Sometimes you gotta just roll with it

A planner by nature, but profession and a control freak  person who likes order....it is hard when plans are derailed   I plan...I like to know where I am riding Saturday on Monday- with whom, the route and practically what my nutrition will be.   I like Training Peaks so I can see all my workouts for the week, they merge with my Outlook Calendar so when I am setting up call, appointments etc. I work around them or plan accordingly.  

So when my day is high-jacked  not the night before, not with warning but around 8am.... I get a little crazy, ok a lot crazy, bat shit crazy as my friend Michelle says.  I sort of hyperventilate and worry about the domino affect of the rest of the week if today is off kilter.... oh right and an ironman in 3 weeks means skipping or missing workouts just cannot happen right now.  But priorities have to come into play.... so I use my brain and prioritize 1- family 2- work 3- training.  Those are how the roll and I need to be "flexible" to make it wall work....99% of the time it goes how  I want, a benefit of owning my own businesses and setting my own hours working at any hour so I can get it all done.  So the 1-2 % when it doesn't I am usually okay... did I mention an Ironman in 3 weeks.   Yes. that explains the crazy.....Ironman is sort of like hormones...I cannot control the affect and sometimes well it is a lot. 

Deep breath....I reworked Thur and Friday and hope I can make it all happen.... right I will before I get on a plane to Minneapolis on Sunday-  At least there is a warming trend and it will be in the 20's.... vs 5-6 degrees as it is now.  But I will worry about that on Saturday!

And then I was on the ground

Sunday means long run in this Ironman phase of training.  IM Cabo run will be mostly flat and 3 loops so I head out on a trail run?  why....Mako hates the road, Mako needed a long run,  John was riding and I needed to knock out my run and tire out the dog. Plan was relatively flat trails, run conservatively (per coach) and have fun.  A few miles into the run we realized "our" trails were being used by a large contingency of mountain bikers .... single track trails, mountain bikes and dogs don't mix well.  So we headed up.... no worries, I just paid attention to my HR to keep it in check and we ran up and up... and then of course down and down. I have been working on my "fluid running"  I know when is Julie NOT working on her running ....  I digress.  Anyway I am a chicken running downhill but was experimenting with leaning forward with hips not shoulders, using my arms for balance, circling my stride ( this is a biggie for me), look downhill not at my feet and I was getting it really...see usually when I run downhill I find myself changing my stride, leaning back and using my heels in a braking motion..why? I have fallen many times.  But yesterday I getting it really using my hips and feeling the circle...and then I was not getting it - well I clipped a rock and that slow motion of falling, I was heading downhill fast and realized my right hand/wrist was going to take the brunt of the fall and I did not want that so I rolled....good news did not break a hand or wrist, not so good news is that it took 8 bandaids of various sizes so I could get dressed,   But nothing horribly deep and a day later 4 bandaids I am good to go.

I am not coordinated....I was a swimmer for good reason!  But I will not give up trail running but will give it up for a month.  Too close to IM for potential injuries- wake up call heeded.   And a solid swim today gave all my wound a blast of chlorine!

what's up.....

Okay other than Ironman in 4 weeks.... I don't want to discuss it.  Not because it   I am stressed and worried,  just because.  Isn't that enough?  While riding the PS Century I noticed that it seemed easier to hop back on my bike after stopping... easier how? not sure but easier.  And I noticed a few weeks ago that my saddle on my road bike seemed really high.  And I had some weird knee pain.  And, and,.... how many clues does it take.  Well when I showed up on Wed at 6:30 am in 37 degree weather to ride...I hopped on my bike and it was clear the saddle had dropped and was falling.... within 20 minutes I was like the Shriner's Clown in a parade.  Bad to bail on the ride and run instead... and realized my saddle was crazy low.   With my very confusing super cool bike, I could not get the saddle to go up and also realized I did not mark the height so even if I could figure out how to raise it, I had no idea where to raise it to.....

