Monday, March 25, 2013

Believe in Your Training!!!


28 Days until IM 70.3 New Orleans...


This weekend was a big training weekend... Friday, I started out with a 2000 yard swim.. completed this in 49 mins..Saturday, I was supposed to ride my bike for 50 miles, but I didn't have a three hour time block because I had to be Taxi Mom.. (in the past, I would just skip the workout...) Not this time... I rearranged my schedule and ran my 8 miles on Saturday in 1 hour 45 minutes.. in the wind and rain.. Sunday, I rode my bike for 3 hours - the wind was over 25 knots with rain and snow.. not a good combination to ride a bike... 


Am I crazy?? I think I am.. I have exactly 28 days until I line up to start the swim for the Half Ironman New Orleanss.. Am I nervous, scared,  and ready to take this challenge on???  YES!! I will be ready to take on this challenge. I have been really working hard so far this season and really want to do well. The last time I did a half ironman, my training was done in the middle of summer.. The summer heat of Memphis...I, also, was not committed like I have been this season.  This time around, I have been training during the winter and spring.. This winter/spring has been really cold. We are in the last week of March and today we had snow flurries.. It rained over the weekend, so I wasn't able to ride my bike for 50 miles.. instead.. I rode my bike on the bike trainer for 3 hours.. I am following the plan and it is starting to be a habit for me. I am still nervous, but as my son's swim coach told me today, "Believe in your training".. I am going to continue training.. on the rode, the treadmill, the trainer and in the pool. 

I need to keep reminding myself that I can do this. There is a mental game going on in my head.. Everyday, I have doubts about what I am doing.. I come up with excuses to not do my workout, in the beginning of the day, then by the end of my day.. I pack my gym back and I am off to either go for  a run on the treadmill... my friend and foe..., or swim in the pool... I have a lot of arguments with myself on these workouts, but I feel soo good after I swim.. or I hop on my bike trainer and ride.. I try not to give in to the excuses... I have doubts about finishing the triathlon and I talk to my coach, my husband or my son (my biggest supporters). I just have to keep on believing in myself and Believe in my training... I am doing more for myself now than I ever had.. So, here we go.. In 28 days, I will be nervous, anxious and excited to jump into the marina..I will swim my heart out, run to T1, get on my bike ride out and back to T2 and take off and run to the finish line. I will do this because I Believe..

Happy Training, 
Eling 






Sunday, March 17, 2013

Race Report: Germantown Half marathon!!

Before the race

What a day.. Today was the first race for my season. I woke up at 5:30 am... not a morning person (thank you Don for waking me up) and made a peanut butter, banana,  and honey sandwich.. I wanted to make sure I had enough carbs for the half marathon. As I got ready, I was wondering what the weather was going to be.. 53 degrees... ok.. on with the long sleeves and bring the gloves.

We got to the race site and met up with a lot of team members and everyone was wondering if I was going to be too warm... I was determined.. I have been running with my long sleeve shirt all through training and I knew I had to wear this.. I am sooo glad I did.. It actually got colder through the morning...

 I was nervous.. I had no excuses today.. In the past years, I never completely followed my training.. I wasn't committed, I actually would make up  excuses to avoid my workouts..so when I was done and I didn't do well, I could say.. "if I only did xy training, this would have been different."  Well, this  year is different.. I have followed my training and I wanted to do well. I have been consistent with my pacing and my nutrition. I was having fun and I wanted to do well.. So, away I went.. 

The beginning of the race was fast, I was going about an 11 min/mile and I knew I had to slow down.. So, I slowed down to my usual pace and ran.. There were hills .. going up hills, going down hills and more hills.. wow.. my legs were just running.. I passed people and thanked people on the way.. the entire time, I kept saying when are we going to run on flat ground. We finally turned and we were going on flat ground!! Yeah! I picked up my pace and took in my nutrition.. Just before mile 6, I looked up and on the other side of the road was my husband and my team mates.. It was so great to hear their cheers! I cheered back and kept on running.. At mile 7, I looked at the time and  at first I thought: " oh wow... I am going to finish this in 2 hours and 35 mins.." as I approached mile 8, I realized I added 5 miles at mile 7 and not 6 miles.. aw darn it... So, I recalculated in my head.. I am going to finish the half marathon under 3 hours... If you could only image how I felt.. I was going to accomplish what I set out to do..  then we turned another corner.. ughh... more hills... ok, I said to myself, " you run hills at home, you can do this" So, I picked my feet up and pushed up the hill.. The last three miles, trainers from Fleet Feet, kept pushing me along.. I was so happy to hear them. My legs were getting stiff and my fingers were frozen. All I kept saying to myself was.. "keep on running... keep on running.." to the tune of Dori on Finding Nemo.. I need to remember this for IM 70.3 New Orleans!.. I turned the last corner and a race volunteer said, "up the hill and you are done".. Ughh another hill.. then I heard my husband.. he was cheering me out and I pushed it to the end! I saw the time and I was going to make the finish line under 3 hours.. WHOO HOO!!... I smiled at the camera and I raised my hands!.. I did it! I pushed though the aches, pains and cold fingers and finished the race. My final time was 2 hours and 55 mins. This was 10 minutes faster than last year! 

