Thanks for the wishes, friends! I will be OK. Things I worry about, so seldom actually happen.
And once I get my feet on the ground, I've been good at every job I've ever had.
Maybe the same with today's race and the IM: as soon as I get my feet on the ground, I'll be rolling!
Weather looks great, as Nancy posted. The tide, which I'd heard tell would be coming in against us, will actually be slack (in its resting period between going out and coming in) for most of the swim (lakelike, no current), beginning its influx only in our second half, and then gradually. So we shouldn't be like salmon swimming upstream. Sea nettles have gone to the bottom in response to recent rain and cooler temperatures. It should be a nice swim.
And once I get my feet on the ground, I'll be rolling.
Thanks so much to Nancy for her hospitality once again!
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Friday, September 29, 2006
WHATEVER
~Sigh~
My bike is great. With recent repairs, it's gliding like I always imagined it should. It has never, ever felt this good. My old bike shop kept adjusting my gears for me, missing what was really wrong: rusted rear inner hub and bearings. New bike shop in VA went right to it, replaced it all, and I've got a quiet, smooth-running, silky-shifting machine. I took him a plate of cookies. And with the new tires, it's flying.
That's good because my swimming absolutely sucks. I've gone back probably two years worth in time and efficiency. I've apparently done something stupid to my stroke. Wish I could take it into a shop and get it fixed like my bike. Maybe I still can, in the month left before IMFL. Not before tomorrow's AquaVelo race, but after. There's a masters swim group here. Maybe they'll let me in and the coach can work with me.
I hope I make the swim cutoff tomorrow, 2.4 miles point-to-point against an incoming tide. If I can do that, my bike will make up for lost time.
Whatever happens, happens.
~Sigh~ I am having my usual horrendous time getting into the swing of a new job. I always feel timid at first, which makes me hesitant to make any decisions (e.g. what to do), which becomes near-paralysis (physically and mentally), which necessitates asking someone all the time, "What do I do?" which makes me look incompetent and lacking intelligence, which puzzles my employers because in a general way I seem like such a smart person, which makes them think I'm either not trying or not interested, which makes them treat me in a condescending or abrupt or semi-angry way, which makes me feel bad, which further paralyzes me, which causes me to make mistakes, which further makes me look incompetent, etc., etc., etc. Anxiety makes me think about ramifications while something is being explained to me, with the result that I don't remember what was explained, and proceed to do it wrong the next time, which makes the person I asked say, "What did we talk about yesterday when this came up???", which makes my mind go blank, which makes everyone, including me, wonder if something is wrong with my brain.
Once I get on my feet and get over the fear, I am a good employee. I have gone through this in ever job I have ever had. I go through the entire first weeks, or months, or year, in constant fear of being canned for being stupid. Even though I am far from stupid. I graduated 3rd in my high school class; I maintained a 4.0 all through nursing school, and then left my first nursing job after 4 weeks on a medical leave for anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. I never went back to that job; started over in a different hospital where I'd done my clinical training, told them up front I was scared shitless and needed help, and they pulled me through it in about 3 months. I don't have 3 months to get on my feet in this dumb campground job where the hardest part is figuring out what size rig can go in what size site. With the right electrical connections. And south-facing for their satellite dish. And away from the freeway to cut down on noise. And near the shower house. And next to a site where their friends can have a tent. And near the dog-walk field. You can't have everything. But I've failed someone if I don't come through with it all.
Yes, this is the same job where the girl arranged EVERYONE's fall schedule around my IM training and gave us 2 weeks off to go to my race. And she is the one who intimidates me more than any of the others. Maybe because I feel I owe her. Maybe because I'm afraid she resents my "special needs" and imagine she thinks I'm a pain in the neck.
Never mind. Whatever happens, happens.
Whatever.
I'm off to work (took 1/4 milligram of Xanax) and then off to St. Michaels, MD to pick up Nancy, then off to Cambridge for bike-inspection and racking and pre-race meeting, then back to Nancy's and off to bed, then off to the races.
I have a sore shoulder that I thought was from swimming but diagnosed a different cause: holding the phone against my ear with my shoulder while I write reservations.
~Sigh~ Even thought it's caused by the phone and not swimming, I didn't discover the cause in time and it still hurts a little and will hurt for the 2.4 miles tomorrow.
Whatever.
My bike is great. With recent repairs, it's gliding like I always imagined it should. It has never, ever felt this good. My old bike shop kept adjusting my gears for me, missing what was really wrong: rusted rear inner hub and bearings. New bike shop in VA went right to it, replaced it all, and I've got a quiet, smooth-running, silky-shifting machine. I took him a plate of cookies. And with the new tires, it's flying.
That's good because my swimming absolutely sucks. I've gone back probably two years worth in time and efficiency. I've apparently done something stupid to my stroke. Wish I could take it into a shop and get it fixed like my bike. Maybe I still can, in the month left before IMFL. Not before tomorrow's AquaVelo race, but after. There's a masters swim group here. Maybe they'll let me in and the coach can work with me.
I hope I make the swim cutoff tomorrow, 2.4 miles point-to-point against an incoming tide. If I can do that, my bike will make up for lost time.
Whatever happens, happens.
~Sigh~ I am having my usual horrendous time getting into the swing of a new job. I always feel timid at first, which makes me hesitant to make any decisions (e.g. what to do), which becomes near-paralysis (physically and mentally), which necessitates asking someone all the time, "What do I do?" which makes me look incompetent and lacking intelligence, which puzzles my employers because in a general way I seem like such a smart person, which makes them think I'm either not trying or not interested, which makes them treat me in a condescending or abrupt or semi-angry way, which makes me feel bad, which further paralyzes me, which causes me to make mistakes, which further makes me look incompetent, etc., etc., etc. Anxiety makes me think about ramifications while something is being explained to me, with the result that I don't remember what was explained, and proceed to do it wrong the next time, which makes the person I asked say, "What did we talk about yesterday when this came up???", which makes my mind go blank, which makes everyone, including me, wonder if something is wrong with my brain.
Once I get on my feet and get over the fear, I am a good employee. I have gone through this in ever job I have ever had. I go through the entire first weeks, or months, or year, in constant fear of being canned for being stupid. Even though I am far from stupid. I graduated 3rd in my high school class; I maintained a 4.0 all through nursing school, and then left my first nursing job after 4 weeks on a medical leave for anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. I never went back to that job; started over in a different hospital where I'd done my clinical training, told them up front I was scared shitless and needed help, and they pulled me through it in about 3 months. I don't have 3 months to get on my feet in this dumb campground job where the hardest part is figuring out what size rig can go in what size site. With the right electrical connections. And south-facing for their satellite dish. And away from the freeway to cut down on noise. And near the shower house. And next to a site where their friends can have a tent. And near the dog-walk field. You can't have everything. But I've failed someone if I don't come through with it all.
Yes, this is the same job where the girl arranged EVERYONE's fall schedule around my IM training and gave us 2 weeks off to go to my race. And she is the one who intimidates me more than any of the others. Maybe because I feel I owe her. Maybe because I'm afraid she resents my "special needs" and imagine she thinks I'm a pain in the neck.
Never mind. Whatever happens, happens.
Whatever.
I'm off to work (took 1/4 milligram of Xanax) and then off to St. Michaels, MD to pick up Nancy, then off to Cambridge for bike-inspection and racking and pre-race meeting, then back to Nancy's and off to bed, then off to the races.
I have a sore shoulder that I thought was from swimming but diagnosed a different cause: holding the phone against my ear with my shoulder while I write reservations.
~Sigh~ Even thought it's caused by the phone and not swimming, I didn't discover the cause in time and it still hurts a little and will hurt for the 2.4 miles tomorrow.
Whatever.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Packing for 2/3 of an Ironman
ChesapeakeMan AquaVelo, 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike.
Morning before leaving for race:
Imodium -- 2 tablets on empty stomach immediately on getting up
Pepcid Complete for after eating (keeps food from trying to flow up my esophagus during swimming)
Hairbrush and ponytail band
Bike shorts
Sport bra
Sweat shirt and pants
Flip flops
Food
Swim bag:
Wetsuit
Baby powder to help me get the wetsuit on (works better for me than Pam)
Goggles
Extra goggles
Anti-fog goggle spray
Vaseline for sea nettles on exposed skin (face, hands, feet)
Cap they give you
Timing chip and ankle strap
Bike bag:
Towel
Socks
Bike shoes
Sunscreen
Vinegar and washcloth for sea nettle stings
Camelback with 1/2 gal. Gatorade Endurance spiked with an Airborne tablet; in its pockets, a bottle with bouillon powder in case I get into a low-sodium bonk (will mix with water when needed); Epi-Pen in case of bee sting; extra contacts.
