Thursday, November 28, 2013

The Best Way To Start Thanksgiving Day (Or Any Day)

I know I am preaching to the choir here, but there is NOTHING better than starting your day with a run. For me, if a run is amazing, a run on the trails of Colorado is ultra-incredible-amazing.

I love to wear this shirt because 1) it makes me look like a highlighter, and 2) the hunters don’t shoot me.

IMAG2348

Ken, Joie, Tom and I headed out early for 10 miles in the foothills. We started super early, which means it is colder than snowman’s junk (23 degrees to be exact).

IMAG2337

This isn’t the easiest of runs (1,600 feet of climbing). But, there is something about me that loves the challenge, loves the burn in my lungs and craves the exertion. Don’t pretend you don’t know what I mean. You love it too.

 image

There were so many mule deer out there today…Ken was wondering why deer hadn’t adapted enough to get rid of their white asses. It would make them far less visible. One wonders if they bleach.

IMAG2341

IMAG2342

Later, we saw all the bucks:

IMAG2346

Coming down is always tricky because of large boulders in the middle of the trail - but not for Ken who has turned into a mountain man with his No Shave November face mask:

IMAG2353

Starting early meant getting home in time to make non-homemade rolls for the kids (who were still asleep):

IMAG2355

IMAG2357

Then there was some parade watching:

IMAG2359

And, some going through the millions of Black Friday (Black Thursday now) ads. Emma is disgusted the stores now open on Thanksgiving night:

IMAG2363

Did you get in a run today? Turkey Trot maybe?

SUAR

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

10 Quick Thanksgiving Questions

To do: Cut and paste below into comments and add your answers. Feel free to cut/paste onto your blog for fun.

1. How old do you have to be to move up from the kids’ table? 

Teen.

2. Stuff the turkey or cook stuffing separately? (aka salmonella or not?)

No stuff.

3. Who sits at the head of the table?

My dad.

4. Pumpkin, pecan, apple pie?

Pumpkin

5. What the hell is mince meat?

The devil’s pie. I honestly have no clue.

6. Is it okay to play Christmas music on Thanksgiving?

Yes. I don’t have a favorite Thanksgiving album.

7. In five words or less, worst Thanksgiving memory?

Fox ate all leftovers.

8. Speaking of leftovers. Who gets dibs on them? 

The host, unless the host is my mom then she should give them to me.

9. Worst Thanksgiving food?

Tomato aspic (not that I’ve ever been served it, but I would vomit)

10. Best Thanksgiving quick joke?

Q: How do Rednecks celebrate Thanksgiving?
A: Pump kin!

 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving friends!

SUAR

Monday, November 25, 2013

PFTW (Pictures From The Week)

A happy and content life is made up of celebrating all the small moments, right? I had lots of those this week.

Can’t tell you how happy I am to be back on the trails?:

photo

Emma’s iPad drawing of my face. Better than the real thing.

IMAG2326

Heidi’s first real snowfall. She is the sophisticated and classy lady that I will never be.

IMAG2311

Ken is an official member of “No Shave November.” I am doing No Shave November on my legs and armpits.

IMAG2307

My toe after the nail finally came off. I wish I could tell you what the brown thing is between my first and second toes – chocolate toe jam?

IMAG2329

The best new car ornament ever. Almost looks like the Ford Edge is offering an Ironman edition:

IMAG2323

My first post-Ironman ride.  Is it weird that I love my bike more than my car?

IMAG2306-1

A car selfie to celebrate the word “selfie” joining the dictionary.

IMAG2319

My mom and dad (and their rescue doggie, Kleo) celebrating 52 years!

IMAG2330

What’s one random picture you took this week?

How often do you shave your legs in the winter? For me, it’s about every 3 weeks or so (gasp!) unless I’m going on vacation.

Any big Thanksgiving plans? We are staying put. I’ll take a long trail run that morning then my mom is doing most of the cooking. I am making Grandma Ball’s famous stuffing and pie.  Perfect day.

