It's Good To Have a Goat

Hello Followers and welcome to my last posting. I have attained my goal of completing the 70.3 Calgary Ironman in 6:23:28 and ranked 17 in my division. Not bad I say for a Newbie!!!

What an incredible experience this has been for me and I am still pinching myself as I still cannot quite believe I did this.

As I crossed that finish line, needless to say I was in tears as I saw the faces of my little ones, my husband and an overwhelming surprise....my sister-who had flown in from Thunder Bay and had kept this secret all along!

Details? well...now to backtrack a bit....

The begginning of the race looked grim. My husband refused to let me look out the window at 3am as our alarm clock went off. He shared that it was light rain, but I knew something was up as he pulled the curtain around his face so that I would not be able to peer into the pitch dark blackness of cloud and rain. I kept thinking of a volunteer in transition the day before who encouraged me to think of something funny when things look bad. She suggested imagining people without their underwear-try as I might-that did not help in the slightest.

I quickly ate my breakfast, packed up and headed for the hotel lobby to get my body markings done before boarding the bus for Ghost Lake. Since I usually call my Voice of Reason in moments of panic, I opted to text her instead. I thought if I phoned her and went on and on and on about my anxiety on a busload of triathalete's that I would probabally get killed before the race even started.

As usual, my Voice of Reason provided me with words of encouragement and ended the text by reminding me of my Blog Title-"It's Good To Have A Goal"-but because it was 2 in the morning (Winnipeg time) and I likely woke her up-she informed that that she nearly text'd me back saying "It's Good To Have A GOAT!" Well, followers I can't tell you how hard I was laughing and I am quite positive that many on the bus thought I was insane and cracking up. Finally something to make me really laugh and take my mind of the impending race in the rain.

After getting off the bus, I headed to transition to pump Snagster's tires, load my water bottles, nutrition and spare tubes/cartridges. I was told the night before to take absolutely everything off my bike as even though it was a secure site-you never could be too sure. The shower curtain worked wonders and I was even able to recycle it! Lots of nervous energy was floating through the air and much to my dismay, I heard quite a few tires pop! (sounds like a gunshot BTW). Everytime this happened, I rushed over to Snagster to see if she was OK-and thankfully she was!

Next, I squeezed into my wetsuit after using the biffy. This was quite terrible as I was wet from the rain, the mosquitto's were insane (yes even worse than the worst night in Winnipeg) and there was no where to stand except in a foot of mud. I felt terrible, and then out of no where a fellow triathalete saw me struggle and helped me get the wetsuit on.

Moments later, the Canadian anthem was played and the Pro Athlete's were in the water warming up. If anyone gets the chance to see the begginning of a triathalon, it is something very incredible and awe-inspiring. Chills ran through my body as the horn went off and the Pro's began their race!

The swim was divided into waves-thank goodness! And since I was a newbie, I started last (7am). The water was freezing but very beautiful but I got knocked around a lot by very big men (I should mention that about 3/4 of the Ironman participants were males). I made a conscience effort to pace and not panic, and this worked out for me. The last 20 minutes of the swim were a bit rough though. Not so much in terms of effort but the water was rough and had a bit of a wake. I kinda felt seasick and was hoping that I would not vomit-purely from a not wanting to embarass myself perspective (did I mention this thing was being filmed and there were photographers all over the place!)

Once I came out of the water (48:02), I felt this tremendous weight lifted from my shoulders-phew I said to myself, sure is good to have a goat-and I laughed! The rain had also stopped and for the remainder of the race showers were light and intermittant.

Next the bike. I was happy to see that Snagster was still OK and her wheels had not blown. I managed to clip in well and before I knew it, I was off for 60 miles on the bike (the bike course had an extra 4 miles tacked on to it!) The course was extremely hilly but absolutely lovely. I heard many describe the course as Kona with cows! I really made an effort to eat and drink on the bike, but my followers, hills are hills, and they are hard with or without fuel. In the end, it is a mind game, and my mantra became, it's good to have a goat, it's good to have a goat....after 3 hours, 18 minutes and 48 seconds of saying this, I was done the bike!

Now the run....a half marathon ahead of me. My legs felt good but tummy was rumbly and not so good. This was definitely the hardest half marathon of my life, and admittedly I did stop several times, especially to conserve energy for the the mamoth hills. I don't honestly know how I ran it in a 2:10 time as it literally felt like I took well over 3 hours!

As I was nearing the finish line, I realized that I was going to become an Ironman. All the hard work paid off. I began this Blog with a quote that is dear to me, and one in which I have come to believe.

"The mind is everything-what you think-you become" Buddha- I became an Iron (WO) Man!!!!!

Before I end this last posting, I do want to say one other thing-not just to my faithful followers but a message to my children. Each life on earth is precious and everyone has been given this gift. I hope by doing what I have done, and learning something from it that I have inspired you to challenge yourselves in ways you never thought possible. You will laugh, you will cry, you will be anxious and afraid. You will question yourself and have to fight against self doubt and a terrible inner critic. You will learn to believe in yourself, and connect with love and passion. You will make friends, and perhaps meet a gangsta lady or two. In the end it's all worth it, because you have truly lived! Thank you for sharing my journey as I post my last entry. It has been a pleasure to have you along on this ride!

Love Donna

Tis the night before!

Hello my followers-lots has happened since I last blogged. We left Winnipeg on Monday morning to begin our trip to Calgary. It has been so great being with my family as many of you know that a great deal of my time has been focused on training. We managed some great adventures to Drumheller Alta, to see the dinosaur fossils, explored the Hoodoo's, went to Canmore and Banff (I so looove it there) hiked Johnston Canyon and ate at some great restaurants.

We arrived in Calgary on Thurs and have an awesome room here at the Westin. On Thursday I got to meet Lisa Bentley (11 x Ironman champion), pick up my race kit and got my number which by the way is #880. I have and continue to feel panicky as this is a pretty awesome but overwhelming experience. I have to thank my children and husband for the patience with me, as lets just say I have been on edge!

Friday we spent the day attempting to drive the bike course. I say attempting because we spent a looong time in the car trying to figure out the map given to us by the Ironman officials. The GPS was unable to find the road called Pringbank Way. After relenting and looking at a purchased map (several hours later) apparently Pringbank Way does not exist!!!! The officials made a typo and it should have been Springbank way!! Needless to say I let the officials know of this error and was disappointed that we did not see the entire course.

Today I dropped off my bike at T1 and took a swim in Ghost Lake. It was very very cold. Also because it is open to boaters the day of the race, the wakes in the water are wicked. This definitely is going to be a challenge!

Had my last plate of spaghetti about 30 minutes ago and have to be on a bus for 415am tomorrow morning. Must get to bed!

Lastly, I cannot end this post without saying a huge thank you to my voice of reason who had to listen to me yet again to calm my anxious nerves on this evening. She owns the Ironman with me, as I would never have come this far without her!

Also I must thank my sister who has always believed in me, who continues to support me and just about made me cry by sending me flowers to my room tonight-Thanks Laurie!

Finally, to all my followers...thank you for all your words of encouragement, your support and most of all your faith in me. This has been one hell of a journey that I will never forget. This experience has pushed me to my limits, has made me laugh, has made me cry. It has tested me all along the way, and has helped me for the first time in my life to believe in myself. After all is said and done......It's good to have a goal!

Almost there

Hello followers-well, here it is-the final postings leading up until next Sunday. I leave for Calgary bright and early tomorrow morning, and am a basket case full of nerves!

I have been extremely busy with making lists, trying to get organized and getting some quality training in albeit at a reduced intensity. I had my last open water swim on Tuesday with Mr. and Mrs. P and that went well. Here's hoping Ghost river will be like my little pond! (OK I know I am trying to delude meself!)

I also took my bike in and Mr. C gave it a final tune up and wrapped my aerobars which feel great-not as slippery!

Yesterday, I met with Mr. P for some last minute advice. Seems like even when I don't think I have any questions left-I do-and lots of them! As usual, Mr. P was able to give me some great tips-he also gave me a DVD to watch of last years race-which was fantastic to see (not the kind of DVD where you eat popcorn and drink pop)-but ramped up my wing nut anxiety even more!

For my devoted followers, just so you know, the race will be covered by TSN (not sure when they broadcast?) and on the day of the race you can actually go online and see when racers come out of the water, their bike and run splits! Man technology is crazy!

This morning, I am going for a swim as I don't know how much opportunity I will have before next weekend to get out and swim. I know the Ironman organizers are arranging a swim clinic on the Saturday which I hope to get to as I want to at least try getting in the Ghost River once before the race!

Prior to the actual race, we are taking the children to Drumhellar for the dinosaurs and Banff and Lake Louise for some hiking and touring! Must also hit the Calgary zoo as I hear it is awesome and of course, what is a trip to Calgary without visiting the IKEA!

Lastly my followers, my friends, my family.....I have to thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Without your support, I would have never have gotten this far. Everyone who has ever been there for me-whether to provide a laugh, advice, a hug, or words of encouragement, will own a part of the Ironman. In life's successes-no one goes it alone. This I know for sure.

I also need to acknowledge the people who have not been there for me, the ones who have dissapointed me, the ones who have dropped off the face of the planet and the ones who get mad at me for splashing in the water (yes even you Gangsta lady). While you folks don't know it, you have given me a gift-the drive to go on, and a lesson about how to persevere in the face of adversity!

So there we are my friends, this time next week....I will be embarking on one of my greatest adventures.....I will keep you posted and love you all!

Arg-2 weeks left!

Hello followers-wow it's been a while since I last posted. I have been beyond busy this week with caring for my children and fitting in another crazy week of training.

