take a look - http://atlanta.daybooknetwork.com/story/2009/07/22/22577daybook-sponsors-tnt.shtml
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Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
triathlons rock
joined the USTA this morning, the sanctioning body for regulated triathlons. so excited, and cannot wait to sign up for my next traithlon.
this has been such an exhilaration, while exhausting - it provides such an amazing sense of accomplishment in a small amount of time.
race day - Tugaloo - 1/2 way to the day - 9/12. and what a difference from 8 weeks ago!
working on sending in my recommittal paperwork, verifying i am racing in tugaloo! yes, i am! i have also been sized for my tri top - - - TNT branded! phew.
team in training has been such an amazing experience, and will continue to be. the coaches are absolutely fantastic, as well as the people training to cure cancer.
strong minds, strong bodies, determination, and no excuses. absolutely amazing!
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this has been such an exhilaration, while exhausting - it provides such an amazing sense of accomplishment in a small amount of time.
race day - Tugaloo - 1/2 way to the day - 9/12. and what a difference from 8 weeks ago!
working on sending in my recommittal paperwork, verifying i am racing in tugaloo! yes, i am! i have also been sized for my tri top - - - TNT branded! phew.
team in training has been such an amazing experience, and will continue to be. the coaches are absolutely fantastic, as well as the people training to cure cancer.
strong minds, strong bodies, determination, and no excuses. absolutely amazing!
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Tuesday, July 14, 2009
practice makes perfect
swim is still fantastic! at one time i did not know how i could get through a 100 meter swim without taking about 3 or 4 breaks along the way to hyperventilate, but last night, i succeeded in completeing a continuous swim (no breaks allowed) totaling 1/2 my race distance (750 meters or .45 miles), and completed in in 15:54 minutes - and felt good!
like with anything - practice makes perfect, and stong focus will prevail.
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like with anything - practice makes perfect, and stong focus will prevail.
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back on the saddle
so, 3 days off from injury - 4th day feeling better and hit the roads on the bike. sure, 3 days off - boy should be strong! this will be great! HA HA! really - how about the opposite. your muscles are trained to keep going, and the way we do that is with consistant exercise, daily. 3 days completely off trains your muscles differently - or actually...not at all. so sufficive to say - my ride went from what i thought would be exhilirating, to exteremely painful and exhausting. my legs were reacting like they had never been trained to ride.
Huh. certainly, the 100% humidity and 90 something degrees did not help. training heartrate was 20 beats higher that usual and you could actually feel the heat radiating off the pavement. i felt like i could have heated a room with the heat i was feeling.
anyway - i plowed though, and felt great. got my body moving again after a slow 3 days! fantastic! it was due to the forced rest, that i was able to get going again without pain!
stay focused, conquer!
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Huh. certainly, the 100% humidity and 90 something degrees did not help. training heartrate was 20 beats higher that usual and you could actually feel the heat radiating off the pavement. i felt like i could have heated a room with the heat i was feeling.
anyway - i plowed though, and felt great. got my body moving again after a slow 3 days! fantastic! it was due to the forced rest, that i was able to get going again without pain!
stay focused, conquer!
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*!%#* injury
injury. the dirty word that rears it head from time to time in training, appearing generally for two reasons aside from an accident; not stretching daily after your training, or overtraining (a common downfall of triathletes).
guess which one got me - yup, overtraining. i was feeling so good from the week before, and focused on strenghening my climbs, i decided how better to do that but go beyond my schedule and add another climb, and oh, why not - another run, too.... just for fun.
well, fun it was - but not for long. i added my extra ride on wednesday evening, rode right to the gym afterwards to teach my weight training class. (not smart). 5 a.m. next morning ran my 5.8 miles of hills, felt good. that evening, ran another 4 miles at a track clinic after my coach advised me not to. (really not smart). after about literally 1.5 miles at the track clinic i felt my legs tightening, fatiguing, hurting. i did not stop (really, really not smart). got home, and knew i had had acted really unsmart. i stretched, used my foam roller, and felt good all except for the entire area covering my right glute. (derriere muscles).
the next day when i awoke, it was all too clear that i had caused an injury. i did it. i fell into the triathlete mentality of taking it just another step further, over doing it (oh, lets just do a few more miles, shall we). well i learned my lesson, and a few things more became clear about myself. i don't have a "take it easy speed".
i proceeded to not be able to do my saturday brick training that i look forward to all week. i could have gone, to take it easy, but as displayed at track clinic - i cannot take it easy. full speed ahead. if i am there, i am going to work....period. so although a very difficult decision, and after talking with both my coach and my husband, it was decided not to attend the brick. heartbreaking.
3 days off from this injury - and you would think i would feel good from this. actually, the first day was nice - but beyond that i was truely going crazy resting my injury. my body has been trained to go, and keep going daily. this rest thing was not going well, and actually each day of training continued to make me more and more tired. it is interesting how the body works.
still working through - soon to be a distant memory.
