Yikes, that hurts!!!

Okay, so I went to the chiropractor this morning (ya know, for that heel pain of mine). Have you ever had a muscle, or other body part "stripped?" He had me lay face down on the table and took this metal instrument and scraped it against the fatty part of my calf--until little red bumps popped up (which he assures me is a good thing). I'm pretty sure I drooled a little and at one point moaned the word, "mommy." I'm sure the pain was intended to gear me up for REAL pain during Ironman, but wow...it was truly painful!! I'm going back in a week for another "treatment." "Thank you, sir. May I have another?!" We'll see if it works! I

Recovering in more ways than one!

My heel is feeling much better~it's not 100%, but after my visit to the chiropractor tomorrow I'm expecting it to be pretty close to normal!  This past weekend was part of a recovery week, so I swam less, rode less and was supposed to run less, but because of the heel, didn't run at all.  But here's what I'm discovering...even when I'm not feeling 100% I can still get my work-outs in.  Instead of running this week I rode the spin bike on Thursday and did 50 minutes on the elliptical machine today.  I also threw in an extra 1300 yard swim because it was so hot (101 degrees).  Having this heel pain so close to the beginning of my training has turned out to be a real blessing~It has forced me to train right (and stretch!)

So let's re-cap the last three weeks: I have swam 10,300 yards, biked 139 miles and ran 23.5 miles!

"Heel" thy pain!

Wow...couldn't run yesterday either! I rode the spinner bike for 60 minutes instead. I'm trying to remain positive about my heel hurting me, but it's a little scary. I've never had any sort of real injury before--although this is not an injury, just a tiny bump in my road. I'm going to my chiropractor on Monday--this guy is AMAZING! I had tennis elbow (no, I don't play tennis) that lasted well over a year. I went to my doctor, had physical therapy, saw an orthopedist (who, by the way, wanted me to have surgery) and nothing helped. Then I went to see Dr. Dhesi (in San Ramon if you're interested). In about 5 visits he had my elbow back to normal--just in need of a little strength training! I have an appointment to see him tomorrow, so maybe by the end of next week my heel won't be the proverbial Achilles anymore!

Damn, that hurts!

Have you ever experienced plantar fasciitis? Basically, it's heel pain--the kind that stops you dead in your tracks and says, "uhhh, yeah, I don't think so. You 'ain't walking, runnin' or any other kind of movement from this point forward." So, I've now started what I should have been doing from the get-go: stretching religiously. I've had to put off my Thursday run until tomorrow--which is a bummer because Fridays are supposed to be my "day-off."

I need to perform an exorcism...

...on the short, nerdy 15 year old girl living inside my brain! She is constantly telling me that everyone is faster and stronger than I am; that I'm not a real athlete. Doesn't she realize that I have completed two Aids Rides (545 miles each), three Olympic size triathlons and three half Ironman races? Well, she was then and this is NOW! I am strong. I am fast. I am a 47 year old triathlete and I WILL push myself to become stronger.

The Challenge Results

For those of you who took the challenge this past weekend. I ran 6 miles and rode 29.6. If I did more than you please visit my donation page!! If you did more than me, I hope you treated yourself to a nice, big hot fudge sundae!!

A Donation Challenge for you...

My challenge to all of you is this (and this is strictly on the honor system!): go out and exercise this weekend (swim, bike or run); on Monday I'll let you know how many miles I trained and if I've put in more miles than you, you'll have to donate some money. It could be $1 or $500--remember, any amount will help!! For those of you unaware of my efforts to raise money for the The SamFund (check out their website to learn what amazing things they do for young survivors of cancer at www.thesamfund.org) or you can check out my fund raising page at Janus Charity Challenge at
http://januscharitychallenge.kintera.org/az09/sgoldman?faf=1&e=2473339054

Happy exercising!

It's Heatin' Up!

I was supposed to do a Fartlek run (that's where you do fast sprints sandwiched bewteen a warm-up and a cool-down) yesterday, but it got waaay too hot--95 degrees! Instead, I came home from work and went out for frozen yogurt! I got up this morning at 6:45am and did my run. I felt good, but discovered I MUST stretch my calves. Tomorrow is another two hour bike ride...

