Balance

    I am having a tough time finding the balance between how much I need to be able to run, with how much I should run, with how much my joints can handle. It is a fine balance. Too much and I am liable to injure myself. As it is I have chronic pain, though I think I would hurt even more if I were inactive. But, not enough and I will not reach my goals. Monday I swam 70 minutes, cycled 45 minutes, and then ran sprints for 25 minutes: 1 minute sprint, 30 minutes fast walk. Tonight I swam for 60 minutes, came home and got distracted for a bit, then got on the treadmill. I intended to run sprints again, but as they say, "the best laid plans..." Instead, since my knees were aching, I ran four quarter miles at race tempo, pausing after each to stretch. Then decided that stretching was going to be more important tonight than adding a few more miles. I will be running a 10K on sunday, which will be my long run for the week and I am very confident that I can run it at a decent pace with very little fatigue. I have found my easy pace, it is not fast, but it is steady. I know I need to be increasing my distance but I know I have to find the balance between enough and injury. For now, I will continue to work hard on swimming and cycling so that when the day comes I will not gas out in the first two legs of the race. Instead, I want to come in from the bike leg feeling strong and ready to run. That is the goal. I need to find the balance.

Enough?

    One thought nags at me. Am I training enough? Am I? Can I put in enough hours to reach my goals? Does it need to become all consuming? How many hours a day do I need to commit to training? Two? Three? More? I am trying to work on a schedule that will give me the hours and miles I will need to have body, mind, and spirit ready the day I step into the water for that 1.2 mile swim. I am beginning a surge of cycling with the hope of adding strength, power, and stamina. The aim here is to be strong in the swim and cycle so I can conserve energy for the run. It is my best strategy. Actually, it is considered a smart strategy for all long course triathletes.
    They say to play to your strengths. In reality, strength is my strength. I am strong, and stubborn. I know my best course is to continue to build my strength and stamina, but this takes time. Time, commitment, perseverance, desire, and drive. I have all these, except time. So I will have to find a way to make time. Can I train enough? I will train as much as I can, and that will have to be enough.

What A Difference 18 Months Makes

    I realized today that 18 months ago I weighed in at about 240 lbs. Ohdeargods how did I let myself get there? I admit, I was horrified. But I decided I could and would do something about it. I did not allow myself to have any excuses. Yes, a minor nervous breakdown and the stomach issues that came along with it did help jumpstart the weight loss, but that was just the beginning. Here I am, 18 months later, at about 160. Holymotherofgods that is 80 pounds. A full third of my body mass. Most of the loss came in the first 6 months, but I have continued to slowly lose a bit more as time, and workouts have gone by. I owe it to clean eating and working out. There is no secret. I eat as much as I want of whole foods, mostly raw, and nearly vegan. And I work out, a lot. I am determined to be as fit as I can, no excuses, no blaming my aches and pains, or dodgy digestive tract. I have reached what I thought was an impossible goal through diligence and hard work. There is no secret, no special or fad diet, I am not Paleo, Raw, Vegan, Mediterranean, South Beach, Atkins, or Juicing. It is nothing so complicated. As I have slowly made changes to how I eat and live, more changes have just seemed the logical progression. I eat carbs aplenty, but they are whole grain, wheat free, home made carbs. I have become a rabid fan of green smoothies, raw nuts and seeds, raw honey, agave syrup, spinach in everything, brown rice, and quinoa. Today, with the amazing realization of just how far I have come, I am looking ahead to how far I can go. Half-Ironman. How about an Ironman? A Marathon? An Ultra-Marathon Trail Run? I don't know. But it is always good to set goals just out of reach, and know that dreams can be made to happen, if we believe in ourselves.

