stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL (Page 258)

Lisa! Can't wait to hear all the glorious race details Sounds like a fun fun fun weekend!

Things around here are really looking up. Both Mark and I have basically come to terms with everything (as much as we can so quickly?) and we're starting to look at this as an amazing opportunity. He'd been considering going back to school and starting to look in a different direction (career-wise) last fall, but happened to get the job in graphics so wanted to stick with it. Now, with me making enough money to support us both, he can really embrace that opportunity. We're still figuring it out where he might want to go - but he's considering classes to be an EMT or nurse or something along those lines. He says he wants to be out helping people. All great things It's an evolution, but we'll figure it out. We both have this idea that he'll be able to spend the summer taking classes, doing freelance graphics work (he's been working with a few clients for almost a year now, and won't lose those), and maybe odd-jobs. How fun and amazing does that sound? Yeah, I'm jealous So we'll see.

IMLoo plans are still kind of on hold, but I'm not dropping out right away. Like Lisa said, it's already full, and I'd have until July to get the refund back anyway. So I'm adopting a wait-and-see strategy.

In related good news (good news? around here? It's been an utterly crappy month! In addition to Mark/my dad's job woes, a close friend just went through a horrible break up, and another friend had intensive sinus - almost brain? - surgery early this week! and things are downright awful around here, haha) I bought my new BIKE this weekend!!!

So, basically, I made my decision based on the shop with the best customer service. The shop with the Cannondale was pretty darn bad customer-service-wise, they treated me awful. The shop with the Felt was really great - patient, paid attention to my questions, was willing to really work with me fit-wise, everything. They're even including a good fit in the purchase. So I decided to go with them On Saturday, I went in and put down a deposit. Bike is shipping tomorrow, and will hopefully be in-shop by Friday. If it's in by next weekend, we'll set up a fitting appointment on Saturday! How awesome!

In a rare stroke of good luck, my size (50) is the ONLY size with ready availability of Felt B16's right now, haha. The guy pulled up the spreadsheet and showed me, which was pretty funny. I am very excited, cannot wait

The 50 has 650 wheels, which should be great for me. Also, it'll fit better all-around The only complaint I have is that it appears to come with white tires (white tires?!) so I'll probably replace those with black ones. That'll be my first "upgrade" haha

So, between the new bike and the free wetsuit I won last August (remember, Steve?!), I'm starting out the season with some cool new gear

Alright, time for bed. Congrats Lisa Hope you had a great weekend Steve!

This is the only good part of it - my wave at Eman was absolute last as well. I gave myself a personal victory point for every male that I passed You can do the same, Neil! (with women, that is )

So! Neil's on the run after a solid swim and a great bike!! I looked up his 2009 results on the same course and his bike was 10 minutes faster - not too shabby.

Anyway, go Neil!

As for me, Coach Julia is keeping me busy this weekend I did a 2 hour ride today, followed by a 45  minute tempo run. 10 miles on the calendar for tomorrow... I'll clock in at around 10 hours total this week - I had been scheduled for 11, but missed Monday's swim due to work commitments...

I think 10 hours was pretty much the most I've EVER done in training for Eman last year or HVJ... and I have to say - the 10 hours I did this week just FELT different than the 10 hours I've done in the past. It was so much easier - mostly because there is NO THOUGHT. I don't have to negotiate with myself or work out when I'm going to do which workouts. I just DO. I can handle that

I was hoping to pickup the new bike this weekend, but it won't be in until Monday. So it'll have to wait at the shop until next weekend, because they're only open until 6pm, and I don't get out of work until at least 7. Oh well! Something to look forward to this week

Yes the race went fine for me.  I had little expectations, as I just wanted this to be a good kick off to the season.  The last few months were paticularly tough business wise.  I went from hero to almost being fired in what seemed like a nonasecond.  My company seemed to forget the 3 years back to back of stellar performance.  One year below quota (me and 90% of reps) almost got me fired, or at least the pressure felt that way.  But Quarter 1 ended last friday just before the race and I am back in the green baby!

For now anyway...reality is I am looking to possibly quit when the time is most opportune for me...more on that soap opera later.

