I cannot believe the day is almost here! Taper started Wednesday and I am going crazy trying to stay in the Core Diet plan! There is something to be said about me and exercise! If I exercise, I eat better. The less I move the more I want to eat! Strange!
I have also been busy trying to get everything together for next week! I received a nice packing list from my friend Rae over at triingforbalance.blogspot.com who just got done with her 2nd Ironman!! Thanks for the tips and list!!
I have had some anxiety moments as the last few days I have had a knot in the back of my Left Calf. It feels very tight. I have been stretching and rolling it out as much as possible. I've also been really tense in the neck area. Maybe I should book a massage..
I have had dreams were I can see a 13 above me coming into the finishers shoot. I don't know where that 13 is on the time clock but I keep having this dream over and over again. I have had dreams about changing outfits, Getting snickers bars, throwing water bottles...hmmmm
Today I did purchase new tires and new water bottles, met with one of the new owners of Train-this over at Bike Loft East. I also got a new jersey to Represent with!!! Woo hoo! I am really excited for next year and Train-this has some really nice things happening with their Coaches and Clients. So excited to be apart of the team. I cannot wait to see how next season unfolds!
I received an email from my coach Last night which really had me choked up. She outlined my past, that I stayed true to myself when all else was failing in my life. It really had me tearing up! The fact that she believes in me, the fact that I can always contact her, the fact that there is a bond between us as parents, athletes, professionals, Really means alot to me!
I am ready to give all myself to the experience next week and just live in the moment, Smile and Never give up. As my saying on my Road ID says...You can if you THINK you can!!! Stroke, Glide, Stride.
7 DAYS!!!!!!!!!
A Blog about Training for my Third Ironman, dabbling into other sports and eating Paleo. I am a Full Time Nurse Practitioner at a highly Successful Family Practice, Mother of a toddler and tween, a wife and everything in between. Follow my journey to see the craziness and dedication it takes to be an Ironman Triathlete!!!
Showing posts with label Ironman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ironman. Show all posts
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
A Decision that was made
In the past few weeks, I have been contemplating the Syracuse 70.3 as to whether I should race it or not. It is about 6 weeks out from my Full Irondistance race. While I could race it and cross the finish line as my health and fitness is there, I had reservations of doing this race. All week when I was in Florida I thought about it as the Registration would be closing soon. Seeing my friends posts about their swim wave times, colored caps, their excitement about doing the race made me want to do it even more.
My coach and I have been going back and forth about me doing this. She put it like this. She wanted me to be fresh and confident going into B2B. If I do Syracuse and do poorly, my negative thoughts would creep up on me. If I did well, I would be too confident going into B2B. She wants me to be just right for my race.
All the molding and remodeling I have done in the last year to get me to this point in my journey has been a rough road. No one tells you how tough it is both physically and mentally to prepare for a race, to make the right decisions in regards to which races you will race each season.
I chose not to do Syracuse 70.3 this year. Not that I don't want to or think I wont do well. (I just did the Bike course which is Very Challenging in 3:04 a few weeks ago!) I just feel at this point in my training it isn't worth tapering and resting and losing valuable training opportunities that can be gained with my Full Race coming up!
I am very excited, nervous, scared and all that in between for my Full!
53 DAYS!!!!
My coach and I have been going back and forth about me doing this. She put it like this. She wanted me to be fresh and confident going into B2B. If I do Syracuse and do poorly, my negative thoughts would creep up on me. If I did well, I would be too confident going into B2B. She wants me to be just right for my race.
All the molding and remodeling I have done in the last year to get me to this point in my journey has been a rough road. No one tells you how tough it is both physically and mentally to prepare for a race, to make the right decisions in regards to which races you will race each season.
I chose not to do Syracuse 70.3 this year. Not that I don't want to or think I wont do well. (I just did the Bike course which is Very Challenging in 3:04 a few weeks ago!) I just feel at this point in my training it isn't worth tapering and resting and losing valuable training opportunities that can be gained with my Full Race coming up!
I am very excited, nervous, scared and all that in between for my Full!
53 DAYS!!!!
Monday, August 15, 2011
A little bit of this and that...
I've been a little lame in my posting lately and not because I choose to be. I've just had so much going on that this has taken a back burner to it all.
The weekend was my longest bike ride yet!! 88 miles in 5 Hours. Then I hoped off the bike and managed to keep a 9:30 min/mile ave for my run. This was such a confidence booster for me as I was thinking I didn't have it in me to run a marathon after my IM bike. I felt like jello but felt like I could just run on auto pilot. It felt that good to run after my bike! I kept up with my nutrition which I think had a major factor in that nice run.
