Week 10 of 20 – Ironman St. George Training

A slightly better week. But OMG I am half way through my plan?!?!

Swim : 2 miles/ 1:30 (swimming and aqua jogging)

Bike: 89 miles / 6:08

Run: 0 (but I did 8.6 miles / 2:15 on the elliptical)

Total: 100/ 9:54

I did my best to do something this week.  I made a pact that every time my butt hits the saddle I had to stay on until I did 20 miles.  I also tried using the elliptical at the gym to keep doing something that resembles running but doesn’t aggravate my IT band.  The pool continued to be a real challenge.  The pain in my rib cage, chest, and back was just too much for regular swimming so I tried to do some water jogging.  I need some grippy shoes because the pool floor was kind of slippery.  But I did make it out to the coast for 50 beautiful (but slower) miles on Sunday.  It was my first time back on the bike out side since the crash, and I am happy to report I like my new handle bars!

This week is about trying to run again.  I had a realization that CRAP, I have an triathlon on Sunday and I have to run 6 miles?  OMG, how am I gonna do that?  It is also about trying to have  a few more workouts that make me smile (there haven’t been too many smiles on the Dailymile from me lately).

I also just realized that I am half way through my 20 week plan for Ironman St. George.  I am not where I would like to be at this point but I hope that in about three more weeks I will be at 95% of what I was before the crash.  I need to have a realistic time from for recovery and remember the success I have had in the past.  Right now that (and some awesome cheerleaders) is what I have to get me trough a tough time both physically and emotionally.

Text Free Tuesday…(well sort of)

Don’t forget, you qualified for Boston…

This has been a really difficult two weeks.  The crash really took a lot out of me and has made it tough to train.  That, coupled with the IT band issues I was having before the crash, has made it almost three weeks since I ran last!  The run was never a concern for me when I originally started training for Ironman St. George.  Except for the fact that I swam in High School, I kind of think of myself as a runner first.  I am far behind in my running plan and I am even worried about the run (almost a 10K) I have to do next weekend at the end of my International distance tri!

I have been spending time on the elliptical so I can keep some level of fitness that is similar to running but keep from pissing off my IT band.  Saturday night I took a movie on my iPhone and went to the gym for 90 minutes on the lipty.  About half way through my workout I had an important realization…I qualified  for Boston!  There are still some days I can’t believe I did it but I DID!  I need to remember that I can run.  Maybe not as much as I would like right now, but my body knows how to run.  It can run for a long time and it can run relatively fast.  I need to remember my successes and let them reduce the anxiety I am having while I am unable to run right now.

There is no doubt in my mind that the crash has impacted my training for Ironman St. George but it will not keep me from being an Ironman by midnight on May 5th!

 

ps. There are a couple of you out there that are really helping me get through this tough spot.  You know who you are and you give me strength…thanks!

Accept them all? And follow back too?

I have become pretty involved in a couple social media sites; specifically the Dailymile and Twitter.  As a result I am starting to get overwhelmed with all the friends/followers.  That may sound snobbish and I really don’t mean it that way.  Honestly, I don’t have as many friends or followers as most people but I am finding I am starting to get selective about who I share my information with.  Parts of my life I want to keep private and there are people in my life I need to protect so accepting every request or following back everyone just isn’t possible.  I have also been trimming my lists from time to time. I have, for sure, met some really awesome people that were total strangers before we found each other through the interwebs; and I have met a couple crazy ones as well (one of which is doing St. George with me).

So I have a couple questions…

Is this something you all do or struggle with?

Is it rude not to accept a friend request?

Is it rude not to follow back everyone who follows me on Twitter?

What are your thoughts on the matter?

Week 9 of 20 – Ironman St. George Training

The crash last week made it pretty much impossible to do anything.

Swim : 0

Bike: 118 miles / 1:15

Run: 0 (but I did 2.16 miles on the elliptical)

Total: 22/ 1:50

The crash really threw me for a loop and made exercising impossible.  The road rash was bad but it was the pain in my ribs that was the worst.  Then on Wednesday I had minor surgery to have a lump/mass removed from my chest neat my shoulder.  That went really well and I don’t think that is going to make much of a difference with my recovery.

