Reaching New Lengths in Open Water / M-Dot Goes Aero!

Hello again, friends -- I write you from another wildly emotional peak, headed for an inevitable valley of another feeling I have yet to experience today :) I can call out these emotional highs and lows with no hesitation whatsoever at this point. A "little birdie" just sent me the following quote:

"Keep away from those who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you believe that you too can become great." - Mark Twain

I read it and immediately became teary-eyed. Again, I think all this just hearkens back to the recent reality check I had which reminded me we're closing in on the final weeks of training, preparation, and a culmination of all our hard work. And I seriously can't get over everything I've done, put myself through, accomplished, and achieved. [ok, here come the waterworks again...]

I'll start with the weekend update -- that should distract me in the meantime. Saturday morning, the Team and I were headed back to Lake Del Valle in Livermore. The last time I was here was for our first Boot Camp weekend. It didn't take long for me to be reminded on the drive in, of the steep-ass hills I once climbed on the bike in and out of the park. Sandy and I looked at each other in the parking lot and laughed at how haunting of a reminder they were. This time, however, no bike ride. We were in for a swim/run brick and I had prepared myself for absolutely anything.



It's amazing how you can go from fearing open water to now literally plunging yourself head-first into the unknown. I wasn't familiar with the swim course, hadn't swam in open water in weeks, and didn't know how far I was going to go. But I diligently got my wetsuit on, joined my peers on the pier and went for it.



Sandy and I (i.e. the only Louisville-ites at training that day) were asked to simulate our time-trial start for our race by jumping off the dock. We had already gotten in the water (without dipping our heads under) but had to swim back to shore to then jump back in. Off I went! With a nice little splash.



So we began our swim. Our instructions were to swim for a complete hour, from one buoy to another (which I could barely see from afar), and then back around for as many loops as we could fit within the hour. The water was really nice. Refreshing, and with the sunrays glistening off the top. The sky that morning was as blue as could be and without a cloud in sight. After adjusting my cap a little, de-fogging the goggles, and [ouch!] getting a few strands of hair un-caught from the velcro on the back of my wetsuit, I got into my groove and picked up my rhythm. I felt like I was swimming faster and stronger than I had before. I reached the buoy (the one I couldn't see in the beginning) and turned around to head toward the other, past a fallen tree in the lake. By the time I had reached the initial buoy by the dock, I realized it hadn't even been a half hour! So I turned right around to complete the loop a second time. This time, I really did settle into my forever pace. It was incredible. My body and mind made me feel like I could swim forever. I felt fluid and strong and able. And even better, the sun was shining and it was a gorgeous morning.



Although most of my teammates were strewn about all over the lake, I felt safe with a few kayaks nearby. Unfortunately, some of the speedboats in the distance left a bit of a wake -- which made for an interesting segment of my swim... I basically had to roll with it and make do. I made it a point to relay this to my brain, as this could very well be the case for race day. Expect the unexpected and just go with it! And I managed just fine. Took me off my groove for a little bit, but I eventually found it again and my confidence in the water soon came flowing back. As I came up on the final minutes of my swim, I headed toward the shore for what became a new milestone -- 1.5 miles in one hour!



After toweling off and doing a quick-change into my running clothes, I sprayed on the sunscreen and popped a salt tablet in preparation for my run. For whatever reason, I initially thought we had an 80-minute run on calendar. But when I got to the start of the run course (a.k.a. bottom of the trail) Coach Simon had told us to repeat a 2.5-mile out and back as many times as we could in 2 hours and 15 minutes. Not what I had expected -- but I was up for the challenge! Mentor Michelle and I hit the trail together and shot for a 10-10:30 min/mile pace at a run/walk of four minutes on - 1 minute off. It worked for us for a while, but the sun began to get warmer and the hills, a little steeper. It didn't take long for us to break a sweat, but we had plenty of water with us and hydrated regularly. I'm not used to running in the heat as much, let alone after more than a mile of swimming, but I did my best and worked on the mental training all at the same time -- not letting myself get easily discouraged or panicked about not going "fast enough". It was challenging, but a great opportunity to let my body feel all the elements of what I was putting it through. A little fatigue, some tightness in the calves, a lot of sweat (hence, a lot of salt & water replacement), but a sharp mind and determined will to do the best I could. After we would reach one end of the 2.5-mile stretch, we'd head back up and down the rolling hills of the trail, paying close attention to the rocks, uneven surfaces and tree roots. Trail running is no joke, and I'm always amazed by the runners who run them regularly and with ease. I'd find moments where I felt a little heavy and sluggish, but I'd take a few sips of water and make it a point to add a little bounce in my step to pick up the pace alongside Michelle, who was great company for this run. There was also more than a handful of times we'd find our groove too and book it along the trail. We'd find a few dead bugs on our arms and legs at one point and took that as a clear indication that we must have been running lightning-fast ;)



After 2 hours and 15 minutes, Michelle and I successfully completed 10 miles! I felt absolutely awesome at the end and even had enough to sprint out the last quarter of a mile or so. And it was just in time to join the rest of the Team in a "quad bath". It's the first I had ever heard of this term -- everyone had kicked off their shoes (with the exception of Mentor Margaret whom I believe ended her run IN the lake). But we all hiked up our shorts and soaked our trail-dusted and bug-laden legs (ew) into the lake for a soothing and chilling ice bath. Loved it!



