Monday, October 5, 2009
It's been a busy two weeks!
As I write this my thirteen year old editor is sitting on the back of my chair approving this post. He has taken an interest in all pictures, captions, and posts. I might call it teenage vanity. He wants to make sure there is nothing embarrassing posted. Well, obviously it started with my race which put me out of town a total of four days. When I returned John had the majority of the week off so we indulged in some family down time. Our family loves to play Scrabble. It is a great time to remind Devin and Mitchell who are the vocab big wigs of the house. Of course John and I go head to head every game...never know who will come out on top!! After some Scrabble face offs we decided to head out to Busch Gardens for a roller coaster ride-a-thon. It was a Thursday so nobody was there.We just coaster hopped for a few hours. No chickens in this family! Everybody rode everything they were tall enough to pass for. John and I experienced Sheikra for the first time. I loved it! John said it was fine! Devin went on it as many times as possible. Upon returning home from Busch Gardens John, Devin and Mitchell left the next morning for a weekend of camping with the scouts. They had a great time! They fished, hiked, swam, and canoed. They returned home tired and with a few ticks..which we promptly removed!! They all agreed they had a great time and can't wait to go on next months trip to St Augustine! Well, that's about all for this week..so until next time...
Monday, September 28, 2009
What a day
As most everyone knows I have spent 20 weeks training for a half Ironman. Well the race came and went. This past weekend 30 athletes traveled to Augusta Georgia to partake in a 70 mile race with 3000 other athletes. It was an amazing experience and so surreal. As we stood on the deck waiting to get in to the 70 degree water I just had to pinch myself as I could not believe what I was about to do AND I could not believe that the race was here!
As for my race...the swim was fast. It was wetsuit legal and we had a nice current to assist. Obviously you still had to swim the mile and a quarter but it took me 28 minutes to accomplish this. I was pleased with this although now wonder how much faster I could have done it in. The bike was 18 miles flat and then hills came to play for about 30+ miles and then it finished flat but you were greeted by a nice strong headwind. This went well except my bike chain came off at mile 18 (or kinked). Luckily this happened at a water stop area so 4 guys later we had it put back together with a warning that something was warped and the chain could come off again...GREAT!! So I decided to pretty much not to use my gears for 30 miles of hills but instead muscle my way up and down them. But my theory was...it is better to do that than to have more mechanical issues and not be able to finish. But when you gamble there is a chance you will pay!!
The run came and it started out pretty typical in that your legs feel like pieces of lumber when you first start running after biking...so they felt normal and OK until mile 4....then my calves started to complain a bit (but this also could be normal) then my quads started to sing the same tune as my calves...however I started chanting one of my motivational phrases "pain is just weakness leaving your body" in my head. Well, I kept running only allowing myself to stop at water stops for a quick drink and stretch. This continued for miles 4,5,6,7,8,9 & 10. Well on mile 11 I start to congratulate myself and think.."you did it Tracy only 2 miles to go..you got this" About a third of a mile later my bike gamble from earlier came calling...my legs decided they were not running another foot. They locked up to the point of starting to fall over and some nice runner guy behind me grabbed my arm and caught me. Lesson #1..never congratulate yourself until you cross the finish line!!
Needless to say after many failed attempts at running the last two miles...I had to walk them! I was hoping to finish in under 6:15 but ended up finishing in 6:26. I guess with two miles of walking and a bike chain issue I am lucky to have been so close to my goal...but on the flip side...in a perfect race day I would have met my goal and exceeded it!
All in all it was a great day (other than the last two tearful miles). I learned so much about racing and so much about myself. I love this sport and can't wait to do another half and next time get under 6 hours!!! It was a journey and so worth it. I could not have done it with out the support of my family, friends, triathlon friends and my coach. I look forward to another journey and another finish but for now...I finished a HALF IRONMAN and that is something I will always have to remember!!
As for my race...the swim was fast. It was wetsuit legal and we had a nice current to assist. Obviously you still had to swim the mile and a quarter but it took me 28 minutes to accomplish this. I was pleased with this although now wonder how much faster I could have done it in. The bike was 18 miles flat and then hills came to play for about 30+ miles and then it finished flat but you were greeted by a nice strong headwind. This went well except my bike chain came off at mile 18 (or kinked). Luckily this happened at a water stop area so 4 guys later we had it put back together with a warning that something was warped and the chain could come off again...GREAT!! So I decided to pretty much not to use my gears for 30 miles of hills but instead muscle my way up and down them. But my theory was...it is better to do that than to have more mechanical issues and not be able to finish. But when you gamble there is a chance you will pay!!
