May peaks and valleys - both are good lessons

May had its peaks and valleys for me.  Each one was a milestone in my Ironman journey so that makes them all good.  I loved this article about SO YOU WANNA BE A TRIATHLON by Trifuel.

http://www.trifuel.com/training/general/so-you-wanna-be-a-triathlete

In summary, it explains the common journey of triathletes and how it fits those that can't just settle into retirement and the empty nest or the average lifestyle.  We just need more to be happy.

 "This sport called Triathlon, becomes a part of you. You start to plan your entire year around sprint, international, half-iron or full-iron distance races. Your vacations become racing, and you start to realize that this sport called triathlon could become a life-long adventure. Many people settle for things in life. They settle for a crappy job, marriage, friends, food, place to live and overall fitness and health. Those who desire more or those who want more out of life than a drive-thru window and boring sitcom, will choose triathlon or an activity that makes them happy; An activity that will change their life. Triathlon will change your outlook on life, your career, your marriage, your goals, your friends and many other things you thought you had figured out. It’s not just crossing a finish line or a boring finisher medal. It’s the countless hours that got you to that point. "

The finish line is the day of celebration and along the journey, you unknowingly join the BST cult (blood, sweat, tears) and this sums up my month of May in a bucket.  My 30 week IMAZ countdown has begun.  Mixed in the middle are some major milestones like two 70.3s, one marathon, and one Full Aquabike (2.4+112).

Week #2/30 to IMAZ: The last week of April ending in early May, immediately started with peak and valley moments.  I had been working on Torrey Pine hill repeats.  My goal was 5 repeat hills with negative splits.  May 1 - May Day - was my goal date.  Four repeats the week before had been a success but it was tight to make the negative split on the last hill.  I decided to be conservative.  This time I rode slower at the beginning than in the past.  I wanted to spread out my energy evenly so I could beat my best uphill time on #5.  As it turns out, I achieved my 5 repeats but my last hill was exactly the same pace as last week's #4.  I earned no timed PR and I was very sad, very defeated. A heavy sigh was my reward for my first time attempting 5 hill repeats... I rode back to the car slowly, sadly.  Why am I so weak?...I suddenly remembered a runner from West Coast Road Runners telling me when you run the marathon and feel like quitting, just look back to remember how far you have come.  WOW,I had  forgotten about that first bike ride when I didn't know how to change gears, and my very first Torrey Pine hill climb that I thought I would never finish.  I JUST did it 5TIMES!! yea for me and in negative splits. That shows strength and perseverance and I need to be proud of that, relish the journey. My memory isn’t my friend when my training isn’t a perfect improvement graph line.  SBM reminds me constantly to just keep moving forward but that doesn’t mean it will be a straight line.

The week ended with the Safari Half marathon.  It was just a training run for my taper into the Marathon. I had just run back to back 18 milers with no problem.  My 5min/30sec intervals worked well and kept my pace above previous averages for me.  Accomplishing this in under 3 hours twice was awesome.  I was ready to PR this half.  It was early enough to be cool so a negative split seemed doable.  I looked at the course...saw a hill around mi 7 but it was short so I could make up time running down. HOLY MOTHER OF THE LORD....there were 3 hills- sharp up, then sharper down.  It was like climbing a ladder and then falling off.  I shredded my quads trying to makeup time. I finished 8 seconds off pace overall and I was sad and in “I want to die” pain.  I was ready for a controlled sub-10min pace half marathon.  I got neither.  Then I saw others that had not met their goals and talked about the difficulty of the course.  I controlled my race for 7 miles. I did my best to hold average pace.  I finished 21/77 in my age group.  I need to be proud of that.  I have had two foot surgeries.  Look how far I have come.

Week #3/30 included less hills more constant pacing.  I rode Fiesta Island in a variety of weather while trying to hold my power steady.  My biggest problem at SOMA was consistency so this is my focus.  I was able to hold 145 3x the large loop at Fiesta Island and keep my VI at 1.02 (1.0 is perfect consistency) while keeping my HR low.  Even with frozen feet, I endured chills and wind and remained solid.  It was a near perfect statistical ride.



easier looking downhill on Tidepool Hill

It was time to test consistency on the coast for 60
miles. My gears continually kept slipping and finally my chain dropped, magnet broke, and power data stopped at mi 53. ARRGGHH.  I have been fighting gear slippage on my tribike from day 1. I’ve had everything checked almost every weekend by multiple shops and no one can fix it. I only know I was consistent at holding NPower at 135 for 53 miles. The tail wind to Camp P got me to 30 miles in 1:46.  But the headwind return to SB took 14 mins longer.  I am frustrated every weekend with my tribike and went straight to Moment Bike Shop again. Jim from Moment recognized the constant movement of the derailer MOUNT, and called Cannon who didn’t have a fix except to replace a part riveted into my bike frame.  Jim decided to take apart the mount and grind in grooves at every joint with a screw so there was a better grip and my next ride to Tidepool Hill proved he was a genius. I had no slippage during two fast power climbs.  I am so grateful for his creativity and persistence on my bike issues.  It takes a village to create an Ironman and the bike technician is part of the team!

