Half Ironman, Completely Nuts.

Week 3: Mid-Week Check-In

2012-02-04T02:49:00.001-08:00

Mid-week, shmid-week. I'm a little late with the check-in, but that's not surprising.

Let me address the progress this week the way I might address the progress of a student. In this scenerio, Week 3 is the student, and I am both the parent and the teacher.

Dear Ms. Horder,

I can tell that little Week 3 really wants to succeed and complete the training. He is working really hard! He took a rest day on Monday, a smart choice given the 7 full days of training the week before, and rest days are part of the program. I appreciated his efforts on Tuesday to make it to the 6:00 am swim and complete a 45 minute run after school. I know how much he hates those morning swims, so I was very proud of him. Ms. Laurie was as well-- she made him do a 10x 50 meter sprint every minute on the minute, and he was out of breath and wanted to quit after 5, but he stuck with it. Encourage him to keep that attitude and effort for the remaining 15 weeks. Wednesday, Week 3 went to a morning spin at the YMCA, and Thursday he ran 25 minutes and did that fantastic spin class at the Campbellton YMCA. Friday, however, (and I think perhaps this does not bode well for this weekend) Joey lost his focus. He did not meet Ms. Laurie to swim in the morning, and while he ran after school, he only ran 3-4 miles when the workout was supposed to be 40 minutes. I recognize that Week 3 became sick Thursday night and is still feeling poorly Saturday morning, and thus these missed workouts might have been good choices. Still, I hope it's just a cold and nothing worse, because if Week 3 misses his workout today, then we are looking at 2 missed swims, a missed run, and a shorter than required bike ride for this week. Let's hope the sickness blows over and he comes back strong next week!

Sincerely,

Miss Horder

So yeah. 2 missed swims, and given that I feel so freaking ridiculously bad right now at 5:25 AM but can't sleep because I can't breath, I'm questioning the intelligence of doing a 60 minute run this morning. I'm also bummed because I'm supposed to go shopping with my mom today as part of my Christmas gift. I was really looking forward to a day of supporting the national economy, dammit! (Just doing my part.) I still plan on shopping, but I hate feeling sick and gross for something like that. Plus, we're going to see Memphis at the Fox Theatre tomorrow, and I don't want to be sniffing and blowing my nose through the entire show--yuck. So let's just hope this whole thing goes away. Right now I think it is just a really bad cold. All the disgustingness seems located in my throat and nose, a little in the chest. I don't think I have a fever, and any achiness I have is probably due to the increase in workouts these past 2 weeks rather than flu symptoms. (she whispers, so as not to attract the attention of those pesky flu viruses.)

I did try to pick up my Buzz Card this week at Georgia Tech so I can start doing their coached swim workouts. But you know when this place is open? From 7:30-4:30. Which makes sense because those are very convenient times if you are a Georgia Tech student. I thought it was open until 8:00 because that's what Peachtree Tri Club said in the letter they sent me. There are few things* I hate worse than wasted trips. All that effort and time for no good reason--so frustrating! And I can't quite figure out when I can pick it up now short of going into work late, which is a little difficult as a teacher as it requires permission and a substitute. But I think I would make it in right after homeroom, so I'm going to call my wonderful department head (who intimidates me with her perfect organization and on-top-of-it-ness) and see if I can get this done on Monday.

I still need to explain the love I feel for Campbellton YMCA's 6:30pm Thursday Spin Class, but I'll save it for another day.

*Things I hate worse than wasted trips: poverty, ignorance, hunger, war, disease, etc. I fully recognize that not being able to get my buzzcard so I can train for a triathlon in a really nice pool with a coach that I pay for comes under the heading "Priveleged White Girl Problem."

Week 2: Complete.

2012-01-29T17:12:00.000-08:00

Total Number of Workouts Required for the week: 9
Total Number of Workouts Completed: 9

VICTORY!

That's right, kids. I did it! Well, unless you read the fine print. The program I'm doing asked that I do each sport--the swim, the bike, the run--3x each this week. I'm short a swim and short a run. Instead, I did those workouts on an elliptical machine, and, as far as I know, there is no elliptical in the half-ironman in May. So even though I completed 9 workouts, I'm still putting $2 in the Slacker Jar.

I would feel very virtuous about my strict adherence to the Slacker Jar rules, but since I'm just going to drink this money in May, it's sort of hard to defend putting money in it as this terrible consequence. Nonetheless, its real power is in how guilty it makes me feel, so even though it will eventually buy me a margarita, it still seems to work as a motivational tool to get out of bed in the morning.

I got in a 30 mile bike ride with Sara Waldman on Saturday, which was a gorgeous day here in Atlanta. I got a little sunburn on my face and then, today, I saw daffodils! Is is Spring already?! We rode out to Stone Mountain and back and refueled at Java Monkey in Decatur. Thank you again, Sara Waldman, for supporting me on that ride! It felt so good to get back on my bike. I'm hoping to take it into a bike shop this week and get her all tuned up and looked over since I'll be on her for the next 16 weeks.

The one thing I haven't done yet is pick up my buzz card at Georgia Tech. I can't officially swim with Peachtree Tri Club until I do, so that's on the agenda for this week. I will say this about training: My job, coaching, training, and sleep take up close to 100% of my time right now. I don't think I realized what a time suck it was going to be to get this stuff in. I'm enjoying it right now, but I'm only 2 weeks in (and only one week that I actually did the work.) What is this schedule going to feel like come March?

Maybe I want that margarita now...

