until IMAZ 2006. It snuck up on me, just like I knew it would. We just went to Kona and watched the Ironman World Championships which was incredibly inspiring. These athletes, both pros and amateurs, were amazing. It made me want to train harder, eat better, and continue to improve in the sport of triathlon. As I sit here today and think about all of this now, for the first time in my life, I was able to openly admit to my husband yesterday that I have a calling to pursue this triathlon thing further, to see just how far I can get. I guess I'm talking a bit cryptically right now...I feel that the minute I actually put it in writing, then it actually becomes a true goal that I'll need to strive for...so here it goes: I am feeling as though I was put here on earth to become a professional triathlete, to spread the word that 'Anything is Possible' (the Ironman motto). I had barely even run 3 miles just four years ago, so wouldn't it be incredible to actually qualify for the Kona IM World Championships? And make a name for myself??? So, there, I've said it.
I just happened upon an email about PowerBar looking to add new athletes to their sponsorship, so I'll start there, and who knows where it all will end up.
My plan was to train for IMAZ for 22 weeks, so I have just under 2 weeks to get my training plan together. I bought new tires for my bike yesterday, as a result of the three flats that I suffered about three weeks ago. I'm planning to buy some cookbooks to inspire my diet and give me a better nutrition strategy...if I'm going to get anywhere near to being competitive, I likely have to take off about 30+ pounds off of this frame...baby steps, baby steps.
Here's to those who dream!
A journey through my life, training, Ironmans, marathons, jewelry, books, wine, AND a newborn
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Monday, July 11, 2005
I'm back...well sort of
Nearly six weeks ago I completed my fourth stand-alone marathon (five if you count the marathon within the Ironman race) I set a new PR with 4 hours and 53 minutes...zero seconds. I was hoping for a 4:45, but in my heart of hearts, I really knew that I didn't train very hard for this race so I'm very satisfied with the 4:53. I'm glad to have that monkey off my back, I think I was still burnt out from the Ironman race.
I started back to swimming on June 15th and feel as though I'm nearly back to where I was with speed, maybe not endurance just yet. I honestly can't believe that I swam for an hour and forty five minutes straight! I am just fatigued as ever after 45 minutes of swimming right now!
Just this weekend I finally got back on my bike and did 30 miles along the coast. This was my FIRST time back on my bike since IMAZ!!! By the last 8 miles I was pretty ready to get off the bike and looked forward to breakfast more than anything. My legs actually ached worse than they ever did during and after the Ironman.
I'm now on my journey to lose some weight - started the South Beach Diet last week, July 5th, and officially fell off the wagon this morning when I had a bagel with cream cheese. It's just that I felt like I was majorly dragging this morning, I barely have enough energy to type, so I decided to experiment and see what a carb-ridden-bagel could actually do....whether good or bad. So, we'll see...
I have the AFC 1/2 marathon in just a month, with the hopes that I can complete it in less than two hours. I need to really kick my running into gear over this next three weeks!
So, I'm back to old habits, good habits, and hoping to improve, continue to gain more confidence in my capabilities, and ultimately find that structure in my life that I had when training for IMAZ. I've missed it, my body has missed it, and I think my well-being has missed it too.
I started back to swimming on June 15th and feel as though I'm nearly back to where I was with speed, maybe not endurance just yet. I honestly can't believe that I swam for an hour and forty five minutes straight! I am just fatigued as ever after 45 minutes of swimming right now!
Just this weekend I finally got back on my bike and did 30 miles along the coast. This was my FIRST time back on my bike since IMAZ!!! By the last 8 miles I was pretty ready to get off the bike and looked forward to breakfast more than anything. My legs actually ached worse than they ever did during and after the Ironman.
I'm now on my journey to lose some weight - started the South Beach Diet last week, July 5th, and officially fell off the wagon this morning when I had a bagel with cream cheese. It's just that I felt like I was majorly dragging this morning, I barely have enough energy to type, so I decided to experiment and see what a carb-ridden-bagel could actually do....whether good or bad. So, we'll see...
I have the AFC 1/2 marathon in just a month, with the hopes that I can complete it in less than two hours. I need to really kick my running into gear over this next three weeks!
So, I'm back to old habits, good habits, and hoping to improve, continue to gain more confidence in my capabilities, and ultimately find that structure in my life that I had when training for IMAZ. I've missed it, my body has missed it, and I think my well-being has missed it too.
Wednesday, June 1, 2005
Another marathon?
So after the hoopla was over from IMAZ, I decided I needed to stay on the path of fitness and continue, so I signed up for RNR marathon again, this will be my third San Diego RNR marathon, but my fourth marathon overall, and if you count the marathon within IMAZ, then it's really the fifth.
I haven't been very motivated with the training for this marathon, and am really not sure what the marathon Gods will bring me on Sunday. I only hope to beat my best time of 5:01.
IMAZ 2006 seems like an eternity away, but I'm sure it will sneak up fast. I'm planning to run a half marathon in sub-two hours in August, and then might just try and get my base back in gear for triathlons. We're going to watch the Kona IM Championship on Oct 15th, and when we return from Hawaii, that will be the kick-off to my training for IMAZ - should be very motivated at that point!