I need to think of a pie (not pumpkin) to make on T’giving. Thoughts?

SUAR

Friday, November 22, 2013

Foot In Mouth Disease (FIMD)

Today’s run almost didn’t happen. It snowed yesterday, and while I love running in the snow, I do not like running on ice. Something about falling and breaking my hip is not appealing to me. This morning, I knew to get a run in I’d have to do something I haven’t done in six months – run on the treadmill (somehow I made it through Ironman training with only one trainer ride on the bike and NO treadmill runs). It was 20 degrees outside, I had the fire going, the kids were sleeping and I just about skipped the workout. But, I did not.

IMAG2313

When I got on the treadmill the other gym-goers started giving me evil looks because my machine was making all kinds of noise. As if that is my fault. Sorry I didn’t bring my WD40 and wrench with me, folks! In the end it felt really good. I kept the pace easy, especially after reading this article about what the body goes through during an Ironman. Apparently, I aged 20 years. Sweet! I was wondering where all those gray pubic hairs were coming from all the sudden (just kidding).

Moving on to what I really wanted to talk about today. FIMD.

IMAG2314

I know I cannot be the only one who has said something then immediately wanted to crawl in a hole and die. For example, have you ever asked a non-pregnant person when they are due? Most of the time the incidents of FIMD are not intentional. They are just due to lack of proper forethought before one spews some inconsiderate word vomit.

So, here  is my FIMD for this week (yes, I feel like I do have about one of these a week).

Sam, my son, and I went to the DMV to get plates for his car. It was late in the day, the best time to hang out at the DMV because sometimes the lines are shorter.

The DMV gets a bad rap for having the most depressed and unfriendly workers. But, who can blame them? It would probably be a boring as hell, pain in the ass job. Working with the general public can be like that.

We got called up to the first window, after waiting only 5 minutes. Score! The woman helping us looked like death warmed over. She had bags under her eyes and was about to fall down in her cubicle from boredom or fatigue or both. Clearly it had been a long day for her at the DMV and she was wearing every bit of that long day on her face. As she took our information, I was trying to add a little light into the whole situation. “Wow, you are a fast typer!” I said enthusiastically. She looked up and kind of smirked, “Well, I have done this about a million times already today. I don’t think I’m that fast.” But, I think she, the Fast Typer (FT),  liked the compliment.

As she left her desk to get Sam’s plates, I quickly scanned the 500 pictures in her cubicle. They were all of one child, mostly up close photos of a chunky, sweet baby. When the FT returned to her seat, I had made it my goal to make her day just a bit better. “That baby is SO cute! Is she your granddaughter?”

Silence

FT replied sternly, “No. She is my daughter. She is five now.”

Silence

Oh,” I say, not really knowing where to go from here (where is that hole to climb into?). Then I just started  giggling in all of my stupidity and I mumble something about being sorry and about how old I look. Meanwhile Sam is sitting there, looking down, shaking his head. We barely get out the door when Sam says, “Really, Mom? Hashtag AWKWARD. Nice job making her feel like crap.” 

Do you have a FIMD story?

The treadmill: love or hate it? For me, it serves a purpose. I’d rather be outside, but sometimes you have to suck it up.

SUAR

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

My Ironman Florida FAQs

Along this Ironman journey, I’ve gotten many questions about  my training, fueling, race day, and gear. I am no expert (shocking!) and certainly do not have a ton of experience with all of this. In fact, while my finish time was decent, it wasn’t anything earth shattering.  What I do bring to the table, however, is the challenge of having been an Ironman virgin and coming through the race in one piece. So, I’ll do my best to answer some of the questions you guys asked.

Training:

How many months did you train and how many hours per week?

I trained for 18 weeks. I averaged about 14 hours per week.

What was your favorite fueling/hydration during training and on race day?

Throughout my training, Coach Sharpie would not shut up about practicing fueling how I was going to fuel on race day. Every long ride, every brick, she would remind me of this. I trained with Powerbar Perform drink (the drink at the race). I ate GUs, peanut butter and jelly, Stinger waffles and Powerbar bursts. I made sure to eat steadily and to consume 250 calories per hour. I executed this on race day and it worked well. Thanks Coach.

