Brick #2: The Workout That...

I had my second big brick this past weekend, which due to some issues at work, I moved to Saturday. The weather was going to be hot (90 degrees) and humid but that's what I've trained in all summer so I didn't let it concern me. I was completely calm on Friday, not anxious or nervous about the workout. In fact, I was looking forward it. After my 70/14 brick went so well, and my 100 mile ride the weekend before, I was feeling confident that I could handle this brick.

Right from the get go on the bike, it seemed like the miles were ticking by so slowly. I kept telling myself to stay in the present and focus on the bike, not think about the run until that time came and take it easy. It was humid and overcast with the sun occasionally popping out, so the weather was bearable. But with storms coming in later in the day, it was windy. The first 2 loops weren't that bad but my legs were feeling the ride waaaay more than normal.  They were burning and when I stopped for a pit stop before the third loop, I could tell they had been working harder than normal.  By the time I started my third and final loop, the wind had really picked up and I wasn't sure which direction it was coming from. My last 12 miles back to the car were pretty rough and I could not wait to get off the bike.

I hustled the best I could to get ready for the run but the bike ride had really put a kink in my lower back; it was so sore and I was moving a little slow. I was off and running in about 6-7 minutes and just as I started, don't you know, the sun started shining. From the first few steps, I felt SO off. I made it about 1.7 miles when I thought I was going to throw up. I found a little piece of shade and actually had to sit down. After a few minutes I continued on, running the best I could, and taking short walk breaks when the sun got to be too much. But my body seemed to have enough and at mile 3 I started breathing really hard and had to sit down to catch my breath. That's when the tears came...I sat right on the edge of the bike path and just cried. I remembered a friend telling me about how you get emotional when your glycogen is depleted, so I forced myself to eat a gel. After I calmed down, I tried again.

At mile 4.5 I made it to a park with a water fountain and bathroom. I walked around wondering what the heck I should do when I finally asked someone if I could borrow their phone. I called Andy and as soon as I heard his voice, I started crying. He asked if I needed him to come get me, but I didn't even know where I was. Just hearing his voice made me feel better though and I decided I'd work my way back to my car and touch base with him then. After taking a long break in the shade, using the bathroom and drinking a ton of water, I set back out.

I made it back to my car after a lot of shuffling and walking and called Andy, this time crying from a park bench. I didn't want to quit but I didn't know what purpose 5 more miles of suffering would serve. I even tried to call my coach but didn't have his number in my phone. I wanted someone to tell me it was ok to quit, that this workout wasn't going to make or break me, or be the deciding factor in how I do on race day. After some more tears and an email to my coach, I got in the car, blasted the AC, and headed home.

Andy met me in the driveway and I broke down again when he hugged me. I was a mess and felt so defeated. These workouts mean so much to me and I was so upset with my body for not cooperating and for my mind convincing me to throw in the towel. My legs weren't even that tired so it was frustrating that I couldn't keep going. After a few emails back and forth with my coach, and against him telling me no more working out for the day, I headed to the gym to finish up my run in the AC. I ran 5 solid miles, felt pretty good, and could have even kept going!

I left my house at 5:45am and got back from the gym just before 4pm. It was a long, challenging day. In fact, it was pretty brutal. And yet I finished. When I was done at the gym and headed home, I felt such a sense of accomplishment. This is what this training is about. It builds character and just when you think you can't do anymore and your body is done, you push through and finish what you set out to do. On race day, when everything is telling me to sit on the side of the road and cry, I'm going to remember this workout. Not as the workout that broke me, but as the workout that made me tougher.

Less than 8 weeks to go...

IM Training Nutrition

As I pack for my 80/15 brick tomorrow, I thought it’d be a good opportunity to post about what’s getting me through IM training. So, what does it look like getting ready for these workouts:

 

 

Before leaving the house I drink an Ensure and take an Endurolyte. Then about 45 minutes later, right before I get on the bike, I have a banana.  Over the next few weekends I might try adding something to eat with the Ensure because I’m not sure that’s enough to start with on race day since I’ll be swimming before I even get on the bike.

