When I was walk my dogs in the early morning darkness,I have a lot of time to think. Sometimes I talk out loud to the dogs, sometimes out loud to myself. Sometimes I just think silently.
I wonder if my neighbors heard me if they’d think my dogs names are ‘Shit Sam’,’Damnit Daisy’, and ‘Ahhh Max’, instead of Sam, Daisy and Max. Walking three big dogs is a challenge. They want to go everywhere, twisting their leashes around each other. I’m constantly swearing as I attempt to keep everything moving in a forward direction, and me not trip over any of the tangled mess. And I think dogs have a reserve tank (you know, of pee). They can go outside after a night of sleeping, take a big pee. Then take a 30 minute walk around the neighborhood and still have enough pee to stop and leave a few drops every 30 seconds or so for the whole walk.
I also wondered why do we vote for jobs like coroner. And county treasurer and clerk. Now, I’m not the most political of people, but I do understand voting for positions where political thought might impact decisions that are made for the people. But coroner? Come on! Isn’t the coroner just handling dead bodies? What could a coroner possibly do that needs the taxpayer money to be spent by holding an election for the position, as opposed to people just applying for it like any other job in this world.
Why can’t the lilacs bloom all spring and summer long? It’s such a beautiful smell to only have a for a few weeks a year.
Why do people not understand that it’s disgusting to get in a swimming pool with a ton of perfume on? And I wish my work would ban perfume from the office, just like they have banned smoking.
Why can the body do amazing things like heal an open wound in your skin in just a few days, but take weeks, even months, to heal some internal injuries?
I wonder how many days I can take off from training to heal up my injuries before I start to feel like a non-athlete. And once I feel like a non-athlete, will I think, hey, I kind of like this non-athlete thing!?
hmmm.... I wonder.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Book review: 'Making toast : a family story'
Making toast : a family story
By Roger Rosenblatt
I heard an interview of Roger Rosenblatt on the PBS newshour a couple months ago. He is a write, and a regular contributor to the Newshour. He was talking about the sudden death of his 38 year old daughter. And how that day changed his life. He and his wife moved in with his son-in-law and three grand children. He wrote this book about the year since they moved in. Its touching. And funny. Stories of his interactions with young grandchildren who call him Boppo (in fact their whole school now calls him Boppo!). He had wanted to be called El Guappo by his grandchildren (he explains why in the book), but they couldn’t pronounce it, Boppo stuck. Interwoven with memories of his daughter. It makes you appreciate the fragility of life, and the need to embrace it.
any book recommendations out there? my stack is dwindling and the holds I have at the library aren't coming in very quickly.
By Roger Rosenblatt
I heard an interview of Roger Rosenblatt on the PBS newshour a couple months ago. He is a write, and a regular contributor to the Newshour. He was talking about the sudden death of his 38 year old daughter. And how that day changed his life. He and his wife moved in with his son-in-law and three grand children. He wrote this book about the year since they moved in. Its touching. And funny. Stories of his interactions with young grandchildren who call him Boppo (in fact their whole school now calls him Boppo!). He had wanted to be called El Guappo by his grandchildren (he explains why in the book), but they couldn’t pronounce it, Boppo stuck. Interwoven with memories of his daughter. It makes you appreciate the fragility of life, and the need to embrace it.
any book recommendations out there? my stack is dwindling and the holds I have at the library aren't coming in very quickly.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Getting Back on Track
I’ve got more physical problems right now than I’ve ever had at one time. And they are all self-induced. All results of stupidity. A bum right hip/hamstring/glute that I’ve ignored for years, tried like crazy to fix, while I continued to train (or tried to train), with no success. A bum shoulder, a result of a bike crash, and not being aware of what was going on around me. Allergies, asthma, sinus infection, that I’ve conveniently ignored for too long. And I’ve been feeling sorry for myself for these. But no more. Its not like I lost my home, or a limb or my life or a loved one in an earthquake. Or my home in the mortgage fiasco. I’m not struggling to support myself or my family. I’ve got it pretty darn good. Training related setbacks are not worthy of self-pity when I look at the big-picture.
