Today I realized I really AM crazy!

Gripping the handlebars of my road bike for over four hours has profoundly affected my ability to type – so I am not entirely sure how much blogging I am going to make it through, today. 

That being said, my really great friend, Matt, texted me on Wednesday of this week to ask if I might be interested in doing a 57 mile ride with him, this weekend.  Always up for a classically-retarded challenge, I jumped at the chance.  I mean, didn’t we just do 40 miles together a couple of weeks ago? 

I slept poorly, probably in anticipation of the ride, but I was excited to get out of bed when my alarm went off.  I met Matt at his house at 615am and we headed out, immediately.  Matt had prepared me mentally for the ride – letting me know that it would be fairly flat for the first 20 miles or so, and then we’d start hitting some long hills. 

When we began, Matt and I agreed that he would take the lead the majority of the time and allow me to let him recover here and there.  So, for the first 10 miles or so, Matt led and I drafted.  It was quite a clip for me and when he signaled for me to take the lead, I took advantage of the opportunity.  What I quickly realized was that I was really struggling to keep the same pace as Matt.  I only stuck it out for about a mile and half before Matt took over again.  Now, my quads were inflamed and I had to work hard to stay on Matt’s wheel.  Five or six miles later, Matt gave me the signal again, and I jumped out front.  This was the point that I knew 60 miles at this pace would be absolutely impossible.  I was having serious doubts and a couple miles later Matt took over, again.  We only managed about a half mile before I begged Matt to lessen the pace.  I was really working hard to stay close and I was failing.  Disappointed in myself, Matt was VERY accommodating explaining that I had done very well and that communication was key to our success as a team on this ride. 

After a short break for some water and Gu, we started on our ride through the hills.  This was where my doubts really began, but Matt was great about keeping the pace at a more reasonable rate.  He’d check in with me from time to time just to make sure my head was in the right place.  (My years of acting experience came in handy as I joked and made light of my severely sore quads.)  One of my favorite things about Matt is that he’s absolutely hysterical – and even better than that, he thinks I am just as funny. 

As we rounded the entrance to South Mountain Park, I struggled to get up the hills.  Matt explained the path ahead and told me that it was going to be hard and hilly.  I wanted to vomit – at this point we were only at mile 33 and all I could think about was the finish line.  I allowed Matt to take the hills of the park at his own pace – I knew at some point he’d double back and find me.  I was also a little embarrassed by my weak legs and diminishing spirit.  Not to mention, rider after rider passed me in the park.  There was a point where I realized I was simply going down and down and down – which meant I would have to go right back up.  And, I admit it – I turned around and waited in a common meeting spot for Matt to pass. 

As we made our way out of the park, Matt really made no mention of the 5 miles he did without me.  I told him about a nice woman I’d met while waiting for him, as we exited the park.  The next 10 plus miles would take us home.  We didn’t say much and I vowed to stay on his wheel, this time.  I think we were both too wasted at that point to do anything but focus on the road ahead. 

We were passed by a couple of riders who we met at the light about 1/8^th of a mile later.  One of them asked if I was having a good day – all I could say was, “I think I was about 40 miles ago.” 

As we finished the ride at Matt’s house, I looked at my watch – 4 hours and 17 minutes.  I can honestly say it was as difficult as completing a marathon.  I cannot imagine completing a century any time soon.  I definitely need to become a better rider.  I would be lying if I didn’t say I wanted to do better, but I wasn’t displeased with the ride – or with my effort.  I absolutely left everything I had on the streets of Phoenix, today. 

Matt and me, post-55 mile ride.  See, I can still fake a smile!

Now – could someone please explain why my hands feel like those of a quadriplegic?  

Feeling accomplished!

It’s 6am on Sunday, the time and day of the week I am usually heading out the door for my longest/most difficult workout of the week.  Instead, I am sitting on the couch, listening to the rain hit the desert floor.  Yes, once in a blue moon, Phoenix gets rain.  Fortunately, the news-people were good enough to let us know about it well in advance. 

But, that’s ok – the past few days have been amazing!  At 5pm on Wednesday, my college’s administrative offices were officially on Spring Break.  Knowing well in advance about today’s rain simply meant we all needed to shift our training plans a smidge. 