 

On the bike:

Throughout the ride I drink from a concentrated bottle of Perpetuem. I make up the bottle based on how far I’m going and when I plan to loop back to the car. My bottle has one scoop of Perpetuem per every hour I plan to be sipping from that bottle. I always start with a 3-hour bottle and 3 scoops in one bottle does not make a paste, it’s still a liquid. I set my watch to beep every 15 minutes as a reminder to take a sip. When I swing by the car, I make up another bottle based on how far I still have to go.

 

I also carry a flask with Hammer gel in it and occasionally take a sip as needed. I really rely on my hunger for this and if I start to feel like I need something, I use it. If I feel ok, I skip it. Inside my bento box I also keep a little pouch of Tots fruit snacks, just in case I want something solid to eat and throughout the whole ride I take Endurolyte capsules and use Fizz tablets in my water.

 

During my 100-mile ride last weekend I ate an uncrustable PB&J…which at that time tasted like the best thing ever!! While I don’t use these every weekend, it will be something I put in my special needs bag. I’m going to practice with these on my last big brick to make sure my stomach can handle it when it comes time to run.

 

On the run:

Since my stomach is so finicky on the run and can’t handle solids or anything with sugar, I stick with Hammer gels. Apple cinnamon and chocolate are my favorites lately…yum!!! I recently also tried Perpetuem solids. My first time using them was on the bike but I’m going to switch to using them on the run. It’s a solid that you don’t chew; you just let it slowly dissolve in your mouth. I wasn’t really comfortable riding with something in my mouth for fear of choking but I liked them and think it’s an easy way to get some nutrition. One solid lasted over 30 minutes in my mouth, just to give you an idea.

 

I also always run with my own water bottle (it’s like a security blanket), and will do so on race day, too. And once again, I put Fizz tablets in the water and carry extra for when I refill. Grape Fizz tablets are probably the best thing ever invented.

 

Post workout:

I’m never interested in eating right after a workout but I know the importance of getting something in me right away. I know lots of people rave about chocolate milk but that can turn my stomach if I’m not in the mood for it, it’s too thick.  I use Recoverite and have never had any post workout stomach issues from it; it's light and doesn't make me think of curdling milk. Yuck.  I also toss back 2 Tissue Rejuvenator capsules and a vitamin D tablet.

 

Last, I use to take melatonin to help me sleep, as I’m a terrible sleeper. But I couldn’t take the crazy, vivid dreams and eventually I felt like it wasn’t helping very much. I went several months not needing anything and was doing pretty well but then the restless nights came back.  I switched to REM caps and love them! Anyone who knows me knows how much I LOVE sleep, so it couldn’t make me happier to find something that helps

 

 

So that's about it. It's not just about working out when you train for an IM, nutrition and recovery are a huge part. Thankfully I think I've nailed the nutrition piece.

August Recap and First 100!!

Another month down!! Crazy! August flew by even faster than July did and I'm left wondering how I got to this point of the race only being 2 months away. Finished up August with some good numbers though and I'm happy with my progress.

August Totals:

swim - 38,750 yds

bike - 500 mi

run - 122.8 mi

After my post the other day about being in a funk, I put on my big girl pants and told myself to snap out of it. I had a 96 mile ride on my plan for Saturday and I wanted (i.e. needed) this to go well. I headed to the bike path for a 6:30am start and told myself this had nothing to do with time or pace and everything to do with staying focused, steady and getting it done. I broke it down into 4 out and backs and looped back to my car after the first 2 loops. The first half of the ride went by so quickly and when I stopped at mile 48 to refill my bottles and grab some food, I could really feel the heat. I caught a glimpse of myself and after seeing how red I was in the face, I decided I would slow things down and take the last half of the ride easy.

The third loop wasn't the most fun. I felt really uncomfortable on the bike and was starting to worry about how much further I still had to go.  It was hot, I was so thirsty and the hooha was talking to me. I decided to make one more pit stop at my car after this loop for some more water and chamois cream. When I set out for the fourth and final loop, I was so ready to get this done! The last loop went well, although I would be lying if I said I wasn't ready to get off the bike. My lower back was getting tired, my neck was tired and my legs were definitely ready for a break. I ride a flat path to practice being in aero the whole time so there's really no coasting or rest time for the legs. Anyway, when I got back to the lot where my car was parked, I was at a little over 97 miles. I thought about stopping since I was already over the distance I was suppose to go, but being that close to 100...I just couldn't!! I passed the lot and added on the final 2ish miles.