Jersery with salt capsules, Excedrin, Imodium, Pepcid Complete
Race belt with number
On Bike:
Helmet with number, holding gloves and sunglasses
In Bento Box: candy fruit slices, jelly beans, "fruit smiles", Combos, string cheese
On aerobars: Chapstick, with tape wrapped around only the cap so I can pull out the tube, put some on, and replace the tube in the secured cap, one-handed
2 water bottles
Hand pump
In seat bag:
2 tubes
4 CO2 canisters
Tire lever
Patch kit and tire boots
Duct tape
Kleenex in a baggie (for toilet paper in emergency)
Tire gauge
Extra shoe cleat and screws
Extra handlebar end cover
And with that, I should be ready to go.
I hope I learn to swim by Saturday. My swimming has deteriorated in the last few weeks. I'm doing something wrong. I bought the Total Immersion book and am going to skim through it tomorrow when I can. I couldn't find the DVD locally, and it's too late to order it online and have it ready to take to Nancy's place.
Oh, that's right.... I'm going down to Nancy's place for the race weekend. We'll go together to bike inspection/racking, the pre-race meeting, the race itself. And we hope to run together Sunday morning. It's so good to have a friend.
Bed. I'm going there.
Morning before leaving for race:
Imodium -- 2 tablets on empty stomach immediately on getting up
Pepcid Complete for after eating (keeps food from trying to flow up my esophagus during swimming)
Hairbrush and ponytail band
Bike shorts
Sport bra
Sweat shirt and pants
Flip flops
Food
Swim bag:
Wetsuit
Baby powder to help me get the wetsuit on (works better for me than Pam)
Goggles
Extra goggles
Anti-fog goggle spray
Vaseline for sea nettles on exposed skin (face, hands, feet)
Cap they give you
Timing chip and ankle strap
Bike bag:
Towel
Socks
Bike shoes
Sunscreen
Vinegar and washcloth for sea nettle stings
Camelback with 1/2 gal. Gatorade Endurance spiked with an Airborne tablet; in its pockets, a bottle with bouillon powder in case I get into a low-sodium bonk (will mix with water when needed); Epi-Pen in case of bee sting; extra contacts.
Jersery with salt capsules, Excedrin, Imodium, Pepcid Complete
Race belt with number
On Bike:
Helmet with number, holding gloves and sunglasses
In Bento Box: candy fruit slices, jelly beans, "fruit smiles", Combos, string cheese
On aerobars: Chapstick, with tape wrapped around only the cap so I can pull out the tube, put some on, and replace the tube in the secured cap, one-handed
2 water bottles
Hand pump
In seat bag:
2 tubes
4 CO2 canisters
Tire lever
Patch kit and tire boots
Duct tape
Kleenex in a baggie (for toilet paper in emergency)
Tire gauge
Extra shoe cleat and screws
Extra handlebar end cover
And with that, I should be ready to go.
I hope I learn to swim by Saturday. My swimming has deteriorated in the last few weeks. I'm doing something wrong. I bought the Total Immersion book and am going to skim through it tomorrow when I can. I couldn't find the DVD locally, and it's too late to order it online and have it ready to take to Nancy's place.
Oh, that's right.... I'm going down to Nancy's place for the race weekend. We'll go together to bike inspection/racking, the pre-race meeting, the race itself. And we hope to run together Sunday morning. It's so good to have a friend.
Bed. I'm going there.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
New Tires.... and WOW!!!!!
Holy smoke. I decided I needed new tires before IMFL. My old ones, Bongrager Race-Lite Road tires, were starting to look ragged. So I got these, Michelin Pro Race Ironman, partly because of the description partly because of the price, and partly because of the color; the Ironman name was incidental. They came today, in time for the ChesapeakeMan AquaVelo (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, Nancy and I are doing it for training this Saturday). And took them for a one-hour spin.
HOLY COW!!! It felt like I had no tires at all. 18.8 miles in 1:04.... close to 4 mph faster than what I've been averaging over these same rolling roads into the same winds for the last couple weeks. And all summer, back home, for that matter.
They have no perceptible tread, at least not to the naked eye.... it better not rain! Also, they're 700 X 23 instead of 700 X 25 like my Bontragers.
Here's the online-catalog blurb from BikeTiresDirect.com:
Michelin Pro Race Ironman
The Ironman is designed specifically for Triathletes. Unlike many race tires, the Ironman does not compromise comfort and durability. It's not quite as light and fast as some race tires, but it's the perfect combination of performance characteristics for extended stretches in the saddle where performance is still key. Distinctive Ironman color combination. Black and Red,
Size 650x23 or 700x23 Weight 200/220g
MSRP: $59.95You Save 33%
Your Price:$39.95
If I make the swim cutoff :-( I'll be able to make up lost time on the bike!
Monday, September 11, 2006
ASTONISHING!!!
We've been at our new campground/job for a week now.
Not only have the owners given me the days off that I need for events (a local century ride this coming Sunday, Chesapeakeman AquaVelo Sept. 30, and a couple weeks for IMFL).... this is the astonishing thing:
The young woman who makes the schedules asked if she could see my training schedule, and SHE DESIGNED THE WHOLE STAFF'S ENTIRE SEPTEMBER WORK SCHEDULE AROUND MY TRAINING WORKOUTS, including the lap-swimming hours at the local pool.
Have you ever heard of such a thing????? I am mind-blown. And she wants me to give her my October training schedule as soon as I have it, since she does schedules 3 weeks ahead. I didn't know there were employers who would do something like that. She's about the age of our daughter-in-law, late 20's I guess. Has an 11-week-old baby that she brings to work, so baby-carrying goes with my job description when Selena's busy. No complaints from me there!
Sunday I worked till 1p.m., then got on the bike and rode back roads down to Shenandoah National Park and onto the Skyline Drive for 9 miles of steady gradual climbing. I didn't read until just now, looking for a link to include, that the National Park Service actually discourages biking on this road, although it is allowed. Oh, well. I had read another website that called it "very pleasant cycling with gradual grades." The climbing took me an hour and coming back down, well, I was afraid to look at my computer, afraid to look anywhere but at the road, because I went back down in about 5 minutes.
A highlight was the sighting of a doe and fawn who began running along the side of the road as I approached, never going onto the roadway but running with me. I pedaled faster and faster and they ran faster and faster. Finally the fawn had to stop, and the doe stopped to go back to him. I felt I'd gone to heaven.... biking Skyline Drive and racing with the deer.
Total ride was 85 rolling miles (except for the 9 of climbing.) It was so much easier than in the mountains at home, I wasn't even tired.
Not only have the owners given me the days off that I need for events (a local century ride this coming Sunday, Chesapeakeman AquaVelo Sept. 30, and a couple weeks for IMFL).... this is the astonishing thing:
The young woman who makes the schedules asked if she could see my training schedule, and SHE DESIGNED THE WHOLE STAFF'S ENTIRE SEPTEMBER WORK SCHEDULE AROUND MY TRAINING WORKOUTS, including the lap-swimming hours at the local pool.
Have you ever heard of such a thing????? I am mind-blown. And she wants me to give her my October training schedule as soon as I have it, since she does schedules 3 weeks ahead. I didn't know there were employers who would do something like that. She's about the age of our daughter-in-law, late 20's I guess. Has an 11-week-old baby that she brings to work, so baby-carrying goes with my job description when Selena's busy. No complaints from me there!
Sunday I worked till 1p.m., then got on the bike and rode back roads down to Shenandoah National Park and onto the Skyline Drive for 9 miles of steady gradual climbing. I didn't read until just now, looking for a link to include, that the National Park Service actually discourages biking on this road, although it is allowed. Oh, well. I had read another website that called it "very pleasant cycling with gradual grades." The climbing took me an hour and coming back down, well, I was afraid to look at my computer, afraid to look anywhere but at the road, because I went back down in about 5 minutes.
A highlight was the sighting of a doe and fawn who began running along the side of the road as I approached, never going onto the roadway but running with me. I pedaled faster and faster and they ran faster and faster. Finally the fawn had to stop, and the doe stopped to go back to him. I felt I'd gone to heaven.... biking Skyline Drive and racing with the deer.
Total ride was 85 rolling miles (except for the 9 of climbing.) It was so much easier than in the mountains at home, I wasn't even tired.
Home remedies etc.
