miscellaneous off-season ramblings

OK, I'm not going to lie.  It hasn't been all blood, sweat and tears since I finished with my last big event in San Diego.  After a nice weekend in Key West, there was some laziness and lounging around... quite a bit of it actually. 

That's us with Eddie Montgomery (from Montgomery Gentry) and his wife in Key West!

But, as the coaches say...

"don't sleep on fall training. Without it your winter and spring will involve a painful 'restart' process!"

So, after about a week, I dragged my lazy butt off the couch...

30-day ab challenge

I tried and failed to get partners in crime for this challenge...but I decided to do it anyway.  Hoping it will make riding in the aero position a touch easier...???

...and I am happy to report that I completed every single day of this challenge! 

To sum up, that's a total of:

• 1610 situps (actually, I did tuck-ups instead of situps)
• 2120 crunches
• 904 leg raises
• 1397 seconds of plank

All in all, I spent a total of 3 hours and 23 minutes doing abs during October!  And one of the best things about this was that I could do a plank even on my bad foot!

Also known as the foot torture chamber...

When I finished PT, I knew I wasn't completely healed, but had hit a plateau and my therapist didn't think she could do any more for me.  She did put me in touch with a colleague of hers who designs apparatuses for injuries similar to mine.  I haven't been as consistent with using it (10 min x 6 times per day) as I should be, but still... progress!

I was so happy about completing the ab challenge that I gave myself a new goal of 30 runs in 30 days for November.  The rules are simple: each run [or walk] must be 1 mile or 15 min (whichever is longer), and multiple runs per day must be separated by an hour.  So far, so good, and I have even done more running than walking (hoping that forcing the activity will also help my back).

moving on up!

...I'm talking about swim lanes.  I actually postponed this as much as I could, but the coaches finally made me.  I really enjoyed my lane-mates in lane 3 and knew swimming wouldn't be the same without them. 

One of the few days I got to the pool early :-)

Not that I ever disliked my new lane-mates.... it's just different.

But then Linda moved up a lane also!!  And honestly, my new lane-mates are super nice as I start getting to know them, and [at least] one of them is even signed up for IMMD!

And, moving up does mean I'm getting faster though and that's a good thing!  Jon is right, I may bitch and moan about my alarm going off at 4:30 AM, and fighting the bats to get to my car (OK.. full disclosure, that only happened twice.. random!), but once I get there, I put in the work (well...usually).

This is completely random, but it made me think of the time Dan and I were in Spain (2009) and
thought we were getting attacked by bats!!  (might've been bats, might've been birds, we'll never know)

My goal is to get to the pool once per week until January when I'll start doubling up again.

more whining about my back

For the past few weeks, my back has really started acting up again.  I feel like it's stuck in some kind of catch-22.  I was OK during the summer when I was training a lot.  Then get to the off-season and my training goes down and my back hurts worse than ever.  Except.. it hurts too much to actually do anything!

One of the best things about the off-season is getting to do some different types of activities.  On one of the nicest days of Autumn we have had, Sweeney and I set out on a short hike in the Shenandoah.  We (I) couldn't make it to the top.  This hike hurt more and more with every step, and it was frustrating to have to turn around early.

I made an appointment with Dr. Mazahery to see what I can do.  I've gotten an ESI.  I've done physical therapy (twice), I've been to the chiropractor (three of them).  I have tried spinal decompression therapy, electrical stimulation, traction therapy, massage, foam roller, ice, heat, epsom salts.

More x-rays, another review of my MRI scan from last spring, and Dr. Mazahery suggests that I get another cortisone shot.  This one went in a little higher than the last one, and I don't think quite as deep (this one hurt, but not quite in the same way as the last time). 

I have lost the ability to be optimistic about this, but it seems like there is no further treatment plan.  Yeah, I could do physical therapy again or go see another chiropractor, but my back is not surgical (yet).  Fingers crossed this works.

I told Sweeney that we are going back to that hike and I will make it to the top of the mountain!!  I've been doing the stair-climber thing in my office gym to help train my back to that climbing motion.  It really bothered me that I caused us to turn around that day... I am not a quitter!!

I made it to track practice!

Track is the one type of group workout that I have been nervous about attending, simply because I am not a runner and have been nervous that I won't be able to get through the session.  I would periodically glance at the training plans and see 3 x 1200m or mile repeats, and realize that in my normal run/walk style, I don't necessarily run 1200m in a row... I'm supposed to do three of them?!