I finished with 100.37 miles in 5:42 (average 17.5mph) and felt really good! My legs were tired but not shot or shakey by any means. I just felt overall a little worn down, which I would think is expected after 100 miles. My back was really hurting me when I got home but only when I bent over. It didn't bother me when I was walking around so I'm not too concerned about it being an issue on the run. And while it was a little sore the following morning when I woke up, it wasn't an issue on my long run. Which by the way, went really well. I was expecting it to be a sufferfest after riding 100 miles the day before, but it wasn't at all. In fact, my body felt pretty good and what bothered me the most was the damn humidity.

Post long run on Sunday, I felt great. In fact, it's probably the best I've felt all summer after a weekend of crazy long workouts. It amazes me how your body can adapt to this and how it becomes almost second nature.

So, overall, a great August and an even better start to September!! Next big thing is my second brick this upcoming weekend; 80 mile ride and 15 mile run. Can't believe I'm not anxious or nervous about this...in fact, I'm almost excited for it. Bring it on!

Less than 2 months to go...

Where I'm At

"In such a funk, struggling through workouts, have a headache and want to cry"

My tweet first thing this morning. After I missed my swim* and struggled through my bike workout both physically and mentally.  Even had to fight back tears when Andy came down to the basement to see how I was feeling. But I pushed through and ended up with a solid workout of intervals.

Two more months to go. Or as a good friend told me, "8 weeks...because it sounds shorter." Which it does. But I'm not sure if that helps because then I feel the panic of it being here so soon. Which I know it will be. In fact, this week the dreams started and two nights in a row I've had very vivid dreams of race day. I think how I'm feeling has a lot has to do with worrying about the big workouts I have coming up. I need to keep repeating, "one day at a time."

This past weekend I rode 90 miles, by myself, and it was a pretty big deal for me. My last 90 mile ride got screwed up because of weather and half of it was done on the trainer. So this was the furthest I have gone outside. The ride went really well but I'd by lying if I said I wasn't exhausted after it. I had to deal with a lot of wind (which is good practice for IMFL) and since I ride solo, I didn't have anyone to pull for me to give me a little break. It was the first time all summer I wished I had company out there. My legs were burning by the time I was done and I was a little sore in my back and arms from being in aero for that long.  After laying around for a little bit, I managed to go to the pool for an easy swim afterwards and it really helped loosen things up. The following morning I pushed through a 16 mile run and definitely could tell I had worked hard the day before.

Coming up this weekend I have a 96 mile ride and a 17 mile run the next day. Of course it's been beautiful all week but on Saturday it's going to be 92 degrees with "oppressive humidity." Wheee, I can't wait. I'm a little anxious about this ride but I can't say exactly why. Maybe because it's so close to 100 and that just seems huge?? I dunno. But while I might not know why I'm nervous about it, I do know that I'll get it done.

65 days to go...

*will make up swim tonight, I refuse to miss workouts for no reason. I'll save missed workouts for when I'm sick or completely broken and really need a rest day.

IMFL Signs

The week after my 70/14 brick was a cut back week and it came at the perfect time. I was in such a funk last week with training. I battled insomnia all week and because of that, I just had no motivation to workout. It started Sunday night after my brick; I was beyond exhausted and my body would just not fall asleep. From there, it just kept getting worse all week and by the time Friday came, I was all out of whack. I got all my workouts in but each one of them included some thoughts of bagging it and not wanting to be there. But...we're on to a new week. In fact, it's my second to last 4 week cycle of training! Where has the time gone?? While I'm finding myself struggling mentally lately, I know I just need to keep my head focused, hold on, and dig deep.

