the house. These kids are here because I brought them here. I mean truly, I 'made' them! They didn't knock on my door and ask for this life. I brought them into the world and it is my responsiblity, with my husband of course, to show them the way. I am so so insanely lucky to have them all. Two of my 3 kids spent several weeks in the neonatal intensive care when they were born, one was born prematurely via emergency c-section, one was at high risk of brain damage since the cord was wrapped twice around his neck for 12 weeks during my pregnancy (I used my swimming history to 'will' him to do flip turns while he was swimming around in there to unravel himself--it worked!), and yet all of them are incredibly healthy.
I am Lucky!!
So how dare I feel exasperated like I do at times. It's normal, I know, but I need to step back and remember all this. The important things.
My guys:
So after my Proud moment last night with Cameron, I was able to keep the happy Mom hat on and accompany my other little guy to his field trip today!! Oodles of 3rd graders at a cool mine in Western Maine. It was 37 degrees and SNOWING when we arrived! Yikes. It turned out to be a fun day. After learning some interesting facts about all the valuable gems and minerals found on this site we went into a real bona fide cave! Actually, a tunnel. It's a man made tunnel that they used to mine in. Check it out!!!
black tourmaline
open your eyes Tommy!
________________________________________
I'll post again soon and get back to Triathlon!!! I have a few new developments that I'm excited to share. Actually, I've been scheming about things for a while but the plans are finally in place.
I can't wait for 2011!!
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