Challenge Roth Training: Week 24

2 weeks to go.

Week 24 totals:
Swim: 3. 8700m, 3hr 52min
Bike: 3. 8hrs 9min, Saturday Ride: 91mi
Run: 2. 22.5mi, 4hr 14min
Strength: 0. 0min
Total time: 16hrs 15min

Challenges:
Oh man, this whole week was one big challenge. It was THE week; the pinnacle of our training season, and it was a doozy. Workouts were long and energy reserves were low, so every session was just a lesson in powering through (which was the point). Knocked it all out.

Accomplishments: 
Ran 18 miles before work on Wednesday. Damn.

Surprises:
Got to the usual gas station to refuel at mile 65 of Saturday's long ride, only to discover that their soda fountain was not functioning, which meant no free ice and water to refill our bottles. The temperature was stupid hot and legitimately humid (a monsoon had rolled through the night before), so we were definitely needing to cool down a bit. We debated going across the street to McDonald's, but I decided to just bite the bullet and bought two gallons of cold water and a 10lb bag of ice. What followed was basically the gas-fight scene from Zoolander, only with ice and water instead of Orange Mocha Frappuccinos and nozzles full of diesel. We stuffed ice anywhere it could help (a large chunk on my abdomen sandwiched between my bike jersey and shorts was heaven), filling our pockets and bottles at the same time, and sharing it with fellow cyclists who rolled in. The slowly melting ice was glorious, and made the next few miles somewhat bearable. But then it all melted and it was just hot again.

"you put the boom-boom into my heart"

Bonus:
We started Saturday's ride at 4am again, which means it was completely dark for the first 45 minutes or so. Gerry had a spare headlamp that he let me borrow, so I stretched the elastic strap over my helmet and set out on my way. About three miles into the ride, I reached up to adjust the light a bit. It slipped down the helmet and, as if I were releasing a rubber band stretched to its limit, snapped the light back into my face thwacking me hard on the bridge of the nose. It hurt like a mofo, but I kept on riding because what else are you going to do. When the sky finally lightened up a bit about a half an hour later, KB looked over and exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, you're bleeding!" The resulting small cut and not-so-small bruise make it look like I was in a bar fight. MAYBE I WAS.

91 miles and a bar fight. My hair is awesome.

Challenge Roth Training: Week 23

3 weeks to go.

Week 23 totals:
Swim: 2. 5450m, 2hr 44min
Bike: 3. 10hrs 15min, Saturday Ride: 100mi
Run: 2. 24.4mi, 4hr 21min
Strength: 0. 0min
Total time: 17hrs 20min

Challenges:
Oh man, you guys. That 100-miler on Saturday was a BEAST. We started at 4am, but it was already 85 degrees. Got my first flat of the ride at mile 20. Okay, no problem, I'm pretty speedy at changing flats. Got everything put back together and noticed a sizable hole in my tire, which means I had to take everything apart again and boot the hole (where you put something strong and flat (like a gel wrapper) between the tire and the tube so the tube doesn't balloon out of the hole and pop once its inflated), and then put everything back together again. Okay, fine. Got that done.

Then, 15 miles later, I felt the telltale bounce of a slowly deflating rear tire (ALWAYS the back tire. Always.). Changed flat number two, and managed to snap my (very old) tire lever in half. This second flat also depleted my store of spare tubes and CO2 cartridges, so if I got another flat I was pretty much screwed. Decided to just keep riding and hope for the best. My friends were far ahead of me by this point, but our course was somewhat out and back, so I knew I'd see them eventually. I did finally run into them, and wonderful Gerry rode back up the uphill section that he'd already done so I'd have some company. He also gave me one of his spare tubes and cartridges, as well as a spare tire lever, just in case.

