Back At It

This week marked my return to formal training for a road race, which meant a lot more running and a lot less swimming and biking.  I have 9 weeks to whip myself into half marathon shape, which seems like quite the project since I royally slacked on running long distances while I was tri training.  There will still be some swimming and biking mixed in because a) I don't want to lose the gains I've made in those sports over the last few months. b) I've finally found forms of cross training that I actually like. and c) I still have 2 more multi-sport races on my calendar this season.

I got out of work much later than planned on Monday night, so making it to open water practice just wasn't in the cards.  I was pretty bummed since A and I had planned to meet up and swim together.  As it turns out, she got buried at work as well, so maybe we just weren't meant to be there tonight!.  Mr. R&R asked me to run with him tonight - or at least make an attempt at it since on my best day I can barely keep up with him on his worst day. He slowed down to my snail pace and we did 6 miles together.  The first 4 miles were good. The last 2 sucked.  My run endurance is a disaster and my speed is pretty abysmal, but I made it.  The next few weeks are definitely going to be a challenge.

My Tuesday plan was 3 miles, but I realized that I needed to go out to my favorite running store to pick up a pair of shoes that they'd ordered for me.  When I arrived, I discovered that Adidas did something awful to my shoe model (Adizero Tempo) this year!

They look like a freakin' flamingo exploded all over them!

I don't know if I've ever mentioned it here, but I. Do. Not. Like. Pink. - especially when it comes to sportswear. I go out of my way to not buy anything pink, but it's getting harder and harder since most sportswear companies have decided that 'all girls love pink and only want to buy pink things'. I had resigned myself to sucking it up and wearing these things if I had to, but in a last ditch effort to avoid the flamingo shoes, I agreed to try on shoes from a different brand that had a similar weight and stability profile.  Meet the Saucony Mirage 3.

Love the colors!

They felt really good when I tried them on - and really good when I took them for a tiny "test run", so I decided to give them a try.  There's definite learning curve involved since the drop (heel height) in the Adizero's is 12mm and it's only 4mm in the Mirage.  Essentially, I need to re-train my leg muscles to compensate for the 8mm difference. This is fine with me since I've been wanting to move to a more minimalist shoe for a while now. While we were there, Mr. R&R came across a pair of Saucony Hattori's on clearance and picked them up. Talk about crazy shoes - they have a 0mm drop. They're basically the next best thing to running barefoot.

They look like slippers!  Those really have a learning curve - as in don't wear them more than a mile at a time until you're used to them and then work up slowly from there.  Of course, this meant that we needed to take our new shoes out for a run!  1 mile was just fine by both of us.  I noticed that the toe box on the Mirage is a bit more narrow than I'm used to and my legs definitely felt every bit of that 8mm, but I think with a little time, I'll get used to them.  If it doesn't work out, I'll be ordering last year's Adizero online.  Mr. R&R, on the other hand, will be using his Hattori's very sparingly since his calves still hurt two days later!

Another crazy day saw me still sitting at my desk at 6pm - and track practice starts at 6pm.  This whole "stuck at work" thing is really getting old.  By the time I finally made it home, a nice, soothing swim sounded like the best idea I'd had all day.  I threw my suit, goggles, cap, and towel in my bag and hightailed it to the pool.  I hit the water and swam 1200 yards. I contemplated sticking around and swimming another 400 to make it another even mile, but I was getting pretty hungry, so I called it a night and headed home.

Thursday and Friday were spent on the couch. I've felt a little run down lately, and I decided that getting a few solid nights of sleep sounded better than ending up sick and sidelined.  That made the photo below seem like a good idea late on Friday afternoon.

I'm pretty sure it's acceptable to drink at your desk when your boss hands you the beer.

On Saturday morning, I woke up and thought it was early September based on the weather!

There went my plans to take my bike out to the rail trail for a nice easy ride!  I ended up back out at my favorite running store this afternoon in search of shorts that actually look decent with my tri top since I plan to wear it to a couple of road races later this summer. All of my running shorts are pretty loose-fitting and they look absolutely ridiculous with the tri top - which is pretty much a second skin.  It looks fine with my tri shorts, but I don't particularly relish the thought of wearing anything with a chamois (the padding in bike/tri shorts) unless I'm going to be on my bike at some point in the race.  I ended up coming home with Moving Comfort 7.5" compression shorts.  The fit is nearly identical to my tri shorts and they have a small zipper pocket on the back of the waistband. So far, it seems like this company realizes that women might like to have some place secure to stash a key, and id, and a couple of dollars when they're out for a run!  I look nothing like the model below in them, but I'm kind of over caring if someone wants to judge the way I look in spandex. I look forward to trying them out soon - probably tonight!