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guess which one got me - yup, overtraining. i was feeling so good from the week before, and focused on strenghening my climbs, i decided how better to do that but go beyond my schedule and add another climb, and oh, why not - another run, too.... just for fun.
well, fun it was - but not for long. i added my extra ride on wednesday evening, rode right to the gym afterwards to teach my weight training class. (not smart). 5 a.m. next morning ran my 5.8 miles of hills, felt good. that evening, ran another 4 miles at a track clinic after my coach advised me not to. (really not smart). after about literally 1.5 miles at the track clinic i felt my legs tightening, fatiguing, hurting. i did not stop (really, really not smart). got home, and knew i had had acted really unsmart. i stretched, used my foam roller, and felt good all except for the entire area covering my right glute. (derriere muscles).
the next day when i awoke, it was all too clear that i had caused an injury. i did it. i fell into the triathlete mentality of taking it just another step further, over doing it (oh, lets just do a few more miles, shall we). well i learned my lesson, and a few things more became clear about myself. i don't have a "take it easy speed".
i proceeded to not be able to do my saturday brick training that i look forward to all week. i could have gone, to take it easy, but as displayed at track clinic - i cannot take it easy. full speed ahead. if i am there, i am going to work....period. so although a very difficult decision, and after talking with both my coach and my husband, it was decided not to attend the brick. heartbreaking.
3 days off from this injury - and you would think i would feel good from this. actually, the first day was nice - but beyond that i was truely going crazy resting my injury. my body has been trained to go, and keep going daily. this rest thing was not going well, and actually each day of training continued to make me more and more tired. it is interesting how the body works.
still working through - soon to be a distant memory.
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Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
it was not a dream...
so i had team swim training last night as i always do from 7:30-9 pm weekly.
i have to admit - there was a small part of my stomach that was worried that the wonderful experience i enjoyed last wednesday at my masters swim was just a good day, or a fluke. it was no fluke. my swim has truly improved, and i got through all the team drills without breaking in the middle of the pool. it all really just came together last week, and continued to come together last night.
i am amazed how all my training really has come together as a whole. team in training is such a great group, with wonderful coaches providing steadfast confidence along the way.
now - off to conquer some climbs...the next chapter of riding training. speed uphill. and now that i know the self fulfilling prophecy's work - i am a good climber, i am a fast, strong rider....i am a good climber.....
mental, physical, emotional - or physical, mental, emotional, or..
each day this series of words changes its positions -but i do continue to believe that mental stays a strong leader.
went out for a ride on saturday, with a group that i had not known until later in the day that they had been seasoned triathletes, iron man, and century riders. this made for an interesting, mental, emotional, and physical ride for me.
the ride began right off with a climb that lasted for 6 miles, a climb that locked my legs up right from the rubber meeting the road. not the best way to start this ride. it was goaled to be a 40 miler, my first, as to this point i had only rode a max of about 26.
there is no way to describe the fire that was in my thighs trying to keep up with this group, i was actually the one trailing behind. i had thought i had prepared myself for this mentally, as i did at least know that this group had a lot more time in the saddle than i did, but apparently i was not prepared enough.
pain continued to ensue, and exhaustion took over and the route was only about 4 miles from my house - and a stop light where we were all stopped i said i was turning around and going home, was not feeling well. i wasn't feeling well. my body was in absolute pain and exhaustion, and the last thing anyone needed was someone at 20 miles out to bonk. this was a really tough decision for me. frustrated and disappointed in myself, and lack of energy that day - that instead of going home, i turned around to conquer those climbs again that just conquered me. i was not ending this ride, or any training on a negative.
off i went, full of emotion and focus, i climbed, and climbed; and ended up doing 30 miles alone that day, primarily in climbing. and not only that, i added a brick training afterwards and ran uphill and down for 25 minutes.
an interesting thing happened at that brick - i realized that after about one mile or so, your body actually moves into another zone. the first mile is really like a brick - your legs and body are stiff and if they could talk they would say what are you doing to me. but for the first time, my body hit that second zone in my brick, that turned into an enjoyable run. a run that was full of energy and did not even feel like i had just rode 30 miles.
next day stayed strong (although it did not feel to fabulous suffering strong fatigue from the prior days training), but charged on, and added 1.1 miles to my run, and did 6.8 miles.
stay strong.
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went out for a ride on saturday, with a group that i had not known until later in the day that they had been seasoned triathletes, iron man, and century riders. this made for an interesting, mental, emotional, and physical ride for me.
the ride began right off with a climb that lasted for 6 miles, a climb that locked my legs up right from the rubber meeting the road. not the best way to start this ride. it was goaled to be a 40 miler, my first, as to this point i had only rode a max of about 26.
there is no way to describe the fire that was in my thighs trying to keep up with this group, i was actually the one trailing behind. i had thought i had prepared myself for this mentally, as i did at least know that this group had a lot more time in the saddle than i did, but apparently i was not prepared enough.