Things were going alright. I perked up a bit around mile 72, and tackled the final miles with renewed energy. And then...(you knew this was coming, didn't you?) as I was rolling down the notoriously glass- and debris-filled shoulder of the Beeline Highway, into a gusting headwind because of course, I felt the thump thump thump of a completely flat rear (ALWAYS the rear) tire. It was mile 97.5. I was 2.5 miles from the end. I stopped. I rested my forehead on my aerobars and allowed myself a moment of self-pity. And then I got off my bike to change one more flat tire. And everything was going fine... until I went to inflate it. And then I discovered that my CO2 adapter and the stem on the tube Gerry gave me were not compatible. I could hear the CO2 hissing futilely out into the 105-degree air as I attempted to inflate the tube. And then it was gone. And there I was on the side of the road with no way to go any farther.

I called Kristi hoping that someone was still at the gas station where we had parked 8 hours earlier and could drive back with a bike pump. But, as I had assured them about 45min ago that I was nearly done, they had headed down to the bike shop and breakfast, where I was going to meet them. I battled some weepiness as I assured Kristi that I could walk back to the gas station in the time it would take them to drive all the way back out there, and began my slow trek home. (Have you ever walked in bike shoes? The big cleats under the ball of your foot make them like reverse heels. Super fun.)

But! After about a minute of walking, I noticed another cyclist heading in the opposite direction! I stopped and frantically flagged him down and explained my predicament. Luckily he had a spare CO2, and using his adapter, I was able to inflate my tire. Sweet baby Jesus, I've never been so happy to talk to a surly stranger. I thanked him profusely (and he sort of grunted and went on his way) and began my 2-mile ride home. By the time I got back to the gas station, the tire was flat again, but I was close enough that I could just jog across the highway and be done.

I never did find out why the tire kept flatting. There was nothing stuck in it, nothing wrong with the rim. I had my bike shop guy check everything over carefully, and bought a new tire just in case. He couldn't find anything either. Here's hoping the new tire takes care of it, because Hansel is currently disassembled and packed up in a giant bike box and in the (I hope super careful) hands of FedEx on his way to Germany via North Carolina. If he actually makes it in one piece, in a rideable condition, I will consider it a minor miracle (for which I paid several hundred dollars).

Accomplishments: 
Ran 16 miles before work on Wednesday.

Not okay.

Surprises:
That run actually went really well. Stayed steady and strong the whole time. Yay.

Bonus:
On Thursday morning, JK and I toured the place where we will be getting married in January. It was even better than expected. :)

Challenge Roth Training: Week 22

4 weeks to go.

Week 22 totals:
Swim: 3. 8550m, 3hr 57min
Bike: 2. 7hrs 20min, Saturday Ride: 92mi
Run: 2. 21mi, 3hr 41min
Strength: 0. 0min
Total time: 14hr 58min

Challenges:
We started riding at 4:30am on Saturday morning, but it was already blazing hot by the time we hit our halfway point at 7:30. I could feel the heat radiating off the pavement through my shoes as I pedaled the last few miles to the cars (into a headwind, naturally). Temps were sitting at 106 by the time we finished our ride. Blurg.

Accomplishments: 
Got up at 3:30am and ran 15 miles before work on Wednesday.

Surprises:
Went into the swim part of Sunday's workout thinking our main set was 5x200, 100, 100, done, so it was a bit of a rude awakening when I realized that it was actually 5x(200,100,100). That made the main set 2000, not 1200 like I thought, for a total of 3700m. The pool was full of annoying people, which didn't help my attitude much. It takes me forever to get through the warmup and drills, but once I finally hit that main set the time seemed to pass a little more quickly. Not my favorite swim, but I got it done.

Bonus:
Proof that I picked a good one: JK showed up at the house on Saturday evening with Pei Wei and a giant bag of fresh popcorn that he stopped and picked up from the movie theater for me and the roomie (who is also training for Roth) so we didn't have to go anywhere and we all could settle in for an evening of Game of Thrones on HBO Go. That's true love, you guys.

Challenge Roth Training: Week 21

5 weeks to go.

Week 21 totals:
Swim: 1. 3400m, 1hr 36min
Bike: 1. 0hrs 57min, Saturday Ride: 0mi
Run: 2. 8mi, 1hr 21min
Strength: 0. 0min
Total time: 3hr 54min

Challenges:
Is this real life? This week was a glorious, amazing rest week. I did virtually nothing, per Coach's orders. I know that this is just a tease, a chance for my body to reset a bit before the hell of these coming three weeks, but it's hard to keep that in mind when there's so much time to do other things. Fun things. The challenge is going to come on Wednesday when I'm tossed back into the reality of the final build before race day.