What a great feeling! My coach was at the finish line and I gave her a great big smile and hug! It was a great feeling. I know all of my hard work made this possible. I just have to keep remembering to follow the training schedule. I need to keep on BRINGING IT.. 

What a great race!! Tomorrow will be back to training for New Orleans!

Happy Training!
Eling 

Thursday, March 14, 2013

3 More days until my first race of the season...

This coming up Sunday, I will be starting my season off.. I know it isn't a triathlon, but it is a race that is helping me train for my Half Ironman.. Last year, I did this race in 3 hours and 10 minutes... yes I AM slow... but this year, I know I can do this in under 3 hours...I have been following my training and I am loving how I feel when I run.. So, even if I don't meet my goal, I will still have fun..

Time to bring it and get focused!

Have a great day!

Eling


Saturday, March 9, 2013

My Night and Shining Armour!!!

Today was a big workout day for me! I had on my schedule a brick: 40 miles on the bike and a 3 mile run (it was supposed to be 5 miles,but I read 3 miles). I was so excited because today I would get to ride my bike outside and not on a trainer. I got ready and took off. The first 20 miles was great! I arrived at my SAG in 1 hour and 10 min. I grabbed more water, roasted almonds and a Cliff bar and took off to finish the last 20 miles.. A mile out, my back wheel just didn't feel right... so I looked down and sure enough I had a flat.. I pulled over and pulled the wheel off. I struggled and text my hubby and let him know that I had a flat and was changing my tire. Twenty minutes later, I finally got the tire off and was working on putting the new tire on.. and then I see another hole.. uggh... I called my hubby to pick me up. My knight and shining armour!

This is what I saw!! Doesn't he look so handsome!!...

Well, he wasn't wearing his uniform, but he pulled up and I was ready to put the bike in the car.. but instead, he brought me a new tire to replace.. When he found out that the outer tire had a hole, he had brought my other bike tire and put it on my bike. He was not going to be my excuse for not completing my workout.. Instead, he took the tire and put it back on my bike and made sure I had enough water and nutrition and told me to finish my ride. He is such a supporting man. I am one lucky girl.

The ride bike ride back was a lot harder.. the wind picked up and I had a head wind.. Also, I didn't realize that I had all of these hills to climb.. as my hubby would say.."It will make you stronger".. So, climb I go.
I make it home..Yeah!

Off  I go to run..wobble, wobble off I run down the hill and back up. I finished the run and the workout! Now, I am ready for a burger, beer and some carrot cake....

Have a great day... till the next workout!

Eling

Sunday, March 3, 2013

New Game on a long Run.....

How do I avoid getting hit by a car?? Oh wait!! That is an arcade game that I played when I was a kid.. FROGGER!!!
 So, today, I had a twelve mile run and it was going great until I came to a 2 mile stretch that has no sidewalks. It was a country two lane road. It is a common road for bikers to ride because usually no one drives it until later in the day.. Well, that is when I was running and being that is was a very beautiful day, drivers were out on a Sunday drive.. talking on their cell phones and not paying attention. YIKES!! That a good thing for me. I had to avoid being hit be at least three different cars. Not fun.. by the time I got to the mile 6 turn around.. I was in tears. I was so happy that my hubby and I are each others SAG for long runs, because he was there waiting for me. He asked what was wrong and I told him.. He drove me past the the two lane road and had be get out and finish my run. He then proceeded to watch out for me along the way.. It is a great feeling to know he is there looking out for me.. Not only did he watch out for me, he had brought me my reflective belt and my headlamp to make sure the other cars will still see me, even if I was running in the bike lane.

I did have a great run! Actually, this week has been a great training week after traveling to San Francisco in the beginning of the week. Friday afternoon, I swam a mile in 38 minutes.. the best time I have ever done. My son counted my laps for me. He was so funny, he floated underwater and showed my lap count on the bottom of the pool and then he would give me thumbs up. He shadow boxed telling me that I was conquering the swim and flexed his muscles telling me that I was looking strong. What a great feeling to have him there supporting me.  

Yesterday, I rode the bike trainer for 2 hours and was engrossed in "Downton Abby" . I hadn't seen the series yet and I finished up Season 1 this week. I will start Season 2 tomorrow. 

My love hate relationship with training is turning into I "LOVE" and "NEED" to workout! I have been the most consistent in my training this season and I am feeling stronger and stronger. In two weeks, I will be running in a half marathon and then a month later a duathlon and a half Ironman. So, the test will be those events. 

Now, it is time to get ready for a new week!

Happy Training, 
Eling