It has been a while since my last post (my apologies but I am a little preoccupied with something call IM training). However, it has been brought to my attention that this blog will be a meaningful keepsake when all is said and done after November 2. It also might give others a sneak peek into this insanity.
I have completed two months of IM training (April & May) and am well into June. For the sake of brevity, here is a Reader's Digest version of my first two months of training:
April
I must admit that I was quite nervous when April 8 rolled around and I officially started this journey. Having never done anything remotely like this, the burning question is - will I be able to do Ironman? Will I be able to finish?
Because I am in my base phase, the workouts were not overly hard compared to some of my previous training. While I know this is the "honeymoon" stage, it gave me a sense of comfort that I could do what had to be done and survive. That, along with some soul searching discussions with my coach, gave me the seed of an idea that is germinating in my brain - I can do this. I can finish.
Over the winter, I have not been in a good place with my running (for various reasons). With the onset of IM training, something seemed to click in my brain and I ended up with some wicked runs, including PB's at a 5k and 10k race and a third place podium finish (at the 5k) to boot! I was some happy camper.
Training review - 310k / 34:34 hours / 45 workouts
May
In May, I settled more into the routine of 6 days training / 1 day off - how I relish Mondays! My distances were creeping up slowly, along with my confidence in my abilities. I train with a wonderful group of people who are the most supportive crew on the planet. They ran the Good Life Marathon / Half Marathon on May 5 and my coach and I were their cheerleaders. I didn't race because it isn't in my schedule - I have quickly learned that if it isn't in the schedule, the answer is no (and for good reason).
My swim is my challenge in this sport, but I know that evey time I am in the water, I am getting better - no matter what water, no matter for how long. Someone in the pool actually asked me for some technique advice because "I am such a good swimmer" - best compliment ever!! :-)
Training review - 452k / 34:36 hours / 39 workouts
June to date
This month, my coach told me that she is going to push me on my bike because she knows what a strong athlete I am and what my capabilities are. She said something that has also taken seed in my brain - Ironman is not about being comfortable, it is about being outside your comfort zone...a lot.
So with that seed planted, this week I decided to try to be more comfortable with being uncomfortable. This has translated into a great speed workout on Tuesday night, a wicked bike ride on Wednesday night and an awesome Z3 run last night (besides some great pool drill sessions). Weeks like this encourage that little seed of believing to grow, and grow it will.
Build phase of my training starts on June 17 - I will increase to three swims per week (3k each) and my Saturday bike rides get longer. On June 23, I am participating in a 100k cycle to raise funds for Carpenter Hospice with my training family. On June 25 (a mere two days later), I am racing the Peachbud 10k and I'm looking for a PB (sub 57:25) - fingers crossed!
So that's the journey so far - while it is a long road ahead (4 months 19 days to IM Florida), I am enjoying the experience and I'm sure I will be a better person because of it.
Friday, 14 June 2013
Tuesday, 16 April 2013
4.15.13 - Boston
So today's the day for me to update my blog and talk about my first week of Ironman training. With the events in Boston yesterday, it seems very selfish of me to go on about how great my first week went, how I loved getting outside on my bike, how I could have easily swam 4k this morning.
So I write with a heavy heart and a fire in my soul - the monsters who perpetrated this horrific act on innocent people cannot win. They win if we give up. They win if we do not move forward and prove to them that they are nothing more than the cowards that they are. They will not win - I refuse to let them.
One of my friends rode with me last night and she told me that she had qualified for Boston but had decided not to go (she's been before) - she has a guardian angel watching out for her. My coach is going to qualify for Boston this year, which means I'll be there cheering her on next year.
We all have to continue to run (and swim and bike) to honour those victims of Boston and show that we stand united in the face of evil. Continuing to do what we love is the best tribute we can give. We can't change what has happened, but we have the power to change how we react to it.
So I'm going to run tonight - while it's only a 30 minute speed run, it is for Boston - it is for all of us in our running family. We are united.
Wednesday, 13 March 2013
On the horizon...April 8
It's been a while since my last blog and after a gentle nudge, although I had been thinking I needed to write, here's the latest on this journey.
My first open water swim was in Cozumel, after we did zip lining and snorkeling (which I loved).