On The Right Track

    Finished off two "big" swim weeks with a two mile swim this morning. Now I need to get some open water swimming in to be mentally prepped. Happily, Clackamas Cove, once a quarry, now a large, deep lake along the Clackamas River, is practically on my way home now that I am in a new job. The plan is to take my wetsuit to work once a week and hit the Cove for a swim on my way home. My first triathlon of the year is being held in Oregon City, and the swim leg is in the Cove, so I will have the opportunity to feel at ease in the water (I hope).
    Along with a lot of swimming, I have ramped up my cycling considerable. Last night and tonight I put in a solid 60 minutes on the bike. True, indoor cycling is not nearly as interesting as hitting the roads, but it forces me to spin constantly, and keep my revolutions high. They say that 40 minutes of indoor cycling is equal to 60 minutes outdoors because there is no coasting, no stopping. I dunno if that is true, but it sounds good.
    I am also taking more time to stretch in the evenings. I want to keep as loose as my training will allow. And the lowly tennis ball has become my regular evening companion as I lay on the floor, watching Netflix, and rolling out the tender spots in my legs, hips and glutes. And trust me, there are plenty of tender spots.
    I have my June race schedule nearly complete. I am registered for two 10Ks and a six mile trail run so far. I haven't registered for the Clackamas Cove Tri yet, but will be doing so soon. It is also in June, which gives me four races in five weekends. It really is the best way for me to get my running miles in, and gives me more racing experience so my nerves will be less inclined to sabotage me.
    All is progressing well, I feel good about where I am, and where I am heading. Now, with my weekends suddenly free from social gaiety I can buckle down and train. Might as well use my alone time productively instead of moping about. By the end of summer I will be a lean wolf of an athlete, okay, that is a tad dramatic, but it has the tint of truth. Alone, loping through the woods, pursuing a vapor, a zephyr, a dream, hungry, lean, slavering, drooling, panting.... uh, wait a sec, getting dramatic again, or maybe a bit crazy. By the end of summer I will be ready to chase my dream, reach the goal, prove to myself what I am made of. I am on the right track.

Ignoring Speedbumps

    Life has thrown a few speedbumps in my path the last two weeks, making it hard to stay focused and true to myself and my training. But as always, I have managed to soldier on. Last weekend was rather epic, in the overall scheme of things. Saturday, a dear friend invited me to run a 5K obstacle course with her, I hesitated for a brief moment, knowing I had a five mile trail run the following day. But what the hell? I decided to think of it as a big training block for the weekend. It was hilarious good times. No, it wasn't one of the brutal, kill 'em if you can, over the top, sado-masochistic obstacle course races that have been surging to the fore. This was more along the lines of a military training course. Walls to jump, hills to climb, mud pits to crawl through, traverse walls, and the frigid, ice-filled water obstacle to crawl through near the end. Yeah, that one was a motherfucker, and just plain mean. I finished second in my age group out of 27 women, not too shabby for OCRs not being my usual venue.
    Sunday was my first trail run of the season, Havoc at The Hideout. Five miles, all hills. I swear, this course had no flats. None. There were some rolling hills, but no flats. There were hills so steep that no one was running up, and some downhills so steep and muddy we had to slide down on our butts. There was not a single clean butt at the finish line. I passed runners, and was not passed, not once. It was a great feeling. What glorious good fun, and a great way to spend a sunday morning!
    I have decided that entering races is the best way for me to keep my running mileage up. I am not a motivated runner, sad to say. Swimming and cycling, hell yes, I can put in the time and tedium. But running? Not so much, unless I am goaded on by competition and interesting venues. Unfortunately my saturdays in June are consumed by my First Responders course, so it limits available races to just a few.
    The last few weeks I have focused hard on swimming and cycling, since my new job has me on my feet all day. Several days a week I am getting up early to spend an hour indoors on the bike. The weather has been so nasty lately that I haven't had Joshua out on the road yet. But that is changing. I have the clip in shoes I have been needing, and the weather should be easing up a bit. I have decided to try to cycle to and from my classes in June, and do stairclimbing during lunch since I will have the training tower at my disposal.
    So much to do, and the clock is ticking. I feel good about where I am and where I am going. Now, enough putzing about on the computer, I am heading to the pool for a massive swim to start my day.

Fourteen Weeks, and Counting

    Fourteen weeks. The weeks I have left for active training. On one hand, it does not seem like enough. On the other, I know I am building a solid endurance base. I have to remind myself that I have to build carefully and consistently. Running remains my Achilles heel, but I am making great strides (pun intended). I have decided that the best way for me to run further distances is to sign up to race nearly every weekend. I am not a hard competitor, so what I am doing, is basically getting out to run with a group, over a different course, with just enough motivation to make me push myself harder than I am inclined to do on my own. Knowing myself as I do, I think this is a solid plan, and I'm sticking to it. Besides, when I pay for something, I will use it.
    The keystone of my workout focus is now shifting to cycling. In my continuous searching and researching, I stumbled upon an article on the cycling/running connection for the top long distance triathletes. It is true that you don't win the race on the bike (or in the swim), but in the run. I do not have aspirations for winning my race, but I want to feel like I put in a solid effort. But I ramble. My point here is that the athletes who finish well are strong cyclists, as well as good runners. Being a strong cyclist means that when you get off the bike you are not totally gassed before the run, so you can start the run on better legs. Those who are strong, fast runners, but not strong cyclists struggle on dead legs after the bike. Let me reiterate, I do not plan on winning my race, but I want to finish strong, for myself, not in comparison to anyone else. Cycling is a much more forgiving discipline. It will not brutalize my knees quite like running will, or beat up my feet. I can build my base quicker on a bike because of the fact that it is not so brutal. Now that the weather is settled (somewhat), and the days are longer, I can get out after work for long rides. I can put in some long hours in the saddle on the weekends, as well as continue indoors with the bike up on rollers.
    My swimming is going well. I have developed what I think of as my "Perpetual Motion Stroke." It is not fast, but it feels like I can do it forever. Again, the race is not won in the water, but it can be lost there if too much energy is wasted. I don't want to come out of the water burned out and depleted like I did during the Portland Tri. Next week I will start a weekly open water swim. My new job is just a stone's throw away from Clackamas Cove, the best open water in the county. My wetsuit will be traveling to work with me.
    I feel good about my progress to date, and feel good about where I am going. I have a lot of training ahead of me, but I know I am on the right course. Fourteen weeks. I will try to not waste a day of it.