So, I’ve had enough moping. I’ve wasted enough time whining over injuries, and trying to train without trying to heal first. And you can only do that for so long before you self-implode. If you don’t listen to the warning signs your body sends you, eventually it will force a shutdown. That’s where I am right now. And I have finally come to terms with this setback. Because that’s all it really is. And I will make the best of it.
I’ve actually got a plan!
I’m making myself take off 4 weeks from running, even if things begin to feel better before then. If at 4 weeks, I’m still having problems, then 4 more weeks off. I know eventually the injuries will heal.
I’m also taking 4 weeks off from swimming. Swimming comes back relatively quickly for me, so I’m not at all worried about losing too much swimming fitness in four weeks. I want the shoulder to be good as new , or as good as a shoulder with 40+years of swimming can be. I’ve got a new age group coming up and state records to shoot for!
I’m taking off at least one week from riding. After one week, I’ll evaluate the hip/glute/hamstring. I’ll try an easy spin, and if that yields no problems, I’ll stay on the bike with regularity, and the bike will be my fitness tool during the layoff from swimming and running. If the bike is problematic for the hip/glute/hamstring, then I’ll stay off it until it’s not a problem.
I’m also going to dive into some physical therapy, massages, and I’ll examine my TRX and core program, and figure out what will help, what might hurt(and avoid those), and, the hardest part, try to eat super healthy. For the past 5 days, I’ve already swapped out my morning diet coke with black tea and honey, good for the sinuses. I generally eat pretty healthy, well balanced throughout the day. I should probably cut out a few of the chocolates though, especially since I’m going to be cutting back the workload this week.
I’ve also got an appointment with a new doctor. I’ve always only ever gone to my nurse practitioner, who is great, but she is really just ob/gyn, plus a little extra. The new doc was recommended to me by a friend who is also a doctor, and she is in family practice, with a background in sports care. So, I’m going to get a physical, blood work, whatever they can do, just to see if there are any things that are a little (or a lot) off, that I need to take care of.
And then when I’m all healed up, I’m going to start back very slowly and carefully! I may not race again in 2010. Maybe I will. But I won’t rush things. Or I’ll be right back where I am today. And that’s a pretty ugly thought. I really do love to train and race. And I do miss it right now. But I don’t miss the frustration of trying to train when my body is not well. So, the thought that, in some time, I’ll get healthy, is enough to motivate me to stick to my plan. I want to run again. I want to run fast. Well, as fast as my short swimmer legs will run.
I’ll also spend time with my dad as he recovers from surgery next week. And I’ll try to keep their lawn under control during this spring weather. And I’m pretty sure my mom would appreciate it if I spent mother’s day with her instead of my bike. And Todd and the pups will get some extra attention (I bet they will get tired of me and my pent up energy). And I think I have a fall vacation to plan… (destination top secret)!
I'll miss my first race, Kansas 70.3. But I'm enjoying watching all my old and new friends race and seeing how awesome you are all doing! Keep it up! Keep inspiring me!
So, I’ve had enough moping. I’ve wasted enough time whining over injuries, and trying to train without trying to heal first. And you can only do that for so long before you self-implode. If you don’t listen to the warning signs your body sends you, eventually it will force a shutdown. That’s where I am right now. And I have finally come to terms with this setback. Because that’s all it really is. And I will make the best of it.
I’ve actually got a plan!
I’m making myself take off 4 weeks from running, even if things begin to feel better before then. If at 4 weeks, I’m still having problems, then 4 more weeks off. I know eventually the injuries will heal.
I’m also taking 4 weeks off from swimming. Swimming comes back relatively quickly for me, so I’m not at all worried about losing too much swimming fitness in four weeks. I want the shoulder to be good as new , or as good as a shoulder with 40+years of swimming can be. I’ve got a new age group coming up and state records to shoot for!
I’m taking off at least one week from riding. After one week, I’ll evaluate the hip/glute/hamstring. I’ll try an easy spin, and if that yields no problems, I’ll stay on the bike with regularity, and the bike will be my fitness tool during the layoff from swimming and running. If the bike is problematic for the hip/glute/hamstring, then I’ll stay off it until it’s not a problem.