It was a down week for me and made me worry a little about my Ironman in May.  If I can get better in a week I think it wont have a big impact on my training.  What I am most concerned with is my running right now.  I also got a hold of a new product to use to work on my hip and IT band, it is called a Myorope; expect a review to follow.  I hope next weeks report is a little bit more cheery. (This week is already going better so I bet it will be :-))

Road rash and bruises one week post crash. Road rash is healing nicely!

Bruises one week after crash. Right after the crash there was a huge dent in my right shin.

Thank goodness for Netflix and other random thoughts…

It has been a very difficult week for me.  I crashed my bike last weekend in the Tour de Palm Springs and it has left me in no position to train.  This is quite possibly the longest break in training I have had in over two years.  It has left me with extra time on my hands which is never a good thing…

Netflix: Due to my current living situation I essentially don’t have TV which means my major source of entertainment has been whatever I can stream through Netflix on my Roku.  As a result I polished off all the United States of Tara episodes and I am making some good progress through Heros.  Thank goodness I have it because it has kept me laying down in bed which is probably the only thing that is going to help my ribs (which are still really painful).  If you have any other suggestions for things worth streaming on Netflix, send them my way.  Just no more documentaries on the US food supply.  I am not sure I can ever eat chicken again as it is… And if you haven’t seen it you have to watch the Vanishing Bees!

Don’t pick Mom!: I am always bugging my kids not to pick at their cuts and scrapes and chapped lips and this week the tables were turned.  As my road rash started to heal I got some really nice scabs.  The kids would catch me messing with them then yell at me not to pick them.  This made them very happy to realize that they could call me on the same stuff I call them on.

What is this going to mean for May 5?: I was already expecting to take a couple days off for the surgery but the bike crash was so traumatic that I am really worried that I am going to have another super low week next week as well.  I don’t think this will keep me from being an Ironman by any stretch but it is putting a little chink in my mental armor with regards to my confidence on race day.  I am betting it means a longer time to finish and a harder recovery after the race.  I just feel behind in my training and I hope I have time to get it all in before race day.

The final damage $: so the bike cost me $180 to be repaired plus $140 for new handle bars.  I still need to replace my helmet so at least another $80 to follow.  What is the proper bike crash etiquette?  The guy who knocked me over did come back and gave me his phone number.  I texted him but got no reply.  Do I call him and ask for some money to cover the repairs?  I am not sure what the protocol is…

It has been a very trying week for me emotionally and physically.  I have been able to put on a smile and convince myself that it is all going to be OK.  If I am not better by next weekend (and be better I mean running/biking/swimming again) I am concerned that convincing myself might start to get a little more difficult.

Lippy the Lipoma

I had surgery yesterday and had the lipoma removed from my shoulder.  Everything went fine and I should be back training in a couple days.  The bike crash injuries are going to keep me down longer than the surgery.  But, for those of you who are curious what the mass looks like, click here to see it… I didn’t want to put the picture right up in case people didn’t want to see it.

Week 8 of 20 – Ironman St. George Training

Week 8 was the beginning of a build set but there were some problems…

Swim : 5 miles (9200 yds) /2:55

Bike: 113 miles / 7:13

Run: 1.5 miles / 0:20

Total: 120miles / 12:286

I had a lot of pain the week before from an aggravated IT band so I planned to take time off from running and try to foam roll and stretch it as much as possible.  Because of the IT band issue I decided not to run the half marathon I was signed up for on Sunday in Palm Springs. But I was still going to do the Century.  The ride was awesome and a success except for that whole crashing part.  While the crash was a big bummer I feel like I successfully completed over 100 miles on my bike and t gave me a lot of confidence.  In some sick way I am kind of glad I crashed only because it is nice to get the first crash out of the way!

I am having surgery on Wednesday to remove the lump/mass in my chest so this week has become a rest week.  After being in a continual state of training for the last 2.5 years, a week off actually feels pretty good (just wish my ribs didn’t hurt so much!)  I will be glad to get back on my plans ASAP bu it is kind of nice to be taking a little break both physically and mentally.

Tour de Palm Springs Century Race Report

I signed up for my first Century about a month ago.  I was going to do a century on Saturday then a half marathon on Sunday as a solid training weekend for Ironman St. George.  Well it didn’t go down exactly that way but there was still a lot of good that came from it.

I drove out to Palm Springs for the Tour de Palm Springs Century on Friday night in crazy heavy traffic (living in Los Angeles is a blessing and a curse).  I had already decided not to run on Sunday because I was having some IT band issues and I knew it would not be a fun or productive half marathon.  But I was still very much looking forward to completing my first 100 miles on my bike.  I was planning to ride with my friend Leo D. who I know from Dailymile.

