Wow, were my predictions wrong!

So, my last entry had predicted a finish time of fifteen hours and and 41 minutes, but what I had NOT predicted was that on mile 15 of the bike leg an unknown assailant would crash into me from behind (but I'll get to that later).

Let's start from the beginning. The head cold that I wrote about, and the one that Tracy tried to convince me was allergies, turned out to be quite the hindrance in getting any sleep the night before the race. The green crap I was blowing out my nose indicated that the day was going to be a bit more challenging than I had anticipated. We set the alarm for 4:00am and ate a "triathlete's breakfast" which consisted of raisin toast, almond butter, bananas and an abundance of coffee--you can figure out what the coffee is for, right? Never a good idea to start a 15+ hour endurance event feeling the need to...well, you know. We were out the door and ready to go down to the venue at 5:30am. My head was heavily congested, but I just thought being in the water would clear anything and everything out! And it did just that, the only problem was that I was in the water 20 minutes longer than I had anticipated--man, that water was COLD! Being in a tub of 63 degree water for twenty minutes does NOT compare with swimming in 61 degree (yes, it was 61) for two hours!! The colder I felt, the slower I swam. Interesting how the body naturally tries to conserve energy when it's in a state of SHOCK! After about one hour and 20 minutes in the water, that familiar sensation (that I felt in 2009) of chills and borderline hypothermia began to creep down into my wetsuit. All I wanted was to get the hell out of the water and on to the bike. After two hours of water torture, I was finally lifted out of the water and instructed to lie down on a mat where not one, but three volunteers peeled my wetsuit from my shivering body. With numb feet, I ran the 100 yards over to the changing tent where more volunteers would help me into my bike clothes. The changing tent was heated, which made it exponentially harder to actually leave. But after 12 minutes of cycling preparations, out I went. The bike course at Ironman Arizona has always been one that I have enjoyed--it's relatively flat and there's usually a nice tailwind coming back in after the turn-around. But this bike ride would not be enjoyable at all. Don't get me wrong, the first 15 miles was pretty good. And then in an instant, a complete stranger who was not paying attention to the road, ruined six months of training. I was traveling at about 14.5 miles per hour when all of a sudden....BAM! Someone hits the back of my bike sending me crashing to the ground! I landed on my right side, hip first, then shoulder, then head. I had no idea if I was too injured to continue, all I knew was that my shoulder was bleeding, my ankle had a nice gash in it and my hip had some lovely shades of road rash. The unknown cyclist who hit me from behind got an earful of expletives from me and then took off on his bike, not caring if I was hurt or otherwise. I was lying in the middle of the road for a few minutes before a woman stopped to help me. She moved my bike to the side of the road and told me she would flag down someone from the race crew. It seemed like an eternity before they got there, but I needed them because my bike was not operational. Both wheels were tweaked and my seat had manged to get turned to the left. I knew I was okay to continue to the race, but they would not let me continue until the medics arrived and cleared me. I was trying to explain to the guy, "you don't understand, I'm not that fast to begin with...I need all the time I can get to finish this damn thing!" After spending 20 minutes too long in the frigid waters of Tempe Town Lake, I knew that beating the bike cut off at 5:30 pm was going to be a struggle. The bike crash was not the only thing that made this bike ride less than enjoyable. As I mentioned before, the winds are usually heading in the same direction when heading back into town, which makes the slight 11 mile decline a great place to make up any lost time. But on this particular day, the winds were in the opposite direction, which meant my 11 mile slight incline was super challenging. Oh, and I forgot to mention that due to the bike collision, I no longer had a functioning cyclometer. I was trying to calculate what my average speed was by timing mile markers. Needless to say, I don't think I calculated very well! The good news about the bike leg is that I did not get any flat tires this time around! So after three 37.5 mile loops I finally pulled in at 5:20pm, missing the cutoff by 10 minutes. Now I just had the run to contend with...

