It’s Monday, and I am sitting down to blog about the lollapaloozah training weekend . . . but I thought I’d first blog about taking ice baths.
These really do work. I remember when I was in the Marines and when I first started having the knee issues, they would shuttle me over to the infirmary, and make me stand in a barrel full of ice (up to my waist, in my sexy green nylon shorts) until basically I couldn’t FEEL my knees any more. As I understand it, the ice slows down the possibility of inflammation, but more importantly, when you are “thawing” the new blood pushes all the old, lactic-acid-filled blood out of your muscles, making a clean sweep of the debris in there from working out. I had originally used hot espom-salt baths because my father (a doctor) said that they do a similar thing – but I respectfully believe that ice baths are the way to go now.
On Sunday after the bike, not having my Marines constitution 20 years later, I decided to take a “sissy icebath.” I figured that this would do the trick without giving me a heart attack plunging into the ice bath all at once. It absolutely worked – today (Monday) I have NO lingering effects from the weekend, which is astonishing.
So this is a sissy’s icebath recipe:
Take a shower, scraping off the grease, dirt, etc. from your athletic endeavor first (it’s just too disgusting to be sitting in that during your ice bath!). Then, put on a really warm hat (I have a knit wool one from Peru with ear flaps and tassels – yeah I know you want a picture, sorry, that’s Proprietary and Confidential) and a really warm sweatshirt. Get a nice big warm drink – I use miso soup in a Thermos – but tea, anything like that is a good idea.
Put the ice next to the tub (a couple bags), and SIT IN THE TUB. Now, start filling it with cold water, and start a timer. As the water comes up your legs, it will be cold, but not a shock. Move around, lifting up your “cheeks” and such so that the cold water is swirling around. Yes, it’s cold, but not AS cold and shocking as plunging into the ice straight off. Drink your warm drink, and remember what a great athlete you are! Whoot Whoot!
Once the water is up around your calves and hamstrings, start adding the ice. Again, it will be cold, but not AS cold, since you’re acclimatizing.
Ultimately, the water/ice will come up to your waist, and your legs will be submerged. Now, hang out for 1/2 hour total (on the timer you set when you sat down). I know that usually they say to take an ice bath for like 10-15 minutes, but you’ve been sitting there slowly letting the water fill up – so I figure that it’s better to hang out a little longer. You want to be sure you have pulled the sweatshirt up, so that the back of it doesn’t wind up in the water. If you roll it a bit and even gather the front towards the back, you can make a pillow to lean back on.
Once your 1/2 hour is up, start draining the water and BE CAREFUL – remember, you have just done some huge athletic endeavor! Because I’m never quite sure whether I trust my legs or not, I generally let the water drain away pretty significantly, curl in my legs, then get up on both feet using my hands to push myself up. Get out, dry yourself off, and into some nice sweats.
The thing you will start to feel is the blood”whooshing back” into your legs as your legs warm back up. I like to visualize all the debris that is being washed away, and all the new, fresh blood flowing in. You do now want to take it fairly easy – meaning, if it’s possible, to put your legs up (I generally lie on the couch with my legs up and over the back), and drink a LOT of water, herbal tea, etc. to hydrate.
So, that’s the sissy’s icebath. It works like a CHARM, and I’m sure it breaks all sorts of macho rules. But better a sissy’s icebath than none at all! In fact, I think if you didn’t HAVE the ice, even using just the coldest water from the tap would do some good, sitting in it. Seriously.
Yeah NOW we’re talkin’…I found this picture and I’m quite sure that we could have a nice feast in our neighborhood, if it just wasn’t verboten to take the lives of the flock of turkey-shaped alarm clocks that are now living in our trees. Oy! They got us up at 5:00 this morning…H is going to see whether he can get a pellet gun or “something” and make them just go away. Sleep deprivation and lots and LOTS of nasty turkey droppings don’t make for happy days.
I’ve gotten the workouts in this week, though in slightly different order as our pool was down during “pool day.” We have a pool day today, but I have a required meeting from 7:00-11:00 for BNI (networking group), then need to go visit a friend who has cancer, then come home and do some workout and see if there is any work in email, then we’re having some friends over for dinner and another friend is staying overnight. I think I’m going to run instead of swim – not really the same, but (as Coach Simon says), SO easy to fit into little “pieces” of time. Saturday we are swimming in the S.F. Bay and running, Sunday is a bike ride on the Marin Metric Century course. That has me scared stiff, frankly. It’s 60 miles, with 3 serious hills (best I have ever done is 45 – on the flat).
Every little scrap of time I am out marketing, networking, trying to find work or at least someone who will pay me to do something. It’s so frustrating I can’t believe it. I have to look friendly and smile and be nice and people just don’t have the $ to hire me to do anything. So more and more marketing and networking (spending $ for “networking lunches” and the like) – more and more time taken, less and less time available. I got my taxes done – I made -$17,000 last year. Yes, that was “negative.” Bills are due, credit cards are maxed, no one is buying. Gee, maybe it’s not just the turkeys that have me up at 0-dark-00…
Angelina
Longest swim this week was 2850 yards – also got on Angelina (new bike/Valentine’s present from H) on the trainer. I now have the clipless pedals on her, though I haven’t been out on the street yet. I still find the thought daunting with the click-shifters and pedals, etc. Maybe some time next week.