I’m also going to dive into some physical therapy, massages, and I’ll examine my TRX and core program, and figure out what will help, what might hurt(and avoid those), and, the hardest part, try to eat super healthy. For the past 5 days, I’ve already swapped out my morning diet coke with black tea and honey, good for the sinuses. I generally eat pretty healthy, well balanced throughout the day. I should probably cut out a few of the chocolates though, especially since I’m going to be cutting back the workload this week.
I’ve also got an appointment with a new doctor. I’ve always only ever gone to my nurse practitioner, who is great, but she is really just ob/gyn, plus a little extra. The new doc was recommended to me by a friend who is also a doctor, and she is in family practice, with a background in sports care. So, I’m going to get a physical, blood work, whatever they can do, just to see if there are any things that are a little (or a lot) off, that I need to take care of.
And then when I’m all healed up, I’m going to start back very slowly and carefully! I may not race again in 2010. Maybe I will. But I won’t rush things. Or I’ll be right back where I am today. And that’s a pretty ugly thought. I really do love to train and race. And I do miss it right now. But I don’t miss the frustration of trying to train when my body is not well. So, the thought that, in some time, I’ll get healthy, is enough to motivate me to stick to my plan. I want to run again. I want to run fast. Well, as fast as my short swimmer legs will run.
I’ll also spend time with my dad as he recovers from surgery next week. And I’ll try to keep their lawn under control during this spring weather. And I’m pretty sure my mom would appreciate it if I spent mother’s day with her instead of my bike. And Todd and the pups will get some extra attention (I bet they will get tired of me and my pent up energy). And I think I have a fall vacation to plan… (destination top secret)!
I'll miss my first race, Kansas 70.3. But I'm enjoying watching all my old and new friends race and seeing how awesome you are all doing! Keep it up! Keep inspiring me!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Happy Tiramisu to Me
Tiramisu is my all time favorite dessert. Yesterday was our 18th anniversary, and I selected the dinner location for who makes my favorite version of tiramisu.
(I thought I should have a positive happy post for a change of pace)
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
How old do you have to be before you stop having dumbass attacks?
Well, at least 43. I’ve been feeling pretty crummy for the past month. I’ve been writing it off to spring allergies, they have been particularly bad here in Btown. The early warm weather, very little rain (it keeps going around us), and lots of wind has kept the allergy practice here in town hopping. In 2001 I was diagnosed with allergies and asthma (exacerbated by exercise). I tried a few meds then, but nothing really seemed to help much, and I was not very motivated to train hard, and I was not racing then, so I kind of gave up on trying to manage my symptoms. Doesn't everyone have allergies and asthma, I thought?
Fast forward 5 years. I bought a mountain bike, and fell in love with it. I started to ride a lot, and then I raced an xterra, was hooked. Raced more xterra, and thought I should race on the road too since I couldn’t always ride the trails. After a couple of years of just training with little direction and not a huge amount of intensity (which meant I didn’t have to manage the asthma much) I hired a coach. And she started to have me run fast (gasp!). And ride fast (gasp!). And, shit, she even made me swim fast!(triple gasp). SO for a year I tried my best, I did what I could, had some decent results. Still managing my breathing (or lack of it) just by monitoring my effort.
Now, April 2010, and for a month I’ve been struggling with my workouts. I thought it was just me losing my mojo. I’d occasionally have an OK workout but no great workouts. Last Friday I was doing a run around the stadium, and I hit a new max HR – I haven’t seen that number since I was in my 20’s. But the bad thing was that with that HR, on a flat half mile course, my pace was slow. And my oxygen intake was barely existent. And I had this thick sticky mucus that I couldn’t even spit out of my mouth – I had to pull it out with my fingers. I pretty much just wanted to die. I felt like I was, and I said that when I passed a woman I know who was running there too. After the run, she asked me if I was ok , because she said I sounded awful when I went past her, and that I should see a doctor for the asthma. Hmm, I thought, yeah, she is right, what have I been waiting for.
SO, finally after a month of being a dumbass and feeling like crap, I saw a doctor!
I had an appointment this morning with an asthma/allergy doc. Turns out I have a sinus infection! Which I’m going to hopefully clear up with antibiotics. And I’m allergic to all the outdoor allergens (pollen, grass, mold), and dander (but I’m not getting rid of my pups!). I’m going to start taking an allergy med. (thankfully, I am NOT allergic to dairy! Oh that would be so sad to be allergic to dairy). I also have asthma, that is made worse when I exercise. So now I will try an inhaler. And As noted above, I have the most disgusting thick mucus/post nasal drip in my throat. So, new nasal spray to try to take care of that.
