It took a lot of hours and several accountants working around the clock, but finally the tally for my punishment poll has arrived. By the slimmest of margins it looks like I will “only” have to wear a skirt to an upcoming TNT workout. Now the chore becomes to find said shirt. I see a trip to one of the many hand-me-down clothes shops in my future. Oh the looks I will be getting as I’m browsing through the skirt section. It’s all for a good cause so I think I can handle it. Are there any suggestions on style or color that people want to see?

Last night we had another group ride. It was a pretty nice night out for riding, but it was a bit windy. This means working really hard when first going out and then reaping the benefits on the return ride. We rode about 20 miles when all was said and done. Though I did not partake, stomach was still a bit sensitive, a good number of people went for a 3+ mile run after the ride. It would have been nice to get a brick in but for me a sensitive stomach and running have never been a good combination.

That’s about all I got, sorry about the slim pickings. Hopefully things are a little more eventful around your local stomping grounds. Take care…

Quote of the Day: Success is living up to your potential. That’s all. Wake up with a smile and go after life… Live it, enjoy it, taste it, smell it, feel it. - Joe Kapp

One 100

My swimming woes are well known to people who know my triathlon history or those who read this blog. Last year it was learning how to swim and becoming comfortable in the water. This year it’s been setbacks with shoulder and endurance issues. It’s almost comical how last night I found myself in a familiar position of not wanting to go to the pool. The long weekend, the poor performance, an upset stomach and everything else all sounded like great excuses. Nonetheless I threw up my hands and said “fine I’ll go!”

I arrived at the pool “so thrilled” to be there. I changed and showered and jumped into the chilly water. Ya know as many times as I’ve jumped into the lap pool you would think I would get use to it. Nope. I started with a warmup and some stretching before doing some 100 repeats. As with most of my swims it was pretty mediocre. I didn’t feel real bad, well except for the stomach which cut things a bit short, but I wasn’t feeling great either with one exception. For one 100 repeat I felt like my old self in the water. I felt smooth and calm as I glided through the water while rotating my body just the right amount. For one 100 repeat I didn’t feel any bad pressure on my shoulder or elbow as churned out stroke after stroke. For one 100 I had a steady and relaxed breathing pattern. For one and only one repeat did I find myself enjoying my swim and smiling on the inside.

At times you have to take the very small rays of light and focus on them when you are in a rut. It’s to easy to just label it all as a bad workout, but that’s not the truth. For a portion, all be it a small portion, things were clicking and I’d be even worse off if I completely ignored that fact. Sometimes we have to take those small fractions like one set, ½ mile, or one hill where things worked and build upon them. As soon as we let things turn in a negative direction we’re screwed. So when things run in a direction you’d rather not be going, find those positives and rays of light no matter what the size. Focus on them and hang on to them until you’ve come through the clear and replaced them with even bigger and better things to focus on.

Fuel

I was reading the latest issue of Triathlete magazine today and they had a great section about protein bars, energy drinks, and gels. They listed a lot of the major brand and then broke down the major ingredients and calories that each contained. This was perfect timing considering I also received a package containing my own energy drink mixes. Pretty sad that this was already my second order this year, but I also got some new stuff to try. In the past I’ve trained with Cytomax and raced with Extran. I think they’ve served me pretty well, but I ordered some Cliff energy drink stuff to try out. I’m also a fan of Gu for gels. (Triberry to be exact) So the question that I have today for everyone is what type of products like bars, drinks, and gels do you use? I think trying different stuff is another fun part of endurance sports. So does anyone else have something I should try? I’ll let you know what I think of the Cliff stuff after I try it. Speaking of Cliff has anyone tried the Cliff Shot Bloks? They have been on my list of things to try but I haven’t bought any yet.

