jsiegs and slornow's Train Hard and Have Fun group - CLOSED for Training (Page 36)

It was brutal, but I finished.  It took me 8 hours!!!!  My husband said some people dropped out after the first bike loop and everyone was complaining about how hard it was.  I'm happy with myself for finishing.  I'll give more details tomorrow.  Going to get a burger and a beer and pass out. 

Thanks for all your support!

Christy

I made it back to Baltimore.  I'm feeling pretty good, considering the pain I went through yesterday.  I haven't had time to write up a race report.  And I was hoping for the results to be posted first.  I'm going to write it soon so i don't forget everything.  I did download my garmin info.  It was 6700 feet of elevation gain .  Glad I didn't know that going in.

Hope everyone had a good weekend.  Looks like it's been pretty quiet around here.

Christy

I still don't have my results, but I figured I'd let you know how it went.

Pre-race- Checked into the hotel and drove down to the park.  We could have walked but we didn't know where we were going.  I got my packed and checked out the transistion area.  It was the smallest one I've ever seen.  It was nice.  I talked to another racer about the bike course.  I decided to drive it.  I freaked out.  We went back to the hotel and got dinner.  I got to bed really early and got some good sleep. 

Woke up at 4:30 (alarm was set for 5). Had some yogurt and made coffee.  The coffee was horrible.  Couldn't drink it.  I got dressed  and we walked to the park.   I racked my bike, got my timing chip and body marking then watched the start of the sprint and olympic races.

Swim-It was a time trial start.  We jumped off a dock in pairs.  It was fun.  The swim was a rectangle. We swam 2 loops.  My sighting wasn't good.    I kept going too wide.  My plan going into it was to just have an easy swim.  I knew the rest of the day would be rough.

T1- It was slow.  Took awhile to get my wetsuit off.  I took my time and made sure I had everything I needed before I got on the bike. 

Bike-It was truly painful.  It was out and back twice.  The first one was pretty good.  I felt strong.  It was hard but doable.  But I knew the second lap would be brutal.  I got back to transistion for the second lap and got some Infinit and went to the porta potty.  I was upset that Brian (my husband) wasn't there.  I rode past the hotel and Brian was waiting for me.  It gave be the boost I needed. Turns out Infinit is horrible.  I couldn't drink it.  Speaking of that, I had a really hard time eating and drinking on the bike.  I was either going up or going down.  I couldn't drink or eat.  I ended up only having around 500 calories.  And I was out there for almost 5 hours.  Around mile 44 I hit a wall.  Not sure if it was lack of calories or just under trained on the hills.  I almost had to get off my bike for the last hill.  I took Randy's advice and broke it down into parts.  4-14 mile rides.  The last 14 mile ride was tough.  I started to brake it down to, just get to that fence.  Just get to the mailbox....When I got to the park I was so happy and so exhausted.  I was really worried I would fall trying to get off my bike.

T2-Longest ever.  Someone had their bike where mine should have been. Had to move it over and put mine on.  Sat on the ground for a minute trying to get my shoes on.  Questioned why I was doing it and ran out.

run- It was a flat course (thank god).  Out and back twice.  I didn't have much left.  I tried my best to run.  Took Randy's advice again and thought of it as 4-3ish mile runs.  Then I changed it to 8-1 mile runs.  Then I just decided to run until I couldn't run anymore, then walk, then run until I couldn't run anymore. 

It took me about 8 hours and 13 minutes.  I was one of the last people out there. 

After the race we walked back to the hotel.  Brian got some ice and I took an ice bath.  First one.  It was cold.  We went to dinner for some pizza and beer.  I had a slice and felt sick.  We went back to the hotel and I went to bed.  Woke up a couple hours later and was starving.  Went downstairs and got a burger.  Ate about 3 bites and felt sick.  It's been that way all day today too.  Not sure exactly what it is.

The day turned out nothing like I had planned.  I never in a million years would have thought I would be out there for 8 hours.  I never thought I would climb 6700 ft on my bike.  And even coming in close to last, I'm so proud of myself. 

Christy

They just posted results. I finished 88 out of the 93 that finished.  First (and only) in my AG.  23 women started and only 18 of us finished.