We met in the hotel lobby and coasted downhill to the start.  The first 10-12 miles were crazy.  I have never ridden through such intense wind.  It was crazy to look forward and see the cyclists in front of you all riding at a 20 degree angle to avoid falling over.  I really wanted to take some pictures of the windmills (it was really cool) but it wasn’t safe to take your hand off the handle bars.  Once we got to a safe-ish spot we stopped and took a few pictures.

Once we got out of the wind the ride really picked up and was awesome.  We were just clicking off the miles and chit-chatting up a storm (Leo has been officially named my Century buddy).  Hit the first rest station and loaded up on some snacks and water and got back on the road.  We had an awesome stretch of some of the smoothest downhill I have ever ridden.  We just kept plugging away at the miles making or way from rest station to res station.  It was a great time!  I was actually kind of surprised how nice everyone was.  I kind expected a few more attitudes out there but it was such a great group of riders (around 11,000 I heard).

And here is where it gets exciting (not in a good way)…We are only a couple of miles from the finish and we have joined up with the riders from the other distances.  There are so many riders that were are taking up the width of a whole car lane and are pretty close to each other.  Everybody is excited to be almost done with the day and get off the bike and get some food and beer.  We are riding along when another cyclist  tries to ride in front of me and misjudges  and hit my front tire from the left.  BAM! I am down, hard on my left side.  I was going a long at just over 15 mph when it happened.  Apparently someone behind me ran over my bike tire and was thrown about 10-15 feet from me as well.  The other bikers were awesome!  They kind of made a protective circle around me till I could get it together and get out of the road.  I hit my elbow really hard and thought I had broken it for a moment.  There also was a giant dent in my shin; something I am not used to seeing everyday.

Once I got to the curb and realized that nothing was obviously broken I started trying to figure out what to do next.  Thank goodness Leo was there.  He was so helpful; he even offered to take pictures of me!  I was sending a  flurry of messages to my loved ones letting them know what happened and trying to figure out what to do next.  The police showed up and were very helpful getting the SAG car to us.  The guy who hit me did come back and I got his number.  I am not sure what the protocol is but I am hoping he will help me repair my bike but we will see (my first text has yet to be returned).

The SAG car took us all the way back to the hotel and gave me a bunch of first aide stuff (Andy, the SAG driver was awesome!!!).  Leo let me use his shower and he got me some food.  His wonderful family let me hang out with him until my parents could come help me drive home.  I had hit my head so hard that I cracked my helmet so a 3 hour drive on my own didn’t seem like the best idea.  I got home, took some Tylenol and went to sleep.  This morning I got up and went into urgent care just to make sure I hadn’t cracked any ribs and to get some pain meds that wouldn’t interfere with my scheduled surgery this week.

So even though it sounds like that day was a disaster, it was far from that.  I gained a lot of confidence on the ride.  I did 100 miles and really didn’t have any problems (except for the pesky crash at the end).  I fueled and drank well all day and feel pretty darn good today (minus the road rash and almost broken ribs).  I have enough time to recover from this.  It isn’t going to mess up my training plan that much.  As sick as it sounds, this was the best time to crash.  I just hope fixing the bike isn’t going to be too much!

Click here for all the Garmin deets.

Quick break to take a photo

Smiling at 50 miles in!

Smiling after my crash. And WTH is up with my helmet?

Loading up my bike onto the SAG car

Off with my running shorts and on with my big girl panties

I have been looking forward to this weekend for awhile.  This was supposed to be a big brick.  Century bike ride on Saturday then half marathon on Sunday.  Well the last couple times I have run I have had some pretty intense IT band pain in my right knee.  I took the last week off from running, roam rolled as much as I could stand, and even had a massage.  Today I did an easy run with my Sons for their Jog-A-Thon at school. It didn’t feel so great; and two hours later I stood up from sitting and had a horribly sharp pain in my knee.  So I have to take off my running shorts this weekend and put on my big girl panties and not do the half marathon.  This is the first race I have ever signed up for and not done.  I know that I need to get this fixed NOW and if I push it too early it will be much harder to rehab it later.  I know it is the right choice but I am kind of bummed about it.  But, I am still really excited to do my first Century on a bike tomorrow!  I promise, post to follow! Now time to foam roll!