Was it worth it to hire a coach?

Yes. I could not have done it without her. I did not have the time or motivation or courage to create my own plan, especially because I only had 4 months. She took the guess work out of everything and I knew I could trust her to get me to the finish line.

IMG_20131109_185928

Sharpie and I celebrating after the fact

What was the hardest part about your training?

Let me first say that I loved training much more than I expected. Every day, every workout was a new challenge. The hardest part was all of the lonely, solo workouts. Being out there for 10-12 hours alone each week made me bat-shit at times. I like myself, but not that much.

Did you think taking the X2 Performance supplement every day made a difference?

It is tough to gauge because I’ve never trained for an Ironman without it. What I will say is that I was shocked by how much energy I had throughout training and how after one day of rest I would come back rejuvenated and ready to go. I did not miss one workout in 18 weeks (okay, that’s a lie. When we had the huge flood and were stranded at home I, ironically, missed one swim). Most importantly, after the Ironman I had no fatigue, no soreness. These results are enough to have me hooked on the product. I will continue to use throughout all of my future training.

What books did you read while training? What else motivated you?

Be Iron Fit, You Are An Ironman and A Life Without Limits. I also watched the interviews with Diana Nyad (the one who just swam from Cuba to the Keys) on Oprah’s Soul Series. This was probably my greatest motivator (see a clip HERE).

IMAG1655

Did your family, professional and social lives suffer during your training?

I was very worried about this. I am fortunate to work part time. In the summer I would get up early and get my 2-3 hours of training done before the kids got up. During the school year, I’d take them to school, train, work, then pick them up. Weekends were the hardest. I would get up very early and train for anywhere from 5-6 hours per day for up to 10 hours a weekend. This cut into my weekend days more than I would have liked. I  would come home exhausted and still want to rally to take the kids shopping or go to a baseball  game. Once I even fell asleep on a bench outside of Aeropostle.

20130609_143001

Typically, Ken would do at least half of my workout with me. I think one reason our marriage held up so well is that he trained so much with me. Also, he “gets” the endurance athlete mind and determination because he loves the sport too. As far as my social and professional lives go, I had to cut back on some social stuff for sure, but my friends knew about my goals. My work really didn’t suffer (but you can ask my boss about that).

Did you gain or lose weight while training?

I stayed totally steady. I think at one point I had gained 3-5 pounds mostly because I was so freaking hungry 24 hours/day. After the race I had lost a few pounds, but that quickly came back.  I never counted calories and only weighed myself two or three times. I went more based on how my clothes fit.

Did you strength train?

No. Bad athlete.

How did you change your regular eating/drinking habits while training?

I didn't really. I just ate a lot more. I know many people stop drinking alcohol and coffee or give up candy and donuts, but I gave up nothing. I figured as long as I did it in moderation, all was good. Truth be told, I drank wine every single night. I also ate plenty of candy from the candy drawer beside my bed. However, I also consumed a ton of whole grains, veggies, proteins. My staple foods were avocadoes, beans, cheese/eggs wrapped in a tortilla , spinach, peanut butter, oatmeal, and blueberries.

P1080663

An actual picture of “the drawer”

What was the furthest distance you ever swam, biked or ran during training?

Swim: 4,000 yards (done twice), bike: 100 miles (done twice, plus quite a few 80-90 mile rides), run: 15 miles. Longest brick was 80 mile ride followed by 8 mile run and a half ironman distance race.

Gear:

What kind of bike do you have?

About 2 months before the race I bought a 2012 Cannondale Slice tri bike on close out. Before that I was training on my 2011 Trek Lexa road bike with clip on aero bars.

P1130920

Do you think you have to have a tri bike to do an Ironman?

People say no, but I personally think you do. If you are going to be on the bike for 6+ hours (6.5 hours is the average time), you are going to need to be comfortable and in a position that maximizes efficiency and saves your legs for the marathon. I did a half ironman on my road bike and that was fine, but I wouldn’t want to do a full on that bike no matter how much I love it.