So back to rock star Nestor at   ...and well the saddle has dropped 6cm. Holy cow.... explains a lot!   It's funny I am so on top of this with the athletes I coach who have issues that crop up but did not occur to me AND I have a new bike.... My power files have been off and I was totally panicking that I was losing bike fitness left and right yet was not getting killed on rides.  It made no sense.... I was out of the saddle a lot- gee there is one way to generate power.  In any case.... got that fixed!  Thankfully sooner than later... Also took the time to deal with my cramping foot.  How?  New shoes of course... seems when my cycling shoes are "done" or I don't like the color and style any more my feet cramp around 4 hours.  After 3 rides of adjusting and readjusting the strap it dawned on me.  Time to go shopping!! My husband says "what about your other shoes?"  What the really old, heavy, comfortable ones?  yes...oh those.  Nope won't work... actually they will not as they are a tad too big and only really fit well with socks and I will not wear socks in an Ironman.  Without socks it is a constant adjustment for the right pressure, but not too much.... So I now have new shoes and I love them!!!  One strap and really comfy....at least they were for this weekends long ride.  So checking off the IM list- bike good, shoes good, new cleats.

As for what else....I am super excited to be the Head Run Coach for  1/2 marathon running program.   30 +- peeps training for Sonoma-Napa, Kona or Chicago 1/2 marathon.  They contacted me a while back and I was curious but initially thought give up every Saturday?  What I can't that is when I ride.....but honestly the program starts March 2nd, 2 weeks before IM so not a big deal and after IM I was planning to mix it up - so this is step 1 in mixing it up.  We are currently recruiting people for the program so that entails 5 meetings where the team educates potential participants on the program...I get to do my pitch on how I will get you to the finish line!  Meeting 1 was great....   This is an important part for me right now. When my kids were younger I volunteered in their school, sports or where ever and I felt good about that.  Now.... I don't seem to be giving as much. While this is a paid position, given the time commitment, it really qualifies as volunteering when we are all said and done.  The energy of the team is addictive and learning more about such horrible diseases (where there is no cure) is very sad...so if I can help bring awareness to the cause then all the better.  Most participants have never done a 1/2 marathon and are nervous and anxious yet eager to raise $, be a part of a team and achieve a goal.  I am excited to be their coach!!!

My other "branching out" move is coaching Friday AM Masters Swim at Frogs in Camel Mountain.  They are launching a morning masters M-F 5:30-6:30 and asked me to coach.  I am passionate about swimming and a good masters program.  I am eager to help build this up....we desperately need a good program in this area and it should be great fun!  Begins March 1.... $35/month for member and $65 for non-members... 1st 2x are free so come check it out - Fridays I will be on deck.  

What I love most about triathlon

I am way behind blogging and have 4+ blogs started but am going with this after an amazing weekend with the girls.  I love my husband but I also love an occasional girls weekend.  Many girls take weekends to go to the spa, Vegas or the like...my favorite girls weekends are usually about racing or training. This past weekend was the Palm Springs Brick- 104 mile ride on Saturday and PS 1/2 Marathon on Sunday.  Last year the Nytro girls all stayed in an big house and did it up....I broke my leg the day before and was home having a pitty party with a bottle of wine and my bitchy attitude.

This year...the team is bigger, the former accommodations did not work out but I decided to rent a house for those who wanted to commit and still have Nytro girls weekend.  1st house was rented out from under me - bummer. 24 hours was too slow to send a deposit.  Round 2 was a house with a smaller group and that was/is a complete disaster- pretty sure it was a scam.  So come Thursday we have no accommodations - my little voice said bag the weekend but my snarky voice said GO, GO,GO....so it was every girl for herself .... Liz, Amy and I managed to find a Holiday Inn Express (7 miles away) and off we went!

The room was just large enough for 3 girls and our cycling + running + food + 3 bikes...Amy is a saint for sleeping on the fold out sofa.  Friday night we had dinner with 2 other Nytro girls (Noko and Lisa) and our 2 boys that crashed the party  (KP and Ian)... fun night out in crazy PS and still in bed by 9.