Yesterday we were to bike and then run (brick) – I actually did them separately (since I usually do all my workouts as bricks, I don’t think that the fact I didn’t “do it as a brick” makes that much difference). I ran down to a one-on-one meeting in San Rafael, and ran back. I have stopped apologizing for showing up to meetings with a baseball hat on, in sweats. And, folks have stopped asking.
YOU KNOW YOU’RE IRON WHEN:
… you’ve stopped apologizing for showing up to meetings in jog clothes after running there…and people have stopped asking.
…an allen wrench falls out of your pocket at a restaurant. (Jen Jay)
…you stumble across catalogs like De Soto Triathlon and it becomes your new porn. Move over miracle bras and cute undies… it’s all about wetsuits and tri shorts! (Maria “M-Dot” Afan)
…you put your bike in your trunk and it doubles the value of your car. (Coach Helen)
At Saturday’s workout, Swim Coach Sedonia mentioned that Mentor Margaret was going to help “run her in” at the Napa Valley Marathon and I asked if she’d like more company. She said that would be Great, so off I went Sunday morning at about 8:00 a.m. We were supposed to “be on our feet” for an hour and 45 minutes per the workout schedule, and so I figured this would qualify!
I got to Napa around 9:00, and was able to get a great parking spot right near the end of the race. I called Margaret (who was waiting at mile 13, 1/2 way), and she said she hadn’t seen Sedonia yet, but was sure she would be “along any time.” I told her my plan, and started off walking the course backwards. It was a GORGEOUS day. Really the perfect day for a race – a tiny breeze, not too warm, sunny, mustard fields vibrant…wow! As I mentioned, I walked the race “backwards” – through neighborhoods first, then a long straightaway, then basically out to the Silverado Trail. The road was closed for the race. It was fun to see the neighbors coming out, and doing things like stapling signs up to telephone poles to cheer on the runners that would be coming through past their houses in a few hours.
While I was on the straightaway (before turning onto Silverado), the first hand-bike racer passed me. It was a little odd because no one else was out. I of course stopped and clapped and cheered him on. Same for the second one – who was far enough behind that I was on the Silverado Trail by that time. After he passed, I could see in the distance (but not SO far in the distance) the headlights of what I took to be the chase car for the first Marathoner. He passed me at just shy of 9:30 a.m., moving like lightening. Very impressive. Again I was out there alone, clapping and cheering. I felt like that old Olympics ad, where the farmers stop in the fields to clap on the guy running with the Olympic Torch. (The winner won the race in 2-1/2 hours. Holy Cats.)
I knew that Run Coach Simon would be running with a gal who wanted to make the time for Boston – but I wasn’t prepared to see him so early. He actually shouted out MY name as they ran past in a small group. They were running VERY strong – really amazing stuff. I found out later that the gal he was running with finished in 3:10 – her FIRST marathon – which qualified her for Boston!
Dakota at Mile 15
I also found out my friend Lisa’s son Dakota ran the race (his first marathon) and finished in 3:34 – 2nd in his Division! Fabulous.
I kept walking up the road, which was very peaceful and gorgeous. I saw a number of Team In Training folks – apparently this is a race for the Monterey area TNT. Every time I would see a TNT shirt, I would shout “GO TNT!” Some of them had written their names in white on the front of their shirts above the TNT logo, so I was able to shout their actual names. That got a lot of smiles. Again, I was the only person out there, and once I would start cheering I would of course have to cheer the entire “knot” of runners through! That was my job – walk, cheer, walk, cheer…
I had a little bit of trepidation that I would not be able to keep UP with Sedonia, as I watched the runners blast past me. I didn’t want to have walked all the way out (no cross streets!) and then not be able to help…those were some of the thoughts going through my head.
After about a 5 mile walk (at mile marker 21), I came to a hill that the runners were coming down, and slowed down a bit, because I wasn’t certain I wanted to go up that hill, then come back down again. I was saved the decision because at that moment I saw Sedonia and Margaret!
Sedonia ran SUPER strong. Her goal was to finish in under 5 hours – and she SMOKED that (finishing in 4:32)…with a minimum of “stink eye” or “grumpy phase.” My job was to keep her honest in her walk breaks – I would ask where we were “walking to,” she would let me know, then when we got there, I would start running again. Not that she needed to be kept honest…but it made me feel helpful.
The aid stations were pretty far apart at the end – every 2 miles – though some of them were interesting…Mile 23 had the string section from Napa High, and they were passing out cold sorbet with the Gatorade and water!
Once we got to the neighborhood part (about 1/4 of a mile from the end), Margaret and I peeled off and Sedonia took off for the finish line. I felt a little guilty, because there were a LOT of folks cheering in that final mile, and they were cheering Margaret and me just as much as they were Sedonia! I said to Margaret, “We gotta get off this path!” because I felt so guilty! It reminded me though how amazing it is to have all that energy pouring out at you. Wow!
Since Sedonia had finished 1/2 hour sooner than she thought (whoot! whoot!), I was actually able to hop in the car and high-tail it back home, to get a quick shower before heading out to the theatre with H, Mom and Dad. As I got in the car, I could feel that I was having an issue with an area right on the front of my left hip. I gotta figure out how to manage this, because it seems to get worse every time I run – and it definitely was NOT happy after an hour sitting in the car after the run.