Christy!!! What an accomplishment, and you should absolutely be proud of yourself! The course sounds brutal, but anytime you want some flat land, just come to Houston - we have plenty!

I'm so proud of you, thank you for sharing your report.

Christy you are my new hero! Thank you so much for sharing this report. You are AMAZING. I can't imagine doing a race with those kind of hills. And FIRST in your age group! I know the other ladies didn't finish but, whatever, you can still claim it! So cool that you finished it!

Everyone else, I'm back and can't wait to catch up with the group.  My vaca to California was wonderful and very much needed. We spend the first leg of the trip hiking, biking, running and kayaking in the Big Sur/Carmel/Monterey area (central coast), where I managed to get a 40 mile bike-ride in -- my longest ride yet. And the first time I've ever (and I mean EVER) ridden up hills without having to walk up my bike. It's funny, until you've ridden in the midwest you really don't know what FLAT is. The ride we did along the coast was what we would call hilly. Californians call it "relatively flat." Still, 40 miles of it (with one stop for crepes in the middle) with gorgeous views along the entire route, including a hang glider sighting!, and tons of wildlife. Veerry nice. I will try to post some pictures later in the week if I get a chance.

For the second leg, we went to a wedding in Napa. Much less working out, though I did manage a long run out in the vinyards and loved it. And I'm not sure you can call it a "swim workout," but there was one late evening swim race among the ladies of the trip ... I won it and I think I was fueled by beer and wine alone. 

Glad to hear all you guys have been doing well. My race is in 18 days! Can't wait!

That sounds crazy! I have no idea what a crit type bike race is, but the thought of starting a bike with a bunch of people is scary. And doing a 1.4 mile loop...I have visions of the indoor cycling in the Olympics. Good luck. Can't wait to hear how it goes. 

Christy

I'm sorry to hear about your family emergency. I hope everything is ok.  Glad you are getting back into training.

I'm not sure what to do with myself right now.  I spent the last 20 weeks focused on my last race.  I'm kind of lost now.  I was thinking about signing up for an oly in August and a half marathon in October.  I've been thinking about doing the full marathon instead of the half but I'm not sure about.  I don't know if my knees and hips could deal with the training.  I might spend the evening looking at races in the area. 

Hope everyone had a great day.

Christy

Morning all,

Just got done with a good (read: painful) 45 minute trainer session. Still trying to figure out this whole indoor trainer set up, but overall I am really glad I picked one up. Really wanting to work on some ILT drills, hopefully leading to a smooth stroke.

Going to try and get a 30-45 minute run in later this evening.

Last nights strength workout was just what I needed. I feel sore, but great overall (I guess we are all a bit sadistic given our love of triathlons). Worked on some slow-paced strength training, and followed up with a good 30 minute circuit incorporating some core work, plyometrics, and other low resistance exercises. Got my heart rate up pretty good, and worked up a good sweat. I left the gym feeling accomplished...I love that feeling.

Hope everyone has a great day, and even better workouts.

-Nick

Nick - So glad the trainer is working out for you! I think you will really see an improvement working on it. What did you decide to do about the tire? Just curious.

Everyone else - My hamstring cramped up at the end of my workout last night (like 9:45 p.m.) and it's still kind of cramped today. Problem is, I have to sit at my desk all day. Other than drinking lots of water, do you guys have any suggestions for getting the muscle to uncramp? I worry it I don't get it out, tomorrow's bike ride will be unpleasant. 

This is the 2nd time in a week I'm having cramping issues in my upper legs (I usually only get cramping in my toes/arches at the pool and I am pretty good at getting those out). I think it's just because I haven't been eating and drinking properly due to vacation but I also wonder if it's because I'm getting back into longer workouts after a recovery week.  

-- Nicole

Hope everything is OK.  Life has a funny way of reminding us there are more important things than training sometimes.

Glad you're hitting the trainer.  Now time to invest in a big fan and some movies!

Sounds like a fun vaca!  And a good bike and run to boot!

I just booked my next vacation - Mediterranean cruise for my honeymoon.  I can't wait!

I don't have any suggestions for uncramping, other than make sure you are getting a REALLY good stretch in at the end of your workouts. Also, are you getting enough potassium in your diet? That may help to be proactive with cramping. Hope it gets better soon.