Mr&Mrs Serrano

My Little King Ryan

My week #4/30 was a juggling act in squeezing in quality workouts, and an aquathlon and  around family arriving for my son’s 3-day wedding.  Then the annual fires began destroying the air quality.  Stress between workouts, family and everything else out of my control caused constant turmoil.  I had to remind myself to take deep breaths, stick with light meals and trust in my base.  I had to wrap my brain around “Missing one bike ride will not make you fail”.  This was an emotional valley week but I reflected on my accomplishments and smiled at my son’s accomplishments.  I am in awe of my son, his confidence, his positivity in life.  When I am down and making myself run, I reflect on a huge rolodex of memories of my children.  These two are truly my greatest gifts.  I will need their power to get me to my IMAZ finish for sure.



very seasick swimmer

Week #5/30.  The wedding was amazing and the two days off was probably good for me. It was a week before the marathon.  Easy runs and rides got me through my last week. I had a 2.5 mile or 1:30 OWS to end the week.  The weather was ok but the ocean was angry.  Wind and chop should have told me to cut it short.  My watch kept losing GPS as the waves crashed over me.  At 45 minutes I looked up,  alone in the center of the dark ocean, and I wanted a SAG to pick me up.  I am done. I am seasick and I am finished.  However, no one is nearby to encourage me to just keep moving forward.  I started to sniffle. I got sea sick. I waved my hand at the life guard shack a mere 1.2 miles away. Nothing.   SBM said to my mind.. Just Keep Moving Forward… Just Keep Swimming said Dory…Even Ferrell jumped in with HAPPY lyrics.., So I started to paddle along, popping my head up to gag now and then through the chop.  It was one of my worst swims to date.  It took 1:40 swim time to go 2 miles which is a PL personal low…but mentally I got through it.  I took a short cut to the cove even though it took longer to swim the 2^nd half but I did it.  I am grateful IMAZ is in a lake.  Now to survive Seabeast #1…please Mother Nature, give us calm seas June 8.

Saturday was travel to Ojai/Ventura beach to the Mountains 2 Beach Marathon which is the #2 BQ race in the nation.  For me it just meant a long training run on a great course with aid stations.  I needed to test my legs for 26 miles with nutrition.  I always have an issue in route.  I want to fix it and run well.  Everyone PRs on this course.  Slight downhill with a total negative elevation of 700ft meant gravity was on my side…so I thought anyway.  I watched my food intake and decided no sauce at all on the pasta this time for my last meal.  I drank Osmo at night and in the morning for cramp prevention.  I ate 460 calories in the morning.  I spread out my GU starting at mile 7, 12, 17, and 22 and sipped water and electrolytes regularly.  Not one GI issue appeared.  I felt great!.... Until mile 14 when the downhills started to awaken my quads.  I didn’t expect this until after 18.  There were some rollers, some false flats and the weather was perfectly cool. 

mile 22

However, the downhill running was still more than my quads were ready for.  I also felt some rubbing on my left foot.  It was annoying but tolerable.  Nothing was going to make me stop for fear of not starting again!  I loved the course, the bridge and lots of greenery.  My pace was alarmingly fast at the start but I kept my interval pace at 5 minutes/30 seconds hoping to keep pace constant and leave glycogen in the thighs for the end.  After crossing mile 18, I decided my run






had just started because I had not run over 18

My SuckItUpButtercup Blister

miles since my Sept 2013 marathon.  It was also my best 18 thus far at 2:56. My quads
continually tightened but still tolerable (or mind over matter).  I started begging for my walk alarm to go off.  I knew at mile 22 we would turn the corner and get a GU.  I was trying to pick up the pace at this point as we ran along the coast.  The wind was at my back so I decided to run 10 mins and walk 30 secs but it didn’t help my pace too much because my quads felt like stone and no matter how much I willed myself to run faster, the heels were not lifting.  I knew we had a uturn to run down the coast the opposite direction for the final chute.  I promised myself to push hard as if it was the IMAZ chute and finish with a smile.  My left foot was rubbing, my quads were now rocks and as I turned the corner I ran into a hot windy head wind!  YEA run faster into that blowdrier with a parachute on your back and BTW what the hell is in your shoe??  I did my very best to push on, no stopping allowed.  My quads were screaming but I gave myself two thumbs up for a 4:28 finish time.  A sub 4:30 was my highest expectation at this race.  I was so elated and I looked out to the ocean and said GO get in that cold water!!! Nope I want food and I will wait for Marcus first said the stupid inner voice… I sat in a chair while my quads played the drums and waited for Marcus.    Then I decided to remove the shoe...WHOA!!!! I have never seen a blister this size before!  The ocean dip was out for fear of it breaking and ocean bacteria creeping in.  I hobbled back to the car barefooted to keep the blister intact.

Due to a vacation and flight in the morning, I ended up cutting a slit in the blister to remove the fluid but kept the skin intact.  I applied Neosporin and bandage every day and it healed quickly but my quads were 100% gone.  I could not handle even one stair, not one curb without using my triceps. The pain was like being stabbed with an icepick into my quads every time I tried to use them...my coach had no worries about me trying to start running again before Thursday!

using triceps to pull myself up the stairs. Quads broken.

 

I waddled for 3 days around NYC, using my triceps and rails to take all the pressure off the quads.  Wow this pain was the worst ever and suddenly fear struck as to how my body will handle 140.6 if I can’t handle a mere marathon.  OMG this race just told me I would fail during the run at IMAZ if I couldn’t handle more pain than this.  Alas, this is why I have a coach.  She calmed me and reminded me my IMAZ run is flat and she has been in more pain from a single marathon than in a 140.6 triathlon so it will be ok.  The healing process was hell but of course I want to run that marathon again to see if I can improve!  I walked miles every day and painfully ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes on Th/Fr/Sa and each day became a little easier.  It has been a difficult recovery week for sure. But I'm ready to begin again.

My IMAZ Journey

June and July training will prime me for the Aquabike race on July 26 where I plan to achieve my 2/3 Ironman status.  Long swims and Long rides are my future for the next 8 weeks.


Happy Memorial Day from NYC!