Run The Distance

    Last Saturday I ran my longest race to date. 10.5 miles around Hagg Lake, in scenic Washington County. Ten and a half miles. And it was a hilly ten and a half. I was concerned that the new job, being on my feet eight hours a day, would effect my legs. I was afraid I would not have "the legs to run." But I have been running a consistent 5 miles several times a week, on varying surfaces, without much trouble. As for the ten and a half, I decided I would do my damnedest to run the whole distance, but would walk if need be. I am pleased to say I only walked a few very short stretches. The first was just after the 4 mile mark, a long, steep hill. I had promised myself that part of my reason for this run was to practice fueling for my Long Course Tri in September. I had planned to take in some calories at about the halfway point, so this hill seemed a good place to slow to a power walk and chew up some Clif Blocks. It was a good plan. My energy stayed very consistent through the whole run. I walked two more times, very short stretches in the middle of two long hills. My knees were bitching at me by mile 7, but I softened my footfall and concentrated on form, and the pain faded a bit. I found myself counting my paces to take my mind off the fatigue. I counted 100 paces, over, and over, and over. It helped me slip into a bit of a Zen mindset, ignoring the discomfort, and moving forward. In the last few miles, my legs did start to tire, but I made myself keep good form and I actually moved through the fatigue and regained the spring in my step. I admit, I was almost deliriously excited to see the final half-mile marker. I finished strong, head up, easy strides, even put in a nice kick the last 100 yards or so. No, I am not a speedy, distance runner, but I did finish 3rd in my age group, and I am damned proud of that finish. I waded out into Hagg Lake to give my legs a 20 minute cold water bath, it was f'king cold, and invigorating! I was not as tired as I expected to be, and felt damned good the rest of the day. Yes, my legs were a bit sore for a few days, but no worse than after any good, hard, leg workout. This run made me feel that a half-Ironman is not a ludicrous idea. I can do this race. I will run the distance.

Dawn Comes Early

    A week and a half into my new, epic job, and I am finding that the new schedule is messing with my workout regimen. I had spent so many years at the same coal mine, same hours, same days, that my schedule was all but set in stone. This made it very easy for me to plan my workouts. The new job really isn't all that different except that I am working a full week, and get off work an hour later. This is mildly problematic, although I know I am still in my adjustment phase. Have I ever mentioned that I do not like change all that much? I am such a creature of habit, and this has saved me at times when a less habitual person might very well succumb to the abyss and not crawl out until late Spring. My habits keep me in line, year round. As a matter of fact, these habits were developed and nurtured as an anecdote to Seasonal Affected Disorder. Every Autumn I am looking ahead, planning workouts, goals, and sport specific training. I have to. It is not optional. But now, after many years following the same routine, I am suddenly a bit rattled. I do not have time to be rattled, I should be ramping up my training on a steady basis. To this end, I have decided that since my new job has me working an hour later, and the weather is getting warmer, it is time to add a morning workout. I already tend to wake long before my alarm goes off, but stubbornly lay in bed, even hitting the snooze alarm, in an attempt to at least pretend that I am resting. Instead, I will start getting in a 45 minute cycle or run in the mornings before work. That will still leave me the evenings for swimming, stair climbing, and additional running and biking. I think it is a solid plan, and I am going to make it happen, starting tomorrow. Yes, I could give myself a little more time to adapt to my new job, but time is one thing I never seem to have. So, why wait? Guess I should hit the rack, time for sleep so I can get up early and break a sweat. Best of The West Half-Ironman is only 17 weeks away, not that I am counting. And being ready is not going to magically happen. So, g'night Moon, Dawn comes early.