I’ve been thinking about flexibility a lot lately. Not so much the flexibility of the body, but flexibility of the mind.

The King of Flexibility

You see, a lot of things that were planned this season didn’t happen. Or maybe I should say they didn’t happen the way they were planned.

I remember when I started training two years ago, I HAD to get my workouts in EXACTLY as they were written.  I HAD to hit the right type, cadence, heart rate, speed, course, you name it.  If I didn’t do it just right, everyone heard about it and needless to say, I was NOT very flexible. 

Fastforward two years, and today I have embraced the attitude of flexiblity.  Granted, I don’t have it down pact, but I’d rather be flexible than how I was before.  I have found that I get to enjoy life more with an attitude of “oh well.  What are we going to do now? ”  This is helping me tremendously to enjoy training, life and my friends more.

Here’s an example….Saturday a stack of us met at the pond to swim a lap then head to ride City View.  We decided with the crowds riding City View and with how “friendly” the locals can be sometimes, that we would head to Cyclist Friendly Boulder!  (Boulder is the BEST place to ride and be safe!)

So that’s exactly what we did.  Swam at the Pond, drove to Boulder, cycled up there….then we had Lunch, went to Newton Running Labs and had a jolly good “Girlfriend” Day! 

Enjoying Friendship

See, two years ago, I NEVER would have done that!  I would have insisted on riding City View because that’s what my plan said.  I would have been so narrow minded that I would not have gone to Boulder.  I would have missed out on a wonderful day filled with sisterhood!  What a shame that would have been.

Flexibilitly of the mind has allowed me to enjoy my life more.  It has allowed me to be more spontaneous and to “go with the flow”.  It has allowed me to enjoy the journey of training and the moments I share with friends.  It has helped me with the bumps and cracks in the road that happen in this thing called life.  I’m not sure how I came upon this flexibility of the mind, wether it was life or training that helped me find this.  All I know, is I’m glad I have embraced it and attempt to live with flexibility as much as possible.

This weekend my training got kicked up a notch.  Yeap- the serious part of Ironman Training is ON!  I mean ON!!!  E-Rock (Elephant Rock Century Ride) was the kickoff to back to back to back fun! 

Saturday I warmed up for E-Rock with a 15 mile run on the Highline Canal.  Another wonderful shaded run in scorching heat.

Sunday morning found me waiting in a long line of cars to get to the fairgrounds in Castle Rock to start the ride.  I was riding with my bud Sharon again.  We weren’t so green and took two cars.  Sharon was doing her first century and my instruction was to “race” this ride. 

Ready to Ride!

 We got our selves and our bikes ready and started rolling at 7:00 am.  Now Elephant Rock is an event.  It’s not a race, it’s an event.  There are people riding who are doing a 65 or 100 mile bike ride for the first time, and some who are have done E-Rock a few times. 

What beauty!!

The reason I bring this up is that many people complain about how crowded it is; how people don’t know how to ride correctly…Heck, there are even  bad-a$$ cyclist (or so they think) who come by screaming at people for doing something they don’t like.  IT’S AN EVENT PEOPLE!    CHILL OUT!  Everyone is doing the best they can on that day and for each person it’s their own personal challenge, even hell at times.  I am sooooo much more impressed and inspired by an overweight person on a mountain bike riding the 65 mile course than I am of some 6% bodyfat athlete in their cycling kit!!!!  Who gives a crud if you don’t like how people are riding.  This day is NOT about YOU! 

This day IS about camaraderie and friendly people though.  This day IS about wonderful volunteers and hard working regular folks.  It’s about making a new friend as you pedal hard up a hill or fly on the downhills.  It’s about saying “Thank you” to every volunteer you meet.  It’s also about giving encouraging words to those you pass.  It’s about doing something that challenges and pushes you.  It’s about 6000 feet of climbing and 100 miles of pavement.  It’s about giving your all AND having fun!

One of the Aide Stations

 E-Rock was like that this year for me.  I had a wonderful time and once again met some great people.  Riding E-Rock hard this year was tough at times.  I remember thinking to myself as I was climbing some hill, “Am I going to be able to make this?”  “Am I going to be able to finish?”  I was able to make it, and I was able to finish. And I had a fabulous, hard time! 

