The Ironman Journey Part 5 – Phase II complete: The good and the bad… it’s all just training

The Ironman Journey Part 5 – Phase II complete: The good and the bad… it’s all just training

Phase II was the Aerobic phase. Of course since I was also marathon training, there was no real build on the running miles, but there was on the bike, swim and bike/run bricks. The weight gain is still something I don’t like, but Jeff told me his trainer told him girls who ironman train gain weight, guys lose…so you just have to deal with it…keep an eye on it, but don't cry over a few pounds. Even with that, you better believe my annual no sweets over lent is being extended into May (and Julie is suffering through that with me- thanks Jules!).

The end of phase II & Recovery week landed on the same week as the Boston Marathon. I went ahead and manipulated the schedule so my recovery was Wednesday-Tuesday with the Marathon falling on the Monday, and then I had to bounce back from the marathon with Easter Weekend (which was supposed to be my recovery weekend) being previous weekend’s workouts of 3hr bike/6 mile run brick and 2500 meter swim.

I found classes at the Gold Coast gym I really like. Last phase, I started to go to the Wednesday morning weight training class with Tracy, and I love it so much, I’m hoping I can keep it in training even when the schedule doesn’t call for weight training. I’ve found Ann who teaches Tuesday night spin is a fun class to go to with good music and a good workout. I also like Saturday morning spin. That class has a bunch of dedicated spinners who go to the gym when it opens in the morning to claim a bike, leave to get errands done and then an hour and a half later they show up for class. I’ve also made a new friend at the gym, Heather who isn’t training for the Ironman but is dedicated going to the gym. We have the same taste in instructors and her cheerleading me and my goals is extremely motivating.

I’ve become more and more tired as training goes on. 8 hours of sleep is a big requirement to make it through training. If I get less, I pay for it. I get a little sleepy in the afternoons at work. I started to up the diet code red mountain dew and red bull. And then, something happened- Coffee. Coffee and I have a history. I LOVE coffee and all coffee flavor things. In highschool Irisa and I used to make it half chocolate milk and half coffee- yum. Then… I went to college. In college, I would have coffee to study, but I couldn’t study. My fingers would swell up, my sinuses would get real bad and I’d get way too fidgety to concentrate on school work. I stopped coffee drinking early on my freshman year. I didn’t really realize it was the coffee doing it, but I had a hunch there was a connection. Sophomore year, I was at starbucks studying, and I decided to have one of those yummy coffee Christmas special drinks. When I sat down to study, it happened again. I had to stop studying until the coffee was out of my system, and that’s when I swore off coffee. I actually have a coffee maker but I think it only gets use when Becky's in town. Recently, I got curious if I still had the same allergic reaction. To date, I have had 3 skinny vanilla lattes and I am no longer negatively affected. So I have decided coffee will be added into my training. It might be a bad addition to training, but sometimes we need our guilty pleasures to get through. I take pride in my white teeth so I don’t plan on drinking too much- I must keep these pearly whites happy.

I decided to cut out a marathon this year; I’m not running one over memorial day weekend. This means I’m going to fall into the Ironman Training schedule with less additional running miles. I say less additional running miles just because I don’t think I can quit double digit weekend runs cold turkey. If it fits the weekly schedule and I feel like I haven’t run enough that week, I’ll still add more running miles, but I won’t require it.
The American Triple T is in 4 weeks. I am a little nervous because our weather still hasn’t allowed for outdoor rides. We have had a few days of opportunity but most of those I haven’t been in town. I’m really hoping for my 45 miler next weekend to be out in Barrington. Sheila tried to convince me riding indoor is like running on a treadmill. You can do it all training long and be fine with an outdoor race. I don’t think that necessarily holds true with biking, but I’m hoping I’ll actually be stronger on my bike after being stuck on bad spin bikes all winter long. Alejandro is great! So once I get back on him- we’ll rock the road.

Speaking of Alejandro. There is the whole changing tires thing. Cinderella got a flat at the end of last year when I was riding home from the Chicago Marathon. I’ve changed that tire twice and both times it has gone flat. Spending Alison’s Birthday evening with my Ironman Heroes and super awesome biker Mark- I asked him to walk me through changing a tire and help me figure out what I was doing wrong. He told me to check the actual tire for holes…and oh sure enough...Cinderella needs new tires. The question is- do I love her enough to spend the money on her or do I sell her and get an upgrade on my road bike (or sell her and just have Alejandro?). I finally got the right tubes for Alejandro and sometime over winter, the front tire went flat. So, I went ahead and changed that one, and it was a success. That makes me feel a little better off – one step closer to being Ironman ready.

I worry I’m actually getting weaker in the swim. I had completed the swim cooper test on Wednesday (the 2nd test of training). I still ranked in the hot damn category but was 75 meters shorter in the 12 minute testing period. Luckily I get redemption on Phase III day one. I hope it was just because it was so close to after a marathon, that I was tired. A guy I see at the pool every now and then even commented on my slower than usual swimming - embarassing. The pressure will on when I complete swim cooper Test #3. As the distance increases...It’s about time we can swim outside. Anything more than 2500 meters in the pool just isn’t fun.

I’ve enjoyed training. It might consume a lot of my life, but I have my training friends, and while most of the time I am serious and in the zone, I have my moments where I let the workout be social hour- you know to make sure I don’t burn out and keep on loving it.

….and the Journey Continues!