Big Question.

 How many of you have gone through about a bazillion saddles looking for the one that fits??? 

If you are anything like me, chances are at least one per season while looking for the perfect fit.  And when you own and ride two bikes…well, nuf said 

This story starts off with the very first saddle I had…the lovely Terry Butterfly Saddle.  This was fine enough before I became an Ironman triathlete and my bike rides where never more than a few hours.

Well my first long ride- up Mt Evan ended with a numb left leg around Summit Lake. Right after that ride I was off to the local bike shop.

Next saddle up was some other kinda black thingy. I rode that on a few centuries. It worked but not quite well enough. See I started going to computrainer classes and the instructor was always talking about being on your “sitz bones”. I got to wonderin- what and where are my sitz bones caz I sure don’t think that’s where I’m sitzing!!!
I seriously had to have her point them out on me. And I sure wasn’t using those stiz bones on the saddle I had.
Next I tried the Specialized saddle. Extra hard- no give- yeap- those sitz bones where gonna get satz on!

It worked for a bit- like while I was riding one hour. As my rides have gotten longer this winter I got banged up and bruised on the left sitz bone! See- I have hip rotation so all my weight was on my left…it got to the point where I dreaded riding…

And then- just last week- I was introduced to Sella Italia Diva Saddle. My dream come true! It works on every level! My first ride out was a 3 hour ride…with perfect- I mean perfect comfort!!!

In my search for the perfect saddle, I have come to feel like Goldilocks.  My first saddle was too soft, my next saddle was too hard, and this last saddle…the Sella Italia Diva….is JUST RIGHT!  

So women, if you are looking for that perfect saddle- Stop by TriBella Multisport and take the Diva for a spin!!!!

This past week I did both a Run and Swim test. 

Now the good news is I am fit enough and healthy enough for my coach to be having me do these!  I was extremely excited to see them on my schedule.  I remember months ago she said that we would do our first tests when I was healthy again.  Guess that means she feels I’m healthy again and on the other side of Adrneal Fatigue!!!

Now…the harder news to admit- here in public- is that my times where pretty dang slow!  I mean way, way , way slow!  Like really slow.  Like turtle slow!  The way the test went was I had to time my long sets and divided it into 100s. That being said- I had the turtle time of 2:04 per 100.  What a difference from last year pre-Adrenal Fatigue!

That was Wednesday.  Saturday I had a run test.  For this test I warmed up for 10 minutes and then began running for 1.5-2 miles.  The goal was to keep my heart rate around 125.  See I’m doing all my training below 130HR.  So….here’s the kinda embarrassing part- my time per mile was 15:38.  Oh my goodness.  SEE!  I said I was a turtle!  Can you believe how slow that is????    

This was a  hard post for me to write.  You see, I want you all to think that I am this ripped athlete who has these kick a$$ times.  In reality, for the moment, I DON’T.  I am just me….coming back from Adrenal Fatigue….with all my slowness and determination.  Trainings not always pretty…it’s not always glamorous….it’s sometimes just plain slow.   

The best part about this though….is there is tons of room for improvement!!!!  And that’s what I’m planning on doing…keep on improving!

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Right when you’re just getting goin……..bammmm….a cold gets ya!

Yeap, after the stellar week before of feeling like I was training like a real triathlete, I got the bug that’s been going around the office!  Dagnabit!  I fought it off for a few days….but it finally caught me!  

I don’t feel too bad though, as most people were out of work for a few days and all I had to do was back off on my workouts a bit.  That’s one of the benefits of being a healthy athlete!  We can fight off bugs better than the average person.  And then because we are mere mortals….we actually do get sick sometimes 

So the approach recommended by my coach was to not set my alarm, and if I woke up in time for my workout do it!  It not, don’t stress it.  I slept in until 6 the first day, 5:30 the next and 5:00 on the third day.  Well, since I had the excuse of being sick, I decided I should lie in bed a few more minutes and missed three days of workouts. 