The nice thing about E-Rock is eventually the crowds thin out and you end up riding alone often.  It really is just you, your bike, and your mind for most of the ride.  I didn’t have a lot of time to enjoy the views or chat much with people (another one of my instructions was “NO Lollygagging!”).  And me being the “good” athlete :) I tried to keep that to a minimun. 

A perfect day

Elephant Rock was wonderful and I highly recommend it.  Yeah it’s crowded, just bring your patience for the first 20 miles….Remember it’s an event and there are people who are doing something this hard for the first time.  Be Kind, Say Thank You, and most of all Enjoy Yourself!

It’s the official, unofficial start to SUMMER!  Can you say…it’s about time???  And this weekend did prove to be a summer weekend.  No rain, snow or howling winds!  It was spectacular…and long!  Four days of pure -heavenly training and recovering bliss!

Friday started out with a 30 mile run with the temps forecasted in the 90’s.  I hit Highline Canal at the Goodson Rec Center and was on the trail by 6:30am.  The sky was slightly overcast and the temp was already 60 degrees. 

Early Morning on the Highline Canal

At first I thought that I would run 3 x 10 miles.  Out 5 back 5- 3 times….About 4 miles into the run I decided I would rather get 15 miles out of the way my first time out, then run 10 miles and then finish off the 30 with the last 5. 

Sounded like a great idea and it actually was!  Mostly because of the mind game I was playing with myself.  Do you ever do that?  Play games with your perception?  It seems like a pre-requist to racing and training long distances….ya know…a 15 mile run, no problem; a 10 mile run, no problem; a 5 mile run, piece of cake….they just happen to all be in a row!!!

15 Miles and smiling

I knocked out the 15; reloaded at the car; knocked out the 10; got back to the car and had a Humongous blister on the bottom of my foot from a iny-tiny grain of dirt.  The blister started to change my gait around mile 23 and when I got to the car, I took a look at my foot and decided to go for my post-run swim…..didn’t finish the 30 but had a successful 25 miles of running.  Plus the temps were officially in the mid 90’s.  Did I mention how refreshing my 20 minute swim was?????  Ahhhhhhhhh

Saturday was a rest day!  I went to Boulder, got my weekly body work, enjoyed the festival and relaxed!

Sunday was back at-it!  4+ hour ride with a bunch of women! Oh yeah- remember that sore throat I had last weekend…well Sunday morning it decided to become a sinus infection……When I met up with everyone at Boulder Res I felt like crap.  I decided to start off easy and ride what I could. 

Lucky for me even though the sinus infection didn’t go away, I was eventually able to feel good enough to have a stellar ride out to Carter Lake and back.  I had a blast.  I was back on Black Betty (my Ordea Ordu) and we were flying! My training buddy, Sharon, and I rode the whole way together and just enjoyed the heck out of the day! 

Who's having FUN??? Not us :)

Back at the Res after 56 miles of pavement under our tires, I threw on my Newtons and hit a  hard 10 minute run.  I have NEVER run Hard off the bike- I was blown away by how I actually felt fine!  I was surprised!  I always thought I couldn’t run that fast off the bike…..but then- that’s why I have coach Andrea!  To help me learn new things about myself!

And then there was Monday.  Monday was all about the Honey-Do-List.  Can a  Honey Do List be a HDL when you’re writing it for yourself????  Anyway- I got through pruning trees and bushes in the front and back yards, and did all those piles of chores that I didn’t get to in the last year.  It felt fabulous to look around and see the piles gone and the trees trimmed.  I settled into my chair in the back yard and enjoyed the waterfall and the cool shade of the trees.  Another one of those AHHHHH moments.

I have the best backyard ever! Kai agrees!

For me, this was the best start to summer I can ever remember.  Two hard training days and two awesome rest days.  There is something to be said for having your “house in order” so that your training can just take off.  And with that….it’s time to take out the big guns and hit some pretty tough training in the next few  months…..but I’ma ready!!!

This weekend was all about the run…a 20 miler to be exact.  The run was scheduled for Saturday with a 3 hr bike on Sunday.  Well, being spring and all here in Colorado, Saturday started snowy with 40 mph gusts forecasted.  I opted for a 1 hr trainer ride and a trip to the movie theater instead.