I tried to calculate how fast I needed to run in able to finish by midnight. And what I came up with was this: "run fast, Sue." I actually felt great during the entire first loop, I think because I was so excited to be out of the water and off the bike! But the second loop was where I visited the "dark side." That's the place where everything is against you, including your own thoughts. I just wanted to stop running. I was kind of hoping that I would miss the 10:15pm cutoff, just so I could stop. As I began the third loop I saw my family, Tracy had finished the race at 14 hours and 15 minutes, and they told me to "dig deep." I'm like, "I have been! I don't think I can dig any deeper." And I really thought I couldn't. But something weird takes over on that final 8.7 miles. Every time I slowed down and experienced a dark thought, a different force took over and told me, "NO! Keep running, Sue. Just keep running until they make you stop!" And that's what I did. I knew I was going to barely make it. I had to run 11 minute miles for the final 6 miles to even come close to finishing. When I had a mile to go and only 12 minutes to get there, I thought, "maybe." I turned the corner to the Finisher's Chute and saw Tracy waiting for me. "Did I make it?" I asked. All she said was "keep going." And so I ran down the last 100 yards with people screaming from the stands. As I passed under the finisher's clock, it read: 17:05:04. The man working the finish line helped me to a chair where I began to sob. Missed it by 5 minutes and 4 seconds. And then something miraculous happened...the same man came over to tell me that since the race began 6 minutes passed the scheduled start, the two referees who were at the finish, declared me a finisher! Someone came over and placed the coveted medal around my neck and told me I was an Ironman.

This race, more than any other, taught me how to push through obstacles (and we all have them). I wouldn't have cared if they declared me a finisher or not (well, that's a half truth), I know how difficult yesterday was and I pushed through anyway. We all have this ability, it's finding the right circumstances to test it. A lot of people have told Tracy and I that we are an inspiration to them. Well, you all (those dedicated blog followers) are my inspiration. THANK YOU so much for all of your love, support and encouragement while I have embarked on this LAST Ironman race. Which by the way, was nothing less than EPIC!

First the good news...

Here's the good news: all preparations are done! We drove into Tempe yesterday to find perfect weather waiting for us! Today we spent a good part of the day lugging all of our stuff down to the race venue. It's pretty close to our hotel, so I can't complain that much, but since I'm Sue... hauling a bike, plus the bike gear bag AND the run gear bag was a little tough because we had our little furry boy in tow with us. Rocko, who is our thirteen pound scaredy cat (actually, he's a dog) was doing pretty good until we got further into the race venue and came upon the 3,000 athletes who were in the process of hauling their accoutrements as well. Needless to say, it was kind of stressful--both for him and me! At 2:00pm we took him to the Petsmart Pet Hotel, where he will be pampered like a good dog should, until we pick him up on Monday!

It's 8:00pm and the race is in eleven hours! We are already in for the night--after having a good dinner with family, who drove here to see us race! So I'm sure you're wondering...what's the bad news? Well, I've never started a race with any type of cold, but here I sit, sore throat and totally congested, without the ability to breathe out my nose. How this will effect me tomorrow, I have not a clue. Will it stop me? Hell no. Will it slow me down? Hell no. I have not trained for six months to allow a stupid head cold to slow me down!

The next entry you read will be the one after I'm done. Here is my prediction: 15 hours, 41 minutes, 16 seconds.

See you on the other side...

Pain is Mandatory...

...Suffering is optional! That's the mantra for next Sunday. It's a fact that at some point during the 15+ hours I'll spend out in the water and on the road I will experience some form of pain! The trick is pushing through it. You see, Ironman isn't so much a test of physical strength, it's really a test of mental strength. How much pain will your brain allow you to experience before it calls out "UNCLE!" How much time will go by before your brain calls it quits? And really, the question becomes: who's in charge of the brain? The answer is not as simple as it would appear! In times of extreme physical tests the brain enjoys playing cruel jokes on its owner! It enjoys saying things like,"This hurts too bad to continue," or "Who needs a medal?" or "You've already done it once, you don't need to do it again." When my brain starts to say these things--and I know it will--that will be the time when I will need to take charge (of the brain). I will need to keep saying things like, "You are strong," and "There's no walking in Ironman," and of course, "Pain is mandatory, suffering is optional."

Six days to go...

Okay, so I lied...