Not to fear though….Saturday I was back with a vengeance!  Feeling awesome, rested and recovered, I entered into my run and then a swim.  Well, kinda a swim. I had another session at SwimLabs on Saturday.  Found out a few tidbits to continue to improve my swim abilities. 

I attacked Sunday with the same fervor and cranked out 2.5 hrs on my bike trainer.  After watching a cheesy chick-flick I finished the next hour with DVRed t.v. shows.  What did we ever do before DVRs???  ( I frequently ask the same thing about zip-lock plastic bags…but I’ll save that for another post).

After months of Adrenal Fatigue issues….a common cold was a piece of cake to get through.  It’s good to know my immune system is right on track and able to kick some cold bug butt!  And as for training….well BRING IT ON!!!!!  I am ready, willing and able!!!

In the mean time……

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I never realized how much it would mean to me when I finally returned to actual TRAINING after these 6 months off.  

Granted I only took one full month off with absolutely NO exercise.  My prescription read….Get as much sleep as possible and NAP often!.  No kidding. That’s what my doc wrote down. 

Many people have asked….”well didn’t ya go crazy?” and the answer is “nope.” I was so exhausted all I could do was go to work and sleep!  I only took one month off and from there started to slowly incorporate “exercise” back into my weekly routine.  With my fabulous Coach Cary leading the way.

After 5 months of getting back into exercising…about one month ago I progressed into Training again.  I was training early mornings and afternoons.  Workouts were getting close to one hour long…..I was beginning my comeback!

Well this weekend just moved me into OFFICIAL TRAINING mode.  Over the weekend I trained for a total of 4 hrs.  I know, that may not seem like much…but not too long ago that’s all I exercised in a week!

This Saturday started with a Kick Butt 2 hour computrainer session at Peak To Peak Training Center.  Sweat and high(er) heart rates made my legs feel like mush.

After lunch with a friend…I was off to the pool for another hour of swimming!  And the cool part, my workout was a strength workout.  So lots of pulling and long sets!  It was all I could do to PULL myself out of the pool.

The evening was spent chilaxing and eating a healthy dinner….recovery and engergy for the next day!

Sunday morning came.  On my training schedule was a one hour run!!!! 

I know…seems kinda silly to get all excited for a one hour run…but when that’s the longest I’ve  run since a half mary at Boise 70.3 last June…..I was over the top excited to actually get the chance to run for a full hour. 

To me, that’s a sign that I am recovering from this darn  Adrenal Fatigue and on my way to this season.  I don’t know how many half hour runs I’ve churned out over the last 3-4months….but I can tell you…those were hell.  To only run for 30 minutes and knowing how good an hour plus run feels….that really was hell!

I am over the moon that I had a “real” training block this weekend.  I had a blast and I am feeling like a true athlete again. … Just remind me of this when I’m churning out 10+ hour training weekends this summer in prep for Ironman Florida…baby! 

Have I ever mentioned how much I love my job?  Strange heh, to read that on someone’s blog who isn’t a professional triathlete.  Yet it’s true.

I feel so blessed to do the work I do, AND to do it with the people I get to work with day in and day out!

I work for the Mental Health Center of Denver and we serve people with severe and persistent mental illness.  At MHCD our mission statement is “Enriching Lives and Minds by Focusing on Strengths and Recovery”.   And that truly is what we do…we focus on our consumers strengths and the employees strengths. I have never worked anywhere in my life where I have felt one tenth as much support as I feel here at MHCD.

I not only work for a great agency but I work with the best people on the planet!  Each employee is passionate about helping the consumers and helping each other!  The support and care that everyone I work with exhibits for each other is incredible.  MHCD is based on a Wellness Culture and I see this day in and day out…..

I shared a few months ago about a training I went to called Pathways To Leadership.  This past week we had a two day Mastery Session which proved to be beyond incredible.  I thought I’d just put up a few photos and video to share all the fun we had….

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L46STd11w4

This is just a sampling of what a supportive, foward focused, strenghts based group of people I get to spend 40 hours a week of my life with.   I wouldn’t change what I get to do for work for anything….ok…maybe to become a full time triathlete………

I am absolutely positive that this past week I moved to Alaska with out knowing. 