So, in four days my feet will meet the pavement once again...and we'll just have to see if that 17-miler 'long run' I did about 3-plus weeks ago paid off. All I can tell myself is that I've felt worse 'pain' and done more miles than 26.2....oddly though, I'm not recalling any pain from IMAZ...I really don't know how that happened.
Sunday, May 1, 2005
Friday, April 22, 2005
Brenda Gibson, you are an Ironman
Hello All! I wanted to update you on my Ironman experience...sorry it's quite lengthy, but I've never been one to just use a few words ;-)
We got to Arizona on Wednesday night before the race. On Thursday it was 90 degrees and I was obsessively checking weather in hopes it would cool down quickly. I was really anxious, really scared, really excited, and really restless, continuously, for those 48 hours leading up to the race. I was eating like a bottomless pit, trying to load up my body with carbohydrates and aiming for at least 500 grams of carbs...many thin mint Girl Scout cookies, french fries, crackers, fruit juice...not quite the Atkins diet!
On Saturday, I woke up at 4 a.m. and we got to the race site around 5:15 a.m. where 1830 athletes mulled around, checking their tire pressure, stretching, re-checking their bikes, and getting those last bit of calories in. The forecast for the day turned out to be a high of 75 and approximately 20 mph winds. I was happy about the temperature, but a little unsure of the winds.
At 6:45 a.m. I made my way toward the water - you could certainly pick out the confident versus non-confident based on who was jumping in the water, and who was procrastinating. I felt as though I was about to do a bungee-jump off a 200 foot bridge, kind of feeling like I just needed someone to push me in rather than making that jump independently. The water was a brisk 65 degrees and was murky brown...they called it 'sediment' but I called it ominous. We had to swim about 200 yards up to the start line and then all 1800 of us were treading water for about 5-10 minutes until the cannon went off. Boom! And the chaos ensued. It's a pretty funny moment when you're "swimming" in a sea of people, hands and feet slapping all about you, I'm just happy to say that I took no major kicks to the face and didn't get a bruise. People were actually quite polite (which is a rarity from what I've heard) and apologized for the kick that they delivered to my shin or the hit that they delivered to my upper torso. An open-water swim is incredibly different, and more difficult, than a pool swim. You're constantly trying to sight the buoys to make sure you're still on course, and you don't have that nice black line at the bottom of the pool to guide you in the right direction. People started spreading out about 15 minutes into the swim and that's when things started getting better for me...well, with the exception that there was a ski-jet with two lifeguards hovering close by to me, which created a bit of anxiety for me. "Why are they hovering around me? Do I look like a wounded seal and they are just predicting that I'll need to be pulled from the water soon? Am I the slowest swimmer in this race and I'm bringing up the backend?" I finally realized that none of my fears were warranted, there were plenty of people behind me, and it just so happened that for safety reasons, there were jet-skis all about the course, and they weren't just focusing on me! Phew!!! The swim was 2.4 miles, however I think that with all the zigzagging I did on the course, I must have swam a good 2.8 miles. Note to self: work on stroke to ensure efficiency...and suggest that the race directors paint a big black line on the bottom of the lake so that next time I can just follow that...did I just say next time??? The swim was done and to me, the worst part was over.
I had quite the fan club cheering me on all day long - thanks to Bryce, my parents, Janessa, Sue, Susan L., Andrea, Andy and many, many other spectators, they made my day even better and kept a smile on my face with their individual attention and assurance they gave me. And thanks to many of you who called throughout the day to check on my progress, I feel incredibly fortunate and blessed to have you all.
Prior to getting on my bike I had a team of three volunteers spraying me down with sunscreen, missing a few areas that I later discovered at about 11:30 p.m. that night...great, more weird tan lines to add to my body! And off I went. I focused on keeping a slow and easy pace, making certain that my heart rate didn't get too high, and started watching the clock for the 20 minute time-point, when I would begin taking in fluids and food. My legs felt good, and I was happy to have the swim behind me. The bike course consisted of three loops and a final city loop (which I later removed the 'c' from city and replaced it with an 'sh'....I'll explain why later) Not too much occurred on that first loop, other than the minor game of leap frog that I played with one guy. You can get a penalty on the course for drafting off of other cyclist, meaning that you need to keep at least three bike lengths between your front tire and their back tire. I found myself beginning to come up on people, but not really wanting to pass them because I was trying to 'hold back' for this first loop. I would tuck in behind them start pacing off of them, then get impatient with how slow they were going, and pass them. This happened throughout the bike portion and I found it to be a rather amusing mind game, if nothing else. About 15 miles into the course I looked down at my bike computer and realized I was going 22 mph! Great, I told myself, if I keep that up, I'd be done in less than six hours! At about 17 miles there was a turnaround point where I was unpleasantly surprised with the wind, and looked down at my bike computer to see that I was only going about 12 mph. Not too bad, but I was a little surprised to feel the headwinds and what it did to my pace and the way I handled the bike. The second loop went even better for me, but at the turnaround I was hit with even stronger wind. By the third loop, the wind was even worse, but I still felt good. At one point I was only going about 7 mph thanks to the wind. I saw the 100-mile marker, then I saw the 111-mile marker, and thought I was home free...only to realize that I still hadn't done the 'final city loop' (remember, I replaced the c with an sh). It was all very confusing, I thought I was just about to finish after seeing 111 miles, but in reality, it was 108 and I would be coming around to that same point again in three miles. It's funny how one can feel fine when they think that the finish line is around the corner, but when there's four more miles to be done, I couldn't stop thinking about how badly I wanted off that stupid bike and how much I hated the final sh...city loop! It was estimated that the winds were 30 to 40 miles per hour that day, and I'd venture to say that it was 40+ at one point during the final loop. The winner of the race actually commented that those winds were every bit as difficult as the Kona Ironman World Championships and was amazed by the amateurs that were able to handle it.