I think the last I mentioned, I was tapering-but 2 heavy workouts were sprinkled in. I will make mention of one of them which involved a cycling expedition out to Morden to do some Hill repeat workouts. Very difficult to say in a nutshell-especially given that I was going on only 6 hours sleep! (I went to see Bon Jovi the night before-and well what can I say-worth every penny!)

Climbing and descending hills are a bit of a challenge when 1. you live in terrain that is generally flat and 2. your a newbie. I learned rather quickly that I am a weakling when it comes to climbing! but did OK going down. Thank goodness we had a fantastic day! I am also so glad I got this bit of experience in before Calgary!

This week I will be packing up and making lists and making lists of my lists! Feeling overwhelmed and tired at the moment-and can not believe that the race is coming up so quickly. It's moments like these that I wish I had a few more months to train!

Panic attack

Good morning followers, I was feeling rather weary last night as I completed 58 miles on the bike and a 30 minute run. I panicked as that was all I had in me. My tank was empty and I just about cried thinking about how in the world will I be able to do a half marathon and swim?

After consulting with Mr. P, he reminded me that I should feel exhausted and that what I really need to focus on is pacing and some recovery before the race. I then watched stage 8 Tour de France yesterday and saw some serious suffering, which allowed me to tell anxiety, fear and self doubt to #$ off!

Speaking of recovery-my taper schedule is not a picnic. While there is more rest built in, there looks to be a few challenges as well. Will keep you posted but I can tell you this for certain-I have no scheduled days at the spa whaaaaa!!!!!

So this morning my legs felt way better. I think I must be getting stronger or my pain threshold is increasing as even 2 weeks ago I would have been in distress after having done such a long ride. My morning workout consisted of a swim-which I must say was awesome as it felt great not to have any force being directly applied to my body. Today is a day where I could actually say, that I loved the water. A year ago I would have burst out laughing if someone told me that I would say that!

So for the rest of today, I plan on hitting the beach with my better half and kids and play! No wet suit will be put on......until tomorrow!

80th Post

Well followers, today is my 80th post-and I am nearing the end of my blogging as my goal of the Ironman completion is drawing near.

What can I say? It's been quite a journey. I am feeling exhausted and actually opted out of my long ride today and will head out bright and early tomorrow am to do 3 hours followed by a 30 minute run. My tapering will begin Monday and I am awaiting my program.

I am looking forward to spending some time in Calgary. I love the coolness of the mountain air and the fact that you can actually enjoy being outdoors without worrying about mosquitoes. I think at heart I am a West coast girl and always recall with fondness my earliest childhood memories of living in Comox, BC. Don't get me wrong, there is something very magical about the Big Sky of the Prairie, but nothing can compare to the sea, the mountains and oh so very tall cedar and pine tree's-it feels like home. Ahhh, I digress......

So...back to reality, and it is kind of scaring me. Ok it is a lot. I have to trust that I have put in the necessary training and that I will be ready. Honestly, there is not much more that I can do to prepare myself in 3 weeks to derive much more benefit.

Tapering is a hard thing to do as I often feel at a loss when cutting back my training. So, this time I have a strategy-and it is to pick up some books that I have been meaning to read in the last 6 months. I am starting with the Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill. Not only are books a good thing to read for when my babies are asleep but I always learn something and will have time to reflect as I travel those long miles swimming, cycling and running!

Worst fear yet!

OMG followers- I am still recovering from fear. I last left off advising that I would be completing an OWS and some bike rides.

Well on Tuesday, I met Mr. and Mrs.P for an OWS. That day, as I recall was quite windy- the beach flag was yellow-meaning swim with caution (aka not advisable). From where I was standing on the sand, I could see waves and I thought to meself-self this does not look good.

Since I did not get the "current" experience in Pinawa, I was sure to get the "wave" experience in Bird's Hill. Let's just say, it was a very difficult swim when swimming against the waves. I ended up swallowing a lot of water and had trouble relaxing in my stroke. Then I remembered something I read about not fighting the water. So I began to relax, and eventually felt I would not secumb to drowning. I also experienced feeling extremely hot in the wet suit. Not sure if it was because I was working really hard, the water temperature or my anxiety. Whatever it was, it was not good. Rubber does not breathe well in case anyone has not figured that one out.

But......that was not the worst part. After the swim, we got on our bikes and headed out of the park. Mr. P took us out onto a highway that was in the process of being resurfaced. I was sure that I would blow out my wheel and get a flat. And if that was not worrisome enough, the traffic was crazy and the wind insane. My hands also began to feel as if I was using a jackhammer as the bumpiness was unreal.

But.......that was not the worst part. After the resurfaced road part, we turned onto another highway. This was the worst. It had no shoulder, and traffic was crazy. Cars and semi's were zooming by me at an alarming rate. The wind was gusting, and I was trying my very best to stay on the white line at the very edge of the highway. If I went right I would invariably get hurt, if I went left, I would definitely get killed. I needed to stay straight, and focused. I am pretty sure my handlebars have imprints in the steel from how hard I was gripping, and the tension in my shoulders and upper back was painful.

And then.....a semi truck carrying oil started honking. It had this huge pipe that was sticking out from the side and if it did not move over, it was going to take me out. I of course thought the semi was honking at me to move, but it was honking at the oncoming traffic. Thank the good Lord, it was able to move out of the way just in time-but I think my face was white as a sheet! There must have been a guardian angel looking out for me that day!

On the way back to the park on Hwy 59 (fortunately this highway had a shoulder) the wind was at my back-an unusual event to say the least. It was a pretty cool feeling to hit cadence speeds over 90 and I was amazed at how fast little Snagster could go. Upon entering the park, I was greeted by some hippies playing the bongos and likely higher than kites (Folk Fest has hit the park) and I can't begin to tell you how relieved I was to be alive.

Mrs. P reassured me, that the ride we completed was the worst it would ever get, and confirmed for me that it was pretty bad.

I of course threatened to kill Mr. P but you really can not blame me. After all I was in a traumatic state of fear. That's my story and I am sticking to it!

Much cooler

Hello followers, I am happy to report that I am much cooler now that a purchase of a portable air conditioner was made. My better half was getting panicky after my threat to scratch out his eyeballs (kidding).

So it's official, I completed my last triathlon before the Calgary 1/2 Ironman which is 3 weeks away! I have 2 -100k bike rides and an OWS swim coupled with some running this week-and then tapering will begin.

The Pinawa triathlon went well although the run part (usually where I feel the best) did not feel so good. It was extremely hot out, my feet were blistering as I was running with no socks through swamp grass which caused uber chafing and I was getting terrible stitches on my side. I am not sure the cause of the stitches and wonder if it had something to do with being in the aero position on the bike and my diaphragm being compressed? I also thought that I drank enough but perhaps I was dehydrating as well?

On the up side, my swim went well-I did not lose my swim cap! Love the latex and have no problem saying good riddance to the silicone! The water in which I swam was supposed to have a current-but either it was really weak, or I was totally freaked out, that I did not notice
it (likely the later). In some ways I wish that it had been a stronger current as I really did want to get the feel for that before Calgary!

So this morning my swim coach assisted me in trying to teach me the Breast Stroke. It is useful for when one panics in water, and that is the reason Mr. P was pretty insistent I learn it. I found this stroke to be very awkward and sloooooow! For me, it was like trying to tap your head and rub your tummy at the same time-complete lack of coordination and likely very laughable! But I suppose with practice I will get used to it.

So for the rest of today, I get to recover, tend to my blistered feet and of course sit in front of the air conditioner!

HOT

Too hot to post much of anything-no AC....wilting away. Wish me luck followers as I embark on another Olympic Distance Triathlon tomorrow in Pinawa, MB. Picked up some Heat Endurance Powders and Recovery Drinks and Voice of Reason gave me her GPS for my 4am drive out tomorrow. Hope all goes well! Arg!!!

Aerobars

Hello followers, hope you are all well. I hit the wall from exhaustion today and lucky for me that my husband and mother in law were around to take care of the kids as I indulged in an hour and a half nap in the middle of the afternoon. Hopefully that brain of mine was releasing a lot of growth hormone to repair all those tired bones and muscles. My butt is still not back to normal and I have 4 days before my last Triathlon in Winnipeg.

Yes you heard that right, following another Olympic distance triathlon in Pinawa, MB on Sunday,I will begin a 3 week taper period to prepare for Calgary. This is quite unbelievable to me as I reflect back to all the races I have done. It seemed like yesterday I was hyperventilating about the duathlon series in the park-and now I will be doing my 3rd triathlon in 4 days time.

The Pinawa triathlon will be a challenge for me big time. The water I will be swimming in is a river with a current. I need to get this experience in, as I am sure the Ghost River reservoir in Calgary is similar-if not worse! It will likely be a very lonely day-I don't know anyone who will be doing this triathlon, and will be on the road by 4am to drive out to the race site as it is 2 hours from Winnipeg. So if any of my followers want to accompany me -let me know!

So I should also update you, that I met Mr. and Mrs. P for an OWS followed by a lesson on how to use Aerobars. The swim went fine, but I was quite concerned about how Mr. P's hands turned blue (and I mean Really Really Really blue) as he opted not to wear a wetsuit. Now I REALLY understand why the race officials take water temps and insist on wetsuits in Canadian water!

Fortunately Mr P's hands recovered and we were on the bike before I knew it. Once I got into the aero position, I must say that while it was initially quite wobbly, I found it easier to cycle. My legs were fatiguing less and I felt considerably less exposed to the elements. Because my aerobars are the clip on kind, I have to switch position onto my drops to shift gears. This was hard to do and I must practice this because I change gears lots to save my legs. I could almost see myself not changing gears to avoid the discomfort, but will make an honest effort not to get into that pattern!

The other thing about the aerobars is that you can not brake as fast as you can if you were on your drops. So Mr. P and Mrs. P advised me as to what situations one should avoid being on the bars which was +++ helpful. In addition to that practice, Mr P insisted that I get my water bottle in and out of the cage a gazillion times. I still hate it, but think I am making some progress.

