The crazy life

I haven't been running or any sort of retraining.  This semester of nursing school is kicking my butt.  That and the wife and I just bought a new house and are working our way into it.  It is a beautiful historic row house.  The inside is all updated and functional.  We are having picking furniture and finding places for all our little things.  Wg are enjoying saying good bye to all the hand-me-down furniture that we have gathered along the way.  I have removed TEN truck loads of crap to Goodwill and the dump.  We aren't done yet...

FUCK LUPUS TRI

Yesterday, I woke up and shortly started having the runs and puking.  I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to get out of bed to greet my visiting family, let alone compete today.  I woke up and went to packet pick-up and the newbie meeting.  The energy in the air was incredible.  It made me want to do it so badly.  After a nap, my family started arriving.  It was various degrees of cousins.  Last night there was a lot of bike talk and switching pedals.  Plus, for three of us it was our second tri and our first with some really distance.  We also did a lot gear getting together for the youngest in the group who doesn't have gear and didn't train.  He is a college athlete and just went for it.

This morning we woke up at O'Dark Thirty, assembled the troops, and were at the transition area by 5:30am.  I brought a bucket to carry my stuff and to sit on during the transitions.  I had decided that I was going to take my time and be relaxed through the whole event, especially since I was so sick yesterday.  It was quite cold this morning.  My toes were numb.  The water temp was really nice so no wetsuits allowed.  As soon as I got in I started wiggling my toes to warm them up.  The men had an in-water start at 7:30 and we joined them  on the course at 7:35.  The water was calm with little/ to no current.  My swim time was 26:12 for 750 meters.

The bike was really hilly.  It started off rough but then got really fun.  At first I was paranoid because there weren't other bikers near me.  I thought I had gone off course.  Once we turned into the back roads and I knew that I was on the right course, I started to have some fun.  The downhill parts were great and the ups weren't too bad.  I was able to drink from my water bottle for the first time on the bike.  I did it three times.  I also got out of the saddle for some of the hills.  My bike time was 1:18:36 for 17.7mile ride.

When I got off my bike I couldn't feel my feet at all.  I got off and started running and almost fell over, so I walked the rest of the way into the transition area. The run out was spotty, I did a lot of walking but I ran most of the way back in.  My run time was 31:58 for a 5k.

My overall time was 2:21:41.  The three men in my family all placed in their age groups and the woman finished with smiles.  It was a great day.  We had six other family members in support and then had a great cook out afterwards.

After a few burgers and beers I'm getting ready to drink a cup of tea and relax into the evening.

Tri-ing hiatus

On July 13, I did a super sprint.  It was 1/4 mile swim, 8 mile bike, and a 2.4 mile run.    Three things I learned, I need to swim more in rough water, bike more hills, and run when I'm tired.  My bike chain was slipping during the bike portion.  I need to take it in and get it looked over.  I haven't done much training since.

The Wife joined a gym a while back but doesn't go.  I told her that I could meet her after work, so I joined as well.  The two weeks after the tri we went regularly which was good, but it was all that I was doing, now we don't even do that.  I've swam a few times.  I've really been struggling with the Lupus.  The heat just drains so much out of me.  I wake up after a full night sleep, wak
L the dog and then have to take a nap.  The fatigue that comes with autoimmune diseases is just awful.  Plus my joints are hurting.  I know that if I excercise I will get more energy and my joints will hurt less, but I can't stay awake long enough.

Today is Aug 1st.  I have 25 days until the race.  I rededicated myself  to training and my goal of completing the tri with a smile on my face.  Today I ran/walked somewhere around 3 miles.  The garmin is dead and I can't remember where I put the cord to charge it.  So I just went and will just go again tomorrow.  I'm visiting a dear friend in New Jersey for the next few days and will run around here a bit.

My tri for one

Yesterday I went swimming.  It was a failure.  The water was rough, I was not having fun.  It sucked.  I swam three laps and stopped after each one.  It was a total of 0.24 miles.  I took me about 20 minutes.  I left feeling very discouraged.  I left thinking that I can make it through the mini tri on the 13th but there is no way that I can make it through 6 laps for the Aug. race.  I stopped by my mom's on the way to class.  She made me a yummy bacon breakfast while I looked up swim lessons.  The Y near me does have adult swim lessons.

Today, I went back for round two.  I told myself that I was going to do two laps without stopping if the water was calm.  I got there and it was calm.  I jumped in and the frantic turtle* was off.  I tried to stay calm and just go.  I swam three laps without stopping. When I go for a bike ride I go for over an hour, when I run I run longer than 30 minutes.  Maybe I just need to go.  It will take me longer than 20.   I told myself that I have to have faith that I can do this.  My body will go.  I got out and was sitting on the dock I thought that I needed to keep going.  I would get back in and do 3 or 4 more laps, which is the Aug distance and if I needed to stop I would stop.  I got back in and did four more laps without stopping.  The Aug distance is .46 miles (750meters).   I went 0.56 (901meters).  The frantic turtle may not be pretty or fast but just might get the job done.  I showered off because the water was REALLY muddy after all this rain.