When I dismounted my bike I was in disbelief that I was going to go run a marathon. All through my training, I felt as though I did not train very well for the run, so I was pretty unconfident with how this would go down. I felt as though I had a pretty good pace and my form felt really good when I started running, which usually isn't the case after you've been on a bike for 7.5 hours. For a brief moment I pondered the thought of walking for a bit, but really I knew I wasn't tired enough to justify that and I just needed to set a good pace. I negotiated with myself to run until the five-mile marker. Somewhere around what I thought would be the two-mile marker I encountered a 13-mile marker..."did I make a wrong turn? How could I be on the second loop already?" I feared that something had gone wrong, but also didn't want to ask anyone out of fear that I'd be the laughing stock, so I kept running in a bit of a panic. I soon came across a three-mile marker and was relieved to realize that because it was a two-loop run, I would continue to encounter the first and second lap mile markers. Phew! I started to feel a not-so-good sensation on my pinky toes, both of them, and realized that I had blisters working their way into my feet. I finally decided to stop and sit on the curb to clean up the grass and dirt remaining on my feet from the run across grass after the swim 10 hours ago. Note to self: be sure to clean feet off better in the swim to bike transition and put Vaseline on my feet next time...did I just say next time again??? The sun was going down and it started cooling off. I anticipated that the second half of the run was going to be painful and long, but quite honest, it went by so quickly, and I didn't feel much pain. I met many good people along the way, ran with them for a bit, and then would carry on, to meet someone new. My pace still felt good, and I felt like I was running really fast based off of all the people I was passing. I thought for certain I was running a 10-minute mile or faster, but when I finally timed it, I was running a 12-minute mile. Okay, so maybe I wasn't so fast, but I felt good! As I rounded the corner with the finish line in site I felt goose bumps on my arms, I gave high-fives to many standing along the shoot that I was running down. I felt such incredible bliss, I really can't put words to it...and I crossed the finish line. As you know, my goal was to finish with a smile on my face and not to be the last person to finish. I achieved both! There's nothing like hearing your name announced to thousands while you're crossing the finish line.
What you may believe to be impossible, is truly achievable. Five years ago, if someone had told me that I would complete an Ironman triathlon, I think I would have fallen out of my chair laughing. Infact, five years ago, I could barely run two miles. One year ago, I was hell on wheels when it came to getting on a bike. I don't mean to preach to you, but you all are near and dear to my heart and I want for you each to discover something new about yourself and your capabilities, experience setting a lofty goal, challenging yourself, and feeling that incredible gratification when reaching it. It is amazing! Alright, I'll get off my soapbox now.
So, what's next, you ask? You may have noticed I made several references to 'next time'. As of midnight last night, I registered for Ironman Arizona on April 9, 2006. Note to self: what can be done once, can be done even better the next time. So here we go again! Until then, I look forward to participating in another marathon, maybe a half-Ironman, and supporting Bryce as he takes on two marathons later this year.
Love,
Ironman Brenda
"Unless you test yourself, you stagnate. Unless you try to go way beyond what you've been able to do before, you won't develop and grow. When you go for it 100%, when you don't have the fear of 'what if I fail,' that's when you learn. That's when you're really living." Mark Allen, world champion triathlete
We got to Arizona on Wednesday night before the race. On Thursday it was 90 degrees and I was obsessively checking weather in hopes it would cool down quickly. I was really anxious, really scared, really excited, and really restless, continuously, for those 48 hours leading up to the race. I was eating like a bottomless pit, trying to load up my body with carbohydrates and aiming for at least 500 grams of carbs...many thin mint Girl Scout cookies, french fries, crackers, fruit juice...not quite the Atkins diet!
On Saturday, I woke up at 4 a.m. and we got to the race site around 5:15 a.m. where 1830 athletes mulled around, checking their tire pressure, stretching, re-checking their bikes, and getting those last bit of calories in. The forecast for the day turned out to be a high of 75 and approximately 20 mph winds. I was happy about the temperature, but a little unsure of the winds.