How much did you spend total to do the Ironman?

No, no! Please don’t ask me this. I don’t really want to add it up, but I will. I think it’s important going into it that people know the financial part. I was fortunate to get some free stuff from the X2 sponsorship, so that helped. Also, having done a few tris before, I already had a wetsuit, goggles, running shoes, tri bag, and a lot of the gear. The biggest expenses were buying a new bike and getting the whole family to Florida (there was no way in hell I was going to let them miss my first Ironman).

Race entry:  comped (usually runs $700-$800)
Tri bike:  $2,200
Bike fit: $150
Misc. bike crap (hydration system, computer, etc.): $75
Pre-race bike tune up: $50
Bike transport to race: $150
Spare tubes for flats: $35 (I got at least 4 while training)
Race clothes: comped (tri kit would typically cost $150-$200)
Bikes shoes: gift from Sharpie (normally $150-$200)
Bike helmet: borrowed (normally $200)
Foot warmers: $20
Swimsuit: $30
Fueling/hydration: $200
Pool membership: $100
X2 Supplements (case per month): comped (usually ~$100/mo)
Travel (air, lodging, car for family): $2,600
Massages (4): $280
Physical therapy appointments (8 w/insurance): $160
Entries to races during training: $300

Total: $6,950 (I just fainted and threw up).

I admit, I had no clue I spent this much. I guess that’s why we’ve eaten Ramen noodles since June. Yes, doing in Ironman is expensive. No, you do not need to spend $6,950. Pick a race close by and avoid travel costs.  Buy a used bike. Don’t enter any pre-race races. Have only a couple of massages. Race naked. Buy a really good book like THIS ONE and don’t hire a coach (although I do think the coach is the way to go, it is a luxury).

Did you wear a race helmet?

Yes, only because Sharpie lent me one of hers. Otherwise I probably would not have spent the money. I only wore it for races, but I actually could tell a difference.

P1130910

Race Day:

Did you set goals for the race? Did you meet them?

I did have goals in mind (see them HERE). It is really tough to set time goals for the first race you do of a particular distance, especially one as long as the Ironman. I based my goals on my training paces and my half ironman time equivalent (Equation is: half ironman time x 2.1 + 40 minutes = full ironman time. This was pretty close for me. It predicted 13 hours and I did 12:50). In the end, I did not meet my dream goal (being close to 12 hours), but I came in at the range I pretty much expected (12:50).

What did you race in? Did you change clothes during the race?

I raced in my X2 Performance tri kit. I did not change during the race except for my socks between the bike and the run.

IMG_2180

At Harvest Moon 70.3 in September

How did you carry all of your fuel/hydration on the bike?

This took a ton of planning. I knew I needed at least 1,700 calories (~250 an hour). I stuffed as much as I could in my jersey and bento box along with tic tacs, ibuprofen and salt tabs. I took Perform drink or water at each aid station. Twice I took packages of GU chomps at the aid stations. For the list of what I ate/drank on the bike go HERE.

Did you pee on the bike?

No. I actually did not pee once during the entire bike portion (at least I wasn’t peeing blood at T2). I would love to learn to PIB because I hear you can also use it as a weapon. I did poop on the bike, however (just kidding). I don’t really understand how to PIB, so maybe in my next race I will use this option and forgo aerodynamics:

What was the toughest part of the race for you?

First of all, and I cannot believe I am saying this…the race was not as tough as I expected. That said, just over halfway through the marathon I got really nauseous and had to dig pretty deep to keep running. That part was not super fun.

Did you crap your pants?

Disappointingly, no. I did fart a lot, though.

Would you do another Ironman?

Hell yes. I’m hooked. I guess being an endurance junkie is better than being a junkie junkie.

IMfinsih1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Any other questions?

