RFP GROUP - CLOSED (Page 33)

Hey Team.

Saturday in Louisville. Spent the morning helping with swim practice - had a great time.

Great story to tell: Last night I went to athlete’s dinner with my friend from home town and was hoping to run into KTC. Well I ran into her alright - we ended up sitting at the same table - crazy coincidence. I had just sent her a text from outside the convention center and when I got inside it was crazy busy. We picked a table and who comes walking up to the same table - KTC and her husband Paul. I looked up and I could not believe it. Probably 3000 people in there, 300 tables and we meet like that - AWESOME! (notice the KTC race team bandana around my neck , I will have it with me on race day)

Hope to see you on Sunday Kathy - be safe, have fun and enjoy.

KC

(KTC.JPG)

Hey Team.

KTC update: Swim and Bike

Great job KTC!!  It was a hot, tough day.

I looked for you at various spots and the finish, but was never able to see you.  Congrats and I hope you enjoye the day and 4th St Live afterwards.  Can't wait to hear your race recap.

Dropped my bike off at the Trek store to be worked on before the race and when I came in the guy looked at me like "are you serious" haha.  My turning and cornering has been really bad lately and even in that Olympic race this summer I had run of the road on a tight turn - well he could tell right away that my headset was shot - ka-ching$$$  More money down the toilet on this piece of crap.  Hopefully I can walk out there without having to sacrifice my first born but I guess its better than the bike failing at 45 mph on a descent and me going off  into Wisconsin cornfield never to be seen again (at least until after harvest).

I hear most people say that the volunteer can keep their bike when they come into T2 - well I might just ghost ride mine off the top of the parking complex and hope it gets destroyed.  All I need is 112 more miles out of this thing........

Kathy, awesome job!  So happy for you.  

Tim, they are still making bikes.  

you have to share pictures

Scott - I did some research and found out you are correct and they still are making bikes although I haven't found a wife that will let me buy one of those yet - haha.

Honestly - finances have been pretty tight the past few years with a new baby, the construction industry taking a dive and getting pay cuts, and a list of about hundred other things that everyone is feeling.  I kind of had the choice to either "maybe" get a new bike or sign up for Ironman this year.  The race won over because I have this bike.  My wife wants me to add up everything that I have spent since September 12 last year but I have been pushing that off for as long as I can haha.

The good side of this bike - I have learned to work on bikes, I have learned that it is more about the engine then the vehicle and I figure once I get a good bike it will be that much better.

Brian - The bike itself doesn't look bad but it is the rigging that I have done to it that makes me worried.  We will see what the LBS says but I am thinking I messed up the headset bearings when I changed my neck and time trial bars.  Just worried that I didn't mess anything else up.  

(Tims-bike1.jpg)

If it's made it through all your training thus far Tim, I reckon you might be safe. At the end of the day it doesn't matter what gets your there, as long as you get there!

Wow, I am still in awe that I am an Ironman and that it didn't take me 16 hours and 55 minutes.  Once I started that second bike loop I knew I had it in the bag, I was feeling good and was taking it nice and easy.  I wasn't out there to win anything just to finish so I raced very conservative.  Saw lot and I mean lots of guys on the side of the road due to heat stroke or dehydration.  Heard 14% of the field had DNF's so I feel very lucky.

Thank you everyone for listening to me ramble, giving me advise and just being here for me.  You guys rock!  And it was so much fun to meet KC this weekend!

Next up is Tim, Sarah and Jennifer!

Awesome job Kathy - way to race smart especially in that heat.  I am sure it is a great feeling to have it over and finish!  So looking forward to that.  Now the real question is to see who will be first to get their race report up so we can read it- you or KC! haha

Hi Team.

KTC - you did great and it was great meeting you as well.

Tim - that bike looks great - don't worry, you are doing all the right things to make sure it will be reliable in the race.

Tim - I got the hint, here is my report, I may add more latter

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=458113

Be safe everyone and I can't wait to follow Tim, Sarah and Jenn in 2 weeks - RFP all the way!

KC

Hi Team!

Sorry, I've been MIA. After my race we headed off for vacation (Montana: hiking, whitewater rafting, horseback riding, canoeing and drinking beer!) I've been living the "no serious training lifestyle". ha. I see that lots has gone on so I'll just keep it simple...

KC - Congrats IRONMAN! I knew you would do it no problem! I'm very excited for you and all that you have accomplished!

Kathy - you ARE definitely an IRONMAN! Sounds like you had a great race and you must feel so happy! I can't even imagine the feeling of finishing a full ironman. I just did a half and that was exhausting. Big congratulations to you!

Simone - Welcome to the group! Sounds like you got your priorities in line and your training too!

We're leaving for vacation #2 (Moab for biking and hiking) on Thursday but I'll try to check in a little more.

Good luck to everyone with training and racing!

Hey Team.

WTB - great to see you and sounds like you are having a great time.

Well team - here is the youtube video from IM US CHAMPIONSHIPS IN NYC. It will give you an idea of the race venue so if you are competely bored - give it a watch.

KC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=z9ptniKdvbs

Hi Team,

hope everyone is having a good week.

KC - nice race report, sounds like it was a really hard IM for the first one, which should make it all the more special that you finished!

