Congrats Kim & Kevin on baby Nora!

Kim, my friend Bree’s only goal going into her first ironman this October was to beat her labor time - maybe that’ll have to be your Hawaii goal this year..
I’m just here to link to Bree’s Blog about training for triathlon as a mom and how it changes things. See it here at breeweehawaii.blogspot.com

Hawaii moms - Bree Wee, Ingrid Rolles & me

No one can really pull you up very high–you lose your grip on the rope. But on your own two feet you can climb mountains.
 - Louis Brandeis

How can I wrap up the season when I feel like it never got started? 

Triathlon Race Results:  One DNF (hypothermia), a top 10 finish at Ironman Florida 70.3 and a “What the hey happened” at Buffalo Springs. 

Life’s Results:  More free time on the weekends to spend with the kids…I did not realize just how much my girls noticed that I was out training until my youngest daughter would repeatedly say to me, “Mommy, what’s wrong with you?  You sure don’t exercise that much anymore.”  

Lessons learned:  We will keep having the same experiences in life until we finally learn and apply that which is trying to be taught. 

Life’s Goals:  Balance, health.

Race Goals:  I will define my goals.  I will NOT be defined by my goals.    

I am so grateful to Timex and our sponsors.  I almost felt bad for my beautiful red hot Trek Equinox 7.0 WSD…it screams fast, sleek, and ‘race me!’  But, it had to settle for training rides.  My Spenco Ironman Cycling Gloves made all these training rides a bit more  enjoyable by making the ride more comfortable.  My Timex Heart Rate Monitor has kept me in-line making sure I am working at the correct intensity and it also lets me know when my resting heart rate is elevated.  In addition, not only does it help me in training, but it is the first thing I hear in the morning with its trusty and faithful alarm. 

I did get to use my Blue Seventy Helix wetsuit and PointZero3 swimskin once this year…note that I WISHED I had my Blue Seventy Helix when I took to the chilly waters at California 70.3 earlier this year!  In addition, I am SUPER excited to hear that the PointZero3 was granted approval by FINA for open water swimming at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  My 13 year-old daughter is anxious to try her hand at an open water swim event in the near future, and is looking forward to trying it out…she will do the suit justice.  This suit, similar to the Trek, says “fast-only please!” 

My every-day attire includes my Wigwam IM socks and Rudy Project sunglasses (ok, not just the two of them, there are other things on too!).  I don’t know what I would do without these things.  Even though I was not racing for most of the season, I still felt like a racer, and was easily targeted as ‘a triathlete or cyclist or some sort of athlete’ whenever I wore the Rudy Project glasses.  And, last but not least…Fuel Belt, Gatorade Endurance and Headsweats…what can I say except that I know there is NO way I could make it through a Houston summer of running without them.    

Congratulations to my fellow teammates…it was always fun to watch and cheer for you online.  It helped to fill the void of not being there in person.  Looking forward to 2008! 

My favorite advertisement of all time went like this:

 ”You have a 25th hour in your day, do you eat, sleep, or exercise…. We thought so.” 

Complete with a woman in workout gear and the advertised shoes.

I had that ad on my fridge for years (ok, the ad ran in the early 90s).

So, every fall when I “fall back” in the central time zone, I think of this ad.  I must say that, as an economist, that ad brings a bit of a dry humor to me as well as I debate if eating, sleeping, and exercise, or anything else, are perfect substitutes. 

This year, the 25th hour day fell on the last day of my time off before structured workouts or any running or biking; I didn’t work out.  Instead, I did sleep with my extra hour.  This is highly unusual but became a reality when my daughter went off with her friend to play, and Michael and I parked our bodies in front of the TV for some football - Packers v.Chiefs.  Michael is a huge Green Bay fan - we both love Favre - quite an athlete, and he is our age.  And, I did fall asleep a bit during the game.

Other teammates and friends used their extra hour to recover from IM Florida.  Well raced by many - including the amazing Tim Hola who did this race 3 weeks after Hawaii.  Marie, Paolina, and Mark all looked fabulous.  (If I missed anyone else, I apologize.) 

So, coming around back from triathlon to sleeping to football, any takers for some action on the Packers v. Cowboys game on November 29?  Michael is taking me to Dallas for the game in celebration of my 38th bday.  Yee Haw!  Go Cowboys!  I already have an outfit to wear.  Maybe Jerry Jones will see my spirit and skills and he’ll give me my dream job - owner of the Dallas Cowboys.  Last time they played, I won a trip to Hawaii from Michael (no, we weren’t married yet, so he was still working it).  He won’t bet me straight up (yet).  Both teams are 7 and 1, though, so you never know.  I vote for Dallas-Indy superbowl.  Maybe Mark will join me in this Super Bowl Dream.