On my way home I was thinking that my tri shorts came in the mail yesterday and I haven't been on my bike in a while...  I got home changed and headed out.  I started out and it didn't feel good.  I was struggling. I started to question if I should have tried to bike after drastically increasing my swimming.  I just said," Katie your body will do it.  These first few miles might not feel good, but your body will do it".  It was kind of a revelation.  Not every mile will feel good but my body will do it.  I figured if it still felt bad after the first two miles I could turn around.  I rode 18.1 miles.  The Aug distance is 17.7.  I got home and ate breakfast and was itchin' to go for a run.

I changed again and went to the gym at school, it was raining again, and ran 4.1 miles.  The Aug distance is 3.1.   I completed my first tri today.

Tonight we are going to a Fourth of July party.  Much of my brother's family will be there.  I'm looking forward to it.  I plan to eat oysters and go to bed early.

*My dad joined me for a swim one day and later told my mom that I looked like a frantic baby turtle learning to swim.    Real encouraging.  He also told her that he wasn't sure if I could make it.  Well, now i think I just might!

Poorly organized race....but fun family night out

Saturday night at the end on June one could plan on it being warm.  It also happened to be humid.  My dad and I ran a 5k while the wife, the mother, an aunt, a cousin, and a niece all walked the I mile course.  It was nice to be there all together doing something fun, different, and active.  A while back when signing up for the race I asked dad if he wanted to run together or each run our own race.  He said he would run my pace with me.  It was nice.  The bad thing was that they had one young guy maybe 14yo running the aid station.  He didn't have waters prepared when I past the water station either time.  When I was finished my mother and aunt, both nurses, seemed to be a bit worried.  They said that my face was purple and the tip of my nose was white, too much circulation and not enough.  They said I looked like I was in distress.  Dad did a great job he finished close on my heels.

Yesterday was the wife and my 1 year wedding anniversary.  W went for a two mile walk in the woods, did some garden maintaince, made a cake and went out to dinner.

Today, it is raining. I got up erly to go swimming but it was storming.  I packed my clothes and heading to the gym after class.  I struggled for the first 1.5 to 2 miles but then felt like I could have run all day.  I wonder why it is taking longer to find my stride.  Now it is raining again and it is the perfect weather to go barefoot trail running.  A cooling rain but the air temp is still warm you you don't get cold.  The ground is soft.  I'm now debating going up to the park for a second quick run or taking a long hot bath.

Down with DOMA

On Tuesday I got up early and went for an18.1 mile ride.  It took me 1:18.  There were a few traffic stops and the like but a very nice ride.  I've noticed it takes me about a mile into a run until I 'get my stride'.  I think I have noticed that it takes me about three miles into a bike ride until I'm in the groove.  This does also coincide with the hills that I tackle at the beginning of every bike ride.  I was very excited because I have now pedaled my race distance.

Yesterday, I woke up feeling awful.  I was dragging and just not feeling into it.  I figured I pack my running stuff and go to the gym after class.  I procrastinate.  After class I started the debate.  I decided I would go and if I wasn't feeling it, I would walk.  When I got inside the gym was almost empty, I got my favorite dreadmill and hoped on.  I put in my headphones and was hoping the news was on it. It was.  I was at an easy jog, listening to the verdict over DOMA and waiting to hear about Prop 8.  I was running and think about the positive ways this will affect my life, like joint health insurance, filing taxes together etc.  After I heard about Prop 8 I looked down saw that I was going faster than I realized, was crying, and had gone almost 3 miles.  I was feeling good, so I cranked up the speed went a bit more and then did it a few more times to sprint my way to 3.4 miles.  I left feeling great.

I then ran home and showered.  Sweat was running in rivulets down my arms.  I then met a good friend for a nice lunch.  It was a great day yesterday.

SRICK?

Yesterday, I was able to go out and pedal 11+ miles.  The garmin was dead so I had to go with the bike computer.  The two never agree.  I tend to believe the garmin.

Today, I went swimming and then went for a run.  I haven't been swimming in a few weeks because of my shoulder, I sound like a baby I know but it hurts, the last time I went the water was cold.  Dd started swimming and keep saying that the fish were aggressive.  I didn't believe him.  They hadn't been bothering me at all.  I would see a few jump but that was it.  Well, the water is warmer and I was under attack!  I swim alongside of a dock, when I got to the end the first time a fish swim into my chest.  I grabbed it, pushed it away and yelled at it.  I felt bad for yelling because some people sleep on their boats and don't nesscessarily want to wake up at 5:45 on a Friday. This fish was large.  It was the size of a massive Jewish deli hoagie.  After I pushed it away it started ramming my legs.  So I turned around and started swimming back.  Everytime I got to that end it started ramming me again.  That is one way to increase my work load.  I had been stopping every quarter of a lap.  I had started to swim the backside of the lap without stopping.  Because of this aggressive fish, I now swim whole laps before taking my break.

After I finished swimming, I got the river water out of my hair and did my Friday 5K and then met the ladies for a walk.  It was a good way to start the day.

I apologize for the crazy day references.  I'be worked the past two nights and just realized that it is Sunday.  I started writing this Friday night.