I've got nine workouts to get in again this week. Tomorrow it's spin class at the Campbellton YMCA and a 40 minute run. Wish me luck, friends! And remind me to tell you about the 6:30 pm spin class at the Campbellton YMCA. Great Big Buckets of Awesomeness.

Week Two: 80s Inspired Mid Week check-in

2012-01-25T20:13:00.000-08:00

"You're the best! Around! Nothing's gonna ever keep you down! You're the best! Around! Nothing's gonna ever keep you down..."

That's right, Joe Esposito! My life uses the soundtrack to Karate Kid and I am Daniel Larusso (if you substitute karate with triathlon training) because so far I am kicking the HELL out of Week Two's metaphorical ass.

On Monday, I woke up at Ridiculous o'clock in the morning to get to a 5:30 spin class at the YMCA near school. (FYI: The Campbellton Road YMCA has the nicest people, ever. Seriously, three people in the class introduced themselves to the new girl--that'd be me. This doesn't even happen at my regular YMCA, which I also think is a pretty awesome place full of pretty awesome people. Also, the music at the 5:30 spin at the Campbellton YMCA? Slammin! Dudes, I was dancing. On my bike. I was Bike Dancing! (Which sounds a lot like Flash Dancing, which makes me want to sing about what a feeling! and the fact that I can have it all...but I won't. I'll let Irene Cara do it for me.) Anyway, spin in the morning, and elliptical in the evening. I've been subbing elliptical for running because of the darkness. Don't worry, haters--I'll get my runs in.

Tuesday: Morning swim at Woodward. 1300meters. Afternoon workout: Does getting yet another two hour impression made at the dentist count as a workout? It should. I think I've had four dentist appointments since November, and I get to have one more to finally get my permanent crowns in February. It's insane. Still, the only workout on the schedule was the swim. And I completed it. Slacker Jar remains empty except for a lonely, solitary dollar.

Wednesday: Elliptical and crossfit workout at YMCA.

I'm on the ball, kids. I have a morning run and spin tomorrow, a swim and run on Friday, and then a 30 mile bike ride Saturday, weather permitting. Is it too soon to congratulate myself? If I get up for that run tomorrow I'll be singing Let's hear it for the girl...

Crap. It's after 11 and I'm getting up at 5:00. Where's Mr. Miyagi when you need him?

Week 1 Training

2012-01-22T15:34:00.000-08:00

So if pre-training was a fail, Official Week One training was a disaster of epic proportions.

Let's review, shall we?

Sun: Pilates and Spin class.
Completed! I felt cocky and confident. One day back into workout mode and I thought I was back for good...
Mon: Bike 20 miles and swim 1000 meters.
Incomplete. But I traded in my '99 Mazda Protege for a 2012 Nissan Rogue, so at least I was productive, right? (Also, as a side note, I love this car. I'll miss the Mazda--we had some good times--but the Rogue is AWESOME. Plus it has a roof bars so I can add a bike rack, which will come in handy if I ever start riding my freaking bike.
Tues: Run 40 minutes in the morning; swim 1000 meters.
Incomplete.
Wed: Spin class.
Incomplete.
Thurs: Swim 1400 meters.
Completed!
Fri: Spin and Run 30 min.
Incomplete. But I babysat that evening and made $60.
Sat: Spin
Completed, sort of. I got to spin class a full 15 minutes early--which, as many of you know, is NOT how I usually roll-- and spin class was completely full. The Universe is conspiring against my participation in this Half Ironman. However, I biked on my own for 30 minutes and did a crossfit 15 minute AMRAP.

So, of the 9 workouts the program I am following requested I do, I completed 3. Just...argh. Frickety frickety frack. I want a do-over.

My laziness seems tied to the fact that it has been rainy and damp this week, the fact that it gets so dark so early, and the fact that I don't go to bed in time to get up at 4:30. I did make some progress this week in other areas that will hopefully make next week (and future weeks) lead to more successful training.

1) I joined my YMCA where there is a pool and spin class. I also found another YMCA near work which has a Monday morning 5:30 spin that I might actually be able to take advantage of.
2) Joined Peachtree Tri Club for $120 dollars. They have a coached swim class at GA Tech on Sundays and Mondays.
3) I asked Laurie, a friend and colleague from work, to swim with me on Tuesdays and Fridays at Woodward.
4) I've got a ride planned for this coming Saturday and hope to find some people who will do it with me. Clearly I need other people to help keep me accountable.
5) I've set a new bedtime. At least until the Half Ironman, I need to be in bed by 9:30 or 10:00 if I am to get up before 5:00.

And finally, The Slacker Jar. Sara G. and I invented this sucker today. Anytime we miss a workout, we have to throw in a dollar. All slacker money will fund a celebratory dinner in Haines City, FL the weekend of the race. Based on my current record, it looks like I will be drinking my slacker funds on May 20th rather than racing.

I ask you, is that so bad?

Pre-Training Training

2012-01-11T19:06:00.000-08:00

I am officially 19 weeks away from Haines City, FL Half Ironman. The training program I am using starts next week, but I hoped to get in some "pre-training" training in over the first couple weeks of January.

It hasn't happened.

I've run...maybe twice.

I've biked once.

I've yet to be anywhere near a swimming pool.

Fail.

Goals for what is left of the week:

1) Bootcamp at school tomorrow morning; run in the afternoon.

2) Swim Friday morning at school.

3) Join Decatur/Dekalb YMCA this weekend.

4) Spin or real bike this weekend.

5) Long run this weekend.

6) Join Peachtree Tri Club.