Up at 4:45 and it was 39 degrees....Oh boy... very compatible room mates- early to bed, early to rise and no one is grumpy at that dark, early AM.  Me being the ONLY coffee drinker (can you imagine) had to hussle to AMPM ( if you call that coffee) at 5 for my kick of the day.  We were on our bikes and rolling at 6:20- twilight and cold, cold..... it was not as bad as Ocotillo and was definitely warming up.  The wind farm was windy - can you imagine???  But after that the ride was awesome.  I lost Amy and KP and joined a pace line that rocked.  30+ miles of shared work taking pulls and humming along at 23-24mph.  The closer to the front the harder it gets and that 3-4 minutes pulling was a VO2 max effort.  It flew by and was fun.  So not Ironman type riding...it was fast and slow.   And funny that Xavier (whose wheel I sucked) is from San Diego...and reads this crazy blog- cool meeting you and thank you for the solid efforts and draft :)

We pulled into an aid station and I was scared to get food as I did not want to get left behind... of course as soon as I pulled out my bottle 2 left.  Argh.... the same group never got together but I found a triathletes wheel and he would pull for most of the time with me hanging on and I took a turn or 2. We soon found some more people and played the game the rest of the ride.  It is somewhat stressful as I wanted to be safe but get the drag, take my turn in the front but not die.  All in all the ride rocked and went by fast.... Nothing like logging 104 miles by 12:15.
Lunch with the girls and chillaxing afternoon.... laying around chatting (me actually who was chatty Cathy this weekend)  Dinner at Native Foods (location in Encintas as well) an awesome Vegan place with Lori, Julia and Sara. Amazing food.....I so wanted the Sesame Kale Macro Bowl ...but after my last Kale +1/2 marathon running experience I said NO and went for the Greek Gyro which was awesome as well.  Good food, great company and in bed by 8:00- even better!

Gotta sleep in until 5am today and off to the run..... 30 min warm up and off with the group at 7am.  Goal was training day (similar to Carlsbad)  but I started of running slower and ended up running 5 minutes faster.  Solid negative split and and another run in the bank.  And it was awesome running the last few miles with a few of my team mates!!! Great to see everyone at the start :)

Okay what I love most about triathlon...all the amazing people I have met and continue to meet.  We share a common interest in sport and are committed to being the best we can be!!  Sleepovers in a hotel with biking, running, oatmeal cookies, brownies and girl talk. Thank you all :) 

Masters does not lie

Why swim at masters.... it keeps you honest!  I was feeling pretty good about my swim fitness and have been swimming a lot.  I swim on intervals on my own but realize if I am not making the interval I put on paddles or stop looking at the clock and just swim "hard."  Hard is relative...I feel tired when I am swimming "hard" on my own but hard is trying 110% to make the interval and not let the person behind you catch up to you. Hard is kicking in and out of the walls because your arms alone just wont do it. Hard is hearing yourself gasp for air on each breath. Hard is ditching bilateral breathing for every stroke in hopes more O2 means I will go faster.  Hard is leaving 3 second after the guy in front of me in hope of a draft to make the interval even though he is 6 seconds ahead of my by the 1st flip turn.  Hard is not even looking at the time, counting distance and taking each 200 or 100 as it is just to finish.  This AM was "hard" at Encinitas Masters! 

The race that was not a race

Looks like I am having fun- I can fake anything

I pretty much set the stage both in my head and publicly so no one would think I had a terrible race  that the Carlsbad 1/2 would be a catered training day- more of a temp run vs a race.  I planned it and yet when I was "not" racing I wanted to be racing but I did not have it mentally or in my legs to race.   Hard to explain.. I did a nice 30 min warm up really ez and felt good.  Started the run with the 1:40 pace group and figured I would run 1:40ish without racing.  Who was I kidding after 3 miles I was working harder than I wanted and was just not feeling it.  I also realized it was an hour into the run and I had zero calories so I took a GU hoping that would help...