Thursday I woke early because I had a HUGE day planned with my great friend, Kris.  I made my way to the gym’s pool at 4:45am hoping I might get a lane (Thursday seems to be the choice day for swimmers).  I managed to get a lane, but only had it to myself for about ten minutes.  Around 5am a very experienced swimmer, who seemed to glide effortlessly through the water, asked to share my lane.  Naturally, I shared, but not without huge trepidation. 

About 30 minutes into my workout, my spin instructor Steve saw me struggling to keep up.  He took the opportunity to ask me if I wanted a lesson.  I nodded vigorously – especially if it meant I might be able to EVER swim like the fishy in the lane with me.  “Out of the Pool,” he snapped at me.  “Walk the lane with me.”  He explained that I work too hard (something he also told me in spin class on Wednesday…sigh.)  He had me watch the gal (Chrissy) with whom I was sharing a lane.  “See how her body is level in the water?  You need to bring your ass up and kick a hell of a lot less.  Watch her.  Now (holding hand at an angle) THIS is what your body looks like.”  I got it.  It made sense.  But…how?  We got back in the water and he loaned me some floaty-devise that I squeezed between my legs and BAM! up my butt went!   THIS WAS HUGE…HUGE!!!!  Everything changed.  I was working smarter, not harder.  And 70 minutes later I seriously wanted to continue learning to do it better. 

After a fantastic morning swim (thanks to my spin instructor, who is now also my swim coach), I met my friend, Kris, and we spent the day up north shopping the outlets and enjoying wineries and art galleries.  It was incredibly fun and relaxing.  Just what we both needed on our first day off for Spring Break!

Kris took this pic of me with our nosh plate and vino!

Kris and Me in Jerome, AZ - so much fun!

Friday morning I got up relatively early and headed out for a run.  Two weeks ago I had done the same run with Thuy, Brent and Jacqui, so I figured it would be good to make sure I can always handle a decent, hilly 10 miler – I have always said, it would be great, if I never really had to train to run a ½ marathon – this would keep me in shape for that goal.  My times have been steadily improving on my 6 milers due to the cross-training I am doing.  And, Friday I had my BEST time on my 10 miler – even with the hills and stoplights – 1:36!  Two weeks ago it was 1:43 – and seven minutes is a big deal (to me)!  My last several miles were between a 9:02 and 9:21 pace -- I was in the best mood and it set the tone for the rest of the day.

After a night of scotch and lasagna with several of my best friends, I woke up Saturday morning to meet Jacqui at my gym.  I hope she knows just how grateful I am that she is willing to drive across town at the crack of dawn to workout with me.  Our goal was to do the swim/bike/ run combination.  Jacqui attempted it on Wednesday with huge success – so I was hopeful I would have the same success with her at my side. 

By 6:30am we were in the pool and by 6:50 we had hopped out feeling really pleased with our 800 meter swim.  Jacqui finished over 3 minutes before I did.  In fact, I looked up when she finished and thought, “seriously? I still have 6 laps!”  She was kind enough to wait it out.  We changed as quickly as we could and headed out to our cars where our bikes would need to be hoisted out for our 13 mile ride.  Neither of us felt exhausted from the swim, so when we hit the road we were chatty and in good moods.  We both admitted that we could feel it in our quads for the first several miles.  Jacqui drafted off me for the first 6.5 miles and then I drafted off of her on the way back to the gym.  Our riding paces are fairly similar – which makes us great riding partners.  The ride – although just over 40 minutes, did not seem overly taxing, either.  We then tossed our bikes into our cars and headed out for the last event – the run.  I had a 3.1 mile route planned for us.  Our legs were solid bricks for the first ½ mile and our pace was just over 10 minutes.  But, after the 1^st mile, we were chatting away and pulling 9:30’s and 9:40’s without batting an eye.  Not paying attention, I missed the turn off and we wound up adding nearly a mile to our route.  We agreed that it would be good for us – and continued on the route back to the gym. 

After the swim/bike/run in my car - feeling super pleased!

WHAT an accomplishment!  We felt great!  In fact, we both realized about ½ way into the run, that we can really do this!  We high fived each other and knew that we can not only pull off a Sprint Triathlon already – but we KNOW the Olympic length is not out of reach. 

So, let it rain.  Jacqui and I deserve a day of rest!  

40 mile ride and lived to tell...

