Two years and still going strong!

Happy Anniversary to the love of my life…. Super Husband….my Sherbert.

Two years - and still so very happy!

Ironman Wisconsin: Athlete Information Packet

Today I received the official Ironman Wisconsin Athlete Information packet. Wow…. Suddenly my heart skips a beat, my palms get sweaty, and I break out into a cold sweat….

Reality sinking in…

This past week had another mid-week training session. I took the day as vacation day – and started with a great ocean clinic. I learned how to time waves, find the surf line, dolphin dive the waves, sighting… some of these things I knew…but I never really understood the timing of waves or the fact they came in sets. *sigh* Now I know!

After the ocean clinic I made my way to the pool and swam 2.4 miles. Another 1:39 – which was exactly as it was last time. My consistency amazes me (although continuing to improve and seeing a lower number would be nice!).

After the swim I headed home and had lunch / breakfast: 2 peanut butter and jelly “half-wiches”. Mine are NOT NEARLY as good as Super Husband’s…but alas, he was at work. My half-wiches were sub-par to his – but yummy just the same. I neglected to have breakfast befor my swims and also neglected to bring any nourishment with me. Ugh! I also had a GIANT coffee / homemade latte. YUM! Since I had the time I decided to take a wonderful nap – it was (for lack of a better term) delicious…. just awesome.

I awoke, jumped on my bike and spun for 2:20. I put in 50 miles as I watched the 2007 IM WI, 2008 IM WI, and part of 2007 IM World Championships – all on DVR. Talk about inspiration!!

I drank my Gatorade, water, ate some shot blocks, even had a squirt of Gu at one point. After the bike I ate a banana and put on my shoes – and proceeded to pound the pavement for 5.5 miles. It was a FANTASTIC run. I felt so strong, so filled with pride and power! I could have gone further with the run but decided to ease back since I am hoping to put in my longest run this weekend: 20 miles. We’ll see how I do…. *ugh*

Wednesday was a GREAT day for me – just really helped my confidence and definitely put an extra spring in my step.

I’ve also been practicing removing my wheels, removing the tubes, reinflating tubes, replacing the tires. My front is tire is still a bit tight and I am working that beast a lot – my goal is to loosen it up (new tires) in time for the big day. Otherwise, the back tire is behaving quite well actually – it has loosened up nicely and I can pop it on and off without too much extra muscle and effort.

Tomorrow is our long run. Super Husband plans to join me for a portion. Sunday is a long ride…I am fortunate enough to have a co-worker joining me for the first part. We’ll see how much farther I go afterward. Sunday evening is a special “thank you” barbeque in the Hollywood Hills for the top AIDS LifeCycle fundraisers. I am hoping to go – although after a long hard work-out weekend, I will be pretty beat. Hopefully I’ll have a second wind in the p.m. so I can enjoy the final festivities of the AIDS LifeCycle 8 experience.

And the beat goes on!

The Long and Short of It

 

This weekend was a great weekend filled with an organized ride and a sprint triathlon. Lots of moving parts (literally) and little rest. I am ready to start the work week just so I can rest!!

SATURDAY: COOL BREEZE CENTURY

The weekend began at 3:45 a.m. Saturday. I awoke and readied myself for the Cool Breeze Century in Ventura. I had my coffee, made my oatmeal (with peanut butter and cut-up banana) and waited for my friend Ellen to pick me up. We were on the road by 5 a.m. for the hour long drive.

We arrived early – shortly after 6. We checked in, prepped our bikes – I even found a great vendor where I was able to get Newton running socks: 3 for $10 (score!). We grabbed our maps / ride slips and were out and riding.

This was a smaller, local ride organized by the local bike club. The routes varied and we did the Century which boasted over 3500 feet of climbing (pretty tame for a full 100 miles). According to Ellen’s Garmin we climbed well over 4000 feet….so not sure which was correct.

We started out of Ventura and before we knew it we were along PCH heading north. The air was cool and the skies were overcast. Perfect for cycling actually. I prefer the sunshine – but admittedly for a long day like this the cool start was perfect!

We passed La Conchita, the area hit by the terrible mudslide in January 2005. We continued north to Santa Barbara and went into the foothills. The first 15 miles seemed really tough for some reason – no idea why – but I thought this was going to be one tough day if I can’t pull it together. I thought it may have been the headwind or I just wasn’t warmed up…. but Ellen noticed my brake was rubbing on my tire as we were climbing the first real ascent. We pulled over and SAG saw us. As it happens, yours truly placed the little spring (on the wheel) incorrectly. OOOPS!!! As soon as that was fixed – I was all set to go. Suddenly climbing seemed quite easy! *laugh* However, right after I started climbing my chain fell off. OY! What a wicked start to the day. I was fortunate, though – that was the last of my bad moments for the day.