At 6:45 a.m. I made my way toward the water - you could certainly pick out the confident versus non-confident based on who was jumping in the water, and who was procrastinating. I felt as though I was about to do a bungee-jump off a 200 foot bridge, kind of feeling like I just needed someone to push me in rather than making that jump independently. The water was a brisk 65 degrees and was murky brown...they called it 'sediment' but I called it ominous. We had to swim about 200 yards up to the start line and then all 1800 of us were treading water for about 5-10 minutes until the cannon went off. Boom! And the chaos ensued. It's a pretty funny moment when you're "swimming" in a sea of people, hands and feet slapping all about you, I'm just happy to say that I took no major kicks to the face and didn't get a bruise. People were actually quite polite (which is a rarity from what I've heard) and apologized for the kick that they delivered to my shin or the hit that they delivered to my upper torso. An open-water swim is incredibly different, and more difficult, than a pool swim. You're constantly trying to sight the buoys to make sure you're still on course, and you don't have that nice black line at the bottom of the pool to guide you in the right direction. People started spreading out about 15 minutes into the swim and that's when things started getting better for me...well, with the exception that there was a ski-jet with two lifeguards hovering close by to me, which created a bit of anxiety for me. "Why are they hovering around me? Do I look like a wounded seal and they are just predicting that I'll need to be pulled from the water soon? Am I the slowest swimmer in this race and I'm bringing up the backend?" I finally realized that none of my fears were warranted, there were plenty of people behind me, and it just so happened that for safety reasons, there were jet-skis all about the course, and they weren't just focusing on me! Phew!!! The swim was 2.4 miles, however I think that with all the zigzagging I did on the course, I must have swam a good 2.8 miles. Note to self: work on stroke to ensure efficiency...and suggest that the race directors paint a big black line on the bottom of the lake so that next time I can just follow that...did I just say next time??? The swim was done and to me, the worst part was over.
I had quite the fan club cheering me on all day long - thanks to Bryce, my parents, Janessa, Sue, Susan L., Andrea, Andy and many, many other spectators, they made my day even better and kept a smile on my face with their individual attention and assurance they gave me. And thanks to many of you who called throughout the day to check on my progress, I feel incredibly fortunate and blessed to have you all.
Prior to getting on my bike I had a team of three volunteers spraying me down with sunscreen, missing a few areas that I later discovered at about 11:30 p.m. that night...great, more weird tan lines to add to my body! And off I went. I focused on keeping a slow and easy pace, making certain that my heart rate didn't get too high, and started watching the clock for the 20 minute time-point, when I would begin taking in fluids and food. My legs felt good, and I was happy to have the swim behind me. The bike course consisted of three loops and a final city loop (which I later removed the 'c' from city and replaced it with an 'sh'....I'll explain why later) Not too much occurred on that first loop, other than the minor game of leap frog that I played with one guy. You can get a penalty on the course for drafting off of other cyclist, meaning that you need to keep at least three bike lengths between your front tire and their back tire. I found myself beginning to come up on people, but not really wanting to pass them because I was trying to 'hold back' for this first loop. I would tuck in behind them start pacing off of them, then get impatient with how slow they were going, and pass them. This happened throughout the bike portion and I found it to be a rather amusing mind game, if nothing else. About 15 miles into the course I looked down at my bike computer and realized I was going 22 mph! Great, I told myself, if I keep that up, I'd be done in less than six hours! At about 17 miles there was a turnaround point where I was unpleasantly surprised with the wind, and looked down at my bike computer to see that I was only going about 12 mph. Not too bad, but I was a little surprised to feel the headwinds and what it did to my pace and the way I handled the bike. The second loop went even better for me, but at the turnaround I was hit with even stronger wind. By the third loop, the wind was even worse, but I still felt good. At one point I was only going about 7 mph thanks to the wind. I saw the 100-mile marker, then I saw the 111-mile marker, and thought I was home free...only to realize that I still hadn't done the 'final city loop' (remember, I replaced the c with an sh). It was all very confusing, I thought I was just about to finish after seeing 111 miles, but in reality, it was 108 and I would be coming around to that same point again in three miles. It's funny how one can feel fine when they think that the finish line is around the corner, but when there's four more miles to be done, I couldn't stop thinking about how badly I wanted off that stupid bike and how much I hated the final sh...city loop! It was estimated that the winds were 30 to 40 miles per hour that day, and I'd venture to say that it was 40+ at one point during the final loop. The winner of the race actually commented that those winds were every bit as difficult as the Kona Ironman World Championships and was amazed by the amateurs that were able to handle it.
When I dismounted my bike I was in disbelief that I was going to go run a marathon. All through my training, I felt as though I did not train very well for the run, so I was pretty unconfident with how this would go down. I felt as though I had a pretty good pace and my form felt really good when I started running, which usually isn't the case after you've been on a bike for 7.5 hours. For a brief moment I pondered the thought of walking for a bit, but really I knew I wasn't tired enough to justify that and I just needed to set a good pace. I negotiated with myself to run until the five-mile marker. Somewhere around what I thought would be the two-mile marker I encountered a 13-mile marker..."did I make a wrong turn? How could I be on the second loop already?" I feared that something had gone wrong, but also didn't want to ask anyone out of fear that I'd be the laughing stock, so I kept running in a bit of a panic. I soon came across a three-mile marker and was relieved to realize that because it was a two-loop run, I would continue to encounter the first and second lap mile markers. Phew! I started to feel a not-so-good sensation on my pinky toes, both of them, and realized that I had blisters working their way into my feet. I finally decided to stop and sit on the curb to clean up the grass and dirt remaining on my feet from the run across grass after the swim 10 hours ago. Note to self: be sure to clean feet off better in the swim to bike transition and put Vaseline on my feet next time...did I just say next time again??? The sun was going down and it started cooling off. I anticipated that the second half of the run was going to be painful and long, but quite honest, it went by so quickly, and I didn't feel much pain. I met many good people along the way, ran with them for a bit, and then would carry on, to meet someone new. My pace still felt good, and I felt like I was running really fast based off of all the people I was passing. I thought for certain I was running a 10-minute mile or faster, but when I finally timed it, I was running a 12-minute mile. Okay, so maybe I wasn't so fast, but I felt good! As I rounded the corner with the finish line in site I felt goose bumps on my arms, I gave high-fives to many standing along the shoot that I was running down. I felt such incredible bliss, I really can't put words to it...and I crossed the finish line. As you know, my goal was to finish with a smile on my face and not to be the last person to finish. I achieved both! There's nothing like hearing your name announced to thousands while you're crossing the finish line.