While we were there, Mr. R&R noticed that there was a pair of women's Hattori's in my size sitting on a clearance table.  I tried them on and considering how cheap they were, I had to buy them.

Of course I had to try them out.  I knew going in that trying to run a mile in 0mm drop shoes with absolutely no cushioning whatsoever was a recipe for injury, so Mr. R&R and I did a nice little half mile loop around our neighborhood.  Running in these shoes was a very different experience. They forced me to land on my forefoot every single time and the impact of each stride was absorbed by my feet rather than being dispersed through the cushioning of a traditional shoe.  It wasn't painful per se, but I can definitely see why the kind of shoe you ease your way into wearing. My right ankle (the one that tends to collapse at the end of my stride) was a little sore about an hour later, so I did a little preemptive icing and it felt much better.

The unseasonably cool weather stuck around for Sunday and helped me have the most perfect run I've had in a very long time.  I ran 7 miles, never felt out of breath, never felt tired, never wanted to stop and walk. By the time I was done, I felt like I could probably run another 3 miles with no problem.  If all runs were like this one, I would never have to convince/bribe/bully myself out the door.  It was exactly the kind of run I needed to remind me why I run - I even managed a negative split!

That average is only 1 second per mile over my half marathon PR pace!

Weekly Totals:
Swim: 1200 yards
Bike: 0
Run: 15 miles
Total Time: 3 hours, 8 minutes

The Next Thing

I have to say, it was a little sad not having a workout waiting in my inbox on Monday morning. I felt a bit...lost. For the last 11 weeks I ate, slept, and breathed triathlon courtesy of the Iron Cheerleader's structured workouts. Now that my first triathlon is behind me, it's time to look forward...to the next thing.  In this case, the next thing is more like the next things.  It's time to start training for a half marathon (lucky #13) and a sprint tri - on back to back weekends in September.  And I may throw in a duathlon in August - just for fun.

I spent Monday on the couch recovering from the Pewaukee Tri.  I guess the 4 1/2 hour nap on Sunday afternoon just wasn't enough!  Monday was also the start of a really miserable heat wave around here, so I was perfectly content to be inside.

By Tuesday, I was itching to do something - anything really, so I headed for the pool at 9:00 at night for a quick 500 yards. I wanted to go longer, but time was not on my side.

Wednesday was track practice with the tri team. I made it about 1/2 way through the workout before I was ready to melt into a puddle on the track.  I'm kind of looking forward to making Wednesday night track practice part of my routine.  One of the guys there told me that these workouts helped him shave a minute off his mile time - in a month.  After dinner, I went for another 2 miles - they were tough, but good miles.  

Thursday seemed like a good day to sit on my booty and do nothing - so I did.

Normal people go out for beers/dinner on Friday night.  I went to the pool.  I started out with the intention of doing about 800 yards - and ended up doing 1600. A full mile...50 yards at a time...took just under an hour to finish I think I'm really starting to like this whole swimming thing.   Oh...and I registered to do this:

I'm volunteering at a run course aid station at Ironman Wisconsin

I've also been talked into volunteering at the USAT Nationals here in Milwaukee next month.  I've been racing for a long time and I've never volunteered at one - time to give back.

Saturday was Yada Yada and Texas' combined 50th birthday party - complete with a full on Texas bbq, lots of yummy beer...and a fondant armadillo!

Sunday should have been long run day, but laziness and then pouring rain kept me inside.  Originally I had planned to drive down to cheer people on at IM 70.3 Racine, but the thought of rolling out of bed before sunrise 2 Sundays in a row just didn't sound like fun. I wasn't too unhappy about it since I'm throwing myself back into full on training mode again on Monday.  I read a couple books, watched a movie, and spent time hanging out with my three favorite guys: Mr. R&R, Walter, and Spot.

Mom and Dad let us play in the kitchen today! We're never allowed in there!

Pewaukee Lake Sprint Triathlon

PSA: You might want to go find a snack and a drink before you read this...it's going to be long!

The alarm clock went off at Stupid O'clock this morning (3:45am) and we were on the road to the race venue by 4:30am. We arrived at the finish/parking area around 4:50am, quickly unloaded my bike and all the necessary gear and walked the 1 1/2 miles to transition.  I actually didn't mind the walk since it gave me something to do with all the nervous energy I had worked up!

