Quitter?

So, for probably the first time in my life, I quit before the end of a workout yesterday.  Here is the scenario:

There was four of us (me, Bailey, Wilson, and Smitty) biking a total of 75 miles starting in New Albany Sunday at 11:00 AM.  It was HOT and I was not feeling the greatest.  I had been in Cleveland the night before celebrating with friends.  In terms of preparing for a long ride, I did almost everything wrong:

 

1.  Ran 16 miles in the scorching heat the day prior

2.  Did not hydrate after the run like I should have

3.  Drank 4 or 5 drinks with my friends the night before

4.  Got no more than 5 hours of sleep the night before

5.  Started the right at 11:00 AM - just in time to bike the hottest part of the day

6.  The ride started at 11:00 AM and I was in a hurry to get back from Cleveland that I had eaten very little for breakfast - and we biked through lunch.

7.  Did not drink my fluids (Infinit - fat girl juice) during the ride

8.  I had a friend in the hospital for 2 days the prior week from heat exhaustion that occurred during the MusselMan 1/2 Ironman

 

If I had only done 2 or 3 of the above mentioned items, I would have probably been fine.  But all 8 put me over the edge.  I was getting goose bumps, seeing bright spots, and my heart rate was off the charts (170s when it is usually 130-145).  So - I called it quits. My husband picked me up at mile 60 while the rest of the group finished the ride for a total of 75 miles or so.

 

Do I feel like a quitter?  Kind of.  Could I have finished the ride with out dying?  Probably.  Could it have all been in my head - due to my friend passing out the prior week and me seeing her delirious?  Maybe.  Do I regret making a celebration with some major friend with some major life occurrences a priority?  Never. 

 

Moral of the story is prep for your training and don't be an idiot.  You CAN have friends and do an Ironman - I promise!  But you have GOT to think through how you are going to make it all balance.  Also, be nice to a loved one so that they will pick you up when you are smart enough to know when enough is enough:)

Margaret

How to Measure Your Triathlon Race Results - Life after Musselman

The Musselman triathlon is now in the books.  The course was challenging, the conditions were torturous.  I now find myself staring at the race results and the mountains of data from my Garmin.  I am curious.  Did I give it everything?  Is that the best I can do?

When we have a tough race, or even a good race, how do we objectively analyze our performance?  Endurance coach Eric Kenney recently wrote a short article on just this topic:

How to Measure Your Triathlon RaceResults

By Eric Kenney

With racing season well under way, many triathletes are analyzing race results and assessing their performance. This can be a tricky process. Whether it's simply a training race or a more important event, there are many things to consider when looking at the numbers...and some things should simply be left on the course. . . Click here for full article

Bike Bling

How much are you willing to pay for speed and/or comfort on the bike?  I recently upgraded from my beloved road bike to a Felt Tri Bike.  I think I have created an animal.  Everything I see - I want to buy.  Will it make me faster?  Buy it.  Will I look cute on the bike?  Charge it.  I. CAN'T. STOP.

Here is a list of the next upgrades I want to buy for my bike (and their intended benefit).  Next, I just need to prioritize and hide the credit card bills from my new husband.

1.  Power Meter - Probably $1000 or so.  While, the power meter itself won't make you faster - the data it produces probably will.  (Add 1 mph)

2.  Zipp Wheels - Only $2500.  (maybe make me faster by like .5 mph, but with no extra effort by me - where do I sign up?)

3.  New saddle - considering a couple brands here, but the two I like best are fizik ariona and terry - Would probably cost about $200 and while it won't make me any faster, it mat make me a lot, lot, lot happier (add an extra 1 mph due to my increased happiness and increased training because of the excitement)

So, all in all, I figure I can get roughly 2.5 mph faster by spending a quick $4000.  No biggie!  Then, I want a new helmet, to upgrade my bike shoes, to meet with a nutritionist, but a new wetsuit....what else....

And the quest to become an IronWoman continues....:)
Margaret

Taper Tantrums

So...Becca, David and I are all competing in a 1/2 Ironman this weekend in Lake Geneva, NY.  Coach McCoy has us GREATLY reducing our workout volume in order to feel rested for race day.  I am going crazy - eating like a cow, drinking lots of beer, and staying up too late.  Without a reason to wake up at 5:00 AM, I feel like it is OK to stay up until 10:00 or 11:00 PM.  And without a major workout in the evening - there is plenty of time to go get ice cream OR drinks OR both. 

I did some research on the art of a successful race week taper.   Looks like I am breaking every suggestion....crap...hope you have better luck and can avoid a taper tantrum.

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• There is no catching up. Missed workouts are gone, there is nothing to be gained from squeezing them in later. The focus is on rest, we’re not aiming to build fitness. I will miss a few workouts in the final weeks, often just because I don’t feel like it.
• Get things done. Training, race registration, shopping, whatever the task finish it as early as possible and leave large blocks of time free. A good taper day has an empty schedule in the afternoon. I try to ensure one of my full rest days is completely free – no training and no race admin.
• Eat well, but don’t over eat. Training volume is down and with it calorie requirements. Advice to eat well before a race doesn’t mean eating a lot, it’s about good food choices. Eat reasonable portions for the day’s workload and rely on this to replenish glycogen stores. I may increase the amount of carbs in my diet, but don’t need to go over board.
• Be lazy. I don’t go sightseeing; in Kona I filled race week watching reruns of House. Feet up, doing nothing. Training was done in the morning and the afternoon was spent lying down.
• No stress. You can’t control everything, things will happen that are outside the plan. Worrying because the taper isn’t perfect makes it worse. Apply the rules, find the solution that requires the least effort.
• If in doubt, do less. Rule number one – if I feel tired I cut back sessions. I pay close attention to how I feel and don’t test myself, that’s saved for race day. I view under delivering as a success.