Another successful week of Triathlon training, so I bit the bullet and actually paid for my registrations.  The commitments are: Sunday, April 15^th (Sprint Triathlon) and Saturday, May 5^th (Olympic Triathlon).  We all know that payment equals commitment – because up until that point you’re really only considering it.  Right?!  (This is a hint to the others in my group who have yet to fund their races!)

Last night I went to bed at 8:30pm after suffering from TWO ocular migraines on Saturday.  I have never had two in one day (or one week, for that matter), so I decided that I needed 8 hours of solid sleep before meeting three of my favorite people for a 40 mile bike ride on Sunday morning (today).  As anticipated, I rolled over at 4am bright eyed and bushy tailed and committed to simply lying there doing nothing until my alarm went off at 4:45am.

 

At 6:15am, Jacqui showed up at my house, and by 6:40am we had arrived at our meet-up spot to ride with Jim and Matt.  Now, if you’ve been following along – Jim is the 60 year old guy I ride with who appears to have some sort of hidden mechanized engine attached to his bike, and Matt – well, Matt is the guy who pushes us to do things we never thought possible (after 2 months of riding).  Before we took off, Matt asked if we all had enough water and supplements and gave Jacqui and me a brief lesson in “drafting” another cyclist.  Matt told me in an email, recently, that he really wants me to learn the art of drafting because it will make long, hard rides MUCH easier at times.  Everyone knows that I am “safety girl” so even the notion of being a mere tires length distance between my bike and the rear tire of the guy in front of me, while traveling at 20+ miles per hour, makes me want to vomit.

But off we went.  I rode alongside Matt for several of the first 5 or so miles getting some much needed emotional baggage off my chest.  Shortly thereafter, I could see the long rolling hills of the road in front of us and tried desperately to keep Matt’s pace while chatting away.  It seemed futile, and I knew that if I kept it up, I would never make it the full 40 or so miles he had planned for us.  Just as I was considering my fate, Jim rolled up beside Matt and told me to start drafting. 

The next 10 miles were like nothing!  Jacqui and I kept right up with Jim and Matt – enjoying the fact that they were “pulling” us along.  I cannot tell you how much of a difference it made.  As we hit mile 15, we stopped so Matt could answer nature’s call.  It was there that Matt explained that for about the first year of serious cycling he drafted on his rides – never attempting to lead the bunch.  (wiping my brow)  However, he now feels like a strong enough rider that he can take the lead.  I am sincerely hopeful that I can do the same, one day.

In the midst of the 40 miles, Matt took us up a fairly tough route through the foothills, but by mile 22 he assured us that we had seen the worst of it.  And, as we rounded the 33^rd mile, Jim pulled us into a park-n-ride and told Jacqui and me that we rode today like we were riding for years.  All Jacqui and I could do was smile – we needed that!

Jim broke off about a mile later and headed home, while Matt, Jacqui and I continued to our destination(s).  Those last several miles were somewhat insignificant – even though we rode hard and steady all the way back to the house.  Matt, Jacqui and I took turns riding side by side talking about work, our families and the accomplishment of the day. 

Nearly 40 miles later, the emotional haze I had found myself in the day before had cleared and I felt/feel better equipped to handle the little bumps in the road that will inevitably be part of my future. 

Jacqui and Me - accomplished and ready for breakfast!

I discovered that I really love riding – more so than I ever thought, and for exactly the same reason that I love running.  It’s hard and sometimes painful, but the enjoyment of the accomplishment when finished is all I need to remind myself that I can do all the things I set out to do in life. 

Thanks, Jacqui, Matt and Jim for another memorable weekend!

9 days solid of training...Done.

What a weekend!

Friday morning I awakened debating whether or not I should run.  At that point, I had worked out in some form, training for the triathlon, every day for 7 days straight.  My body was telling me it would be ok to ignore the run – after all, running I can do.  But, guilt set in about 2 minutes after my alarm went off and I dragged myself out of bed.  After a quick cup of coffee, I decided I felt awake enough to run.  And, five miles later, I plugged my Garmin in and learned I had performed negative splits all the way up and down the hills – and even pulled an 8:30 in my last flat mile.  I haven’t run an 8:30 mile in years – and here it was my last mile of the route.  YES!  THAT was certainly worth getting out of bed for!