It took a while to find my spot in transition, but I got everything set up pretty quickly (and discovered that my friend T's sister had the rack space next to me!) and spent a little time walking through the area, memorizing the path from the swim exit to my rack and from the bike-in back to my space.  A lot of people mark their spots with balloons of some sort, so I was able to use a bumblebee balloon and an Elmo balloon as landmarks.  That would definitely prove to be useful later on.

After going through body marking, I met up with the Iron Cheerleader and the rest of the Newbie Herd for a group picture and a pre-race huddle/pep-talk. I also bumped into Yada Yada and Texas. Yada Yada was racing this thing in honor of his 50th birthday and both he and Texas offered a little last minute advice and encouragement as well.  Before I knew it, I was saying goodbye to Mr. R&R and walking toward the swim start with some of my fellow Newbies. It was really calming to be around the same people I'd trained with all along.

L to R: T's sister, Me, A, D, and T

We filtered through the time trial gate and T1 and I entered the water together and stayed together the whole time - just like our Monday night swim practices.  The swim really blew me away. I knew I was swimming very slowly, but I didn't care. I was calm and in control the whole time.  I only took one kick to the back, the water was much clearer than normal (I found out later that the city of Pewaukee actually sent people out twice during the week to cut down the weeds), and I. Didn't. Freak. Out!  Before I knew it, my hands were touching sand and it was time to stand up!  I ran up some pretty nasty rocks, while simultaneously stripping off my wetsuit and flashing big smiles at my mom and Mr. R&R.  I also saw the Iron Cheerleader on my run to T1 screaming "Yes! Yes! Yes! %*#@-ing Yes!" at T and I.

 Official Swim Time: 12:51

I ran across the street to transition, finished stripping my wetsuit, rinsed my feet, threw on a bike jersey and shoes, and ran my bike to the mount line.

T1: 5:33 (Ouch! Must. Get. Faster.)

I settled onto my saddle and prepared to power through the 14 miles of hills.  Last weekend's course recon ride definitely worked to my advantage. I knew where all the big hills were and where the (very few) flats were, so I knew when to switch gears and when to spin faster.  I felt really good the whole time. I ate a GU around Mile 5 and again around Mile 12 and managed to polish off most of my water, so my fueling strategy was spot on.  All that climbing was worth it for the downhills. I hit 32.8mph at one point!

Official Bike Time: 50:52 (16.5mph avg.)

I didn't even bother trying to run my bike back to the rack in T2 since my legs were already toast.  I swapped my bike shoes for my running shoes, added another layer of sunscreen, clipped on my race belt and jogged toward the Run Out.

T2 Time: 2:54 (ugh)

I hit the run course with one goal in mind: Finish.  I anticipated, from last weekend, that this run was going to be nothing but steep hills and pain - and it didn't let me down.  After waving to Mr. R&R and my mom, I fell in next to a guy I'd been leap frogging with on the bike and we ended up covering the next 3 miles together.

As my new found buddy and I were climbing one of the wicked hills, we passed none other than Fireman Rob!  I didn't even know he (and a giant M&M-looking thing apparently) was going to be racing here today.

My new partner and I worked our way through the hills as the temperature began to climb.  The only way to describe the run is brutal. I walked more than I wanted to, but honestly I feel like I did the best that I could with those hills. The water stations were very welcome sights and I greedily gulped down water and squeezed ice cold sponges over my head.  Finally the finish line came into view and we both broke into a sprint down the final straight away.  I think I beat him by a nose!

Official Run Time: 31:49

Official Finishing Time: 1:44:02

I was greeted with hugs and congratulations from Mr. R&R, my mom, the Iron Cheerleader and Yada Yada.  I collected my medal, scarfed down a banana and the best damned cookie I've ever eaten. I was also a pile of raw emotion - ready to cry at the drop of a hat.  I haven't cried after a race since 2011!

The Newbie Herd met up for one final official activity: a champagne toast courtesy of the Iron Cheerleader!

We Swam. We Biked. We Ran. We are TRIATHLETES!