Got this from my husband, forwarded from the RV-owners forum he's on.
1. Budweiser beer conditions the hair
2. Pam cooking spray will dry finger nail polish (my note -- so does a drop of baby oil)
3. Cool whip will condition your hair in 15 minutes
4. Mayonnaise will KILL LICE, it will also condition your hair
5. Elmer's Glue - paint on your face, allow it to dry, peel off and see the dead skin and blackheads if any
6. Shiny Hair - use brewed Lipton Tea
7. Sunburn - empty a large jar of Nestea into your bath water
8. Minor burn - Colgate or Crest toothpaste
9 Burn your tongue? Put sugar on it!
10. Arthritis? WD-40 Spray and rub in, kill insect! stings too
11 Bee stings - meat tenderizer
12. Chigger bite - Preparation H
13. Puffy eyes - Preparation H
14. Paper cut - crazy glue or chap stick (glue is used instead of sutures at most hospitals)
15. Stinky feet - Jell-O !
16. Athletes feet - cornstarch
17. Fungus on toenails or fingernails - Vicks vapor rub
18. Kool aid to clean dishwasher pipes. Just put in the detergent section and run a cycle, it will also clean a toilet. (Wow, and we drink this stuff)
19. Kool Aid can be used as a dye in paint also Kool Aid in Dannon plain yogurt as a finger paint, your kids will love it and it won't hurt them if they eat it!
20. Peanut butter - will get scratches out of CD's! Wipe off with a coffee filter paper
21. Sticking bicycle chain - Pam no-stick cooking spray (I've thought about this but been afraid to try)
22. Pam will also remove paint, and grease from your hands! Keep a can in your garage for your hubby
23. Peanut butter will remove ink from the face of dolls
24. When the doll clothes are hard to put on, sprinkle with corn starch and watch them slide on
24a. (My own) When wetsuit is hard to put on, put baby powder on your legs are arms. Works!
25. Heavy dandruff - pour on the vinegar !
26. Body paint - Crisco mixed with food coloring. Heat the Crisco in the microwave, pour in to an empty film container and mix with the food color of your choice!
27 Tie Dye T-shirt - mix a solution of Kool Aid in a container, tie a rubber band around a section of the T-shirt and soak
28. Preserving a newspaper clipping - large bottle of club soda and cup of milk of magnesia, soak for 20 min. and let dry, will last for many years!
29. A Slinky will hold toast and CD's!
30. To keep goggles and glasses from fogging, coat with Colgate toothpaste
31. Wine stains, pour on the Morton salt and watch it absorb into the salt. Also takes out stains from your coffee cup.
32. To remove wax - Take a paper towel and iron it over the wax stain, it will absorb into the towel. (This works on gum also).
33. Remove labels off glassware etc. rub with Peanut butter!
34. Baked on food - fill container with water, get a Bounce paper softener and the static from the towel will cause the baked on food to adhere to it. Soak overnight. Also; you can use 2 Efferdent tablets, soak overnight!
35. Crayon on the wall - Colgate toothpaste and brush it!
36. Dirty grout - Listerine
37. Stains on clothes - Colgate
38. Grass stains - Karo Syrup
39. Grease Stains - Coca Cola, it will also remove grease stains from the driveway overnight. We know it will take corrosion from car batteries!
40. Fleas in your carpet? 20 Mule Team Borax- sprinkle and let stand for 24 hours. Maybe this will work if you get them back again.
41. To keep FRESH FLOWERS longer Add a little Clorox , or 2 Bayer aspirin, or just use 7-up instead of water.
42. When you go to buy bread in the grocery store, have you ever wondered which is the freshest, so you "squeeze" for freshness or softness? Did you know that bread is delivered fresh to the stores five days a week? Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Each day has a different color twist tie. They are:
Monday = Blue
Tuesday = Green
Thursday = Red
Friday = White
Saturday = Yellow .
So if today was Thursday, you would want red twist tie; not white which is Fridays (almost a week old)! The colors go alphabetically by color Blue - Green - Red - White - Yellow, Monday through Saturday. Very easy to remember.
1. Budweiser beer conditions the hair
2. Pam cooking spray will dry finger nail polish (my note -- so does a drop of baby oil)
3. Cool whip will condition your hair in 15 minutes
4. Mayonnaise will KILL LICE, it will also condition your hair
5. Elmer's Glue - paint on your face, allow it to dry, peel off and see the dead skin and blackheads if any
6. Shiny Hair - use brewed Lipton Tea
7. Sunburn - empty a large jar of Nestea into your bath water
8. Minor burn - Colgate or Crest toothpaste
9 Burn your tongue? Put sugar on it!
10. Arthritis? WD-40 Spray and rub in, kill insect! stings too
11 Bee stings - meat tenderizer
12. Chigger bite - Preparation H
13. Puffy eyes - Preparation H
14. Paper cut - crazy glue or chap stick (glue is used instead of sutures at most hospitals)
15. Stinky feet - Jell-O !
16. Athletes feet - cornstarch
17. Fungus on toenails or fingernails - Vicks vapor rub
18. Kool aid to clean dishwasher pipes. Just put in the detergent section and run a cycle, it will also clean a toilet. (Wow, and we drink this stuff)
19. Kool Aid can be used as a dye in paint also Kool Aid in Dannon plain yogurt as a finger paint, your kids will love it and it won't hurt them if they eat it!
20. Peanut butter - will get scratches out of CD's! Wipe off with a coffee filter paper
21. Sticking bicycle chain - Pam no-stick cooking spray (I've thought about this but been afraid to try)
22. Pam will also remove paint, and grease from your hands! Keep a can in your garage for your hubby
23. Peanut butter will remove ink from the face of dolls
24. When the doll clothes are hard to put on, sprinkle with corn starch and watch them slide on
24a. (My own) When wetsuit is hard to put on, put baby powder on your legs are arms. Works!
25. Heavy dandruff - pour on the vinegar !
26. Body paint - Crisco mixed with food coloring. Heat the Crisco in the microwave, pour in to an empty film container and mix with the food color of your choice!
27 Tie Dye T-shirt - mix a solution of Kool Aid in a container, tie a rubber band around a section of the T-shirt and soak
28. Preserving a newspaper clipping - large bottle of club soda and cup of milk of magnesia, soak for 20 min. and let dry, will last for many years!
29. A Slinky will hold toast and CD's!
30. To keep goggles and glasses from fogging, coat with Colgate toothpaste
31. Wine stains, pour on the Morton salt and watch it absorb into the salt. Also takes out stains from your coffee cup.
32. To remove wax - Take a paper towel and iron it over the wax stain, it will absorb into the towel. (This works on gum also).
33. Remove labels off glassware etc. rub with Peanut butter!
34. Baked on food - fill container with water, get a Bounce paper softener and the static from the towel will cause the baked on food to adhere to it. Soak overnight. Also; you can use 2 Efferdent tablets, soak overnight!
35. Crayon on the wall - Colgate toothpaste and brush it!
36. Dirty grout - Listerine
37. Stains on clothes - Colgate
38. Grass stains - Karo Syrup
39. Grease Stains - Coca Cola, it will also remove grease stains from the driveway overnight. We know it will take corrosion from car batteries!
40. Fleas in your carpet? 20 Mule Team Borax- sprinkle and let stand for 24 hours. Maybe this will work if you get them back again.
41. To keep FRESH FLOWERS longer Add a little Clorox , or 2 Bayer aspirin, or just use 7-up instead of water.
42. When you go to buy bread in the grocery store, have you ever wondered which is the freshest, so you "squeeze" for freshness or softness? Did you know that bread is delivered fresh to the stores five days a week? Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Each day has a different color twist tie. They are:
Monday = Blue
Tuesday = Green
Thursday = Red
Friday = White
Saturday = Yellow .
So if today was Thursday, you would want red twist tie; not white which is Fridays (almost a week old)! The colors go alphabetically by color Blue - Green - Red - White - Yellow, Monday through Saturday. Very easy to remember.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
SWEET DEAL
I've been eyeing this red Camelback Dream at the bike store. Retails for $50, on sale this weekend for half price; I had a gift card with $14 left on it, so I paid $11. Sized and shaped for a woman's torso, 70 oz, plus storage pockets. (Webpage says 50 oz, but the tag says 70, and I measured.... 70.) Very sweet deal.