We continued onward and stopped at mile 31 rest stop. The metric century riders turned around and headed back. We felt great and continued onward and upward (literally). Sidenote: I never thought about bailing and only completing the 62 mile ride – I was committed to the full 100 and ventured forth!.

The real climbing began after I incorrectly told Ellen I thought the toughest was over. OOPS! We continued climbing in the Santa Barbara foothills and there were constant switchbacks – up – then down – then up some more – then down a little – down some more… Oy. The roads were very narrow, the views were lovely. We thought it it was a clear day it would have been AMAZING! For me, it’s probably better that it was cloudy and overcast since I do less than well with the cliffs and canyons.

Ellen caught up with me at the bottom since she does much better at all the downward switchbacks. We rolled into lunch at mile 50ish, I believe. To our lovely surprise they had a full lunch with sandwiches. I made a half-wich, took some chips, had a banana and cookie. I ate a good portion of it – but made sure not to have too much. We rolled out after washing up and made our way further down the road. Our next rest stop was actually the one we saw before at mile 31. We simply got more water, I had a Hammer Gel shot from my gel flask. I refilled my front water bottle with more of my Gatorade. We noticed none of the stops had any kind of electrolytes – BAD, BAD, BAD!!! They simply had water and powdered CountryTime lemonade. ARE YOU KIDDING??? Ugh. Good thing is I learned from previous rides, to bring a packet of powdered Gatorade for occasions like this!

We ventured onward and heard that the last rest stop had popsicles. YESSS!!! The sun was out and it was warm – I could feel it against my arms and cheeks.

The ride was breathtaking – heading back to Ventura. We went along the ocean from Goleta to Santa Barbara. The cliffs overlooking the ocean were just breathtaking. The sunshine, waves, houses – everything was so beautiful! The grass and trees were so green and lush. As we were in Santa Barbara we went past the city beaches – packed with beach-goers. I realized if there was a city I could live in (if I had an “I wish” moment) it may very well be Santa Barbara.

We reached the final rest stop at about mile 85, had the most delicious and wonderful popsicles EVAH! Ellen was a little tired and I felt a second wind so I helped “pull” her in until she got her second wind again as well.

The ride back was along PCH and traffic was much busier by this time of day. We scooted along the bike path – and before we knew it we just had single digit mileage left. WOO HOO!! The other great thing is we had tail winds pushing us south from Goleta to Ventura – excellent!

Rolling in felt FANTASTIC! Event though my start was less than great – I learned a lot (YET AGAIN) on this ride.

• I learned that my tri shorts (not cycling shorts – tri shorts – which have thinner padding / chamois) worked well until about mile 80.  Then my backside started getting a bit sore.  Good thing is I had extra little packets of chamois cream (thank you Ellen!) to take the edge off.  I am hoping the tri shorts will work well at Ironman with the added race adrenaline – and the last thing on my mind is if my backside hurts!
• Nutrition:  spot on – wahoo!  I stuck to my own nutrition with the exception of lunch sammich.  The Hammer Perpeteum pulled me through yet again.  I started the Gatorade at mile 50.  Had a shot of gel at mile 75.  All great!  I had a headache (uncertain if due to the overcast weather) and took Excedrin at about mile 30 – this helped as well.  
• I am a putz when it comes to putting on wheels.  HA!
• Switchbacks are still scary – especially with cycling packs – but I was fine and safe.  I heard there were others that were not as safe and unfortunately had less skin left at the end of the day.
• Pacing – my pacing went very well.  I was strong and consistent.  I am happy and impressed with my consistency.

What I liked about this ride:

• Lovely route – and there are many cool breezes along the way!
• SAG was everywhere all the time – except for the narrow switchbacks.  I never saw a SAG up there…understandably so.
• Volunteers were very friendly and helpful
• Rest stops – I am sure having them at the same locations out and back made it logistically easier for the planning crew.  They were in nice locations (parks).
• Post-ride lunch was nice
• Lunch was a lovely surprise
• Easy to get to – park – and get out

What can be better next time:

• Electrolytes!  Riders riding that far and long need more than lemonade
• Rest stop food wasn’t my cup of tea – could have had gels, power bars, or shot blocks instead of nuts, bagels and cookies.
• The switchbacks went on FOREVER – ugh
• I loves me the swag and this race had no swag or freebies – bummer
• No shirt, just a patch (had to pay extra for any kind of t-shirt)

I whole-heartedly suggest this ride to someone who would like a mild first century – or a lovely century along the coast. Great job Ventura – it was great.