I didn't realize the undercurrent in Cozumel so half my swim was very tough where I felt like I wasn't even moving in the water. My hubby (who was on shore - something wrong with that picture) said that I was moving, but it wasn't very much. Of course, once I turned at the pier, I was motoring in the water. All in all, I was tired but happy I got it done in those conditions - who knows what I'll face in Florida?
My vacation away was fabulous! The cruise visited Cozumel, Belize, Honduras and Costa Maya and all had great beaches and open water swimming for me.
My first open water swim was in Cozumel, after we did zip lining and snorkeling (which I loved).
I didn't realize the undercurrent in Cozumel so half my swim was very tough where I felt like I wasn't even moving in the water. My hubby (who was on shore - something wrong with that picture) said that I was moving, but it wasn't very much. Of course, once I turned at the pier, I was motoring in the water. All in all, I was tired but happy I got it done in those conditions - who knows what I'll face in Florida?
The swim in Honduras was a whole other story - calm, beautiful, crystal clear - I could have swam forever...well, not really, only 4k worth. Met some great people and had their local beer afterwards...you know, to get rid of that salty taste. That was a good day.
My calf strain was healed before I left, but I was still babying it a bit. I did my Sunday long run on the treadmill (20k) nice and easy and then did my first speed workout. On the way home from Florida, I did my second long run in a little town somewhere starting at a very dark 6:00 am. My sweetie followed me in the car so I would be safe - I think it was just to shine his headlights so I could see where I was going. Not long into the run, a pick-up truck slowed down and stopped. The local version of Grizzly Adams got out and asked me if I was okay "because there's a guy following you and its weirding me out". I assured him it was my hubby and that I was fine. Gee, chivalry isn't dead.
Back from vacation, it was training as usual, getting the mileage in for March, which is a busy race month for me:
March 3 - Chilly Half Marathon
March 17 - NYC Half Marathon
March 24 - Around the Bay
Leading up to the Chilly Half, I developed a cold (thanks to my sweetie) which of course migrated to my chest the weekend of the race. In spite of sound advice from my coach (yeah, yeah...blah, blah, blah), I ran the half and had a strong race (considering everything) with a 2:26 finish.
Unfortunately, I paid for my foolishness and was sidelined from training that following week.
The rest did me lots of good, as I had a great hilly 15k run on Sunday and the trifecta of training yesterday with a pre-work 2.5k swim, wicked speed run in the afternoon and a max aerobic compu trainer workout in the evening.
We are travelling to the Big Apple on Friday for the NYC Half on St. Patty's Day - erin go bragh!
I'm going to commit to blog more consistently...promise...no doubt once April 8 comes around, I'll have plenty to talk about...or whine/complain about...
BTW, I did see my IM training plan on my coach's dining table on the weekend and was so tempted to take a peek...but I didn't. We are having a meeting on March 30 and I didn't want to spoil the surprise...or maybe I'm just too terrified to look.
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
A sigh of relief...
These past few weeks have been a bit of a rollercoaster for me - in more ways than one. My husband was all set to take a one year contract in Saudi Arabia starting next month, but visa issues has put that plan to the wayside. It is bittersweet as I am really disappointed for him - I know how much he wanted this gig - but happy that he will be here with me longer (potentially through to IM Florida). When he was going to Saudi, it was up in the air whether he would be back on this side of the world at that time. Fingers crossed that he'll be at the finish line cheering me on and ready to catch me on the other side :-)
My injury is a calf strain and is totally fixable with physio and smart training - both of which I have been doing these past couple of weeks. Flat running, no speed work, shorter distances for my Sunday runs = road to recovery. Thanks to my Coach for her continued encouragement xxx.
The pool is really saving my a** right now with my limited running - I'm even incorporating pool running to supplement my cardio. Not my fave, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I am actually enjoying my swims (yikes, did I just say that?) and will start to increase my distances next month.
The bright spot right now is that I leave for Florida next week and go on a Caribbean cruise the first week of February. We are going to Cozumel, Belize, Honduras and Costa Maya. All look like they have beautiful beaches (open water swims, here I come!) and we are also zip lining in Cozumel - woo hoo!
My WW journey is going really well and I am on my way to my goal weight (and target weight). I'll be hitting the gym on the cruise every day and will be focused on enjoying myself while still being in control. I would love to be down on the scales when I get back - fingers crossed!