Daughter Val and her family are camping a few sites down from us for the weekend. They got in late last night. I was already asleep. During the night, I was awakened by a young, matter-of-fact, FYI, "oh, bummer" voice commenting, "I puked." Opened my eyes to see 8-yr-old Gracie sitting up beside me where my husband usually is, quietly and casually throwing up into her favorite quilt, which she held in front of her face like a bowl. I guess she was spending the night :-) After she was done puking, she went to the bathroom, I helped her rinse her mouth out, and she got back into bed beside me and went back to sleep. Nothing to it. No muss, no fuss. I puked. Goodnight. I opened the bedroom door and saw my husband sleeping on the sofa. Whatever. Plans change without notification in this family :-)
This was my last day working at the gym. Owner volunteered that he would be very pleased if I'd work for him next summer as well, if we're in the area. Tuesday, we leave for wild, wonderful Winchester, Virginia, a major Civil-War crossroads and hometown of one of my inspirations, country-music singer Patsy Cline. It's not your typical snowbird hotspot, but it will be slightly warmer there than here, and we have a job working for the campground there.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
BIKING WITH BEARS!
Wish I'd been able to take this picture, but didn't have my camera along. A black bear with 2 cubs crossed the road not 100 yards in front of me while I was biking, and stopped maybe 50 feet off the side of the road. Since bears can sprint at 30mph, I didn't want to ride that close to a female with cubs, so I stopped. She looked at me. I looked at her. Finally I said, "Hi!" cordially but loudly, whereupon she turned and took her cubs off into the woods, and I rode on by.They were so black and so beautiful. The cubs were not quite as big as Journey -- about the size of Springer spaniels. This year's cubs (they stay with the mother 2 years.) I feel so privileged to have seen them so close.
I saw lots of deer, too, including a doe with 2 fawns. This is always lovely to see but not unusual. The bear with cubs is less usual. I see a bear maybe once or twice a year here, or every year or two -- it's always special, especially the cubs.
It was a lovely ride. I started out tired but kept my gears easy, didn't push, took roads I haven't taken before, kept making up new loops.... I was scheduled for 75 miles but being tired hoped I'd manage 50; however, I kept feeling better with the easy spinning and had done 68 miles by the time I got home. I could easily have done the other 7 but it was getting dark. Spent too much time having lunch with my mother.
It was a beautiful, blustery early autumn day. Yes, early autumn... our trees start turning the end of July, and by the end of August there are a few yellow trees and quite a few leaves down on the back roads. It was overcast and alternately misting, drizzling, and sprinkling, 60*F and a little windy. I just had shorts and a short-sleeve jersey but as long as I kept pedaling I wasn't cold. A few people had their woodstoves going already, and the air smelled wonderful. Except when I got a whiff of the paper mill about 30 miles off... this indicates a weather front coming up from the south, which is Tropical Storm Ernesto.
Deer, bears, fallen leaves, wood smoke.... mmmmm.
This week's training so far:
Sunday: Biked 70 miles, 4:46 (total time 4:50, 4 minutes in stops.)
Tuesday: Ran 13, 2:20.
Wednesday: Swam 3900yds -- 2.2 miles -- 1:30.
Thursday: Biked 68 miles, 5:14 (total time 5:24, 10 minutes in stops, including watching the bears.)
A good week.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
BAD "TIDINGS" FOR CHESAPEAKEMAN?
Looks like the tide will be INCOMING, that is, AGAINST the swimmers, for Chesapeakeman's point-to-point swim. Race start time is an hour after low tide... right about when it starts coming in.
We better start swimming now, Nancy....
I may change my blog name to AGAINST THE TIDE.
From the MD Dept. of Natural Resources Fisheries & Wildlife Tables:
Tides for Cambridge starting with September 30, 2006.
Day High Tide Height Sunrise
/Low Time Feet Sunset
Sa 30 Low 5:45 AM 1.1 6:59 AM
30 High 9:57 AM 1.6 6:49 PM
30 Low 3:41 PM 0.7
30 High 10:47 PM 2.8
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
WHEN YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE TRAINING....
.... train anyway.
For some reason I'm still tired from Sunday's bike ride. I was scheduled for a 12-mile run today, put it off till mid-afternoon hoping I'd work up some kind of desire for it, which didn't happen. So I set out with heavy legs and a heavy heart. Thought about Commodore's thoughts on quitting. Visualized being 12 miles from the finish line in the run of IMFL, when surely I won't feel like running 12 miles. At mile 2, I started with the beer bottles: "10 bottles of beer on the wall, 10 bottles of beer...." Every mile, I took down another bottle of beer. And the miles ticked by.
I visualized running with a handful of people in the Ironman, all tired from the bike, all wishing we were done, all of us helping each other along. You can't bike together in the IM, but you can run together. I thought about walking through the aid stations, then saying to my group, "Come on, let's go," and the whole group limps off at a jog again.
8 bottles of beer on the wall.... 7 bottles of beer... come on, gang, we can run 7 miles, look how many times we've run 7 miles before.
I got a blood blister on my toe. It squished with every step. And eventually I got back home, the run was done, I didn't quit, I didn't bag it, and it's more miles in the bank and practice in being mentally tough.
I am going to do this Ironman.
For some reason I'm still tired from Sunday's bike ride. I was scheduled for a 12-mile run today, put it off till mid-afternoon hoping I'd work up some kind of desire for it, which didn't happen. So I set out with heavy legs and a heavy heart. Thought about Commodore's thoughts on quitting. Visualized being 12 miles from the finish line in the run of IMFL, when surely I won't feel like running 12 miles. At mile 2, I started with the beer bottles: "10 bottles of beer on the wall, 10 bottles of beer...." Every mile, I took down another bottle of beer. And the miles ticked by.
I visualized running with a handful of people in the Ironman, all tired from the bike, all wishing we were done, all of us helping each other along. You can't bike together in the IM, but you can run together. I thought about walking through the aid stations, then saying to my group, "Come on, let's go," and the whole group limps off at a jog again.
8 bottles of beer on the wall.... 7 bottles of beer... come on, gang, we can run 7 miles, look how many times we've run 7 miles before.
I got a blood blister on my toe. It squished with every step. And eventually I got back home, the run was done, I didn't quit, I didn't bag it, and it's more miles in the bank and practice in being mentally tough.
I am going to do this Ironman.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Sunday
Here are my two sweet pets, Annie and Journey... thought you guys would like this.
I'm relaxing after a 70-mile bike ride... stats: 70.86 miles, moving time 4:46, total time 4:50 (read: almost NO stopping!!), average 14.8mph. My average speed has increased by about 1.5mph over the summer. I'm looking forward to some faster times on flat roads at ChesapeakeMan and IMFL. I did a favorite 20-mile loop twice and then my favorite 30-mile out-and-back. My lower back and my lateral quads hurt towards the end. After a plate of food and 3 aspirins, I'm feeling a lot better. It was a good ride. A really good ride. But I was glad not to have another 42 miles followed by a marathon.... thought lot about what Commodore said about quitting. I think that essay is going to keep me going a lot in the next 10 weeks. Even though I'm nowhere near quitting anymore, I still think about it, think about taking the shortcut home, wonder just like last year whether I'm up to this venture. Just because I did it last year doesn't mean I'm guaranteed to make it this year. But I will not quit. Not me.
Today's ride finally took me out of Colorado into Kansas, in my fantasy "Tour d'Amerique." Click on the link in my sidebar to see my map so far! Judging by how straight the road has become, it's flatland, which is no doubt a distinct relief -- maybe I can start making better time now :-)
I'm watching "Hondo" on TCM. I've been waiting probably 2 years for it to air sometime. John Wayne is the star. It was made in 1953 and, unlike a lot of movies of that era, has real scenery, not painted backdrops and fake shrubbery. I'm recording it. TCM does not have commercials, which makes it even better."Hondo" was Western author Louis L'Amour's first full-length novel. I LOVE Louis L'Amour. Stories of journeys, adventure, suspense, survival, courage, and honor, people pulling together and making it on their own, living on coffee, beans, bacon and wild game. Hokey as hell -- the good guys always win, the bad guys always get what's coming to them, the women are either virtuous and strong, or ladies of the evening, Indians are mostly savage heathens -- but I love 'em.
Friday, August 25, 2006
2.4 hours?
A couple people have commented that 2.4 hours seems like a lot to spend in meditation, prayer, or whatever.
I think so too. In fact, my doc and I laughed about it and decided 10% of waking hours was a better goal to shoot for. And even that, something to shoot for, not something to expect to achieve immediately. A goal to train for.
Even that seems like a lot.
Maybe you do it like athletic training... increase by 10% a week.
However, I easily spend 3 or 4 hours a day on email, blogging, mapping my running routes, looking up sports nutrition and athletic injuries and training programs on the internet. My athletic training and goals could easily be a religion.