Remember a few weeks back when I said it was time to start getting used to cold water... And in order to do that we were going to start swimming in Lake Del Valle or in the Bay? Well, I'm embarrassed to admit we never did it. But we had good reasons (kinda). We were on our bikes too long to muster the strength to drive; we had left our poor little dog home alone all weekend; there were reported sightings of sharks in the bay (now that was a damn good reason!). At any rate, we have not even gotten remotely close to water below a comfortable temperature of 78 degrees--until today that is! So, you ask: "what body of water did you go to, Sue?" First, some background information before I tell you what FREEZING water we got into...did you know that tap water comes out at a natural temperature of 68 degrees? Did you also know that you can keep water in your tub for up to two weeks by using something called "Fresh and Clear?" And I'll bet you didn't realize that Leslie's Pool Supplies is open until 5pm on Sundays (even in cold weather)! Okay, so with all that said, I'll bet you can guess where we submerged ourselves today! Here's what we bought at the pool supply store: one big bottle of "Fresh and Clear" and one cute, yellow rubber duckie water thermometer. We filled our big jacuzzi tub, which by the way, we have NEVER used in the five years we have owned the house, and little by little submerged ourselves until we were sitting in 68 degree water. I have two things to say about it: frigid and hilarious! I don't think Tracy and I have laughed harder at the ridiculousness of the moment! We managed to stay in for 15 minutes because word on the street is that if we can get in for 15 minutes a day, we will be acclimated by November 20th! Tomorrow is day two for cold water training and I'm dreading each and every one of those 15 minutes!

13 Days and counting...

You wanna know what's diffucult?

Staying motivated--especially during these last three weeks before the race. I'm pretty much done with the whole training thing. Every Saturday for the past five months I have sat on a bike seat for an ungodly amount of time. That takes a toll on one's ass. And to make matters worse, every Tuesday I must sit on the trainer for 75 minutes--again, not doing any favors for the caboose. Here's my big plan: stay off the bike this Tuesday and swim instead!

To recap the weekend, yesterday was a 4.5 hour bike ride followed by a 50 minute run and today I ran 10 miles. It's weird how running 10 miles is no longer that big of a deal. I actually felt pretty good on the run, but I think it's because running does not involve a bike seat!

The next two weeks will be slow taper until race day and I need every minute of it.

Getting closer...

Yesterday marked the longest training day to date...8 hours and 45 minutes. I got on my bike at 8am and started what would turn out to be the best training day ever! The weather could not have been better--crisp in the morning and warming to about 84 degrees in the afternoon. No wind until after noon meant that I would be looking at my fastest ride to date--14.3 mph! I covered 102.5 miles in seven hours of actual riding time, battled some pretty strong winds, a couple of decent hills and sat through 40 minutes of traffic lights! All in all, a pretty damn good day! If I could've changed anything it would've been my nutrition. When I started my run I felt nauseous and starving all at the same time. This is a phenomenon that can only be experienced whilst doing something like this, I think! Typically, what I consume during my bike rides consists of liquid nutrition and Shot Blocks (kind of like a Jell-O shot sans the alcohol). For all other rides, this nutrition plan has worked great, but not yesterday! The five mile run that followed the bike ride was slow and painful, which was super disappointing after such an awesome ride. On a positive note, it brings to light the need for me to change my nutrition plan for the race, which I will be trying out next week. The result of yesterday's workout was, quite simply, exhaustion. I was in bed by 8:45 and asleep (I think) by 8:47!

Waking up this morning and knowing that I had a two hour run almost made the nausea from yesterday come screaming back! So instead, Tracy and I decided to go out for breakfast and run after we ate--can you say, "mistake?" I had some oatmeal, one egg and half of a pancake. All of which, sat in my gut like a golf ball for the first 40 minutes of the run. And this was not a run that I wanted to start in the first place. As a matter of fact, I started the run and turned around after the first few minutes and came back home. After deciding that I was being a wimp, I walked back out the door. One thing that I have discovered during the past 20 weeks of training (wow, 20 weeks!) is that the longer I go, the better I seem to feel. This is what I kept repeating to myself for the entire run. I ran a little slower than I would've liked, but considering the way I was feeling, I'm okay with it!