So the hubby and I are going to enjoy our time down south before the real training starts in April - after that, the only vacay I'll get is where I can take my bike with me and I can swim (but that still leaves a lot of possibilities).
First bump in the road over - on to bigger and better things on my IM journey.
My injury is a calf strain and is totally fixable with physio and smart training - both of which I have been doing these past couple of weeks. Flat running, no speed work, shorter distances for my Sunday runs = road to recovery. Thanks to my Coach for her continued encouragement xxx.
The pool is really saving my a** right now with my limited running - I'm even incorporating pool running to supplement my cardio. Not my fave, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I am actually enjoying my swims (yikes, did I just say that?) and will start to increase my distances next month.
The bright spot right now is that I leave for Florida next week and go on a Caribbean cruise the first week of February. We are going to Cozumel, Belize, Honduras and Costa Maya. All look like they have beautiful beaches (open water swims, here I come!) and we are also zip lining in Cozumel - woo hoo!
My WW journey is going really well and I am on my way to my goal weight (and target weight). I'll be hitting the gym on the cruise every day and will be focused on enjoying myself while still being in control. I would love to be down on the scales when I get back - fingers crossed!
So the hubby and I are going to enjoy our time down south before the real training starts in April - after that, the only vacay I'll get is where I can take my bike with me and I can swim (but that still leaves a lot of possibilities).
First bump in the road over - on to bigger and better things on my IM journey.
Thursday, 17 January 2013
The first bump in the road...
In mid-December, I made the commitment to be more conscious of my eating (and drinking) habits in order to get back to my WW goal weight (and then some). Every pound I shed is a pound less I am carrying...in the water, on the bike, on my feet. I am pleased to say that I am seeing success (albeit in small increments) but I can be patient. My goal right now is to get under my goal weight by the Around the Bay race at the end of March.
Along with my new found resolve, I committed to get back to a regular training schedule starting at the beginning of the year (after a month vacation in Australia and the holiday season). My renewed positive mental attitude has definitely translated into my workouts - specifically in the pool and in my runners. I have been enjoying strong swims and runs and all is good with the world.
That is until a muscle seizure put me on the sideline for running for the last week - not what I needed when I was riding that high. After a very mini meltdown with my coach, she put things into perspective for me. My target race is IM Florida - period. Any other racing I get to do on my way there is a bonus. It is January and my race is November. This is fixable. Of course it is - breathe a sigh of relief.
So I am doing my first pool run tomorrow and have made massage and physio appointments over the next few days. Fingers crossed that this bump in the road is a small one and I'll be back on the complete path in no time.
Along with my new found resolve, I committed to get back to a regular training schedule starting at the beginning of the year (after a month vacation in Australia and the holiday season). My renewed positive mental attitude has definitely translated into my workouts - specifically in the pool and in my runners. I have been enjoying strong swims and runs and all is good with the world.
That is until a muscle seizure put me on the sideline for running for the last week - not what I needed when I was riding that high. After a very mini meltdown with my coach, she put things into perspective for me. My target race is IM Florida - period. Any other racing I get to do on my way there is a bonus. It is January and my race is November. This is fixable. Of course it is - breathe a sigh of relief.
So I am doing my first pool run tomorrow and have made massage and physio appointments over the next few days. Fingers crossed that this bump in the road is a small one and I'll be back on the complete path in no time.
Monday, 31 December 2012
2012 comes to a close...
Like everyone else at this time of the year, I look back over the past twelve months and reflect on my accomplishments and, more importantly, the things I have learned (or am in the process of learning).
As an athlete, I had a full year of training and racing. Countless hours in the water, on the bike or in my runners translated into a great year for me in my IM journey:
Chilly Half Marathon - February
Around the Bay (target race) - March (and a PB)
Rivertown Half Marathon - May
Guelph Lake Olympic Triathlon - June
Musselman Half Iron (target race) - July
Detroit Marathon - October
Boxing Day 10 Miler - December
I am part of a special group of people who are like my second family. We love and support each other when we train, when we race, and all the times in between. For that, I am truly blessed. These are the people who will get me to Florida and the finish chute.