Accomplishments: 
I skipped a workout. For me that is an accomplishment. I am a dogged, stubborn trainee; if it's on my schedule, I'MA DO IT. Not being what you would call a "natural athlete," it's the only way I can possibly do what I've been able to do so far. But this week, rather than getting up early to do my Tuesday swim, I slept in. And then, rather than leaving the evening book reading and heading straight to the gym, I stayed and had a delicious dinner at The Biltmore with Liz. And then, rather than waiting for a free lane in the packed pool on Wednesday evening to make it up, I turned around, called the effort of putting on my swimsuit good enough, and went home.

Surprises:
Saturday's workout was marked in RED and had the ominous title of "Last Hurrah Day." I clicked on the link with my eyes half-closed, not wanting to see what horror awaited me. My workout for the day read, "Seriously, your assignment today is to sleep in and then perhaps spend some time with loved ones who aren't going to see you for the next 3 weeks." Ha! DONE.

Bonus:
I used my "time with loved ones" to great effect: slept in until 8, got brunch, went to two bike shops, saw 22 Jump Street, went to a coffee shop and did a crossword puzzle, did some yard work, and went to a new brewery. This must be how the rest of the world spends a Saturday.

Challenge Roth Training: Week 20

6 weeks to go.

Week 20 totals:
Swim: 3. 8300m, 3hr 59min
Bike: 4. 8hrs 38min, Saturday Ride: 90mi
Run: 3. 21mi, 3hr 40min
Strength: 0. 0min
Total time: 16hr 17min

Challenges:
Wednesday's before-work 13-mile run was rough. First 9 miles were fine. Last 4 miles: carnage. Just didn't have anything left, and resorted to walking a few times. Also ran out of water because the fountain I was planning to refill at was broken. All in all not my best run. On the plus side, I ran into my buddy Bob (the 76-year-old guy who was on the marathon Team I coached last year) on the greenbelt. A hug and chat is always a good addition to an early morning slog around the lake.

Accomplishments: 
Survived Saturday's hot hot hot 90-miler. We climbed many, many hills and covered many, many miles. And of course, no ride on the Beeline highway is complete without getting a flat. Mine occurred about 8 miles from the end of the ride. I changed that sucker and was back on the road in 5 minutes flat (pun fully intended).

Surprises:

I said yes. :)

Bonus:
So yeah, Saturday was a heck of a day: 90-mile ride and a mountaintop, sunset proposal. It was a beautiful weekend. It's going to be--it IS--a beautiful life.

Challenge Roth Training: Week 19

7 weeks to go.

Week 19 totals:
Swim: 3. 7350m, 3hr 22min
Bike: 2. 2hrs 20min, Saturday Ride: 0mi
Run: 2. 15mi, 2hr 33min
Strength: 0. 0min
Total time: 8hr 15min

Challenges:
Spent Thursday through Sunday in Kearney for my mom's surprise retirement party, so the challenges were twofold:
1. Getting in my workouts while on "vacation" always creates some obstacles to be overcome. These included finding a place to swim (ended up at the Y, where I had to listen to piped-in country music during my entire swim-sets because Nebraska), and not having the proper equipment to do a long ride, so that was removed from my schedule for the weekend. I feel like my hard-won fitness is slipping away because I didn't do a 90-mile ride on Saturday, and I had Sunday as a rest day. I know that's stupid, but such is the brain of a late-stage ironman trainee.
2. Hiding from my mom for a day and a half because my (cheap) flight got in on Thursday morning and her surprise dinner wasn't until Friday night. I holed up in my dad's "man cave" over his workshop, where I worked remotely both days. My cover was almost blown when a friend of the family saw me running across the Platte River bridge early on Friday morning and emailed my mom to ask if I was visiting. My mom, bless her, suspected nothing and told the friend she must be mistaken. Whew.

