Tri-Dogmom

I've talked about it before. The endless IT band struggles . The never knowing if I can run from one day to the next. But somehow (with the help of my ART miracle worker, any maybe some common sense) I've been able to dig myself out of some pretty big holes when it comes to injury prevention lately. You would think I would get over my fears some day, but maybe there are just some things we'll never be fully confident in? My IT band is definitely one of them. Well, after an amazing IM training year (5 weeks to go!) I found myself back in the familiar scared out of my whits, the world is gonna end, my stupid IT BAND I'M going to cut you off scenario. I noticed some tightness 2 weeks ago at track. It wasn't bad, but it didn't feel right. The scary part was the pain was actually on the side I had my IT band surgery (this side hasn't bugged me for years). The pain subsided after the track workout/swim on Wed, but I woke up Saturday morning with my entire ...

I meant to blog last week, but I was too tired and busy drinking airborne like it was going out of style and stuffing my face with every healthy fruit and veggie I could get my hands on… All in an effort to build up my immune system to enter THE TEMPE TOWN LAKE. Barf. This race was full of hypocrite-isms like: 1. I'm done racing at Tempe Town lake. I can't believe people still swim in that nasty thing. 2. Tucson racing events are awful, I'm so over them. 3. I am so NEVER wearing a stupid aero helmet. They are SO lame. But, sure enough last week I checked each one of those things off my lists of things I'm not going to do. Again, never say never or you'll just end up eating your words. It seems like I've been on an endless Ironman build including a few century rides including 2 back to back at the Answer, and my first 20mile run of the season (last Sunday). Come to think of it, I don't know that I have EVER run 20miles during Ironman training (at onc...

So I got back on my bike today for the first time since the Answer. Saddles sores healed, feeling (mostly) recovered I looked at my training peaks plan for the day and followed the instructions…. GROUP RIDE! There is a Tues/Thursday group ride that I've never participated in. Sure, I do the same routes at slightly different times and see the group out there a lot, but, I've never actually met up with the group & ridden with them. I know some of my training peeps do and I talked my ATC buddy Karen to meet me for the ride today. She frequently rides with the group, but she is also one of the strongest female cyclists I know and can hang on for the most part. The Thursday ride is also the "hill ride" with 3 pretty good climbs in the middle of the 30 or so mile ride. I do the hills on my own quite often as they are just a couple minutes from my house. Up at 4:30 this am so I could be on my bike shortly after 5 to meet the group I felt pretty good. Hip flexors an...

All I can say is what a difference training makes. Seriously. I know it's kinda common sense, but oh my god was I a completely different person this time around. I was bound and determined not to fall apart, break down, cry (although I did come VERY close) or have a bad attitude. I think I hit all goals, and even surpassed what I thought I was capable of doing. All while having an absolutely amazingly fun time. This smile below taken around mile 50 or 60 of day 1 pretty much sums up the look on my face the entire weekend (minus a frozen bit on day2). Day 1: Scottsdale to Strawberry. 94 miles, ~10,000 ft of climbing. Friday took me just over 6hrs to complete (ride time). We had a lot of stops due to flats, regrouping etc, but I stayed 100% on top of my nutrition and hydration so never once felt fatigue. In fact, I actually felt my strongest with the toughest part of the day - the last 17miles of CLIMBING from Payson to Strawberry. Some of our group had a very extended pi...

I'm embracing my new nickname, La-Maniac. M & T, IMCDA training buddies have dubbed me this. They know my crazy coach, in fact T used to train with her years ago in Scottsdale before Michelle moved away and T retired for the second, or 3rd time. I'm not sure when they came up with this name of mine, but I'm sure it was somewhere between my constant texts all week long asking them to swim with me, and ensuring they would be in attendance for "Century-Saturday" that I announced on Facebook trying to beg for company for my weekend adventures. So, what does one do when give such name? EMBRACE the hell out of it. That's what I did. I maybe slightly over-did it by topping off my 19hr training week with a night out on Saturday, and yes I paid for it. But, trying to live by my own words I of course had to do it ALL. About 2 months ago I bought Shane & I tickets to go see Mumford and Sons . I am a new fan of the band and I absolutely LOVE them. Littl...

It's that time of year again. Training is in full force. Kick my ass full force. I'm surprised daily at what I'm able to endure, and even more surprised daily when I open up training peaks and see what my coach thinks I can endure… Here are some of my latest observations! First and foremost the Ironman tapeworm has found it's way back into my belly. I'm hungry. A lot. Even when I think I'm not hungry, I'll eat cause I need to refuel, and then after I eat… I'm hungry. How is this possible? For instance today this is what I have consumed thus far; peanut butter toast, 1power gel, plain toast with 3 egg whites, mushrooms, tomato & feta scramble, a piece of lasagna leftover from dinner the other night, 2 fruit leather strips, 2 dove dark chocolates - dipped in peanut butter of course, an apple, some cottage cheese and strawberries. It's only 4pm….. Oh, and did I mention I only did an 80min bike ride today? I'm hoping this is hunger lefto...

I've been wanting to get back to Mt Lemmon for a while now, but trying to find a date that worked for everyone turned into quite the challenge. In the end we ended up with 9 people to start with us - 6 and maybe one possible last minute straggler (we worked our peer pressure magic all day long for one of the girls to sign up via Community Fund) all doing Ironman CDA. It was a perfect weekend to do a big climb before the epic Answer to the Challenge weekend . The weather was VERY warm to start. Maybe creeping up to the 70s, but the sun felt crazy toasty. Within the first 2 miles of the climb sweat was pouring off my face and I was sucking water down like mad. Our group immediately split up with little Abby, Aka Mt Climber, heading out in front. We finished in the same time last year so I figured I'd just try to stay with her. I was already feeling my legs just an hour into the ride (guessing adding an extra hill run on Friday to my training wasn't my smartest decision...