In my professional life, our organization was in a year of transition. I said goodbye to my boss who I worked with for 13 years and welcomed a new one, with all the change that goes with it. I played a key role in a fall charity fundraiser that made over $140,000 (very stressful time). With 29 years experience, many were looking to me as an anchor when things were unsure. I have and will always be loyal to our organization and I did what I could to make sure that at the end of the day, we were all okay.
On a personal level, this was sometimes a difficult year for me. As I have said before, I am surrounded by amazing people who love and support me - I know that. What is hard for me is allowing those same people to see me when I'm not "perfect". My background is very much steeped in British military tradition - stiff upper lip and all that - so for me, letting people in when I am vulnerable is not easy. But thanks to a few special people (you know who you are), I am learning that while I strive to be the best I can be, I don't have to be perfect. I am learning that you can be strong while letting others help you along the way.
I have never really been one for New Year's resolutions, but going forward into 2013 and my road to Ironman, I think that I need to continue to learn the lessons I started this year:
Be more patient and forgiving with myself
Allow others to love and support me when I need them the most
To all my family and friends, 2013 is going to be one tough, amazing year in my road to IM Florida. I love you all and am so grateful that you will be walking this path with me.
As an athlete, I had a full year of training and racing. Countless hours in the water, on the bike or in my runners translated into a great year for me in my IM journey:
Chilly Half Marathon - February
Around the Bay (target race) - March (and a PB)
Rivertown Half Marathon - May
Guelph Lake Olympic Triathlon - June
Musselman Half Iron (target race) - July
Detroit Marathon - October
Boxing Day 10 Miler - December
I am part of a special group of people who are like my second family. We love and support each other when we train, when we race, and all the times in between. For that, I am truly blessed. These are the people who will get me to Florida and the finish chute.
In my professional life, our organization was in a year of transition. I said goodbye to my boss who I worked with for 13 years and welcomed a new one, with all the change that goes with it. I played a key role in a fall charity fundraiser that made over $140,000 (very stressful time). With 29 years experience, many were looking to me as an anchor when things were unsure. I have and will always be loyal to our organization and I did what I could to make sure that at the end of the day, we were all okay.
On a personal level, this was sometimes a difficult year for me. As I have said before, I am surrounded by amazing people who love and support me - I know that. What is hard for me is allowing those same people to see me when I'm not "perfect". My background is very much steeped in British military tradition - stiff upper lip and all that - so for me, letting people in when I am vulnerable is not easy. But thanks to a few special people (you know who you are), I am learning that while I strive to be the best I can be, I don't have to be perfect. I am learning that you can be strong while letting others help you along the way.
I have never really been one for New Year's resolutions, but going forward into 2013 and my road to Ironman, I think that I need to continue to learn the lessons I started this year:
Be more patient and forgiving with myself
Allow others to love and support me when I need them the most
To all my family and friends, 2013 is going to be one tough, amazing year in my road to IM Florida. I love you all and am so grateful that you will be walking this path with me.
Thursday, 13 December 2012
And so it begins...
Welcome to the start of my journey towards IM Florida. I am taking a page out of my coach's book (very successful I might add with three IM finishes under her belt), and started this blog. I'm not quite sure where this journey (literary and IM) will take me, but wherever it is, I am prepared to go. I hope that you come along for the ride.
So, maybe I should begin with a little bit of background that led me to the year 2013 and my IM dream. I started distance running in 1998 (a little later in life than some) and completed my first marathon that year. Since then, I have completed ten marathons:
Toronto International
Chicago (2)
Ottawa (2)
Marine Corps
Detroit (2)
Cincinnati
Athens
I have also done the Around the Bay Race five times (and counting) and completed numerous half marathons, Boxing Day 10 Milers, etc. Needless to say, I'm a runner and I truly enjoy my sport.
In 2009, during a post-run breakfast, my coaches (and friends) from my running group and my husband started discussing triathlons and that it was time that I transitioned from being a runner to being a triathlete. Hello, I'm in the room...don't I get a say in this? Apparently not, because it was decided that I would start training as a triathlete.
Okay, that means swimming, right? Not that I would drown and I wasn't afraid of the water, but I had zero technique for swimming. Never mind that I hadn't been on a bike in 30 years! But my triathlete coaches were all IM finishers, so who could go wrong with that kind of support in your corner?
