February 25, 2010
"The same describes those who criticize circumstances in their life, but aren't willing to work at changing those situations."
I've already started making my change, but there is still more to go. I'm still not content with where I am and how I feel. I know that I could do better. I could push harder, I could eat better, I could take care of myself more. I was motivated by this quote this morning and then by the end of the night, my motivation slipped off and I started snacking on all my little snacks I have all around me. I think some of this has to do with the fact that I get all the free food I could ever want at work. Seriously, sounds like a wonderful thing, but omg I still get so excited about all the free food that I sort of over load it haha!
I've had other stressers this week like my stupid roommates I have to deal with, and it has been draining me. That along with my half and the back of my knee hurting and... NO-- I will not complain. I'm stopping right now. Even in the midst of whatever is going on in my life, I was still able to get to the gym for strength and core and I was still able to run hills and I was still able to go for a swim in the pool. I still put the work in. Even if I went slower than normal today and even if I just did a swim workout that I wanted to do, I did it. Slow and steady wins the race. Okay, I might not actually "win" the races compared with all the other people out there. But, I will win the race within my self. I will make it to the finish line. I will put the work in now and make a change. I will be different. I will not be the same. I will have no circumstances to criticize if and when I cross that finish line.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Eat, Sleep, Tri, Work
February 24, 2010
"Leadership is doing what is right when no one is watching." - George Van Valkenburg.
God, I need to listen to that statement more. I feel like I've been slipping this week. Yes, it is supposed to be a "rest" week, but I'm eating just as much as I would be during the other weeks. Aka not going a good job at keeping up with everything like my good nutrition "when no one else is watching."
But, I still am keeping up with everything. More than I actually thought I ever could. I went swimming in the middle of the day today-- surprisingly it was beautiful out-- good weather, warm, and sunny. Such a wonderful day to be outside in the pool. We had a workout that was too confusing for me to memorize and I forgot to bring the paper with me, so I just made up my own workout. And what a great workout it was! I mean... if I'm making it myself, of course it's going to be doing things I like :) I know this is bad since I should be working on things I don't like, but you know what, I'm a strong enough swimmer that there's nothing to worry about. On that note, it was so funny tonight at my SB track workout-- I was talking with this one older guy and we started talking about swimming and he was like, "you were in the pool in the lane next to me on Sunday and every few minutes you would just glide past me-- you were like a fish!" Haha, too funny! It sucks because I love swimming and would love to do it more and more, but honestly, if I were to train it all the time and get really good at it, I might shave off 5 minutes of my time. On the other hand, if I start actually riding my bike more, I could cut down hours off my time. Hmmmm, I wonder what I should be doing... Definitely swimming more ;)
Our "recovery" track workout of hard drills and 9 800s somehow doesn't seem like it was all that much of a "recovery" workout. But, to be honest, it really wasn't bad. The most amazing thing is how NOT sore I am from this weekend. Exhausted, yes. Sore, no.
This exhaustion right now is wearing on me... It's already 10pm and I'm not even home yet. I could either a) let this get to me or b) keep a positive attitude about it. Yes, my life is now devoted to this. But, it's something I have accepted. I'm not going to let the fact that I'm never home get to me. I know I barely have time to be at home to do "all the other stuff I want to do." But the reality is, I'm getting to do all the things I want to do. Being on the team with my teammates and working out is better than anything I would do at home. I just have to keep reminding myself of that fact. My life literally has become eat, sleep, tri, work. What a great life :)
"Leadership is doing what is right when no one is watching." - George Van Valkenburg.
God, I need to listen to that statement more. I feel like I've been slipping this week. Yes, it is supposed to be a "rest" week, but I'm eating just as much as I would be during the other weeks. Aka not going a good job at keeping up with everything like my good nutrition "when no one else is watching."
But, I still am keeping up with everything. More than I actually thought I ever could. I went swimming in the middle of the day today-- surprisingly it was beautiful out-- good weather, warm, and sunny. Such a wonderful day to be outside in the pool. We had a workout that was too confusing for me to memorize and I forgot to bring the paper with me, so I just made up my own workout. And what a great workout it was! I mean... if I'm making it myself, of course it's going to be doing things I like :) I know this is bad since I should be working on things I don't like, but you know what, I'm a strong enough swimmer that there's nothing to worry about. On that note, it was so funny tonight at my SB track workout-- I was talking with this one older guy and we started talking about swimming and he was like, "you were in the pool in the lane next to me on Sunday and every few minutes you would just glide past me-- you were like a fish!" Haha, too funny! It sucks because I love swimming and would love to do it more and more, but honestly, if I were to train it all the time and get really good at it, I might shave off 5 minutes of my time. On the other hand, if I start actually riding my bike more, I could cut down hours off my time. Hmmmm, I wonder what I should be doing... Definitely swimming more ;)
Our "recovery" track workout of hard drills and 9 800s somehow doesn't seem like it was all that much of a "recovery" workout. But, to be honest, it really wasn't bad. The most amazing thing is how NOT sore I am from this weekend. Exhausted, yes. Sore, no.
This exhaustion right now is wearing on me... It's already 10pm and I'm not even home yet. I could either a) let this get to me or b) keep a positive attitude about it. Yes, my life is now devoted to this. But, it's something I have accepted. I'm not going to let the fact that I'm never home get to me. I know I barely have time to be at home to do "all the other stuff I want to do." But the reality is, I'm getting to do all the things I want to do. Being on the team with my teammates and working out is better than anything I would do at home. I just have to keep reminding myself of that fact. My life literally has become eat, sleep, tri, work. What a great life :)
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
New Friends
February 23, 2010
"Ironteam, You guys are so inspiring, and I am so very proud of you. Way to Iron up this weekend!" - Mike K
"WORD!!! You all were a force to be reckoned with! Enjoy your recovery week...it is well deserved! Great job! GO TEAM IRONTEAM!" - Sedonia
"Great Weekend!!! Training for Vineman has been my first experience with TNT….and it has been amazing!! I want to thank the coaches, mentors, honorees and my teammates. You are all very inspiring and I couldn’t imagine traveling this road with a better group of people. Thanks….and bring on Wildflower!!!" - Jim
"I smiled all weekend too. You guys were there with your game faces and your positive attitudes all tuned up. You rocked it!" - Coach Dave
"I just want to say thanks! Thanks to all of you for reminding me why I do this. Your commitment, determination, and enthusiasm makes every moment brighter. You guys rock!" -Tony
These were a few of the responses from emails floating around yesterday and today after our hard, hard, hard bootcamp weekend. The last quote from Tony really sums it up for me. Seriously, going through that weekend with all these amazing people around me, reminds me why I do it also. We are all dying, yet we are dying together. We push each other, we help each other up, we laugh with each other, we yell at each other, we cry with each other, we lean on each other. Although come race day I will technically be out there all on my own, the journey wasn't done alone. Not at all. I couldn't be doing this with each and every one of my teammates. I never never felt such an amazing connection to a team entity before in my life-- and this is after years and years of being a part of sports teams. There is something so special about this group of people that I can feel it within my grasp. Even all our little facebook messages brings a smile to my face and has actually got me to go on facebook more. They help me with every moment of the day. I cannot wait to go through the next five months with them. When I was out there on Saturday and Sunday, smiling away like I do, I couldn't stop thinking about how much I love being a part of this group and how I really cherish being here. I used to be the person who loved to skip practice and try to get out of things. Not anymore. Now, I'm the person looking forward to every practice! I can't believe how quickly this transformation has been and I can't believe how quickly I feel like I have become good friends with such extraordinary people. But, it's true.