The temps have been below freezing and even with my best effort to put on every single thing I own….I still could not make it out the door to do one bit of training outside.  I know…what a wimp.  But heh, I grew up in San Francisco, not Fargo!

After switching workouts around during Denver’s sub zero (that’s daytime temps) I did runs and bikes indoors and then waited to swim until it was at least 10 degrees at 5:00 in the morning. 

What I really can’t believe is that not even one week ago, I was outside riding my bike in 70 degree weather!  It wasn’t even February yet, and the temps were in the 70′s…..but wait, that’s right!  I live in Colorado where it’s common to hear the saying “if you don’t like the weather, wait 10 minutes.” 

This weekend it looks like temps might be in the 40s again. So I just might make it outside for a run.  It’s funny how your perception of cold can change.  10 degrees use to seem cold…but after days of below zero temps…40 will feel down right balmy.  So see ya all outdoors for a run this Sunday….

There’s something about a New Year that just breaths fresh life into things.

That’s how I’ve been feeling for awhile about 2011.  I’ve just felt like 2011 is going to be different than the past two years have been.  Like….things have changed and the challenges of the last two years are behind me.

With that thought in mind I set out to have my blog redesigned.  Kind of a symbolic shift to signify the end of a period of time in my life and the beginning of something new.

I have so many wonderful new things to share with everyone!  While my blog was being redesigned ( a BIG shout out to Chris at Envie Media ) my mind has been swimming with blog post ideas.  There is so much to share and so much I’ve learned over the past two years.

Fortunately I’m in a spot where my health is back since the Adrenal Fatigue; I’ve made it through the first year of my Dad’s passing; and many other challenging things.  I’ve not forgotten or shut the door on them…I’ve just lived with these things now and have made my peace with them.

So come back and visit often! There will be exciting  give-aways and discounts offered in the future….plus tons of fun adventures as I make my come backfor my next Ironman!  Bring on 2011 caz I’m ready!!!  

I'm out of the fog

No really.

I’m out of the fog I’ve been living in for the past 5 months!  And I can’t believe how great I feel.  I feel as if I am officially done with Adrenal Fatigue and have entered back into the realm of Triathlete!!!!

And today was a perfect example of that.  After a restful night of solid sleep I was up at 4:30 and headed to the gym for my swim workout.  I got there around 5:15 and shared the pool with two other triathletes.  Our printed out workouts wet and stuck to the side of the pool and all our gadgets for pulling, kicking, drilling were sitting on the edge just waiting to be used.   There is something about that early morning that only us triathletes truly appreciate.

After 40 minutes of swimming, drilling and more swimming I headed home and then to work.  And this is were the cool part comes in…..At lunch time I headed out for a 40 minute run!

Yeap,  I swam this morning and then did a lunch time run.  The crazy thing is it’s almost 70 degrees in Denver today so it was fabulous to be outside.  My office is a few blocks from City Park and boy were the runners out today.

I haven’t run outside in awhile…It’s been mostly really short treadmill runs.  So today, being outside reminded my of the many many miles I have covered in the last few years.  It also reminded me that I AM a triathlete and  will be competing again this coming year.  I am back on the training routine and boy does it feel great!

I am excited to start blogging again too.  I feel that as the end of this year draws near I am forward focused on what awaits me in 2011.  I feel as if I have some life in me again and have something to contribute besides the fog and dusk I have been living in.

Here’s to today being my first day back to joining the ranks of my fellow triathletes!!!!!

Reflection is a good thing.

That is as long as we use it to move us forward. If we reflect and dwell- well, that’s just not the best idea. Getting stuck in what shoulda, woulda, couldas, don’t do anyone a bit of good- except leave ya stuck in the past.

So this weekend I found myself reflecting on the past year. You see- today is exactly one year since I finished my first Ironman in Cozumel. Having had to drop out of racing and training mid season has left me forgetting that I am an Ironman. I have forgotten that I have it in me to do one of the hardest feats on this planet. I have forgotten that I am a bad a$$ athlete who is just temporarily sideline.