Sunday I woke to clear blue skies and no morning percipitation forecasted.  I headed down to Waterton Canyon for my 20 miles.  As I headed up the canyon I got into a good pace.  I looked at my Garmin and noticed I was hitting at 10 min pace.  I thought to myself , “slow it down Sparky! You’re doing 20 today….not 10 miles like you have been for the past 2 months.”

Slow....the new hard

 I had an absolute great time on the run.  Every imaginable waterfall up the canyon was running and everything was green.  The road was dry except for the occasional mud hole.  The fellow runners out where friendly and ticking off their mileage. 

My friend Kendra caught up with my on my way back down the canyon and we ran together.  I noticed I was having a hard time feeling my own zone once I began to run with her.  It was like my body was imitating her running form.  I kept trying to get into my own grove again but that never really happened.

We hit the parking lot at mile 13; I reloaded my water bottles and headed back out solo for my last 7.  So this is where it got a bit tricky.  See, I haven’t run more than 10 miles in over two months.  As I hit the road again I was having a hard time.  I was struggling to  find my form and my groove.  I kept adjusting this and that and finally somewhere around mile 15 I found my sweet spot.

At mile 16.5 I turned around and headed for the barn (car).  And this is when I realized that somewhere in the last two months running slow got hard!  You see.  Throughout the whole 20 miles, whenever I slowed down to the pace I ran all last year….it felt HARD.  It felt like Torture!  The moment I picked up my pace and held it right below threshold….running felt MUCH EASIER! 

I don’t know how in the heck this happened…but it did!  I got faster!  Not only did I get faster but running faster got easier than running slower!  WTH?  I never would have expected that!  I had no idea that one day running right below threshold would be easier for me than running at a slower pace?  I mean, I PRed  my time on a 20 mile training run by 15 minutes!!  HUH??? WTH?? 

While I was running I would experiment with running slower and it just felt hard.  The minute I picked up my pace and ran faster, running got easier.  Now part of this I attribute to my Newton Running Shoes!  I am sure that the shoe helps propel me forward when I run faster!  (Did I mention how much I love my Newtons??)  And now that I can run faster the shoes help that much more!

I never would have imagined that running faster could be easier than running slow.  But it is.  At least it was Sunday.  In the next two weeks I have a 24 mile run then the Fort Collins Marathon on May 9th.  I’m building my run and the next two weekends will tell if this is just a fluke or if I truly am a faster runner this year. Only time/mileage will tell…..until then…..

Faster just got easier

I can’t believe it. Spring is here and so is my first race of the season!
How did this happen?  How did the race that I signed up for in winter come so quickly? It seems like just yesterday I wrote out my race schedule for the 2010 season. Back in November this seemed like a good idea! HaH!

I do have to admit that I am enjoying the taper. It ’s kinda nice to feel like I have more energy and I’m not so tired. Plus it was nice to do only an hour and half bike ride Saturday.  Some of the perks of approaching a race.

So, I’ll see how it goes.  Sometimes my mind is in the game for this race and sometimes it’s not…..All I know is I’m ready to have some fun!

See ya next week with a race report!

This weekend was all about multi sportin.  There was some Splishin, some Splotin, and some heavy duty windy Woshin to be had. 

And speaking of WOoooSSSHHIN…how about that wind this weekend.  How many of you got caught out there on your long Saturday bike ride?  Pretty fun heh?  (ok maybe NO fun).  For all of us brave soles (or is it silly soles) who didn’t change our workouts around, for those of us who rode parallel to the road….this one’s for you!

There was a group of us brave soles who drove down to Castle Rock to ride the 62 mile E Rock  course. As we all gathered our gear and headed out on the rode the wind was just starting to blow.  The further we got out on the ride- of course- the windier it got! 

By mile 15 we decided to call it quits and head back… I have to be honest- I was kinda disappointed, if someone else had said “yes” to continuing I would have been all over it.  Luckily for me, no one was dumb enough to want to continue!  Once we turned around we quickly realized we would have 15 grueling miles into the wind.  I’m talkin full on head wind- and cross winds that left you riding parallel to the road if not splot on the road.

Delinda, Doreen, Liesl, Sharon...check out the sideways hair!

We made it back to the parking lot, after a few minor wind epics.  Next up for me was to finish off my mileage with a basement trainer ride and NCIS!  Oh yeah, followed by my second 20 minute run of the day.