The Final Countdown

Monday, July 8th:
Me vs. The Flea: Final Showdown (before the race).  By now it's obvious how much I despise Fleawaukee Pewaukee Lake.  The water is dark brown, cloudy, and full of weeds that seem to like wrapping themselves around my arms and neck while I'm swimming. After last Saturday's spectacular crash and burn in the water the last thing in the world I wanted to do was get back in that water, but I also knew I owed it to myself to give it another shot before Sunday's race, so I hauled myself out there.  I ran into T on the beach and as we paddled around in the shallow water, we started talking about how anxious we were and how neither of us really wanted to be doing this.  We agreed to swim together at the slowest pace we could manage - and just get through it. There was a lot of side stroke on the back stretch and a really foul mouthful of seaweed, but I had my face in the water more than it was out.  Long story short: we finished the 400 yard course in just under 13 minutes - and felt good enough to do another 50 in the shallow area.  To give you an idea of how gross the water is, my Garmin claimed we only swam 322 yards because it kept losing its satellite connection from all the murk and weeds!  It may not have been pretty, but we. did. it.

The Iron Cheerleader has asked us to share our 'race mantras' on the Newbie Herd's Facebook page, so for the rest of the week, I'll share mine here as well.

Swim Mantra

Tuesday, July 9th:
Rest Day.

Wednesday, July 10th:
Mr. R&R and I loaded up our bikes and hit the rail trail for a few easy miles. I felt really good. Too bad the race course isn't flat like the rail trail!  I ended up resetting my watch due to some technical issues with Mr. R&R's bike, so the 12 miles is broken up into 2 segments.

When we got home, I discovered that the same bolt that caused me so much trouble last Saturday had come loose again.  Looks like I'll be making an emergency trip to Emery's tomorrow.  I don't want to have to worry that my shoe will come apart mid-race!

Thursday, July 11th:
Emergency trip to Emery's (aka The Bike Gurus) to have my cleat looked at.  It took the guy about 5 minutes to screw everything back together - and another 5 minutes to explain some technical stuff about "dry screw threads" seeming tight, but not.  It sounds like I should be good to go on Sunday, but I'm adding an allen wrench to my bike bag just in case - since I won't have the Iron Cheerleader there to rescue me!

Bike Mantra

Friday, July 12th:
The Iron Cheerleader's plan called for an 8 mile bike/.5 mile run brick on Thursday, but since I was dealing with the shoe problem, I had to move it to today.  I wanted to test the bolt on my shoe in a 'safe location', so I set my bike up in the trainer and started spinning.  I made an executive decision to cut the bike portion down to 6 miles so I wouldn't burn out my legs before Sunday.  I think the Garmin data says it all!

I think I've finally overcome my trainer/speed issues!

I hopped off the bike, pulled on my running shoes, and stepped outside for a quick half mile run.  Everything felt good.  Even the jello legs weren't an issue!

My next project for the night was to create a packing list for the race. Triathlon requires an inordinate amount of stuff compared to a simple running race and I'm terrified of forgetting something important.  Making the list made me feel like a little bit like a neurotic pack rat, but at least now I'm less likely to do something really stupid on Sunday - like forgetting my goggles or my bike shoes!

Saturday, July 13th:
Expo/Packet Pick Up Day!  Somehow a race never feels real until packet pick up- then the reality hits you like a ton of bricks.  I picked up my race number (for the run), bike/helmet stickers, and my timing chip - and got my wristband so I can get in and out of transition tomorrow.  I also attended the race director's First Timer's seminar.  It was mostly stuff I already know (transition closes at 6am, drink plenty of water, etc.) but it was nice to hear what the plan is in case of trains (there are 2 sets of train tracks on the bike course) and I had a few shaking-my-head moments when he opened the floor to questions. You'd think most people who are slated to do a triathlon in less than 24 hours would already know some basic things, like:  order of the disciplines  (swim/bike/run), what a transition area is, and that the rules apply to everyone!

When I got home, I took my list and started assembling all my stuff.

Triathlon or the Invasion of Normandy?

Once everything was packed up, I spent the rest of the day chugging water and Gatorade, forcing myself to eat dinner (nerves killed my appetite), and laying on the couch like a lump.

I'm as ready as I'm going to get. It's time to do this thing!

And Sometimes The Cleat Comes Off

This week has been a little unusual since the workout schedule is much less structured than normal.  Between holidays, special training events, and life in general, this week has been much less intense in some ways and more intense in others.

Monday, July 1st:
The Iron Cheerleader gave us the day off today, but I really wanted to get in another swim, so I planned to hit the lake after the work along with some of the other Newbie Herd members.  However, by the time I got home from work, I was dealing with a pounding headache and all I wanted to do was lay in a cool, dark room until it went away.  By the time the headache cleared it was too late to go out to the lake, so I drove out to the pool.  850 yards later I was on my way home - at 9:30 at night!