Oh yeah, I also have to carry an epi-pen now! We’ll see how that goes. Last fall I was running on a trail alone. I was stung by a small swarm of bees. My arms and legs swelled and itched and tingles, I couldn’t breathe. I was 20 minutes from my car. I ran scared for my life back to it. Somehow managed to get home, and took prednisone and benadryl that I had for one of the dogs. Now who knows what reaction I might have to my next sting, so as a precaution I’m supposed to carry that. It will take some getting used to.
So, now I feel better, not physically, yet. But mentally. I have a plan of action to get myself better. I hope it works. I have to be an ironman this August!
Speaking of ironman, for the past week I’ve been wondering what I’m going to wear for the swim at IM Louisville, because that new WTC rule is making swim skins illegal. And not that I want to wear a swim skin, but I am a swimmer. And as a swimmer, when coach wanted to make us really hurt, we’d wear a drag suit – that is, a suit with pockets to catch the water and drag your ass down. So, for IM, my favorite Desoto 400mile shorts have a pocket right in the center of the back, and as a swimmer, I will NOT race in a drag suit. SO, I thought I’d be buying an old school speedo knee length suit to just wear over to cover up the pocket (plus pockets in the top), but I re-read the rule, and it doesn’t take effect until Sept 1. Lou is on Aug 29! I’m safe.
Now, come on drugs, do your thing and make me better!
Fast forward 5 years. I bought a mountain bike, and fell in love with it. I started to ride a lot, and then I raced an xterra, was hooked. Raced more xterra, and thought I should race on the road too since I couldn’t always ride the trails. After a couple of years of just training with little direction and not a huge amount of intensity (which meant I didn’t have to manage the asthma much) I hired a coach. And she started to have me run fast (gasp!). And ride fast (gasp!). And, shit, she even made me swim fast!(triple gasp). SO for a year I tried my best, I did what I could, had some decent results. Still managing my breathing (or lack of it) just by monitoring my effort.
Now, April 2010, and for a month I’ve been struggling with my workouts. I thought it was just me losing my mojo. I’d occasionally have an OK workout but no great workouts. Last Friday I was doing a run around the stadium, and I hit a new max HR – I haven’t seen that number since I was in my 20’s. But the bad thing was that with that HR, on a flat half mile course, my pace was slow. And my oxygen intake was barely existent. And I had this thick sticky mucus that I couldn’t even spit out of my mouth – I had to pull it out with my fingers. I pretty much just wanted to die. I felt like I was, and I said that when I passed a woman I know who was running there too. After the run, she asked me if I was ok , because she said I sounded awful when I went past her, and that I should see a doctor for the asthma. Hmm, I thought, yeah, she is right, what have I been waiting for.
SO, finally after a month of being a dumbass and feeling like crap, I saw a doctor!
I had an appointment this morning with an asthma/allergy doc. Turns out I have a sinus infection! Which I’m going to hopefully clear up with antibiotics. And I’m allergic to all the outdoor allergens (pollen, grass, mold), and dander (but I’m not getting rid of my pups!). I’m going to start taking an allergy med. (thankfully, I am NOT allergic to dairy! Oh that would be so sad to be allergic to dairy). I also have asthma, that is made worse when I exercise. So now I will try an inhaler. And As noted above, I have the most disgusting thick mucus/post nasal drip in my throat. So, new nasal spray to try to take care of that.
Oh yeah, I also have to carry an epi-pen now! We’ll see how that goes. Last fall I was running on a trail alone. I was stung by a small swarm of bees. My arms and legs swelled and itched and tingles, I couldn’t breathe. I was 20 minutes from my car. I ran scared for my life back to it. Somehow managed to get home, and took prednisone and benadryl that I had for one of the dogs. Now who knows what reaction I might have to my next sting, so as a precaution I’m supposed to carry that. It will take some getting used to.
So, now I feel better, not physically, yet. But mentally. I have a plan of action to get myself better. I hope it works. I have to be an ironman this August!