Yesterday I volunteered at Our local tri clubs featured event, Caz Tri in Cazenovia, NY. What a blast I had. I body marked. Even my daughter helped. I knew a few that she marked because she put a few S's (for sprint) backwards on some calves. Also she made a mistake with a number on a womens calf, scratched it off and then started underneath it!! Oh my god it was hysterical. Thank god the women thought it was funny, and cute too!! I then led the bikers in and out of transition. So much fun to see the action up front!
I have been frustrated lately. My coach has recently told us that she will no longer be coaching with Train-this and she will be moving onto bigger and better things with QT2 systems. While Im happy for her, I am stumped at where I go from here. I now know what I am truely looking for in a coach and would like to pursue other avenues. Not that my coach wasn't good to me, but feel I need more. I have been looking into a few coaches in the area. Its hard to choose as its about personality as well as how my coach can help me with my training. I don't know what my plans are after my Full Iron Distance race. But I know I want to keep doing tris in the future. This is definately one of the toughest decisions for me.
I have been really internalizing my races this year and have cried a few times as I feel like the spark and fun that I used to feel has somewhat dwindled. I still get excited dont get me wrong but its not like it used to be. I had fun on my 10 +mile run yest, I had fun on my bike ride, but when Im racing, Im losing my spark. This is where I need to find it again.
Is this normal when training for an Ironman?
I hope it can come before October....
The weekend was my longest bike ride yet!! 88 miles in 5 Hours. Then I hoped off the bike and managed to keep a 9:30 min/mile ave for my run. This was such a confidence booster for me as I was thinking I didn't have it in me to run a marathon after my IM bike. I felt like jello but felt like I could just run on auto pilot. It felt that good to run after my bike! I kept up with my nutrition which I think had a major factor in that nice run.
Yesterday I volunteered at Our local tri clubs featured event, Caz Tri in Cazenovia, NY. What a blast I had. I body marked. Even my daughter helped. I knew a few that she marked because she put a few S's (for sprint) backwards on some calves. Also she made a mistake with a number on a womens calf, scratched it off and then started underneath it!! Oh my god it was hysterical. Thank god the women thought it was funny, and cute too!! I then led the bikers in and out of transition. So much fun to see the action up front!
I have been frustrated lately. My coach has recently told us that she will no longer be coaching with Train-this and she will be moving onto bigger and better things with QT2 systems. While Im happy for her, I am stumped at where I go from here. I now know what I am truely looking for in a coach and would like to pursue other avenues. Not that my coach wasn't good to me, but feel I need more. I have been looking into a few coaches in the area. Its hard to choose as its about personality as well as how my coach can help me with my training. I don't know what my plans are after my Full Iron Distance race. But I know I want to keep doing tris in the future. This is definately one of the toughest decisions for me.
I have been really internalizing my races this year and have cried a few times as I feel like the spark and fun that I used to feel has somewhat dwindled. I still get excited dont get me wrong but its not like it used to be. I had fun on my 10 +mile run yest, I had fun on my bike ride, but when Im racing, Im losing my spark. This is where I need to find it again.
Is this normal when training for an Ironman?
I hope it can come before October....
Friday, July 8, 2011
Fatigue- How to Overcome it and keep focused
Everyone has been here. I have been to the point of no return fatigue a few times this season already. But, when it kicks in I try to manage it the best way I know how.
Motivation becomes a struggle as the Distances of triathlon get longer for me. The 1-1.5 hour swims, the 100 mile bike rides, the 2-3 hour runs. What keeps me going when I am using up all my energy?? What drives me to continue to push through when my body is saying the heck you are?! There is a secret to keeping my enthusiasm for the sport alive all during my journey to take on 140.6 miles!! Im going to let you in on my little secret.
"Fatigue is all in your head" Well at least according to Samantha McClone it is.
Sure she can say this a she is one of the greatest triathletes in the World. Its easy to say but harder to convince yourself of this when your legs are cramping up, you have slowed to the Ironman Shuffle, your breathing becomes out of synch. But really there is a theory out there that fatigue is not a product of bodily shutdown but of the brain.