The run came and it started out pretty typical in that your legs feel like pieces of lumber when you first start running after biking...so they felt normal and OK until mile 4....then my calves started to complain a bit (but this also could be normal) then my quads started to sing the same tune as my calves...however I started chanting one of my motivational phrases "pain is just weakness leaving your body" in my head. Well, I kept running only allowing myself to stop at water stops for a quick drink and stretch. This continued for miles 4,5,6,7,8,9 & 10. Well on mile 11 I start to congratulate myself and think.."you did it Tracy only 2 miles to go..you got this" About a third of a mile later my bike gamble from earlier came calling...my legs decided they were not running another foot. They locked up to the point of starting to fall over and some nice runner guy behind me grabbed my arm and caught me. Lesson #1..never congratulate yourself until you cross the finish line!!
Needless to say after many failed attempts at running the last two miles...I had to walk them! I was hoping to finish in under 6:15 but ended up finishing in 6:26. I guess with two miles of walking and a bike chain issue I am lucky to have been so close to my goal...but on the flip side...in a perfect race day I would have met my goal and exceeded it!
All in all it was a great day (other than the last two tearful miles). I learned so much about racing and so much about myself. I love this sport and can't wait to do another half and next time get under 6 hours!!! It was a journey and so worth it. I could not have done it with out the support of my family, friends, triathlon friends and my coach. I look forward to another journey and another finish but for now...I finished a HALF IRONMAN and that is something I will always have to remember!!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Thought on my Journey to the 70.3
As most everyone knows...I am doing my first 70.3 half ironman six weeks from today. I literally can not believe it is so close. All day a chill has run down my spine at the short distance away this race is. Part of me is terrified..and part of me can not wait to see what 20 weeks of training and selling my soul to it will do. I honestly hope that I love it. I love the fitness involved in this sport. I actually love the training...but the question remains...what will I think of the race?? I will say it has been an interesting journey. I stepped away from my tri group quite a bit and had a coach write my workouts for me. The positive things I have learned from this method of training is that growth happens within ones self when you are only relying on you to get something done. I believe I have become a much stronger athlete mentally through this walk. The negative is that it has been so very lonely at times. It is alot of hours to log inside of ones own head day after day. It has taken a ton of self discipline at times to log those workouts on days that weren't great days. But I am a list maker or box checker so it has been an effective method for me. Six weeks to go...I will continue to put 110% into the final stretch....I will say (rough days, which there were not many) I have loved the journey. If given the choice, I would do it this way again...if nothing else..for the personal growth..one of my favorite sayings I read in Triathlete magazine that I have chanted in my head many times on this journey is "Pain is just weakness leaving your body"....so I hope as I close out this journey and as I face the inevitable struggles of race day.. that saying along with the many others I have banked in my mind, along with the hours of training, and the extreme desire to compete and finish well and strong...will give me the desired result I am looking for!!!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Tampa Theatre
Today, we went to the Tampa Theatre. I thought it was an amazing tour. The history was great, the interior was so ornate and beautiful, and we were lucky to hear an amazing little concert on a pipe organ that rocked!! The kids and I have decided that we want to actually go back and see a production and sit up in the balcony of this beautiful venue. We could not see the pipes to the organ..they are all behind the walls..but the organist told us there is a pizza place that you can go to that has an amazing pipe organ and the pipes are visible lining the walls...so that is now at the top of our go to list. Maybe we will do a little unit on pipe organs to tie this all together!! Who knows!!! Anyway...great tour...great start to the year and so many great trips planned...I can hardly wait. I always kind of wonder if this journey of homeschooling will ever just feel like its coming to an end for me...and I must say ....each year just seems more enjoyable, exciting and intriguing to me as the kids get older. The discussions we can have after trips like today are amazing...I will probably be so sad when I run out of time one day!!!!!
How to keep a very active three year old busy...
As we gear up for another school year a major concern for me has been Nicholas. He is by far my busiest boy ever. He is also the most detailed to date. That being said, I have been scouring the internet of all these crafty preschool moms gathering ideas of things to do with my sweet baby!! So this week was his first week of more structured activities. He loved painting with a combination of glue and koolaid mixed together...The koolaid was unsweetened but smelled great. One lick and he determined it smelled great but tasted disgusting as he so eloquently put it. We also worked on some hand/eye coordination by placing spaghetti into a water bottle...he enjoyed that for about 20 minutes and then decided that listening to the dog crunch on uncooked spaghetti was more entertaining....so it has been a good week if one, being me, can get beyond the glitter EVERYWHERE, the glue I find hardened in the oddest places, stickers that seem to have legs and traveled beyond the paper, and just the neverending creative chaos. But in the end I don't mind it...I love watching him experiment and grow...and this is my last go around with a three year old so I will put the mess aside and enjoy every moment!!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Boyscouts
Devin had the opportunity to complete another merit badge on his long road to Eagle Scout a couple weeks ago. This badge was on traffic safety. They were told so many great statistics and so much useful information...it was a great experience. My hope would be that he will remember at least some of the things from this badge when he gets ready to get behind the wheel in a few years. Once again, I can not say it enough, another great experience and opportunity through boyscouts. We are looking forward to another year of scouts and what opportunities it will bring this year.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)