pain continued to ensue, and exhaustion took over and the route was only about 4 miles from my house - and a stop light where we were all stopped i said i was turning around and going home, was not feeling well. i wasn't feeling well. my body was in absolute pain and exhaustion, and the last thing anyone needed was someone at 20 miles out to bonk. this was a really tough decision for me. frustrated and disappointed in myself, and lack of energy that day - that instead of going home, i turned around to conquer those climbs again that just conquered me. i was not ending this ride, or any training on a negative.
off i went, full of emotion and focus, i climbed, and climbed; and ended up doing 30 miles alone that day, primarily in climbing. and not only that, i added a brick training afterwards and ran uphill and down for 25 minutes.
an interesting thing happened at that brick - i realized that after about one mile or so, your body actually moves into another zone. the first mile is really like a brick - your legs and body are stiff and if they could talk they would say what are you doing to me. but for the first time, my body hit that second zone in my brick, that turned into an enjoyable run. a run that was full of energy and did not even feel like i had just rode 30 miles.
next day stayed strong (although it did not feel to fabulous suffering strong fatigue from the prior days training), but charged on, and added 1.1 miles to my run, and did 6.8 miles.
stay strong.
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Friday, July 3, 2009
pure fatigue
phew. something happened this week, or something was done a little differently whether it be training, not eating enough, or properly, not drinking enough water - well the list goes on of what i have to track, but to make a long story short; what started as a very strong week, kicked me in my backside with such force by Thursday night, i barely recognized myself. sore, sore, tired, tried, tired. so tired in fact that i slept until 9 a.m. this morning (thank goodness for the independence holiday). 9 a.m.! i don't remember the last time i actually slept that late - acutally, i ususally loathe the thought of sleeping my day away. to top that even further, i feel like i could have slept more.
my mornings have been beginning anywhere between 4 and 4:45 a.m. since training had begun and really kicked in about 5 weeks ago. so on off training days, my eyes are still opening and ready to go without an alarm by 5:30.
so now, throughout the day - i am needing to amp myself up to prepare mentally and physically for a 40 mile ride tomorrow. so far the max distance i have rode has been 26 miles. but, i have been invited to join this ride tomorrow. i am not turning down this challenge for myself. fortunately the heat and humidity is in my favor. the weather these past few days has been gorgeous since the stagnant, and energy stealing heat and humidity has departed. i had thought i had moved suddenly into the deep south swamps for a while.
so here is my thought process for this ride. apparently the riders are super fast, riding about 20-25 mph average. my average has been 15-19 mph, and a little more if i have a slight decline (i love declines!). i don't plan to be able to keep up, and i am OK with that. i would rather not keep up and pace myself, than try and then not be able to make it back. ....that would be a little embarrassing to say the least! so say i do 15 mph, then it will take me about 2 1/2 - 3 hours, taking stop signs, etc into consideration. and, the route is clearly marked, so i should not get lost. and actually, that causes slight anxiety because when someone tells me it is impossible to get lost, then i do - well, that is slightly embarrassing! HA!
happy 4th ...let's ride to cure cancer!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
the team, with our honored hero - Fiona
So here is some of our team - and Fiona, our survivor. Fiona has been in remission for 2 years and just turned 6 thanks to the help from Team in Training for raising money so she can get her medicine. Go Team, and Go Fiona. Seeing her face gives me strength daily to raise more money and train harder.
Fiona is the little girl in the first row, with a red t-shirt and white pants. I am right behind her with the white and blue jersey with the blue circle on my chest.
and pigs flew
birds sang, and the choir raised an octane.
CLICK. really - it just clicked. people said it would, but i was feeling pessimistic, so i decided to challenge myself to a self fulfilling prophecy as is stated in a prior post. i am a good swimmer. i love to swim. la, la la. AND, for the result......WOW!
i was a master swim this morning at 5:45 a.m. yup - and inside those walls you have no clock, no windows, no idea what time it is. in a weird way it is like Las Vegas casinos ( i did say a weird way). instead of the smell of stale cigarettes and filth, you smell chlorine, health, and the need for competition.
anyhow - being optimistic, i dove in. all of a sudden, it was all coming together. breathing was coming effortlessly, it did not even pose an issue anymore. i was swimming, smoothly. the coach had all but one comment for me to tweak on my stroke...that was it. my endurance has all of a sudden dramatically improved. i cannot believe it. i feel like a new swimmer! we used some of those swimming gadgets to hold your lower body up to prevent you from kicking, and teach you to effectively use your upper body to pull through the water. i am still amazed. and - to top it off, apparently we swam upwards of 2 miles. now, i did miss a few laps due to being a little slow (in regards to speed) , but my race is a .9 miler, and i certainly did not miss 1/2 the laps - so.....that means that i swam my race distance this morning at the very least! WOW!
now - continue to build endurance, and then SPEED! i have a definite need for speed.
clocked 41 mph on a downhill ride, yesterday morning thanks to my cool new bike computer, a cateye wireless.. i was still tapping the brakes because of a blind turn at the bottom of the hill. come on open road...let's go! now, lets get some up hill speed and we will be good.
still have a lot of work to do, but i am inspired to do so!
i swam....just use your self fulfilling prophecy and go for it! see what YOU can do!
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