IML Week 6

Ironteam 2009

I guess this is where being at week 6 in your training (when everyone else is at week 19) doesn't pay off. This week, we had our half way to Ironman training weekend down at Lake San Antonio. I managed to get a few (just a few) workouts in before leaving on Friday morning.

Monday - Day Off

Tuesday - Swim
Well, I guess the good news is that my bathing suit is getting too big. The bad news is that it caused some minor chaffing under both arms. Sad. It was a pretty long swim for me but it was a beautiful day.

Wednesday - Spin
I am so into this book that I am reading, so instead of rocking out with the iPod to my metal, I actually read while doing my hill repeat workout on my trainer. Hard!

Thursday - Self Imposed Day Off
I worked the night shift on Tuesday, Wednesday and today and even tho I sleep 7-8 hours, staying up til 2am to read your awesome book still makes you tired.

Friday - Drive to LSA
Got up and leisurely got ready to drive the 3.5 hours down to Lake San Antonio. This year no tent camping for me! I rented an RV with Kristie, Mike and Helen. They all left on Thursday and got everything set up. The drive was uneventful but nice as the day was beautiful and warm. I sang with my iPod all the way down. Got there about 4pm and relaxed for a bit before Mike made us dinner. Got my gear and bottles ready for the next day. Had our team meeting and then popped a Tylenol PM at 8:30p to get enough sleep for the 5a wake up.

Kristie, Hez and Nancy at the team meeting

Saturday - Half Ironman
The day was forecast to be partly cloudy and 63. It turned out to be overcast and cold. Got up at 5a, ate, got dressed and made our way down to the lake for our 7a swim start. I wasn't really nervous or anything. This would be my 3rd or 4th time doing the course. We got in the water shortly after 7a. It was pretty cold. Colder than I expected at 62 degrees. Off we went and that's when it started sucking really bad! Here are the reasons why:

1) My wetsuit was too tight (gained some weight since last year)
2) Couldn't control my breathing
3) The current made it feel like I was swimming though peanut butter (I always forget about that stupid current, der! It's a lake!)
4) The first 15 minutes always suck for me but I couldn't, mentally, force myself to get into it so I ended up experiencing the "first 15 minutes" for about 35 minutes. Sigh.
5) It was my first open water swim of the season

Well, I only made it half way. I decided that half way was better than nothing. I turned around and saw that Yi was hanging off the safety kayak. She said she was having problems breathing and was, in fact, coughing so hard that she was nearly choking. I convinced her to go back with me but she was having a hard time. I told her to hang onto my shoulders and I did the breast stroke while she kicked behind me. I am sure we looked pretty funny because she was hanging off my back and we both have the same wetsuits. Silly us. We made our way over to the shore and rested for a little while. Yi thinks it was the pollen that was really affecting her. I have to admit my allergies have been really bad lately, too. I was getting cold so decided to head back. I was about 1,000 yards or more from the dock and just put my head down and booked ass back. I'm so lame, but it was so easy! The current was with me and I felt like Superman flying through the air. I swam back without stopping but I couldn't even do the whole course. Dumb.

62 Degree Water

Got out of the water and got ready for the bike. And it was COLD. I was half way out of my wetsuit and was standing kinda off to the side away from people's transition stuff. My teammate Michelle was like, "what are you doing?" I was all, "Peeing." (sheepish grin) Yi was getting ready too so we headed out together. I lost her on the mile long hill out of transition only to find out later that her breathing was so labored that she couldn't continue the ride. Did I mention it was cold? My feet were like blocks of ice and they didn't warm up until after mile 30. I am not exaggerating. I was leap frogging with Frank, one of our honorees who is 13 years in remission. At about mile 20 out of 56, I said to him. I think I might get sagged in (picked up and driven back to transition). He asked why and I said that I was cold and this was hard and I don't really need the time in the saddle. I need to focus more on running. He said, "I feel the same way but I told myself that this was the only thing I'd be doing all weekend. We have Sunday off, heck, I might even not do anything on Monday. So let's just get it over with. It's not gonna kill us." ....Aaaand then I felt like a big asshole because I am complaining how hard it is to Frank, the cancer survivor, who probably had a much harder time with all his treatment. A S S. But then before I knew it, it was mile 46...he comes sidling up to me on his bike and was like, "Hey Hez, remember way back there at mile 20 when we both wanted to quit? Doesn't that seem like a whole day ago? And here we are and we're almost done."

Got back to transition and got ready for my run. Moddie came in shortly after me and we ran out together, on our 13 mile run, with Tami just in front of us. This is where the pain really begins! Running is just so hard and does not come natural to me at all. Moddie and I stuck to our 5 minute run, 2 minute walk plan. We also walked every hill because NO ONE needs to run up a hill. I felt ok. My hip flexors were pretty tight which was causing my psoas on both side to ache a bit. But we kept on going. I discovered that I didn't eat enough on the bike when my stomach started growling so loud that Moddie could hear it. I'll have to rethink my nutrition plan as I tried something new out. So here we are, running on the most difficult trail run ever, the sun finally comes out, which is when you don't really want it to, and miles are whizzing by. We caught up with Tami and she joined us in our 5/2's. We talked the whole way. We saw many deer and baby deer too! We also saw a jackrabbit. (oh and I saw a dead kitty on the bike, sad). Next thing you know, it's mile 9 and I am officially running the farthest I have for this season. We were like 3 old, crabby ladies by the end of it. Not really talking but just grunting and groaning at the next hill. Then we were at mile 12 and headed toward Lynch Hill and a mile long descent. Then. Done. Ten hours later.

On the run with Moddie

I am slightly embarrassed about my time. Then again, I did only start training 6 weeks ago. And I think we have a super fast team this year. Anyways, nose to the grindstone and all that. Next week I am off to Budapest and Prague. I am slightly nervous about this since I won't really be training and I just got back into it. I am, however, planning to bring my running stuff. So I hope in two weeks I can tell you that I ran along the Danube (or at all!)

Workout Totals
Swim - 2 hours
Bike - 5.5 hours
Run - 3.5 hours
Total 11 hours