Running in a hurd

When I finished my last/first marathon I said I would change how I trained not only my plan but to also join a running group. I learned so many valuable tips while riding in a group. Although it sucked at times while I was getting my ass handed to me - I really didn't seem so bad because someone was keeping you entertained. Well, that's what I hope would happen if I was to join a running group. What I'm having a hard time getting over is the part you have to pay to be part of a running group. I never have to pay to be part of a riding group - only if I want to be on a team.

Today I met my friend at the Calhoun Beach Club - a high end gym which is so high end the gym (posh everything including TVs on every machine) was completely empty at 8:30 on a Saturday morning. What's up with that? If you walked into any of the gyms I go to - after you battled for a parking spot - you'd wonder if the whole city was in that one location.

Anyways, so I met my friend at the Calhoun Beach Club to go run with her and her running group. I wanted to see if they would be the best fit for me and my goals. From what she told me it sounded like an elate group of runners who have a number of people that complete the Boston Marathon and there would be a group running the St. Louis Marathon (the one I'm doing). BUT, we didn't run with them. We ran with a couple of her friends at a slower pace - which was fine with me but I would've like to see what the real group was like. Overall, I had a good time and we completed 7 miles while they (not me -I couldn't breathe) chatted the entire time.

I've ran around the lakes in the Uptown area before but have never noticed how trendy it is to run the lakes on a Saturday morning. If your a runner and have never ran the lakes on a Saturday morning - your missing out! Or better yet, if your single and you've never taken up running start and go run around the lakes.

I have a feeling with my already packed schedule I might be out of luck on running groups (there is one other group I would like to check out). Most running groups do their long runs on Saturday morning - I would like to go to Johnny J's 4-hour toucher session on the bike and run on Sunday's. I have an alt plan to run with another friend who has done an Ironman and has been researching the best forms of running. I have a feeling he might bet frustrated on my speed-walking pace.

I just need entertainment - running by myself is boring!

I have never…in 10 years

Had someone rudely interrupt me while I was lifting to discipline me on how to “correctly” do a Lat Pull down.

There is a code of ethics at the gym if a stranger has their earphones in you don’t go up to them to try to have a conversation. Period. I’ve had friends tell me they keep their earphones in even if they don’t have the music on just so they don’t get bothered. I know it’s rude also but if I’m at the gym I’m there with a propose not to socialize. (unless I’m in spin class)

I know it doesn’t sound like a big deal – but who was this guy to come up to me to tell me I was doing it completely wrong? If it was a trainer or a really buff guy I wouldn’t care but a complete stranger (who was quite stringing looking) is another thing. Yes, there are some years (this is not one of them - yet) I look much better then I do now - i.e. I know what I’m doing in a weigh room and have a few muscles showing – but after 10 years of lifting I would think I know the correct posture of a lat pull down.

All I’m saying is first don’t approach someone if they have their headphones on unless you know them and second if your going to correct someone’s form think twice before you do because they probably know a hell of a lot more then you do.

On the road towards being an Ironman

My good o’l buddy Joe has been on my case about updating my blog now that I’M SIGNED UP TO BE AN IRONMAN – that line still makes my stomach sink every time I or someone else says it. So, let’s not say it. Let’s say, ”I’m training for this dumb idea I signed up for” Yeah, that seems better.

Since my last posting I went to the East Coast to ride with my brother while he completed his first century! It was called the Salisbury Century – one of the flattest courses I’ve ever ridden. It started in Salisbury, Maryland headed to the coast where at mile 63 we stopped and put our feet in the icy Atlantic Ocean (my first time). It was a long day. 7 hours in the saddle but hell he did it! It doesn’t matter how long it took or how much coaching I had to do to get him to the finish line he made it and I was there to be part of it. I told my sister-in-law around mile 80 my neck started to hurt because I kept looking back to see where he was – he had the keys to the car so I had to keep an eye on him.

Last weekend I attempted to ride up to Duluth, MN from Andover, MN (about 140 miles). I got about half way (80 miles) when I thought I better pack it in when dreaming about Advil overtook my thoughts of food. For the last 50 miles we battled a relentless 25+ mph headwind with only brief, very brief, moments of shelter. Before I packed it in I knew I would do this ride again and formulated a plan to do it in June – seems like a beautiful time of the year to head north.

I’ve also been plotting my 2011 moves towards “The dumb idea I signed up for” – which means I signed up for other dumb ideas.