Speaking of ironman, for the past week I’ve been wondering what I’m going to wear for the swim at IM Louisville, because that new WTC rule is making swim skins illegal. And not that I want to wear a swim skin, but I am a swimmer. And as a swimmer, when coach wanted to make us really hurt, we’d wear a drag suit – that is, a suit with pockets to catch the water and drag your ass down. So, for IM, my favorite Desoto 400mile shorts have a pocket right in the center of the back, and as a swimmer, I will NOT race in a drag suit. SO, I thought I’d be buying an old school speedo knee length suit to just wear over to cover up the pocket (plus pockets in the top), but I re-read the rule, and it doesn’t take effect until Sept 1. Lou is on Aug 29! I’m safe.
Now, come on drugs, do your thing and make me better!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Mojo
It’s easy to lose your mojo. Shit happens and before you know it, its gone. In Arizona (10 days ago) I had 3 really good solid days of training. I did have a bike crash (which was a bit detrimental to my shoulder, and I have been in denial about). Then I flew home in the big metal germ box and got sick. And then I didn’t give myself enough time to recover from the long AZ training, the bike crash and the sickness. Since I’ve been back I have had one fair workout, then 2 bad ones. Then repeat. Finally this morning I admitted I was in need of more recovery. I’m tired of being tired. Tired of coming up short in workouts. Tired of feeling like a complete slacker. Tired of dreading each workout because I feel like crap and am afraid it’s going to be another failure.
So, the shoulder thing. When I crashed I landed on my shoulder first. I was quite sure nothing was broken, but it wasn’t right. Its been uncomfortable, not painful, to lift it up (sideways, front, back). That’s a small problem for swimming. I could swim, I was favoring the shoulder, trying not to put a lot of pressure into it. Then this morning I got out of bed, sat down on the toilet, and snap, crackle, pop! The shoulder was back where it was supposed to be! Hallelujah! Its almost like I had a mild dislocation, if that’s possible, and now I can lift the arm like normal. I am sooooooooo happy. I think I got like 30% of my mojo back just by sitting down (on the toilet!). That’s pretty darn awesome.
Now, I just need some snap, crackle and pop to come back to my legs. And my energy levels.
A few lessons learned:
->try not to crash my bike
->when I am sick (that was the first time I've been sick in over a decade), make sure I'm recovered from it before I attempt workouts
->pay more attention to what your body is telling you than what you let your mind tell you (I can't let what other people post on facebook and blogs make me feel inadequate about how I'm training or not training)
Then I can say my mojo is back.
So, the shoulder thing. When I crashed I landed on my shoulder first. I was quite sure nothing was broken, but it wasn’t right. Its been uncomfortable, not painful, to lift it up (sideways, front, back). That’s a small problem for swimming. I could swim, I was favoring the shoulder, trying not to put a lot of pressure into it. Then this morning I got out of bed, sat down on the toilet, and snap, crackle, pop! The shoulder was back where it was supposed to be! Hallelujah! Its almost like I had a mild dislocation, if that’s possible, and now I can lift the arm like normal. I am sooooooooo happy. I think I got like 30% of my mojo back just by sitting down (on the toilet!). That’s pretty darn awesome.
Now, I just need some snap, crackle and pop to come back to my legs. And my energy levels.
A few lessons learned:
->try not to crash my bike
->when I am sick (that was the first time I've been sick in over a decade), make sure I'm recovered from it before I attempt workouts
->pay more attention to what your body is telling you than what you let your mind tell you (I can't let what other people post on facebook and blogs make me feel inadequate about how I'm training or not training)
Then I can say my mojo is back.
Monday, March 29, 2010
What I learned in Tucson…
Yesterday, I summarized what we did each day in Tucson. Today is what I learned from the experience. Here goes:
Climbing for 25 miles straight is amazing, and humbling, and I’m looking forward to trying it again someday. I learned that the next time I should start out a little more conservatively, and finish stronger. You have to ride your own ride. It’s good to push yourself with stronger riders, but you also have to learn your own limit. It’s inspiring to ride with other amazingly strong age group athletes, who have families and jobs and lives and still find time to train hard and have amazing results.