When I talk about all these new friends, it's fun because I'm actually friends with both North Bay and South Bay and love them all. Of course they have different vibes and different personalities as a whole, but they are each special in their own way. On Saturday's "North Bay" workout, I told the north bay people what to expect from South Bay's workout. On the "South Bay" workout, I got to hear what they thought of north bay. It's kind of fun in a way because I'm the middle man-- but, I never have to choose sides because I love them both. I'm the luckiest girl on this team for having the opportunity to be a part of two teams.
I went to the South Bay spin practice tonight... Although it's "recovery" week, these recoveries are getting harder and harder. We did a good 50 minute spin-- pushing hard and sweating hard and breathing hard through all the hills. Then off for a 35 minute run-- which was pretty miserable because it was rainy, windy, and freezing cold. Believe me, I didn't particularly want to do that run, but you know what, I did get it in and it went by quick enough. Of course, it went by quickly because of the company I had around me.
As I was leaving the practice, a few people asked me if I would show up for tomorrow night's track workout. Of course, I told them. To me, it's not really an option of skipping these practices ever. Why would I? They are the part of the day that I enjoy more than anything. I enjoy being with my new friends and pushing through this journey with them by my side helping me along.
"Ironteam, You guys are so inspiring, and I am so very proud of you. Way to Iron up this weekend!" - Mike K
"WORD!!! You all were a force to be reckoned with! Enjoy your recovery week...it is well deserved! Great job! GO TEAM IRONTEAM!" - Sedonia
"Great Weekend!!! Training for Vineman has been my first experience with TNT….and it has been amazing!! I want to thank the coaches, mentors, honorees and my teammates. You are all very inspiring and I couldn’t imagine traveling this road with a better group of people. Thanks….and bring on Wildflower!!!" - Jim
"I smiled all weekend too. You guys were there with your game faces and your positive attitudes all tuned up. You rocked it!" - Coach Dave
"I just want to say thanks! Thanks to all of you for reminding me why I do this. Your commitment, determination, and enthusiasm makes every moment brighter. You guys rock!" -Tony
These were a few of the responses from emails floating around yesterday and today after our hard, hard, hard bootcamp weekend. The last quote from Tony really sums it up for me. Seriously, going through that weekend with all these amazing people around me, reminds me why I do it also. We are all dying, yet we are dying together. We push each other, we help each other up, we laugh with each other, we yell at each other, we cry with each other, we lean on each other. Although come race day I will technically be out there all on my own, the journey wasn't done alone. Not at all. I couldn't be doing this with each and every one of my teammates. I never never felt such an amazing connection to a team entity before in my life-- and this is after years and years of being a part of sports teams. There is something so special about this group of people that I can feel it within my grasp. Even all our little facebook messages brings a smile to my face and has actually got me to go on facebook more. They help me with every moment of the day. I cannot wait to go through the next five months with them. When I was out there on Saturday and Sunday, smiling away like I do, I couldn't stop thinking about how much I love being a part of this group and how I really cherish being here. I used to be the person who loved to skip practice and try to get out of things. Not anymore. Now, I'm the person looking forward to every practice! I can't believe how quickly this transformation has been and I can't believe how quickly I feel like I have become good friends with such extraordinary people. But, it's true.
When I talk about all these new friends, it's fun because I'm actually friends with both North Bay and South Bay and love them all. Of course they have different vibes and different personalities as a whole, but they are each special in their own way. On Saturday's "North Bay" workout, I told the north bay people what to expect from South Bay's workout. On the "South Bay" workout, I got to hear what they thought of north bay. It's kind of fun in a way because I'm the middle man-- but, I never have to choose sides because I love them both. I'm the luckiest girl on this team for having the opportunity to be a part of two teams.
I went to the South Bay spin practice tonight... Although it's "recovery" week, these recoveries are getting harder and harder. We did a good 50 minute spin-- pushing hard and sweating hard and breathing hard through all the hills. Then off for a 35 minute run-- which was pretty miserable because it was rainy, windy, and freezing cold. Believe me, I didn't particularly want to do that run, but you know what, I did get it in and it went by quick enough. Of course, it went by quickly because of the company I had around me.
As I was leaving the practice, a few people asked me if I would show up for tomorrow night's track workout. Of course, I told them. To me, it's not really an option of skipping these practices ever. Why would I? They are the part of the day that I enjoy more than anything. I enjoy being with my new friends and pushing through this journey with them by my side helping me along.
Monday, February 22, 2010
February 22, 2010
Rest Day. Day of Rest. Recovery. Somewhat.
Surprisingly, I'm not as sore as I thought I would be. Not really sore at all. I just think my body is still exhausted. I needed the rest-- physically and mentally. It was nice to have that thought all day in my mind that I wouldn't allow myself to do anything.
I didn't get a great night of sleep though last night because of my racing heart. Thus, my plan to sleep in till 8am didn't really work. I still got up at 7, which by all standards for me, is still sleeping in. It was nice to actually take a shower at home this morning and get ready. Do my makeup and blowdry my hair without being in a locker room somewhere. How I miss mornings like that...
Rest Day. Day of Rest. Recovery. Somewhat.
Surprisingly, I'm not as sore as I thought I would be. Not really sore at all. I just think my body is still exhausted. I needed the rest-- physically and mentally. It was nice to have that thought all day in my mind that I wouldn't allow myself to do anything.
I didn't get a great night of sleep though last night because of my racing heart. Thus, my plan to sleep in till 8am didn't really work. I still got up at 7, which by all standards for me, is still sleeping in. It was nice to actually take a shower at home this morning and get ready. Do my makeup and blowdry my hair without being in a locker room somewhere. How I miss mornings like that...
It Might Kill Me
February 21, 2009
“If it doesn't kill you, it only makes you stronger.”
I don't think I believe that quote anymore. Although I did say that quote out loud today to someone, I have a new perspective... If it almost kills you, it might not make you stronger but actually tear you down...
Day 2 of Boot Camp. South Bay Team Workout. Gunderson High School. 8 straight hours of pushing ourselves to out utmost limits. No breaks, no lunches, no stops besides when we had to change clothes. I loved about 99% of it-- there's that 1% though that killed me.... Let's start at the beginning...