During our soak, we each took the time to reflect on what's going on in our heads at this point in the season, and voice to one another the excitement, joy, pride, as well as trepidations and any anxieties about our races. It was great to hear from everyone and know none of us is alone in our mixed emotions. Even the 3-4x Ironman finishers on the Team voiced their concerns and butterflies for their upcoming races. Again, the whole dialogue bonded us much more as a Team. Here's one of the SMC Gael Alums on IronTeam ~ w/ BK & Tony. "Team in Training, bringing alums of all ages together..."



On Sunday we had a 30-mile bike ride on calendar. I was anxious/excited again to try something new and different -- the installation of and first ride with my new aero bars! We started off at Lunardi's Market in Danville and made our way to the Highland Loop -- which is a section of country backroads that go from Danville through to Livermore and back. We had a fair share of riding in road traffic, lights, etc. It still often gives me some apprehension, just because you can never predict what the cars [and drivers] are going to do. But I took it one pedal stroke at a time, and managed to fuel (one-handed ride) safely within the bike lane, staying balanced and confident. I'd look down from time to time thinking it was WEIRD having so many bars in front of me and a number of options on how to hold them :) On flat sections of the road, I'd practice taking one hand off and resting it on the elbow pads of the aero bars, while keeping the other hand on the hoods. Then I'd alternate. The day was heating up fast and was probably up in the low-seventies by 10 a.m.

Unfortunately no photos, but we managed to ride by a snake in the middle of the road (yes, it was alive), and maybe three feet long. Which scared the crap out of me. We also encountered a real gentleman in a pickup who crept up behind us and deliberately gassed up and drove just about as close as he could to each of our bikes, before speeding off. I never really understood road rage. Or for that matter, who would waste their time getting that worked up.

Somewhere along the ride, Helen unfortunately encountered a mishap and broke her rear derailleur, ending her day early. Thankfully, another one of our teammates, Jen Jay, was nearby and came to the rescue. On the way back from Highland Loop, when no one was watching, I finally decided to give it a try. I put my right arm on the the elbow rest and calmly removed my left hand from the hood to rest on the other. I was doing it! Riding aero and I felt comfortable! No jolting or wobbling around. I was pedaling smooth, cutting through the wind and feeling fantastic. When approaching a stoplight, I'd calmly change positions, downshift and apply the brakes. It all just felt natural. I also realized one of life's simple pleasures as a cyclist: the coast & roll. Sometimes, I catch myself speeding up to a traffic light, only to see it change from yellow to red, before having to get ready to come to a dead stop. But of course when timed properly and with enough cars in the lane next door, it'll inevitably turn green again -- which if you're lucky and in the right spot at the right time, you won't even have to stop, can coast a little (and practice balancing, in my case) and can just roll right on through. Hah, not rocket science, I know. But oh-so-nice and always makes me happy when I can pick my riding groove back up and keep on going. Which is pretty much what happened through ALL the traffic lights on the way back from our ride :)

By the end of our 30-miles, I came back feeling accomplished and fulfilled after trying something new and succeeding. However I was also given a wise warning later on in the day from Coach Sedonia to be watchful of how long and how often I'm in any type of aero position that would otherwise have me leaning forward for sustained periods of time. The thought hadn't even occurred to me -- but if you're hunched over for a long time, your nutrition, calories, food and everything else may stay stuck in your gut, until you finally lean back or go upright, with the sensation of your nutrition wanting to come back UP, or worse yet -- out some other direction. I was mortified when I heard this but glad to have the info so I can avoid this in the future.

Topped off the training weekend with a relaxing barbecue at my house with a few teammates -- of course, complete with a viewing session of Ironman Louisville 2009 (with cameos of Coach Mike, Team Manager Merla, and a few others from last season). Coach Mike, Coach Sedonia, Nick & Dana were ever-so-kind to drop by with yummy dishes, smiling faces and as always -- good stories to share. Here are photos of Nick manning the grill with his shrimp-kabobs; and Sedonia's heavenly lasagna, paired with Mike's comforting garlic bread. Dana brought a pasta dish and I made my favorite BBQ Chicken. Good times and of course, countless laughs, were had by all.







All in all, another fabulous weekend ~ and the bonus day of no work and a rest day from training for the Memorial Holiday was just what I needed. I'll be training this week but going light, in preparation for the biggest training weekend yet..... 3/4 Iron at Clearlake! Yes, folks. I will be:

swimming 2 miles;
biking 100 miles; and
running 16 miles.

This is pretty darn close to the real thing and I can only imagine what new lessons, experiences, highs and lows the weekend will bring. Stay tuned!

***
Week #29 Workout Summary:

Swim: 1 hour and 0 minutes
Bike: 4 hours and 0 minutes
Run: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Core/Strength: 0 hours and 30 minutes
Total Workout: 8 hours and 0 minutes

My Fundraising Progress to Date: $8,566