It looks like I may be back in the game. Of course I say that two days before we take our mini get-a-way for the 4th. I plan on taking some gear with me so I can at least hit the gym a little. I fear that taking 5 days off may put me back in to lazy mode.

I went for a nice run this morning. It was tough... ridiculously hot, and now I'm nursing a migraine and some nausea. But the run felt good, lol!

I feel like I'm alone in the 'headache/nausea' field after a workout like that. This seems to ONLY happen when I am outdoors, after a run and it happened Sunday after my ride. I've been asked if I sweat enough? I think I do, but I'm not sure. How do I know if I am? I don't dare wear a cotton t-shirt to see if I soak it or not! I generally wear the ultra dri-fit running shirts, that are meant to keep dry, so I really can't answer the sweat question. Does anyone else have this issue, or have a different opinion for me? Having this issue is really what keeps me indoors 90% of the time.

It kind of sounds like dehydration. This is how I feel if I'm dehydrated after a really long workout in the sun. It's really hot by you right? Do you drink a lot of water? And pay attention to your electrolytes? I bet if it's really hot and you don't have enough water in the first place, you could probably get dehydrated after like 25 mins. Have you weighed yourself before and after your workout to know how much water you're losing and whether you're replacing it properly? I think some people do that.

Re: leg cramping, you know I usually eat a banana EVERY SINGLE DAY and I haven't since leaving for vacation. I am getting a bunch tonight though! Thanks for the reminder!

I've tried a variety of things:

drinking a ton of water the night before

drinking a full bottle or more before an outdoor run

drinking G2

drinking a LOT on the run itself, both water and G2

making sure I eat before, and immediately after

I've even NOT eaten before

I always have two bottles of water with me, they are 32 oz I think? I generally finish them off before coming home. I also watch when I go to the bathroom, and how often (post run). I don't count the first one, because HI, I just drank 64 oz of water!

Come to think of it, even when I run on the treadmill I have the same issue. I've really been watching my breathing, and trying to do a pattern per se.

I am just not meant to be a runner darn it!! I don't have any of these issues after spin class, and my face is just as red as if I had run outside. It's weird.

Here's an update on my back:

First, a little background. I may be repeating myself here, if so I'm really sorry! In 2008 I literally fell out of my bed when I lost all feeling in my leg due to sciatica. The pain was ridiculous. I literally could not walk, and my husband couldn't pick me up - I was all dead weight. Anyway, an MRI confirmed I have 2 bulging discs, a narrowing canal and degenerating spine disease. Basically, if you look at the MRI results, you will see absolutely zero cartilage starting at the very bottom of my spine, going up about 4 or 5 canals.

I did 6 weeks of PT, which did nothing other than get me walking again. They sent me off to some orthopedics to discuss surgery or possibly shots. Both ortho's refused surgery because I was so young (29 at the time). I did two rounds of shots, the first round didn't take, and 3 months later I went back for more. That time he doubled the number of shots and perimeter around my spine.

FF to 2009, I got pregnant, and other than having the normal sciatica pain my first trimester, I haven't had pain since. I honestly thought getting pregnant was my saving grace.

Three weeks I started having back pain again, and it keeps progressively getting worse. The mornings are horrible. It takes forever to get up and walk, and I spend several hours trying to 'straighten up' and not 'waddle' around. Sometimes I just suck it up and deal with it, other times I just can't.

Today I saw a new ortho. He did an xray, which confirmed I have a narrowing canal (we know). He does not want to do an MRI right now (thank you for not ripping off my insurance!) but has put me on steroids again, and now 4 weeks of therapy.

I am hopeful this round of therapy will work simply because I do not have the sciatic pain this time, just lower back. I will return to him in 4 weeks to discuss how I feel and what needs to happen next, but it does not seem like he's willing and ready to slice and dice me (thank God!)

In the meantime, I did ask if I can continue my triathlon training. He him/hawed, but caved and told me to listen to my body. I assured him that anytime I am in pain I stop, or slow down. (That's what I'm supposed to tell my Dr.. right?! ) I'm just happy he didn't tell me stop, I would have told him to hand over the $75 registration fee for my tri in August!

Anyway. Hopefully he can steer me in the right direction and get me back to normal. In the meantime... back to tri training!