Quote of the Day: Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, I will try again tomorrow. ~ Mary Anne Radmacher

Surprised

This weekend brought a couple of surprises my way. The first was how few people actually voted for my punishment. Is it because you really don’t want me to go through with anything? Or was it just that I was asking for a donation? Just curious that’s all. I’ve decided to keep the poll open for a few more days. Maybe a few more votes will come in by the end of the day Tuesday. That will be it though, so if you want to have a say you have a couple more days. Thank you to everyone who did vote. I do really appreciate the support and you are helping out a great cause. woot woot (Plus who doesn’t want to see me in a skirt…oh wait I don’t)

The second and worse surprise was how crappy my body felt this weekend. Saturday morning started off with our group run. We ended up doing a bit over seven miles with some hill repeats. It was a tough workout and I knew I’d be a little stiff and sore today, but I had no idea how much. Today my body was in very bad shape. It didn’t want to move or function. Its ideal day would have been to lie on the couch all day long. This of course was not in the cards. I did some stretching to try and loosen things up before I headed out on my bike this afternoon. It was a gorgeous day with the temp right at 70. It was a perfect day to be riding and I had high hopes even with the body aches. I was soon to learn that it was not going to be a gorgeous ride and I struggled throughout the entire ride. Only a couple miles into my ride my left calf started to cramp and it was all downhill from there. Stiff legs, back, and neck felt great over every bump. I tried to think about my technique and position on the bike but my body was screaming. I finished off a lousy 17 mile ride and was wondering where the nearest hot tub was.

After the ride I stretched and debated with myself about going out for a little 3 mile run. I figured I need to start doing bricks and running has always been my fallback. I knew my legs were tight but they usually loosen up after a mile or so. Just a nice easy run to shake away the crappy ride was all I was looking for. Well fitting with the theme of the day the run was miserable as well. My legs left like rocks and I was barely getting them off the ground. My energy started to give next and I had one hell of a fight on my hands. I tried all the tricks; focus on a song, person, good thoughts, anything to keep my mind occupied. I tried and I tried but my mind wasn’t strong enough and I eventually started walking. Ladies and gentleman we have now hit bottom. I can’t remember the last time that I actually stopped to walk during a run. Now I know these sort of things happen, but it is always a shock to the system. I walked/ran the rest until I was finally home again. I stretched again and got some fluids before just standing under the shower for awhile to rinse all the crap away. Afterwards I did hit the couch for awhile just being dead to the world.

I guess the good thing about hitting the bottom is that there is only one direction to go. This week I’m going to pay more attention to the small things like what I’m eating, drinking, and how much stretching I’m getting in. I don’t think I was that bad last week, but I really can’t afford to have repeat weekends like this. Things will get better, but sometimes it’s not easy to shrug off the bad days. This is the game we play as endurance athletes and you have to take the good and the bad. Tomorrow is another day and we’ll try again

Punishment

Because I’m who I am, I couldn’t help but feel a little bad for possibly upsetting anyone with my little spoof. Actually I know I did upset a few people so here is my way to make amends and your chance for retribution while helping out a good cause. Below is a little poll that you can take to choose what punishment I deserve for my actions. Now before you select your choice there is a little bit of a catch: if you select option #2 I’m asking that you make at least a $5 donation to LLS. If you select option #3 I’m asking that you make at least a $10 donation. (You can all thank Mouse for #3 and the Running Blogfather) Finally thanks to my neighbor Kim, for a minimum donation of $15 I’ll wear the skirt with REALLY BAD make-up and clip-on earrings. (Option #4) This way I will suffer a bit for all of you and we’ll bring in a little money for a good cause. I will do this during a group run in the next couple of weeks. Included will be plenty of pictures for your viewing pleasure. The the poll will close on Sunday at midnight and I will post the results Monday morning.

* For a donation of $150 you get to choose which option I shall suffer.

My TNT Donation Page

Pick my punishment
	Forgive Me e-cards to all who were upset.
	Tar and feathered (chocolate syrup and feathers)
	Show up and complete workout with TNT group in a skirt.
	Skirt and REALLY BAD makeup at TNT group workout.
Free polls from Pollhost.com

From a true writer

If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber'd here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend:
If you pardon we will mend.
Else the Puck a liar call.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.