When the brain senses that reserves are getting low, it begins to shut down muscle fiber recruitment in order to protect the heart from damage done by lack of oxygen. So it is not your quads giving out underneath you, but it is actually your brain telling your muscles to take it easy to avoid a physical catastrophe. You’ll experience this reduction in neural recruitment as fatigue, but there is actually always an “emergency reserve” maintained in the muscles. When you see people collapsing at 400 meters from the end of a Ironman that is the incredible mind overriding the bodies own signal to slow down. They collapse because the brain registers the finish line and that it doesn't have to push so hard anymore.
If you stop considering that pain/fatigue is a bad thing, if you can remove yourself from the immediacy of the sensations and look at pain as an objective signal, like a gas indicator light, it becomes much easier to just grit your teeth and get to the finish line as fast as possible (or get through your workout/training session), which is really the best motivation of all.
Instead of my fatigue, I focus on a few things:
Form- how do I look to a person who is standing by watching?? Is my cadence between 90-92? Are my shoulders tense on my bike? Am I correctly distributing my weight on the bike?/ Hows my form when Im running?/ Hows my cadence?? Am I landing and popping quickly?
Fuel and fluid- when I get a little cranky, I know Im down on my carbs or electrolytes. The brain runs on glycogen, and requires a steady stream of quick sugar. Am I hydrated enough? Am I following my hydration plan correctly??
Count steps/strokes/ pedal turns- Sometimes its all you can do to get through. Especially on the run. Count to a 100, I do it all the time. Then on the bike up a hill I count to 8. Again and again. It takes me out of my negative thoughts and into focusing on the here and now.
Think about why you are racing- Personal acheivement, family, charity, a bet. Whatever it may be. It is powerful knowing that someone is out there or is counting on you to finish that race.
PAIN IS TEMPORARY, PRIDE IS FOREVER!!
Motivation becomes a struggle as the Distances of triathlon get longer for me. The 1-1.5 hour swims, the 100 mile bike rides, the 2-3 hour runs. What keeps me going when I am using up all my energy?? What drives me to continue to push through when my body is saying the heck you are?! There is a secret to keeping my enthusiasm for the sport alive all during my journey to take on 140.6 miles!! Im going to let you in on my little secret.
"Fatigue is all in your head" Well at least according to Samantha McClone it is.
Sure she can say this a she is one of the greatest triathletes in the World. Its easy to say but harder to convince yourself of this when your legs are cramping up, you have slowed to the Ironman Shuffle, your breathing becomes out of synch. But really there is a theory out there that fatigue is not a product of bodily shutdown but of the brain.
When the brain senses that reserves are getting low, it begins to shut down muscle fiber recruitment in order to protect the heart from damage done by lack of oxygen. So it is not your quads giving out underneath you, but it is actually your brain telling your muscles to take it easy to avoid a physical catastrophe. You’ll experience this reduction in neural recruitment as fatigue, but there is actually always an “emergency reserve” maintained in the muscles. When you see people collapsing at 400 meters from the end of a Ironman that is the incredible mind overriding the bodies own signal to slow down. They collapse because the brain registers the finish line and that it doesn't have to push so hard anymore.
If you stop considering that pain/fatigue is a bad thing, if you can remove yourself from the immediacy of the sensations and look at pain as an objective signal, like a gas indicator light, it becomes much easier to just grit your teeth and get to the finish line as fast as possible (or get through your workout/training session), which is really the best motivation of all.
Instead of my fatigue, I focus on a few things:
Form- how do I look to a person who is standing by watching?? Is my cadence between 90-92? Are my shoulders tense on my bike? Am I correctly distributing my weight on the bike?/ Hows my form when Im running?/ Hows my cadence?? Am I landing and popping quickly?
Fuel and fluid- when I get a little cranky, I know Im down on my carbs or electrolytes. The brain runs on glycogen, and requires a steady stream of quick sugar. Am I hydrated enough? Am I following my hydration plan correctly??
Count steps/strokes/ pedal turns- Sometimes its all you can do to get through. Especially on the run. Count to a 100, I do it all the time. Then on the bike up a hill I count to 8. Again and again. It takes me out of my negative thoughts and into focusing on the here and now.
Think about why you are racing- Personal acheivement, family, charity, a bet. Whatever it may be. It is powerful knowing that someone is out there or is counting on you to finish that race.
PAIN IS TEMPORARY, PRIDE IS FOREVER!!
Friday, April 1, 2011
Setting Goals, having a plan and reaching for it
As I sat down to Finally Delve into my LAVA magazine, I stumbled upon a great article. Well, a few actally. But this one stands out to me and I thought I'd Post.