At the end of the day, I felt that I learned a lot, and while not entirely confident, I believe with practice I can get there! Must go now and get an Aero (chocolate) bar as that just sounds way more appealing to me at the moment!

Crinkles and Wrinkles

Hello followers....OMG it's official it's my birthday today and I am 28. Ha Ha Ha-I am actually 40, but screw middle age I say! Nothing like a little physical activity (OK a freaking lot) and future Botox . My poor husband, it's going to cost him!

In all seriousness, it is weird to think I have walked on this planet for 40 years. I have been fortunate enough to embark on many adventures and have the most wonderful family and friends to share them with! I also love to laugh-and that's likely why I have crinkel's I mean wrinkles on my face.

It's too bad wrinkle's couldn't talk, as they would reveal a lot- like the struggle to take my first steps in life, the happiness I experienced (and yes sometimes jealousy) of having a baby sister and the fear of my Grade 1 teacher who had a propensity to yell at small children. It would tell you about the loneliness of being away from home as a little girl going to Brownie camp, the heartache I felt at having to move away from friend's every 4 years and the sweetness and innocence of being kissed for the first time by a boy. It would also reveal those shy moments of getting your first period or wearing your first bra and the angst of being a teenager. (Girl's in high school can be really mean!) It would also tell you of how hard it is to have your heart broken-whether you are the dumper or the one getting dumped-it sucks either way! It would reveal gut wrenching nearly soul destroying loss of my Dad, and of an unborn child that I believe is in heaven waiting to meet me one day! My wrinkles would also tell you of how all humility goes out the window after you give birth, and of how all encompassing love is for your children (Yes I am a mamma bear and would die for them!). My wrinkles also reveal good fortune in having been able to share a journey with a man who adores me and confirms for me that he still will even when I am 80-God willing! Those wrinkles will also reveal self-doubt, fear and anxiety but are tempered by my Voice of Reason and my dear dear sister, who know always know what to say. My wrinkles will also tell you that I live life with no regret, that my heart is on my sleeve, that I love the human race (except when they do really really bad things) and that there is nothing better in this world to laugh so hard that it hurts!

So there it is followers, I plan on getting an extra wrinkle today when I learn to ride (with self doubt fear and anxiety) my bike with aerobars today with Mr. P!

Celebration

Hello Followers, I must report that it has been a CRAZY couple of days!

I think I last posted on Friday-my "recovery" day. I spent a great day with my children as neither had school. In the morning we went to the park with a good friend of mine, and then in the afternoon we went to the Red River Exhibition Fair. I was absolutely exhausted but thought-no problem because my Saturday scheduled workout was a 20 min bike followed by a 10 min run so I could taper a bit more for the Olympic Triathlon on Sunday.

Then........as the sun was beating down on me, and my children were nearing the end of their rope from all the excitement of the fair (not to mention the junk food they consumed), I get a SURPRISE text from Mr. P . He informs me, that I should do a 100 k bike ride with a group of cyclists. I laugh and laugh-text him back and said that I would not be falling for his sick joke. He of course indicated it was no joke, and went on to say it would be important for me to get some practice in so I could get comfortable with other riders being close to me.

Of course I freak out a bit (OK maybe a lot) because here it is that the Olympic Triathlon would be the following day-I could potentially drown in the water due to the exhaustion of the 100 k ride the day before. Ultimately I agree and on Saturday morning I meet the 7 cyclists that would assist me in this journey of learning how to ride in a pack along the Trans Canada Highway and draft.

Upon first reflection, I must admit, that I was intimidated by these cyclists. They are a very experienced group of riders, and obviously had been riding bikes much longer than 4 months. But they were all very kind to me, and helped me so much in terms of learning how to draft. I realized very quickly that if you fall out of the draft pack it is almost freaking impossible to catch up. This happened to me, but I managed to get back in the pack (but my my heart beat went up to 180 bpm-obviously something I would not have been able to sustain for any length of time).

I think I did OK until the last 10 miles or so. Then exhaustion hit and I just did not have it in me to do the sprint at the end and I was left in the dust. The group stopped and waited for me, and I felt terrible about this. They reassured me not to feel bad, and were very kind. One of the cyclists-Mr. J shared that he thought I had the capability for the last 10 miles but because my drafting was not the greatest, he thought I was working too hard on the ride.

Speaking of drafting-that was a tad overwhelming, as in order to derive benefit, you have to ride extremely close to the cyclist in front of you. When you get in the draft zone-it is amazing how much easier it is to cycle. But for me, I was worried about clipping someone's wheel and taking out the whole pack! If that were to happen, I would have been horrified-thus my reticence about following really close! I suppose, like anything, the more experience one gets, the easier it becomes.

Following the cycle, I went home and ate, drank lots and took some baths in preparation for Sunday's Triathlon. My legs felt terrible when I was going to bed, so much so that I needed to take drugs! (Advil). Less than 24 hours later at 4am, my alarm was sounding off.

So at 4am, my legs felt better but boy was my butt sore! I was in my usual anxiety ridden panic mode, and picked up Mrs. B who was racing as well and a newbie like me! Following registering, getting my body markings and setting up transition, an announcement was made that just about sent me over the edge. The race officials indicated that wetsuits would not be allowed due to the water temperature reaching a 23 degree's. They also made a second announcement saying for racers to be careful due to the abundance of weeds on the shore line that one could get caught in.

Now followers you can only imagine how a "weak" swimmer competing in her first Olympic Triathlon (with a 1500 m swim) would feel. But I needed to get a grip because panic would not do anything positive. I thought back to words from my Voice of Reason.

When the horn went off in the mass swim start, and legs and arms are flailing everywhere, and weeds are covering your goggles and twirling around your arms and legs, I began to hyperventilate. But then....I remembered to Breathe. And you know what? It worked! I was able to get in a rythym. The cool water on my body felt so good after the 100 k ride the day before, and I have to say that the swim was the best part of the triathlon. Crazy!

Next was the bike, which was absolutely painful. Not in terms of my legs burning, not in terms of having to cycle into the wind that never stops, not in terms of the heat of the sun, but because my butt was on fire! Every bump was agony (and there were lots of them) .

The run was a relief in that I was no longer on my bike, but I felt I was running at a turtle's pace. I crossed the finish line in 3 hours with my tank on empty! I did it!

Today, is a day for celebration in another way too. It is my beautiful daughter's 4th birthday! So Happy Birthday Little one, mommy is so lucky because of all the baby girl's in heaven-I got the best one!

Believe

Good morning followers,

It is a rest day for me-so weird to have one on Friday-but Mr. P scheduled it that way in consideration for the Tri this weekend.

So it's official-I got my aerobars and water bottle. I am so excited by the prospect that I will not dehydrate and couldn't care less about being in an aero position at this point in time. Mr. C also readjusted my bike frame, so I hope this will work out. I have to trust him.

Speaking of trust, this experience has taught me that you really have to put your faith and trust in people who happen to know something about something-even if you really don't know them. Get it?

Let me explain, prior to October, I did not know my swim instructor. I had to put huge faith into her that she would not only save my life in case I drowned, but teach me the proper form and technique to swim. I had to believe her when she said that my swimming will come and that I would improve.

In Febuary, after meeting Mr. C and buying my bike, I had to put huge faith in him that he wasn't just trying to sell me a bike to make a buck (considerably difficult considering my first experience in another store was not a positive one). I had to believe that he was a genuine person and was looking out for my best interests-especially when it came time to the bike fitting so I could ride the thing without fear of crashing or getting injured.

Shortly after this, I met Mr. P in a coffee shop. I decided to put huge faith into him, that he would be the guy to help me accomplish my goals. So I had to believe him when he told me that I would survive the cycle in windspeeds exceeding 50 km/hr, that I could do an OWS and get hit and still survive or ride 100 km on a highway. I believe in him and believe in the program he has set out for me.

After believing in so many others, now is the hardest one of all. I have to believe in myself. I believe I am getting closer!

37 more days

Yup you read that correctly followers-I have only 37 more days until the Big One. I think I am nuts and am now getting regular panic attacks.

This Sunday will be a big test as I plan on doing the Olympic Distance Tri (1500 m swim, 40 k bike and 10 k run). The swim portion of this race is not much less than the Half Ironman, so I will have a good idea of what it will feel like. This race is also employing cut off times and for the swim portion this means 50 minutes- so I really hope I can do this!

Speaking of swimming, I did another OWS and was horrified to discover leeches in the water. Disgusting! Also, I noticed that the water is becoming a lot less clear as it appears that the algae is growing! On the up side, there are no waves or currents to deal with yet-Oh and I haven't seen a shark, poisonous jellyfish or snapping turtle-so I am counting my blessings!

Today is also a big day, as I will be getting my aerobars installed along with a water bottle. I doubt I will have much practice with the bars, so highly unlikely I will use them on the weekend, but am excited that I will be able to drink on the bike! The trick will be to drink enough but not too much so I don't get a stitch on the run-Ahhh more experimenting!

Along with all this training, my bedtime hour keeps getting earlier and earlier. Last night my better half looked in on me, and he advised me that I had fallen asleep with my glasses on and my arms straight out in front of me. He was laughing because he said that I resembled a Zombie. So anyone of you out there that is suffering from Insomnia-I would highly advise you to take up triathlon training-it's a sure fire way to cure you of that affliction.

Tech issues-grrr.......

Hello followers-hope all is well! Been busy over the last couple of days as my baby girl had her 4th Birthday party and insanity overtook me as I opted to have the party at home with the kids decorating jewelry boxes and treasure chests and cupcakes. I am the furthest thing from Martha Stewart as they come-so lets just say there were a few "technical" issues with the glue gun. Fortunately no one got burned! Talk about feeling exhausted, but at the end of the day, I think my girl had a great time judging by her shining smile!

