The Good, Bad and Ugly of Aussie IM training..

First all the good:

We rode today with "the Team", which consisted of about 27 young, strapping, kick ass male triathletes who apparently have checked their Egos at the door. Or maybe Aussie males are born with the "be nice to the old, slow athletes" gene. There were a few women in there too...young..fast, plus our coaches. It  was early-we left our condo at 5:30 AM to meet the group, equipped with front and back lights on the bikes. I always thought only crazy people rode after dark with lights. Well, I am now one of them! One reason we wanted to get out the door so early was the HEAT. There is apparently a heat wave comin' this way. I have traumatic memories of Ironman Western Australia 5 years ago where almost 100 degree heat almost did me in during an Aussie "heat wave". As it turned out, today it is "only" 90 degrees this afternoon. I am sure glad we did our ride early right now!

I hung with the big kids for about an hour. Tucked away in the middle of these incredible athletes, I was able to keep up a pace of over 20 MPH for that first bit. One of the coaches did give me a couple of pushes up the hills.. Thanks Coach! Then the big boys pulled away for their "real workout". We never saw them again, which was part of the plan. We knew we would be dropped after their warm up. H and I continued on our journey south on Beach Rd, which is apparently quite popular on most days, especially weekends..We were passed by no less than around 500 cyclists-no really. One apparent Pro was following a motorcycle, we figured this could be one of the famous triathletes that live around here. He/she was probably going over 30 MPH while we slugged along at our 18 MPH pace, which is actually still pretty good for us. There were literally hundreds of cyclists going both directions on this weekend day. Not an unusual sight apparently!

On the return, I started to lose energy after my early on fantasy of being young and athletic. Funny, the body remembers the age eventually! Around mile 50, I really started to slow down. H was way ahead, then I realized, oh crap, I have, a flat rear tire. After about 30 minutes of struggle, problems with my chain and 2 cyclists attempting to help me later, I finally got going again. We stopped at a bike shop in Frankston, where we met father and son shop owners, who helped me with air in my tire. They are both competing in IMM also in March. The dad had done the race before and gave us some info on the course. Again, wonderful Aussies helping the clueless Americans!

We finally reached home around noon, 77 miles in all. The heat only got noticeable the last hour or so. It was a fine day. After a quick brick (run for 10 minutes off the bike), we went to the ocean and stood in the cold water, watching as families, dogs, kids and boats surrounded us. A pleasant Sat. at the beach. The water felt so good on our tired legs!

This is only one of our training days this week. The other days were shorter. We need to shop most everyday for food, since we have no car and the stores are a short 10 minute walk from here. Big city living, a fer cry from my small town Ohio upbringing. My NYC born and raised hubby knows how to shop/live this way so when in Rome...We opted not to rent a car (so far) because of all the traffic and left sided driving, roundabouts, lack of parking, etc. It has not been an issue except when I have a yen for shopping at Costco or Target. Oh and there are THREE Lululemon stores in Melbourne! Probably a car is not a good idea..lol. (Wait, there is always public transportation-he-he). I did manage to get a Mani/Pedi at a nail place not too far from here. I feel a little less scuzzy as a result, since I spend a lot of time sweaty and gross from training. I can tell it is Ironman Season because there is laundry everywhere, I find it tiring thinking  of cleaning the little apartment. Thank goodness we have a washer and dryer! The place is also equipped with a dishwasher..other than that the fact the place was built in the 1800s, and hasn't been updated since the 80s, really shows. We lost hot water already  and had to call the owner, who did respond promptly to show us how to "over ride" the hot water timer. The air conditioner stopped working. Again we were showed which button to push to get it going again should we need to. We sacrificed little conveniences and luxuries for the location to the beach and shops. It is definitely a trade off but somewhat disappointing for the price we are paying. For just a few hundred bucks, they could spiff this place up (actually is dirty in some drawers and closets). If I were a VRBO owner...The owners are so sweet, how do you tell someone there house it too dirty to rent out? Oh well, I will sweat it out as I enjoy the magnificent view of the ocean and sunset!

The bad: Well, this week I got the "bug" that started with the sore throat. I felt miserable, had the "Stites cough" (which sounds like a wounded seal). I was for a brief moment panicked that the dreaded pneumonia would dig its claws in me again. But this time, I was ready! We had a Z pack of antibiotics with us. Take that you pneumonia! I was coughing like crazy until last night, when things started to settle down. I laid  in bed all day Wednesday, which I think helped...

The Ugly: Well, that would be my hair on any given day these days. I got a not so great haircut before we left, coupled with the shaggy, just washed or sweaty look I seem to Sport during Ironman training!