WTB - thanks for the warm welcome, sounds like you are getting some awesome travelling in, half your luck!!

I am struggling big time this week. After getting off to a cracking start on my tri program, my illness has knocked me on my a$$ yet again. I feel like life is one step forward and ten steps back at the moment and I am frustrated beyond belief. I wish it was just a case of being lazy, cause laziness I can deal with and snap out of, but when an episode kicks in I just cannot seem to function. I've been waiting for 3 mths to get in to see a specialist so I can go on meds, but that is still three weeks away hence the frustration. At the moment I don't know whether to abandon the oly program and just train when I can manage it to maintain what fitness I do have until after the meds kick in, the episodes are under control and I can commit to something full time without having a mess of missed workouts piling up around me, screwing with my head and causing me to feel like a complete failure.

Anyway, sorry to vent, but I just needed to get it out. I'm gunna try and get up early in the morning and go for a run or maybe just head out on the MTB for a ride. Anything just to get moving again.

Hi Team.

Hi Simone.

I am sorry to hear you are struggling. I can't even imagine how you must feel. I believe you should stick with following a plan even if you are missing workouts along the way. At least this way you might be able to look at your workout plan on a daily basis and it may help you get through the occasional workout. I believe that 1 step forward and 10 steps back is better than no steps forward and 10 steps back. I always feel like if I have a plan I will follow it to the best of my ability that day, week or month. If you have no plan there is nothing to motiviate you and it may be harder for you to commit to doing something since you won't know what to do. Does that make sense? I know you are probably worried about missing peices of the plan and then not being able to acheive parts of the plan later into it but you can always keep track of what you did not do and do it another day. Look at it this way my friend - an oly plan that takes twice as long to complete is still an amazing accomplishment - right?

Hang in there my friend - RFP.

KC

Hey Team.

Simone - one more thing about why you should have a plan - I am not adapting a half marathon plan because I am entering a half on September 23 here in my home town. I figure if I don't have a plan I won't train properly so I now have a 3 week half plan in place that I started this morning bright and early with a 5km. I know if I did not put this plan in place I maynot have gotten out of bed this morning - but I sure am glad I did.

KC

Simone - One thing I have discovered from this IM training is that you need to just take it one day at a time.  If you look at the big picture it can be really overwhelming.  One thing I noticed from your logs and some posts is that you were trying to make up some missed workouts and had some HUGE days.  If you miss a workout you deal with it for that day then you move on to the next and forget about it. You will not lose any fitness by missing a workout or two. 

Sometimes it sucks to make yourself get out there - I cannot even come close to imagining feeling how you feel with your illness.  But I know for me that getting those shoes on and getting out the door is the real battle - once I am out there it is all good.  If you aren't feeling it - tell yourself "Ok-I am just gonna get dressed and put my shoes on" then after that "Ok I am supposed to do a 30 minute run - I am gonna do 10 minutes and see how I feel."  That is what RFP is all about! Just keep moving and things will be good.  And if after trying that day you can't get out there- well there is always tomorrow....

Pretty good advice for life in general Tim. I've decided I'm not going to worry about a program until I'm on meds and stable, its just too unrealistic at this point and I'm putting too much pressure on myself by trying to stick to one. I'll go back to judging each day as it comes, e.g. today I feel like going for a long run, today a long bike, today a swim, today I just wanna play on the MTB, etc. A schedule that I cannot possibly meet just sets me up for a fall. I couldn't even make it to my scheduled therapist session today because I had a full on freak out and panic attack, don't ask me why cause my therapist is a total legend and the easiest guy in the world to talk to and yet it happened (and thankfully he understands completely and rescheduled it for me). That's the illness, things I could do yesterday and may well be able to do tomorrow are impossible to get through today, that's why I had to give up Taekwondo (and if you've ever seen the pics on Facebook you'd know just how important and large that part of my life was) and why I haven't been able to work. That's where the frustration lies, in my head I remember who I used to be and what I used to be able to do before things went pear shaped, but now, it's like I have to wipe the slate clean and re learn what is possible and what is a stretch. It's amazing really just how much of our life and day to day activities and abilities we take for granted until we no longer have them. I wouldn't wish being mentally ill on anyone. I'm really praying at this point that meds will be the answer for me, rebalance the brain fluids and allow me to get my life back on track.

Anyway tomorrow is another day, so hopefully I can make it to the gym for a run or ride, if not, there's always Saturday, etc., etc. Thanks for listening to my ramblings and for the advise (that goes for you too KC!), it really is appreciated.

For those of you that have known me for a while here you know that I am a total hypochondriac and constantly worry about being sick.  Could not be more perfect timing for the kids in my house to all have the flu and throwing up all night.  ARE YOU F-ING KIDDING ME!  I have not been sick since January and have been picture perfect healthy and then some f-ing flu bug invades my house the week before Ironman - WTF?

Last year I trained my butt off for my marathon to break 4:00:00 and the week before I got the worst flu I have ever had and lost 8 pounds from not being able to eat or drink for 4 days.  Still to this day I know that is why I just didn't have it at the end and didn't break 4:00:00.  It just wiped me out and that was only a marathon.

I am not only popping Airborne and Emercency left and right I think I might actual buy stock in the companies it if that will help also.

This is like deja vu.  I am so stressed out right now - can you tell?