Wednesday

I thought about our dog, Gaia today as I swam my 2000 yards.  She passed away this morning while her head lay in Tracy's lap.  She was thirteen years old and a very loyal friend and protector.   

First "long" bike ride is history!

Two hours and I rode 28 miles. It's not too bad--14 mph. My goal for race day is 16mph so I've got my work cut out for me. I also went to the gym. Lifting weights is the key to increasing my speed, so I gotta keep it up! Week #2 is about to commence...

First "long" run is done!

So the way this training program works is that I do two swims, two bike rides (one of which is a long one), two runs (one of which is a long one), and two weight lifting sessions per week. Today was my first "long" run. I ran 5.5 miles in 60 minutes. My new shoes felt great and for the most part, it was a pretty easy run. Tomorrow is my first "long" bike ride: two hours.

Saturday's run...

...is about to happen. I just bought some new shoes, a new running shirt and I'm ready to go! I hope I feel as good when I get back! Today's run is 50-70 minutes--I think it'll be closer to 50!

Working and training--not a great mix!

Well, school is finally done--graduation was last night! Training during the past 5 days has been challenging (given it's the busiest week of the school year), but it really hasn't been that bad. It almost feels like I've barely done anything--except when I was in the pool. Tracy has told me that the training program she has put me on slowly builds so that you ease into the training. We'll see if I feel the same way after the weekend (first long bike ride and first long run)!! Man, I gotta buy my new running shoes...

Wondering how to sponsor me?

In addition to training for this race over the next six months, I'm also raising money for an amazing non-profit organization called The SamFund. It's an organization that helps support young cancer survivors with grants and scholarships to help pay for college and other expenses as they move forward with their lives. If you would like to help me reach my fund raising goal please visit: http://januscharitychallenge.kintera.org/az09/sgoldman?faf=1&e=2473339054

If the link doesn't get you there please visit www.januscharitychallenge.com and do a search for the SamFund. Thanks for your love and support!

First day on the bike!

Aaarrgghhhh....up at 4:10am to jump on my bike this morning. Rode for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Even though it's tough getting up, I gotta say I really enjoy getting a workout in the morning! The tough part is going to be consistency. My biggest fear about doing this race is not the race itself--it's the training. My typical M.O. is that I will push my physical limit to just below difficult, which, in an Ironman race will bring your day quickly to an end--Yikes!

Monday June 8

Got in the pool for the first time in about 6 months. I forgot how cold it is at 6am! I also forgot how the goggles form age circles under my eyes--that last for hours! My goal was to swim for an hour, but by 35 minutes I was spent. Getting up at 4am every day is definitely going to be a challenge.

And so IT begins...

It was 2006. A heartbreak story, really. I trained for 6 months. I began Ironman Arizona on a chilly morning at 7am with every intention of finishing. I mean, c'mon, who would ever train for that long and wish for anything, but finishing. There are cut-offs at an Ironman race. You have to reach mile 18 on the run at 10:15pm--but wait, I'm jumping ahead of myself. As a began the 2.4 mile swim at 7am I was feeling pretty good. It took me 1 hour and 45 minutes to finally get on the bike. 112 miles was waiting for me. Mile 38 came and I was making pretty good time. Loop #1 of a 3 loop course, done and I saw Tracy, Jan, Lisa, Sherri, Lena, Ela, and Mom all cheering me on. Mile 45 came and I heard a hissing sound. Damn, a flat. Never a flat tire on a training ride, but today I would have two! By the time I started the 26.2 mile run it was 5:30pm. So like I said earlier you have to reach mile 18 by 10:15pm. I made it there at 10:17pm. I would not experience the thrill of crossing the finish line--not in 2006, anyway. It's now 2009 and come November 22nd I will experience the feeling of someone saying, "Susan Goldman, you are an Ironman."

Join me here for a weekly update on how my training is going! The Odyssey begins on Monday June 8, 2009.