After the theatre, H and I had a couple hours and so we got some snacks at a Persian restaurant on Center Street, then we met our neighbors Jan and Tom at Hotel Mack in Pt. Richmond. The restaurant was having an “Oscars Celebration” (1/2 off champagne, and lobster/prime rib dinners). H and I were “bad” – martinis, champagne, dessert, the works. WOW I felt ill this morning! That’s the only problem with our “clean living” kick – when you are bad, you FEEL bad!
Today is an off day, but our pool is going to be down for repairs tomorrow so I will swap out tomorrow for today.
CONGRATS SEDONIA!!!
YOU KNOW YOU’RE IRON WHEN…
…you launder towels, then fold & store them in the car rather than in the linen closet… (Jen Jay)
…you’re excited to go shopping – for bike, run or swim accessories, not new jeans or jewelery! (Tiffany)
…you have 3 swimming suits in rotation, but when you pack for your vacation trip to Mexico you have to dig through your closet to find the cute but dusty “bathing” suit…(Helen)
…when asked by your Mom about your workout that day, you say you were just helping a friend, no big deal – then realize the “no big deal” was over 10 miles…
Today we were back to Lake Del Valle in Livermore. I gathered up my “Lil’ Lady” Iron Mel, Moddie the Tree Frog, our 3 bikes, bike trainers, wetsuits, various paraphernalia, and off we went from the Larkspur Ferry Terminal at 6:15 a.m.
We arrived and had a “pay it forward” moment – Jim K. had gone through the Park Gates, and paid for our entry fee! We decided to “pay it forward” to the next car. It was a great way to start the day, and it really made the 3 of us remember how little acts of kindness like that can go a long way. Once we parked, we were told to set our bikes up in a circle on the trainers. We were to do an Open Water Swim for 45 minutes, then come back to spin for an hour, then run for 20 minutes, bike hills (real hills, not “trainer hills”) for 40 minutes, then run for 20 minutes.
ooooh this thang is TIGHT!
After the bikes were all set, time to get into our wetsuits.
I am so grateful for Coach Mike Kyle – he loaned me BOTH the wetsuit I am using, AND the trainer. What a guy. Jim, Moddie, BK and I “lubed up” and zipped each other up then it was time to walk down to the boat launch, have one more “safety talk” from the coaches (and a team photo), then it was time to get into the water.
Here is our IronTeam Open Water Photo – I’m in the back middle, bright green swim cap.
me pulling wetsuit away from my body to let the cold water in
As usual, I just can’t stand waiting, so I was first in. HOLY FROZEN CHACHA BATMAN, it was SO COLD! Far colder than a couple weeks ago when we had the boot camp. Mel (who was sick and therefore not swimming) shouted from the dock “JOHN [Wayne]! Suck it up! Let the water in!” She made a motion like lifting the wetsuit off my chest. I did, and it was like 100s of little knives coming in. Aaaaaaaaugh!!!!!!!
We were to swim to a small buoy off the dock, then down the lake to another buoy, and “lather, rinse, repeat” until we were in the water for a total of 45 minutes. The water was so cold, it was dizzying. Tell you what – stop reading, and go get a bucket and fill it up with ice from the fridge (don’t worry, I’ll wait.) Then add some water into it, and plunge your face in for 40 minutes or so. That’s pretty much what it was like – the wetsuit keeps your body fairly warm (though my arms and feet were cold of course), but that cold water on your face is just brutal.
I was amazed, though, that I got right to it. Last time I did Open Water it was my first time back in forever – years. I did a lot of breast stroking, back stroking, side stroking, water polo swimming…not a lot of actual “swimming” until on the way back. Then, I actually got myself to do it in sets of 24 arm repeats. This time – no problem. I was “back.” OK, it was freezing and I mean free-zing. And my goggles fogged up. But I was fine.
Paula & Me during the Safety Lecture (Tiffany in background)
I was swimming most of the time with Tiffany and Paula. Paula was cracking me up – she kept swimming up my back or on my arm. We were laughing about it (then on the final run, she actually ran right up on me and under my foot much later in the day – she just said “I can’t get enough of you today, obviously” which made me laugh.)
One of the things I concentrated on was really blowing my air out into the water – because it would warm my face!
Once I got to the first buoy and turned around it, I could hear a song in my head. It was quiet at first, and I let it build. Then I realized what it was – “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”! I had to smile to myself – it brought me back 20 years, to my very first triathlons. I had been a member of the Hash House Harriers, and this is a song that we would sing and that I adopted as a “spiritual work song” while “working” in the open water. I really got into the rhythm at that point. It was magic. BK mentioned when we were talking about the swim after that it’s all about rhythm, and he was so right. Singing that song in my head just got my stroke down, and off I went.
Last time, I didn’t make it all the way down to the buoy. This time, I made it to the buoy, then back, then actually 1/2 way back again, when it was time to come in. I felt fantastic. When I got out, I was a little dizzy (Paula and I had a little “bonk” into each other when one of us “dizzied left” and one of us “dizzied right”), and I couldn’t talk because my mouth was so cold – but I was jazzed about my swim.
Mel and Me getting ready to hit the Hills
We jogged back to the cars and toweled off, got out of our wetsuits (Carolyn and I reprised our “stripping routine” from last time – though my “lotion on the legs” trick made an ENORMOUS DIFFERENCE), and then onto the trainers. I tried out one of the bars I had brought – 380 calories in one bar (!!) – and I was curious how it “sat” in my stomach (worked out fine actually). I had some of the Margarita Shot Blox, a GU, and then started pounding the Accellerade from my Camelbak.