Since the team is just starting to ramp up again after the fall "A" races, the workouts are shorter.  I decided I was going to do this.  I set my alarm, packed my bag and was ready to go.... only I woke up to rain, turned off my alarm and said "eff this" - Fail.  But then.. last week, I finally made it!  My workout was 10 min zone 3, which I was able to jog all of, and then 2 x 400m in zone 4.. and I did it!  I'm not sure how it's gonna go when those intervals increase, but I realized that nobody is really watching you all that closely, and if I can't make an entire set, it will be OK.

So there you have it.  My semi-lazy off season is off to a reasonable start.  Though, I do need to get my ass back on my bike (literally).  This is the area that I have been hoping to make the biggest gains in over the winter, but that's not going to happen if the bike just sits there collecting dust. 

Tiki Swim

Starting out with a small rant here, but WTF, Frontier Airlines?!!

So, you mean to tell me it costs more to carry on a bag than to check a bag?!  How does that make sense.  It also cost you $3-5 to reserve a seat, and then, it's another $1.99 if you'd like your "complimentary" in-flight beverage.  Nevermind getting any snack on the cross-country flight!  Mind you, their airfare prices are not so low to justify this nickel and diming.  But actually, that is not my biggest issue with them.  I paid good money for TSA pre-check, but Frontier does not recognize that... as though TSA is optional?!  So I had to stand in the regular security line with all the common-folk.. unimaginable!! :-)

 

But anyway, Erika and I arrived in San Diego safely, met Deb, and went straight to a local Mexican joint for margaritas (margarEEEtas)!  We visited with some seals of Oceanside, checked into the condo [which was really nice minus the train that ran just outside the window at frequent intervals all throughout the day and night!] and took a walk around town.

This picture just does not do the waves justice!

Friday morning, we decided to head down to the beach and see about this whole swimming in the ocean thing.  Getting out past the waves made us all a little nervous, and I think all three of us stood there about knee-deep in the water unsure of how to tackle this part of the swim.  Erika was asking about which point in the wave to start diving under, so in an effort to show her, I dove into one of the waves.  It actually wasn't so bad!  Now that I'd gotten started, I kept going and soon found myself past the worst of it.  I turned around and saw Erika was not too far behind me, so I waited, and the two of us swam out to almost the end of the pier.  Then we started wondering how safe it was for us to be out there alone (are there sharks in this water??), and decided to turn back.  The swim back into the shore was actually way worse, as we couldn't see the waves coming up on us, and we were both happy that the official swim would end in a harbor, so we wouldn't have to worry about that part again.

After a shower and breakfast, we spent the rest of the day exploring Lake Hodges.  We were hoping for a good hiking trail, but settled for a brief trek up to the top of a cliff, and then a walk part-way around the lake.  Then it was off to a winery for the rest of the evening, and a soak in the hot tub when we got back to the condo.  Saturday, we had to somewhat take it easy in preparation for the swim on Sunday morning, but did find some energy for testing out some of the demo Xterra SUP in the harbor at swim check-in, and a walk around the shore of Pacific Beach to watch the sunset. 

XTerra had demo SUP that we could use at the swim check-in...
Seals in La Jolla where we had delicious brunch, and then  dinner and sunset
at Pacific Beach.. and yes, that is a BEER!!  I ordered a BEER!! (strawberry ale)

Sunday morning.  Swim day!  Yikes.  Erika had been nervous about the event for most of the trip, and I think nervousness is contagious!  Deb decided to switch her registration to the 1.2 mile swim, and so now I was the only fool swimming 2.4 miles, and was wondering if I was making the right decision?  Our practice swim on Friday was hard, but I got through it, so I was determined to do the 2.4 miles as I'd planned, especially since I figured as long as I could get out to the first turn buoy, I'd be fine.  The three of us made our way down to the pier and said our goodbyes as Deb and Erika caught the shuttle down to the 1.2 mile start (different start points, but we would end in the same spot).  I put my wetsuit on, applied my trislide and sunblock, turned in my morning clothes bag (to be collected at the end) and, for better or worse, was ready to go.  My original goal for the swim was 1:40, but given the waves and the current, I had no idea what to expect.. maybe 2 hours?

I lined up on the beach with all the other swimmers, and let pretty much everyone run ahead of me when the horn (err.. ambulance siren) sounded.  Let me just say that the waves were nothing like they were during our practice swim!!  Not only were they much bigger, but they were much more frequent!  We never got a break, and I was getting pounded again and again [and again and again].  I was about a heartbeat away from flagging down a kayaker and throwing in the towel, but I didn't see any around me.  Swimming back to shore was even more terrifying, so I just kept side-stroking my way out.  I had to stop again at one point to fix my timing chip that I could feel coming off (tucked it into my wetsuit).  Finally, I got to that first buoy and I hit the lap button on my watch so I could later see just how long and pathetic that first section took me. 