By the way, mullet watchers, a guy (Davis, I think) on the Chiefs has a mullet.  He was quoted saying that the front says “success” and the back says “party”.  Ben, I think that should be your mullet interview question, “What does your mullet SAY?”

Oh, the wisdom of a 7 year-old. 

After listening to me sing the ‘poor me’ song one time too many, my 7 year-old, Hanna, looked at me with some frustration and said, “Mom…you get what you get and you don’t pitch a fit.”  Amazing how those little ears hear and retain everything…well, everything that is except when I am loudly exclaiming, “It is bedtime, now go to sleep.  No more talking!” 

Even prior to racing in Lubbock this June, I knew something was wrong.  I had been feeling run down for a long time, I could not retain weight and I was losing muscle mass.  Workouts were hit and miss, and regardless of the amount of sleep I got, I was still tired.  When I raced at Lubbock it reminded me of how I felt in my last High School Cross-Country meet when I raced with mono and was subsequently hospitalized.  It was during the run in Lubbock that I made the decision to step back from racing triathlons for the remainder of the season and focus on getting my health back in order.  Of course, implementing this plan was not a simple process for me…my mind was a battlefield of ‘Train More versus Train Less’ and my family was caught in the middle.      

Yes, there is a time to push things, but as I have learned (the hard way) there is also a time to just…REST.  Rest is a difficult thing to do for us self-proclaimed obsessive-compulsive types, especially during the racing season, and when it does not come on our terms.  I would be lying if I said this is ‘easy.’  Rather, quite the contrary, it takes [me] more discipline to hold back rather than to continue to push myself.  We all start out the racing season with goals and expectations, anticipated race schedules, and when these plans get derailed, due to illness, injury, stress, work, etc. it can be a hard pill to swallow. 

I have been reading Brad Kearns book, “Breakthrough Triathlon Training.”  It is a good book that has at least provided me with some mental relief, especially with the chapter, “The Myth of Suffering.”  Now, not all will agree with what he has to say, but I believe there is merit when he talks about the emphasis we, as athletes, place on suffering.

  
I have come to the realization that there is a distinct difference between persevering and suffering.  According to Wikipedia, perseverance is “human endurance”, while suffering is “a negative basic feeling or emotion, that involves…harm or threat of harm.”  I do not believe persevering involves the potential for harm or damage.  That is not to say one will not suffer at some point in an Ironman or another race, but I think the key is maintaining balance and knowing when to step back.  Persevering through a race is honorable.  Suffering through a race or workout at the cost of permanent damage to your health or serious injury is questionable decision-making. 

I am not writing this to whine or complain…no, the anger and frustration have since subsided.  When your 7 year-old is telling you to ‘get over it’ one cannot help but to move-on, or as I choose to look at it now…move-forward.  I know everybody has their mountain to climb, and most often we come out stronger on the other side.  Besides, there are many other ‘mountains’ I would not even want to attempt to climb.  Temporary setbacks do not mean ‘forever’ and while I did not get to complete my 200 meter butterfly [yet] or compete at the races I set out to do at the beginning of the season, I have found  immense joy in watching others complete their racing goals and have found new interests and goals outside of triathlon. 

I am constantly reminding my girls that life is not fair, and that we cannot always control what comes our way, but we do control our response and attitude to what life throws at us.  Ironically, it took my 7 year-old to remind me of this.

“You must treat your body with kindness and respect and come to the realization that this is your vehicle to move through life and you should not abuse it.”  
-Tim Sheeper, as quoted in “Breakthrough Triathlon Training” by Brad Kearns.
 

I am currently getting ready for the Green Bay duathlon on Sept. 30th. The distances of the race are a 5k run, 32 mile bike, 1mile run. Here is the workout I did today:

Bike- 1hr 45min total time

20 min warm-up, followed by 20min Time trial, 5min recovery, 15mni time trial, 5min recovery, 10min time trial, 2.5min recovery, 5min time trial, steady pace for remainder of ride.

*My general heart rate is between 70-85%max HR for TT efforts. I like to gauge myself to go as fast as possible for the given duration.

Transition Run- 5 miles

1st 10 minutes maximal effort, remainder of run steady pace at 75% max hr.

Total workout time: 2hrs 20minutes

This was a great workout for anyone doing a similar distance event.