With the race only a little over 2 months away, it's starting to feel so unbelievably real. We've started to do a little bit of planning and I've started a folder with all the important information I've been gathering. I also had some signs made up at http://www.signsonthecheap.com/. If you want some cheap signs (meaning reasonably priced), I highly recommend this site. You can use templates that are already created or make up your own sign, which is what I did. Here are the three I made for race day, they turned out great! They are 18x24" and plastic.

(one of the last things my Grandmother said to me while talking about my "big race." Daisies were her favorite flower)

(this has been my little mantra over the past few months)

You can also make up banners or magnets on their sister site. I'm thinking my family might need car magnets after the race that say, "my sister is an Iro..." (can't jinx myself).

11 weeks to go!!!

Brick #1

I have 3 big bricks on the schedule through the remainder of my training, 70/14, 80/15 and 90/16, and the first one was this past weekend. For some reason, leading up to this, I didn't give this workout much thought. Since it's usually the bike that frazzles me, I think after riding 80+ miles on the weekends leading up to this, 70 miles seemed really doable. Not sure why, but it didn't register just how big of a workout this was going to be. It hit me on Saturday as I was packing up my stuff and planning my nutrition that I was looking at around 6 hours of working out and that I was going to be going at it alone. I started to get a little anxious but kept telling myself that I would take it easy and use it as an opportunity to test pace and nutrition for race day. No pressure.

As for how it went…there's not much more to say other than it went GREAT! From the moment I started, I felt confident and strong. I never once thought about the overall time I was going to be out there or how hard the day might be. I kept myself in the present moment and when I was on the bike, I focused on only that and didn't let myself think about the run that followed. I focused on my nutrition plan and my cadence and made sure I kept everything steady. The miles flew by and before I knew it I was back at the car at 70.74 miles ready to run.

I packed up as quickly as I could, changed shoes, grabbed fresh water and gels and took off running in under 5 minutes. From the very first step, my legs just wanted to go, I felt great!! When I check my watch after the first mile and saw a sub 9 min pace, I immediately scaled back a bit. I had a long way to go and didn't need to push anything too soon. The first 7 miles were over before I knew it and after a quick pit stop, I headed out for the last half of the run. My body still felt great but I was getting to the point where I was looking forward to calling it a day. (There's only so many hours I can entertain myself for) At my one and only tough moment my friend happened to go by on her bike. After pulling up next to me and chatting for a few minutes, I got my second wind and was ready to tackle the last 3 miles.

I finished feeling like a million bucks and smiling ear to ear. I remembered how a few months ago I asked my coach if anyone ever gets to the point where they can even *imagine* running after a long bike ride. Now here I am…running 14 miles after a 70 mile ride and not thinking twice about it. I've been feeling stronger and more confident as the weeks go by but this weekend really made me realize how far I've come since May.

July Recap

Funny how the beginning of July was the part of my training schedule that worried me the most and now I can't even really remember what had me so scared. With the exception of the death of my grandmother, the month went really well. It included my biggest training weekend to date (90 mi ride, 1.5 mi OWS race, 16 mi run) and then a 15 minute PR at NJ State Olympic Tri. I entered this month a little (ok, I was more like a basket case) worried, not sure if I could handle the workouts as my training hit levels I never saw before. But I'm happy to say, I finished the month feeling better than I have all year. I took it one workout at a time and was surprised at how much my body is adapting and changing. I know I still have 3 months to go, but I think I finally quieted the thoughts that were telling me over and over again that I wasn't cut out for this. I'm starting to visualize how things will come together and I actually believe that this is possible.

July Totals:

Swim - 33080.4 yds

Bike - 465.08 mi

Run - 121.63 mi

I woke up with a little fire lit in me today. Three months to go...THREE MONTHS!!!! I am so ready to get to the big brick workouts that I have coming up and hitting the 106 mile mark on the bike. As I look at my schedule for the next few months, I'm more excited than ever and not plagued with fear. My goal for August, try yet another saddle (my poor hoo ha) and focus. Not just on training but on rest, recovery, nutrition...everything. While I still have 3 months, they are going to fly by. I think I've done a really good job up to this point at making it all work and fitting a some what normal life into the mix. But each time I make an exception for something, I lose a little focus. So from here on out, it's all about training. This is getting real!!!