Accomplishments: 
Ran 12 miles in 88% humidity. So. much. sweat.

Surprises:
Not a surprise for me, but one for mom when all us kids trooped into her "dinner with her coworkers" on Friday evening. She was shocked. Tears were shed. Loved it. :)

Bonus:
Got to attend my niece Emma's hip hop dance recital on Saturday evening. Incidentally, children's hip hop dance recitals are my new favorite thing. Seriously. It was so much fun! You know how children's band concerts are kind of painful because when kids can't play their instruments, it's horrible to listen to and is sort of a slog to sit through? Well when kids can't dance, it's AWESOME. Seriously, I giggled more than I have in a long time (I wasn't the only one! And the kids couldn't hear the giggles over the loud hip hop music and couldn't see the audience through the stage lights, so no feelings were hurt.), and loved every minute of the nearly 3-hour show. #bustamove

Challenge Roth Training: Week 18

8 weeks to go.

Week 18 totals:
Swim: 2. 3950m, 1hr 57min
Bike: 2. 5hrs 40min, Saturday Ride: 79mi
Run: 2. 19mi, 3hr 31min
Strength: 1. 15min
Total time: 11hr 23min

Challenges:

Spent part of the weekend up in Flagstaff, so Sunday's prescribed 8-miler was done at altitude (starting at 7000ft) and proceeded up the side of a mountain for the first four miles. It was virtually the same course as my very first race ever (the Run for the Magic Half Marathon). The intervening six years haven't made the route any flatter, but luckily it's still just as pretty. Ran with Cassie and Not-So-Imaginary Scott and a couple of Cassie's other friends. It was actually really fun, but man was it brutal.

Accomplishments: 
Saturday morning's 80-miler was actually a really good ride. Cool temps, light wind, minimal hills. Felt like I nailed my nutrition. Also, I wore my new bike jersey that Gerry gave me (the one that matches Hansel), so obviously that makes me faster. Averaged 17.4mph for the 80 (well, 79) miles.

Surprises:
Coach LO asked us all at Tuesday's group swim how we were feeling. All of us replied that we were feeling surprisingly good, considering the beating our legs had taken at Bike MS a couple days prior. With that in mind, she tossed us right back into regular training, which included a 10-mile run on Wednesday morning. Starting out, I felt great cardiovascularly, but it soon became apparent that my legs were just toast. My warmup pace felt like a brisk 9:45. Turns out it was actually an 11min mile. Oh boy. Both glutes and my right IT band felt like they were going to snap in half during miles 2-4. As usual the last few miles felt the best. Rolling out my legs on Wednesday night was EXCRUCIATING. I cried. No shame. JK hovered nearby saying, "Isn't there something I can do for you? I just feel like I should be able to do something." I squeaked out, faux-dramatically, "There's nothing you can do. Just bear witness to my pain." Ironman training is awesome.

Bonus:
On Sunday, Cassie and I were doing my prescribed post-run leg strength exercises in a little park near the mountain. A group of rough and tumble young men (possibly in their late-teens? I'm a terrible judge of ages.) sauntered in to sit on the nearby picnic tables for awhile. They were a little obnoxious, but seemed to be pretty harmless. As they were leaving, one of them swaggered by and asked "Do either of you ladies have a band-aid--?" We very clearly did not have any band-aids on us, and began to reply in the negative, when he continued, "--because I scraped my knee when I fell for you." Oh. Oh, honey. We gave him the obligatory eye-roll and half-smile, and he continued on his way.

The trip up to Flagstaff had a purpose. My fabulous cousin Cassie, my partner in crime for nearly all of my racing/riding/obstacle-ing adventures over the past seven years, and just flat-out one of my favorite people ever, is moving away. She's off to Dallas for a new job and new adventures, so I needed to visit and get in one last weekend of our patented Power Relaxing (TM) before she heads east. We did the aforementioned athletic endeavors, and then balanced that out with pedicures, barbecue, frozen yogurt, movies, and Alpine Pedaling. It was a wonderful weekend, and she's a wonderful person, and I'm going to miss her so much.