(Puck - A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Shakespeare)

For those who are not already aware, read Shadoweye’s last comment, yesterday’s post was indeed a spoof. The intent was to play on Nic’s comment “I'm so your woman” from last week and give the illusion that I was dropping everything to find out if this was true. Of course I asked her if this was ok before I wrote the post. The problem was that I may have been a bit too convincing in my writing and for that I apologize. Hopefully you wont hate me too much for my little spoof. That said the comments that you left just go to show what great people you really are and how supportive this blog community really is. Here I was about to drop everything and you had nothing but supportive things to say. Yes there were a few “insane” and “really” remarks, which were perfectly valid given the situation that I was describing. So again I hope the hate e-mails won’t be too lengthy, but I may deserve a couple. Finally here are a couple of things I take away from all this…

- Lying still doesn’t pay, darn parents were right.
- My neighbor Kim said she will never believe a thing I ever say again. (I hope that doesn't go for everyone)
- Nic is a great and such a good sport for putting up with my antics.
- Hope that I would take a similar leap if given the chance and not baulk because of fear of the unknown.
- Last but not least, everyone out there in blog-land is the greatest. The support that is shown by everyone for everyone no matter what the situation is just amazing. You are all amazing people and for that I am forever grateful…

Farewell Minnesota

After 27 years of calling the upper Midwest my home I fear that it time that we went our separate ways. I know that his may come as a shock to many, but to no one more then myself. The personal ad that appeared on my blog last week, as somewhat of a joke, seems to have had a truer purpose. To my surprise a serious connection has occurred from my seemingly harmless rambles. That post set it motion things that I never thought possible. That post has caused me to throw caution to the wind: pack up my belongings and head out of town. To be accurate it was the comment of “I'm so your woman.”

In a short while with what belonging I absolutely need I will steer my car onto the freeway heading in a westerly direction. I will drive through the boring planes and guts of this country only to stair at the beautiful mountains that I’ve skied on many a times. I will pass my winter playground with a different location in mind. After another long stint of driving I will be looking at a horizon of water that never ends. The ocean with its rolling waves and song that goes on and on that I only been able to experience every couple of years. That will be a thing of the past unless the fog has rolled in and horn is playing it keep back message. I have no idea if there will really be gold at the end of the bridge but I’m willing to take that chance.

I know that this is all very sudden but it’s something that I can’t really explain and almost dare not to. So for now I will simply say thank you and bid you ado…

Swim, Lift, Bike, Fall

These were the major events in my day, but more on that later. Since my last post I’ve been busy training and spending some time with the fam over the holiday weekend. The biggest training news over the weekend was Saturday’s run when I went just under 10 miles. This was my longest run of the year and it felt pretty good. That might have been helped by the fact it wasn’t straight through because of our team run. I arrived early and ran 3+ miles before the group set off for our 6+ mile run. I did a little bit of doubling back with another one of the mentors to make sure we didn’t lose anyone. In the process my total crept to just under 10 miles total by my estimates. I felt pretty good through most of the run, which was nice. My heels were a little sore because my new shoes haven’t quite molded to my feet yet. Plus I’m still getting my quick laces to fit just right. Overall it was great to run a longer distance and feel somewhat ready for my ½ marathon coming up.

Saturday night Kim my neighbor and fellow TNTer had her climbing fundraiser. A local indoor rock climbing facility provided everyone with discounts on admission and equipment. There was a good turnout and she pulled in about $200 for the LLS, which is great. I think everyone had a great time and it was a great idea for a fundraiser. We had a few first-timers and they all did well and most of them really liked it. We had a couple of screams and worried faces but all in all people were enjoying themselves. Nice job Kimmi.

Sunday I was in and around my hometown for the holiday. I spent most of my time with my father’s family and enjoyed a nice early dinner with my extended family. I think there were about 40 of us so a pretty good turnout, but not the full crew by any means. What can I say; I come from a large family. It was kind of special because we had it at my grandfather’s house. This was the first major get-together he’s had since my grandma passed away a year and half ago. All the aunts were happy because of the babies that were in tow. Its kind of strange when your cousins who aren’t that much older then you start having babies. Its like I'm behind or something. :)