We were on the trainers for about an hour, then we got off, changed into our running shoes, and went up the cross country path from last time, 10 minutes out, 10 minutes back. I felt really good. My 10 minute turn-around was at the little bathroom “shack” (after of course a break there – hey, it’s ME we’re talking about). Back down to the bikes, and we took them off the trainers and went out to do hill repeats.
Happily Hill Climbing! Who wudda thunk it?
I had a lot of trepidation because I was really afraid the hills would be like the ones we did last time we were there – and I was feeling tired (though still very cheerful). They were actually not so bad. I did the up and back 4 or 5 times. We were to practice actually totally letting go of our brakes on the downhill – and I practiced NOT going all the way to my easiest gear on the way up (because my new bike doesn’t HAVE that gear). I was in the “granny gear” in front, and then the middle gear in the back. I felt really strong and positive. I am still not able to stand up going up hill because of my knees, but who knows if the new bike geometry will change that.
Rocky and Chris on the hills
One thing that was really great was Chris rode up behind me and he’s always so encouraging. I really like seeing him on the path because he always has a good word for me. He asked how I was doing as he was passing me going up the hill and I said, “Actually, I’m amazingly great!” He looked up and smiled and said, “Hey now, that’s what I like to hear!” It really made me feel good. We have a great team and I have to admit that when the “big bike stars” like BK, Chris, Mel, Mike K., Jim, Rocky, etc. say a kind word it just makes me glow inside.
(Hmmmm did I talk about the new bike yet? Maybe I will need to do a post about that later on. I’m not riding her yet, I was on Vlad today.)
Happily running in - helped by my new run angel "Uncle Chris"
We brought the bikes in from the hill repeats, and then were back onto the cross country track. Out and back again. On the way back, a little bulldog puppy (well, about a year old) named Sophie started running with me. Her “mom” had 2 goldens as well, and she was laughing and let Sophie come along. Then the rest of the team (who had run out farther and turned around) came up and we were all running with Sophie. It was really cute and it completely took your mind off your legs. BK said that we all have to remember to have a “Sophie Moment” at about mile 20 or so of the marathon portion of our races!
We got back and then had an abbreviated Iron University. They mainly talked about the Wildflower 1/2 Iron that they are going to do when H and I are in Sedona. I’m actually not all that sad not to be doing it. It sounds like a killer course.
We drove back, having our usual goofy, innuendo-filled time. We also christened my new bike – Angelina Maserati 😉 I will write about the bike in a future post, which will ‘splain where the name came from. After dropping Mel and Moddie off, it was off to get groceries and back into the swing of things. Tomorrow we are supposed to do a 1 hour 45 minute run – and I think I am going to go to Napa to run Sedonia in on her Napa Valley Marathon. I hope the timing works out – we have Berkeley Rep tomorrow and need to pick Mom up at the Ferry Terminal at 1:00 p.m., so I do have to find out when the race starts! Mentor Margaret is apparently running Sedonia in from 1/2 way, so I’m going to find out what is up from her.
YOU KNOW YOU’RE IRON WHEN…
…singing Spirituals becomes an integral part of your day (or your race strategy!)
…you become ‘one of those guys’ who walks into the gym totally in Spandex (Rocky)
…you Facebook about how much you loved the Hill Repeats (Mel)
Chris McCubbins is the uncle of my masseuse, Katharine Chaney at www.PureJoyBodywork.com. He recently died after a valiant battle against the cancer that I am racing to cure.
As a youth, Chris never got a hit in Little League baseball, he was the last person to be selected in school yard games, and he was the last player to be substituted into basketball games in the Church league. He did not make the Junior High track team. In high school, however, he went out for cross-country running, and was the fastest runner on the team. His mile time on the track was 4:41. The next year, he won his conference in cross-country running and, though he was sick for the State Championships, he ran a 4:24 mile, which placed him 3rd.
Chris attended Oklahoma State University from 1963 to 1967. In 1965, he placed 5th in the NCAA cross-country running championships. Two years later, he won the NCAA steeplechase championship, and later that summer he won the gold medal for the USA in the steeplechase at the 1967 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg. He also finished first at the Europe vs Americas Steeplechase in Montreal.
In 1969, Chris represented the USA at the world cross-country running championships in Scotland, and in 1969 and 1970, he competed in modern pentathlon for the US Army, placing 5th in the national modern pentathlon championships in 1970.
In 1975, Chris ran a 10K in 28:16 at the Montreal pre-Olympics meet. That time still stands as a Manitoba record in the 10K. In early 1976 he ran a 5K in 13:44 in Knoxville Tennessee. At the 1976 Summer Olympic Games in Montreal in the 10K race, he had not fully recovered from a groin injury, and ran a personal worst.
Chris later became a Canadian citizen, and represented Canada at a world cross country running meet in Glasgow Scotland. His last international race was at the world cross-country running championships in 1984 in New Jersey.
In 1986, Runners’ World magazine rated Chris as the #4 masters road runner in the world, and in 1987 he set a North American record for Masters in the 15K: 45:34. Chris was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.