This coming week is the LAST hard week of training! After this we start our two week taper and then...it's Race Day! We received our bib numbers this past week, and I was hoping for a seven. The only thing I know about numerology is that I'm a seven, and it appears in many aspects of my life--my birth date, my address, etc. My bib # is 781...7 + 8 + 1 = 16. 1 + 6 = 7.

It's gonna be a great race!

ahhhhhhhhhhhh!

A recovery week can mean only one thing: there ain't much to write about! Yesterday was a very easy 31 mile bike ride and this morning was a 6 mile run--done! It has been absolute heaven having time to relax, go out to dinner and spend time with friends.

Not so for the next three weeks...stay tuned!

I guess being tested is a good thing!

Wow, the last three weeks has been rough and I'm so happy it's over. Usually I would get a recovery week after two weeks, but during this phase of the training (Ironman specific training, they call it) we had three hard weeks in a row. I have been feeling under the weather for the past few days, so yesterday and today seemed extra difficult. Yesterday's workout consisted of a 71 mile bike ride, followed by a 3 mile run. I experienced a "jacked up" stomach for a significant part of the bike ride and was quite surprised that I lasted the entire time! My typical M.O. would be to stop short, or quit altogether and chalk it up to feeling crappy, but this training has been different. It could be that Tracy and I are in it together (and she wouldn't quit), or it could be that I have finally decided to push the limit! I think it's a combo of both. So now we get to the run today...

Our training program states that we should've done a 3 hour run today (our longest of the 24 weeks), but Tracy and I decided that a 15 mile run would not test our mental strength--hello, UNDERSTATEMENT!! We decided (in all of our wisdom) that an 18-20 mile run would better simulate the suffering endured during Ironman--and suffer, we did! Right from the very start I had a side ache that would not go away--unless of course, I stopped running (not an option). My plan was to turn around at mile 9, but without knowing exactly where that was, I missed it by about a quarter of a mile. Knowing I would need to re-fill my water bottle (for the third time), I timed it perfectly to fill it up at a middle school on the way back. As I approached the school I was devastated to see the gate shut--and locked! Who locks up a middle school on the weekend?! As I frantically scanned the school to see how to get to the fountain of youth (water is life on a run that long), I obviously didn't notice the damaged, raised manhole cover that sits right in the middle of the running trail. I tripped, big toe leading the way, and almost went down for the count. I stopped--only momentarily--and then began running again because there is NO STOPPING in Ironman. "Suck it up," I said to myself, "there is no better way to train for suffering, than by suffering!" The next place to stop for water was 2 miles up the path. I would need to ration what seemed like drips left at the bottom of my bottle for about 24 more minutes. Tracy, who is a much faster runner, was somewhere behind me, as she was able to get in 21 miles in the same amount of time. As I approached the 15.5 mile mark (where there's a park--and a fountain) I turned around and saw Tracy--suffering just like I was! The way Tracy described this same moment (later, while we were sprawled on the living room floor immediately following our run) was that when she approached me and asked how I was doing, my response was a whimper! I'm pretty sure that I was whimpering for the last 3 miles of that run! The good news is that I never stopped (minus the 30 second pause when I tripped). This 17.5 mile run was an excellent test in mental fortitude--something you can't be without during an Ironman race.

This next week is a recovery week--and I have never felt more in need of something.

Late, but not forgotten.

I just didn't have the energy to write about my weekend! I saved it all for the workouts: an 80 mile bike ride on Saturday and a 12.4 mile run on Sunday. We are now starting the third week of hell; one more week and we get a recovery week. I had to get up at 4:15am this morning and get on my bike--which is no fun after your crotch has sat on that damn seat for 6 hours (just three days ago). The bike workout this morning was 1 hour and 25 minutes--and my legs felt like lead, but it had to be done. When you're in this, you're in it--period. There is no crying in Ironman...there is no complaining in Ironman...and there is definitely no quitting in Ironman--and that includes the training. I will set my alarm again tonight for 4:00am and get my tired butt in the pool for my 3,200 yard swim--and I will not complain (well, maybe just a little).

Some pet peeves...

Headwinds. Pedestrians in the bike lane. Cars making right hand turns (10 feet in front of me). Potholes. Butt soreness. I experienced all these things and more during today's six hour workout. Because I want you to experience the pain with me, I will detail each one...