What you may believe to be impossible, is truly achievable. Five years ago, if someone had told me that I would complete an Ironman triathlon, I think I would have fallen out of my chair laughing. Infact, five years ago, I could barely run two miles. One year ago, I was hell on wheels when it came to getting on a bike. I don't mean to preach to you, but you all are near and dear to my heart and I want for you each to discover something new about yourself and your capabilities, experience setting a lofty goal, challenging yourself, and feeling that incredible gratification when reaching it. It is amazing! Alright, I'll get off my soapbox now.
So, what's next, you ask? You may have noticed I made several references to 'next time'. As of midnight last night, I registered for Ironman Arizona on April 9, 2006. Note to self: what can be done once, can be done even better the next time. So here we go again! Until then, I look forward to participating in another marathon, maybe a half-Ironman, and supporting Bryce as he takes on two marathons later this year.
Love,
Ironman Brenda
"Unless you test yourself, you stagnate. Unless you try to go way beyond what you've been able to do before, you won't develop and grow. When you go for it 100%, when you don't have the fear of 'what if I fail,' that's when you learn. That's when you're really living." Mark Allen, world champion triathlete
Friday, April 1, 2005
7 days and counting...
Registration for Ironman Arizona: $425
Trek road bike: $1500
Wetsuit and other tri-gear: $500+ (you don’t want to know!)
Crossing the finish line on April 9th and becoming an Ironman: Priceless
For the past 10+ months, some of you have heard nothing but triathlon talk from me – thank you for your patience and support! For some of you, this might come as a surprise – I’ve been so busy training for this triathlon, I’ve managed to lose touch with quite a few of you – sorry about that!
Next Saturday, April 9th, I will embark on a grueling journey that I never imagined I would try: a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run (all in succession) in Tempe, Arizona. The race starts at 7 a.m. and the course closes at midnight. My goal is to cross the finish line with a smile on my face…and not be the last person to finish! ;-)
There’s a great website that offers live coverage of the race and even specific information on me during the race for those of you that can’t make it to Arizona: www.ironmanlive.com. For those of you that will be there for the race (thank you! thank you!), there is a spectator’s guide and other good information on the following website: www.ironmanarizona.com
Ironman North America has not announced the 2005 TV schedule for this race, but I’ll let you know when they do. For any of you that get Fox Sports Network Arizona (FSN Arizona) they will be showing it on the following days: Saturday, April 9 (race day)-10 p.m. –1/2 hour show; Hour-long highlight shows: Saturday, April 16-5 p.m., Saturday, April 16-3 a.m., Sunday, April 17-1 p.m., Saturday, April 23-7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 23-2 a.m., Monday, April 25-2 p.m., Sunday, May 1-1 p.m. FSN Arizona is offered via satellite service and in Arizona, of course. Usually coverage is focused on the pro athletes, so I am not sure whether I will get any airtime, but it still should be interesting to watch…perhaps I will be so fast that I’ll just be a blur across the TV screen?
So send good thoughts my way on April 9th and I’ll be sure to update you on my Ironman experience!
Trek road bike: $1500
Wetsuit and other tri-gear: $500+ (you don’t want to know!)
Crossing the finish line on April 9th and becoming an Ironman: Priceless
For the past 10+ months, some of you have heard nothing but triathlon talk from me – thank you for your patience and support! For some of you, this might come as a surprise – I’ve been so busy training for this triathlon, I’ve managed to lose touch with quite a few of you – sorry about that!
Next Saturday, April 9th, I will embark on a grueling journey that I never imagined I would try: a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run (all in succession) in Tempe, Arizona. The race starts at 7 a.m. and the course closes at midnight. My goal is to cross the finish line with a smile on my face…and not be the last person to finish! ;-)
There’s a great website that offers live coverage of the race and even specific information on me during the race for those of you that can’t make it to Arizona: www.ironmanlive.com. For those of you that will be there for the race (thank you! thank you!), there is a spectator’s guide and other good information on the following website: www.ironmanarizona.com
Ironman North America has not announced the 2005 TV schedule for this race, but I’ll let you know when they do. For any of you that get Fox Sports Network Arizona (FSN Arizona) they will be showing it on the following days: Saturday, April 9 (race day)-10 p.m. –1/2 hour show; Hour-long highlight shows: Saturday, April 16-5 p.m., Saturday, April 16-3 a.m., Sunday, April 17-1 p.m., Saturday, April 23-7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 23-2 a.m., Monday, April 25-2 p.m., Sunday, May 1-1 p.m. FSN Arizona is offered via satellite service and in Arizona, of course. Usually coverage is focused on the pro athletes, so I am not sure whether I will get any airtime, but it still should be interesting to watch…perhaps I will be so fast that I’ll just be a blur across the TV screen?