So last evening I was trying to get my gear ready for the half marathon today, and went to listen to my ipod. Well wouldn't you know every freaking song was distorted and muffled. I tried calling support-but because this was 9pm last night no one was available. I called my voice of reason-she was not home-finally I called a friend who has ipod issues in the past, and she guided me through the process of restoring it. Unfortunately that did not work, and my friend was kind enough to lend me her ipod. So there I am at 930 pm driving over to her house in my pajamas. I cursed my ipod the whole way and was shaking it as I was getting prepared to throw it out the window. Well I can't explain it,but perhaps the electronic device sensed my fury and decided to all of a sudden start working. Grrrr........Wasted evening as I was really looking forward to unwind and read some trash.

So this morning was an early start-but I am used to this, and prefer the cooler morning temps-as long as I don't have to go in water. The run went well but since I was in the second wave start, I spent almost the whole race dodging people-very annoying. Perspective on these things sure changes. Throughout the race,I kept thinking about how the 1/2 marathon is only one component to the half Ironman and that is what gave me motivation to run. Then I think, that I am in big trouble as I question whether I can put all 3 sports together. I guess I will get a better feeling next weekend when I do the longer distance Olympic triathlon. Yikes nervous already!

Condom cap- I mean Latex

Hee Hee-thought the title would get your attention on this rainy dull morning.

Yesterday I took out all of my swim caps-I have 5 in totoal. One latex one for long hair, a silicone one, a cloth one, my recently acquired race cap and now........a latex one that fits for regular hair.

After searching the internet like mad to see if there is something to put into your hair or to find a a cap that would be guaranteed to stay on, I was dismayed. Everything that was suggested, I have tried. The only thing I could possibly experiment with was a latex cap (for normal hair). Since I don't have regular hair-I was skeptical that this would work.

In reading more about latex, swimmers report that these caps are hard to get on. Why? Well it is because "latex is very rubbery and grips your hair". When I read the word Grip-I said to meself-self I don't care how long it takes me to get on, it it grips to my hair and stays on, then I will be able to avoid a clipper situation!

Off to the store I go-fortunately swim caps are cheap! Since I had a swim lesson in the afternoon-it was perfect timing to try out this cap.

So knowing that this could be a bit of a problem to get the cap on, I arrived at the pool early. My hair was expecially puffy because it was rainy and humid. (BTW this is a great look in the 80's-not so much now). As soon as the cap touched my hair, it felt like it was pulling off my scalp. So I grit my teeth, struggled in pain and managed to get it on my head. Now I know why condoms are lubricated! Unfortunately for me, any sort of lubrication was out of the question as this would defeat the whole purpose, and the excercise would be wasted!

Now, Miss T, my swim instuctor is one of the sweetest people I have met on this adventure. Let's just say that when she heard about the swim cap struggle-she even laughed (normally she is very sympathetic) . She promised to work me hard, to see if the stupid cap would fall off. So after many laps of freestyle, and head up front crawl she had me do this crazy drill of 3 strokes front crawl flip and 3 strokes back. So I was flipping and flopping and losing my direction, forgetting to breathe, and going under. After many bobs to catch my breath, I clung frantically to the edge of the pool in survival mode.

Then..........Miss T had one of the biggest smiles on her face.......and when I touched my head, I realized that the cap stayed on!!!!!!!!

Now I know that it was only 45 minutes in the pool, but I am cautiously optimistic that the normal latex swim cap might be my saving grace. Never have I gone a whole lesson without having to adjust the cap until yesterday! Never in my wildest dreams would I have bought a cap for "normal" hair, and never would have the saleslady sold me one (she told me this herself).

So there you have it. I will try this cap on my next OWS and hope that the beach is not too crowded when I put the cap on-Oh how very embarassing that would be! Crossing my fingers this will work!

Gangsta Lady's wrath returns

Hellow followers- happy to report that I did not drown in the pond the other day. I think I am feeling more confident with the whole OWS although like I mentioned before, I still have to work on getting better at seeing where I am going. Swim cap issues are still a problem, so if there is any advice out there regarding what I can try to have the thing stay on, I would welcome your feedback. I have googled this problem, and have not had much success in finding a solution.

On to other news.... I can not recall if I have blogged about this before, so forgive me if I have-but it involves the notorious Gangsta Lady. She happens to be a woman with jet black hair who wears a Baby Phat jacket and neon pink lipstick all over her teeth. She attends the same gym as me, is probabally in her 60's and is incredibly mean-I have seen her yell at many people. Normally, I would avoid this individual, but unfortunately she happens to swim at the pool.

Back in October, I of course chose unknowing the lane next to Gangsta lady to practice in. Well- I guess I must of splashed her a little-and she stopped me in my lane and blasted me. Gangsta lady does not wear a swim cap and does not like getting her hair wet. I assume this is because her jet black hair dye could ink the pool ? The other pool patrons have encouraged me to continue swimming and not let this woman unerve me-after all I am not the only one she has had "issues" with.

So I continue to go to the pool and practice. Every time I swim, she is there and gives me the evil eye. Now I don't puposely go out of my way to splash her, but being in a pool and the lane next to her, sometimes this happens. For the last several months she has said nothing other than to give me her icy stare. The odd person she does talk to, she will speak badly of me . Today it happened once again. She went on about how awful I am in the crowded loby entrance to the gym, suggested I was a horrible swimmer, and went onto to say that even 4 lanes away she gets splashed by me.

Clearly this woman has anger issues and hates me. I do my best to ignore this, but sometimes I tell you-it gets to you. So today I felt like an idiot (even if Gangsta Lady is crazy-it's not a great feeling to be dissed in front of a crowd) but refuse to engage in such a ridiculous circumstance I find myself in. So today, my followers, you are the unfortunate who get to hear my rant. The one positive that came of this is that I had an awesome workout-nothing like a little anger to fuel that fire!

First Triathlon-DONE!

Hello followers- I am happy to report that all the anxiety and nerves are over. On Sunday I completed my first sprint distance triathlon in one hour 30 minutes to be exact.

The experience was great aside from the swim. My swim cap came off and I lost probabally about 5 minutes from this. I was too afraid to let go of the cap or stuff it into my wetsuit, as I thought that I could have gotten disqualified. So swimming or trying to swim the crawl was so very difficult!

Mr. P is threatening to shave me head, and I am frantically searching the internet to see if a less drastic solution exists-surely I can not be the only one! It's too bad that they force you to wear the event swim caps which are cheapy cheapy given the hundred's of people they have to give them out to. On this race, I tried wearing my own cap underneath, and I even had my hair in a tight French braid. Geez!

In the end, I must say that it was pretty awe inspiring to witness the first wave of swimmers. It was really a moment that nearly brought tears to my eyes as I reflect back 8 months ago when I was first learning the front crawl! Blood, sweat and tears really does pay off! This is something I hope my children will learn from me-Self-discipline-If they can get it, it will reap benefits for them in whatever becomes their destiny!

Yesterday was a recovery day and Ms. L was again working on my butt (still hurts and I have the half marathon on Sunday)-no more rest as I have a wicked workout planned today. An OWS with Mr. P -I know this is NOT going to be easy!

The Big Deal

Good morning followers-I just slept for 10 hours and am feeling rested. It has been a busy week and obviously I needed sleep. In many of the training articles I have read, they talk about how sleep is critical as your body releases certain growth hormones. It is these hormones that repair and make you strong. The elite athletes actually schedule sleep into their afternoons between workouts because of this! I however, knew I would need a good sleep for today as tonight may be a problem. That's right.........tomorrow is a very very Bid Deal for me. I will be competing in my very first Triathlon, and I am not sure how good a sleep I will get tonight!

If you had read earlier posts, I had been contemplating doing a longer triathlon distance, but after consulting with my Voice of reason and Mr. P, they both thought it would be a very bad idea. So for my first experience , I am doing a Sprint Distance which in layman's terms means
800 m swim, 20 k bike and 5 k run. Ahhhh........

The race starts early, and this means that transition opens up at 6am. This is where you rack your bike, get your race bib, body markings, swim cap, pee a million times and try like mad to calm your nerves. All the racers are then debriefed on the rules and the course is outlined. It also means that I will be getting up a 4am so that I can eat and get ready as it will take me roughly a hour to get out to Bird's Hill.

For those of you who know my struggle with food experimentation, I plan on consuming some Boost as I think if I eat solids before the swim, coupled with my nerves, I am liable to throw up in the water. I also think I will put my Bento Box on the bike and take some gels just in case I need some extra energy from the swim. All 3 times when I have gotten out of the OWS practices, I have felt really wobbly, so hopefully a little carb/sugar combo will help!

Speaking of OWS, I completed a third one on Thursday evening. I owe my Voice of Reason a big thank you as she pretty much forced me to do this swim against my will. You see I did not want to do this, as I was worried that I would have another bad experience, and that this would unnerve me for my upcoming race. My voice of reason, however, was very firm in not allowing me to get away with this bullshit (pardon the French but emphasis is required here) and basically advised me that I was never going to allow myself to get to a better place if I did not confront my fear. In essence she told me that the only person responsible for letting myself down is me-and I can choose not to beat myself up!

So in the end, I followed her advice. It wasn't as great a swim as I had with Mr and Mrs. P but it wasn't as awful and crushing as my first one. I swam roughly 1500m and it was only after I was halfway done, that I began to feel a rhythm (this is why I prefer the longer distance). I am so glad I did it, and thank you my dear dear friend-as usual you were right!