The article starts out talking about a Amateur athlete, Meredith Kessler, who completed 17 Ironman races with respectable times in the 11 hour range. She did this over 7 years while working full time and maintaining a social calendar. (Dont ask me how she did this)
She was asked what she hoped to achieve in the sport and her answer was "to be good". The article went on to say this lacked a clearly defined vision or dream, something for her to latch onto and to use when her training got hard, fatigue set in, when things didn't seem to be going the right way.
Less than 3 years later she was Ironman Champion with a time of 9:13. They say it wasn't by accident it was by creating a concrete goal and developing a plan to reach it. She did this by training smarter. Not Longer.
Set your own goals with these 4 steps:
Establish your North Star- Your meaningful goal.It doesn't have to be a time goal. just a goal to serve as a constant reminder why you are putting in the hours of training. This will act as the stimulus on the days you are struggling. Believe me, I have used this already a few times. Be focused and remain Patient.
One of my goals this year is the Ironman. But I am also focusing on running smoother and acing my nutrition. 2 things that hinder my performance at times.
Assess your life and Training- Look back on how you have approached things up until now. You should look beyond sport and consider all the stressors including work, relationships, family , finances, etc. You need to have a plan that will work and also maintain a balance in every aspect of your life. Its going to take some sacrifice. I get up at 4-5AM to workout, I get in another workout at 8PM when my daugher goes to bed. I make it happen. Don't obsess though, you miss a workout you miss it. Move on. It will only drive you mental.
Create your plan- There are some components that are necessary for every training program; Progression and RECOVERY!!! Cycling should be a central focus as it is the longer of the 3 sports. It is impossible to improve in all 3 sports at the same time so focus on one at a time.
Follow your plan and maintain your training values- Follow it but be flexible at the same time and be willing to adjust when needed. The plan should be integrated into your life not piled on to stress you out.
So in ending, What is your long term plan?? Do you plan ahead and build your season with progression, recovery and consistency??
I love that my coach does this for me. I can call her, email, text whenever and tell her how Im feeling and we adjust accordingly. Don't be afraid to say you are fatigued. You know your body and what it can take.
Happy Training!!
The article starts out talking about a Amateur athlete, Meredith Kessler, who completed 17 Ironman races with respectable times in the 11 hour range. She did this over 7 years while working full time and maintaining a social calendar. (Dont ask me how she did this)
She was asked what she hoped to achieve in the sport and her answer was "to be good". The article went on to say this lacked a clearly defined vision or dream, something for her to latch onto and to use when her training got hard, fatigue set in, when things didn't seem to be going the right way.
Less than 3 years later she was Ironman Champion with a time of 9:13. They say it wasn't by accident it was by creating a concrete goal and developing a plan to reach it. She did this by training smarter. Not Longer.
Set your own goals with these 4 steps:
Establish your North Star- Your meaningful goal.It doesn't have to be a time goal. just a goal to serve as a constant reminder why you are putting in the hours of training. This will act as the stimulus on the days you are struggling. Believe me, I have used this already a few times. Be focused and remain Patient.
One of my goals this year is the Ironman. But I am also focusing on running smoother and acing my nutrition. 2 things that hinder my performance at times.
Assess your life and Training- Look back on how you have approached things up until now. You should look beyond sport and consider all the stressors including work, relationships, family , finances, etc. You need to have a plan that will work and also maintain a balance in every aspect of your life. Its going to take some sacrifice. I get up at 4-5AM to workout, I get in another workout at 8PM when my daugher goes to bed. I make it happen. Don't obsess though, you miss a workout you miss it. Move on. It will only drive you mental.
Create your plan- There are some components that are necessary for every training program; Progression and RECOVERY!!! Cycling should be a central focus as it is the longer of the 3 sports. It is impossible to improve in all 3 sports at the same time so focus on one at a time.
Follow your plan and maintain your training values- Follow it but be flexible at the same time and be willing to adjust when needed. The plan should be integrated into your life not piled on to stress you out.
So in ending, What is your long term plan?? Do you plan ahead and build your season with progression, recovery and consistency??
I love that my coach does this for me. I can call her, email, text whenever and tell her how Im feeling and we adjust accordingly. Don't be afraid to say you are fatigued. You know your body and what it can take.
Happy Training!!
Friday, January 28, 2011
Good News!!!
Thanks to all that have been reading my blog lately and keeping tabs on me!! You guys are great!