Chris spent almost his entire 27-year teaching career with early years students in Winnipeg schools. For all of his adult life, Chris was involved in outdoor fitness activities like running and cross country skiing, and was a particularly enthusiastic supporter and participant in the Winnipeg Inner City Kids’ Ski Program.
Chris McCubbins passed away on August 21, 2009 after a six month battle with leukemia.
So today at the track workout (4 x 1600 at 5K pace, with 4 minutes in between) I found my Mantra. I was listening to a fantastic 172 BPM mix called Heaven’s Gate that I got from Podrunner.com. It had a song in it and the singer was saying “Everything Is Good.” That’s close to the ubiquitous “Life Is Good” of Tshirt fame, but it worked for me.
Did the repeats at Drake High track in 13:10, 9:57, 9:40, 9:53 – I feel a LOT faster. Of course, that might be because I have lost 18 pounds since January! Whoot Whoot! Just as I was finishing and doing my final 4 minute walk (after the last mile), the track team came out. I had done the run at the perfect time – no rain (actually, there was SUN during the last 2 mile repeats!), and no one else on the track.
Iron Will came over and cleaned Vlad and also H’s bike, which was fantastic. It didn’t rain until after he was done, so we were able to clean them outside. I’m getting cabin fever with all this rain and gloom – I’m really glad I was able to even take my jacket off and get some “Vitamin D” at the track. Yay!
Had a networking meeting this morning from 7:00-8:30 a.m., which meant of course getting up at 0-dark-00 to get things done before heading out. This Ironman training thing definitely cuts a swath in your day, and that’s a fact.
It was raining so hard when I went to leave the house, I was quite taken aback. Hadn’t heard that we were going to get such a virulent storm – but So It Seems To Go this winter. It’s been such an odd winter – hardly any sun, lots of rain, lots of very nippy days, etc. Of course who am I to complain – I look at what my old stomping grounds of the Washington D.C. Metro Area is getting and just shudder!
The rain didn’t let up at all while I was in the meeting, so a quick bolt to the car, then to the JCC. Wound up forgetting the workout on the passenger seat – luckily hadn’t gotten too far into my swimming kit and so just re-dressed and went to fetch it. To get up to the JCC, there are about 3 stories’ worth of stairs (it’s built on a hill), and so it’s quite a workout just to get to the gym to begin with. Up, down, up…
When I got out to the pool, it wasn’t raining all that hard. It was cold on deck though, so I popped in – and it was cold in the water, too! (Once I’d finished my entire workout I checked the Blackberry – H had forwarded me a note from the JCC saying they were “still having issues with the heater” – by then, a bit too late.) Ah well, once wet and a bit shivering, got to the workout for today:
300 EZ warmup. Just as I was finishing the warmup (so just about to start the kick) it started to TORRENTIALLY rain. No thunder/lightening, so they let us stay in. 3×50 25 kick on back/25 free. It was so rainy, I felt a bit like I was drowning, face up. Had to laugh. 3×50 25 Catch Up (CU)/25 free 3×50 25 scull/25 free 8×200: #1. 50 Swim w/ strong kick, 50 L5 – I hate kicking. I did what I was told though – and it’s quite interesting how much faster I had to move my arms to keep a “feel” on the water, when I was kicking along. #2. Breathing 3-5-7 L5.
#3. Build L4-L7 by 50s. #4. DPS L5. This is the “Decrease Per Stroke” drill where you are supposed to get one fewer set of “arm repeats” across the pool each time. So, if you take 24 strokes your first time (12 each arm), then you’re supposed to go for 22 (11 each arm) and so on. I hate this drill. There’s nothing I can do save kicking like a maniac (which I hate) to get me out of my “24 stroke/12 each arm” rhythm. I actually tried quite hard today and wound up dislocating first my right, then my left, arm (obviously doing something wrong there – no worries, not serious, just feels icky. Pops right back in and that is also how my polo career came to an end quite early…) Anyway – as this drill is just a bit of frustration for me, I practiced breathing and sighting. Sighting sideways, sighting forward, closing my eyes when my face was in the water and then looking up to see where I was when I breathed, a bit of “waterpolo stroke,” etc. #5. Breathing 3-5-7 L5. #6. Build L4-L7 by 50s. Here was my BIG SWIMMING REALIZATION (ta-DA!). OK, you probably already had figured this out if you’re a swimmer, but I hadn’t. I’ve been listening to the coaches talk about this whole “reaching over the barrel” thing, keeping your elbow above your hand, la…la…la…I have never really been able to visualize it. I do understand where my arm is supposed to be – but what is this “barrel” thing? Today while at this part of the drill, however, I realized that when my arm is in the correct position (especially when I’m swimming slowly), it looks just like an alligator arm. PERHAPS, thought I, this is why they call this stroke the CRAWL. Yeah well maybe you don’t think it’s such a great lightbulb moment, but I thought it was brilliant. It really helps me to remember how to keep my arms and elbows. I’d never really “realized” or “seen” that in my own stroke, and once I thought about “alligator arms,” I was able to feel the water all the way where I was “losing” it – by the side of my torso. Not sure why this helped, but it was a real discovery for me. So now, when I’m thinking of arm position, I will just think: Alligator Arms. Heck I’m getting Alligator Skin with all the swimming, why not add the body, too? #7. Breathing 3-5-7 L5. #8. 50 Swim w/ strong kick, 50 L5. The sun came out for an instant here – just for the 200, then back behind clouds. 4×50 Build L5-L8. CD 100 EZ Perfect stroke. Wow, what a difference the Alligator Arms made here. I am still covering the distance in the same amount of strokes, but I really “feel” better. I also can really feel my body turn from side to side (tik-tok) because I’m not losing my “grip” on the water for the middle 1/3 of the stroke back. Total: 2650
Got out of the pool and though it was still cloudy, no rain – nice. Got into the showers (it’s just too nasty to do the bike with the salt from the pool on), then out to the bikes. Managed to catch up on the KelownaGurl Podcast and the IMTalk Podcast while doing the following:
Bike:
TR-3 Speed Intervals (60 minutes)
WU 10′ in the MM [Middle/Middle] chainrings.