Adding just a tad to my anxiety, is a problem that has developed in the last several days. I am having some pain-in my butt! This is related to a sacreal nerve-very common for runners. So I did change my running shoes (something that everyone will tell you not to do before a race-but mine are identical to the ones I had) and booked a therapeutic massage yesterday with my friend Mrs. L. She is a wee little thing, but can make a grown man cry with the force she puts behind her tiny hands. She pounded on my butt muscle for an hour and today I am happy to report that it is feeling much better and "runable". But as a precautionary measure, I have booked her in regularly for the next month. Thank goodness for Blue Cross coverage! Gotta love Canada!

Well that is all for now folks. I must tend to my family, and try and keep my mind occupied and my breathing deep. I am also hoping for rain today so our neighborhood block party will be postponed (don't need noise to be added to the equation as sleep will suffer even more tonight). I will carry all your support with me tomorrow as I experience my very first Triathlon! Luvs ya!

Forgot about dinner

Ok followers- I made it to the Bike Shop yesterday and Mr. C was a fantastic coach in the whole tire changing escapade. Aside from som grease on my hands and pants, I successfully changed my tire. A little tip for those who do get bike grease on their clothes-Rubbing alcohol works wonders!

I also spent more money (when is it going to stop?) and ordered aerobars and a water bottle. They should arrive in a couple of weeks with some luck so I can get some practice in before Aug.1st. I also will be packing some C02 cartridges with me as Mr. C demonstrated how to use these-and would be key in a race situation. I must admist the contents of C02 are under pressure and it was a bit intimidating to watch the tire inflate a such a fast pace-wow!

So it is again raining in the city-making another open water swim seem unlikely today-this is causing me some stress.

I am also stressed as my first triathlon is on Sunday. I am signed up for the Sprint distance, but am seriously considering going longer as I tend to settle better with the longer distances. The short distances freak me out more as I go faster and burn out quick due to the anaerobic state I often get myself into. I must consult with Mr. P for the final ruling!

Yikes........forgot about dinner-must go buy something-Geez!

More learning to do!

Hello followers- today is another rainy day in the city, and happens to coincide with a recovery day.

I have been busy preparing for today because I am planning on visiting Mr. C at the bike shop for a lesson in tire changing. In exchange for assisting me, I promised to bring him some power bars and home made energy gels.

So yesterday, I spent time gathering the chemicals err...I mean ingredients to make the gels. I have every imaginable medium chain triglyceride's, endurance and recovery enhancers (all legal of course). My hours spent canning over the last couple of years was also useful to assist with ensuring a gel, and of course having the necessary preservatives on hand so I don't poison Mr. C. I must say my kitchen was a mess, and if anyone peered in, they could have easily suspected I was working in a Meth lab! In the end, I made 2 kinds of gels- one that is Apple Cinnamon and the other one, Chocolate Mint. I like the former one better, and have to tap myself on the back as they are both pretty good for a first try. The real test will come from trying them while working out!

I am also debating on whether or not to purchase some aerobars for my bike. The clip on kind are relatively inexpensive and Mr. P seems to think I am ready for them. While the aerobars will help with time performance on the bike, what really appeals to me, is that you can mount a water bottle with a long straw on them so you don't have to reach down for your water bottle!

Well...wish me luck-hopefully I will not blow up my tire-and I can get away from this experience feeling more confident so that if I do get a flat, it won't put me out of the game!

Feeling better

Hello followers- I am once again happy to report survival coupled with feeling better. Yesterday was a long workout with 110k on the bike followed by a 5k run.

My goals of eating and drinking on the bike were realized with just a minor incident which could have easily resulted in killing Mr. P. Rather embarassing-I thought I had put my water bottle securely in it's cage-but when I let go-it went flying at a gazillion miles per hour right towards Mr. P. Fortunately he was able to dodge this water bottle bullet and then proceeded to tell me that when he was on the Ironman course, he had to dodge water bottles on a regular basis. OMG I am thinking to myself-it never even occured to me that I might have to do this! Strange because when running a race, people chuck all sorts of things on the ground-don't know why I didn't think biking was the same.

This experience also resulted in one of my worst fears coming true-yup-I got a flat tire. It was the strangest experience, because, again for some reason, I thought that if you got a flat, you would loose control and veer to your right or left or flip off, or some unfortunate experience. In this case, my bike just started making a very very strange noise. When I asked Mr. P about this, he said Donna you got yourself a flat and now your going to change it.

So there I sat at the side of a highway in the middle of nowhere, changing my tire. I was so greatful the Mr. P and his wife were with me as I know firsthand, I would not have been able to do it alone. Good thing I will get in some more practice with Mr. C this week at the bike shop!

The other major thing I learned about the long ride, was the importance of heart rate and staying in an endurance zone so you don't burn out your legs. Even though I went a greater distance and ran further than in the duathalons, I felt way better. I know it sounds strange, but its true.

Today, though, was the icing on the cake. I met Mr. P and Mrs. P this morning for my second open water swim (OWS). The water was bleepin cold and the outdoor air temp was 14. Mrs. P was so kind and shared her thermos of hot water with me. Just so we are clear, the hot water was not for drinking, but for pouring down our wetsuits prior to taking the very cold plunge.

I remembered to breathe, and being in the company of Mr and Mrs. P was very reassuring to say the least. The swim went sooooooooooooooooo much better, and I actually was able to relax and find a rythm. My ability to site in the water was somewhat improved, although clearly an area I will need to work on.

The one thing that did freak me out was when Mr. P was grabbing at my arms and legs. Perhaps I should explain as that did not sound right. Apparently in the mass start of the swim everyone is jockeying for position. As a result, people kick, grab, scratch, push-you name it. Mr. P was trying to simulate this so that next week when this happens, I will not panic. So today I did panic-but at least it was controlled panic, and even though I reverted to my back for a second to compose, I quickly got back on my stomach and started to swim again.

At the end of the day, I must say I feel so much better-I know I have a lot of work still ahead, but at least today I am way more positive. Now if only I can get in a few more OWS this week!

Funk

Hello followers- I have been thinking of posting but have been a bit down-OK a lot down. I have experienced a major setback and up until today I was feeling very melancholy!

In a nutshell, my open water swim was not a good first experience. It started with forgetting everything I learned about breathing and this escalated into full fledge panic. My wetsuit felt extremely constricting, I could not see where I was going, every attempt I made to lift my head out of water and site resulted in me losing any rythym to my swim- and so just to get myself calm I needed to flip onto my back (several times) which I am told is a very bad thing to do when you are in a race situation for safety reasons. The other part that freaked me, is looking into the green murky water and seeing all sorts of seeweed and garbage floating around. It is definitely not like the Disney movies where you see beautiful coral and fish and rainbow colours! I mean I knew it would be bad-but obviously was not prepared for the horror of it.

I managed the 800 meter swim without drowning, but my only thoughts coming out of the water were how I will not be able to do Calagary never mind my first tiathlon in a week! I felt all my hard work was a waste, and the discouragement, and self pity were beyond anything I have experienced in all the training so far.

I immediately called my voice of reason (Seema) who reminded me of my successes in the experience and will likely kill me for posting the negative's. After processing what she has said-and begginning to internalize some, I have come to the point today-that I am not going to give up. I will get back out there and practice. I did the 800 meters-even if it was freaking slow-I did it, and that is the approx. distance I need to do for my Sprint triathlon next week. I now know what it is like-it will no longer be a shock. My better half (Michael) has also said he will come out with me this week and spot me so I can get some more swimming in before the weekend. I am very lucky to have a husband whos is so supportive and encouraging of me as well!

So followers in the end, even though I have to admit I am still scared about the swim part-I refuse to allow this to paralyze me like it has for the last two days. This funk has got to go!

And it starts with getting some confidence back with an opportunity today. You see today is another milestone in my training. In approximately 2 hours from now, I will be embarking on a 100 K bike ride with a group of riders, followed by a 5 k run. Mr. P has arranged this insanity and while I feel a lot nervous because this is highway riding in a pack (which I have not experienced by the way) . My game plan is to let Mr. P and his posse know how I feel and learn as much as I possibly can. I also have to get comfortable with the idea of the high probability of being the slowest rider and accepting that. It definitley will be hard to finish last, but my goal at this point is to finish and to finish safely.

My technical goals for this ride is to eat and drink. My friend, Mr. C at the bike shop suggested this handy little gizmo to put on your bike called a bento box. I immediately agreed to purchasing it as it will store several snacks, and a gel flask for me.

Now- I must go, I must down a few Boost's to start my day, eat a breakfast and get ready. As I look out the window it is foggy-hopefully it will lift just like the funk.

Survival

Well followers, I am happy to report that I am still alive!.


I completed my 5th duathlon race Tuesday evening, and must say that the weather was excellent for this. From the prelim results, it looks as if I placed 2nd in my age category-so I am pretty happy about that. It was a great way to end the series, and even though these races would be considered C priority races, I am glad that I did them, as they have given me confidence and some experience.


It's funny- a year ago, the thought of completing a duathlon was something I desired, but never really thought I could do. Here a year later, I am a competitor and a contender with newbie status! It's true, life never stays the same, and if you put your mind to something it is amazing what you can accomplish.

Also I survived being imersed in an ice bath for over 7 minutes courtesy of my dear dear friend, Seema. Ok -So, I should back track a little-the water immersion "experiment" was to help me desensitize to the cold-and the 7 minute time span was done over the course of 90 minutes. Prior to the submersion, Seema took me through a deep breathing excersise and provided me with extensive counselling on how to manage anxiety and panic which is very common for swimmers in triathlons. I can't tell you how amazing one's body is when you teach it how to adapt.

I also learned how relaxing and tiring the cold water can be, and now realize why drowning victims will often fall asleep prior to death. Next thing you know, you will see cold water immersion baths being offered at spas!