I spoke with my coach (God love her, who is still my coach and will be with me every step of 2013) and said that if I did become a triathlete, my dream would be to finish an Ironman the year I turned 50. She looked me straight in the eye and said "We have four years, no problem!".
During 2009, I started my three sport training. I borrowed a bike (didn't want to commit the funds if I didn't like it) and got some extra coaching in the swim. It didn't take long before I fell in love with this sport! It really does push you to the limit in a way I had never experienced before - awesome! Of course, surrounding yourself with like-minded (crazy) people sure helps.
The year 2010 was my first year racing - three Try-a-Tris with each one better than the last (my first race was in the pouring rain with my husband, coaches and friends out in full force to support me). In 2011, I stepped up to the sprint distance with my target race being an Olympic triathlon in Bracebridge - all three races were great!
This year, I only had two races - an Olympic distance and my first Half Ironman (Musselman). My Half Ironman was held in Geneva, New York. I had been there in 2011 to complete a sprint distance while my coach completed the Half Ironman, so I knew that it was a fabulous race. Unfortunately for me, the weather was not so cooperative and all that was missing was a swam of locusts. I had to ride 90k through driving rain, complete with thunder and lightning. At times the rain was so hard, I had to ride with one eye closed. I have never seen my coach so happy to see me as when she saw me coming into bike transition, wet, dirty and glad to be alive.
So this is the road that has brought me to here. It has been filled with a whole lot of training (some of it the toughest I have done...yet...), loads of laughter and smiles, some tears, friendships that will last a lifetime and most of all, the knowledge that I am so very blessed to be able to do what I do with the people I do it with.
IM Florida...here I come.
So, maybe I should begin with a little bit of background that led me to the year 2013 and my IM dream. I started distance running in 1998 (a little later in life than some) and completed my first marathon that year. Since then, I have completed ten marathons:
Toronto International
Chicago (2)
Ottawa (2)
Marine Corps
Detroit (2)
Cincinnati
Athens
I have also done the Around the Bay Race five times (and counting) and completed numerous half marathons, Boxing Day 10 Milers, etc. Needless to say, I'm a runner and I truly enjoy my sport.
In 2009, during a post-run breakfast, my coaches (and friends) from my running group and my husband started discussing triathlons and that it was time that I transitioned from being a runner to being a triathlete. Hello, I'm in the room...don't I get a say in this? Apparently not, because it was decided that I would start training as a triathlete.
Okay, that means swimming, right? Not that I would drown and I wasn't afraid of the water, but I had zero technique for swimming. Never mind that I hadn't been on a bike in 30 years! But my triathlete coaches were all IM finishers, so who could go wrong with that kind of support in your corner?
I spoke with my coach (God love her, who is still my coach and will be with me every step of 2013) and said that if I did become a triathlete, my dream would be to finish an Ironman the year I turned 50. She looked me straight in the eye and said "We have four years, no problem!".
During 2009, I started my three sport training. I borrowed a bike (didn't want to commit the funds if I didn't like it) and got some extra coaching in the swim. It didn't take long before I fell in love with this sport! It really does push you to the limit in a way I had never experienced before - awesome! Of course, surrounding yourself with like-minded (crazy) people sure helps.
The year 2010 was my first year racing - three Try-a-Tris with each one better than the last (my first race was in the pouring rain with my husband, coaches and friends out in full force to support me). In 2011, I stepped up to the sprint distance with my target race being an Olympic triathlon in Bracebridge - all three races were great!
This year, I only had two races - an Olympic distance and my first Half Ironman (Musselman). My Half Ironman was held in Geneva, New York. I had been there in 2011 to complete a sprint distance while my coach completed the Half Ironman, so I knew that it was a fabulous race. Unfortunately for me, the weather was not so cooperative and all that was missing was a swam of locusts. I had to ride 90k through driving rain, complete with thunder and lightning. At times the rain was so hard, I had to ride with one eye closed. I have never seen my coach so happy to see me as when she saw me coming into bike transition, wet, dirty and glad to be alive.
So this is the road that has brought me to here. It has been filled with a whole lot of training (some of it the toughest I have done...yet...), loads of laughter and smiles, some tears, friendships that will last a lifetime and most of all, the knowledge that I am so very blessed to be able to do what I do with the people I do it with.
IM Florida...here I come.
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