Wandering Minds

It's interesting what you start to think of during long training days...like on my long rides I start to sings songs from the golden oldies station from when I was a kid...I can never remember more than 3 or 4 lines of the song so it's more of an "angela's memory sucks" montage. I've sang 99 bottles of beer, I've tried to remember songs and poems from high school. I've contemplated if I'm "being all I can be", what makes my boys happy/sad, why I'm doing this, why Tim puts up with me...those sorts of things.

It's mostly just happened on the bike, obviously because the most time is spent there. But it happened in the pool on a short workout this week...weird. In our new pool, one lane is right next to the doors for the woman's, men' s and family locker rooms. And today, swimming with my eyes closed, I could tell which locker room door I was passing based on the smell and taste in my mouth.

It's simple really. A slight musty stale smell with a small hint of old spice is the men's room. It's the least noticeable, least offensive of the three actually. Still detectable to the trained olfactory system of a mother.

The distinct smell of baby powder and desitin means I am passing by the family locker room. It's a smell that I have known all too well for the last 4 years. More so with Brayden, little boy's bottom has diaper rash at least every other week. Seriously, he can tell us before we change him, "mommy I have diaper crash...I need ceam" or "I need a band aid for my diaper crash".

Then there's the woman's locker room...oh my dear heavens. It's the strongest, thickest smell of all. It's like swimming by a Macy's perfume counter and the smell just hangs in the back of your throat for an entire lap or two after the door closes. It's a choking hazard waiting to happen. I can't stand it. It's like they load the stuff on before they go work out for fear of smelling while working out...the same women that put on make up to workout or play sports and the same ones that only work hard until they start to sweat. ARRRRRGGGGG, curse you chanel #5.

But the fact that I was trying to guess what door I was passing based on smell in between strokes with my eyes closed, that's a new one for me. Too bad I don't have doors on the road. Of course I wouldn't be closing my eyes, but hey it would pass the time.

This one is for Trish!

I think that there are always those people that just pop up in your life out of no where. Trish is that person for me. I worked with Trish about 5 or 6 years ago. She was a senior member of the regulatory team when I came on and as the one who showed me everything. Actually she was the "do it all" woman. She had made her way through nearly all the departments doing whatever they asked. It was a small company, you had to do what you had to do in order to get the job done. She knew it all, knew all the right people and to top it off, had the greatest personality. It was never a dull day with Trish, if you were at work, you were smiling and laughing.

Well, Trish was there with me when I got tricked into signing up for my first triathlon. She would go to the pool with me at lunch and help me out a little...she used to swim. So after my first season, Trish got the idea to get back into running and started doing the sprints with some ladies in her neighborhood. Unfortunately, she left where we were and I didn't get to see her anymore.

So about 1.5 years later at a race on the coast, as I'm yelling for Tim out of T1, and a few months pregnant with #2...I hear "Angela Is that you?". Turn around and there she is, Trish. With that big smile on her face...racing! A quick conversation to catch up and as quickly as she was there, she wasn't again.

I'm pretty sure there's another instance between then and now, but I can't recall specifically. This past weekend, Tim and I were at the bike shop trying to figure out what to do about his trashed bike...and as we start to pull out of the parking lot, a huge white SUV stops mid turn, rolls down the window...and it's TRISH! Another quick hello and "update your blog, I'm following you." and we're off again.

So Trish, here's the latest.
I'm 4 weeks out from my Ironman debut. And this week was a much needed break from training. I look at where I started last November, when 8 hours was a heavy training week for me and think now that 9.5 hours seems like nothing and is my "easy" week. I'm on the downhill to race day.

The thing I like most about this week, it's allowed me time with my family, time for chores, time to sleep, time to eat and unfortunately it's coincided with a really busy week at work...so it's balanced out.

Ryan has actually asked me why I'm not riding my bike or running. Brayden has been happier with being able to cuddle more and I've just been more relaxed. Tim is starting his marathon training this week and it's nice to be able to let him do something for a change.

My contracting position with the "Q" is hectic and stressful and I'm looking forward to not being there anymore...I think I've got 6 months left....hint hint wink wink, if you have anything interesting as far as jobs go let me know....I'm on facebook. haha

So Trish, you're following me, but I can't follow you. Do get in touch, I'm dying to have a good laugh and catch up!

Everybody else out there, hope it's all going well for you too! And seriously, I need to hear some good IM stories and "be prepared for ..." type messages...so send them my way....Michelle, Rebecca, Scott, Dan...seriously I know there are more of you out there!

I'm burnt

like toast..
like a lobster...
out....yeah that's it...I'm burnt out!

I've been told by several whom have done this IM stuff before that the last month and a half are the hardest...that these last few weeks before the taper is what will test me the most. And I have to say that I agree whole heartedly. Not only has the fatigue just piled up infinitely on me, but mentally, I'm just wrecked. And as you all probably know, it's hard to make the body do what the mind is not willing to do.

Example: today's brick was a 3 x (25 mile bike/3 mile run). With each session increasing in intensity. I started at 6:30, got through the first set easy, plenty of shade. Set two, bike split down by 5.5 minutes, run with no shade. I stopped by my parent's place half way through the run, sat down, drank a water and just sat. I didn't want to do the last set...I just sat there. Now, I did the last set and even managed a bike split still 1.5 minutes faster than the second. But I sat there for 5 minutes after that last bike trying to convince myself to just start the last run...I would finish if I started...and I did but it was another run that was just yuk.

A month ago I was all in the right place, mentally, physically and emotionally. Now I just feel defeated. I'm tired, I'm sluggish, I'm lacking in confidence over all this and just want it to be over. It's all stemmed from the run in SC, ever since then every long run as been met with cramps, a pace which is slowing exponentially and a ratio of walk/run that is increasing. I'm just ready to feel good when I run again.

I know that all this is probably normal and I can even reason that it is logical based on what I'm doing on a daily/weekly basis...but honestly this sucks. And sure it's really hot and humid...I know all the factors leading to how I feel, but it doesn't make it easier. This party girl is getting impatient for her debut party entrance. September 25th cannot get here fast enough.

Now if I can just get through the next week, I should be good...or at least I think so.