In all seriousness, the cold water experience with breath work has really helped me psychologically-I know I can survive it, and I know how to get a handle on panic. I can't thank you enough Seema for taking your afternoon off and spending it with me in my bathroom on a beautiful sunny afternoon-Now that is a true friend indeed!

The cold water immersion was timed perfectly as today at 3pm I will be doing my first open water swim. Yes Yes Yes- I am nervous-especially because the group I will be swimming with, I don't know well. So I hope I can keep up and I hope no one has to rescue me. But the good thing is, I have a plan....a very special one......I know how to breathe! just breathe!

Here goes

Hello followers-sorry for the delay in posting but I think I was suffering from writers block and am hoping that I am not getting too repetitive or boring!

The last few days were focused on finishing up the last of my regeneration week. It rained hard all weekend long with lots of flooding in the city. I managed to get out and do a run, but my bike training unfortunately was inside, and I still have not gone out and completed an open water swim. Thus swim training was also inside. I am actually starting to feel sick about the fact that an open water swim has not occurred yet.

Due to the kindness or evilness of a very good friend of mine, an experiment will be taking place tomorrow. This involves a desensitization to cold water. I think I mentioned before that in Calgary the water is very cold due to the glacier fed river, so many people panic in the water. To try and get used to this most unfortunate state, I will be putting my wetsuit on in the tub and filling it with super cold water and ice. My "friend" will laugh and laugh at me -I mean-she will be helping me with some deep breathing excercises, relaxation and timing me. Today I will fill large tupper wear containers with ice so I can rest my head on an ice block. Ha I feel like I am in training to do a trick with Chris Angel from Mindfreak!

Today as per the last 4 weeks I am feeling nervous. My last duathlon is scheduled tonight and I am going long again. Fortunately it is not raining (at the moment) and it is cool. I really can not believe that I have done 4 already-I guess because I feel like every time I do one, it is like my first time. Tonight they will be having a draw to win a triathlon bike, so I am crossing my fingers that I may have a chance at that. Course I have no idea of how to ride one, but I think it would improve my cycling time once I did! Geez I am starting to sound like a bike junkie already and I'm just a newbie! (I am assigning newbie status for a year and its only been 2 months since I have been riding a road bike)

Oh another bit of news is that I spent some more money-ahhhhh on getting triathlon specific shorts and a top to wear under my wetsuit. These things feel like the material a bathing suit is made from and dry super fast. This is a good thing as you don't want to be wet for long-not only due to the cold factor of having to get on the bike after a swim but the ahem.....chafing issues that could result. I also picked up some anti-fog spray for my goggles to see if this will help with my fog issues I have been having with them lately. Then again, I should get used to not being able to see a thing as lake water is green, muddy and murky! (at least here it is)

In the next day or two I will also be getting June's training program and I am afrad......do you hear Mr. P's laughter like I do?

Careful what you wish for

OK followers- there is that saying-careful what you wish for. Well today was supposed to be my open water swim but because of the rain, thunder and lightening, it was of course cancelled due to safety reasons!

So you would think I would be somewhat happy and relieved about this situation-at least I thought I would be-but not so! I am actually upset that this did not occur. Why-because as per my usual state these days, I am starting to panic about not having practiced this and my first triathalon is in 2 weeks!

Fortunately Mr. P has temporarily calmed my nerves and is optimistic about getting me out to swim prior to the race. All I can think about are the stories I have heard from other's (none of which have been positive) so I will have to brace myself for this event!

On a more positive note, I did get my hair cut and thinned, so hopefully my swim cap will stay on much better. Will keep you posted!

As of June 1st, my training is going to be kicked up into high gear- I think Mr. P's exact words were that the "next 5 weeks are going to suck!" Thus I am letting you know that I probabally will not be posting as often but will do my best to provide updates.

OK weather-smarten up and I need to get in the water! Giddyup!

Traumatized

OK followers-I think I am still in shock that I managed to live through the duathalon on Tuesday evening. You see Winnipeg had a wind warning in effect, and just so we are all clear, the wind was gusting at times to over 90km/hour. Psychological trauma definitely occured for me!

Here I was soo concerned about how to pace myself -all that went out the window, when I realized that I just needed to focus on staying on the bike and throw out any aspirations of improving time. At points on the ride, I nearly got blown off. The biggest problem is that the gusts were completely unpredictable so that at any moment you could be caught off guard.

I learned very quickly that I could use a lot more leg power-and that will be a long term goal of mine to work on. Going up a hill in those conditions was absolutely horrible. And while I don't tire out aerobically on the bike very often, it is my leg muscles that burn baby burn! This is not good when after the bike you have to run. The result is rubber chicken legs and the potential for bonking!

I guess at the end of the day, I did learn something very valuable. This is it....that despite how much training you put in, despite how hard you have worked, despite all the reading you have done, there is nothing that you can do to prepare for the unknown-whether that be bad weather, a flat tire, a broken bone etc. All you can do is be the best you can, but the dissapointment and heartache one feels at not being able to perform at your best is undescribable. I guess though it is at these moments, that I feel more determined then ever to carry on-to improve, and ultimately reach the goals I set out for myself.

Mind games

Slugfest is officially over. Anxiety is setting in for 2 reasons:

1. Mr. P text'd me last night and informed me (I think with sinister laughter) that there is a change to my program. Instead of the short duathalon tonight, I am scheduled to go long! My biggest worry is falling off the bike as the wind speed today is crazy and it often takes you by surprise and jerks you violently on the bike.

2. I will be doing my very first open water swim this week-so I guess I better wear the wetsuit around the house again to further assist in the molding process! I also spoke with another woman who completed her first open water swim this weekend and cried her eyes out as she couldn't even complete 800meters and she is way fitter than me!

I am not sure why, but these duathalons get me quite anxious-tonight will be my fourth so you think I would be less freaked-not so! Having said this, it is an awesome feeling to complete it and I guess that is why I keep putting myself in a tremendously uncomfortable situation. Oh and I guess it's also good practice for the Big One, which if I think about it, is not that far off in the future.

I now totally understand why people benefit from sports psychologists-the mind is so powerful and can work in your favor or detriment. In my case, it's not really helping me out too much, but I know I have the power to change this.

My task for the next while is really to get a handle on this mental game. I know I must sound so self-absorbed and I appologize, but who knew that it could get the better of you. At the end of the day, its just a silly race-in the whole scheme of things this really does not matter. Other things matter way more. This really should be viewed as fun, because when I look around me I see things that people struggle with daily that are way harder. For that matter, if I turn on the news one can see that in most parts of the world it really is a matter of life and death to survive on the planet. I need to focus on this and remember this when I get anxious-after all things really need to be put into perspective in moments of panic! Shame shame on me!

Positive-calm vibes

Hello my faithful followers, I am still enjoying slugfest and was able to sleep in until 7am-very unusual but obviously the body needed it!

Right now I am thinking about my sister and how she might be extremely nervous right about now. I am sending positive-calm-vibes to her right now as she is about to embark on an incredible goal. You see she has been training to run 10 miles and the big race start in about 40 minutes!

My sis kinda poo poo's this incredible feat she has undertaken, and like the rest of us in this world (aside from quite possibly socio and psychopaths) does not give herself enough credit! What makes this even more challenging is that my sis has Asthma-so she has to work extra hard at developing her cardio fitness. My sis also has an incredibly busy work life, and raises 2 fantastic children with her hubby. I so wish I could see her cross the finish line, but will await anxiously for the phone call later this morning.

As for me, I will continue to move slow and then am supposed to do some easy stretching or yoga. It's hard to believe in some ways that rest is what in the end makes you stronger. If you do not take breaks your body will break down. The body needs to repair-and as I sit and type, my body is doing some marvelous things that I am completely unaware of right now. Amazing!

Slugfest begins!

Ok followers-I completed my brick workout of swimming and cycling and now the celebration begins (temporarily!) I plan to laze around for the next 24hours and make like a slug.

Slugfest is especially good today, as I don't have to make dinner and remarkably I am caught up on laundry. I also have planted most of my gardern, put down grass seed and tidied the house to an acceptible level.

The sun is shining, the grass is green and the kids are playing. I plan to induldge and have a glass of wine, and soak up some sun. I plan to move slow and eat lots. Gotta go and enjoy this while I can!

Regeneration- so close but yet so far!

Hello-back again, and this time, I am very tired. In fact yesterday I was playing with my baby girl and dozed off for10 minutes-that has never happened!

I am once again nearing the peak of my workouts, and have a long day tomorrow before my regeneration week-which means cutting back my workouts and then re-building. I could not possibly explain the science behind this, but it works.

This week also has the potential to be quite challenging as Mr. P is encouraging me to do an open water swim. We haven't firmed up the day but last night I had nightmares about this! I really have got to be careful as to error in a lake can well........result in a very very bad situation. I told Mr. P he better have lifesaving skills just in case.

Now swimming in a pool to me is luxury compared to a lake. In fact I really hate swimming in water where I can not see my toes. Bird's Hill has the added bonus of lots and lots of reeds, minnows and excrement from water fowl, children, and lazy ass adults who couldn't be bothered to pee in a lavatory.

All I can hope for is that first I don't drown and second, I don't contract something like E.Coli or another bug as I think I have mentioned before that I swallow a lot of water. I am also very shy to be putting on a "second skin" (aka wet suit) as every single bump and ripple show. It's pretty much like being naked-and while many have told me that I should not worry about this-it is not helpful! (although I know it's all good intentions).

Distractions are also a good thing, when stressed, and I had the good fortune to do just that with my family this afternoon. We went to the Art Gallery to see the Art of Warner Bros, and loved it! Course the waskly wabbit is my all time favourite toon! (Sponge Bob is second) Ah yup-still a kid at heart!

Psychology

Ok my fellow followers- I am engulfed with rage! I should channel this into a positive form but for right now I will vent.