Once I was around that first buoy, I figured things would get better, right?  Wrong.  The waves weren't breaking anymore, but they were just as big and frequent as ever.  I couldn't see any of the buoys and I was starting to get seasick from being tossed around so much.  I tried to swim as best I could, and at one point a kayaker cut me off and told me I was going way off course.  I must say that the volunteers were pretty incredible!  At some point, I stopped, and another kayaker asked if I wanted some water.  Considering all of the salt water I'd consumed on accident, water sounded great.  A lifeguard paddled over to me and let me hang on to her surfboard until another boat came over with some water.  Unfortunately, it wasn't water, but instead some hammer product that tasted disgusting, but at least it got rid of the salt water taste.  I checked my watch and was pleased to see that I was more than halfway.  OK, I can do this... I was off again, trying desperately to spot the buoys.  The volunteers kept trying to direct me, and it turned out I was further along than I thought... I was no longer looking for orange buoys.  I had made it to the green buoys, indicating we were close to the turn into the harbor.

I'm not really sure how I feel about this photo.. I kinda look how I felt :-)

Eventually, I found myself rounding the rocks into the harbor.  I really started to pick it up at this point and was cruising!  I was passing people handily and just swimming along.  Then, a freaking seal swam right under me, about 2-3 feet away!  It freaked me out for a second until I realized what it was, but how cool is that?!  It was going the opposite direction as me though, so I couldn't follow it.  My arms started getting tired at this point, but I was enjoying my pace and was able to keep it up until the end.  I was looking for the large blow-up rubber ducky that I thought was supposed to signal the finish, but never saw it.  Instead, there were a ton of people yelling and cheering and I found myself at the boat launch.

They gave out burritos at the end... also, note the distance recorded!!

I swam as far as I could b/c I hate touching the bottom of bodies of water and wanted to be sure I didn't have to walk too far.  Suddenly, I found a hand in front of my face and I happily let the volunteer help me to my feet and direct me to the timing mats about 15 feet away.  1:47 was the time on my garmin (official time listed as 1:47:01), and under the circumstances, I'll take it! It was a strong finish and also a personal best for me at the distance!

We all finished!!!

It took a minute to get myself oriented as I walked through the finisher chute, and I had to hold onto the railing as a volunteer removed my chip.  It took forever to find some water -- not sure why they didn't think finishers would want water right away?  Then I found Deb and found out that she and Erika had only finished 10 minutes earlier, so I was happy I didn't make them wait for too long for me.  We took a finisher photo, and decided to buy t-shirts to commemorate the occasion.  From there, it was a relaxing day of brunch and sitting at the pool, before going out to dinner with my family who lives in San Diego.  It was great to see them and a wonderful finish to the weekend!

Note the baby sitting right across from me!!!  Though, with the one stroke of luck
on this trip, the baby was really, really good and pretty much slept the whole time.
Oh.. and that top right photo?  They wouldn't even let us watch the tv's while we were waiting!

Then.. traveling home was the worst nightmare ever.  When we booked our flights, [I thought] Deb was scheduled for a flight that left after mine and Erika's, but something must have happened because, Deb said her flight was now at 11:15, which meant we had to get to the airport at 9am.  This was a full 3.5 hours before our scheduled flight, which was already delayed thanks to many flights needing to be re-routed to avoid Chicago air space (thanks, jackass).  So, we had to wait until 10:40 until we could even check in, and then another few hours until our flight to Denver finally took off around 1:30.  When we landed in Denver, we raced to the food court to grab a snack for the flight (heath bar crunch cookie!) and made it back just in time for boarding, only to find out our captain and first officer had timed out.  We had to get off the plane again while they found a new crew. 
     Then they had to re-route us again to avoid weather in parts of the country. 
          Then there was too much fuel on the plane. 
               Then the new captain timed out. 
                    Then... we finally pull back from the gate as though we're leaving, but takeoff is aborted halfway down the runway due to a flight control malfunction. 
It was literally one thing after another, and we didn't end up landing in DC until 5:30am, a full 7.5 hours late (not sure why they didn't just cancel the flight?) and over 18 hours of travel for me and Erika.  Thanks to Jon, my hero, for tracking the flight and still picking me up when I finally made it.  Never again, Frontier airlines, never again.

When I got home and uploaded my data, I found the most shocking thing.  That first segment out through the waves to the first buoy that I was just sure took forever was actually faster than the rest?  I'm confused.  Really confused.
Oh, and not to forget the injury report!  I came home with 2 souvenirs...