First the headwinds. The wind was whipping at about 15mph, with gusts at about 20mph. If you've never experienced riding your bike in strong winds, it's kinda like having someone try to pull you backwards as you're trying to move forward. And then there were the winds that come from the side; those ones try to knock you right off your bike. The wind lasted the entire length of the workout.

There's a section of road during the ride I go on each week and you may even know it: Danville Blvd. right in front of San Ramon Valley High School. People sell their cars there. And prospective buyers peruse the onslaught of what I think should be, illegally parked cars by standing, walking and wandering in the bike lane. I can't tell you how many times I have almost hit someone as they carelessly backed up to get a better look at their dream car, and step exactly into my path. Annoying.

At around mile 43 I had the (dis)pleasure of riding next to a woman who wanted to make a right hand turn into a soccer field parking lot. The problem was that she was oblivious to my presence. As she turned, I had no choice but to turn with her, otherwise I would be riding on top of her hood. For all you drivers out there: please keep an eye out for cyclists--in the event of a collision, you will always come out the victor!

So I'm riding along minding my own business right around mile 56 and BAM! My entire body is jolted because I have failed to see a pothole the size of...well, a pot! And the annoying part is that it's not a hole that has formed because of bad weather or corrosion, oh no...it's a man-made hole for drainage or something. How someone could think placing a hole in the middle of bike lane as a good idea is beyond me! It's like purposely tripping people as they're running.

After five hours sitting on a bike seat, I think the butt soreness speaks for itself. No explanation needed!

The amazing thing about today, was that after enduring all of the above, I felt absolutely great...well, except for a sore ass! I ran 4.2 miles after my 68 mile bike ride and nothing hurt! So either I'm imagining feeling good, or I'm actually getting stronger. I think it's the latter!

It finally happened...

...something I thought only happened to people on the Biggest Loser, or professional triathletes on the last leg of an Ironman race. I barfed on my run yesterday. I won't go into any great detail of the contents that ended up on the side of the Iron Horse Trail, but let's just say I should've passed on the second piece of cinnamon raisin toast I enjoyed for breakfast before my run! Here's the positive aspect of my eight mile run yesterday: I realized that I can keep running even when I'm at the height of discomfort; and believe me, I WILL have discomfort during that race.

Typically, we do our bike ride on Saturday and our run on Sunday, but due to a gigantic need to sleep until 9:00am yesterday, we decided to flip the two workouts around. Today was a five hour bike ride, followed immediately by a 45 minute run. I was able to log 69 miles on the bike, which works out to 14 mph. My goal is to do between 15-16 mph during the race and you would think it wouldn't take that much more effort to get there, but the difference feels immense. In any event, I felt pretty damn good considering I sat in that seat for five hours!

This coming week is a recovery week--WOO HOO! And I'm going to enjoy every minute of it because after this week we go into a three week Ironman specific training schedule that is guaranteed to kick my ass!

Have I mentioned that I'm raising money for The Samfund? Check out my fundraising page to get all the details: http://www.crowdrise.com/suesironodyssey2

Unlucky 13

Today marks the end of week number 13, which can only mean one thing...cold water swims. And so you might be asking, "Why the hell would you want to do that?" Well, the water in Tempe is actually colder than you'd expect, and for a Southern California girl, it's almost unbearable. And I hate being cold. Two years ago when I did the race, I jumped into the 62 degree water and just about stopped breathing. I would really like to try and avoid that this time around, so I MUST acclimate to cold water. Our plan is this: swim once a week at Lake Del Valle and take cold showers every day starting a month before the race. Did I mention I hate being cold? This is the part of the training that I knew was coming and the part I was dreading, but I will suck it up and do it. I will do it for the following reasons:
1. I want to appear studly
2. I'm thinking about joining the SF Polar Bear Club (not)
3. I'm tired of swimming indoors (for real)
and most importantly...
4. I do not want to stop breathing on November 20th

Another six weeks is coming to a close!