Did I mention we are racing in Geelong, a 40 minute away town next weekend? It is suppose to be a "practice race" half Ironman, 6 weeks before Ironman Melbourne. I always have a hard time with "practice races" because I usually push too hard and obsess too easily. I already looked-there are 3 women in my new age group (60-64) competing next week. So I guess if all I do is finish, then I should get no less than third place? In an Ironman brand 70.3, there is some honor in that-I'll take it!

Also, we have been asked to do an interview next weekend for "Ironman Live" TV, which means I think it will be accessed through Ironman.com next weekend during the race? The details are unknown I suppose until we get there but apparently the fact that 2 older married late in life Ironman triathletes must be interesting to someone! It should be fun..

We ran along the ocean this AM (is now Sunday). Starting at 6:30 was a good idea, because of the heat factor. Then we jumped into the ocean and swam 30 minutes. Really a great week of training for team Wess.
Well, then there were PANCAKES and Americana coffee (called a "long black" at one of the local restaurants as a reward. Yay!!

I miss my grand babies today. Hopefully can Skype with them soon.
We found a local bar to watch the Stoopid Bowl tomorrow morning (starts at 10/30 AM live here). Go Broncos!!

Down Under Hit the ground Running..literally!! (Super long post)

Where do I begin? We went from Tucson to Albuquerque to Melbourne in a week's time..all I can say is this would have been nothing for me 20 years ago, but alas I am feeling my almost 60 year old weary body whispering what are you doing? I am, after being here 5 days starting to recover from travel weariness. Included in the week was the excitement over a wedding celebration. A good kind of excitement as Heidi and Jess publicly spoke their vows in front of family and friends over last weekend. It was a wonderful ceremony and party. Having family around is the best part...especially before a 10 week odyssey to the great land Down Under.

I really tried to stay on top of organizing packing and preparation for the big trip, which for me is not an easy task. I develop anxiety even thinking about what to bring, how much and how to pack it all. A daunting task for someone who has pre travel anxiety as it is. I started packing in Tucson. I packed our bikes in our new soft sided bike bags which hopefully would get our bikes to Australia in one piece. I padded the hell out of each part, spent hours online trying to learn the art of packing a bike..challenging at best. Finally, I felt like everything was packed just right. Bikes, clothes, carry ons, everything but essentials to throw in at the last minute. And off we went back to ABQ for the weekend festivities.

The last of our company for the wedding left on Sunday. I started to read online and discovered oh crap..there is a 15 lb. weight limit on Virginia Australia for carry on bags..This, unfortunately led to more packing and re packing (mostly taking stuff out) of our already very close to weight limit bags. I rationalized that anything I couldn't get in my bags, I would buy here. This seemed to relieve some stress..it is not normal for me to fit everything I need for 10 weeks in one large suitcase and a carry on but I found solace that we are not going to a 3rd world country, so everything is replaceable.

Last Monday night, we hauled our stuff to the airport for the beginning of a very long, but manageable trip. If no glitches, it would be smooth and not a lot of hanging around airport time. It was a little tricky as we checked in our soft sided bike cases in with Southwest Airlines, who could have charged us the "bike fee". We said there was "exercise equipment" in the bags, they weighed less than 50 lbs and were well within the dimensions of a normal bag, albeit a very large bag. The guy knew we had bikes, was not stupid being a cyclist himself. However, after a rather nice tip, he said he would not charge us this time but couldn't guarantee we would be so lucky the rest of the trip. So off we went to Los Angles, where after an uneventful flight, we gathered all our stuff at baggage claim in LAX. The bike bags had a few small rips in the side, the only ones we ever saw..maybe was a small punishment from SWA..yes, we will not charge you for the bikes being flown, but will throw tiny darts in the bags as we go..hmm...

At LAX, it was a schlep to get our bags to a different terminal but with carts and many excuse me, excuse me-s as we walked around people with awkward sized luggage, we finally made it to the Virgin Australia checkin. They could have cared less what we had in the bike bags and we checked everything in with no hassles. The bags, by the way-never received any more abuse from the long trek from the US to Sydney to Melbourne.Amazing!