For those of you who know me, this has to do with my mother. How should I begin? Well lets just say ..........that at her best she is usually unsupportive in any venture I undertake. When I went to University she couldn't quite understand why on earth I would spend money to complete a graduate program after my underdegree. When I cut my hair in a certain way, she is the first to smirk and tell me how horrible it looks. My house is never clean enough, I don't feed my children properly....the list goes on and on. She will never acknowledge her role in a disagreement-suffice it to say that I have never ever heard her say sorry in my almost 40 years on this planet.

The problem is that because she is involved in my children's lives, some information about my life gets passed to her. About two months ago, she found out (not by me) that I am competing in a triathalon. She asked me about this, and I haven't really revealed too much other than to say it involves running, cycling and swimming. Immediately I heard the berated comments about how crazy I am and that I am simply doing a ridiculous amount of excercise (note-she has no clue about how long this is so you can imagine the comments that would follow if she really knew).

How does one deal with this? When I was younger, I desperately wanted her to change, however I have come to terms with the fact this will never happen. I am OK with this, and my strategy for dealing with her for the most part is to disdance. There is absolutely no point in discussing any issue that she already has an opinion about. Therapy has served me well in this regard. She is toxic to me and such is life. I believe that other people have it way harder so I can not complain. Life is hard for everyone-that I know for sure- even if on the surface it looks like a person has everything going for them-they don't-life is not like that.

So my rage began as I was sitting on the computer checking my email. My mother and daughter were outside talking to my neighbour. I could hear the conversation perfectly as the window was open. My mother was telling my neighbour about how stupid I was for doing triathalons, blah blah blah. Now its one thing to insult me to my face, but quite another to diss me behind my back. This upsets me greatly-not so much about what my neighbour may or may not think of me, but because my little daughter is obviously hearing how her grandmother is putting down her mother.

Fortunately, I have spoken to both my children about how their grandmother "is" . I suppose my mother never learned that if you can't say something nice-don't say it at all. I am also very glad that I have done lots of work pofessionally and personally about talking with children, so I am holding on to that and try and address things with my little people as best I can.

I am also very greatful for my husband who is so supportive of me in this venture. He truly models this support in front of my little people-and since they are both attatched to us, I am hoping that at the end of the day, this will be reparative.

Now followers, just so we are clear, I am not trying to berate or say anything bad about my mother-I am venting, because this hurts but it is what it is. I really do not want to be viewed as a hypocrite. My mother has had a really hard life-there are not many stories I have heard that can top hers (and trust me I have heard a lot of stories) and if you knew-this explains alot.

But, this blog is about my process, of who I am and why I do what I do. I am sharing this information with you not to garner sympathy-but just so you know. And if my children ever read this one day, I want them to also know that life is full of ups and downs, twists and turns, good and bad, and that no matter what we must carry on. Psychology has a huge part to play and its intersting that like life with all its curve balls, a triathalon is a microcosim of this too.

Lemony Snicket

Short post, as I am off to read my boy some Lemony Snicket!

As an update to my followers I completed the long course duathalon in scortching heat last evening. There were over 200 participants and while I had no idea of how to pace myself in the race, I ended up placing 3rd in my age category.

Fortunately the sticker solution worked, and I put on my helment the right way. I still have difficulty with the transitions, and now I fully understand why it is called the 4th sport of the triathalon.

Of note, is that I really need to get a better handle drinking on the bike. I think I dehydrated some as result. Maybe my solution will result in a get rich scheme! Luvs ya

Backwards

Ok, so further to yesterday, I decided to try on my wetsuit. It took me an unusually long time to get it on and immediately I began to sweat. I kept thinking back to the the swimsuit clerk who said "you want it to fit like a second skin.....you want it fit like a second skin.....you want it..." Well it was fitting like a second skin and both my children immediately got excited and thought we were all going to go swimming.

After I explained to them the purpose of why I was wearing the wetsuit in the house, they began to take great interest. As I was lying on the floor with them, my son, Isaac tried to read the logo. At first I thought he was being funny, and sounding out the word IronMan in a backwards sorta way. Then I looked down at my wetsuit and realized that the word IronMan was backwards. Immediately I thought I got some shoddy product shipped to me from China and was angry that the sales clerk would have sold me the wetsuit with the logo printed backwards. I paid a freakin lot of money and it's not something that I can exactly return. I made up my mind that I was going to call the store when it opened and give them a piece of my mind.

So, I headed upstairs and was by this time soaked in sweat. I tugged and finally got the wetsuit off......and then......realized.......that I had it on inside out! Thank goodness I did not call the store, and thank goodness, I did not show up like this to my first triathalon. I know I am a newbie, but seriously!

Backwards seems to be a reoccuring theme with me. I can not recall if I revealed that in the last duathalon I put on my helmet backwards and lost time as a result. I have also been known to show up to spin class with my shorts on backwards, and once I even went to go run and realized I had two different running shoes on my feet.

Fortunately my voice of reason (Snags) has a brilliant idea for me tonight re: my helmet. I am going to put one of my daughter's stickers on the front (I chose a butterfly and flower). I may look kind of foolish but I think it will be a lot better than the embarassment that occured last week. As for the wetsuit, I now know that the logo really does say Ironman NOT namnorI.

Tonight I am very nervous once again, but am telling myself to suck it up. A friend of mine has just undergone a very trying and difficult day today, and has done so with courage and strength. She has given me inspiration in ways she will never know and for that I am eternally greatful. You know who you are, and this one tonight is for you my friend!

Pooping delima perhaps solved?

Hello my followers wha ha ha ha (I love saying that) Shame on me for not posting for a few days, but I must confess that I have been extremely busy. After Saturday's long run, I had to attend 2 children's party's for my kids, had a family dinner, planted flowers, became worried as my son got sick with strep (or possible scarlet fever), tried to tackle the never-ending laundry pile, did some work on a movie set.....the list goes on.

Yes life is busy, and training must somehow fit in there. Since I elected to take my rest day yesterday, I went swimming this morning. I now purposely leave my fins at home to wean myself from the dependency. At first it was really hard getting used to the freestyle without them, but I managed 2000 meters today and felt good. I now have to get serious about the wetsuit, and will put it on today for an hour. Since we do not have air conditioning, and it is quite warm in the house already, I am psyching myself up for sweating perfusely. I just hope no one comes to the door as getting the wetsuit off (or on) is well....not that easy.

As far as training goes, this week looks wicked. It's the hardest training prior to a regeneration week. Once again my nerves are getting to me about Tuesday as it is the long course duathalon that I will be doing. I have no idea of how to pace myself, and hope that I will not burn out in the race! I know that I tend to go out hard and this has backfired on my when running races as once you cross that lactate threshold, it is very difficult to compose and carry forward. Ahh... I guess it just means more experimentation!

Oh and I found out why I am still struggling with fatigue-my iron is still low! As such, I have FAITHFULLY been taking it and seem to have rebounded some. The problem with Iron, as some of you might know-is that it can be constipating. Wait a minute......I think I have just solved my ahem pooping delima on the bike! Hey Sis what do you think? Should I double up on the iron before the ironman? Must look into this more!

Yeowza

Hello followeres-I am headed to bed at an insanely early hour. I did a mega workout today consisting of a 1.2 miles swim and 45 miles on the bike. There was a large separation of several hours (roughly 6 1/2 hours) so no it was not done all at once, but it was done, and I feel pretty great that I did it!

Because the bike portion took me 3 hours to complete, I had a lot of time to think. Fortunately I picked a bike route, where there were manly walkers and seniors that were riding these giant bicycles resembling tricycles. It made me sad to think that these folks have reverted back to toddlerhood but happy that they had the gumption to get out and ride. 40 yeears has almost gone by for me and in another 40 years God willing, that could be me on the trike. It sucks getting old!

On another note, I have noticed that when I do the long rides, my fingertips become numb. This lasts for several days and kinda freaks me out. I don't know if I am putting too much pressure on my hands when holding on for dear life or if this is a common malady. I think I will take a trip to my local bike store to see what they say/reccommend, oh and of course must consult the internet. Anyone who knows anything about any of this, please comment, as your feedback would be extremely helpful!

On yet another note, I did practice drinking from my water bottle some more. The heat got to me (I think it was over 20degress in the city today!) and I succeeded in getting the bottle out of the cage and drinking just fine. But putting the bottle back resulted in losing it twice to the pavement. Obviously I still need to work on this. I was also set to try and pee....but was so dehydrated that there was only salt left in my bladder! I suspect that if things continue the way they are, I could conceivably do the whole 70.6 miles without ever having to pee!

Speaking of peeing-I now do have to go, so I will say goodnight as I have a long run ahead of me tomorrow bright and early. Cheers!

Just doing it

Yes that's right, chugging along-my tempo run was not the greatest today-had to stop a few times but was glad I could do it as I seriously thought my cough was going to develop into something more severe. Hopefully I have caught it in the nick of time, although chest is not 100 percent!

This afternoon I am scheduled for another swim lesson with my coach. Feeling a bit anxious as she wants me to do another pyramid drill-this time without flippers. I hope in the end this is going to help. I seriously would be completely content to do laps at my own pace as I really dislike the drills-they hurt, are hard, and not enjoyable. The only thing I look forward to is taking a long hot shower after the pool!

In addition, Mr. P has suggested that I attend a few of the triathalon swim sessions at the Pan Am Pool. They go for 1 and a half hours in the evenings. I know I should do this but I am getting to the point where I just can not possibly fit everything in.

At the end of the day, what is most important to me is my family. Thus if I suck at the swim, and my time is slow, I will be ok with this. I have come to the conclusion that I will try and do my best, and if I am under trained, I will find this out soon enough as I will be entering my first small triathalon on June 13 at Bird's Hill Park!