SUNDAY – HANSEN DAM TRIATHLON

The morning began, again, at 3:45 a.m. I had everything packed for transition the night before so it was a simple morning of coffee, oatmeal – waking Super Husband. We were out the door and on the road by 5 a.m. since transition opened at 5:30 and it was about 30 miles away.

We made our way up the 405 to the 118 – then the 210. We came to the familiar park – we remember from two years ago and followed the cars. We entered and had ROCKSTAR parking!! I quickly got in line to enter transition. One terrible mix-up: not handing out helmet/bike numbers in our packets. BOO on the organizers!! Each of the 600 participants had to wait in line as the unorganized team at the table sorted through pages of labels looking for each participant’s numbers. Ugh. Such a time-waster.

The good thing is a nice LA Tri Club samaritan picked up my packet for me and I was early in the line so I entered, grabbed my spot in transition (at the end, thank you very much! Easy peasy to find and set up!) and made it my little plot of the race. I set out shoes, hat, helmet and sunglasses on the bike. All set!

The chilly morning became warmer as the sun peaked over the foothills. The crowd became bigger and louder – the excitement and energy increased. Many newbies and lots of questions were being asked. I was happy to help several newbies who weren’t quite sure how to set up transition or take to the swim (position yourself on the OUTside as to not get caught in the middle of the pack). It was fun to sit back and watch everyone. I was quite calm and collected – actually excited and giddy – to start and see how much I improved from the time I did this race 2 years ago.

Before we knew it, it was time to start. I lined up in the swim start and after 6 waves before me, I waved goodbye to IronSherpa and hit the water. I ended up in the middle of the pack and instead of moving to the side (as I told everyone else to do) I actually purposely stayed in the middle – to feel the kicking, clawing, unable to see, sucking in water from others’ waves. Good training for the MASS START next month.

The water was WARM! It was 78-80 and I still wore my wetsuit. I have it – and anytime I am in open water, you bet I am wearing it! I made my way through the 400m swim and it was very simple. I kept focused on the corner markers and before I knew it I was rounding the last corner. Here I come! I see the spectators on the side cheering us on – getting louder as I got closer – and before I knew it, I was running up the ramp. 13 minutes. Not shabby!

I entered T1 and quickly shed my wetsuit, put on socks, cycling shoes, helmet, sunglasses – and I was off! Now onto the 11 mile ride. I headed out and noticed it was pretty simple – there were some uphills (very slight inclines) and I passed more people than passed me (that felt great for once!). As with the swim, I felt very confident and actually felt a little competitive (which I NEVER feel!). I continued onward, we crossed the Hansen Dam – above the entire park, overlooking the activities below us…and continued to the finish of the bike.

Before I knew it I was dismounting the bike and in T2. 37 minutes. Not super fast – but again, the only gals who passed me were in aero position so that made me feel pretty good!

I replaced my bike shoes for running shoes – and I was out to the trail run. I forgot how much I hated (HATED) trail runs – until I started this run. Ugh! The trails weren’t hard packed sand – much was soft sand. DOUBLE UGH!

The water stations were out of water (WHAT THE HECK?) so I continued onward and before I knew it – I was on the way back and up the embankment to the finish. Tim Bomba called out my name as I came into the chute – it was great seeing Super Husband with his IronSherpa shirt. I crossed feeling great – and received my medal. Super Husband found me right away and got me water since the finish line was OUT OF WATER. SERIOUSLY?????

The run was 31 minutes – steady – not fast, but constant. Many passed me – but that was ok. I wasn’t expecting warp speeds especially on the run.

My final time was 1:25. I finished feeling great and we celebrated by having hamburgers from the park’s taco truck. MMMMMMM!!!!