SUAR

Monday, November 18, 2013

7 Ways To Be Mentally Strong For Your Big Race

When I was training for the Ironman (no, I’m not quite ready to stop talking about this yet), I was told the same thing over and over again. The race is not as much physical as it is mental. What the hell? Then why am I putting in all these miles on the bike? I might as well go meditate and eat donuts.

P1010669

I had heard this thing about being mentally strong time and time again throughout marathon training in the past. I tried to figure out what “being mentally strong” even meant.  In the back of my mind, I had no clue how to prepare mentally. Tell me I have to train 16 hours a week and what my workouts are and I’ll kick ass. But, ask me to prepare mentally and…well, there is no training plan for that.

Soon enough I realized what this all meant. Do your training, get your fitness where it needs to be, but be sure to train your mind as much as your body. It is absolutely true that your physical body will want to give out before your mind.

image

Being mentally strong is different for everyone, so I can only tell you what worked for me.  One thing to note is that sometimes the best course of action in a race or in training is to stop due to injury. It is not my belief that one should push through injury at the expense of one’s health. Sometimes it takes a huge amount of mental strength to know when to say when and to let your body rest due to injury.

Prior to the Ironman, I wasn’t sure if I had done enough mental preparation. But, as the day unfolded, my confidence in finishing never waned. No matter what happened, my optimism did not retreat. Not when 2,500 people almost drowned me in the choppy ocean. Not when I was over six hours into the race and knew I was likely not even half way done. Not when I wanted to puke my guts out on the aid station volunteer at mile 14 of the marathon. So, what worked?

1. Know why: When you have a big goal for yourself, it’s important to understand why you really want to meet that goal. At some point, you will want to quit, and more than ever you will need to remember why you wanted to do this in the first place.  For me, it was simple - I wanted to meet the goal because it was a long time dream and because I said I would do it. My “why” was about determination and self discipline. Something I wanted to prove to myself.

2. Visualize: Prior to race day I started visualizing. I’d never really done this before – visualize what? Me not shitting my pants? The finish line? Ryan Gosling? I decided to visualize how I might feel when things got tough. Since I hadn’t been on the course at all, I couldn’t picture my environment. Instead, I put myself in the water and imagined feeling panicked and scared. I talked myself out of it. I put myself on the bike at mile 80 and imagined feeling tired and defeated. I talked myself out of it. I put myself at mile 17 of the run when I knew every cell of my being would want to stop. I talked myself out of it. On race day when things got tough, I felt better equipped to pull myself out of the funk.

image

3. Stay in the present: This was something told to me countless times by Coach Sharpie and PT Bob. Do not think of the race as one big long crazy day. When you are swimming, you are out for a swim. Don’t think about the millions of hours and miles ahead of you.  During the Ironman, I did not wear a Garmin. I wore my trusty old Timex watch. I looked at it about 3 times during the race. I was not a slave to my time – I was going based on feel and exertion level.  This helped me stay in the moment and in touch with my body.

image

4. Have a mantra. We’ve heard this one a million times, but for good reason. It works. A mantra does not have to be anything fancy, the simpler the better. A mantra is something you can pull out of your ass when the going gets tough (or before then if you like). I did not have a mantra for Ironman day (crazy, I know). On the morning of the race we drove by a church with a sign that spoke to me and voila! mantra for the day:

image

(By the way, I just learned that there is a Church Sign Generator online! The Internet never fails to impress).

I also love the idea of picking a word from each column below and making it your mantra (i.e, Run Light, Embrace Power):

5. Do not assume it’s going to get worse: This is probably the best advice I received, and it does not just apply to racing. When things go bad or wrong, it’s human nature to think the worst, to get caught in the downward spiral of it all. Training (and racing) taught me that a lot of bad crap can happen, but it does not always go from bad to worse. In fact, things often improve if you give them time.

6. Wear something inspiring. A dear friend even gave me a necklace with a charm of the lotus flower on it to wear during the race. The flower symbolizes luck and rising above challenge. I also wore the Believe bracelet that my daughter and I had wore for the month leading up to the race. When I needed a pick me up, I fondled one or the other, or both. I like fondling.