8x(3′ @ 95RPM/90″ @ 80RPM).
use hardest gear you can to maintain RPM and Aerobic HR Zone.
CD 10′ MM
Back for another shower, then off to lunch with another IP Lawyer colleague – then grocery shopping, then back home to get some work done. What happened to the day? Oy!
You Know You’re Iron When…
…you have not one but two wetsuits hanging on the longer clothes/”dress side” of your closet, and a straight-faced, earnest explanation as to why you need both and why that’s not odd…
Sunday was the Bike Marker, after the Swim and Run Markers on Saturday. H came with me, and we met Mentor Margaret, Moddie The Tree Frog (smile), Bike Coach Les and Jennifer at Nicasio. It had been really super nice weather when we left the house (about 55 degrees), but as we wound our way over Lucas Valley Road to Nicasio, we hit a solid bank of fog and dispiritedly watched the car’s outdoor thermometer plunge to 45. Brrrrr! OK, not as “brrrr” as you Dear Readers over on the Right Coast, but brrrr for us!
We got going, heading out towards Petaluma from Nicasio, then past Nicasio Reservoir towards Sir Francis Drake Blvd. which is where we turned around. Here is a map of the ride. We do the Marker from Sir Francis Drake Blvd., back along the way we came, for 5 miles.
I think that this route is probably fairly like the Louisville Ironman route is going to be. If you click on “Elevation,” you can see that it SAYS that it’s only between -1 and 1. However, on a couple parts of this route, I’m down in my granny gear and huffing and puffing. I’m not quite sure how it can “only” be a 1 percent grade (or however it is that this is calculated), and I’m sucking in a big way. It’s frustrating to say the least. On the way out, in fact, H passed me – our Marin team is fast, and always has to wait for me to get to wherever we are going. I generally get there as they’re having a little snack, turn the bike around, and then head back the other way right off (because I get a head start, since everyone passes me on the Marker part).
I did the Marker in 19:57, which Coach Mike says is 1 MPH faster than the last time, which is good. I was riding HARD (which is what I think we are supposed to do), and my heart rate is way up in the like 190 BPM range.
We got back to Nicasio and then turned right around and did a 20 minute brick run. I like to run alone, so I just strapped on my shoes (leaving on the tights and bike shorts) and off I went. H waited in the saloon that’s there (there is no other way to call the establishment), and once we were all back, we had brunch. H and I split a glass of champagne and 1/2 dozen oysters, then had the biggest breakfast burrito I have ever seen (Moddie said, “Folks get PAID to prove they can eat that much food” – made me laugh!)
Back home, and H had me fertilize the garden, then clean up some. He was puttering around down in the new work/workout “studio.” He set up my THX stereo and my 100 CD changer from when we lived apart – it had been boxed up for like 5 years. He really went through boxes and there is a whole pile of stuff for me to catalog, photograph, and get to Goodwill. I’m afraid to see what is in there – he’s the neatnik, I’m sure the bulk of it is my stuff that he’s just decided is “time to go.” (OK, OK, so since the “studio” was the former “garage” I admit, there are definitely boxes in there of stuff that I haven’t looked at in years. But isn’t that what garages are for?)
After I got the gardening stuff done, I sat and just looked at the hills for a while. It was nice to sit out in the sun! I finished the 2nd book in the series we are reading for our book club, “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” and the 2 books that come after. FANTASTIC books. The 3rd one isn’t in the U.S. yet – I have it on order with Amazon.com. I am pretty sure that H would rather I was sorting and cleaning with him, but I decided to “take a day off.”
Today (Monday) is an OFF day! Yay! And – better yet – we weren’t woken up by the turkeys this morning . . . so it’s starting out to be a bueno week!
YOU KNOW YOU’RE IRON WHEN…
..you find a bike skewer in your purse when you’re in line at Costco, pull it out and think “Ah, so THAT’S where I put it”…
…you put Butt’r in your Britches in front of God and Country before a bike ride, thinking nothing of it…
…you go into Peet’s to get a cup of coffee before going to work, and reach for your wallet in the middle of your back instead of in your jeans…
…you fix your IKEA or Target-bought furniture pieces requiring an Allen Wrench with your bike’s multi tool…(courtesy of Jamie F.)
…your Friday night retail therapy becomes a shopping spree for the weekend training’s fuel & nutrition and you close down the store… (courtesy of Maria A (M-Dot))
…your purse has Body Glide in it, and that’s totally normal… (courtesy of Coach Helen)
…you don’t understand the dirty looks you get as you peel off remnants of a GU Chomp from dollar bills before handing them to a store clerk… (courtesy of IronWu)
…when you can pack a normal day’s worth of calories into a sports bottle… (courtesy of Iron Nick)
…you put on some chamois butter in a Port-A-Potty and 10 mins later you’re digging in your bento box with the same hand to pull out some pretzels… (courtesy of Frank A.)