So, here's how this whole thing works: you're given a 24 week training schedule, which is broken up into four six-week increments. I'm just finishing up the second one. All four six-week increments (or phases) have names. The first is the "Adaptation Phase" which gets your body used to exercising that aggressively. The second is the "Aerobic Base Phase" which is the one that I will finish tomorrow. The third phase is what they call "Pre-Competitive Ironman Specific." I like to refer to it as the "Are You Freakin' Kidding Me Phase!" This is the one in which they warn the "real"training will begin...what have I been doing since June 5th? Hmmmm...

This past week has been a recovery week and man, have I needed it! Today was a 40 mile bike ride and a short 20 minute run. Tomorrow is a short six mile run and then I prepare for next week!

Thanks for reading!

A Lesson in Patience

Sometimes physical improvement is imperceptible. You think you're making gains--running faster, going longer--but it's difficult to really tell. And, if you're anything like me, you want immediate gratification. I've never been able to wait for anything; I remember when I was a kid on Christmas morning...I would wake up at about 4:30am, sneak out to the living room, see what Santa had brought us (gifts from Santa were unwrapped) and then have to endure three hours of nothingness, sitting in the dark waiting for everyone else to wake up. It was torture. And so is waiting to increase your bike speed...one measly mile per hour or running a mile thirty seconds faster. Patience, I keep telling myself.

During the past four months I have had my greatest lesson in patience; something that has taught me to do that thing that is hardest for me--wait. In May, I suffered an unexpected loss, the kind that blind-sides you, like being sucker punched in the head. For those who know me, you know what I'm speaking of; for those of you who don't know, let's just say that it's the kind of loss that feels akin to being hit with a baseball bat in the back of the knees. I had to learn that faith, trust and patience were going to pay off for me. And it did. With time (and a ton of patience) positive things began to happen...and I know they will continue to happen.

Oh, and so you're wondering....how does this fit into an Ironman training blog? As I mentioned in the beginning, my improvements in physical strength and endurance are small, almost baby steps and I have to be patient as I wait for them to reveal themselves. I have faith that they will.

This week was a tough one (training-wise). Yesterday I ran 10 miles and today I biked 63 miles followed by a 30 minute run. The improvements that I'm waiting for did NOT reveal themselves today!

This is kicking my ass!

Okay, so today was a 3.5 - 4.5 hour bike ride followed by a 30 minute run...you'd think I could handle it right? You'd be wrong! By the two hour mark I had ridden against a head wind the whole time, sweated in 90 degree heat and hit every red light along the way. I was so frustrated that I actually had to get off my bike and walk around for a little bit. I made a decision at around mile 35 (the ride was 56 miles) that I would take a different route home because it lacked what was ruining my ride--traffic signals! The trade-off was that there were two pretty decent size hills that I would have to climb first; and I was so happy that I chose that route! The last 20 or so miles was enjoyable and fast. When I got home I threw on my running gear and ran out the door for my 30 minute run. It was easier than I thought it would be, but when I got home I had to pour a bottle of water over my head and lay under the ceiling fan for about 15 minutes!

Here's my thought for today: BUY NEW BIKE SHORTS IMMEDIATELY!

A New Fund Raising Machine!!

In 2009 I finished Ironman Arizona in 16 hours, 45 minutes and 51 seconds. This year, I plan to do it under 16 hours! In 2009, you helped me raise over $7,000 for The SamFund!! This year, let's kick ass and raise over $8,000!

Please help me raise money for The SamFund, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping young adult survivors of cancer transition into their post-treatment life--which can be filled with mounting bills, rent to pay and daily economic struggles.

To donate please visit my NEW fund raising page:

http://www.crowdrise.com/suesi​ronodyssey2

Gotta LOVE a recovery week!

Every third week in this training is a "recovery week," which means I get a well deserved break! This was one of those weeks and it could not have come at a better time. I was SPENT last week! Yesterday was a very easy 3 hour bike ride followed by a 20 minute run and today was a 75 minute run....easy! Next week we start getting serious; the workouts will begin to get progressively longer and more difficult. Next Saturday is a 4.5 hour bike ride and the run on Sunday is close to 2 hours!

Thought for the week: Dessert is much more delicious when you only have it once a week!

God Bless Mrs. Robinson!