So send good thoughts my way on April 9th and I’ll be sure to update you on my Ironman experience!
Thursday, February 3, 2005
All or Nothing!
I'm back on track, in full force! All of this training I've done so far has led me to one conclusion about myself: I am all or nothing. I take things to one excessive extreme or another, whether it be exercising, eating, or working. I was racked with guilt after my birthday weekend, having not complied with my training schedule, so Monday I went to spin class for an hour and a half, got on the eliptical trainer for half an hour, and ran for half an hour. Tuesday I ran 8 miles at the beach, Weds I swam over an hour and today I went to spin class at 5:30 a.m. and then ran for a half hour. That's nearly 7 hours of exercise and I still have this evening, Fri, Sat, and Sun ahead of me. I was hoping to get at least 15 hours, if not 17, in this week...and I just might do it. I also feel as though my clothes are finally fitting better and my spare tire along my gut has gotten a flat, and seems it may soon be gone, I hope.
So this leads me to what my One Thing is...I have two (point proven again, all or nothing!)
1. To be worthy of being called an Ironman when I cross that finish-line. Infact, I plan to get a tatoo...not sure where upon my body yet.
2. To be in my best shape ever: able to wear tri-shorts and a jog bra for the marathon portion of the Ironman race without being self-conscious of my stomach.
And when I say I want to be in the best shape ever, that includes the goals of wearing a size 6 or 8 (depending on make) and acheiving 22-25% body fat.
Lofty goals, yes, but I truly think I can pull them off.
So this leads me to what my One Thing is...I have two (point proven again, all or nothing!)
1. To be worthy of being called an Ironman when I cross that finish-line. Infact, I plan to get a tatoo...not sure where upon my body yet.
2. To be in my best shape ever: able to wear tri-shorts and a jog bra for the marathon portion of the Ironman race without being self-conscious of my stomach.
And when I say I want to be in the best shape ever, that includes the goals of wearing a size 6 or 8 (depending on make) and acheiving 22-25% body fat.
Lofty goals, yes, but I truly think I can pull them off.
Monday, January 31, 2005
Monday blahs...
I actually got out of bed at 5:30am, put my swimsuit on, sweatpants, sweatshirt, and then crawled back into bed. It was cold, I wanted 10 more minutes of warmth in my cozy bed, and figured I would be on the road by 5:50 and make it to swim on time. I later awoke, looked at my watch...it was 6:05am and I 'threw in the towel.' I guess what made me feel a little justified is knowing that I am going to spin tonight for an hour and a half and run for about 45 minutes. But now I'm riddled with guilt for not going to swim, I'm in a bad mood, depressed, and to top it all off, it's Monday.
I only did an hour on my bike on Saturday, and nothing yesterday. I'm getting behind and only have 67 days remaining. I'm going to chalk last week up to being my 'active recovery' week and will step things up this week, I have to. The good thing is that truly this week was supposed to be 'active recovery', so I haven't mutilated my overall training schedule, just swapped weeks.
I'm going to have to revise my training schedule though, I'm realizing that it's too low in hours. Weeks that I'm scheduled for 13 hours should be more like 16 hours. I'm also going to have to get up to running 10 or 11 miles this week and 13 by next week.
That's it for now, might write more later. The way I'm feeling about everything in my life right now, I could spend a full day just writing about all the things that feel wrong right now. I don't think this has anything to do with just turning 30, it's just pure coincidence, but I get the feeling that 30 is going to be rough for me, I just feel it. Not the best thing to be this negative, it's not even like me to be this negative.
I only did an hour on my bike on Saturday, and nothing yesterday. I'm getting behind and only have 67 days remaining. I'm going to chalk last week up to being my 'active recovery' week and will step things up this week, I have to. The good thing is that truly this week was supposed to be 'active recovery', so I haven't mutilated my overall training schedule, just swapped weeks.
I'm going to have to revise my training schedule though, I'm realizing that it's too low in hours. Weeks that I'm scheduled for 13 hours should be more like 16 hours. I'm also going to have to get up to running 10 or 11 miles this week and 13 by next week.
That's it for now, might write more later. The way I'm feeling about everything in my life right now, I could spend a full day just writing about all the things that feel wrong right now. I don't think this has anything to do with just turning 30, it's just pure coincidence, but I get the feeling that 30 is going to be rough for me, I just feel it. Not the best thing to be this negative, it's not even like me to be this negative.
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
In one blink of an eye...
two weeks has passed by!
I attribute my bloglessness to all the time I've spent training over the past two weeks. I've accomplished a lot...ran 8 miles (when I wasn't sure if I could run 5!), completed several hilly 30+ mile rides (one on my own), and just recently, successfully completed a 70 mile ride up to San Juan Capistrano (well, technically it was 67 miles, but I think I can write that off as 70, right?)