Positives about the race:

• Price – very inexpensive
• Location – very close and easy to get to
• The finishers medal is excellent
• T-shirt is wicking material – nice, but ran out of small sizes (I drown in my mens’ size Large!)
• Volunteers were great
• Fantastic first tri
• The swim is so non-stressful compared to other races

What can be better next time:

• Place bike / helmet numbers in race packets – what a logistical nightmare!
• Race day extra fee for packet pick-up?  How about having packet pickup at REI since they are a sponsor
• Out of water and/or cups along the course?  Shame!  That is NOT what you want
• Out of water at the finish?  Again – BAD

Overall, great race and I am sure I will do this one time and time again. I think this year just had some warps in the organization and hopefully next year they will be tweaked. Even though there were some issues today, I highly suggest to anyone who would like a casual, inexpensive, simple sprint distance triathlon. GREAT first triathlon!

Closer to Fine

This past weekend was an amazing opportunity to get in some training hours.

Friday was a glorious half day – so I went to the pool and swam 2.4 miles. 85 laps – ugh – but, I was NINE MINUTES FASTER than the last few times I swam that distance. YAY!!! Improvement!!

Saturday morning was an early 4 a.m. wake-up to have breakfast and meet a friend. We then made the hour long trek to north of Malibu. We put in a good 70 miles on our bike. The first 50 were mild with rolling hills, our speed was over 15 and the morning started cool. However, as soon as the sun came up over the canyons it was WARM!! We were glad to wear sleeveless jerseys underneath our cycling shirts – and continued 20 more miles. I woke up with a headache (and sadly, continue to have now) and after the 50 miles, wasn’t sure I wanted to venture into the Conejo Valley for 45 more miles. I suggested we head back and I could continue / finish on the trainer in the living room. However, Ellen suggested we just head out locally, choose a flat terrain – and so we went out to Oxnard. Ten miles out, 10 miles back. We felt quite accomplished with the 70 – and even came across good training with headwinds. The headwinds out in Oxnard were fierce (as they usually are!) and it was good training for bike handling.

The hydration / nutrition continued to go well. I should have brought water – I decided to only drink my nutrition and Gatorade. I should have had water…. I didn’t bring it knowing it would be warm and thought the extra salt would be helpful. I am sure it was but frankly, I could have used plain ol’ water!

After the ride we headed back to LA and after fighting stop and go traffic all along PCH, I came back to an immaculately clean place (THANK YOU SUPER HUSBAND) and relaxed the rest of the evening. I believe there was a nap involved – then dinner – then back to sleep.  Let me not forget the red velvet cake Super Husband gave me as a post-ride treat… YUMMY!!!

Sunday was a wonderful 9 hours of sleep followed by toast (with peanut butter and banana) for breakfast… then off to a run with Super Husband. I thought the run may help my headache – which, actually it did. We had a big day of mileage: 17 miles ahead of us. Surprisingly, Super Husband planned to do the mileage with me which I was grateful for since I wasn’t feeling 100%.

We had our usual liquids ready: peach iced tea and water for the first loop, gatorade and water for the second… water and peach iced tea for the third and last loop. We were off and running.

I was sure to take salt and Hammer Gel after each loop. I also took Excedrin to help the headache. We took the day well – the temperature climbed quickly. What started as a lovely mild, quiet morning became warmer and busier with each loop. We noticed how the brunch crowds grew and grew…

The last final loop is always our victory loop: we ended at a local gas station where our newest “treat” post-running is a cherry ICEE. We no longer get donuts or iced coffees…it’s all about the ICEE. MMMMMMmmmm!! The fizzy, icy taste! Hits the spot after a hot, tough run.

What I learned this weekend:

• Running on sore legs after a long ride was great practice for the big day. My mind had to stay focused and the mantra “One step closer to home” was a common thought towards the end.
• Cycling with others was helpful after all the solo training rides 
• My swim went better than I anticipated – NINE MINUTES better than prior swims.  That made my day.
• Nutrition, hydration – all going smoothly
• How can I get iced tea out on the Ironman course?
• How can I get an ICEE on the Ironman run??

Now to start the week and REST so I can be ready for the big weekend coming up: a century on Saturday – with cycling mentor Ellen, sprint triathlon Sunday.

Wide Open Spaces

Another week flew by and seven more days ticked away from the countdown. 38 days until I toe the line.

This past week was actually quite strong and positive…no tears, no negative thoughts… I actually feel good about this past week. The training has kept me feeling alive, free – filled with joy and so happy where I am in my life. The enjoyment of feeling the ocean breezes brush my cheek as I ride, the quiet mornings as I pound the pavement with my shoes…. and the wonderful day I had at the pool, sharing a lane at times – and others, having it to myself. I’ve had the feeling of space, victory, pride…

I began Monday as an easy day. I took a nice walk during lunch and kept it simple. Tuesday I continued with my spin session and felt great about it – it was a strong session, my legs felt like they were pushed. They were a bit sore the next morning – that is a good thing.