3500m swim. Chill for me. The only annoying part was trying to pass people in the small lane and not really knowing how long our workout was going. It was a solid swim. Quick transition to get our bike gear on-- 19miles in the cold, rain, up hills and down slippery slopes. Although I never actually felt sore from yesterday's workout, once I started on the bike, my legs definitely felt it and told me how tired they were. Since we were riding around the hills of Los Gatos where I grew up (and literally went past the house I grew up in), I knew the hills were steep. Growing up, I never thought I would ride my bike around this area. Oh, how life changes. I definitely breathed heavier today-- the hills, although shorter, were steeper. But, I pushed myself on and on and kept a smile the whole time. I was finishing the bike and thought to myself-- I am literally enjoying every single minute of this! Even though my clothes and bones were soaked to the skin from the rain, nothing deterred my happiness for being out here.
Our longest “break” of the day-- taking 15 minutes between the bike and the run. Not enough time to eat anything substantial, only enough time to get cold before starting out on the 30 min out and back run. Oh wait, that run had a little twist also-- let's do birbies and sit-ups every ten minutes to get some strength in there! In the middle of a run, the last thing you want to do is a pushup, squat, and jump-- repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat and sit ups. But, of course, that's what we were here to do- test out limits and push through. Near the end of the run, my breathing was getting harder and harder. I knew I was going at a pace too fast for me. But, it was nearly the end and I couldn't back off at that point! Thus, I finished strong.
Hop right back on the saddle onto the bike trainer. Spinning time. Hill repeats. Going in the hardest gear and standing. Grimacing in pain. But trudging along and keeping a smile all the way. The coaches started calling me smily sara by that point in the day. Nothing would stop me today :)
To the track for the track workout-- run, strength, run, strength, run, strength, run. Squat jumps, sit ups, lunges, reverse crunches, bleachers, tricep dips, crunches.
Onto the seat again for more bike trainer. One legged spins... hips burning and dying in pain. Not as much as Golnaz's pain, but enough that I couldn't even bring my leg in a circle. More hills. Breathing deep and hard. Trying to drink as much as I could whenever I could. I knew it wasn't enough, but I did my best to keep up. It was a terrible effort of nutrition. Standing in the saddle barely happened. My legs burned and burned but I kept lifting each leg after the other. IronPhil.com was there pushing me on. I kept a smile the whole way. I knew the pain was worth it.
Out to the track again. One lap medium pace (level 5 effort), one lap fast/hard pace (level 7 effort). Break to do crunches. Repeat until they say stop. I started off okay... I could tell my level 5 at this stage of the day was probably the equivalent of my usual level 3 haha! But, the good thing about going by your levels, is that it's all relative. A level 5 is about how hard you're breathing and obviously this changes all the time. It's never a set time. My level 7 laps were slow also, but I was still breathing hard. I was wondering-- can I really be breathing this hard and working this hard and yet still be going fairly slow? Or was something wrong and my body was trying to tell me something.
A few repeated cycles of that went by. Then, I sat down to do my crunches and all of a sudden, within an instant, I couldn't breathe. Literally, gasping for air. Weasing and hissing while sitting down after a very slow lap. I never ever ever leave workouts and in that second, I absolutely had to get up. I got up and walked away from the track to walk around and get my breath. Literally tears were forming in my eyes because I didn't know what was happening and I couldn't breathe. I was starving for oxygen. I'd never felt this feeling my entire life and it scared me and frightened me. Of course everyone noticed and a few people asked if I was all-right, but even though of course I wasn't, I pretended I was. I even tried to go around the track once more. Finally, I got my breathing a little under control. One of the coaches gave me a coke and I ate a granola bar and drank electrolites to try to replenish my body from whatever had just happened to me. The workout still wasn't over so I would have to continue on. Thankfully, the nutrition did help...
Swim cool down for a 1000m. The most perfect cool down for me ever. I went super slow (still faster than most though) and just enjoyed being in the water. It calmed me down so I could forget about my crazy not-being-able-to-breathe episode while I wasn't even doing anything strenuous.
It was 4pm by the end of the workout and we started at 8am. A full 8 hours of working out. I woke up at 5:40am and was getting home around 5:40pm. But, to make my life easier, I went to my parents house in Los Gatos so I wouldn't have to make the haul back up to SF.
I came home and actually got in the cold pool to help my legs recover. No matter how cold I was and how much I wanted to die, I knew it was good for me, so I did it.
Around 8pm-- 4 hours after the workout and 4 hours of doing nothing, my heart was still pounding. I was taking my pulse and it was still up over 90/min. This was not right. I knew something was wrong. I tried to look it up on the internet to see what supplement I should be taking or something, but nothing really correlated with my high heartbeat symptom. And then, I realized what it was. I had had a panic attack. A full on panic attack that I couldn't control.
It was so strange because I never thought I was ever anxious or in a panic-y mood. I was happy with a smile on my face all day long. I wasn't stressing or anything. How do you panic when you aren't paniced? I know what it was... it was my body panicing and telling my brain. Believe me, I have never ever done something so strenuous and so hard for such a long period of time in my entire life. That was beyond pushing my limits. I surpassed them to a point where my body's reaction was to cause panic. If it almost kills you, it might not be that good. It might not make you stronger if you're body isn't ready for it. Although I love my team and loved so much of today, I do believe that a non-stop 8 hour workout was far too much for where we are. I didn't think that at the time and when I was doing it. But as my heart rate is still up at 90, I think something went wrong. It scared me. A lot. I'm afraid of having that feeling again. It was so completely out of my control and literally I didn't even know it was coming. It just attacked me and took the breath away from, literally. I'm not religious or anything and don't pray, but god, I pray it doesn't happen again. I'd like to come away from this experience alive.
I'm going to sleep in and rest tomorrow.
Good night.
“If it doesn't kill you, it only makes you stronger.”
I don't think I believe that quote anymore. Although I did say that quote out loud today to someone, I have a new perspective... If it almost kills you, it might not make you stronger but actually tear you down...
Day 2 of Boot Camp. South Bay Team Workout. Gunderson High School. 8 straight hours of pushing ourselves to out utmost limits. No breaks, no lunches, no stops besides when we had to change clothes. I loved about 99% of it-- there's that 1% though that killed me.... Let's start at the beginning...
3500m swim. Chill for me. The only annoying part was trying to pass people in the small lane and not really knowing how long our workout was going. It was a solid swim. Quick transition to get our bike gear on-- 19miles in the cold, rain, up hills and down slippery slopes. Although I never actually felt sore from yesterday's workout, once I started on the bike, my legs definitely felt it and told me how tired they were. Since we were riding around the hills of Los Gatos where I grew up (and literally went past the house I grew up in), I knew the hills were steep. Growing up, I never thought I would ride my bike around this area. Oh, how life changes. I definitely breathed heavier today-- the hills, although shorter, were steeper. But, I pushed myself on and on and kept a smile the whole time. I was finishing the bike and thought to myself-- I am literally enjoying every single minute of this! Even though my clothes and bones were soaked to the skin from the rain, nothing deterred my happiness for being out here.