Tuesday, July 2nd:
My office is extremely short-staffed this week due to vacations, but the deadlines remain the same.  I ended up working a 10 hour day and the rest day that the Iron Cheerleader prescribed for Monday came in very handy today.

Wednesday, July 3rd:
Bike ride? What bike ride?  After another grueling day at the office (think marathon at sprint pace), it didn't take much for me to decide that dinner and wine with Mr. R&R followed by 10 solid hours of sleep was a better plan.

Thursday, July 4th:
A free day off? Don't mind if I do!  The Iron Cheerleader's plan called for rest, beer, and bbq today, but I had different plans in mind.  I haven't really practiced a full swim/bike/run transition yet and today offered the perfect opportunity.  I set about gathering all the stuff I would need if the triathlon was tomorrow and holy crap...that's a lot of stuff!

I propped my bike and helmet nearby and squirmed into my wetsuit.  Since I needed to practice getting out of a sopping wet wetsuit fast and I don't have a lake in my back yard, I had to settle for having Mr. R&R spray me with freezing cold water from the hose.  It actually wasn't too bad since it was hot out and I was sweating like crazy from the wetsuit. Once I was sufficiently drenched, I ran across the yard toward my transition area, stripping off my wetsuit, swim cap and goggles as I went.  I finished peeling off the suit, rinsed off my feet, put on my bike shoes and helmet and ran my bike to the end of the driveway - my mount line for this little endeavor.  T1 Time: 2:23.  After a quick ride around the block, I swapped my bike shoes for socks and running shoes and took off for another lap around the block. T2 Time: 1:20.  I know that my transition times on race day will be longer since there's a longer run from the beach to the transition area, but it still felt good to practice.  It'll be easier on race day if the movements come automatically rather than having to think about what I'm doing.

Later that night, Mr. R&R and I went for a short (1 mile) run and watched the fireworks from a couple of different municipalities around us. 

Friday, July 5th:
I didn't do a darn thing other than work today, because Saturday was going to be a very big day!

Saturday, July 6th:
Today I met the Iron Cheerleader, several members of the Newbie Herd, and a bunch of people from my tri team out at the lake so we could have a dress rehearsal of next week's race course.  It wasn't the best day of my life.  I had a mild panic attack in the water and ended up in a shouting match with the Iron Cheerleader on the beach.  I figured once I was out on the bike course everything would be okay.  Around Mile 6, something started feeling wrong and sure enough, one of the bolts that holds the cleat on the bottom of my left bike shoe fell out!  Crap.  I managed to find the two pieces that came off, but there I was, stuck on the side of the road with a busted shoe.  I was trying to screw it back in by hand when the Iron Cheerleader happened upon me.  He produced an allen wrench from his bike bag (mental note: add allen wrench to bike bag), fixed my shoe, and we continued along the course.  Somewhere around Mile 10, we made peace and I actually enjoyed the last few miles.  That bike course is some seriously hilly business.  My legs were burning from all the climbing, but the downhills made it worth it!  At one point, I topped out at nearly 33mph on one! We all switched to running shoes and took off down the road.  If I thought the bike course was hilly, the run course might as well have been the Alps!  Every time I got to the top of a hill, there was another one to climb.  About a mile in, I came upon my fellow Herd member, A, and she was struggling badly.  Her asthma was flaring up and she was all by herself since our group runs at very different paces.  We decided to stay together and do the best we could with the situation at hand.  Eventually, we made it to the finish.  All I can say, is that next weekend is going to be rough!

Sunday, July 7th:
After yesterday, all I want to do was stay in the air conditioned comfort of my house, so that's exactly what I'm doing.  I have some huge laundry piles to get through, and we have a cute little house guest that needed a little attention as well.

We're pig-sitting for a week!

10 weeks down, 1 to go.  Gulp!

Week 10 Totals:
Swim: 1144 yards
Bike: 13.43 miles
Run: 3.71 miles
Total Time: 2 hours, 22 minutes

It's Getting So Close...

As my first triathlon inches closer and closer on the calendar, I've found that it's taken over more and more of my thoughts.  When I first set out to train for this thing, I wasn't sure if I could do it, but I was willing to give it a shot. Now, I believe that if the race was tomorrow, I'd be able to finish it.  I wouldn't trade the next 2 weeks of training time for anything, but I'm starting to get antsy. I just want to do this thing!