I went to bed at 8:15pm on Friday night after a long, hard work week – and knowing I was meeting Jacqui at the Usery Mountain Pass at 6:45am.  Jacqui had purchased a brand, spankin’ new road bike, and she was eager to break it in on a tough 20 mile run up and down – and up and down – the mountain.  When she pulled the shiner out of her Prius, the handle bars still had the plastic wrap on them.  Offering to pull the wrap off for her, she shrugged and said, “Nah, I can just do it later.”  And, off we went. 

Much to our surprise, there was a 10K road race going on at the same time.  This meant the Usery Pass would be blocked off to road traffic and Jacqui and I were able to ride up the front side of the mountain side by side chatting away.  We found ourselves cheering on the runners.  They were incredibly responsive and yelled/waved back as we passed.  As we crested the top of the mountain, we could feel the head winds on the way down – this would mean the speeds down wouldn’t be so exciting, but that we’d have a smidge of a tailwind on the way back up the 1200 foot climb.  I decided to capture a snap shot of this ride from my Garmin – so you can all see just how steep this mountain pass really is.  6 miles up, 3.5 miles down – and of course, 3.5 miles back up again (vomit). 

And, there she is...Miss Usery!

Jacqui’s new bike was exactly what she needed, because for the first time since we’ve been coming out to the Usery Recreation area – Jacqui beat me to the top by nearly a minute. 

As Jacqui and I made our way passed all of the runners at the end of the ride, I did a classic can’t-get-my-feet-out-of-the-cages-fast-enough…and I went down.  (sad face).  It wouldn’t have been so humiliating were it not for the tens of bystanders cheering on the runners nearing the finish line.  Sigh…alas.  Now I have a bruised left thigh and a scabrous right knee.  As Jacqui approached, she said half-laughing, “whaaaaat happened?”  All I could say was, “look, I rode 20 miles and just couldn’t manage the last 1/20^th of a mile.”  We both laughed.

Jacqui and I both felt Matt needed to see the knee...hence the picture!

After cleaning myself up and tossing my bike and gear into the back of my car, Jacqui and I headed out for a run.  This time we went around the lake at the park twice – amounting to about a 2.5 mile run.  We were satisfied with our brick training and ready for showers and food.

Accomplished: 20 mile ride, 2.5 mile run!

Sunday morning, Jacqui, Brent and Thuy all showed up at my house at 6am.  We had a ten mile run planned.  As we all filtered into the house, ten miles seemed long and possibly too adventurous for the day, but we headed out anyway.  Jacqui has never done more than 6 miles, so this was going to be a new feat for her! 

As always, Thuy told funny stories and we all laughed our way through the foothills.  I warned Jacqui at mile three that the next few miles were not going to be easy, but they’d be incredibly rewarding.  She toughed it out and climbed for 3 miles with us.  Brent is training for a marathon on May 6^th, so he would occasionally sprint ahead of us here and there and come back to keep pace with us.  It was really a lot of fun to have the group together.  I cannot express just how much I love running and riding with friends.

Jacqui made it to the mile 7.5 turn off and headed back to her car.  Brent, Thuy and I finished the ten miles with flying colors.  Thuy admitted that she was wasted at the end – but it was a great accomplishment!  We’ve all still got it!

Thuy and Brent -- post-10 miles!!

After a nice breakfast with D and a quick nap, I readied myself to meet members of my triathlon team for an afternoon ride-swim-ride.  But, by the time I got to the pool area, I knew it was going to be tough.  I still hadn’t had a day off in 9 days and had already completed a 10 miler five hours prior. 

Jacqui, Jim, Matt, Sonia and I all got into the crowded pool and began our laps.  Jacqui and I were tired – soooo tired.  But, we managed to chunk it out for a good 30-40 minutes.  Jim gave me some very helpful swim tips which improved my speed and comfort in the water.  I am eager to really put them to use in a non-community pool where I can focus on my swimming and not avoiding young children just out to have a fun afternoon.  But, it was good that we did it.  Jim knows a lot about technique and I just want to improve. 

As we all got dressed, Matt, Jim and I left on our bikes, while Jacqui and Sonia headed home.  I only had a 5-6 mile ride back home.  Never have I ever been so happy to be home, seated on my couch – blogging.  I need a rest…

I think I’ll take tomorrow off!