Our longest “break” of the day-- taking 15 minutes between the bike and the run. Not enough time to eat anything substantial, only enough time to get cold before starting out on the 30 min out and back run. Oh wait, that run had a little twist also-- let's do birbies and sit-ups every ten minutes to get some strength in there! In the middle of a run, the last thing you want to do is a pushup, squat, and jump-- repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat and sit ups. But, of course, that's what we were here to do- test out limits and push through. Near the end of the run, my breathing was getting harder and harder. I knew I was going at a pace too fast for me. But, it was nearly the end and I couldn't back off at that point! Thus, I finished strong.
Hop right back on the saddle onto the bike trainer. Spinning time. Hill repeats. Going in the hardest gear and standing. Grimacing in pain. But trudging along and keeping a smile all the way. The coaches started calling me smily sara by that point in the day. Nothing would stop me today :)
To the track for the track workout-- run, strength, run, strength, run, strength, run. Squat jumps, sit ups, lunges, reverse crunches, bleachers, tricep dips, crunches.
Onto the seat again for more bike trainer. One legged spins... hips burning and dying in pain. Not as much as Golnaz's pain, but enough that I couldn't even bring my leg in a circle. More hills. Breathing deep and hard. Trying to drink as much as I could whenever I could. I knew it wasn't enough, but I did my best to keep up. It was a terrible effort of nutrition. Standing in the saddle barely happened. My legs burned and burned but I kept lifting each leg after the other. IronPhil.com was there pushing me on. I kept a smile the whole way. I knew the pain was worth it.
Out to the track again. One lap medium pace (level 5 effort), one lap fast/hard pace (level 7 effort). Break to do crunches. Repeat until they say stop. I started off okay... I could tell my level 5 at this stage of the day was probably the equivalent of my usual level 3 haha! But, the good thing about going by your levels, is that it's all relative. A level 5 is about how hard you're breathing and obviously this changes all the time. It's never a set time. My level 7 laps were slow also, but I was still breathing hard. I was wondering-- can I really be breathing this hard and working this hard and yet still be going fairly slow? Or was something wrong and my body was trying to tell me something.
A few repeated cycles of that went by. Then, I sat down to do my crunches and all of a sudden, within an instant, I couldn't breathe. Literally, gasping for air. Weasing and hissing while sitting down after a very slow lap. I never ever ever leave workouts and in that second, I absolutely had to get up. I got up and walked away from the track to walk around and get my breath. Literally tears were forming in my eyes because I didn't know what was happening and I couldn't breathe. I was starving for oxygen. I'd never felt this feeling my entire life and it scared me and frightened me. Of course everyone noticed and a few people asked if I was all-right, but even though of course I wasn't, I pretended I was. I even tried to go around the track once more. Finally, I got my breathing a little under control. One of the coaches gave me a coke and I ate a granola bar and drank electrolites to try to replenish my body from whatever had just happened to me. The workout still wasn't over so I would have to continue on. Thankfully, the nutrition did help...
Swim cool down for a 1000m. The most perfect cool down for me ever. I went super slow (still faster than most though) and just enjoyed being in the water. It calmed me down so I could forget about my crazy not-being-able-to-breathe episode while I wasn't even doing anything strenuous.
It was 4pm by the end of the workout and we started at 8am. A full 8 hours of working out. I woke up at 5:40am and was getting home around 5:40pm. But, to make my life easier, I went to my parents house in Los Gatos so I wouldn't have to make the haul back up to SF.
I came home and actually got in the cold pool to help my legs recover. No matter how cold I was and how much I wanted to die, I knew it was good for me, so I did it.
Around 8pm-- 4 hours after the workout and 4 hours of doing nothing, my heart was still pounding. I was taking my pulse and it was still up over 90/min. This was not right. I knew something was wrong. I tried to look it up on the internet to see what supplement I should be taking or something, but nothing really correlated with my high heartbeat symptom. And then, I realized what it was. I had had a panic attack. A full on panic attack that I couldn't control.
It was so strange because I never thought I was ever anxious or in a panic-y mood. I was happy with a smile on my face all day long. I wasn't stressing or anything. How do you panic when you aren't paniced? I know what it was... it was my body panicing and telling my brain. Believe me, I have never ever done something so strenuous and so hard for such a long period of time in my entire life. That was beyond pushing my limits. I surpassed them to a point where my body's reaction was to cause panic. If it almost kills you, it might not be that good. It might not make you stronger if you're body isn't ready for it. Although I love my team and loved so much of today, I do believe that a non-stop 8 hour workout was far too much for where we are. I didn't think that at the time and when I was doing it. But as my heart rate is still up at 90, I think something went wrong. It scared me. A lot. I'm afraid of having that feeling again. It was so completely out of my control and literally I didn't even know it was coming. It just attacked me and took the breath away from, literally. I'm not religious or anything and don't pray, but god, I pray it doesn't happen again. I'd like to come away from this experience alive.
I'm going to sleep in and rest tomorrow.
Good night.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Boot Camp Day 1-- Iron Up!
"Iron Up." - A common quote among ironman team participants.
I definitely thought about that quote today out there on boot camp day 1. It was a day of beginning to test our limits. From jumping into freezing freezing cold water to biking up 5 mile long hard inclines to battling the wind from tipping over on your bike on the downhills to panting while walking up the dirt fire-road trails our feet pounded over.
I told myself to "iron up" many times, and many times the only thought that got me through everything was thoughts of Golnaz. My back was killing me on the bike, so I thought back to the days when Golnaz had all those bone marrow procedures in her lower back. I knew that pain was worse than I was facing and I knew that her pain was one that she wouldn't be able to get rid of in a few minutes. So, I pushed harder. And literally, those two thoughts kept me going strong the whole day. Seriously, I was ready for more! I mean, when I first jumped in the water and had to gasp for air it was that cold... and I couldn't even imagine putting my face in the water until after the first buey, by the end, I found my rhythm and really thought I could keep going! With all 3 events, I had fun out there and had a surprisingly huge burst of energy the entire day. I don't think I ever stopped smiling :)
Where is all this coming from??? WTF? Am I really enjoying this???
My legs were tired while biking, but literally while everyone around me on the run started talking about how their legs felt like jello, mine felt great. I don't have that tired feeling going into runs anymore like I used to. I kept a strong pace on the run and had absolutely wonderful people to run with because we just talked and talked and talked the whole entire time and I don't think a 6 mile run has ever gone that fast in my life!!! Even after the practice was over, I was running to my car-- how am I getting all this energy? Yes, I did do a pretty good job at keeping up my nutrition-- aka eating anything and everything I could handle. But, I'm actually finally starting to realize that I'm getting stronger. It's sort of a nice feeling...
The last note... I absolutely love my team!!! South bay and north bay came together today, but I honestly have such a strong bond with the north bay group. I have so much fun with them for some reason and really think that every single person brings something special to the team. South bay also, of course. I can't wait for the next 5 months training with them :)
I definitely thought about that quote today out there on boot camp day 1. It was a day of beginning to test our limits. From jumping into freezing freezing cold water to biking up 5 mile long hard inclines to battling the wind from tipping over on your bike on the downhills to panting while walking up the dirt fire-road trails our feet pounded over.