Monday, June 24th:
Another Monday night. Another open water swim.  I squirmed into my now-functional wetsuit and followed the herd into the water for what would be my last open water swim before making my final attempt at open water certification this coming Saturday.  We started out with some sprinting to simulate the adrenaline surge that usually occurs at the beginning of any race and followed it up with recovering and settling into a sustainable stroke.  It wasn't the greatest swim, but I definitely felt better about my ability to sight and deal with having other swimmers around me and occasionally getting smacked/touched. I was just happy that I didn't have a repeat of last week's kick to the face!

Tuesday, June 25th:
For once, my need for a rest day fell on the day prescribed by the Iron Cheerleader.  My legs are still a little sore from Sunday's bike ride and my arms hurt from yesterday - swimming in a wetsuit definitely takes some getting used to.

Wednesday, June 26th:
In case you were wondering why the Iron Cheerleader gave us Tuesday night off, it's because he expected us to race tonight!  I was the only member of the Newbie Herd that joined the local running club for their "Hot Dog" fun run - and Mr. R&R came with me. This was another run that lived up to its name. It. Was. Hot. (and humid). Of course, I started out a little too fast and paid for it later. It was a pretty straight forward course, the first half mile was on my favorite stretch of road in that particular park, so I was happy right from the start and running along at a good clip. I hit Mile 1 in 9:01. Once the awesome stretch was finished, we turned downhill and onto city streets around the perimeter of the park until we reached the North entrance, complete with one long, miserable hill just past the 1.5 mile mark.  I know that hill well since it stands between home and the start of the Rail Trail I've been biking on lately. I  have trouble staying in my saddle riding up that hill, so it comes as no surprise that I had to drop to a walk and catch my breath a couple of times on the way up. After the hill came a long, flat stretch - including a loop around a pond.  I enjoyed seeing all the mama ducks with their little ducklings and the geese with their goslings sitting on shore and gliding across the water, but I didn't love having to try to avoid the "landmines" they left all over the path!  Mile 2 ticked by at a much more sedate 9:44.  I tried to pick it up for the last mile, but I was fading fast.  I did manage to sprint like hell down the last hill and kept sprinting the final flat all the way to the finish line.  Mile 3 was a 9:44.  It may not have been better than Mile 2, but at least it was an even split.

Afterwards I met up with Mr. R&R, grabbed a beer, and chatted with the Iron Cheerleader for a little while.  (I think I managed to get roped into volunteering at an event in August in the process...damn enthusiastic Iron Cheerleader.)  The running club was grilling up hot dogs, but Mr. R&R and I passed in favor of burgers and shakes from a nearby custard joint.

Not that kind...I promise!

Thursday, June 27th:
My last night at the pool before Saturday's open water certification attempt - I went in with a mission.  My goal was 400 yards without stopping...and I did it! I managed to slow down, relax, and just let it happen.  The result was 400 yards in 9:46 - well within the time limit imposed by the Pewaukee Triathlon.

After I was done with those laps, I still felt pretty good so I stuck around and swam a little longer, with a few breaks, hoping to simulate what it would be like having to swim 400 yards for the certification when I was already tired from having to tread water for 10 minutes.

Of course, now I'm mad that I didn't swim another 50 yards to make it an even 1000!

Friday, June 28th:
My work week resembled a cross between juggling and lion-taming. Perhaps I should join the circus?  Instead I settled for the couch, really good cheese, and really bad tv.

Saturday, June 29th:
I rolled out of bed at 6:30am so I could take my time getting ready. My big goal was to be as relaxed as possible when I got to the lake.  A light drizzle began to fall as I was driving, but somehow it really didn't bother me - probably since I was going to get wet anyway!  I arrived at the lake with plenty of time to spare, so I used the extra time to wiggle into my wetsuit while I watched the early morning group finish their certification and chatted with some of the other triathlon first-timers who had started to gather on the beach.  There was also a family of ducks that had absolutely no fear of humans that came to check us out.  They were so close and so cute!  Did you know they make a little squeaking noise? Before long, two of my fellow newbie herd members (A & T) arrived, and I relaxed a little more. I told myself that this was no different than our usual Monday night open water practice. The only downer was one guy on the beach who kept making cracks about our wetsuits (we were the only ones wearing them) and sniping about how this whole thing was just a piece of cake.