IMAG2123

Look! It fits perfectly into my weird throat hole.

P1150180

7. Remain calm. No freaking out. Let’s say something goes wrong during your race (It will, I promise. and it won’t be what you expected). Your period starts that morning, you get a flat tire, you mess your pants, you crash on your bike, you get put in the penalty box, you throw up, etc. Any one of these things can cause you to panic, to think your time goals are impossible, to lose your confidence. Take a deep breath. Stay present. Know you can handle it. Do not try to make up for lost time because you will hit a wall. Problem solve and move forward.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do you have a mantra?

What is the toughest race you’ve done, and how did you keep your mind strong?

 

In a later post I’m going to talk about race day fueling, another aspect that can make or break the success of a race.

SUAR

Friday, November 15, 2013

Are Runners Full Of Themselves?

Unless you’ve been out running and have a life, you might have read this article from the Wall Street Journal entitled, “Okay, You’re a Runner. Get Over It.”

You don’t have to go read it - I will sum it up for you in a few basic points:

  • Runners put 13.1 and 26.2 stickers on their cars to show off
  • Runners run to show off
  • Running is growing in popularity
  • Runners post their accomplishments via social media to show off
  • Runners wear clothes/gear related to running to show off

Common theme = runners like to show off. So very deep and insightful, no?

I took a break from showing off to write the author a little letter.

image

What are your thoughts? Are we just an over-indulgent bunch of braggarts? 

Do you have a sticker on your car? Do you post workouts on social media? I don’t do either, but I do have a blog where I brag plenty.

SUAR

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

How To Burn 9,000 Calories

Let’s start with what happened this morning. I was making the bed and my big toe hardly graced the pillow sham when this happened:

IMAG2278-1

Sick! And I am too afraid to pull it the whole way off.  I can use that area to store things in if I want. I didn't realize how black the toenail had gotten because it was covered in polish. I was going to go for a pedicure this week, but I don’t want them to paint the stub that is my toe, with no nail there.  I know they would talk in another language about me. (#firstworldproblems for the second time this week).

I know I‘ve talked about it before, but runners have the most butt ugly feet of anyone. Mind you, I’ve never had pretty feet since my toes look like fingers, but they have become simply revolting since I started running. Good thing Ken does not have a foot fetish.

Moving on. Many of you have asked what is next for me. Geez, can’t you give a girl a hot minute to rest? Seriously, it is a good question and one that is on my mind. Here is what is next:

  • Working out how I want, when I want. No schedules, number of miles to run/bike or lap counting. Absolutely no swimming then running. Or, biking then running. Or, swimming then biking. You get the picture. Yesterday I went to the pool. I was going to do at least 45 minutes, but after 29 minutes I didn’t feel like being there. Normally I would have sucked it up, but instead I got in the hot shower and went and bought a donut.
  • Cooking, baking and lots of it. Today I made two loaves of pumpkin bread and my favorite potato soup in the crockpot. I still cooked meals when I was training, but I have missed putting more time into my cooking, experimenting with new recipes and having more baked goods around.

IMAG2289 

IMAG2299Recipe for this amazing and easy soup is HERE (from Cooking Light).

  • Stuffing my face. I have been starving. Fun fact: the average person burns about 9,000 calories during an Ironman competition. I figure if I am lucky, I took in 2,000 calories that day, so that left a big deficit that needs to be made up in candy, donuts and cookies.  I’ve also heard it’s really important to eat lots of protein for recovery, so I’m doing that as well.
  • Waiting to see if I get renewed with the X2 Performance Team. I have no clue if they will take me on again. If they do, I would like to do another Ironman with this sponsored team (I don’t know if it will be a choice between Arizona and Florida like this year, or new venues). If they don’t chose me, I will probably pick one on my own for summer or fall of 2014. Another option for me would be to work on improving my marathon or half ironman times. Or all of the above because I now know I am certifiably an endurance junkie.