Back to the race.  Friday morning I aoke with an incredible pain in my upper back.  After traveling down to the race site I was not a happy camper when the reality of no A R T folks at the site.  No massage at all!  I had to fein intrest in a tins unit to get some type of therapy on my back.  Getting late, the pain was no better after hot tub, ice, etc.  no massage in the hotel...ah what to do?  Well I had to make a quick trip to the mall to purchase a new timex (left my garmin at home) and guess who was in the mall?  The chineese chair massage guy!  Had a 20min session and felt about 50% better.

Woke up race morning and pain was still there, had lots of trouble with neck mobility and was worried about the swim (1. will I be able to rotate neck 2. can I generate power).  Fast forward to the last wave of the day...we were getting lonely in transition with about 2000ish bikes already out on course.  The Eminem song plays, we get in the water, and the pain...well, I'm not sure what happen but I must have forgotten about the pain.

Swim was uneventful, I went easy, a little too easy perhaps...but I had less than 5 swim days since IMAZ so shame on me.  Even more shocking is that I did within 2 minutes or so of a trained me.

T1 was long, I was in no hurry.

Bike was great.  This is where I had treained, and really this is what mattered to me.  I was hoping to go sub 3 but then I remembered there was knarly hills.  Fun hills though.  As in, I was passing many many walking-there-bikes types.  The last 1/3rd of the bike we had a considerable headwind.  I kept in good spirits becasue I just knew a tailwond would appear just like in training when I hit wind.  But nope...it just didn't happen.  No tailwind to be found.  Was on what I guess was a false flat as I was about 15mph with no one passing for 5 miles or so.  Actually only got passed by 5 or so people (if that) during the entire bike.  Would love to see how many I actually passed.

t2...see t1 above.

Run.  Here I had one mantra...run the entire first lap then reconsider.  It worked great until that last word.  Next time I will just change it to say "run the entire 2 laps...then massage" to trim another 15min.

post...great!  After a few hours, I was back in LA, blindfolded and taken to a secret location for my birthday...which was...Miedeval Times!  it was a blast.

i concur that i really enjoyed reading the report, minus the back issue.  am i remembering correctly?  i seem to recall a similar issue the week before another race?  is this a reoccuring theme?  what do you think the issue is?

...it seems to me stress could certainly be a factor.  while i'm in sales, technically, it's different because i'm self employed.  there isn't anyone hovering over me asking WHYDFML.  i could NOT handle that.  i'm sure it's stressful.  i think it's remarkable that you've been able to train at all while dealing with that. 

isn't that funny about the swim time trained vs not trained?  it almost makes you wonder while you waste any time in the pool at all.  i feel the same way a lot of the times.  3-4 days a week to save what?  3-4 minutes total.  sigh.  the only thing keeping me in the pool is that i know i need to take off 10 minutes from my LOO time at LP.  that could make the difference between a K slot or a pat on the back. 

steve, i know i owe you a message back.  you ask a lot of questions   work has my BUSY right now.  in a good way....but i'll work on it.  i promise.

yesterday team fexy had a team night at one of our local running stores, potomac river running.  margie shapiro, a local pro and also the co-owner of the stores, spoke about race nutrition.  it was really informative and a ton of fun.  it made me realize how lucky i am to not have a lot of digestive issues.  i don't really pay attention to fat vs prot vs carbs in races.  at all.  never even looked at labels.  BUT, i've never had a problem with anything i've tried either.  i used and liked hammer.  i use and LOVE first endurance.  my gut really seems to be open to whatever i throw down it.  lucky girl.

more later!  gotta get to work!

Look what I got to ride today!!

Oh man, I'm smitten. In love. Mark doesn't need to worry or anything but wow, this bike. I've had a cold all week and been kind of dragging. Julia only had me on tap for a 2 hour ride today, and I didn't really want to get off

Went in for a good fitting this morning. The shop had already taken some measurements before I picked it up, so the fitter had already trimmed the bar ends and cables to about where he thought they would be. That is service!! After that, it was really just a matter of getting things in the right place

Oh man, it's fast. Like scary fast, like, I'm going to need to get used to it being this scary-fast. In aero on the flats, I was going 21-22 without killing myself. That kind of speed is USUALLY reserved for downhill for me I'm  going to need to get used to climbing in it though - being able to shift on the uphill is totally different since the shifters are on the bar ends. Once I get the shifting down though, I have a feeling I'll just be floating up the hills

How exciting!!!