Descending for 25 miles is AWESOME! Mountain biking has really helped me to have less fear on descents. I just loved letting loose and bombing down the mountain as fast as I could.
Cacti don’t compare to evergreen and deciduous trees. The desert was a nice change of pace for a few days, but I could not live there. I need my trees, grass, flowers. Green is good!
Tucson is the most cycling friendly city I’ve ever been to. Bike lanes everywhere, and when the road narrows too much you immediately see ‘Share the Road with cyclists’ signs. Drivers are very tolerant of bike riders out there. Drivers elsewhere should take notice. Also, the range of cyclists out there is incredible. Pros and your average Joe. And I mean average. Nearing the bottom of the Mt Lemmon descent I passed a guy who was going up, he was on a hybrid, with a basket on front, wearing a button down shirt that was unbuttoned and flapping in the wind.
Good recovery habits can get you through more training than you thought you could do – compression, recovery drink (chocolate milk is my recovery drink choice), ice baths, stretching. I did a pretty good job on this front after each day.
Sunshine and bright blue skies do wonders for your attitude. You just feel positive and happy and energized.
What I learned from the other campers…
Mary… little Mary is a tiny powerhouse! Damn, that girl can swim and ride and run. She packs a wallop in her tiny frame, and can put the hurts to you. She is the epitome of the saying ‘big things can come in tiny packages’. She is completely motivated and committed to get the absolute most out of her body, and I think Kona is in her future this year. Mary, Coeur d’Alene is yours!
Ange… the other powerhouse from the Northeast. Mary and Ange grew up together in Maine. I guess Maine breeds tough chicks! When you look at Ange, you just see strength eeking out of every muscle, and that smile too. Ange showed me that even swimmers can be super runners and cyclists. Thanks Ange – I’ll be thinking of that whenever I run.
Melissa… the third tough Northeasterner. She is from Boston, loved her accent. She is 46 (I think) and runs like she is half her age. I know Mel will never forget her cycling shoes again ;-) And she proves that age is no limit!
Kari… is from the southeast. Another super runner. Kari facebooked me this morning and said she is going to think ‘swim like Cheryl’ in the future. And I am going to think ‘run like Kari’. Kari also faced her fear of descending. She was so nervous, but she went down Lemmon confidently, and I know she will be screaming down descents in the near future. Her training partners will be shocked when they see her new found skill. She made me realize that I should take my biggest fear and face it. And what is my biggest fear? Pain on the run. Pain in my legs, pain in my lungs, pain in my heart. These swimmer legs can run, I have to face the fear and the pain.
Kate… the kindest person ever. She brought gourmet cupcakes from an awesome bakery in Richmond all the way to camp! And hit the grocery for everyone since she arrived early. Always positive and supportive. She kicked her last years time up Mt Lemmon by a mile. What an improvement! It’s awesome to see how the hard work makes the athlete.
Other than me, everyone else was from Chicagoland area.
Well, except Julia... Julia is from Minnesota. Shit, when I think I have it rough training in the winter, I just look to Julia’s blog for a little motivation. She is a tall wisp of a girl, but don’t let that fool you. She is tough as nails. She rode Mt Lemmon like I should have. Conservatively at the start, and she crushed everyone by the top. She knows how to ride a bike. And she rides outside in Minnesota winters. She is a hard core, no excuses girl. Just like I want to be.
Tracy… picked me up at the airport. I was waiting for my bags and saw this attractive woman running around in work clothes, iphone hanging out of her ear, only to find out we were talking to each other on our phones, standing 10 feet apart. Her physical appearance is deceiving. She is strong, physically, and even more so mentally. She knows what she wants, and she dials in her effort and just keeps on hitting it. Tracy is a never-give-up kind of girl, and she helped me get to the top of Mt Lemmon. Consistency is the name of her game, and I will take that lesson home with me.
Jon… had not been outside on his bike for over a year, but he did the maximum length and number of rides the whole weekend. No matter how much he hurt, he pushed through it. And if anyone ever needed anything, Jon was the one to stop and help. A very upstanding guy! We should all be that way.
Sharon…ever smiling and positive. Sharon is a nurse, mother of 4 , and how she fits all that in, and trains like she does is amazing. She helped me through the run up Sabino Canyon, I am ever grateful. Hopefully someday I can return that kind of favor to a friend or training partner, being the strength to get someone through a rough patch. Thanks Sharon!