I told myself to "iron up" many times, and many times the only thought that got me through everything was thoughts of Golnaz. My back was killing me on the bike, so I thought back to the days when Golnaz had all those bone marrow procedures in her lower back. I knew that pain was worse than I was facing and I knew that her pain was one that she wouldn't be able to get rid of in a few minutes. So, I pushed harder. And literally, those two thoughts kept me going strong the whole day. Seriously, I was ready for more! I mean, when I first jumped in the water and had to gasp for air it was that cold... and I couldn't even imagine putting my face in the water until after the first buey, by the end, I found my rhythm and really thought I could keep going! With all 3 events, I had fun out there and had a surprisingly huge burst of energy the entire day. I don't think I ever stopped smiling :)
Where is all this coming from??? WTF? Am I really enjoying this???
My legs were tired while biking, but literally while everyone around me on the run started talking about how their legs felt like jello, mine felt great. I don't have that tired feeling going into runs anymore like I used to. I kept a strong pace on the run and had absolutely wonderful people to run with because we just talked and talked and talked the whole entire time and I don't think a 6 mile run has ever gone that fast in my life!!! Even after the practice was over, I was running to my car-- how am I getting all this energy? Yes, I did do a pretty good job at keeping up my nutrition-- aka eating anything and everything I could handle. But, I'm actually finally starting to realize that I'm getting stronger. It's sort of a nice feeling...
The last note... I absolutely love my team!!! South bay and north bay came together today, but I honestly have such a strong bond with the north bay group. I have so much fun with them for some reason and really think that every single person brings something special to the team. South bay also, of course. I can't wait for the next 5 months training with them :)
Friday, February 19, 2010
Things, Things, Things
February 19, 2010
"Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal." Pamela Vaull Starr
The person who wrote the quote above probably wrote what she did because her last name is Starr. Of course there is a star hidden in her soul haha! That was just the first thing I noticed about this quote. Sometimes I like to make fun of quotes more than take them too seriously. I mean, being too serious about everything is too overwhelming.
But, the second part of the quote does speak to me a little more. It's telling me I better start dreaming about this "actually doing an ironman" thing if I really want to accomplish the goal. I'm starting to get to that "dream" phase... maybe this weekend will help... or maybe this weekend will completely destroy me and deter me from everything...
We have our first "boot camp" weekend-- two days of 5-7 hour practices. I cannnnnoooooottttt wait! haha-- please listen to the sarcasm. No, I really am excited for it. I actually think it will be a fun weekend. Challenging, but rewarding. Hard workouts, but fun to be going through it with all my other amazing teammates-- both from north bay and south bay! For once we all get to come together! I'm most excited just to go to the practice and be with everyone.
One thing I hate about triathlons are all the stuff and gear you need!!! Omg it literally took me 2 hours to pack all my things for tomorrow. I need my bike, bike gear (aka helmet, shoes, pumps, etc, etc), so many clothes and extra pairs of clothes, towels, my robe, sandals for the water, wetsuits, booties, tennis shoes, running clothes, goggles, caps, sweatshirts, uggs, nutrition-- shot blocks, power bars, power gels, sandwich, vitamin waters, waters, carbo pro drink, brush, hats, body glide, deodorant, etc, etc etc. OMG!!!! Seriously, I think the sport of triathlon needs to just chill with all this stuff haha!
Another thing... it's sooo expensive. Seriously, I spend $300 a month (AT LEAST) in order to pay for everything. There are always new things you need-- more bike clothes, new cleats, new helmet, booties for the water, swimsuits, garmin watch (not necessary for me), bike clock thingy, tires and tubes, new running shoes, getting fitted on a bike, bike trainer-- the list goes on forever and ever!! I just want to go out on my bike and ride. Or put a pair of shoes on or a swimsuit and go for a run or a swim. Sometimes the whole process of starting the workout takes up just as much time.
I could have funded my entire fundraising for this triathlon if I didn't have to spend so much money on all the things I need to get me across that finish line... I guess one day soon, I'll look back and say it was all worth it :)
"Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal." Pamela Vaull Starr
The person who wrote the quote above probably wrote what she did because her last name is Starr. Of course there is a star hidden in her soul haha! That was just the first thing I noticed about this quote. Sometimes I like to make fun of quotes more than take them too seriously. I mean, being too serious about everything is too overwhelming.
But, the second part of the quote does speak to me a little more. It's telling me I better start dreaming about this "actually doing an ironman" thing if I really want to accomplish the goal. I'm starting to get to that "dream" phase... maybe this weekend will help... or maybe this weekend will completely destroy me and deter me from everything...
We have our first "boot camp" weekend-- two days of 5-7 hour practices. I cannnnnoooooottttt wait! haha-- please listen to the sarcasm. No, I really am excited for it. I actually think it will be a fun weekend. Challenging, but rewarding. Hard workouts, but fun to be going through it with all my other amazing teammates-- both from north bay and south bay! For once we all get to come together! I'm most excited just to go to the practice and be with everyone.
One thing I hate about triathlons are all the stuff and gear you need!!! Omg it literally took me 2 hours to pack all my things for tomorrow. I need my bike, bike gear (aka helmet, shoes, pumps, etc, etc), so many clothes and extra pairs of clothes, towels, my robe, sandals for the water, wetsuits, booties, tennis shoes, running clothes, goggles, caps, sweatshirts, uggs, nutrition-- shot blocks, power bars, power gels, sandwich, vitamin waters, waters, carbo pro drink, brush, hats, body glide, deodorant, etc, etc etc. OMG!!!! Seriously, I think the sport of triathlon needs to just chill with all this stuff haha!
Another thing... it's sooo expensive. Seriously, I spend $300 a month (AT LEAST) in order to pay for everything. There are always new things you need-- more bike clothes, new cleats, new helmet, booties for the water, swimsuits, garmin watch (not necessary for me), bike clock thingy, tires and tubes, new running shoes, getting fitted on a bike, bike trainer-- the list goes on forever and ever!! I just want to go out on my bike and ride. Or put a pair of shoes on or a swimsuit and go for a run or a swim. Sometimes the whole process of starting the workout takes up just as much time.
I could have funded my entire fundraising for this triathlon if I didn't have to spend so much money on all the things I need to get me across that finish line... I guess one day soon, I'll look back and say it was all worth it :)
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Veer Away from the Schedule- Chill if need be. It's Okay.
February 18, 2009
"Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become character. Watch your character, it becomes your destiny." - Frank Outlaw
A long time ago when I was seeing a sports psychologist, they recommended that every morning, I read a quote of the day. I looked up a ton of quotes, typed them up, printed them out, cut into pieces, and placed into a tin to put beside my bed. Although I don't read a quote everyday, my box of quotes have been there by my bed ever since--for years now. I decided that it would be a nice thing to include on this blog. I may write about the quote, or not. Depends how I feel. But, it's a nice thing to include...
