Airplane comments..

1- if he person next to you (me) has in headphones and her iPad out ready to ready this is NOT an inventation for chatter. 

2- stretching and audible yawning repeatidly is not ok

3- when the person in the aisle seat gets up to go to the restroom, it is a good time for the rest of the row to go.  NOT 2 minutes after aisle seat reopens laptop and starts working. 

4- middle seat person.  STOP asking the window (excessive audible yawner) "watcha see out there?"

5- 50+ yo man playing some jewel game in iPad turn OFF the volume. 

6- woman behind me, do some squats so next time you fly you don't have to pull my seat to a horizontal position every time you stand up.

7- kiddie laughter is great at the park not so much on the airplane- don't encourage it

That's all for now...

Who's the lady with crazy hair at Target?

Wait....that was me.

Ironman training.... this past weekend was the culmination of 2 big weeks and Saturday was a 4 hour ride with escalating power followed by an 11 mile run with some race pace -15 sec miles and then race pace miles. On paper I was scared.  Finishing the ride and feeling tanked, I was scared. The thermometer reading 93 degrees I was scared.  I had started the ride from Lake Hodges thinking that nice flat trail would be perfect the trail in baking sun, no shade and intermittent soft sand pits.    The plan was 6 miles then refuel and then 5 miles.

It was hot, Africa hot, not that I have been to Africa but I figure hot and dry and barren.  2 miles no problem, 4 miles race pace -15sec were ticking off okay but not easy and the HR hovering at 180-182 was looking to be a problem.  Approaching my car I stopped sweating and had that tingly feeling of goose bumps, really not a good sign in the heat.

I dumped the cooler on my head, drank a bottle of osmos and water, forced down calories ( Ignite gels) then went into the Chevron shamelessly stood in front of the cooler with both doors open,  got ice and filled my top and put down my back and headed back out.  It was not pretty, it was a death march, pace went up by 1:00/mile and then 90 seconds... I was doing small loops with the hopes of bailing out each time and then just kept running.   I came up short as I was chilling and had to really decide how smart it was to finish.  Got in 9.5 miles.

I was cooked...depleted and hot, so hot.  More water, cooler shower and then dry clothes.  I was still profusely sweating and not right.. I was thinking of more shameless cooler air and then spotted the Target across the street.  Target is always freezing right.... so i went to Target and wandered the aisles cooling down.  I needed calories but could not eat ...I
found this Bolthouse smoothie- chugged down 2- 500 calories in the gut.  Downed a vitamin water and then I roamed and bought dog treats, a new comb and a pen.  I did sort of notice people giving me  2nd glance, I figured I was still sweaty.  I waited in line at Starbucks and then did not order.   I got back to the car feeling cool, hydrated and better.

I glanced in the mirror and nearly died...I had toweled my hair and not combed it , my shirt was on inside out, and I had filthy legs from the trails and white feet with hot pink oofos sandals on.

Holy cow.....can you say Ironman wreck!  Let's not even go into Sunday.... Swim was cove to pier and back, it went well other than a rookie underfueling move.   We can agree that any long run that includes PopTarts is not the best.... as Leslie says be mindful but not vigilant about nutrition.

There are training weekends that build confidence and we nail....and there are weekends in target and poptarts!

Life Happens....

What is the biggest limiter to most triathletes reaching their full potential?  LIFE

Sure it can be injury, physical issues etc...but in general it is life.  When an athlete asks me what do I need to do to achieve X- I'll do whatever it takes... that maybe true but really they will do whatever it takes within my current life.

We all have it... it maybe a demanding job, travel, kids, dogs, spouses, parents, birds, reptiles..you name it, but this is what gets in the way.  But that is not a bad thing.  When an athlete says "if I just had more time..." Yes you maybe a lot faster but do you want to be in Kona alone- without a wife, kids... etc.  Some do and they make that sacrifice to literally do whatever it takes to achieve an athletic goal.   I know a few who change jobs, give up "life" to make it happen and this a awesome for them as they made that choice.  You have to make your choices.