I am doing well with my training, however I fear that I'm a bit behind (in mileage for the run, specifically) so will need to re-evaluate my training plan and get a little more aggressive. I swam for an hour yesterday, did an hour and a half at spin last night, and half an hour on the stair-stepper and weights. Three hours on a Monday = tired girl on Tuesday morning.
Note to self: I still need to establish my One Thing...
73 days left.
I attribute my bloglessness to all the time I've spent training over the past two weeks. I've accomplished a lot...ran 8 miles (when I wasn't sure if I could run 5!), completed several hilly 30+ mile rides (one on my own), and just recently, successfully completed a 70 mile ride up to San Juan Capistrano (well, technically it was 67 miles, but I think I can write that off as 70, right?)
I am doing well with my training, however I fear that I'm a bit behind (in mileage for the run, specifically) so will need to re-evaluate my training plan and get a little more aggressive. I swam for an hour yesterday, did an hour and a half at spin last night, and half an hour on the stair-stepper and weights. Three hours on a Monday = tired girl on Tuesday morning.
Note to self: I still need to establish my One Thing...
73 days left.
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Back in the saddle again
6:20am: jumped in pool
7:30am: dragged myself out of pool
I did it, I actually put in an hour of swimming this morning, and my shoulder did not fall off!
7:30am: dragged myself out of pool
I did it, I actually put in an hour of swimming this morning, and my shoulder did not fall off!
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
To antagonize or motivate?
It's Day 2 of this week that I haven't shown up for swim in the mornings and I've caught a lot of slack for it. I understand that my friends are trying to motivate, however it seems to me as it's more antagonizing. I will swim when I want to swim! There's more to it, really. My left shoulder bursitis has been acting up and I'm a bit freaked out about making it worse. I've also had a bit of insomnia these past two nights which has left me feeling lethargic in the mornings. So, I'm taking advil and focusing on my cycling. I will attempt to swim tomorrow through Friday, avoiding the pull buouy, as I'm sure that's what instigated the inflammation of my shoulder this time around.
My cycling is going well though, I managed to put in 3 hours and 45 minutes on the trainer on Sunday, totalling 56 miles, and then ran for 15 minutes so that I can start getting used to the T2 transition. Last week's goal/training hours called for 10 hours - I managed to get in 8 hours and 45 minutes. This week's goal calls for 10 and a half hours.
It's certainly hard juggling a social life with my training plan. It almost seems easier that I just cut out the socialization for the next 87 days rather than reconfigure my week's training hours. I also just need to do away with the excuses. If I can't swim in the morning due to shoulder pain, there's no reason that I can't get up at that same time and hit the treadmill at the gym or jump on my bike trainer. I guess it's just hard to know when to say when....all the books talk about rest and recovery, many of them indicate that if you're too fatigued to do a workout to the caliber that you would expect, it might be worthwhile to skip the workout and rest instead. So how do I make that call? And how do I do it without the guilt?
My cycling is going well though, I managed to put in 3 hours and 45 minutes on the trainer on Sunday, totalling 56 miles, and then ran for 15 minutes so that I can start getting used to the T2 transition. Last week's goal/training hours called for 10 hours - I managed to get in 8 hours and 45 minutes. This week's goal calls for 10 and a half hours.
It's certainly hard juggling a social life with my training plan. It almost seems easier that I just cut out the socialization for the next 87 days rather than reconfigure my week's training hours. I also just need to do away with the excuses. If I can't swim in the morning due to shoulder pain, there's no reason that I can't get up at that same time and hit the treadmill at the gym or jump on my bike trainer. I guess it's just hard to know when to say when....all the books talk about rest and recovery, many of them indicate that if you're too fatigued to do a workout to the caliber that you would expect, it might be worthwhile to skip the workout and rest instead. So how do I make that call? And how do I do it without the guilt?
Thursday, January 6, 2005
The One Thing
I was obsessed with researching Ironman information, nutrition, and any tips or programs I could find on the internet with regard to Ironman races. I would have done it all day long if I could! I stumbled across a very inspiring and informative website (www.cruciblefitness.com) which I think I may cling to for a bit. Rich Strauss is the author of the below-mentioned material.
"The body will do amazing things, when driven by the single-minded focus created through clarity of purpose. In short, identify why you want to do this to yourself and then commit your head to driving your body to the edge of your physical envelope. In the words of Jack Palance in City Slickers, it's the One Thing."
He outlines how to go about determining that One Thing. It is my goal that within the next two weeks I will determine what my One Thing is...although I'm thinking maybe having Two Things wouldn't be bad...afterall, more is better...isn't it?
So how do I determine my One Thing?
* Identify why you want to do the race before signing up. Are you doing it for you or to prove something to someone else? Be completely honest with yourself. "I'm a doing this Ironman so I can earn a unique title that is mine forever." One Thing = title of Ironman.
Take that One Thing and mate it with your race goals and expectations: "The title is important to me, not the time. I want to finish with a smile on my face."
* Remind yourself, daily, of your One Thing and the race goals and expectations you have built around it. Through this process your One Thing will provide clarity of purpose to your training. When the Phunometer is pegged during a 6 hour long ride, you'll know why you are still out there.
* In your mental rehearsals before the race, visualize the conversation between Mind and Body when the Body begins to question the Mind's commitment to the One Thing. Prepare your rebuttal beforehand.