…you are so proud of yourself that when you blew out your snot, it made a nice splat on the ground instead of your leg. And you and your biking buddies stop to appreciate your feat… (courtesy of Coach Helen) – yeah gross but SO TRUE.
This is my new suitor. Handsome, isn’t he? Well, he comes with a story.
Wednesday, I was working quietly up in my office – which is pretty much on the 3rd floor of our house, on top of a very steep hill (our house is only 2 stories, but you have to get up a flight of stairs to get to the front door – so from the front it looks like 3). My computer screen actually is right up against the window, looking out onto the valley. The roof directly outside the window is VERY STEEP. Quietly working, working, tap, tap, tap of my fingers on the computer keys, and then – BLAM! – this grotesque monster (come on, that’s a scary face if you’re not prepared) sticks his face up to the window – GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE!!!!! (Click here to hear what it sounds like)
Surprised me so badly I backed the chair away from the desk and rolled over the dog’s tail (sorry, Jake!) Then I realized it was – A TURKEY. And started laughing. And laughing. And laughing. We are in the SUBURBS for goodness’ sake! What the HECK? I went to get the camera, and by the time I came back up, he was gone.
So THEN, the next evening, I was back late from the gym and grocery shopping – H wasn’t home – and I came up the (dark) driveway to the (darker) stairs that lead to the house and then porch. Our front door has an “overhang” above it that juts out about 1/2 the distance of the porch – so it’s even darker under there. I was looking into my purse to try to find the house keys, standing on the porch, right under the eaves of the overhang.
OK, I don’t know how he did it, without me hearing scrabbling of little claws or anything, but the turkey stuck his head over the eaves (he was up on the overhang) and loudly GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLEd at me. Again, startled me so badly I took a step backwards – thank goodness there was more porch or I would have been down the stairs. This was becoming something out of a movie.
(I got the photo above on Friday, when he was hangin’ out, looking studly.)
I came home Saturday and now my suitor has ANOTHER male, and a female, that are hanging out with him – on our back property. Now, I have to tell you, turkeys make a LOT of “mess’ and let’s leave it at that. My 14 year old border collie gave me a “oh please no” look but I shooed him up to herd them off the property – which he did. Well, sort of. They flew up into our neighbors trees. I have more photos from yesterday too (they’re still in the camera). The “turkey gang” were up in our daffodil patch, which looked pretty, until of course, they started eating the flowers.
Back to my IronTeam report. Today we are doing a bike marker, and don’t have to be there until the civilized time of 9:30 a.m. H wants to get a ride in too (don’t forget, I signed him up for the Napa Wine Country Century) so he’s going to come as well. It’s only a 17 mile or so ride, but at least it’s something. (Who just wrote that? ONLY a 17 mile ride. Who am I becoming??? Laugh!) Followed by a brick Run, of course. I told Margaret that if she comes, to bring her husband Bob, and maybe Bob and H can hang while we are doing our thing.
Yesterday was Run and Swim Marker day. I actually did pretty well on the Run. We were to do a 5K at “the highest pace we could go.” I was running with/around Marina most of the time – we are pretty much the same pace. My first mile split was 10:40, then I actually got a second wind. I had been behind Marina and slowly pulled past her – and my second mile was a blistering (for me) 8:54. We were running in the “biggest” lanes (because the track was crowded) so Simon actually had us do 11.5 laps instead of 12…so my first and second miles were probably a little MORE than a mile and the third a little LESS. I think that I finished at 30 minute-something – Simon will have the total time for us some time this week and I will fix it here. That’s the fastest I have EVER run. My general time is about 12 minutes per mile. Woot Woot!
Carol and Me in the Pool
After the run, we got into the pool for our Swim Marker. I was in the lane with Carol (IronWu). I had read on BK’s blog that they had “bonked heads” on the Open Water swim, and so when we split the lane, I was extra conscious about not drifting over!! We were to do a Marker of 2,000 yards, negative splitting the 2nd 1,000. I did it in a bit over 43 minutes – which increased my projected 2.4 mile time from 85 minutes to 91 minutes (100 yard pace went from 2:01 last marker to 2:10). That’s a little scary, since we need to do the doggone thing in 90 minutes – though the last marker was 1,000 yards and this was 2,000 (twice as far). I was able to negative split the 2nd 1,000 (5:28 v. 5:17), but I felt spacey and as if I was going too hard. When I finished, she said that for the first 1,000 I had had very regular times on my 100s (“Probably the most regular I have ever seen, it’s kind of amazing” she said), and we discussed how I felt the first 1,000 versus the second 1,000. In the first, I had felt pretty good, just “getting the job done.” In the 2nd, I had felt a little spacey, and not that great. I am not sure whether it was trying to speed up, or what. Sedonia said to actually try to keep it at the time I did the first 1,000 in because I had such a regular pace – and that the difference was pretty much nothing (“You can lose 5 minutes in a bad potty stop off the bike, so getting your time down 5 minutes and not feeling great when you finish isn’t really worth it.”) I had been careful to fully hydrate during the run (finished off 1.5 bottles of Accellerade plus a thing of Clif Shot blocks), but I cramped up on my calf during part of the Swim, and had an odd cramp that ran all the way from my groin down the inside of my leg, to my foot at one point when I pushed off, which freaked me out. I figured I somehow (swimming!) had pulled something BIG. But I didn’t feel it after I got out of the pool, so it must have been an odd anomaly.
synchronized drowning - that's me, middle right.