After a somewhat stressful wait in the LAX security line, we made it on our plane, some of the last folks to board and damn if they didn't even care what our carry ons weighed. Oh well, now we had backpacks in Australia, which weighed less than the original carry ons, which has proved to be valuable once we arrived. I slept 6 hours of the 13 hour flight to Sydney. I watched a couple of movies and several TV show. V.A was a great airline, even in economy, where we  had seats in the back of the plane. They served pretty good meals, the staff ll cheerful and happy, unlike some of the American flights we have flown in the last few years. We had a little layover time in Sydney but soon we boarded the short 90 minute flight to melbourne. We skipped a day in there somewhere and now it was H's birthday! After a total of 24 hours travel, we arrived in Melbourne around noon local time and took a cab to our new MEL digs.

The location of the condo could not be better. We are situated on the 4th floor, off the beach a little but still able to see the surf and "Beach road" where all the cyclists pass by on a regular basis. Beach Road is the main road (on the beach-duh) that cyclists, runners and walkers enjoy the bike path and run path, which are separate. The road itself goes 50+ miles south and has a huge bike lane..a bikers Mecca! The condo itself is dated, the appliances and other amenities are less than desirable but it is comfortable. Everything is about location, location location here!

The cruise ships dock right next to the beach we are close to. We are far enough away to enjoy the sights, but not the noise. We are within a 5 minute walk to Bay St., where restaurants and stores abound. The day we arrived we at lunch at "Hunky Dory", a fish restaurant that is #1 on Yelp for food establishments in the area. Soon, we knew why. The fish was fresh, cooked to perfection and tasty! We enjoyed our meal at a table seated on the sidewalk where in our jet lagged haze, we got to people watch on our first day in Australia. Dinner was equally as spectacular at a Vietnamese restaurant, which H wisely chose for his birthday dinner. The place was jam packed, a good sign that the food was good and it did not disappoint! after a trip to the local grocery, our backpacks became full and we managed to haul it back to our apartment, a 10 minute walk away. Which doesn't sound far, but I haven't backpacked in many years and now I know why. I also know why little old people push those little grocery carts along with their bags in it. We are not far behind in doing that very thing. Aging triathletes with already sore backs from training should NOT abuse themselves with groceries in a large backpack for any amount time, no matter what shape do they are in...we are learning as we go..

On Wednesday, we did an 8 mile run along the beach path. We felt like rock stars at sea level, or as H's garmin said at one point, minus 26 feet below sea level. I am sure we will slowly whittle away our red blood cells, the longer we are here but until then, will enjoy the feeling of an o2 tank on my back...I think we were also running on pure adrenaline as the jet lag hadn't hit us yet. I have had peaks and valleys of energy since then but nothing helps with the JL better than exercise and blackout drapes..I have felt pretty sleepy each afternoon, which would be my bedtime at home. I need to push really hard to stay awake at these moments..all part of the deal. I imagine it my take a week or so to get fully into the swing of Melbourne time. ABQ is 6 hours ahead of us here, but is yesterday , if that makes any sense. Not quite as bad as Western Australia a few years ago which was a much more dramatic difference but is a challenge for awhile nonetheless..

Today is "Australia Day" in Aussie land, celebrating the day the English landed on the shore of Australia. Kind of like The Fourth of July for us. There were very loud fireworks off the pier right outside our place last night. We thought someone was knocking on our door in the middle of the night. It was actually 9:30 PM, I had been asleep for an hour. I guess I am still equilibrating from the jet lag, thank goodness for blackout drapes! I can barely keep my eyes open past 8-9:00 and being summer here, it is still light out at that time. Then up at 4:00 AM. We rode our bikes yesterday with some fine "blokes" from the local triathlon community. I awoke to some hurricane force winds but thought oh no, I can't be seen as a wimp the very first day I meet athletes to ride! So off we went at 7:00 AM, into a very strong headwind with new cyclist friends. Oh, and the one guy happened to mention he covers Ironman Live on local IM races, having done triathlon for 25 years. And just happened to mention he knows Craig Alexander and is friends with Chris McCormick. And then I felt really intimidated as I slugged along at 13-15 MPH in a headwind, trying to keep up with two obviously under challenged cyclists at the moment. But they were so nice to us, extremely humble and gracious to help us get out there on our first day on the bike here. They turned around after 90 minutes or so, we kept going wanting to get in at least 4 hour on the bike after missing week of training due to traveling, wedding,etc. It was all in all, a great first day out there, all except for the wind, which was at our backs as we absolutely flew back on the highway next to the ocean. I kept wanting to pinch myself..are we really riding our bikes south of Melbourne next to the ocean? My bike needs some significant repairs, as the bike guys who put our bikes together told me the day after we arrived. I had chain issues on the ride again yesterday. Time to plunk down some Australian bucks into the economy here. I need everything to be in tip top shape for the race in Geelong in 2 weeks and Ironman Melbourne in 8 weeks. It's all good!