I’ve actually finally been doing what I should have done post Cozumel- taking a few months off to recover. The problem though is I gained 15lbs due to Adrenal Fatigue and if I’d taken the rest post IMCZ that more than likely wouldn’t have happened. But like I said- no dwelling in the past! Just using this as an opportunity to learn and grow.

So what’d I learn??? Recovery is key!! My old coach had a philosophy that more is better and recovery was minimal. Post IMCZ it would have benefited me if she had said “slow down Sparky and let’s take a break for a few months- especially since your Dad just died”. But that’s not what happened, and I didn’t know any better myself.  (Note to self)

Also, going on a restrictive “diet” post IM- not a good idea! You need to nourish and replenish your body for the months following an IM. Restricting nutrition further taxed my Adrenals making them work too hard.

Take your resting heart rate first thing in the morning. That would have helped me catch the fact that I was over-trained and over taxed. My new coach is big on this- my old coach never even knew or used my heart rate zones.

One thing that was really hard to tease out was my lack of motivation.  With my Dad passing away in January, I chalked my lack of motivation to grieving….Now I see it was the early signs of over-training-syndrome which then leads to adrenal fatigue. I’m just saying I’ve learned a lot of things in hind sight.  It’s those lessons that I’m trying to pass on here. 

One thing I know in life is if we don’t reflect on the pass, figure out what happened,  it can make it hard in the future to not make the same mistakes.  If I can help someone else from heading into Adrenal Fatigue land that would make this all worthwhile. 

So while I may have been sidelined for a few months, I still am an Ironman who had a blast and can’t wait to rock my next one…..And did I mention????  Ironman Florida 2011….here I come!

Once again it has been along time since I’ve visited my blog and updated what has been going on and the lessons I’ve been learning.  There is so much to share and today I think I’ll start with the things I am thankful for in my life.  It’s also a hard day as it is the first holiday with out my father, and, I am surrounded by the rest of my family and friends.

The first thing I am most thankful for is my family.  We have weathered a challenging year together and have been by each others side the whole time.  I feel so blessed to have the wonderful family I was born into.  Many people say- You can’t pick who your blood relatives are.  For me, I am so grateful I am blessed to share the blood of my whole family.  Each one of us is always there for each other and supports each other any time it’s needed.  I know this is not always the case for families, and because of that I am even more deeply appreciative of what we have.

The next thing I am most thankful for is my health!  Yeap, my health is back!!!!!!!!    I have gotten through the toughest, most challenging 4 months EVER in my life and I can honestly say- I am feeling better now than I have in 1 1/2 years!  How amazing is that???????  I wake up every morning feeling completely rested and ready for the day.  No more afternoon crashes where I can barely keep my eyes open!  (I have an admission here- I’m a therapist and there were actually 2 times, before I was diagnosed with Adrenal Fatigue, where I nodded off in a session with clients. How messed up is that?)  It feels fantastic to feel alive again and to have hope that I will be just fine.

Yahoo! I'm Healthy!!!!

Next I am thankful for my friends.  Through this past year and especially the past 4 months, many friends have reached out and helped get me through this time.  It means so much when I’ve gotten a phone call or an invite to do something.  Unfortunately in the beginning I had no energy to participate in anything, and luckily now, I am able to do just about any social activity I’m invited to!

Ya just can't make it without friends!

Next I am thankful for my companion and pup Kai.  We have had 15 glorious years together exploring the country, rock climbing, and hiking/running many a high country trail together.  One reason I’m not as bummed about getting Adrenal Fatigue is I’ve had so much more time to spend with him, as opposed to if I was training.  Now we take out 15 minute walks around the neighborhood twice a day.  That is the extent of what his ol’ hips will allow him to do.  I treasure each day with him as I know he is getting close to the end of his time here.

I could continue to write many a things I’m thankful for, and these are the ones I am focusing on today.  There is much more to share with you all, and I will save that for another time.

Today I wish you all a wonderful day with family and friends and all that you have to be thankful for.