Blister on the top of my foot from our inadvertent long walk around town the first night...
Chaffing on my shoulder from my wetsuit.. I swear, I use body glide, but every single time the wetsuit gets me!

All in all, this was a successful weekend.  I now know that I can swim this distance, even in poor circumstances.  I am now officially in my off-season, and getting ready to head south to Key West this weekend!  I already promised Jon that I am not taking any athletic equipment, no running shoes, no goggles, no garmin.. this will be a purely relaxing weekend, and I cannot wait!

---

I stumbled upon another race report from someone who has done this swim for the past couple years, and described it as the hardest OWS he's ever done, with "a lot more swells and chop than the previous two years."  It makes me feel much better that this was so hard for me.  Seems like conditions were much worse than they have been in years past.  His garmin also measured 2.6 miles, so maybe I didn't swim as far off course as I thought; the course was just long.

sh!t just got real, IMMD training camp, and Xena's maiden voyage

And just with that, a click of a button, shit. just. got. real.

Yikes!  I've been thinking and talking about Ironman for years... as in one day, before I'm 40, but always in the abstract, never any solid plans.  At some point, I stumbled upon a race report, the story of a women I have never met, and suddenly I wanted it, Ironman Cozumel.  It's what I set my mind on... what a great place to do Ironman!  Then the years passed, I went to grad school and took a break from racing, and then joined Team Z last spring.  Unfortunately [for me], the team is racing Ironman Cozumel *this* year, and that just isn't in the cards for me.  I also know that if I am going to do Ironman, I am going to want [and need] the support of the team.  The team selected two races for 2015, neither of which I originally put my support behind (I think I voted for Florida and Arizona).  So, I set about choosing between the two venues... and at the end of the day, it came down to logistics, and my best chance of becoming an Ironman in 2015.

And with that, I made the commitment to myself to race Ironman in 2015.  Things started happening quickily after that decision was made.  On June 19, I signed up to volunteer at this year's race with the anticipation of getting early registration on-site the day after.  Then, I registered for Eagleman 70.3, the natural warm-up race, sharing the same course as IMMD.  I got my Vo2Max test done on the bike (maps out your heart rate zones, which is how we train), and scheduled one for my run.  Hell, I even booked my place to stay over Ironman weekend 2015!!  Trust me, Cambridge is tight on lodging options... the time I did Eagleman (AquaBike in preparation for Redman 70.3 in 2008) I had to stay all the way in Salisbury.  This time, I am getting on top of things!  Besides, one less thing for me to worry about later...

Xena: Warrior Princess; Strong Fighter
(aka, EXACTLY what I'm going to need to become IRONMAN... my inspiration for
the name came from a sweet little puppy who overcame all odds, Xena the Warrior Puppy)

On Labor Day weekend, I went bike shopping with my dad.  Andrea had recently bought a new tri bike for her upcoming Ironman this year, and made the point that when else would she be riding her bike so much.  I thought about it, and she was absolutely right.  And, for me, if there was ever time to buy a tri bike, it was now, for this race and this specific course.  Furthermore, this was the time of year to buy, when there were previous year closeouts available.  I completely lucked out!  After a day in Baltimore getting fitted and testing a few bikes, I made a few phone calls and found a bike (2013 closeout Cervelo P3) that fit me perfectly at local Bonzai!  And with that, I welcomed Xena into my life.

Then, with a stroke of luck, they gave priority registration to everyone who had already signed up for Eagleman, and on Sep 16, a full 382 days prior to race date, I signed up for Ironman Maryland 2015!  Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap!

First road trip in the new car -- amazing weather to drive with the roof down!

It's with nervous excitement that I packed up Xena and the car and headed to Cambridge to experience Ironman for the first time, including volunteering in the women's changing tent, and train with my team and everyone who's getting ready for Ironman Cozumel in a few months.

The house was amazing, and I only wish there was more time to enjoy it.
That's the view from the long road/driveway leading up to the house, the back of the house
from the water's edge, and the view from the widow's tower.

I drove directly to the rental house that I was sharing with some other Zers who were volunteering, which was about 30 minutes past the race site, but necessary as I don't have a lock on my new bike rack yet.  I was in a bedroom with 4 twin beds, but in the end, 2 of the ladies didn't show up (they made a day trip out of it, I think), so it ended up just being me and Tricia (who, unlike reported earlier, is not signing up for IMMD 2015 which disappoints me, but good for her for making a decision that is best for her!).  From there, I drove to Great Marsh Park with my swim gear, 30 minutes late for when some teammates were meeting to swim.  I thought I had time to get in a small swim anyway, except when I got there, people were getting out and describing their experience as a washing machine, and probably inadvisable for me to get in.  I heeded their advice and made my way over to the team dinner before going back to the house and relaxing with some wine.