IMFLX2Team1

  • Spending time doing things I haven’t had time to do over the past four months like having coffee with friends, flossing, yelling at the kids (okay, hugging them too), reading stuff not related to the almighty Ironman, brushing my hair and taking selfies with Heidi.

IMAG2291

 

Just how gory are your feet (1 being gorgeous, 10 being full of fungus, blisters and missing nails)? I’m probably a 7 and proud of it.

Best soup you make in the fall/winter? Please post recipes or links if you have them!!

Did you watch TBL last night? What were your thoughts on the Jillian/caffeine pill thing?

I understood what she said about coffee, but then again, I am sure it is made very clear in the coach’s guidelines that they can’t use caffeine pills without consulting the medical team..so why break the rules unless you are trying to not get caught? Or, was this the producer’s way to get Reuben back?

SUAR

Monday, November 11, 2013

The Best Way To Cope Is…

Some of you asked how I felt the days after the Ironman. I am not sure why, but I had absolutely no soreness or muscle fatigue. I actually felt better than after completing a stand alone marathon. I also did not feel especially tired. Weird. Maybe today I am going to collapse and spend the next week in bed.

That said, I have been warned about something called PIDS: Post Ironman Depression Syndrome. I can completely see how people fall into a slump after training for months towards this goal and achieving it. There is a let down, a feeling of - what now?

Of course PIDS is a First World Problem, right up there with leaving the remote control on the other side of the room or forgetting to bring your phone in with you when you go poop and being bored out of your mind the whole time.

Here is what I’ve been doing all week to cope with PIDS:

Riding an Ironman high. I try to weave it into every conversation. When my daughter complained about riding her bike one mile (downhill, mind you) to school I told her, “Oh, excuse me. Do you remember what I did last weekend? Yeah, that was 140.6 miles. I think you can handle it.” I start every phone message with, “Hello, it’s the Ironman calling.” I know my friends will want to punch me in the labia by the end of the month.

Looking at my body and seeing veins I did not know existed. I had my vitamin D levels checked on Friday and the blood lady got a boner.

IMAG2268

Being distracted. I backed up into a parked car on my street today. I just crashed right into a parked car. Ken just sat there shaking his head. The lady I hit was quite annoyed and it didn’t help when I told her I was an Ironman.

Trying to find my name on this shirt that I got in the mail:

IMAG2269

And, I did!

IMAG2270

Running a 10K. Ken and I did the Turkey Trot on Saturday. I know I’m not exactly supposed to run yet, but PT Bob said I could do it if I took it easy. Right after, I went to a brunch with friends and forgot to bring a change of clothes. I stunk and was quite underdressed, but they were nice about it.

photo(26)

Using the leaf blower because I like to blow things.

Enjoying a leisurely bike ride with a bit of climbing (Rabbit Mountain).

IMAG2265

Getting pissed off when I realized my bike came back from Tri Bike Transport with my derailleur bent. Still trying to figure out if they will compensate me for the damage.

Eating. I asked Ken to get clearance Halloween candy. Twix and Baby Ruths. I like Baby Ruths the best because you can put them in hot tubs, pools, and people’s beds and make them think it is a turd. They are my favorite edible weapon. Heidi, did you do that? Bad dog.

IMAG2271

Trying to figure out when I can start training for another race (Ironman?) and regretting I did not sign up for the Boulder IM in August 2014. It is now sold out, and when registration opened a few months ago there was no way I was going to sign up.  It would be kind of like being pregnant with your first child and trying to get pregnant with your second child, or something like that. I mean, who even knows if you are going to like your first child enough to have another one?

Celebrating with friends. Sharpie pulled my friends and family together for a celebration. I might have done a shot of tequila and gotten up and danced with my medal when they sang me the birthday song (I don't know if there is an Ironman song, so Sharpie just told them it was my birthday). I think that candle almost lit my crotch on fire.

IMG_1178

I think these are all very good coping mechanisms for PIDS, don’t you?

Have you had a let down after achieving a major goal like a marathon, half marathon, etc.?

What’s your first world problem of the week?

SUAR