Nancy asked about multi-tasking.... meditating while swimming, etc.
We're on the right track here. Except when I'm swimming I think, one, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three. Running: One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Biking: One, two, three, four. And so on.
Sometimes while I'm running, a song with the rhythm of my cadence will play itself in my head: "Now there's RED-haired BLUE-ticks all O-ver the SOUTH; LOVE got me IN here and LOVE got me OUT." That's a good one... Big Red the hound dog, trained by a prisoner, who used the dog to escape. Good song. But I could be ruminating on a Psalm as well as a redbone country song. But the Psalms don't have that catchy rhythm.
2.4 hours.
Why not 24? Why not 100%? In everything give thanks. Pray without ceasing. Offer your body as a living sacrifice.
Make every moment of life a prayer.
Why not?
Is it possible?
I think so too. In fact, my doc and I laughed about it and decided 10% of waking hours was a better goal to shoot for. And even that, something to shoot for, not something to expect to achieve immediately. A goal to train for.
Even that seems like a lot.
Maybe you do it like athletic training... increase by 10% a week.
However, I easily spend 3 or 4 hours a day on email, blogging, mapping my running routes, looking up sports nutrition and athletic injuries and training programs on the internet. My athletic training and goals could easily be a religion.
Nancy asked about multi-tasking.... meditating while swimming, etc.
We're on the right track here. Except when I'm swimming I think, one, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three. Running: One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Biking: One, two, three, four. And so on.
Sometimes while I'm running, a song with the rhythm of my cadence will play itself in my head: "Now there's RED-haired BLUE-ticks all O-ver the SOUTH; LOVE got me IN here and LOVE got me OUT." That's a good one... Big Red the hound dog, trained by a prisoner, who used the dog to escape. Good song. But I could be ruminating on a Psalm as well as a redbone country song. But the Psalms don't have that catchy rhythm.
2.4 hours.
Why not 24? Why not 100%? In everything give thanks. Pray without ceasing. Offer your body as a living sacrifice.
Make every moment of life a prayer.
Why not?
Is it possible?
IT ADDS UP
I've just been looking at my training totals so far for this year.
In 2006 I have covered:
Swim: 50,536yds = 28.7 miles (45.9km)
Bike: 1689.7 miles (2705km)
Run: 510.1 miles (820.9km)
This is the equivalent of 11.9 Ironman triathlons (geez, within a tenth of a mile of finishing my 12th) plus 3 century rides plus 7.5 free-standing marathons, and another 47.9 bike miles.
And I'm not even approaching the mileage some of the rest of you have been putting in.
We are awesome, gang.
In 2006 I have covered:
Swim: 50,536yds = 28.7 miles (45.9km)
Bike: 1689.7 miles (2705km)
Run: 510.1 miles (820.9km)
This is the equivalent of 11.9 Ironman triathlons (geez, within a tenth of a mile of finishing my 12th) plus 3 century rides plus 7.5 free-standing marathons, and another 47.9 bike miles.
And I'm not even approaching the mileage some of the rest of you have been putting in.
We are awesome, gang.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
AWESOME DAY
This is long; I've highlighted the main points in different colors, which will give you the short version if you want it.
This has been such a good day.
Started out with doing some research online for godly counsel on a question of theology/scripture/personal morals/faithfulness that's been bugging me. I found the results of this search very reassuring and comforting. Last night I was talking to my psychiatrist (yeah, I see a psychiatist a few times a year, take some meds) about why I feel spiritually dead lately, and he suggested that it wouldn't hurt to "tithe" 10% of my time to God. I asked... "You mean 10% of 24 hours or 10% of my WAKING hours?" He just laughed. This is like asking, "10% of my gross income or 10% of my bring-home?" Right now I'm going with waking hours. But he and I both hit on the fact that 10% of 24 hours is 2.4 hours, a number which has great significance to me right now, and we pondered whether that means something. Probably not. I asked how I'm going to find roughly 1.6 hours in the schedule that's already coming out my ears and we both said at the same time: "Seek first the kingdom of God and all else shall be given unto you besides." Well, I was given a lot today.
Took both pets (Journey and kitty Annie) to the vet to update shots and the cost for both of them was HALF what I had been expecting.
Went to the bike/sport shop for new swim goggles and got great TYR race goggles for $10. I looked at streamlined red Camelbaks, asked the cashier if there's a layaway plan, and she said, "Actually those are going to be on sale Labor Day Weekend." Cool!!! I looked for red bike gloves but they didn't have any, only gray and black. Their Trek gloves were all $24.95.
Went for a swim in my wetsuit and new goggles, an hour and 10 minutes scheduled, but I kept going a little more, 3450 yards in 1:17 (1.96 miles), which if my calculations (including the length of the lake swim area) are correct, works out to 2:23/100 yds. My time is definitely coming down, even though the wind came up and I had to fight some chop, the kind that slaps you in the face, makes you take in a mouthful of water instead of air, makes you have to sight over the waves. I was thrilled with this swim.
While eating lunch, I looked on eBay for gloves. Holy smoke, there were the same brand-new red Trek gloves, size small, $5.95, auction ending in 2 hours 45 minutes, 1 bid so far. Are you serious??? I decided to wait; usually I wait till the last few minutes to bid. This way my bid doesn't just push the price up, and it helps me decide whether or not to jump in, since by then probably the other bidder(s) have gone as high as they're going, and if I decide to go that high I can easily outbid by a less than a dollar, and they won't have time to retaliate.
Since I felt so good and had a couple hours left for the gloves, I went for a bike ride. The ending auction gave me incentive to push a little to get back in time. I also had the chance to try out my latest homemade energy gel (recipe below). Bike ride stats: 20 miles, 1:14, average pace 16.3mph; 16 minutes faster than when I rode this route about 6 weeks ago. This day is going so incredibly well.
Back home, I had some supper while I watched the auction. No further action. So I put in my bid with 4 minutes to go and got the red Trek gloves, sold in the bike shop for $24.95, for $6.06. Totally unbelievable. The only possible catch is, they're coming from Great Britain, hope the shipping isn't out of sight. But this day is going so well, it can't go wrong. Even if shipping is $10, I've still saved $8 or $9 (with tax), and they didn't have any red ones in the store.
I can tell I've worked out but I'm still feeling good, and may even go out for a short run, making the day a triple. I can't believe how much difference it makes taking every other day off.
FOOD DISCOVERIES:
Dollar General Store has just about all the canned and packaged foods I buy, at about half what they cost at Wal-Mart. Brand-name cosmetics and toiletries cost next to nothing, too.
If you mix peanut butter with an equal amount of mashed garbanzo beans, it cuts the fat in half and still tastes like peanut butter.
NEW ENERGY GEL RECIPE:
- 3 tablespoons jelly (I used grape, $1 for quart jar at the Dollar Store
- 1/2 cup maltodextrin ($2 for a pound in the liquor store's "moonshining" section)
- About a teaspoon of vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon salt (270mg sodium)
- 1 tablespoon liquid -- water, juice, Gatorade, whatever
Microwave the jelly 20-30 seconds to melt it. Stir in the liquid. Stir in salt and maltodextrin Yes, it will all fit in there. You can use Carbo-Pro but it's $20-$24 or so for, I think, a 2 or 3 pound can. Stir in vanilla. This made enough to just fill my 4.5oz gel flask. I didn't use the liquid, and after the jelly jelled back up, I couldn't squeeze the stuff out of my flask. By then I was on the ride. I stopped and squoze some Gatorade into it from my Camelback and shook it like crazy. That worked. So put in that extra tablespoon of liquid.
By my figures, this should have about 350 calories, as slightly less than 90 grams of carbohydrate. I couldn't find the exact calorie content of plain maltodextrin, but a product called Carbo Gain lists maltodextrin as just about its only ingredient, and states that 1/2 cup is 190 calories. Carbo-Pro gave information per oz or 28.5 grams, but I don't have any way to measure or translate ounces or grams.
To me it tastes really good, about the same texture as Power Gel but way better tasting, and look at my ride stats. I drank a quart of Gatorade as well, with 1/4 tsp. salt added (540 mg. sodium).
Now that I've sat for a while, I don't think I'll run after all. I did a long, fast (for me) swim and short intense ride (long hills), and now that that's all settling I do realize I'm tired. So I'm going to call it a day.
A very, very good day.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
IS TRIATHLON EXPENSIVE?