I slowed the pace a bit and made it my training day.... but I was not happy.  I did not have it in me to race- mentally I did not want to suck it up and gut it out but mentally I was not okay with the training day.  I was having an argument with myself most of the run.   I also ditched my long sleeve shirt at mile 2 when I saw John because I was hot and as soon as we hit the coast I was cold.   Anyway I ran along trying to convince myself this would be quality training run and that was good.  Around mile 7 my stomach flipped... big flip, the kind of flip I get during Ironman.  

Ug...I tell you I can run and eat a ham sandwich in training (okay maybe that is a slight exaggeration) but I have iron gut training on the bike and run but in a race, even when I am not racing, my gut has a new agenda.  Mile 8 porta pottie stop 1.  Pace is slower and now I am yelling at myself for coming out- people are passing me and I am grumpy.  I could have run from home...I am quitting, wait quitting what, quitting my training run.  Seriously get a grip.   So I ran on and kept a steady pace (which I would have been quite pleased with had it been a normal long run)  and then had to ponder..do I take more calories and risk the ramifications or just flat out bonk.  I went for more calories and then stopped at porta pottie stop to at mile 10.  bummer.... I can say the pp's were nice and clean and open when I needed them, again at mile 12.  

After 12 I blasted out and sprinted the last mile... 7:02 - yes is was downhill but I passed everyone I could and tried to finish with a smile.  

So was it the gu or my pre race meal of kale, brussel sprouts, sunflower seeds, avocado and feta cheese?  can you say fiber...but I always eat that way.  Or was it the gu.... well with 7 weeks (- 1 day) because I am not prepared to say 6+ weeks to Ironman I need to re-visit nutrition.

Yes IM #8 and I am still pondering what to do.... I luckily have some long weekends ahead to practice.  

Yes it was fun if i keep saying it then it will be fun...lots of friends out there some who even PR'd!  And seeing familiar faces before, during and after is what makes training and racing so much fun.

So....recovery DAY and then a big week -  IM focus for me is volume, volume and less intensity. So I have to let my friends go on the climbs and roll with the volume as planned.  

Afraid to race.....

Ok maybe kinda sorta....I am registered to run the Carlsbad 1/2 marathon on Sunday. I ran this 3 years ago and PR'd with minimal run training and a conservative race plan. Start  out at 8:00 mile 1, 7:45 mile 2, asses... I dropped to 7:30 and finished 1:38 with a killer finish and my fastest mile being 13.  I am NOT a runner but I try....anyway.  The next 2 years I registered and was injured and then sick last year.  This year...I am scared. Ok I said it.  Why.... I did a lot of running in Nov/early Dec and had a PR in Nov at Silver Strand.  I have not done a lot since then...+ 16 days off in Cambodia and a struggle to return to normal since the trip.  Add 7 weeks to Ironman Cabo and my mind is a bit f'ckd up  fragile.  Explain...okay here is a peek in my fragile head right now...if I go out and run hard and the time is not good it will mess with my head and my mental prep for Ironman,   So....I trained through this week and am going do make it a training run....30 minute warm up and then start the 1/2 marathon.

Coach say- use this as a benchmark... I want to, but nope.... I have not killed it this week but logged over 20k in the pool and had 2 solid but short rides and weather permitting a nice ride Saturday.  Sunday will be what it will be.

Another reason...I cannot  afford to freshen up - freshen up from what? I took a vacation, bonked when I came back and am just barely up to speed.  And I cannot afford to freshen up next week.... I am in IM training mode...volume for then next 4 weeks!

why share all this..... I am stressed about  it and well those who know me... I tend to blab about it.  And this is the easiest to blog about... the other stresses in my life this week are too personal for the public, but for those who have teenagers, you know what I am talking about.  Deep breath and take it one day at a time...now wonder I have stomach issues.