Lonely

One of my Beach to Battleship peeps is dropping back to the half IM.  It's the right choice for her but it still leaves me feeling lonely today.

And then Joe took the car that has all my swim bag in it.  Doh.  There has to be a spare pair of goggles/swimsuit around here somewhere.

Make up run

Ran 80 minutes yesterday to make up for the run I missed Sunday.   My coach wanted me to skip it altogether because this week is run intensive and adding an extra 2.25 hours on top of the 3 hours scheduled for Sunday is a little over the top.  She's so logical and stuff.  So we settled on 80 minutes.  I get the mental boost of having another semi-long run on the books but the total time doesn't jump too much. 

Other than the big run on Sunday, the rest of the week is a recovery week.  Working hard at getting my weight back down to IMFL levels for race day.  Only 6 lbs to go.

Long run fail

Just too tired.  I got out of bed at 545.  I really tried for about 30 minutes but I couldn't hold a running pace.  Too tired.  So I walked back home and fell asleep almost immediately  No big.  Tomorrow will be a fine day to run.  Rather a strong 2 hour run one day late than a 2 hour walk.

This reminds me why long runs were scheduled for Wednesdays last time I did the IM thing.  Might move them back there.

Long Brick Win!

And it wasn't even a good day.  Today called for a 6 hr ride with a 40 minute run.  I'm always slower when I have to ride "in town" due to cars, stop lights, etc. But today there was a steady headwind on the way out.  And I took a detour that took me over the big bridge loop, twice.  And I tried to tweak my nutrition based on the latest article coach sent out.  #1) "eat" fewer calories and #2) make them liquid or gel calories. 

What I learned, boys and girls, is that I need more than 150 calories an hour and GU doesn't work for me on the bike at all.  Made me nauseous just like it did on the multi brick.  It wasn't the multi brick.  It was the GU.  But I didn't have the $$ to buy all new Hammergel for this ride.  The new brand of salt tabs surely did not help.   I had to make due with Salt Stick because the shop that used to carry my beloved Lava Salts closed.

Needless to say, spent most of the ride feeling like utter crap. When one of the salt tabs got caught in my throat, I almost puked. I was so slow I ran out of everything but salt tablets and water.  Finished the last 45 minutes on fumes.  To the point that I arrived at the house (6:33 for 100 miles) fully prepared to skip the run.  Because I felt really nauseous.

And so I arrived at the house in the wicked mood with some very logical reasons to stop.  But my inner triathlete told me to just calm down and take 10 minutes to find something that didn't make me sick.  You've got 17 hours on race day.   30 minutes in T2 will not kill you.  Open the 'fridge.  Boiled egg?  Ew.  Cheese?  Bleah.  Chocolate chips?  Yes?  Would you like seltzer with that?  And so I talked myself into 12 oz of seltzer water and a tasty handful of chocolate chips.  10 minutes later a walk seemed very reasonable.  After all, I'm really just angry that the bike went poorly.  Sure, I'm still nauseous but it's not like I'm cramping and don't recognize my dog.  I don't feel so bad that I would be willing to DNF on race day.

Heck, maybe I'll even run down to the corner, just to see how badly my stomach will protest....and it wasn't worse than walking.  So I ran.  Down to the corner.  Then the 1/4 mile up hill to the intersection.  Then a little more, a little more, a little faster.  By the end of the run I hit 8:30/mile.  Faster than I've run in a long time.  10:38 average for the whole 40 minutes.

And to think I was ready to throw in the towel.  Just goes to show that a few minutes of refocusing and resting can make a big difference.

Huge mental victory today. 

Long brick weekend

Heading out for a 6 hour ride in z1-z2 followed by a 40 minute run.  Should be hot as hell by the time I start running.

2.25 hour run tomorrow!

Quote of the day

It's not that you get so tired...all you want to do is sit down and eat a bag of doritos....because chips are tasty. It's that you stand up and finish the race.  - Dr. Iron TriFeist

Today's Long Brick

Swim 1 hour in open saltwater, bike 4 hrs, run 1.25 hrs.

Rocked it. Stuff went wrong but I fixed it. Seasick and swallowed salt water on the swim? Got it.  Even that raccoon with distemper or the deer flies on the bike? Or the wind? No problem.. Nice touch with the blazing sun but I can finish the last mile on the sand, just for emphasis.

Madame Pele, you can hurt me, you can humble me. But.I.Will.Finish.

Patriot Day for my U.S. Readers

Don't forget that tomorrow is Patriot Day.  Please fly your American flags.  Remember those who died that day and those who have served selflessly to protect us. 

------------

Public Law 107-89
107th Congress

                            Joint Resolution


 
  Amending title 36, United States Code, to designate September 11 as 
         Patriot Day. <> 

Whereas on September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four civilian 
    aircraft, crashing two of them into the towers of the World Trade 
    Center in New York City, and a third into the Pentagon outside 
    Washington, D.C.;

Whereas the fourth hijacked aircraft crashed in southwestern 
    Pennsylvania after passengers tried to take control of the aircraft 
    in order to prevent the hijackers from crashing the aircraft into an 
    important symbol of democracy and freedom;

Whereas these attacks were by far the deadliest terrorist attacks ever 
    launched against the United States, killing thousands of innocent 
    people; and

Whereas in the aftermath of the attacks the people of the United States 
    stood united in providing support for those in need: Now, therefore, 
    be it

    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF SEPTEMBER 11 AS PATRIOT DAY.

    Chapter 1 of title 36, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
the end the following new section:

``Sec. 144. Patriot Day

    ``(a) Designation.--September 11 is Patriot Day.
    ``(b) Proclamation.--The President is requested to issue each year a 
proclamation calling on--
            ``(1) State and local governments and the people of the 
        United States to observe Patriot Day with appropriate programs 
        and activities;
            ``(2) all departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of 
        the United States and interested organizations and individuals 
        to display the flag of the United States at halfstaff on Patriot 
        Day in honor of the individuals who lost their lives as a result 
        of the terrorist attacks against the United States that occurred 
        on September 11, 2001; and
            ``(3) the people of the United States to observe a moment of 
        silence on Patriot Day in honor of the individuals who lost 
        their lives as a result of the terrorist attacks against the 
        United States that occurred on September 11, 2001.''.

[[Page 115 STAT. 877]]

SEC. 2. CONFORMING AMENDMENT.

    The table of contents for chapter 1 of title 36, United States Code, 
is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``144. Patriot Day.''.

    Approved December 18, 2001.

Settling into the ironman groove

Let's hope I stay here for the next 9 weeks.

Swam 2.5 miles today in 1:50.  Not my fastest swim but the workout had a fair amount of drills and kicking.  At the end of the workout (3350) I realized I missed the part that says "ironman athletes do 4 sets". Oops.  After finishing that extra set, the lap total was 3950.  Well, if I'm going to swim 3950 why not just make it an even half mile?  So did.  Not a decision many people would have made but that's the ironman groove.

Tough multi-brick workout tomorrow. I'll head back to Ft. De Soto for a lovely ride 2 hours, run 45 minutes, repeat.