I went to the Cardiologist today. I have to admit I think I was having some palpitations on the way into the office! The nurse recognized my name as a referring provider and asked if I was a Nurse Practitioner. Of course its scary being on the other side of the table! My BP was a little up but I think that was from the 35 min run I did prior to going to my appt because I am not giving up!!
Anyways, after a quick EKG, Nurse telling me my heart rate was only 50 and that she was surprised I weigh as much as I did because "You look tiny" she said. Yes, Its all my MUSCLE!! Ha ha! The doctor, who was really nice and sweet cam in the room. "So Kristin", She said, What is a Ironman?? I've never heard that before?" She asked. Of course I told her what that was and she looked stunned that I wanted to complete this long journey. She also asked how long I had to complete it. I have 17 hours I said. Another jaw drop.
She asked me if I smoked. What?!! You just asked me what an Ironman was! I chuckled inside and said Heck No! She asked other family history and all that other medical crap that we all go through. She looked at my echo report that I had and said, This is a normal heart looking at this Echo report. YAY for me!
Next she listened to me. Said, I don't hear a heart murmur. Ah, What did you just say?!! Ok, I listened to myself and thought I had one as well, but you know how that goes. She said I have a "athletic heart". To a normal practitioner this may sound like a murmur because my heart rate is so slow but it is actually a small extra beat which she says is normal in runners. PHEW!! For the sake of it, The cardiologist is doing a stress test on the treadmill in the next 3 weeks to see how my heart reacts to training, but as far as Im concerned I am CLEAR!! What a nervous nelly I was!! Im glad everything is ok!
Happy Training!!
I went to the Cardiologist today. I have to admit I think I was having some palpitations on the way into the office! The nurse recognized my name as a referring provider and asked if I was a Nurse Practitioner. Of course its scary being on the other side of the table! My BP was a little up but I think that was from the 35 min run I did prior to going to my appt because I am not giving up!!
Anyways, after a quick EKG, Nurse telling me my heart rate was only 50 and that she was surprised I weigh as much as I did because "You look tiny" she said. Yes, Its all my MUSCLE!! Ha ha! The doctor, who was really nice and sweet cam in the room. "So Kristin", She said, What is a Ironman?? I've never heard that before?" She asked. Of course I told her what that was and she looked stunned that I wanted to complete this long journey. She also asked how long I had to complete it. I have 17 hours I said. Another jaw drop.
She asked me if I smoked. What?!! You just asked me what an Ironman was! I chuckled inside and said Heck No! She asked other family history and all that other medical crap that we all go through. She looked at my echo report that I had and said, This is a normal heart looking at this Echo report. YAY for me!
Next she listened to me. Said, I don't hear a heart murmur. Ah, What did you just say?!! Ok, I listened to myself and thought I had one as well, but you know how that goes. She said I have a "athletic heart". To a normal practitioner this may sound like a murmur because my heart rate is so slow but it is actually a small extra beat which she says is normal in runners. PHEW!! For the sake of it, The cardiologist is doing a stress test on the treadmill in the next 3 weeks to see how my heart reacts to training, but as far as Im concerned I am CLEAR!! What a nervous nelly I was!! Im glad everything is ok!
Happy Training!!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
IM doing it! Get it?!
"Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I love you tomorrow, you're only a DAY AWAY!!!"
Another bloggy friend at Mylifeandrunning.blogspot.com, kindly reminded me that Tomorrow is SIGN UP day for My Ironman distance race, Beach to Battleship October 2011 in Wilmington, NC. Yes, I will be signing up. The faster I do, the faster I cannot say no!
Oh boy, What have I gotten myself into?! Yes I am ready for a full, I am really hungry for a full..Im putting my time and effort into this as we speak. All this hard work and training is going to pay off when I cross that finish line 11 months from now. Oh yes I will be receiving my medal..I will crawl to the end if I have to!! ha ha! Oh the visions...Cannot freaking wait!!
Another bloggy friend at Mylifeandrunning.blogspot.com, kindly reminded me that Tomorrow is SIGN UP day for My Ironman distance race, Beach to Battleship October 2011 in Wilmington, NC. Yes, I will be signing up. The faster I do, the faster I cannot say no!
Oh boy, What have I gotten myself into?! Yes I am ready for a full, I am really hungry for a full..Im putting my time and effort into this as we speak. All this hard work and training is going to pay off when I cross that finish line 11 months from now. Oh yes I will be receiving my medal..I will crawl to the end if I have to!! ha ha! Oh the visions...Cannot freaking wait!!
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