Well, I've been looking and looking on Commodore's blog for the post discussing whether triathlon is a sport for the well-to-do, and I can't find it. Help me out here, Comm. Where is it?
I've been thinking about this ever since he posted it.
Is triathlon expensive? Definitely.
Is it a sport of the affluent? Not necessarily.
I'm anything but affluent but I hang in there in triathlon. I admit I'm a cheapskate. Not by choice but by necessity. We retired on not really enough of a nest egg, lost my nurse's income, and went from salary to pension for my husband. We get along. Sometimes we have to work, not so much to make ends meet as to have stuff. Satellite TV and computer, for instance. And so that I can pursue triathlon.
I wear DeSoto Sports tri suits, shorts and jerseys I've gotten on eBay. $25 for a $125 tri suit. $20 for a $60 pair of shorts. $11 for a $50 jersey.
My 70-oz Camelbak was $14.95 on eBay (a discontinued no-frills-no-bulk-and-no-external-fill model that used to retail for about $40.) I made pockets out of a calico bandana and sewed them on.
Bento Box, $10 on eBay. Gel-flask holder with flask, $4.95 on eBay. Set of 4 gel-flask replacement caps, $1.99 on eBay (no one else apparently needed any.)
I got a $400 X-Terra triathlon wetsuit on eBay for $150. Never worn.
I had to budget around all these items. Each of them meant a choice between having that and having or doing something else (except the small-change items like the flask caps and holder.) I saved for the wetsuit and then waited until one I wanted was up for auction, and crossed my fingers that I'd get it.
I get polyester/nylon/cotton (not much cotton) socks at Wal-Mart, something like $5 for 3 pairs. I get my bike gloves at Wal-Mart ($6.95 Bell's.) I get my sunglasses at Wal-Mart ($8.95 Panama Jack). I get my sport bras at Wal-Mart ($6.95 FOTL.) I get my swimsuits at Wal-Mart, or did, until my favorite Catalina one-piece came out this year with tacky molded-foam bra-cups. So I didn't get a new swimsuit this year. Oops, yes I did.... a zip-back Zoot trisuit/swimsuit with quick-dry fleece pad. $12 on eBay. Half the price of the Wal-Mart Catalina suit at that. Except for the ones I bought half-price at the end of the summer a couple years ago that I'm tossing one at a time as they wear out.
And of course my 100-lap Timex Ironman watch came from Wal-Mart, like everyone else's.
I do have retail Cat-1 road shoes. $99 from Performance Bike, on sale from $149. Big budget item. And a Giro helmet. And I do have a nice Trek 2100 Womens' Special Design road bike. That cost nearly what we saved last summer by working for our campsite.
And I do pay a coach. She gives me a senior discount. But I'm still a month behind.
There are things I want. Like, to do more tri's, probably Oly distance, but at $65-85 per event plus getting there, I don't do much of it. I used my whole last gym paycheck to register for the ChesapeakeMan AquaVelo that Nancy and I are doing Sept. 30 as training for IMFL. Steve commented that $185 was a lot to shell out for a training ride. But it's the only event I've done since the Arizona Senior Olympics tri in March. Oops, no, forgot the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon in June. That wasn't awfully expensive, $35, and the room cost $89 for the one night, and I had 2 roommates who shared the cost with me, and the pasta dinner was INCLUDED in the registration cost, so I had no food costs, took hand-to-mouth food with me in the car which I borrowed from our son to save the cost of driving 300 miles each way with our Ford 250 diesel truck. I didn't spend much on that marathon.
Twice this summer, most recently this past weekend, my bike has needed adjustment and/or parts plus labor that came to nearly $100. That meant doing without something else. Like a new red $50 Camelbak with a wide-mouth external-fill feature, quicker refill on the bike course at IMFL. Like a new pair of red Trek bike gloves ($24.95). Like an Ironman helmet ($50) and red Michelin Ironman triathlon tires ($50 each.) I will probably get new tires before IMFL and maybe I can find red ones, but they'll probably be $30 each and they won't say Ironman on them. I now have a shiny new rear cassette that doesn't cause my chain to skip in the outer gears, but I don't have some of the other things I was hoping to get. They'll have to wait.
And do I want all these new red accessories for IMFL, or do I want to save on the cost and have money to buy stuff at the humongous expo when I'm there?
Quite possibly everyone else has the same budget issues but doesn't dwell on them or post about them. But I've been thinking about it ever since Commodore's post, how much I'd like to spend on triathlon vs. how much I can spend and how much I actually spend.
Triathlon is definitely expensive.
But you don't have to spend a lot of money to do it. You just look for where you can cut a deal, and spread your deals out over time. And in between, you save for them.
I've been thinking about this ever since he posted it.
Is triathlon expensive? Definitely.
Is it a sport of the affluent? Not necessarily.
I'm anything but affluent but I hang in there in triathlon. I admit I'm a cheapskate. Not by choice but by necessity. We retired on not really enough of a nest egg, lost my nurse's income, and went from salary to pension for my husband. We get along. Sometimes we have to work, not so much to make ends meet as to have stuff. Satellite TV and computer, for instance. And so that I can pursue triathlon.
I wear DeSoto Sports tri suits, shorts and jerseys I've gotten on eBay. $25 for a $125 tri suit. $20 for a $60 pair of shorts. $11 for a $50 jersey.
My 70-oz Camelbak was $14.95 on eBay (a discontinued no-frills-no-bulk-and-no-external-fill model that used to retail for about $40.) I made pockets out of a calico bandana and sewed them on.
Bento Box, $10 on eBay. Gel-flask holder with flask, $4.95 on eBay. Set of 4 gel-flask replacement caps, $1.99 on eBay (no one else apparently needed any.)
I got a $400 X-Terra triathlon wetsuit on eBay for $150. Never worn.
I had to budget around all these items. Each of them meant a choice between having that and having or doing something else (except the small-change items like the flask caps and holder.) I saved for the wetsuit and then waited until one I wanted was up for auction, and crossed my fingers that I'd get it.
I get polyester/nylon/cotton (not much cotton) socks at Wal-Mart, something like $5 for 3 pairs. I get my bike gloves at Wal-Mart ($6.95 Bell's.) I get my sunglasses at Wal-Mart ($8.95 Panama Jack). I get my sport bras at Wal-Mart ($6.95 FOTL.) I get my swimsuits at Wal-Mart, or did, until my favorite Catalina one-piece came out this year with tacky molded-foam bra-cups. So I didn't get a new swimsuit this year. Oops, yes I did.... a zip-back Zoot trisuit/swimsuit with quick-dry fleece pad. $12 on eBay. Half the price of the Wal-Mart Catalina suit at that. Except for the ones I bought half-price at the end of the summer a couple years ago that I'm tossing one at a time as they wear out.
And of course my 100-lap Timex Ironman watch came from Wal-Mart, like everyone else's.
I do have retail Cat-1 road shoes. $99 from Performance Bike, on sale from $149. Big budget item. And a Giro helmet. And I do have a nice Trek 2100 Womens' Special Design road bike. That cost nearly what we saved last summer by working for our campsite.
And I do pay a coach. She gives me a senior discount. But I'm still a month behind.
There are things I want. Like, to do more tri's, probably Oly distance, but at $65-85 per event plus getting there, I don't do much of it. I used my whole last gym paycheck to register for the ChesapeakeMan AquaVelo that Nancy and I are doing Sept. 30 as training for IMFL. Steve commented that $185 was a lot to shell out for a training ride. But it's the only event I've done since the Arizona Senior Olympics tri in March. Oops, no, forgot the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon in June. That wasn't awfully expensive, $35, and the room cost $89 for the one night, and I had 2 roommates who shared the cost with me, and the pasta dinner was INCLUDED in the registration cost, so I had no food costs, took hand-to-mouth food with me in the car which I borrowed from our son to save the cost of driving 300 miles each way with our Ford 250 diesel truck. I didn't spend much on that marathon.
Twice this summer, most recently this past weekend, my bike has needed adjustment and/or parts plus labor that came to nearly $100. That meant doing without something else. Like a new red $50 Camelbak with a wide-mouth external-fill feature, quicker refill on the bike course at IMFL. Like a new pair of red Trek bike gloves ($24.95). Like an Ironman helmet ($50) and red Michelin Ironman triathlon tires ($50 each.) I will probably get new tires before IMFL and maybe I can find red ones, but they'll probably be $30 each and they won't say Ironman on them. I now have a shiny new rear cassette that doesn't cause my chain to skip in the outer gears, but I don't have some of the other things I was hoping to get. They'll have to wait.