Sunday was all about the run and swim.  And of course, being spring and all , here in Colorado…there had to be some wind again.  I headed up Waterton Canyon for a quick 5 and back down, meet some friends along the way…and was grateful it was’t as windy at the day before!

I finished the run off, jumped in my car, downed some Mix1 (love the Mango) and headed to the pool.  That’s were I spent the next 30 minutes Splishin.  And did it feel good!  After Saturdays windfest and Sundays run, I was ready for my favorite- swimming!

It was a perfect weekend….great friends, great workouts, and some splish, splot and wosh….who could ask for anything more…..except maybe a bit less wind next weekend  

 How about those days when you just start out with your workout….not particularly psyched to be out doing what you’re doing….but you’re doing it anyway..

Well, I’ve been having those kinda days lately.  I have been going through the motions of getting my training in but not feeling that passion and excitement about it.  Some might think that this could be a sign of over-training…but I think it might just be part of grieving.  Grieving the loss of my Dad just two months ago. 

That’s the thing about being a triathlete, you’re really just like everyone else and stuff happens that affects you.  Maybe as triathletes we are just more aware of how this stuff does affects us.  We have ways to measure our moods, engery, body and mental status.  We are more tuned into what is going on on the inside.  We see it in our efforts, our pace, or times, in our workouts.  We can tell when we are “a bit off”.   Maybe having this keen ability is a blessing or maybe not.

I happen to think it’s a blessing. By realizing something is off, I’m able to figure out what I need to help myself.  One thing I have noticed that helps me the most right now, it to train with other people.  So each weekend I am sending out emails, facemails etc to invite people to join me.  And the wonderful thing is…people are! 

I need to give a big thanks for everyone who joins me on a ride, run or swim at this point in my training.  You are all helping to get me through this rough patch….and helping me to “get-er-done”!

Here’s something I thought about this weekend as I was taking my dog for a walk around the neighborhood. 

Do you ever think about what life would be like to NOT be a triathlete?

I had that thought.  You see over the weekend I had two days off from training.  Yeap, two whole days!  It was incredible.  I slept in until 7:45 both mornings, had a leisurely breakfast and went about my day at a slow pace.  I parked my car in the garage Friday night and didn’t get back into it until Monday morning.  I didn’t have to go anywhere or meet anyone for two glorious days!

One of the things I’ve learned about my needs over the past two years of triathloning (is that a word?) is every once in a while I need one weekend day as a rest day.  This helps me get caught up on stuff around the house and I also end up feeling like I had a real day off. Usually my rest days are during the week when I’m working….so yes, they are rest days from training, but not a “day off”.

So as I lay around in my pj’s and watched some tv while I tended to chores I started to envy people who don’t do triathlons. 

Ahhh.....The Average Jane Athlete Life

“How Outrageous!” you might say to yourself.  But I did.  I actually started to miss the time when I was just an average “Jane”.  Where all I would do was go lift weights 2-3 times a week for an hour, and then do some type of cardio 3-4 days a week.   Life was sooo simple then.  I had plenty of free time, I had weekends to lay around, I had time to read a book……you get the picture.

When I put it in those terms, I have to ask myself - why in the world would I want to put myself through the paces and training of being a triathlete and an long distance triathlete at that?

As I sit here writing this the one phrase that keeps coming to mind is- because I get to push myself!   With pushing myself I get to expand myself.  I get to know myself better.  I get to face my insecurities.  I get to see just what I’m made of!

A friend came over and brought lunch on Saturday.  As we were talking she said that she didn’t think her body would be capable of doing  the mileage that I do in my training.  My response was, “you don’t know until you try.”  See, I had no idea I could run 30 miles or bike 100’s of miles.  But if I had not tried I would not have known.  If I had just accepted my fears and not pushed through my insecurities I would never have known that I am capable of running 30+ miles or of finishing an Ironman.

While I secretly may envy the average Joe and Jane athlete….in my heart I am an endurance junkie!  I want to continue to see “what I’m made of”.  I want to expand my idea of myself.  I want to continue to push through my insecurities.  I want to explore the land untraveled…..

And while it may sound inviting to be an average “Jane” athlete again the truth is, I really do like the millions of hours of training I do.  I love seeing what I’m made of.  I love (ok Like) facing my fears and self doubts….I continue to be committed to Going The Distance.

Who do you love???

Big question I have…..do you love your coach?  Are you really truly happy with your coach?  Do ya  love him/her?