Rich… the other guy on the trip. Wow, he can run! Oh yeah, and swim and ride! I love seeing the speedy runners do their thing. So damn impressive.
Jen.. married to Rich, and Jen is one of the nicest gals around. Positive and hard working. She was nervous for the long ride, as we all were, but she put her head down, got it done, and was doing some amazing pulls the last hour. I’ll remember that. At the end of the long ride, just put the head down, and get it done! Jen and Rich spent their anniversary riding 120miles around Tucson. That is impressive! I’m sure I’d have knocked my hubby off his bike a few times after that many hours in the saddle with him nearby.
Last, but not least is my coach, Jen, and her hubby Jerome. They are like Yin and Yang. So opposite, but both so strong and confident, as athletes and people. Jen challenges me day in and day out to give my best, and she puts herself out there as the model of hard work, grit and determination. I hope I can bring the best out in myself this summer the way she does when she trains and races. This weekend was the first time I met Jerome. He was a bike racer at Valpo in college, so I was psyched to ride with a good roadie (even though now he is a triathlete), once a roadie, always a roadie. I learned a lot from him on that 120mile ride. A laid back attitude and sunny disposition , and some food, can keep you going for a long time. The pace was easy for him, but he totally dragged our asses around Tucson and helped us all get in our longest ride of 2010 – and its only March! He totally saved my ride when I crashed, and he fixed my bike (I learned some spoke/wheel truing maintenance out there on the road from him) and he got me going again.
So, Tucson was a challenging 4 days for me. I learned a lot. I’ll try to keep all these lessons in the back of my mind and pull them out when I need them. Someday I’ll go back there and tackle those challenges again!
Thanks Jen and Jerome for a great training camp! and thanks to my fellow campers for a fun 4 days. Hope to see you all again some day.
Climbing for 25 miles straight is amazing, and humbling, and I’m looking forward to trying it again someday. I learned that the next time I should start out a little more conservatively, and finish stronger. You have to ride your own ride. It’s good to push yourself with stronger riders, but you also have to learn your own limit. It’s inspiring to ride with other amazingly strong age group athletes, who have families and jobs and lives and still find time to train hard and have amazing results.
Descending for 25 miles is AWESOME! Mountain biking has really helped me to have less fear on descents. I just loved letting loose and bombing down the mountain as fast as I could.
Cacti don’t compare to evergreen and deciduous trees. The desert was a nice change of pace for a few days, but I could not live there. I need my trees, grass, flowers. Green is good!
Tucson is the most cycling friendly city I’ve ever been to. Bike lanes everywhere, and when the road narrows too much you immediately see ‘Share the Road with cyclists’ signs. Drivers are very tolerant of bike riders out there. Drivers elsewhere should take notice. Also, the range of cyclists out there is incredible. Pros and your average Joe. And I mean average. Nearing the bottom of the Mt Lemmon descent I passed a guy who was going up, he was on a hybrid, with a basket on front, wearing a button down shirt that was unbuttoned and flapping in the wind.
Good recovery habits can get you through more training than you thought you could do – compression, recovery drink (chocolate milk is my recovery drink choice), ice baths, stretching. I did a pretty good job on this front after each day.
Sunshine and bright blue skies do wonders for your attitude. You just feel positive and happy and energized.
What I learned from the other campers…
Mary… little Mary is a tiny powerhouse! Damn, that girl can swim and ride and run. She packs a wallop in her tiny frame, and can put the hurts to you. She is the epitome of the saying ‘big things can come in tiny packages’. She is completely motivated and committed to get the absolute most out of her body, and I think Kona is in her future this year. Mary, Coeur d’Alene is yours!
Ange… the other powerhouse from the Northeast. Mary and Ange grew up together in Maine. I guess Maine breeds tough chicks! When you look at Ange, you just see strength eeking out of every muscle, and that smile too. Ange showed me that even swimmers can be super runners and cyclists. Thanks Ange – I’ll be thinking of that whenever I run.
Melissa… the third tough Northeasterner. She is from Boston, loved her accent. She is 46 (I think) and runs like she is half her age. I know Mel will never forget her cycling shoes again ;-) And she proves that age is no limit!