Wednesday was a great 7.5 mile run – moderate speed, great pace. Another instance I felt incredibly strong and in the moment.

Thursday was an hour long swim in the morning before the dentist. I canceled my afternoon training to see the chiropractor (have to be well for weekend training, right??) and took it easy that evening.

Friday – half day at work followed by a 2.4 swim at the pool. I can barely keep my eyes open – I would love to nap but I have an early wake-up call tomorrow…. Tomorrow is a 90 mile ride (hopefully) on PCH and then into Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks area. Should be lovely!! AND – I am excited! I am going WITH people! I enjoy riding by myself – don’t get me wrong… and it’s been excellent training. However, I was ready for a weekend of being around others.

Sunday is a scheduled 17 mile run with Super Husband (such a great guy!!) – that will be nice. He’s been working long shifts and when he gets home I am winding down…. we catch up but not as much as the weekends. This will be nice to spend time dissecting the week behind us as well as the week ahead of us as we pound the pavement together…

Then I start the process all over!! The great thing is I decided to take the next two Wednesdays off. They are vacation days – designated as “swim / bike / run” days. I hope to get in a full 2.4 mile swim at the pool, then get in long ride followed by a run. Hopefully that can happen….

38 days!!

Emotional Rollercoaster

Oh, we begin the peak of this monster Ironman training session. Suddenly I am in the last 6 weeks – the next 3-4 weeks being the peak. The hours thus far, the sweat, the stress – is culminating and I am turning into a big ball of emotions.

I tend to be a pretty laid back person – I am pretty mellow and positive, happy usually – but recently I’ve been on the verge of tears. Why? Not sure…some days it’s because I am picturing not finishing, or the contrary: finishing line in all its wondrous glory. Today, it was due to not feeling accomplished and part-failure.

I hit the bike route as I do every Sunday and started out. It was heavy marine layer (almost rain-like) so it was borderline misery starting out. I say misery since I was tired, unmotivated, and didn’t want to be there. There weren’t any bikes out there the first 2 hours…. so I felt like I was all alone. Talk about having a drain of energy and excitement. Oy.

It didn’t help that I was just mentally and physically drained. Yesterday we did our own half-marathon throughout the neighborhood. The heat and humidity hit us hard. We started a bit later in the mid-morning since I went and had an ocean swim. The swim went ok – a couple of Disney Tri guys adopted me. We were all slower – and one guy is doing Malibu in Sept as his first Tri. Good for him. Breaking through and back in the waves is always so stressful for me. I am getting better….and once I am out past the waves I am golden – I felt good and strong while I was not battling the waves.

So – I got home today, worked on changing out the tire and tube… and just broke into tears. The good thing is I was able to change into laughter within about 2 minutes. Super Husband understood and just rubbed my back, mentioned if I was NOT going through this – he’d be worried. I really wanted to go 5 hours today, around 80 miles…. alas I cut it short at 50 miles and 3.25 hours. I feel like I let myself down. I was thinking about jumping on the trainer and cranking out the last 2 hours / 30 miles…. but instead I took a shower and took a nap. The nap was good for my body and soul.

I now go on into the week – and thankfully work takes my mind off the race and my emotions are in check during the work week. Oh…. 6 weeks…. ugh.

Peak to Perfection

Well, I am on my way to the “peak” of my Ironman Training. The next three weeks are especially hitting hard – and toward end of August I will back off and taper. It’s hard to believe in one month I will be in full “taper mode”. Where has the time gone??

This week has been a good, hearty week. I am quite run down and tired – but working hard. I did see the doctor Monday and she gave me a new inhaler, nasal spray, and antibiotic… Hopefully breathing will be easier now.

Last weekend entailed a 17 mile run (with spurts of walk at the end – long spurts in the last few miles since it was tough to breathe and my legs were cramping) followed by a 50 mile ride Sunday with a small transition run. My mph is maintaining over 15. This is good news…. we shall see if I continue to handle that pace throughout training and into the race.

This week had two morning swim sessions, a yoga session, a spin session, a nice outdoor bike ride with a friend – went up a nice hill and came down to the beach… that was lovely. Yesterday was a hard 7.5 mile run – started difficult but ended strong. I am still not used to feeling “warmed up” until mile 5. Ugh.

Tomorrow will be an ocean swim followed by a 13 mile run with Super Husband. Sunday will be a ride: 70-80 miles….