But most of us.... we have to balance and do the best we can.  Thursday I had 2 workouts planned, carefully around my work schedule, and my daughter comes down early in the AM and her face is 3x it's normal size (out of respect to her I will not post the picture) but holy cow... she says I think I need to go back to the Dr.  She had been twice for a rash and turns out the Erythromycin they had given her ( as they thought it maybe infected) cased a major allergic reaction.  We spent the next 5 hours at Urgent Care, she was under control and home early afternoon. She says to me, swollen and grumpy, you can go ahead and go.  Really..... sure I could but with only a few months before she moves out, I am milking this quality time.

Sure, quality time with a teenager, may take a medical emergency, but I'll take it.  We watched movies, hung out and well I got to be a Mom for my sick kiddo. She is nearly back to normal... thankfully.

Back to my point....  Life happens, embrace what is good and roll with what is not ideal.   I spent the beginning of the week dealing with another medical issue ( not mine) as well as was pulled away from a coaching commitment and a few other "plans"  I would not trade what I have going on to be 10 minutes or even 1 hour faster in my next Ironman.

26 hour week and food......

Logged one of my biggest training weeks (ever) last week.  Not hard to do when you start the week with a  6:45 min ride up Mt Laguna.... that coupled with another 6 hour ride Saturday along with my new Sunday routine which means starting my long run after swimming and biking ( in the heat of the day)  My point is not so much about training but about eating....if I go back to last weekend

Sat: 6 hour ride + 1 hour run
Sat: 90 min swim/90min bike/90 mining runes
Mon: 6:45 ride
Sat: 6 hour bike
Sun: 1:15 swim/2 hour bike/2 hour run
add all the mid week swim and runs and well...

That requires ALOT of calories.... and after a while, packaged bars become too sweet, too sticky, too barie....  ( my new word)  I stick to real food as much as I can- yougrt and oats, dried fruit, sweet potatoes etc
But on long rides, long training days packages work.

I thought I could never tire of Bonk Breaker-  with Coconut Cashew, Espresso Chip,  Almond Butter and Honey and Peanut Butter and Banana I was set, but by last Monday....I was OVER it.   I was over anything sweet and was drinking water only and taking SaltStick Caps Plus for my sodium, electrolytes and caffeine. (NO MORE SWEET)  So much that after our 7 hour Mt Laguna adventure I skipped Starbucks-  my usual reward of an iced skinny mocha made my mouth quiver thinking of the chocolate.  Instead ate leftover kale salad and salty roasted sweet potatoes. 

It got so bad I resorted to Frito's and Coke. Frito's ingredients:  Corn, Corn Oil and Salt.  Really not all that bad...and on a hot ride - they are the bomb- carbs, fat and salt.  Perfect!!!   As for the coke- I am not a soda drinker (except the 2nd 1/2 of an Ironman and on a really long day on the bike) and ONLY  real Coke- NO US  Coke- Mexican coke:

Mexican Coke is sweetened using cane sugar as opposed to high-fructose corn syrup,

Real food is good at times..... this past weekend I make almond butter and honey sandwiches on Miltons bread- delicious but flat and smashed,

This week on a recovery ride, Les offers me a bar I almost threw it at her was this a joke?   But when it comes to food I trust Les ( foodsensenow blogger an chef extraordinaire)

She offered me a Skout bar.  I thanked her and shoved it  placed it in my jersey to burn  to taste later.  Well funny later that day post swim I was starving and my "bar" stash in my car was gone,empty.... I recalled the bar in my dirty jersey on the floor of my car.  So I rescued Skout Organic Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar and gingerly tasted it!  Love, love, love,,,,

- not too sweet not too gooey- had some substance - 180calories and I liked it!  Plus Scout was going to be the name if I had another girl - Riley and Scout - cute right? 

INGREDIENTS: ORGANIC DATES, ORGANIC GLUTEN-FREE OATS, ORGANIC PEANUTS, ORGANIC BLUE AGAVE NECTAR, ORGANIC FAIR TRADE COCOA LIQUOR, ORGANIC ALMONDS, SEA SALT. - See more at: http://www.skoutorganic.com/shop/organic-chocolate-peanut-butter-trailbar#ingredients-tab

I am definitely a Bonk Breaker girl ( as they are served on the IM Course) but I am for Skout to mix it up,  Les calories- I don't always need or want 270 calories in a bar and the flavors are good, love the brand and hope they make it. I found the bars at Whole Foods-  I've only tried the Choc Coconut and the PB- but loved them both! 

As for other eating.... big training is big eating and I am hungry all the time it seems....I seem to be snacking on the following (alot)