Kari… is from the southeast. Another super runner. Kari facebooked me this morning and said she is going to think ‘swim like Cheryl’ in the future. And I am going to think ‘run like Kari’. Kari also faced her fear of descending. She was so nervous, but she went down Lemmon confidently, and I know she will be screaming down descents in the near future. Her training partners will be shocked when they see her new found skill. She made me realize that I should take my biggest fear and face it. And what is my biggest fear? Pain on the run. Pain in my legs, pain in my lungs, pain in my heart. These swimmer legs can run, I have to face the fear and the pain.
Kate… the kindest person ever. She brought gourmet cupcakes from an awesome bakery in Richmond all the way to camp! And hit the grocery for everyone since she arrived early. Always positive and supportive. She kicked her last years time up Mt Lemmon by a mile. What an improvement! It’s awesome to see how the hard work makes the athlete.
Other than me, everyone else was from Chicagoland area.
Well, except Julia... Julia is from Minnesota. Shit, when I think I have it rough training in the winter, I just look to Julia’s blog for a little motivation. She is a tall wisp of a girl, but don’t let that fool you. She is tough as nails. She rode Mt Lemmon like I should have. Conservatively at the start, and she crushed everyone by the top. She knows how to ride a bike. And she rides outside in Minnesota winters. She is a hard core, no excuses girl. Just like I want to be.
Tracy… picked me up at the airport. I was waiting for my bags and saw this attractive woman running around in work clothes, iphone hanging out of her ear, only to find out we were talking to each other on our phones, standing 10 feet apart. Her physical appearance is deceiving. She is strong, physically, and even more so mentally. She knows what she wants, and she dials in her effort and just keeps on hitting it. Tracy is a never-give-up kind of girl, and she helped me get to the top of Mt Lemmon. Consistency is the name of her game, and I will take that lesson home with me.
Jon… had not been outside on his bike for over a year, but he did the maximum length and number of rides the whole weekend. No matter how much he hurt, he pushed through it. And if anyone ever needed anything, Jon was the one to stop and help. A very upstanding guy! We should all be that way.
Sharon…ever smiling and positive. Sharon is a nurse, mother of 4 , and how she fits all that in, and trains like she does is amazing. She helped me through the run up Sabino Canyon, I am ever grateful. Hopefully someday I can return that kind of favor to a friend or training partner, being the strength to get someone through a rough patch. Thanks Sharon!
Rich… the other guy on the trip. Wow, he can run! Oh yeah, and swim and ride! I love seeing the speedy runners do their thing. So damn impressive.
Jen.. married to Rich, and Jen is one of the nicest gals around. Positive and hard working. She was nervous for the long ride, as we all were, but she put her head down, got it done, and was doing some amazing pulls the last hour. I’ll remember that. At the end of the long ride, just put the head down, and get it done! Jen and Rich spent their anniversary riding 120miles around Tucson. That is impressive! I’m sure I’d have knocked my hubby off his bike a few times after that many hours in the saddle with him nearby.
Last, but not least is my coach, Jen, and her hubby Jerome. They are like Yin and Yang. So opposite, but both so strong and confident, as athletes and people. Jen challenges me day in and day out to give my best, and she puts herself out there as the model of hard work, grit and determination. I hope I can bring the best out in myself this summer the way she does when she trains and races. This weekend was the first time I met Jerome. He was a bike racer at Valpo in college, so I was psyched to ride with a good roadie (even though now he is a triathlete), once a roadie, always a roadie. I learned a lot from him on that 120mile ride. A laid back attitude and sunny disposition , and some food, can keep you going for a long time. The pace was easy for him, but he totally dragged our asses around Tucson and helped us all get in our longest ride of 2010 – and its only March! He totally saved my ride when I crashed, and he fixed my bike (I learned some spoke/wheel truing maintenance out there on the road from him) and he got me going again.
So, Tucson was a challenging 4 days for me. I learned a lot. I’ll try to keep all these lessons in the back of my mind and pull them out when I need them. Someday I’ll go back there and tackle those challenges again!
Thanks Jen and Jerome for a great training camp! and thanks to my fellow campers for a fun 4 days. Hope to see you all again some day.
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