Here’s the plan as of right now:

• April 10th—St. Louis, MO Marathon <- I'm not kidding. I already signed up for this one. Let the bitching...I mean training...begin!
• June 11th—Liberty Tri (Olympic)
• July 9th— WI Insane Terrain Ride (120 mile 12,400 ft of climbing)
• July 24th—Chisago Tri (Half)

Road and TT races when I can fit them in.

I’m looking for one more tri. Let me know if you know of a good sprint or another Olympic course sometime between the end of May—mid-July?

One of my biggest obstacles I need to overcome is learning how to swim without the damn nose plug because when you go into battle you can’t have your opponents knock off your crutch or you’ll be out. In my case drowned. If you’ve ever witnessed an Ironman the swim IS a battle so I’ve been going to the pool to “figure it out”. I’ve heard the tips, you need to blow out of your nose underwater and you need to breathe in with your mouth. It’s not quite that simple. This past week I jumped in put the fear aside and figured out it wasn’t either of those tips I was doing wrong it was the fact that I wasn’t blowing out all of the air from my lungs so when I would go up to breathe I was pushing out and pulling in air and quite frankly I didn’t have enough time to do both. Now, I feel like I’ve taken a step backwards in my swimming endurance to work on this new technique. I’m determined to get it down and back to where I was because I’m not going to go into Master Swim Classes with my damn nose plug. Might as well be wearing arm flotties.

This weekend I’m going to be checking out a running group. My co-worker runs with them but after going to group rides that don’t have you pay to be in their group I’m having a hard time justifying paying to be in a running group.

So that’s what’s been going on. I’ll try to keep this blog updated daily. I’m going to have to scale back on the length of my posts so it can be more manageable with my training/sleeping schedule.

Sound Advice

I went to the gym this morning to try out the whole 5am swim thing but quickly found the pool doesn’t open until 6am – not really a good start time for me.

I switched up my schedule to lift then swam. I’m not sure what is better: A. Swim then lift while smelling like chlorine or B. Lift and try to swim after you caused yourself to shake like a leaf? Hopefully, I can get over the leaf shaking issue quickly and do option B.

I talked to a friend today who has been dabbling in the world of short course tri’s. She’s a great person who will give you sound advice yet ends it with, “…but you do what you want” and will still support you. Although she did have some valid points - I can be a bit off the cuff. Truth be told, I think long and hard before I jump into something and when I have committed I’ve fully committed.

For the Ironman I thought about this for the past 2 years. Yeah, I should’ve done a few tri’s this year before I jumped in or learned how to swim a little bit better but as I told her I know what my weaknesses are and will be working on them first. I’m not sure if she understands my small case of obsessive compulsiveness (oh stop laughing it’s not that bad) the whole training thing will not be an issue. It’s knowing how to train smart without peaking too early.

A few minutes after I got off the phone with her I got an invite from another who is doing this years Ironman to come meet with her and a few other people to learn more on what I’m getting myself into. During lunch I got the encouragement of my direct supervisor to do it and that I’ll do great – what a great boss!

I know throughout the next 374 days I will encounter many more people who will tell me directly or indirectly my decision is not wise and I’ll also encounter a few that are excited and encouraging. What I’ve learned is a common issue someone has to go through – It has to be the drive within that will get you across the finish line. Nothing else.

I'm a "I Can"

“There are really only two types of people. Those that say ‘I Can’t’ and those that say ‘I Can’.”

I have mentally committed to 1 year of dedication to prepare for 17 hours of pure torture.

First Open Water Swim

Let's just say, I was nervous as hell not because I didn't have the confidence in my abilities to swim .4 miles across the lake and another .4 miles back but what or if I would encounter an animal of some sorts in the water. Yeah, I'm a ninny. I'll scream. Freak out. Maybe even cry. But if I splash around would THEY run away? God I hope so.

As I tugged on the wetsuit for the first time feeling like I was a sea lion pulling on it's skin, I felt like it was my first day of school. My friend's good friend came with, while she was sitting on the beach after she told me I had my suit on backwards and I was struggling to get it on the right way (zipper in the back - good thing because it was choking me) I looked over to her and said "I wish I had my camera so you could take a picture of me." Something I would look back on just to remember the first day.

Before I got into the water I notified them my mom's phone number was in my cell phone and to call her if anything happens. You got to love a mom that's a direct, independent lady that many times the comments she says she doesn't mean in the way it comes out. She said "What the hell would I have done if something would have happened?" As in, don't call me - I can't do anything! Oh mom... :)

We started off and I seemed to get into a grove right away. I was moving along slowly but moving. I was in LOVE with the wetsuit and was instantly sold on my new discovery. I could've swam all day - until...I lost my nose piece. Yeah, my one last crutch to swimming - I can't seem to get past the water jetting up my nose no matter what I do so I have this small piece that will pinch my nose closed.