So back to the title of this post, I started the day off with a session at the pool followed by some weights. My swimming lungs are starting to feel like their former selves but they are not quite there yet. My shoulder is still a bit sore but I think things are headed in the right direction. This evening with the nice weather a bike ride was in order. It was a bit windy but I did one of my normal 20+ mile routes over the river into Minneapolis and around one of the larger lakes. I was just about home waiting for Kim to catch up when I got a little careless. I was turning around in a big wide loop when I rode through some of the gravel and sand on the streets still from the winter and down I went. I was a bit shocked. Did that really just happen? Did I just really fall off my bike? I got up laughing and checked the damage. (bike first of course) My bike was fine so I scanned for the bodily damage. Just a few scrapes and cuts on my legs and arms with one larger chuck missing from the palm of my hand from where I caught myself. The wound on my palm is about the size of a quarter with several layers of skin missing. It’s gonna feel great in the morning, but I still find the whole thing pretty funny. I guess if I had a digital camera, which I plan to remedy after my tax refund gets here, I could show you my “massive battle wounds.” :)

Lastly I just wanted to tip my hat to everyone who was running Boston today. I know there were a few TNT crews there. So congrats to all the runners!

Bike and Coaching

Wednesday night we had our first group ride outside. The weather has been way above average and we had a great night to ride. We rode a little under 20 miles and I had a blast riding with the team. Safety Bob had his camera in full effect and post a few pictures on his blog. Everyone was exciting to be riding and the better riders were pushing the pace. We’d take runs leading and dealing with the wind, but it was all a good time.

Tonight I was planning on taking the day of and just coach the swim sessions tonight. Well when I got of a work it was 80 and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go for a little run. I just went about 3 miles, but it was warm and sunny and it felt great. I quickly showered before heading off to tonight’s swim. I put the intermediates through a good workout which most finished. They did a great job and they didn’t hate me for the tough workout, which was good. There was only one threat of being thrown into the pool. It was really hot in the pool area and I felt like I needed another shower after coaching and I wasn’t even working out.

After the swim I met up with the fellas for a drink on the patio of a local bar. It was packed because of the nice weather, but it was nice to relax and sip on a long island. I have the day off tomorrow so I’m hoping to get in some good time at the pool and I have a deep tissue massage to cap off the day.

That’s all I got. Now it’s time for some sleep. Take care…

(She wouldn't dare and didn't)

(taking a turn at the lead)

It’s all in the hips

I headed back to the pool tonight to once again work on the chaos that is my stroke. My buddy was along to help out, which as good. Apparently the problem might not be with my arms per say but in my hips. According to what he was seeing I would rotate my upper body and then my lower body. A little 1, 2 action instead of the whole body rotating at once. Now I have to focus on my hips and start my rotation with my lower body instead of my upper body. I definitely could feel the difference. Now I just need some more practice and figure my balance out again so I can slow down. I felt like I was sprinting down the length of the pool. Not exactly what you what you want to do during a tri. Anyway it was good to come away feeling like this might be a major find in my bucket of problems. I’ll be back in the pool on Friday to test out the waters again.

Mouse left a comment about wake up calls and that got me thinking. I think someone out in blog-land should start a service where people can leave their number and a time to receive a wake up call. That way those who are morning workout challenged like myself might find an aid to getting up in the morning. I mean there are mornings when the radio and two alarm clocks is not enough to get me out of bed, but as soon as I hear that phone I’m up with no chance of falling back asleep. Maybe the trick would be to find a girlfriend who likes to workout in the morning who would kick my ass out of bed in the morning. I'm wondering how you would state something like that in a personal ad: seeking smart, attractive, into fitnesss, attractive, edurance sports a plus, attractive, must be willing to wake lazy partner up in th morning, being single a plus, oh and a friend for Shadoweyes. Hmm...might have to work on the wording a bit. :)

(The extra attractives were for Shadoweyes)

Full Day

Yesterday was a full day on the training side of life. In the morning it was swimming and a lifting session. It had been awhile since I’ve lifted and I could tell. Because I’m not busy enough I figured I’d try and throw in a couple more workouts during the week. Mainly it’s to keep my end of the deal what I made with Nic. She’s going to make it to her yoga classes and I’m going to get to the gym to lift.

The weather was amazing yesterday with the temperature almost reaching 80. I went out for a 22 mile ride last night. It felt great to get out and ride and hammer on the pedals. I was a bit tired from the previous workouts so my average mphs were a bit down but there is plenty of time to build the legs back up. The trails were crowded with people because of the warm weather. Everyone came out to play last night. Plus I was only yelled at once by some old lady that I should be on the paths instead of the road. I was right behind her and her husband at a stoplight and I was temped to go up to her window and explain my legal right to be on the rode but I decided it wasn’t worth it. It was too nice of day so why bother with someone who doesn’t know any better.