The certification instructor arrived on the beach and went over some open water basics (stuff that A, T, and I had already been taught by the Iron Cheerleader) before sending us into the water. Once we were in the water we were instructed to swim about 100 yards parallel to the shore as a warm up.  I took off, sandwiched between  A & T, at a comfortable pace and when we finished the 100 yards, we discovered that we were toward the front of the pack!  Naturally, the next step was to swim another 100 yards back to where we started.  The three of us hung back a little this time which proved to be a bad choice since it seems that the people around us had no clue how to sight, so we were constantly dodging flailing limbs.  Oh well...live and learn.

Next up was the swim out to deep water, and the nastiest patch of weeds ever, for approximately 10 minutes of treading water.  This was much better than the last time.  Instead of 10 minutes of treading with legs only, it was: 2 minutes of general treading, 2 minutes legs only, 2 minutes hands only, then moving from back-to-belly-to-back a few times, demonstrating the ability to stretch/squeeze out cramps, and finally removing our swim caps and goggles and putting them back on (ladies were allowed to keep our caps on in the interest of not having to try to shove our hair back under them).  I will say, that the wetsuit made a huge difference here. I still hate treading water, but I definitely felt more comfortable among the weeds.

At last the big moment was upon us.  Due to the limited number of available lifeguards, they placed a single turn buoy about 200 yards out and we were instructed to swim out to the right side of it, swim behind it, and then back to shore.  I took a deep breath and started swimming.  A & T were right near me on the way out, and we all swam with our heads out of the water more than we should have due to the huge amount of weeds near the surface, but we all made it! I lost my girls at the turn buoy, but it was all good until someone swam up behind me and grabbed onto my ankle and didn't let go when I kicked.  This is a huge no-no.  I kicked really hard and he was still there.  At that point, I'd had it and started kicking really hard.  My non-grabbed leg ended up making contact with his head.  That worked and he let go.  I popped my head up, looked back, and realized that my ankle-grabber was none other than the sniping guy from the beach. He complained about the kick to the head, but I just couldn't bring myself to feel bad about it. I guess he didn't like getting "chicked"!

Once I made it back to the beach, I was pleased to find out that 37 out of the 38 people who went into the water had passed - and A, T, and I were among those 37. I definitely saw and felt the benefit of the Iron Cheerleader's coaching today.  I knew what to do and I did it!  I took my soggy self back to the car, stopped at a nearby bakery called Simply Cinnamon for celebratory pastries, and made my way home in the pouring rain.  Rain be damned...it was a fantastic day!

I also owe a special thank you to everyone in my life who has listened to me fret, whine, bitch, and just generally freak the eff out about this certification.  You all believed in me...even when I wasn't able to believe in myself, so thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Sunday, June 30th:
Mr. R&R and I ran together this afternoon. Our only goal was: slow. Neither of us has gone over 3 miles in a while and since we were going to be running in the hottest part of the day, we decided we'd rather run at 'grandma pace' and actually make it the full distance.  I loaded up my fuel belt with cold water (and immediately remembered why I hate running with that thing) since there was only one drinking fountain on our route.  It was a slow run, but it got the job done. 5 slow miles followed by lunch...yes, please!

When I got home, next week's training plan was waiting in my inbox...2 weeks to go. I'm starting to feel ready to do this thing.

Week 9 Totals:
Swim: 2024 yards
Bike: 0 miles
Run: 8 miles
Total Time: 2 hours, 24 minutes

June Totals:
Swim: 4294 yards (2.44 miles!)
Bike: 89.9 miles
Run: 24.58 miles
Total Distance: 117.12 miles
Total Time: 13 hours, 52 minutes

3 Weeks to Go!

Obviously this week started off incredibly crappy, but turned out pretty good by the end.  I swear, the ups and downs are going to land me in therapy by the time this is all over!  I saw this quote the other day and I think it's one I need to repeat to myself - often.

Tuesday, June 18th:
I was still feeling pretty sulky today, so I moved Wednesday's planned rest day to today and it helped. Sometimes it just helps to do n.o.t.h.i.n.g. Okay, I wasn't a total sloth - I did read more of 'Triathlon for Every Woman' by Meredith Atwood.  I can't wait to follow her progress on Sunday at IMCDA.

Wednesday, June 19th:
It was perfect running weather tonight: cool, sunny, gentle breeze.  I wasn't really sure what kind of run I wanted to do, so I set out for "an easy 3". Oddly, I ended up doing a tempo run - my least favorite kind in the world - without trying!  I knew I was pushing a little, but had no idea that I was running so close to my 5k PR pace.  Maybe all the cross-training is paying dividends?