After our Marker sets, Sedonia had us split into 2 groups. The 2 groups were then further split to the 2 ends of a lane. The “game” was for the first swimmer to swim down the lane, and “pick up” the 2nd swimmer, who had to hold onto the first and swim back, pick up the 3rd who had to “hold on” and so on. Marina, an AMAZING swimmer, was our “locomotive.” She swam down and picked up Josh (who is also an amazing swimmer). Josh held onto her leg. I was 3rd – I held onto her 2nd leg. Then we picked up Chris, and I had him hold onto my left leg (which I don’t kick – I have that “left handed scissor” kick). Then we finally picked up Heather – she held onto Josh’s leg. I was very conscious of trying not to DROWN Marina during the process! It was pretty funny and I’m sure even more hilarious to watch from the Pool Deck. I could feel Chris “re-arranging his grip” on my leg a few times – when we finished, Jen and Sedonia were laughing, because apparently for part of the time Chris was just on his back, kicking, being pulled along. (Hence his hand feeling a bit “odd” on my leg – it was because instead of being “on top of” my leg his hand was under it, with him on his back.)
After the swim, it was into the gym for some Strength training, then Merla had brought some swag from former teams to sell. One of the gals teased that it was the perfect 3 disciplines for the Tri – Run, Swim, Shop!
The day had started out VERY rainy, but wound up being gorgeous by the end. I wore some of the new Pearl Izumi kit that Brent (Allison’s husband) had gotten for me. The jacket in particular was the bomb. I was very warm and – ta DA! – waterproof (what a concept). Back home, and H was working on the new studio, so I got a few hours to actually curl up with our new book club book, The Girl Who Played With Fire (follow-on to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo – fantastic books).
Then woken up this morning at about 5:00 a.m. by – THE TURKEYS! Oy! Interestingly, they’re gone now (it’s 7:30 a.m.) – so it could be that they mistakenly think that they are roosters! Gotta figure out a way to make that stop!
I will try to continue adding a “You Know You’re Iron When…” at the bottom of posts (after the big list the other day) – because it seems that every day has one! This is the one from yesterday:
You Know You’re Iron When…
…You describe your 4 hour run/swim/strength team workout day to your husband as ‘Yeah, an awesome, totally short workout.’
I definitely feel like I’m doing better with the Dreaded Running, and I also definitely think that it has to do with the fact that we have added hill repeats.
Although our weekly charts say to do 6 x 400 hill repeats at no more than 4% grade – running up, then walking back down – that worked for me like once. I hated it. I decided instead to do hill repeats by my house, where it’s hilly for sure. I do a course that’s “rolling” where I can jog down the downs, and run up the ups. OK, “run” is always relative for me, but let’s just say “go faster.” Every time I am going up, I hear some random Marine Corps gunny from boot camp shouting “CHARGE THE HILL, LADIES!” – makes me laugh, since I move at such great blistering speeds (just call me Achatinacea . . .)
Click here for the map of my hill repeat area. If you click on “Terrain Map” (middle of the page) and then “Show Elevation” (over on the right side of the page), you can get a better idea.
I start off by walking quickly from my house (which is the “Start” on the map, if you click through) to California Street. I turn up California Street, and once I reach Humbolt, I start running. I run from Humbolt to Elizabeth (where the “End” is on the map) – which is 1/2 mile – and then turn back around and do Elizabeth to Humbolt, then back again, 6 times (or 3 times round trip). If I’m feeling strong, I “run” the whole thing, going faster on the ups than the downs. These days, I pretty much do the whole thing. When I started, I would walk the downs and run the ups. That’s how I know I’m getting stronger, because now I can “run” (I think it’s probably “jog” to you) all of it. But I do “CHARGE” the hills, Sarge (smile).
Once I finish the last repeat, I actually run all the way back to River Oaks on 5th Avenue, and then walk from 5th/River Oaks back up to Moody (home) to cool down.
I hated doing this at first – but not as badly as the brain-numbing “run up 400/walk down 400” routine. I particularly hate the turn where California turns up into Windsor Avenue – it is a true killer. I was discussing this road with H last night, and he said that a CAR has to be gunned extra to make it around that hairpin. I can’t imagine, for example, doing that (or the turn from 5th onto River Oaks or River Oaks onto Moody for that matter) on a bicycle without being able to really stand up and push HARD. If you look on the Elevation part of the map, the “California to Windsor hairpin” seems to be the “pink” or 8% portion – but it looks like we live in a 8-9% range on Moody. Note that I WALK that part! Mama didn’t raise no fool…
Today is a Spin day – Saturday will be Swim and Run Markers with the team (in NOVATO – Hallelujah! No 2 hour drive each way!) and then Sunday the Bike Marker out on the road. It’s supposed to rain on Sunday – I hope not! I wasn’t able to make the last Bike Marker because of having theatre with Mom, Dad and H – so I really want to get this one in.
It’s Monday, and I am sitting down to blog about the lollapaloozah training weekend . . . but I thought I’d first blog about taking ice baths.