* On race day, continually remind yourself of the One Thing. Focus completely on its accomplishment. Remember, you can never disappoint your friends or family. They will be proud of you regardless. However, you can let yourself down. In the end, the best we can do is follow our commitment to our One Thing.
He also makes three points he makes with regard to Ironman-How-To. It kind of jumps the gun, I have a lot of other things I need to focus on at the moment, but it's also good to be proactive and put these principles to practice in my current training.
Principle #1: Ironman is not a triathlon, it's a quadathlon(?): swim, bike, run, eat/drink. On race day only 20% of your focus will be on your physical performance while the other 80% will be on how to maintain that performance.
Principle #2: Ironman is not about racing, it is about making good decisions. Use the OODA Loop: Observe the situation, Orient yourself and determine possible courses of action, Decide on a course of action, then Act. Go over, around, under or through the wall.
Principle #3: Show up with a well-made, well-rehearsed plan and expect it to not survive first contact with the race. Be prepared to improvise by "racing in the now." It's a very long day and you have all of it to fix a problem. Do the best you can, right now. The rest of the day will take care of itself when you get there.
"The body will do amazing things, when driven by the single-minded focus created through clarity of purpose. In short, identify why you want to do this to yourself and then commit your head to driving your body to the edge of your physical envelope. In the words of Jack Palance in City Slickers, it's the One Thing."
He outlines how to go about determining that One Thing. It is my goal that within the next two weeks I will determine what my One Thing is...although I'm thinking maybe having Two Things wouldn't be bad...afterall, more is better...isn't it?
So how do I determine my One Thing?
* Identify why you want to do the race before signing up. Are you doing it for you or to prove something to someone else? Be completely honest with yourself. "I'm a doing this Ironman so I can earn a unique title that is mine forever." One Thing = title of Ironman.
Take that One Thing and mate it with your race goals and expectations: "The title is important to me, not the time. I want to finish with a smile on my face."
* Remind yourself, daily, of your One Thing and the race goals and expectations you have built around it. Through this process your One Thing will provide clarity of purpose to your training. When the Phunometer is pegged during a 6 hour long ride, you'll know why you are still out there.
* In your mental rehearsals before the race, visualize the conversation between Mind and Body when the Body begins to question the Mind's commitment to the One Thing. Prepare your rebuttal beforehand.
* On race day, continually remind yourself of the One Thing. Focus completely on its accomplishment. Remember, you can never disappoint your friends or family. They will be proud of you regardless. However, you can let yourself down. In the end, the best we can do is follow our commitment to our One Thing.
He also makes three points he makes with regard to Ironman-How-To. It kind of jumps the gun, I have a lot of other things I need to focus on at the moment, but it's also good to be proactive and put these principles to practice in my current training.
Principle #1: Ironman is not a triathlon, it's a quadathlon(?): swim, bike, run, eat/drink. On race day only 20% of your focus will be on your physical performance while the other 80% will be on how to maintain that performance.
Principle #2: Ironman is not about racing, it is about making good decisions. Use the OODA Loop: Observe the situation, Orient yourself and determine possible courses of action, Decide on a course of action, then Act. Go over, around, under or through the wall.
Principle #3: Show up with a well-made, well-rehearsed plan and expect it to not survive first contact with the race. Be prepared to improvise by "racing in the now." It's a very long day and you have all of it to fix a problem. Do the best you can, right now. The rest of the day will take care of itself when you get there.
Wednesday, January 5, 2005
Am I swimming upstream?
I succeeded in getting up early this morning and jumped into the pool at 6:15am. I swam only about 1750 meters (I think?) All the while it seemed that I was swimming against a current or something...I definitely need to work on my form and get some technique pointers from the coach or else I'm going to continue to be the slowest of the entire group! Or maybe I would improve if I could be consistent about showing up to swim at least 3-4 times per week? I'm afraid that my form needs some work though, so I worry about reinforcing any bad habits...ah, the dilemnas of a triathlete!
Tuesday, January 4, 2005
Pain is temporary, pride is forever
That was my motto in June 2003 when I completed my first marathon. One year later I completed my third marathon and figured I needed another challenge...something bigger. Low and behold, the inaugural Tempe, Arizona Ironman was announced soon thereafter, and before I knew it, I had invested $425 in the race registration and was looking at road bikes.
I've built my base training up over this past four months and am now about to partake in a 13 week training program. My goal is to finish the race with a smile on my face...and to journal this entire experience along the way.
So...the journey begins.
It's been raining consistently for the past week. I managed to convince myself again this morning (at 5:20 a.m., might I add) that it was not necessary that I get out of bed to go swim...just like yesterday. I'm now a bit puzzled by this early morning rationale - Was I afraid of getting wet from the rain, or the pool?
I've built my base training up over this past four months and am now about to partake in a 13 week training program. My goal is to finish the race with a smile on my face...and to journal this entire experience along the way.
So...the journey begins.
It's been raining consistently for the past week. I managed to convince myself again this morning (at 5:20 a.m., might I add) that it was not necessary that I get out of bed to go swim...just like yesterday. I'm now a bit puzzled by this early morning rationale - Was I afraid of getting wet from the rain, or the pool?
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