Another week down

WOW – I forgot how tiring training for an Ironman can be! I just finished week 2 of Karen’s “Road to Kona” training plan. This week involved a 3 hour brick, a 5 hour brick, some 3 mile swims and a 20 mile run, as well as some easier workouts. My plan was to get most of teh workouts done during the week because I was taking the girls down to visit Scott on the weekend. I knew I would have limited workout time once we got to Virginia. I was fortunate that this was cheerleading camp week so the girls were at camp 3 hours in the morning and then another 2.5 hours in the afternoon. Monday, I did the 3 hour brick in the morning and a 3 mile swim in the afternoon. I don’t even think I ate anything solid until about 4pm! The brick was crazy – I headed out for the 2 hour bike ride into the wind. At the halfway point I was averaging about 17mph. I hate averaging anything under 20mph (even though I know it doesn’t matter) so I planned to haul ass on the way back. I couldn’t believe I finished up at exactly 20mph. Karen has me working on negative splitting on the runs now (because of my dying at BSLT and Chesapeakeman) so that was the main focus of the hour run.

I finished the swim in time to watch some of the cheerleading and I have to brag that my girls are so damn cute! Phoebe really loved doing the cheers and I couldn’t get Maggie to stop cartwheeling. This is the 4th year we have done this camp and Tami, the FMHS cheer coach, does an amazing job with the girls. On Friday they showed off their stuff – they did lifts, cheers and a dance.

Wednesday night I got out of work and headed to the Y for a 4800 yard workout and then raced home to bed because Thursday was the 5 hour brick. I rode 94miles and was reminded of what a beautiful area we live in. I was able to ride by 3 lakes – Oneida, Cazenovia and Deruyter as well as Chittenango Falls. The ride from Canastota into Chittenango has some of the best views of the rolling hillsides. LOTS of time to think when I am out there alone. It amazes me the people that listen to ipods when they workout. Aside from being unsafe if you are outside, when do these people ponder life??

After the ride Thursday, I got to work for 9 hours. It is so funny how my co-workers are unable to grasp the concept of riding 94 miles on a bicycle! Friday morning, I was so excited to do the 2.5 hour run Karen had scheduled (yes…this is sarcasm). I was so exhausted and calorie deficient from the day before that I was dreading every minute of the run. But, being OCD, I knew I had to get out there. I headed out with a water bottle (a first for me!) and started the run. By the end, I had covered 19.6 mi at 7:42 pace. Not bad considering the week so far!

Saturday, the girls and I drove down and visited Scott. They had not seen him since before the accident and both were a little nervous about what he would be like. Maggie was especially interested in all of his injuries. She wanted to know if she would get to see the holes in his “lumbs” (lungs!). I am happy to report that he is progressing very well and the girls responded as if they were visiting an old friend – a little shy at first and then as if nothing had happened. It has been 3 months since the accident and Scott is now eating regular food (and hoping to have the GTube out this week), practicing walking with a walker, going up and down stairs, writing poems, reading, playing UNO (much to Maggie and Phoebe’s delight) and having more moments of clarity than not. Although this sounds great, there is still so much further for him to go. He still requires 24 hour care, he cannot get out of bed on his own or go anywhere alone, forgets people’s names, has trouble remembering what day it is and gets tired often. It’s encouraging, frustrating and sad all at the same time (for him and me). There are moments when we look each other in the eye and I know “Scott” is in there and then there are other times when he is like a young child that I recognize but don’t really know. Continue your prayers for him!

To end the week, Karen had me doing a 90 minute run with 5 miles at 6:45 pace within the run. Saturday night, I hung out with a friend and drank WAY too much vino! Another friend kept me on the phone until super late so when the alarm went off Sunday it was a definite struggle to drag myself out of bed and out the door. The first few steps were awful (headache, nausea, sluggish) but by the time I hit the first mile repeat, I was kicking some major ass! I hit all of the repeats in 6:30 and then finished off the run with a 15 minute cool down around 7:30 pace. It is really strange but consistently I run better after drinking wine the night before!

So now, back in town (after a nightmarish ride through the hell they call dowtown Baltimore after my Garmin died) I am ready to start the final hard week before I get a rest week. I just have to hold on for 9 more workouts! Hopefully the heat and humidity will go away soon. I don’t know how people live and especially train in places like Florida where the weather is always like this! I think they are nuts

phoebe

maggie