And do I want all these new red accessories for IMFL, or do I want to save on the cost and have money to buy stuff at the humongous expo when I'm there?
Quite possibly everyone else has the same budget issues but doesn't dwell on them or post about them. But I've been thinking about it ever since Commodore's post, how much I'd like to spend on triathlon vs. how much I can spend and how much I actually spend.
Triathlon is definitely expensive.
But you don't have to spend a lot of money to do it. You just look for where you can cut a deal, and spread your deals out over time. And in between, you save for them.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
BR_CK
That's a brick that's missing the middle part. My bike is in the shop getting some adjustments.
I swam for an hour (2400 yds) and then ran 8 miles (1:22, negative split by about 45 seconds).
I felt wonderful.
I can't believe how much difference it makes for me to train only every other day. And today's double workout came after 2 days off. I can go faster and farther than when I'm struggling to keep up with shorter ones 6 days a week.
It's not traditional for IM training; but it works better for this Ironwoman.
Suppose I do 2 hours, 2 or 3 days a week -- that's 4-6 hours. Add a 4-6-hour session once a week and that's 8 - 12 hours. It still comes out to an acceptable number of hours per week. Although I will say I've always been skeptical of the value of a certain number of hours or miles per week. I think the body covers distance based on how much can be done at a time, not how much is done in a week. This has always been what's worked for me with marathon-training, too. 3 runs a week including my long one is about my max. A 30-mile week is a rarity. But maybe that's just me.
Anyway, I'm feeling way better and training way better with a rest day every other day. Came home to a recovery meal of "Two all-soy patties, special sauce, tomatoes, salt, lettuce, onions on two whole-wheat buns." Not precisely a Big Mac but it hit the spot and had that supposedly-ideal 4/1 carb/protein ratio. Plus it tasted good.
I feel great.
I swam for an hour (2400 yds) and then ran 8 miles (1:22, negative split by about 45 seconds).
I felt wonderful.
I can't believe how much difference it makes for me to train only every other day. And today's double workout came after 2 days off. I can go faster and farther than when I'm struggling to keep up with shorter ones 6 days a week.
It's not traditional for IM training; but it works better for this Ironwoman.
Suppose I do 2 hours, 2 or 3 days a week -- that's 4-6 hours. Add a 4-6-hour session once a week and that's 8 - 12 hours. It still comes out to an acceptable number of hours per week. Although I will say I've always been skeptical of the value of a certain number of hours or miles per week. I think the body covers distance based on how much can be done at a time, not how much is done in a week. This has always been what's worked for me with marathon-training, too. 3 runs a week including my long one is about my max. A 30-mile week is a rarity. But maybe that's just me.
Anyway, I'm feeling way better and training way better with a rest day every other day. Came home to a recovery meal of "Two all-soy patties, special sauce, tomatoes, salt, lettuce, onions on two whole-wheat buns." Not precisely a Big Mac but it hit the spot and had that supposedly-ideal 4/1 carb/protein ratio. Plus it tasted good.
I feel great.
Friday, August 18, 2006
IMFL ROLL CALL
OK.... who exactly is doing IMFL? Nancy, Commodore, Bolder, Shelley, Bev, me (you don't need a link for me, you're here already).... who else?
Since not everyone reads my blog, maybe you who do can put out an APB so that all the IMFL folks will get a heads-up and pop on over to sign in. Or you can just tell me they're doing it.
There is going to be a HUGE crowd of bloggers and emailers who know each other but haven't met yet. How are we going to recognize each other?
I'm posting this on the IMFL blog as well.
Chime in, folks! Thanks!
Since not everyone reads my blog, maybe you who do can put out an APB so that all the IMFL folks will get a heads-up and pop on over to sign in. Or you can just tell me they're doing it.
There is going to be a HUGE crowd of bloggers and emailers who know each other but haven't met yet. How are we going to recognize each other?
I'm posting this on the IMFL blog as well.
Chime in, folks! Thanks!
Thursday, August 17, 2006
SWIM-BIKE BRICK!
Wow! What a great day. It's hard to believe that just a week ago I was so tired and discouraged I told my husband I was thinking of giving up on IMFL. Today's workout was a 40-minute swim followed by a 50-mile bike ride. As I got into the 74*F water for a warmup, I thought how actually the swim is a cool-down --- the swim pre-cooling me for the ride. I had ridden to the lake and didn't know how to handle my wetsuit getting there and then heading right out for the ride, so I didn't use it today.
Now, either I'm going crazy, or getting increasingly dyslexic, or the earth has moved. I always start my lake swims at the north end of the swim area, where the bottom is sandy, then start encountering rocks and boulders and reefs about halfway, which persist until the turnaround 75 yards later. Today, I saw rocks and boulders and reefs as soon as I started swimming, and they cleared as I approached the turnaround. Am I crazy? This is backwards. These boulders are too big to have been displaced by lake currents and transported 75 yards to the other end. But there they were. I swam over them (actually brushing some with my hands while stroking -- incentive to keep my stroke wide and shallow), exited at the now-sandy end, and decided to reverse my direction from usual to make my exit easier for transition. I observed, too, that my trip south-to-north was quicker and met less resistance than north-to-south -- also reversed from usual. Either I'm going crazy or the earth moved. Or maybe the wind changed, but that doesn't explain the repositioning of the reefs.
Warmup over, I did a beach start. 41 minutes netted me 1650 yards. Damn. If I'd been watching my laps instead of the time, and doing the math, I'd have gone one more lap to have just over a mile. But I was watching my time and it was time to get out.
Transition was 4:56, including carrying my bike across a couple hundred feet of grass and up a set of wooden stairs. I needed to pee but the bath house was too far away -- I could stop by the side of the road faster, and would.
I could tell as soon as I started biking that it was a good day. Took it easy, trying to keep my effort even (did not use HRM), didn't overexert myself, and had averaged 14.8mph by the turnaround at 25 miles, including a 1/2-mile downhill that I took maxing out at 43.8mph even squeezing my brakes intemittently. Of course, I had to go back up that hill, which I did in my granny gear. I used it for a few others, too. By the end of the day my average was 14.0, so obviously there was more downhill on the way out, and vice versa.I didn't take that pit stop till the turnaround. Kept just putting it off.
I had my watch set to beep every 10 minutes, when I drank Gatorade spiked with an Airborne tablet, with a longer beep every 30, when I took a salt capsule with water and ate something. Eating every half-hour was an experiment and I found I feel better eating half as much every half hour, than eating more every hour.
On the way up the monster hill, I got a sudden, strange, specific craving for turnip greens. ????? And, since I'm a redneck, I just happened to have some at home, which I included in my post-race meal -- canned, since although this is redneck country it's not turnip-green country, too far north. I ate them with cider vinegar; they would have been better with some bacon grease, but I'm not so much of a redneck as to have that on hand. Still, they were so good I ate the whole can, along with a breaded fried chicken breast (more redneck food) and rice with BUTTER. I deserved it.
The ride home was just as nice as the ride out, despite the increased uphills. With about 12 miles to go I got another craving, for the chicken bouillon broth I'd brought, so I stopped, fished it out of my Camelback pocket, and swilled that down. It hit the spot directly. I was taking no chances on sodium depletion today, even though it wasn't all that hot or humid, high 70's, clear, mostly-shaded roads. I kept being amazed at how I was able to go up hills with a nice cadence and relatively low effort on higher gears than earlier in the season (although, yes, I did use my grannies on about 3 of the hills. What the heck, I AM a granny.) I was feeling a little tired after about 35 miles but nothing serious.
Got home still feeling great; I had left my running shoes on the picnic bench for a quick transition in case I felt great enough to add a short run, but getting off my bike and looking at the running shoes I decided I didn't feel THAT great and scratched the thought of a run. It wasn't on the schedule custom-designed for me by my coach so it must not be in the stars.
So a pint of chocolate milk, put the chicken on to cook while I showered, sat down to the aforementioned chicken dinner, and I'm done.
My total bike time was only 10 minutes longer than my actual moving time. I'm whittling down my stops. I had a couple longish ones waiting for traffic, crossing the main road; one to see what noise my front wheel had started to make (I still don't know... sounds like katydids buzzing -- bearings?); one quick stand-up pee stop on the shoulder of the road (girls, you have got to master the stand-up no-mess pee technique); one to get my salt broth out of my Camelback and guzzle that down; and one a couple miles from home for 2 vehicles driven by tourons (a locally-coined word combining "tourist" and "moron"), one towing a boat, the other 2 jet-skis, trying to make a sharp left turn into the angled driveway of their vacation house. There was no shoulder where I could go around them (soft gravel and grass) and I couldn't go around to the left where they were turning. So I pulled my bike off the road (good move, the trailer with the jet-skis rolled back a couple yards to right where I'd been) and sat on the guard rail waiting for them to figure out what they were doing. I had been on a good roll for the upcoming incline but said touron vehicles were fooling around right on the incline, and when I ground to a stop I didn't downshift, so when the touron trucks finally got off the road, it was hard for me to get going again in the gears I was in. But I managed and was soon on my way again. I think IQ testing ought to be mandatory for tourists, but I don't seem to be able to get that program up and running.