This Sunday as I was running my first EVER sub 1:59:30 Ten Mile Run, I realized that I absolutely LOVE my coach!  I mean, I really love her and am so grateful for her!

My workout for Sunday was to run 10 miles with 3 minute pick ups at an 8:45 pace every mile.  After a 20 minute warm up I started in on my first pick-up.  I hit 9:00 pace on the first one and with every pick-up after that I was hitting 8:45 or less!  At one point I looked at my Garmin and saw 7:45 on it!  I was like- Holy $hit!   That’s never happened before!  I’ve never been able to run that fast!!!

As I was having this fabulous run (mind you, I did not want to get out of bed that morning), I thought about what I great coach I have!  My coach Andrea Watkins  is the best!!!  She has been coaching me for a bit over two years now.  She has taken me from an out of shape 49 year old, to an Ironman finisher, to someone who can now run 10 miles in 1:42:10! 

See I believe a coaching relationship should be like any other relationship you have.  If the person is toxic or not hearing what you are saying, or not meeting your needs….It’s time for a change! 
A coaching relationship has it’s ups and downs.  I mean, poor Andrea has seen me through some REALLY tough times and with that some not so stellar behavior on my part.  She has been kind enough to point out these behaviors and I’m grateful for that.  It takes courage to call someone on their shit when it’s-a-flyin!  And she does that for me.

She also listens.  She listens to what I’m saying and hears what I need mentally and physically, even when I’m not aware!  She challenges me to grow both physically and mentally. 

She’s taken me to the airport butt-crack early when I flew home for my father’s passing.  She went to my house and packed my bike and shipped it to me when I was out in California caring for my father….I not saying that every coach should go above and beyond like this….but Andrea does!  And that just makes me love her and appreciate her even more!

I feel so fortunate I have found a coach who is such a good fit for me!  I have always felt grateful for her.  And as she continues to write my training plan and help me to reach my goals, I am in awe of her ability to help me reach a higher level of athleticism!

I may be wrong here, and this is only my humble opinion…..but do ya love your coach?  Are you unhappy? Do ya just coach with the person caz you have for years?  Do you feel like you’re not being heard?  If you answered, “kinda- sort of” to any of those questions….then ya might want to see what it’s like to Love your coach.  Heaven knows there’s enough of em out there!

sore legs! 

Here I sit on Monday with the sorest legs I’ve had in ages!  Yeah sitting…not such a good idea today, as every time I get up it takes a few minutes for my quads to work.  And the thing is, my legs are sore in places they aren’t usually sore! 

So what’s the culprit you may ask.  How’d I get my legs so sore anyways….I mean, they are more sore than after my 28 mile run!

One word- STAIRS!  Red Rocks Stairs to be exact.  That’s after running over Dinosaur Ridge and up into Red Rocks!  This was the strength workout my coach had mapped out for me on Saturday.

We started at 8:30 at Conoco (I actually roped Liesl into joining!)  The skies were slightly overcast with the promise of sun later, temps in the high 30’s!!!   I threw on my Newton shoes and we made our way up Roney Road, over Dinosaur Ridge and up to the amphitheater in Red Rocks. 

The Red Rock Crew

That was just the warm up….Then the fun began.  Next we had 10 sets on the infamous stairs!!!!!  What a blast!  Really, it was!  It’s one of those “hurts so good” kinda feelings.  Yah know, where your pushing yourself, and your lungs are exploding, and your legs are crying….Yeah, it was that kinda blast.

That’s how we spent the next 50 minutes…up and down the stairs!  I love going to Red Rocks.  The view is so spectacular and there are all these other people who are purposefully inflicting excruciating pain on themselves also!  I mean, where else could you find so many different people working so hard to get fit????? 

All done and taking in the view

We celebrated at the top with a picture and then refilled our water bottles and headed back down into the town of Morrison and to our cars.  It was truly a splendid way to spend the morning.  And it was a phenomenal workout!  I feel as if my legs are 10 times stronger already!  I highly recommend this workout for anyone who wants to build strength (and character).

Sunday rounded out the weekend with a 3 hour Computrainer course.  We rode the Ironman Australia course.  That course has a kick butt climb right off the start….

All in all, another great training weekend, with some time outside in the sun and sore legs in the end.  What more could an Ironman want??????