It slipped off and fell down the drink. Ugh! It was gone.

I was about 2/3 of the way and had to turn back. There was no way I could continue with the feeling of drinking the water though my nose so I flipped over and headed back doing a backstroke the entire way. Good lord - It was a long way back. My friend kept yelling at me "Madonna, your going the wrong way!" Two seconds later, "Madonna, your going in circles." I instantly started to laugh. My manager, an amputee, made a joke one time saying he couldn't go swimming because he would just be going in circles. It was one of those "did you just say what I heard you say" kind of moments.

After we made it back and I peeled the wetsuit off I thought "That was fun. With a little more training - who am I kidding I'll need a lot - I could do an Ironman.

My friend's response was "You shocked me. You weren't scared at all. If you wouldn't have lost that damn nose piece you would have made it back no problem." We made plans to come back the next weekend.

I can't wait.

Should I do the 2011 Wisconsin Ironman?

That has been the question that has been going through my head for the past couple of years and is now what is screaming inside of me.

I don’t know where this came from because 5 years ago I heard the name “Ironman” but didn’t know what it was until I got into cycling and a friend did one – then I found out the distance and thought, “Who would even want to do such a thing…that’s crazy.” but I’ve been going to the Wisconsin Ironman for the past 3 years to cheer on some friends while they complete the most difficult event they have ever done (again) and have learned it’s not only about competition it’s endurance. And endurance is my thing.

Everytime I go to watch I get a little emotional during the start and the end of the race. When the gun goes off and they start the swim the first thing that goes though my mind every year is “This is a huge moment in their lives. They have been putting themselves though mental and physical pain for the past 365 days for this moment.” And many hours later when they cross the finish line I think, “They just spent x hours beating themselves up but this has got to be one of the biggest moments of their lives and I was hear to witness it.”

What I’ve been thinking about is: I want to have that moment. I want to have all my friends there cheering me on while I cross the finish line with the loud dance music and the announcer saying “MADONNA, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!” The thought of that moment is overwhelming.

Here is the deal; I know I have the drive. I know I have the dedication to train. But, I don’t have the experience of a tri.

I tossed together a few points of argument.

• I’ve done a Du-athlon (run-bike-run) and enjoyed the event. I can honestly say after it was complete I would do anther one.
• The bike will not be an issue - I do long distance now.
• The run will be hard but I’ve done a marathon. Before and after the event was done I said I would do another one, but honestly it was my test to see if I could do a marathon and enjoyed it, would I be willing to do a Ironman.
• The swim is my downfall. I just learned how to swim this past fall. I figured I would train hard in this area, get more comfortable in the water for a longer period of time and I heard the wetsuit will be a big plus and help keep me be buoyant. Or so what I’ve heard—I’ve never used one before or have swam in open waters with 2,000 other people.

I’ve asked a number of people “Should I” and I get the same response. 1. Yes, you have the endurance to do this type of event. 2. Why don’t you take 2011 and do short tri’s first before you jump into this (valid point). 3. Why the hell would you want to do one – that is not for me.

And if you know me you would be thinking something either long those lines but I’ve never been a rational person in participating in events. Once I get my mind set on something and I know I can do it there is no stopping me. For example, my first bike race was 100 miles, my first official running event was a marathon…why not have my first tri be an Ironman?

I’ve read the chapter “Can I do it” in “Going Long” by Joe Friel and he states:

Anyone can do the distance if they want it badly enough…One is never “ready” for an ironman-distance race. The event is far too big for that. However, we firmly believe that anyone (and we mean anyone) can complete the distance so long as they have one ingredient: will. The will to train and, most important of all, the will to finish. You have to be doing this for yourself. You have to want to finish, badly…To race to your true potential, you have to gamble. You have to believe in yourself. You have to go beyond what you think is possible.

Many athletes wait until they have the confidence that they can race the full distance the way they want to before committing to a race. Others arrive at the start line with little experience and have a positive experience—regardless of their finishing time. There are even people who finish at the front of the pack and don’t have a positive experience.

So how do you know you are ready to go long? You don’t. You commit, train and pray.

After reading that section, I thought…I might not be ready today but I have the drive and the will to train hard and to finish the event.

Now do I have the courage to register?