Okay, so you have endulged me and you are about to read my blog--THANK YOU! I'm also raising money for the SAMFund (which helps young survivors of cancer get back on their feet). If we all donated just 10 bucks it would help so many people!! If you'd like to donate, please visit:

http://www.changingthepresent.​org/drives/show/2230

So today was a "fartlek" run, which is basically a way to improve your speed. You run 2, 4, 6, 8, & 10 minute intervals, each progressively faster than the last. I rarely listen to music when I run, but for some reason I grabbed my Ipod on the way out the door. Right at the hardest part of my run (the 10 minute killer) and going uphill, my Ipod graciously gave me "Mrs. Robinson" by Simon and Garfunkel. I LOVE that song and it gave me the power to push--weird how just a song can do that, huh?

I forgot how hard this was!

Today was a four hour bike ride. I managed just 52 miles which is too slow for Ironman! I'm going to blame it on my two weight lifting sessions this week, which KICKED my butt! When I started the ride this morning my legs felt like lead blocks and I needed a good two hours to loosen them up. The good news is that I had a 20 minute run immediately following the bike and felt great! No pain anywhere. These types of workouts are called "bricks" and they're meant to condition your legs to go from bike to run on the race. Every training day brings thoughts to mind and today I thought this: I wish pedestrians would refrain from walking in the bike lane--note the name: "BIKE" lane. I almost had two collisions with walkers today :(

Tomorrow is a 1 hour and 40 minute run....yikes!

Adaptation Phase (aka: the first 6 weeks) is history!

Today marks the end of week number 6! I can't believe how fast it's going by. Today I ran 6 miles and swam 3,500 yards. I feel great and my only complaint is a sore wrist--not bad for an old lady! I would encourage those of you who are reading this (and I'm talking about all two of you) to go back and read my entire blog. It goes through all my training from Ironman 2009 and it is kinda cool to see how far I've progressed. It took a LONG time for me to feel somewhat like an athlete and I'm not even all the way there yet. I'm hoping that completing Ironman #2 will make me feel like a whole athlete once and for all. My goal for Ironman, 2011 (yes, I have one): is to finish under 16 hours. Have I mentioned how important I think it is to set goals? I will talk about that topic sometime in the future--until then, please donate to the SAMFund and help a cancer survivor reach their goal! Here's the link:

http://www.changingthepresent.​org/drives/show/2230

Long bike #6

I just completed long bike ride #6, although this is a recovery week. Two hours and forty-five minutes and then a 15 minute run immediately after. I must be in way better shape than last time because I feel great! Now I'm off for a massage to take care of the weary muscles.

Please don't forget to donate to the SAMFund @

http://www.changingthepresent.​org/drives/show/2230

Would you believe...

...that I'm at it again?! One Ironman race is obviously not enough, so on November 20th at 7am I will once again jump into the chilly waters of Tempe Town Lake and begin swimming. A couple things are different this time around: 1) I'm in much better shape than I was two years ago and 2) I won't be alone. My partner, Tracy will be doing it also. She already has three under her belt, but we always seem to do them on opposite years--but not this time! I must apologize for starting my blog late this time. I'm already into week 5 of training, so I better bring you up to date...

I haven't missed any training days (always a bonus) and that includes a trip down to San Diego for the 4th of July holiday. Today was my longest run to date (7.3 miles) and it took just under 90 minutes. My longest bike ride to date was 38 miles (two weeks ago) with another one tomorrow. I feel great this time around, which is not bad for 49 years old. It seems the more I exercise, the better I feel.

Training for Ironman (and doing the damn thing) reminds me how lucky I am to be able to physically push myself and feel good while I'm doing it. There are so many people who can't--not because they don't want to, but because their bodies won't allow it. And yet, they push on. I'm talking about all the young folks who fight cancer day after day. And for those who beat it and become "survivors" they are forced to fight a new battle--an economic battle. This is where the SAMFund comes to the rescue--and people like you who donate! Please visit my website at CHANGING THE PRESENT read about the SAMFund and find out how you can donate.

Here's the link:

http://www.changingthepresent.​org/drives/show/2230

Check back weekly for updates to my training...and how much money we're raising for the SAMFund!