So I'm back in the saddle after my bonk 10 days ago and some gun-shy hesitation to get back on the bike, cured fairly well by Sunday's 30 miles and completely by today's 50, enough sodium capsules and a squeeze-bottle of chicken bouillon.
No doubt only a few of you have actually read all this; it's as long as my ride was. But I had fun writing it.
Now, either I'm going crazy, or getting increasingly dyslexic, or the earth has moved. I always start my lake swims at the north end of the swim area, where the bottom is sandy, then start encountering rocks and boulders and reefs about halfway, which persist until the turnaround 75 yards later. Today, I saw rocks and boulders and reefs as soon as I started swimming, and they cleared as I approached the turnaround. Am I crazy? This is backwards. These boulders are too big to have been displaced by lake currents and transported 75 yards to the other end. But there they were. I swam over them (actually brushing some with my hands while stroking -- incentive to keep my stroke wide and shallow), exited at the now-sandy end, and decided to reverse my direction from usual to make my exit easier for transition. I observed, too, that my trip south-to-north was quicker and met less resistance than north-to-south -- also reversed from usual. Either I'm going crazy or the earth moved. Or maybe the wind changed, but that doesn't explain the repositioning of the reefs.
Warmup over, I did a beach start. 41 minutes netted me 1650 yards. Damn. If I'd been watching my laps instead of the time, and doing the math, I'd have gone one more lap to have just over a mile. But I was watching my time and it was time to get out.
Transition was 4:56, including carrying my bike across a couple hundred feet of grass and up a set of wooden stairs. I needed to pee but the bath house was too far away -- I could stop by the side of the road faster, and would.
I could tell as soon as I started biking that it was a good day. Took it easy, trying to keep my effort even (did not use HRM), didn't overexert myself, and had averaged 14.8mph by the turnaround at 25 miles, including a 1/2-mile downhill that I took maxing out at 43.8mph even squeezing my brakes intemittently. Of course, I had to go back up that hill, which I did in my granny gear. I used it for a few others, too. By the end of the day my average was 14.0, so obviously there was more downhill on the way out, and vice versa.I didn't take that pit stop till the turnaround. Kept just putting it off.
I had my watch set to beep every 10 minutes, when I drank Gatorade spiked with an Airborne tablet, with a longer beep every 30, when I took a salt capsule with water and ate something. Eating every half-hour was an experiment and I found I feel better eating half as much every half hour, than eating more every hour.
On the way up the monster hill, I got a sudden, strange, specific craving for turnip greens. ????? And, since I'm a redneck, I just happened to have some at home, which I included in my post-race meal -- canned, since although this is redneck country it's not turnip-green country, too far north. I ate them with cider vinegar; they would have been better with some bacon grease, but I'm not so much of a redneck as to have that on hand. Still, they were so good I ate the whole can, along with a breaded fried chicken breast (more redneck food) and rice with BUTTER. I deserved it.
The ride home was just as nice as the ride out, despite the increased uphills. With about 12 miles to go I got another craving, for the chicken bouillon broth I'd brought, so I stopped, fished it out of my Camelback pocket, and swilled that down. It hit the spot directly. I was taking no chances on sodium depletion today, even though it wasn't all that hot or humid, high 70's, clear, mostly-shaded roads. I kept being amazed at how I was able to go up hills with a nice cadence and relatively low effort on higher gears than earlier in the season (although, yes, I did use my grannies on about 3 of the hills. What the heck, I AM a granny.) I was feeling a little tired after about 35 miles but nothing serious.
Got home still feeling great; I had left my running shoes on the picnic bench for a quick transition in case I felt great enough to add a short run, but getting off my bike and looking at the running shoes I decided I didn't feel THAT great and scratched the thought of a run. It wasn't on the schedule custom-designed for me by my coach so it must not be in the stars.
So a pint of chocolate milk, put the chicken on to cook while I showered, sat down to the aforementioned chicken dinner, and I'm done.
My total bike time was only 10 minutes longer than my actual moving time. I'm whittling down my stops. I had a couple longish ones waiting for traffic, crossing the main road; one to see what noise my front wheel had started to make (I still don't know... sounds like katydids buzzing -- bearings?); one quick stand-up pee stop on the shoulder of the road (girls, you have got to master the stand-up no-mess pee technique); one to get my salt broth out of my Camelback and guzzle that down; and one a couple miles from home for 2 vehicles driven by tourons (a locally-coined word combining "tourist" and "moron"), one towing a boat, the other 2 jet-skis, trying to make a sharp left turn into the angled driveway of their vacation house. There was no shoulder where I could go around them (soft gravel and grass) and I couldn't go around to the left where they were turning. So I pulled my bike off the road (good move, the trailer with the jet-skis rolled back a couple yards to right where I'd been) and sat on the guard rail waiting for them to figure out what they were doing. I had been on a good roll for the upcoming incline but said touron vehicles were fooling around right on the incline, and when I ground to a stop I didn't downshift, so when the touron trucks finally got off the road, it was hard for me to get going again in the gears I was in. But I managed and was soon on my way again. I think IQ testing ought to be mandatory for tourists, but I don't seem to be able to get that program up and running.
So I'm back in the saddle after my bonk 10 days ago and some gun-shy hesitation to get back on the bike, cured fairly well by Sunday's 30 miles and completely by today's 50, enough sodium capsules and a squeeze-bottle of chicken bouillon.
No doubt only a few of you have actually read all this; it's as long as my ride was. But I had fun writing it.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
MISBEHAVING
One day God was looking down at Earth and saw all of the rascally behavior
that was going on.
So he called one of His Angels and sent the Angel to Earth for a time.When he returned, he told God, "Yes, it is bad on Earth;
95% are misbehaving and only 5% are not." God thought for a moment and said,
"Maybe I had better send down a second Angel to get another opinion."
So God called another Angel and sent him to Earth for a time too.When the angel returned he went to God and said,
"Yes, it's true. The Earth is in decline; 95% are misbehaving, but 5% are being good."
God was not pleased. So He decided to email the 5% that were good,
because He wanted to encourage them, give them a little something to help them
keep going. Do you know what the e-mail said?
...Okay, just wondering; I didn't get one either...
that was going on.
So he called one of His Angels and sent the Angel to Earth for a time.When he returned, he told God, "Yes, it is bad on Earth;
95% are misbehaving and only 5% are not." God thought for a moment and said,
"Maybe I had better send down a second Angel to get another opinion."
So God called another Angel and sent him to Earth for a time too.When the angel returned he went to God and said,
"Yes, it's true. The Earth is in decline; 95% are misbehaving, but 5% are being good."
God was not pleased. So He decided to email the 5% that were good,
because He wanted to encourage them, give them a little something to help them
keep going. Do you know what the e-mail said?
...Okay, just wondering; I didn't get one either...
Monday, August 14, 2006
COUNTY FAIR NO-WINS
Well, maybe it's just me, but I thought these two sleeping-child shots were beautiful.
I entered this in "Close-Ups."
And this as an "Individual Person." There were a bunch of categories but you could only put one picture in each one, so some of them weren't ideal choices. There were a lot of good photos of individuals.
Maybe this just wasn't the right venue for these two pictures. Dare I wonder if it was suspected they might be professional and they were DQ'd from the amateur competition? They were displayed but I was surprised that they didn't win anything at all. I thought the baby one stood a chance of "Best in Show." However, see my next post, below, which you've probably already seen if you've gotten to this one :-)
I entered this in "Close-Ups."
And this as an "Individual Person." There were a bunch of categories but you could only put one picture in each one, so some of them weren't ideal choices. There were a lot of good photos of individuals.
Maybe this just wasn't the right venue for these two pictures. Dare I wonder if it was suspected they might be professional and they were DQ'd from the amateur competition? They were displayed but I was surprised that they didn't win anything at all. I thought the baby one stood a chance of "Best in Show." However, see my next post, below, which you've probably already seen if you've gotten to this one :-)
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