With this quote, it seems perfect for the journey to IronMan for me. I first thought about it in my head back in October. I didn't join the team right away for it was merely a thought. Then, all of a sudden one day, I called the TNT main office to ask to be switched to IronTeam from the regular tri team. I surprised myself that day. Then another month passed and finally I went to my first practice mid-december where the action began. My actions have carried me thus far-- I'm finally enjoying the workouts and looking forward to them and getting that feeling that I can't miss them. I am transiting to the "habit" phase. Hopefully, some day soon, I will reach my destiny :)
Although I have been enjoying my workouts more and more, I didn't feel like doing my swim today. I've been pushing myself so hard in the pool, that it's becoming less and less fun. Swimming is my best event, and usually the event I love the most. I absolutely love being in the water. It wakes me up, puts me in a good mood, and just relaxes me. Lately though, it's been more and more work rather than relaxing-- I think it's bc I've been pushing myself too much. So, today, I decided to NOT do the swim workout and just swim slowly and smoothly and do what I wanted to do. I went slow and just let myself relax again and lose track of how hard it can be. I did small sets of 200s, 150s, and 100s and literally before I knew it, I did 2800. Okay for a workout that I decided not to really do and wanted to skip altogether. When I was doing the 100s, I looked at the time on the clock to see how fast I did them. I never ever keep track of how fast I am, but I was around a 1:35 pace or something like that. Seriously, I kill myself to go at a 1:30 pace. I lose a few seconds and here I am completely going slow and relaxing. It was nice to scale back my pace and keep in mind that I will be swimming 2.4 miles-- definitely can't do the sprint workouts for that!
Even though I didn't follow the exact workout, I still got something in. Something that I wanted to do and something that I enjoyed doing. I think we're all sometimes too hard on ourselves to stick to the schedule perfectly all the time. I like veering off every once in a while. Okay, maybe I do this more often than I should, but it's just how I do things. If it gets me to do the workouts, then so be it. What can I say, I like to mix things up :)
"Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become character. Watch your character, it becomes your destiny." - Frank Outlaw
A long time ago when I was seeing a sports psychologist, they recommended that every morning, I read a quote of the day. I looked up a ton of quotes, typed them up, printed them out, cut into pieces, and placed into a tin to put beside my bed. Although I don't read a quote everyday, my box of quotes have been there by my bed ever since--for years now. I decided that it would be a nice thing to include on this blog. I may write about the quote, or not. Depends how I feel. But, it's a nice thing to include...
With this quote, it seems perfect for the journey to IronMan for me. I first thought about it in my head back in October. I didn't join the team right away for it was merely a thought. Then, all of a sudden one day, I called the TNT main office to ask to be switched to IronTeam from the regular tri team. I surprised myself that day. Then another month passed and finally I went to my first practice mid-december where the action began. My actions have carried me thus far-- I'm finally enjoying the workouts and looking forward to them and getting that feeling that I can't miss them. I am transiting to the "habit" phase. Hopefully, some day soon, I will reach my destiny :)
Although I have been enjoying my workouts more and more, I didn't feel like doing my swim today. I've been pushing myself so hard in the pool, that it's becoming less and less fun. Swimming is my best event, and usually the event I love the most. I absolutely love being in the water. It wakes me up, puts me in a good mood, and just relaxes me. Lately though, it's been more and more work rather than relaxing-- I think it's bc I've been pushing myself too much. So, today, I decided to NOT do the swim workout and just swim slowly and smoothly and do what I wanted to do. I went slow and just let myself relax again and lose track of how hard it can be. I did small sets of 200s, 150s, and 100s and literally before I knew it, I did 2800. Okay for a workout that I decided not to really do and wanted to skip altogether. When I was doing the 100s, I looked at the time on the clock to see how fast I did them. I never ever keep track of how fast I am, but I was around a 1:35 pace or something like that. Seriously, I kill myself to go at a 1:30 pace. I lose a few seconds and here I am completely going slow and relaxing. It was nice to scale back my pace and keep in mind that I will be swimming 2.4 miles-- definitely can't do the sprint workouts for that!
Even though I didn't follow the exact workout, I still got something in. Something that I wanted to do and something that I enjoyed doing. I think we're all sometimes too hard on ourselves to stick to the schedule perfectly all the time. I like veering off every once in a while. Okay, maybe I do this more often than I should, but it's just how I do things. If it gets me to do the workouts, then so be it. What can I say, I like to mix things up :)
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Light a Candle Today for Golnaz
February 17, 2010
Once again, I have been terrible at keeping up at this blog thing. Between working about 10 hours a day, commuting for 3 hours a day, and working out for another 2-3 hours a day, I'm left with little time to write. On tuesdays and thursdays I literally leave my house before 6am and get home after 10pm... I literally come home, eat a snack, jump in bed, read a page or two from whatever book I'm reading, and then it's time for bed.
But, I will now make time for this blog. It's my resolution for Lent that has begun today. Okay, if you know me, you know that I am completely not religious at ALL, but I love doing something for Lent. I usually give something up, but this time I want to add something. That something will be to write in this blog everyday, no matter how short it may be. I also do want to give up all my sweets that I eat and I was contemplating giving up dairy (that lasted till 8:30am this morning hahaha!)
Training has actually been going well lately. I've been more motivated than I thought I would be and I really haven't gotten too burnt out. I've got a good routine down and I do try to not overwork myself. I work hard on Tuesday and Wednesday, do lighter things on thursdays and fridays, and then gear up and go hard on the weekends. Monday is a much needed rest day. (this can cause a sunday funday-- work hard play hard is my motto).
I think reflecting on workouts will really make me tune into this whole ironman thing I'm supposed to do. I still wonder why I'm putting myself through all this, but then little things here and there always remind me of why I'm doing it--
I had swim practice tonight with South Bay team. It was a good workout and tough because an extremely fast swimmer pushed me to go harder (he swam for college-- you gotta give me at least some credit for trying to keep up!). I've realized now that I've probably gone to more South Bay (SB) practices than my real SF team, up in North Bay. I practice with SB more because it's closer to work and they are more than kind enough to let me join their practices. I still love love love SF team, but everyday I'm making more and more friends down here. Anyway, to the point of the story... so, the swim was good, but the most important part of the swim came afterwards...
As I was leaving the pool, one of the SB Honorees (the people on our team that have gone through Leukemia and are our "honored teammates" to remind us of why we're doing what we're doing, for the cause) told me to take a candle. She told me to light it once everyday and once I light it, to think about not only the honorees on the team, but all people battling through a cancer. She told me that when the practices get hard and when your body is aching and yelling at you, just think of how hard it is every single second a person has to get chemo. They have to fight just to be normal.
This hit me deep inside because it what I think about on those long hard days. Thoughts of my friend Golnaz going through chemo pushes me further than I thought possible. I saw her pain while she went through it. She would have countless sleepless nights because the morphin wasn't strong enough to take away her pain. I was with her that first day in the hospital when she was diagnosed. She had to get a bone marrow procedure and seeing her face with the pain she went through brings me to tears everyday. What I'm doing is little compared to how strong she was through everything and how much she fought. I ran a 1/2 marathon on February 7th-- I actually felt pretty good during it and even surprised myself with how well I did for not really training specifically for it. But, of course, my body started aching. My hips were dying around mile 12-13. When my hips were aching, I forgot to keep something in perspective... I only thought about my pain and not why I was actually doing this. It dawned on me afterwards when I was completely free of pain within an hour, what Golnaz still goes through. She's 25 and is scheduled for a double hip replacement because the steroids she had to take completely destroyed her bones. She has to walk around with crutches all day long and can barely sit down for more than an hour at a time because fire burns her brittle bones.