Holy choppy, the Choptank river lives up to its name!
No swimming for me!

I was awake bright and early on Saturday morning, got dressed and made my way back to the race site.  I wanted to get there early enough to get a parking spot, and be sure to get a good view to watch the swim start.  Not a problem, and I soon found some Zers as I just took in all the excitement of racers setting up their nutrition and last minute adjustments to their gear bags.  I felt the energy and tried to imagine what everyone was feeling, if they were doing their first or their 10th Ironman, if they were nervous about the swim, or bike cutoff times, or were hopeful for a personal best time.

I got caught up watching the swim so much that once again, I found myself late for the team workout.  Oh well, I had nothing but time on my hands, and I was not doing 16 miles like many teammates who are training for Ironman Cozumel, so I could do my measly 3(ish) miles whenever.  I walked over to the Team Z tent that was set up on the run course, and did my run along the first part of the bike course (opposite side of the road and mostly in the grass to stay out of the way).  It was nice watching all the bikers go by and even got to see Mary and Val as they passed me.  Then it was just relaxing at the Team Z tent and eating lunch until it was time for me to head to my volunteer shift.  I will say that the saddest part of my day was when I wandered to the edge of the water [to hide behind a car and change out of my run clothes] just in time to see the swim cut-off, and all the people working so hard to reach the beach as the announcer counted down from 5 minutes... and people being SO close (seriously, there were people who had just stood up and were heading out of the water) and not making it.  I felt terrible for those people.

Look at the difference in the river from the choppiness the day before...
What do you think is the net value of bikes here is?!!!

Volunteering was an amazing experience!  I worked the women's changing tent and got to see every single racer, from the eventual winner to the very last person who just barely made the cut-off at 5:29 PM.  This was probably a lesser-desired shift to take - lots of nakedness and helping people rub vaseline in places inside a very stuffy tent - but I picked up on a lot of tips and how-to's that I will surely be thankful for:  disposable toothbrush to get the gel taste out of your mouth, bring your own baby wipes, body glide, blister repair kit, advil.  Some people came in and sat down.. for awhile.. some people did full wardrobe changes, and some (the leaders) simply changed their shoes and headed out.  There were 2 women who came in - separately - who had crashed on the bike, couldn't move their arm at all, needed help putting their running shoes on, but refused medical attention and wanted to go ahead with the run.  I also got to see both Mary and Val again!  There really were just some amazing women and amazing stories, so the changing tent was a great place for me to be.  I was absolutely EXHAUSTED after my shift, but Deb tells me that means I did a good job and will be good mojo for me next year... I'll go with that!

That's actually a Zer (Jordan A.) crossing the finish line!

Then, it was back to the Team Z tent for 6 more hours of cheering - so many racers, so many incredible people!  And then... the finish line!  Contrary to what I've heard from other racers, this finish line was not crowded, there was plenty of spaces in the bleachers.. but the lights and music and watching those finishers dance their way down the chute, it was just as amazing as I had imagined.  I'm sure there were a bunch of people pulled from the run course for not making earlier cutoffs (there is a time limit for each of the 3 loops) as I did not see some of the people I'd helped change and was watching for... but every single person who made it onto the 3rd loop crossed the finish line with time to spare!  It would have been hard to watch someone get all that way and miss it by only a few minutes (which, by the way, is a position I might find myself in next year... train! train! train!).

Xena's maiden voyage... on the Ironman course!
Check out those splits for the out and back ride... can you tell which way the wind was going?!

I was simply exhausted for the drive back to the house after midnight, but woke up early again on Sunday, and for once made it to the team workout on time!  I started out with a group of riders, and for the first time, was able to keep up without trying too hard!  We stayed in a group and I was happy to hear that Jen F. and Sherri were also only doing 20 miles (most people were going long, 50-100 miles, but I'm not training for anything and just wanted to get out on the new bike and give her a whirl).  I did practice riding in the aero position on the back half (don't worry, I separated myself from the ladies until I was comfortable) and realized I'm going to have to work on my neck and shoulder muscles!  The 3 of us finished together, concluding the long, exhausting, but totally-worth-it weekend.  I stopped at Sonic for a breakfast sandwich and milkshake on my way home, took a long-overdue shower and curled up on the couch for the rest of the day.