And so it goes….

In a sky full of people only some want to fly…

….isn’t that crazy?

I love that song by Seal (and the even more loved cover version by Alanis Morissette).

The past couple weeks have been filled with training – more and more minutes/hours per week as the time gets closer to September 13.

I’ve been battling an odd cold and / or allergies the past couple weeks and have serious sinus issues and asthma-like issues. The inhalers are back in use (regularly, unfortunately) to help the labored breathing I get – usually in the beginning of the workout.

This past week began with the usual swim and pilates. The stretching and swim time always feels good after the hard strenuous weekend workouts.

Tuesday was the interval session, on the bike. I changed up this workout and thus far I’d say it’s going well. I finish this workout feeling good versus pathetic and undeserving of toeing the line at Ironman. Something about the old workout did not jive well with me and I felt so beat down afterward. Now that I’ve changed it up I get off the bike feeling invigorated and good, strong.

I had a great 7.5 mile run Wednesday – it was AWESOME: one that I walked away feeling so incredibly accomplished and strong, stable, ready for more. That was a good day.

Thursday I took it easy – swam in the morning and napped after work. Friday, with all the coughing action I’ve had, I again napped after work and tried to beat down this nagging infection / allergy issue.

Saturday was a well-done 17 mile run. I ended up walking a bit toward the end since my lungs were heavy – and oddly enough, my legs were cramping. That was odd – that never happens to me. I took salt tablets, I drank Gatorade Endurance…. and yet, my legs back of thighs and calves were cramping. So perplexing…. But – it was great time with Super Husband. He joined me on miles 5.5-17. We discussed our lives – weekly schedules, thoughts, goals, etc. He kept me motivated and power-walked with me when I needed to stop running.

As most realize, it is hard to start running after one stops to walk. Not sure why – but starting back up running after a walking session is draining… so at Ironman I will try to run the farthest I possibly can before I begin the walk/run adventure.

Sunday was a bike ride. I was thinking 70 – but decided on a strong 50 with a transition run afterward…so I did a brick. My time was literally exactly like last week: 3:10 for 50 miles. I guess that shows consistency!! I felt good out there – although the first 10-15 miles had a bit of tough breathing. It was a beautiful morning with overcast sunshine, marine layer and sea spray north of Malibu…even a little chilly in the early morning.

The transition run was quick and painless (literally and figuratively) since it was just one simple mile – but great to feel my legs adjusting as they should. They were heavy – but no cramping.

The rest of today was resting and little things around home. Super Husband did a lot of the household stuff – I just had to follow up with my end of the bargain: cleaning my share of the closet, putting away clothes, etc.

The good thing is that nutrition seems to be working out quite well. Everything is sitting well – digesting well. I had a moment on the run where I started swaying and getting dizzy…Super Husband caught me. (This is when I started walking). I don’t think it was heat or mileage actually… since I was having dizzy spells on and off last week. I think those are related to this sinus congestion issue I’m dealing with.

Now to bust on through to the next week. Have to go to work so I can rest…. *laugh*

And about Seal’s song listed above… it does amaze me that in a sky full of people – only some want to fly. Why doesn’t everyone want to reach for the ultimate goal in his/her life??

Stop the Madness!

Yesterday afternoon I noticed my throat was getting a bit sore. I thought it was odd since I’ve been drinking many fluids – making point to not dehydrate throughout the days. Then my ear starting getting a sharp pain… And of course the thought “OH NO! I AM GETTING A COLD!” struck me – and struck me hard.

So – I went home and took it easy. No exercising. I drank tea – and found myself up a little later since I wasn’t exhausted from the day’s training ritual.

I awoke today with the sharp sore throat, cough – and decided to go into work for half day. However, at 10 a.m. – as I was going out the door to work – I realized I was a bit warm. I chalked it up to our air-conditioning was off and it was warm. However, I took my temp and low and behold: 99.2. Not a huge fever – but something I needed to take seriously. If I want to recover and get back out on the pavement I need to recover as fast as I can…. so I stayed home.

I am sucking down OJ, taking medicine… I am SOOO not a sedentary person. Bless my husband for his patience and understanding! I become a caged lion!

So – here I am, practically counting the minutes to September 13 – as I watch my favorite documentary series “The Civil War” by Ken Burns.

Hurry up medicine!!

Two Months and Counting….

Two months from today…. toeing the line.

I hope I take all the gems I’ve learned, witnessed, become…. and do my best at becoming an Ironman.