Oh so tired

Sorry for the short post, but I am exhausted and think quite possibly that I am getting sick after shivering outside following the duathalon last evening.

The duathalon went well aside from a terrible time in T1 (I put on my bike helment backwards and it took precious time to fix this problem while I was trying to clip into the bike). How I ended up doing the thing 2 minutes faster than last week is puzzling, and just found out that I finished third in my age group so I feel pretty good about that.

This morning, I woke up and did it all over again-only this time a longer run, and harder spin on the spin bike.

Unfortunately I can not go to bed and nurse this cold-thank goodness for Cold FX! I am off to see my boy play soccer and then attend a block party planning meeting-hopefully I will see my bed by 10pm if I am lucky!

Series #2

Nerves are frayed. I completed my swim this morning and am scheduled to compete in the second of five duathalons this evening. Now I know logically that this should be less anxiety provoking than last week because I have done it, but I am still freaked. The weather today is once again going to be lousy-cold- 8 degrees and rain. I know this time that I am bringing a second set of dry warm clothes to change into after the race as I can't bear the thought of being that cold again.

This afternoon I have been practising getting in and out of the my clips. I don't know if it's because I am clumsy or if it's because I am so used to my other clip shoes for the spin bike, but whatever way I choose to look at it, I have concluded that this is a definite area of weakness and will cost me time. I have gone so far as to mark my shoes with permanent marker, with limited success.

Today my blood was also drawn as I suffer from hypothyroidism and have low iron. The technician took 3 vials from me and of course now I am worried that this loss of body fluid will impact my race- I am feeling tired already-arg! Red Bull is definitely going to be on the menu, and since I won't likely be able to sleep until well after midnight (due to the Red Bull), I can at least look forward to obsessing about some crazy tips in the triathalon book I scooped up from the library yesterday!

If I haven't said it to all of you already, I do want each and every follower who supports me to know how much it means. This training can be a lonely road. Much of the time it's you and your thoughts while putting in the miles. Most times this is good, but like every human being on the planet, it can be difficult because life is hard. It's my people that surround me that also need to get credit-so thank you. I couldn't do it without you!

Getting Info

Ahhh, just enjoying a cup of coffee in the quietness of the morning. I have been up since 530am and today is a regeneration day. I LOOOOOVE Monday's!

I've been surfing the net looking at newbie triathalon sites, and have found a few more useful tidbits of information.

The first one is that you should never wear a swim cap that is black. Why? Well in case it falls off and you drown no one will see you. Guess I will be going back to Swimming Matters to get a neon cap and use my black one for pool swims!

The next tip I learned is to put your goggles under your cap. That way if you get kicked in the face, (which according to all sites I have researched is a high probability) you will be less likely to loose then in the murky water.

If you are going to invest in anything to increase speed, it should be the bike-ie. getting fancier wheels, aerobars, etc. In the majority of races, you spend the most amount of time on the bike, and therefore it stands to reason that this investment will pay the largest of dividends.

Today I am also picking up a book at the library that was suggested to me for further tips on Triathalon's. I must admit, that getting into this venture, I had no idea how much one needs to know. If you are not informed, I think a person could have a terrible experience and give up on the sport entirely.

Personally, it is fear that is driving me to find out information. I have always been that way-I need to try and find out everything-good, bad, indifferent so at least I trick meself into being psychologically prepared (likely a control thing). I also know meself, that I tend to focus on the negative, way more than the positive and wish I could change that about me. I am also driven and my worst enemy. So if anyone of you out there have these characteristics, welcome to the low self-esteem club! I will share any tidbit of info you want (including useless facts) so you can complete a triathalon too! Any takers?

Abducted by an alien

This my friends is a very short post owing to the exhaustion I am feeling, and anxious to have a glass of red wine because it is Mother's Day and I am going to treat myself!

Today's workout was a brick-swim and cycle. I felt very discouraged today as my swim sucked and I just did not have the umph on the bike. I think I am tired despite having over 10 hours sleep last night! Tomorrow is a regeneration day-and I am doing Nothing!

In addition to the fatique, I am very very hungry-my snack in the afternoon was 2 giant hamburgers and 2 bottles of water. I then had dinner and seriously could have eaten a snack-but needed my bed.

I am not sure how many calories I am consuming-but I can now understand why some athlete's claim they eat over 4000 calories in a day. Speaking of food...must go grab a snack! Luv's ya

White Knuckles

So, I begin this post with my thank you to God, for allowing me to have survived the bike ride yesterday.

Let me also begin by saying that yesterday was one of the most scarriest experiences of my life. Mr. P met me at the end of Henderson Highway for a ride of approx. 32 miles-to Lockport followed by a detour along River Road.

Once again the weather conditions were awful-it was cold-perhaps 8 degrees and extremely windy. Even with my Oakley's on, my eyes were tearing constantly. Now folks if you will recall, I just started to ride a road bike. Cycling down a highway with cars zooming past you at over 100km is not, I reapeat NOT a comfortable feeling. Throw in the gusts of wind which were extremely unpredictable, causing your 18lb road bike to suddenly jerk from side to side. Did I mention that on one side of me was traffic zooming by at 100km? Oh and then the other lovely part was that on the other side of me was a long slanted ditch full of water with lots and lots of jagedy rocks. Also note, that vision is extremely impaired when eyes are blurry!

As I was riding along, I just prayed that if I was going to flip off my bike I wanted to go ditch side. Course perhaps what was even worse, (YES it gets worse in terms of fear factor) was crossing a bridge that is at Lockport to get to River Road. This bridge has NO shoulder whatsoever, so you have to go as fast as you can and pray for very kind drivers to edge as close to the center line as possible.

At one point in time as I was cycling, the wind gust was so strong, I seriously was cycling on an angle. I can't tell you how relieved I was when I returned from the ride and saw my vehicle. Also, I am so greatful that Mr. P was with me, as this was definitely something I would not have done on my own! BTW Mr. P also made me drink from my water bottle. Can you believe it? It took me 3minutes to get comfortable to get the bottle out, and 2km of riding before I was able to put it back in the cage. My heart was beating so hard, I think it almost leapt out of my body!

When I returned home from the ride, I noticed that I was in a lot of pain-especially my shoulders and neck. I think I was so tense that these muscles kinda seized on me. Fortunately advil did the trick although I am still feeling it.

This morning was my scheduled long run. I had a fight with my alarm clock and myself as I was so tired and did not want to go. In the end, I knew that the guilt I would feel would be worse, so I got up at 630am for a 12 miler. I thought my legs would be toast, but remarkably I had a really great run. I can only assume this has to do with another muscle set you use that is different than cycling.

At the end of the day, I am glad for my experience. Not sure I would want to do this again-but maybe next time, it would be less scary. As I was running, I also thought lots about what a gift it is to be alive!

Long Ride

Ahhh......was actually able to get a great sleep in. Put my kiddies in the tub-and Ava and I were asleep by 745pm. I was then able to sleep until 6am and did not go to the gym this morning because Mr. P has yet another challenge in store for me today.

What you may ask? Well it is just an itty bitty ride....Ha Ha Ha....it's more like a 2 hour plus ride out past Lockport. The issue for me, is that this happens to be on the highway and I hate riding in traffic at the best of times. The only saving grace, is that we will be riding in the middle of the afternoon, I have a great pair of Oakley's to protect my eyes (can' say enough about how good these things are) and I plan on wearing my red jacket (hopefully the red will caution them to back off!).

Now if only the weather holds up, the ride will be less stressful. Right now it looks chilly (I think the temp went below zero) and on the verge of rain. I also hope my calf muscles loosen up as yesterday my swim instructor was relentless in giving my kick drills. Must eat a few bananas as I can not have a repeat of seized calf muscle-especially on a long ride! Oh and then after I get home from the long ride, I am hosting a Board Meeting for my daughter's Montessori school so I am very glad I am rested today!

One thing I have noticed is that all this cycling is rubbing off on my better half. I think I mentioned that Michael has adopted Bart (my old Mountain bike. In reality, the bike is not old-it was purchased last year in a moment of panic when I was being pressured by a sales clerk to buy another bike-part of the negative experience I made reference to earlier). Anyways Bart and Michael have been getting along swimmingly and Michael is now combining his workouts with both running and cycling. This is good I say, as one of my dreams is to go on a cycling vacation in the South of France through the country side. I know this will have to wait until the children are grown which means we have lots of time to practice. Hell maybe by that time we can cycle all of Europe-maybe even Asia! In all seriousness, I am so proud that my husband is taking on cycling-maybe by next year I can even get him in the pool! One step at a time! Wha Ha Ha Ha

My eyes nearly popped out!

Yes you read that right my followers, my eyes nearly popped out of my head. Last night, I went to look at the results of my duathalon and discovered that I placed first in my age category and first overall for Short Duathalon female. There were a total of 102 participants and the weather was 8c -wind was of 40KPH NE wind, and steady steady rain. I know there was some skill involved, but probably a little beginners luck combined with the fact that I bet many people stayed home. Having said that, I will still take it and be proud-at least for a little while!

Today I did another brick workout, and I saw him again on my run. Mr. Fox! Now I don't know if it was the same fox I saw a while back, but this fox was beautiful and crossed my path approx. 2 feet in front of where I was running. Incredibly, the fox stood off to the side and just looked at me and after I had passed, he trotted away. Strange I say to meself, because this is the only wild creature that I haven't been freaked by. And BTW if I should of gotten freaked today would have been the day as I had spent last evening watching Billy the Exterminator!

I have to say, it is great moments like these that I truly wish I had my dad with me to celebrate. He always knew what to say. He has missed so much, meeting my Michael, dancing with me at my wedding, and meeting his grandchildren! I wonder if the fox is in someways connected to nature and my dad-I just had that thought-probabally nothing to it!