I guarantee that she desperately wishes her hips would only ache for an hour.
And by the way... the most amazing news of the month-- after 3 years of chemo, Golnaz finally had her last chemo treatment on February 5th!!! The fight is long from over, but at least she will be free from the poison :) I will light a candle tonight and think about Golnaz and why I'm doing what I'm dong.
Once again, I have been terrible at keeping up at this blog thing. Between working about 10 hours a day, commuting for 3 hours a day, and working out for another 2-3 hours a day, I'm left with little time to write. On tuesdays and thursdays I literally leave my house before 6am and get home after 10pm... I literally come home, eat a snack, jump in bed, read a page or two from whatever book I'm reading, and then it's time for bed.
But, I will now make time for this blog. It's my resolution for Lent that has begun today. Okay, if you know me, you know that I am completely not religious at ALL, but I love doing something for Lent. I usually give something up, but this time I want to add something. That something will be to write in this blog everyday, no matter how short it may be. I also do want to give up all my sweets that I eat and I was contemplating giving up dairy (that lasted till 8:30am this morning hahaha!)
Training has actually been going well lately. I've been more motivated than I thought I would be and I really haven't gotten too burnt out. I've got a good routine down and I do try to not overwork myself. I work hard on Tuesday and Wednesday, do lighter things on thursdays and fridays, and then gear up and go hard on the weekends. Monday is a much needed rest day. (this can cause a sunday funday-- work hard play hard is my motto).
I think reflecting on workouts will really make me tune into this whole ironman thing I'm supposed to do. I still wonder why I'm putting myself through all this, but then little things here and there always remind me of why I'm doing it--
I had swim practice tonight with South Bay team. It was a good workout and tough because an extremely fast swimmer pushed me to go harder (he swam for college-- you gotta give me at least some credit for trying to keep up!). I've realized now that I've probably gone to more South Bay (SB) practices than my real SF team, up in North Bay. I practice with SB more because it's closer to work and they are more than kind enough to let me join their practices. I still love love love SF team, but everyday I'm making more and more friends down here. Anyway, to the point of the story... so, the swim was good, but the most important part of the swim came afterwards...
As I was leaving the pool, one of the SB Honorees (the people on our team that have gone through Leukemia and are our "honored teammates" to remind us of why we're doing what we're doing, for the cause) told me to take a candle. She told me to light it once everyday and once I light it, to think about not only the honorees on the team, but all people battling through a cancer. She told me that when the practices get hard and when your body is aching and yelling at you, just think of how hard it is every single second a person has to get chemo. They have to fight just to be normal.
This hit me deep inside because it what I think about on those long hard days. Thoughts of my friend Golnaz going through chemo pushes me further than I thought possible. I saw her pain while she went through it. She would have countless sleepless nights because the morphin wasn't strong enough to take away her pain. I was with her that first day in the hospital when she was diagnosed. She had to get a bone marrow procedure and seeing her face with the pain she went through brings me to tears everyday. What I'm doing is little compared to how strong she was through everything and how much she fought. I ran a 1/2 marathon on February 7th-- I actually felt pretty good during it and even surprised myself with how well I did for not really training specifically for it. But, of course, my body started aching. My hips were dying around mile 12-13. When my hips were aching, I forgot to keep something in perspective... I only thought about my pain and not why I was actually doing this. It dawned on me afterwards when I was completely free of pain within an hour, what Golnaz still goes through. She's 25 and is scheduled for a double hip replacement because the steroids she had to take completely destroyed her bones. She has to walk around with crutches all day long and can barely sit down for more than an hour at a time because fire burns her brittle bones.
I guarantee that she desperately wishes her hips would only ache for an hour.
And by the way... the most amazing news of the month-- after 3 years of chemo, Golnaz finally had her last chemo treatment on February 5th!!! The fight is long from over, but at least she will be free from the poison :) I will light a candle tonight and think about Golnaz and why I'm doing what I'm dong.
Jan. 19, 2010
Okay, I am officially the worst person to keep new years resolutions. I told myself that I would write this blog at least 3-4 times a week, if not every day. Obviously, that hasn't happened yet. But, one thing about my resolutions this year-- I decided not to put too much pressure on myself. I wasn't like everyone who said “I'm going to get in shape this year.” I figured that I had already set a resolution in progress when I signed up for TNT. And believe me, if I don't get in shape while training for this Ironman, then it would only be because I don't keep up with the workouts....
Speaking of which....
Yes, I have been slipping a little. I'm terrible. I seriously do the exact thing the coaches say not to do-- I try to overload practices into a few days and then skip entire days elsewhere. Basically, last week, I only rode my trainer one day for an hour and a half. I missed the second hour and a half trainer ride and I missed the 35 miler with the mentor ride. I have no clue when I can make up those practices, and basically I know I won't.
Today, I have on the schedule a swim and a bike. Well, the swim didn't happen. Yes, I will get the bike in hopefully when I get home, but man, seriously it's so hard to keep up between this and starting out a new job of mine. I put so many hours in at work, a couple hours in on the commute and trying to get a couple hours of working out in is also a pain. It's only January and I wonder how I will make it through the next eight months...
I guess I have to keep a positive outlook. Just do a few things at a time and not let it affect me when I skip a practice. I remember about a month ago when there was an 80 minute run on the schedule. Well, I wasn't in any shape to be able to do an 80 minute run and started getting all anxious about it. I was refusing to do it because I didn't believe that I could do it. And with my anxiety and lack of a positive attitude, I probably wouldn't have made it. But then, my mom reminded me that sometimes all you have to do is maintain. If I was at the level to run 30 minutes, then just keep that up. It's better to do the 30 minutes rather than skip the whole practice all together. I need to remind myself of this fact more often. I sometimes think it's an all or nothing game. But, in reality, it's a game of continuously building. You don't start with the capability to do an Ironman, and that's why you join a team. It's about testing your limits and putting in the work, step by step. Even if your steps are slower and not as far one day, you're still taking the steps.
I wish I could keep that in perspective always...
Okay, I am officially the worst person to keep new years resolutions. I told myself that I would write this blog at least 3-4 times a week, if not every day. Obviously, that hasn't happened yet. But, one thing about my resolutions this year-- I decided not to put too much pressure on myself. I wasn't like everyone who said “I'm going to get in shape this year.” I figured that I had already set a resolution in progress when I signed up for TNT. And believe me, if I don't get in shape while training for this Ironman, then it would only be because I don't keep up with the workouts....
Speaking of which....