Thursday, June 20th:
I met up with the Newbie Herd at a local park for a quick "Transition 101" lecture from the Iron Cheerleader followed by a bike/run brick.  After the first mile on the bike, it became very obvious that some of us were comfortable on our bikes and others needed a slower pace and extra advice, so the Iron Cheerleader split us into two groups. To my amazement, I was sorted into the "fast" group!  Granted, 'fast' was a relative term, but I really enjoyed flying down hills and grinding up hills with that group. 30-ish minutes later we circled back to meet up with the slower group to grind out another nasty hill.  I'm pleased to say that I located my 'granny gear' and kept my ass on the saddle for the entire hill.

Once we arrived back at the park, a teammate's teenage son volunteered to babysit all of our bikes so we could run without fear of bike theft. What a great kid! Everyone shed their helmets, yanked on running shoes, and took off in pursuit of the Iron Cheerleader.  The jello legs sucked - as usual - and then the Iron Cheerleader made it worse by directing us up a steep, grassy hill  before allowing us to head back to the park.  It served to remind me why I am not a cross country runner!

 At any rate, I made it back to my bike still breathing and promptly agreed to go for a beer with one of the other girls instead of stacking on bonus mileage with the Iron Cheerleader and some of the boys.  That's another benefit of the Newbie Herd - meeting new people who are into the same things I'm into.  Who knows, maybe I'll come out of this with a new friend or two!

Friday, June 21st:
I think my week for 'summer hours' at the office came just at the right time.  I left work around 1pm, dashed home to pick up my swim bag and my 'broken' wetsuit, and hauled ass to the wetsuit shop.  I felt a little foolish, but incredibly relieved, when the guy there managed to get the wetsuit unzipped in about .0002 seconds.  It seems that a teeny tiny piece of fabric somehow got caught in the zipper and jammed it.  Wetsuit Guy was kind enough to show me what to do if it happens again and sent me on my way.  One of the major causes of Monday night's meltdown had been resolved and I felt like a 50lb weight had been lifted off my shoulders.  I drove over to the pool hoping for a really good swim.  My goal was 400 yards in under the cutoff time for the Pewaukee Tri.  I made it by just under 4 minutes! Now I just have to hope that I can pass that obnoxious open water test next Saturday.

I knew I was running short on time, but I really wanted to swim a little more, so I tacked on an extra 150 yards. Who am I? When did I start liking the water? I voluntarily swam more than what was required?

I probably would have stayed in the water longer, but I needed to get home and cleaned up since I'd promised to meet a few co-workers for drinks in celebration of someone's last day with the company.  I may have showed up with my hair in a wet bun, but I made it, so I think that counts for something.  I rewarded myself for the good swim with a Mudslide - which I haven't had in for-ev-er.  Yum!

Mr. R&R and I also enjoyed a nice Date Night at Balzac, complete with duck nachos, a small cheese plate, and some wine.  Wine is much better than whine!

Saturday, June 22nd:
All the neglected chores and annoying little project on my 'To Do' list were bugging me, so I spent most of the day tackling some of them.  I know that work is about to get crazy and the workout schedule isn't going to let up any time soon, so rather than stress about it, I did something about it.

Sunday, June 23rd:
New Personal Distance Record (PDR) Today!!!  It wasn't particularly fast, but I enjoyed it a lot.  Mr. R&R and I rode from our home over to Rail Trail I rode last weekend. When we reached the end, we decided to throw all speed goals out the window in favor of trying to follow some crazy city streets that eventually connect to the Glacial Drumlin Trail (the site of my previous PDR set 11 months and 1 day ago).  After a few extra miles and a dicey traffic moments, we found the Drumlin's trailhead, refilled our water bottles, sucked down a GU, and turned for home since we were both getting pretty tired.  The ride back to our original trail was much less eventful and the remainder of the trail (6 miles) was completed at a nice, speedy pace.  We stopped again at the end of the Rail Trail to top off our water bottles and discuss the best route to take home.  We settled on a route and rode the last 4 miles as a slow speed cool down.

PDR!!!!

Now I'm tired and slightly sunburned, but incredibly happy.  I think that riding 12 more miles than the training plan called for counts as a reasonable substitute for a long run. Don't you?

Week 8 Totals:
Swim: 915 yards
Bike: 35.24 miles
Run: 4.13 miles

Looks like I'd better step it up on the running.  8 weeks down. 3 to go!