I was supposed to run this morning but that didn’t happen. After the doubles on Sunday and Monday the body wasn’t allowing an early morning. It was determined to have that extra hour of sleep and there wasn’t much I could do about it. The body said sleep, so that’s what I did…

Warm it up

Spring really got its act together over the weekend here in the upper Midwest. People flocked to the lakes and trails over the weekend. The masses finally joined our TNT crew as we saw a lot more people out running and biking over the weekend. Our Saturday morning run consisted of a number of pickups during the 6+ mile run. It was a good workout and I decided not to add the extra couple of miles I was going to do because of the speed work. I have to make sure I’m ready for the Mad City ½ Marathon coming up so my Saturday runs will become longer then what we do for TNT.

The best part about the warmer weather was the ability to ride outside. A small group of us met up a Sunday to ride. It was the first time I’d ridden outside since the fall. Safety Bob had taken my bike to clean it and tune it up so she was riding smooth and fast. Of course I really couldn’t ride too fast because we tried to keep everyone together in the group. Plus I was sweeping for the group to make sure no one got left behind. That’s ok the weather is even better today. It gonna hit 70. DREAM So I will be back on my bike again tonight.

I finished Sunday off with a short swim and some grilling. Overall it was a nice chilled weekend with some good training. Exactly what I needed after a very long week…

If you want some entertaining reading head over the Tri-Geek Dreams for the Kahuna’s latest post. He did a survey about triathletes and their sex-lives, which I found fairly humorous.

One broken pool and Mother Nature

Our group swim was canceled last night do to repairs that are going on at the pool. No big deal says the coach we’ll just meet up for a run instead. Well our coach and Mother Nature weren’t exactly on the same page. We had a nice thunderstorm that rolled through the area yesterday starting after the noon hour. A few of us met up hoping the rain would lighten up a bit to make a run possible. We actually might have gone out but there was a lot of lightening. It was fun to watch, but it’s not worth the risk. The few of us who were there went over to a local restaurant for a bite to eat. So our group run turned into a group dinner. Not the worst way to spend some time. With the unexpected day off yesterday I should do a workout tonight after work. We will see if that happens. Friday night workouts are the hardest to get motivated for. The bonus is that it is suppose to be nice this weekend so hopefully I will get some riding in. I haven’t ridden outside since the fall and I looking forward to getting back out on the road.

Well that is about all I got. Only a few more hours and we can kiss this work week good-bye. Something I’ve been looking forward to since about Tuesday. It’s been one of those weeks...

TNT Recommitment

Yesterday was the recommitment for my TNT Philly tri team. For those who are not familiar with TNT this means that all participant have to have ½ of their fundraising done and recommit to fulfilling the entire amount. There usually are a couple that wont recommit which sucks, but it’s understandable. Out of the 10 spots we have for Philly 7 recommitted. It would have been nice to fill all 10, but it doesn’t always work out.

Last night we had another sweatshop cycle class. With the temperatures warming up outside it was even hotter inside last night. Hopefully we will be outside soon, because I’m getting a little antsy being inside. We also did some interval work on the track at the end of the workout. I was just thankful we didn’t do any lunges or things like that. It was just another night of hammering on the pedals and sweating like a pig. Hot stuff let me tell ya…

First Three Workouts

I ended my post last night a little abruptly because I really didn’t want to spoil the notion of starting my ½ Ironman training with the poor workout that actually took place. My swim yesterday was pretty miserable. The combination of trying to correct my stroke while not doing any more damage to my shoulder and trying to get back some of my endurance is a hairy one. This will continue for a while until I can scratch one of these items off the list. So there was nothing stellar about my swim. The only real accomplishment was that I didn’t drown. Hey I’ll take that everyday.