We met our new Australian Triathlon Coach yesterday also. He is a young, enthusiastic lovely man, who is also humble. He has qualified for Knoa after winning his age group last year in Japan. We are surrounded by greatness! The coaching team we joined are a group that meets with the two coaches to swim (in the ocean), bike and run every week on different days. We are going to volunteer at a small local triathlon today, followed by our long run around the lake where the event will be held.

I am so excited about meeting so many new people. Our coach, the other athletes, even random strangers in the bike shops, the guys sitting next to us at a sidewalk cafe. Australians are amazing folks-friendly, gracious, generous.
I couldn't be happier about our experience so far here.
This morning as I write I am watching the sun rise higher over the ocean, cyclists running on the beach path and a cruise ship sitting in the harbor.
How could life be any better, seriously?

Here I am a few days later...I have been struggling with some kind of throat challenge. It's congested but not enough to be "sick". So Sunday's run around Albert park was slow, torturous. We met many more teammates. Everyone is so sweet. I think we are the grandparents of the team but hey, I love young people and their positive vibes!

Yesterday was the Public "Australia Day".Everyone was at the beach. The temp climbed to 93 degrees yesterday and will be hotter still today-Yowza! After meeting the team at the beach last evening with Coach Michael, we swam in our wetsuits, doing rectangular laps around the bay. The water felt so good on my throat..I LOVE, LOVE swimming in the ocean...I also for once, didn't feel too behind. 2600 meters in 48 minutes, if my swim Garmin is correct..

After, our new friend Jody, offered us a lift back to our condo, 4 miles away. This was certainly MUCH better than taking a taxi. We took one on the way down and the guy couldn't speak English and I had to use my Google maps to get him there!?

Thanks to Jody, we not only got a ride but a bit more lay of the land around our area..

We are still trying to sort out public transportation, whether it makes sense to rent a car (driving could be a real challenge on the left side of the road and all)..walking is good but some places are just too far to walk after a long workout/run. The bus system is spotty where we are.

We'll get it sorted out soon. 

Thoughts on a New Year

It's  January 1st, 2014. This is significant in that this is the year I turn 60. 60 years old!! Really? That sounds old to me but the good news is I now am racing as a 60 year old. You would think the competition would be thinning out by now but nooooo...us old ladies are all aging up and still eager the win the prize, whatever that may be in the ever aging athletic world. I haven't decided my goal for Ironman Melbourne yet..I haven't been really inspired yet so I am waiting on the goal to blossom inside and let me know why it is I am doing this race and what the end game will be..

H asked me yesterday what my favorite part of 2013 was. See we get to do all this reflection cause it's our Anniversary at midnight every NYE. Often we are reminiscing about the past year; the good parts and bad...I had to think for a moment because the first thing that came to me was the awful bout of pneumonia I had in May. It laid me flat out for a few weeks. I missed 2 months of any type of exercise and basically doing life at all. Anyone who knows me knows that this is not necessarily a good thing. I train for sanity, calmness, goals, health-you name it! As I look back on that couple of months, it all seems a haze now. I know the doctor sufficiently scared me when he used words like you could die from this if you don't take care of yourself. Words like that tend to pierce through any denial that might lead a sick, insane person down the path of...well..getting back to life too soon. I learned that I am vulnerable, life is fragile and I appreciate my health so much more because of those challenges. After I got better and started "running" again, I discovered that using the walk/run method was so much more fun than just running.

So here I am, 7 months later and I am still using the run/walk method to train. Usually it is 3 minutes run, 1 minute walk however this could change if I have any issues like the stomach ishoos I had on my last long run...I actually had to cut the run short because well, my GI tract was having none of that running, walking moving forward on my feet thing...

In general, I LOVE the run/walk way of training the running part. The walk gives my muscles time to rest momentarily, the anticipation of that break refreshing mentally. I am about the same speed either way (slow) so I might as well enjoy myself.

The back thing is still present and now my left knee seems to be angry because it is taking the hit for the back thing...anyways I do not want to be one of those "complaining- about health-all the time-" old ladies, at least not yet. I am choosing to push my body beyond normal 60 year old limits so I have to accept all the ramifications of that. I listen to my body and if it says stop what you are doing-NOW, I listen..I am not use to nagging injuries, if you want to call it that. Mostly my body is dealing with aging issues, like arthritis, wearing out of back parts, etc..nope, not had to deal with that on this level up until now. I am learning about the L Word..

LIMITS!