Yes, I have been slipping a little. I'm terrible. I seriously do the exact thing the coaches say not to do-- I try to overload practices into a few days and then skip entire days elsewhere. Basically, last week, I only rode my trainer one day for an hour and a half. I missed the second hour and a half trainer ride and I missed the 35 miler with the mentor ride. I have no clue when I can make up those practices, and basically I know I won't.
Today, I have on the schedule a swim and a bike. Well, the swim didn't happen. Yes, I will get the bike in hopefully when I get home, but man, seriously it's so hard to keep up between this and starting out a new job of mine. I put so many hours in at work, a couple hours in on the commute and trying to get a couple hours of working out in is also a pain. It's only January and I wonder how I will make it through the next eight months...
I guess I have to keep a positive outlook. Just do a few things at a time and not let it affect me when I skip a practice. I remember about a month ago when there was an 80 minute run on the schedule. Well, I wasn't in any shape to be able to do an 80 minute run and started getting all anxious about it. I was refusing to do it because I didn't believe that I could do it. And with my anxiety and lack of a positive attitude, I probably wouldn't have made it. But then, my mom reminded me that sometimes all you have to do is maintain. If I was at the level to run 30 minutes, then just keep that up. It's better to do the 30 minutes rather than skip the whole practice all together. I need to remind myself of this fact more often. I sometimes think it's an all or nothing game. But, in reality, it's a game of continuously building. You don't start with the capability to do an Ironman, and that's why you join a team. It's about testing your limits and putting in the work, step by step. Even if your steps are slower and not as far one day, you're still taking the steps.
I wish I could keep that in perspective always...
Sunday, Jan. 3rd, 2010
I woke up today earlier than I normally wake up to go to work. And it was a Sunday! Moreover, the Sunday after New Years! Was I really waking up to my alarm buzzing at 6:15am? Yep. This would be my life. I wasn’t just getting up because I made some crazy New Years Resolution to try to get in shape, etc, etc, that only lasts a month max. No, this would be my life for the next 8 months and I was ready for it. I mean, I actually took the 1st off of working out completely and on the 2nd just went mountain biking and hiking, so this wasn’t me trying some crazy plan just because the date changed to January 1st.
I drove the hour to practice, watching the sun rise and jumped into the swimming pool for practice starting at 8am. Since I’m fairly strong at swimming, I swim with the Advanced group. We did over 3000 meters today (more than I think I’ve probably ever did in my life), and I loved every minute of it. I love being in the pool and the feeling that swimming gives me. I hate not being able to breath (which is about every second), but I love gliding through the water. Not gonna lie, my arms did get tired today, but I just kept on pushing through. It’s crazy when I swim because every stroke that I feel like I’m going to die from being out of breath, I somehow manage to make it to the wall and feel revived after only a few seconds rest. It’s all I need to get back on track. Swimming is the one event in this crazy sport that I finish and want more of!!!
On to the bike—a chill 20 miles through the valleys. The wind was tough to push through at points but when Coach Simon let me draft off him at the end, I was flying at 25 miles an hour. I fell off his pull when the last hill came and my legs and endurance died out. Flat out, I was tired. I haven’t done the bike workouts and it catches up to you. It was only 20 miles yet I was counting the seconds to get off. After changing, off to the 3 mile run. The first mile was uphill and I felt like a turtle. Or a banana slug. After twisting my ankle the day before and not running consistently over the past couple months, my endurance lacked its skills. All I thought about was, how the hell can I ever run 26.2 miles (a marathon) after biking 112 miles and swimming 2.4??? I’m tired already going about 1/10 of that distance! Shoot man, am I really doing this?
Yep, I’m really doing it. I just tell myself to keep on putting one arm in front of the other in the swim and one foot in front of the other on the bike and run. If I keep moving forward, I have to get somewhere, right? It’s all about keeping it going.
We also did core work today, which reminded me that I need to start doing that also… I’ve let too many things slip already and feel so behind a lot of people on my team—people who went to all those practices that I missed. I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me and a lot of work that I cannot just let slip past. But, just because I’m behind, doesn’t mean that I have to let it slip anymore. I still have plenty of time. I’ve got to keep a positive attitude and keep going. Like what my friend said when she was first diagnosed with Leukemia: PMA—Positive Mental Attitude. That is how you survive and that is how you beat any battle or struggle you go through. If she can keep that attitude while battling cancer, I can keep it while training to become a Vine(wo)man.
I woke up today earlier than I normally wake up to go to work. And it was a Sunday! Moreover, the Sunday after New Years! Was I really waking up to my alarm buzzing at 6:15am? Yep. This would be my life. I wasn’t just getting up because I made some crazy New Years Resolution to try to get in shape, etc, etc, that only lasts a month max. No, this would be my life for the next 8 months and I was ready for it. I mean, I actually took the 1st off of working out completely and on the 2nd just went mountain biking and hiking, so this wasn’t me trying some crazy plan just because the date changed to January 1st.
I drove the hour to practice, watching the sun rise and jumped into the swimming pool for practice starting at 8am. Since I’m fairly strong at swimming, I swim with the Advanced group. We did over 3000 meters today (more than I think I’ve probably ever did in my life), and I loved every minute of it. I love being in the pool and the feeling that swimming gives me. I hate not being able to breath (which is about every second), but I love gliding through the water. Not gonna lie, my arms did get tired today, but I just kept on pushing through. It’s crazy when I swim because every stroke that I feel like I’m going to die from being out of breath, I somehow manage to make it to the wall and feel revived after only a few seconds rest. It’s all I need to get back on track. Swimming is the one event in this crazy sport that I finish and want more of!!!
On to the bike—a chill 20 miles through the valleys. The wind was tough to push through at points but when Coach Simon let me draft off him at the end, I was flying at 25 miles an hour. I fell off his pull when the last hill came and my legs and endurance died out. Flat out, I was tired. I haven’t done the bike workouts and it catches up to you. It was only 20 miles yet I was counting the seconds to get off. After changing, off to the 3 mile run. The first mile was uphill and I felt like a turtle. Or a banana slug. After twisting my ankle the day before and not running consistently over the past couple months, my endurance lacked its skills. All I thought about was, how the hell can I ever run 26.2 miles (a marathon) after biking 112 miles and swimming 2.4??? I’m tired already going about 1/10 of that distance! Shoot man, am I really doing this?
Yep, I’m really doing it. I just tell myself to keep on putting one arm in front of the other in the swim and one foot in front of the other on the bike and run. If I keep moving forward, I have to get somewhere, right? It’s all about keeping it going.
We also did core work today, which reminded me that I need to start doing that also… I’ve let too many things slip already and feel so behind a lot of people on my team—people who went to all those practices that I missed. I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me and a lot of work that I cannot just let slip past. But, just because I’m behind, doesn’t mean that I have to let it slip anymore. I still have plenty of time. I’ve got to keep a positive attitude and keep going. Like what my friend said when she was first diagnosed with Leukemia: PMA—Positive Mental Attitude. That is how you survive and that is how you beat any battle or struggle you go through. If she can keep that attitude while battling cancer, I can keep it while training to become a Vine(wo)man.
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