This morning it was an early run with my neighbor and fellow TNTer Kim. I think the nerves must have set in last night because I could not sleep. Not that I was thinking about my training or racing at all but something was going on. I only managed a couple hours of sleep before it was time to get up and run. Needless to say I wasn’t exactly thrilled to be getting up for an early run. I slammed a Gu packet and some water and we headed out the door. (Gu…the breakfast of champions) We ran a little under 5 miles, but it felt good to just run even if it wasn’t a very long run. I really like running in the early morning, when I can actually get my ass out of bed. It’s just a peaceful time of the day and it’s real easy just to get into that zone and run. There were quite a few runners out which was fun to see. With the hour change we actually got to see the sun come up. I always like leaving when it’s still a bit dark and about the time you finish the light is starting to really fill the sky. I knew the early morning run would leave me tired during the day, but it was such nice way to start my day.

This evening it was back to the pool to once again try and get things right. My buddy was going to come look at my stroke again, but he had to bail at the last minute. I was tempted to just scrap it, but I went anyway to see if things would be better. Overall it was a better swim then yesterday, but there is still plenty of work to do. I didn’t push things and I just concentrated on my technique. Working on technique is such a joy. I mean it really is the most exciting thing in the world. Anyway it is necessary and will continue to be until my shoulder issues are a thing of the past.

So there is just a little recap from my first two days toward Pigman. It’s still a long ways away but now I can really focus on this goal and race. I have a few important races along the way, but my main focus is set and there will be no wavering…

Now it is time for sleep. :)

The Plunge

I have to say I was a little hesitant as I made my way to the pool this morning. The headache I woke up with was starting to subside thanks to a couple ibuprofen but I still wasn’t feeling my best. My stomach was churning a bit. I didn’t know if it was from nerves or from the bit of food I grabbed before heading out the door. After arriving at the fitness center I change, fill up my water bottle and head to the pool. The pool was fairly busy, but there in one lane completely open. I walk over and sit on the edge of the pool as I wet the rims of my goggles. I take a few breaths trying to reassure myself that this is just another swim. I jump in feet first until I feel the bottom and then push back up. Another couple deep breaths as I onec again become familiar with the pressure of the water. I hear the words “Here we go” from the opening of True Nature by Jane’s Addiction go through my head. I take one last breath, submerge, and push off from the wall.

My training has begun…

I want my hour back

I have to say that I’m dragging a bit today and I feel fine blaming it on daylight savings. It could also be the fact that I was out late both nights this weekend, but I like the daylight savings notion better.

Friday night was poker with the fellas. We played for a long time and there was a lot of action. Now we don’t play for huge stakes or anything but on a typical night there might be a total of 100-150 bucks out on the table. Maybe it was the game or the booze that some people were really into but by the end of the night there was 250 bones in play. I was just happy to walk out there down 20 with that much action taking place. Besides you can’t really beat 20 bucks for several hours of entertainment.

The late night was a bit hard to handle when the alarm went off Saturday morning. Nothing like an 8:00 AM run after a late night. I hit the snooze and stayed in bed until the last possible minute. That was followed by a fury of getting my stuff together and out the door in about 5 minutes. The run was a lot of fun because we increased the mileage to about 6.5. For some this was their longest run and they were really excited once they were done. There were a few that were struggling but everyone made it the end. It’s great to see the new team members reach all these new milestones. After the run it was off to lead a swim workout where I fell for my only April fool’s joke of the day. I guess my rush to get over to the pool left the brain a little dazed and confused. That or the fact that I had already done a run on only a few hours of sleep and was about to start coaching and it wasn’t even 11:00 yet. Twas a busy morning folks.

Saturday night was spent out in Minneapolis for a friend’s birthday. We went to a place called Brit’s which a fun English pub. They actually have lawn bowling during the summer on their outdoors deck. It was fun just hanging out having a couple of cocktails and seeing some old friends I hadn’t seen in awhile. The birthday girl was happy-go-lucky after a couple of drinks. She is a really tiny woman so it doesn’t make much before she is feeling it. She also gets touchy feely after a few so it was hugs and more hugs for everyone who stopped by and again when they left.

Clouds and rain suited the dragging today. I can’t say the motivation was there to do a whole lot. Today it was just typical Sunday errands and tasks. Not a whole lot going on today and I was fine with that. Besides I’m saving all my energy for tomorrow when I kick off my Pigman training. I was hoping to have some great post about the night before it all starts but I’m just not feeling it. Maybe tomorrow after my workouts the words will come to me.

Well that is gonna wrap things up. I hope you all had a great weekend. Take care…