I digress. There were many favorite moments from 2013. Like the time we took our 2 granddaughters to Chama last summer. They are at an awesome age, where they think grandma Debi and Grandpa Hartley still hang the moon! Minus the bungee cord eye accident, which left me with my first ever shiner, the trip was fun. We also got to see "Mumford and Sons" in Taos with 2 of our daughters and one son-in-law in the summer. We got pretty much front row seats on the lawn and damn, M&S gives a great show! We made many trips to see grandkids and kids, Austin and Boulder are like 2nd homes to us practically. We spent a couple of weeks in Chama in the summer living the simple life. I love that place, the older I get. We enjoyed many dinners with the daughters that live here in ABQ and their spouses/kids. It is always fun and great times to catch up. It makes me somewhat nostalgic for the old days when all the girls lived at home. Family dinners could be quite entertaining during those years with 4 pre-teen, hormone filled teenage girls that like to talk. There was never a dull moment in our house back in the day. It wasn't always easy but I do tend to remember the good times more than the challenging ones as time goes on. Reminiscing about those times with the kids now always brings a lot of laughter and fun...

So these are only a couple of year end highlights. There are many more, I am certain. The weekend in Findlay with my daughter Becca, my sister Molly, my niece Kirsten and two of my bestest, oldest friends was a delightful, memorable time. I will never forget it. I got to introduce my kid to my "other world". The one where so many memories lie and a place where I was terminally happy..this world will live on now in another generation, even if it is just a tiny part to pass on.  Findlay, OH is such a special place to be from, to grow up in, to stay connected to. I am so blessed and lucky to have this as part of my legacy.

This is all seeming like random thoughts but this is how my mind is going today. I started to think today about Facebook. How it has connected me to so many people from my past, my present and my future..what an incredible vehicle of communication! I know many think the electronic world is distracting us from actually interacting in person. But how the hell would I interact with my Findlay High School class of '72 friends? How would I personally have conversations with folks halfway around the world that I will hopefully be meeting during future trips? I learn things about even my family almost everyday that 7 years ago, I wouldn't have a clue about.. I get to learn about local friends and their accomplishments in life professionally, personally and athletically. So for me, Facebutt is a great tool to connect-there, I said it. The cynic in me has been won over by electronic relationships..lol

For this, I am grateful on this new day of the New Year and hope to connect much more in many ways in the coming year.

We leave for Melbourne in 21 days..yikes! Although the stress of travel seems to overwhelm me these days, I feel more excited each day to actually be in Australia! I love Melbourne, love Australians and love the ocean. We get to compete again in this magnificent country in a sport I love. What's not to like? We are training like crazy here is Tucson. I think this, coupled with 7 weeks of training in Aussie land will be enough to create a good Ironman experience in March. This past month, December I  did the following training:

Swim: 29,150 yards

Bike: 476 miles

Run: 78 miles

Plus a few weight training session, a few hours of Yoga (not enough that's for sure, given my latest ailments and complaints).

Tucson has been an amazing playground for these aging athletes. More bike lanes than I have ever seen, great weather, an amazing outdoor pool where I learned that yes, I can swim in a heated outdoor pool with the air temperature in the 40's. Thank goodness most of the time the air is much warmer and the hot tub to jump in right after the swim is an added bonus. I think I will miss Tucson! I will be back someday, I am predicting..

The weekend before we leave our daughter is having a ceremony to celebrate her marriage to her husband, the joining of 2 families. Our whole family will be coming in, plus some extended family. It will be a joyful time. We have a great new son-in-law and a new step-grandson. The family is multiplying each year! It's all good..

On to enjoy more sunny Arizona weather..we biked this morning to bring the new year in. Now I  rest..staring out the window of our Condo at the Catalina mountains..what a life!  

History of Insanity....or my Friday Morning Thoughts..

(I may have already written much of this info in past posts but it is on my mind again today and I get a bye on this because I am..well....aging..lol)

Can't remember when I went from "I do Triathlons" to "I am a Triathlete" but the metamorphosis was slow, subtle and a work in progress.

My first race was in 2001, the year that my oldest sister died. She was 52 y.o., I was 47. These two things had no relationship at the time. I had the dream of "maybe doing a Sprint Triathlon" some day after witnessing the Finish line at Kona, quite by accident in 1997. We were suppose to go to St. Thomas in the Caribbean in October that year to attend a law conference for H's career. There was a hurricane on the Island the week we were suppose to go to the Carribean, so somehow we ended up in Kona, Hawaii for the long weekend. It was fate. I never even knew what an "Ironman Triathlon" was, much less that the World championships were in Kona, HI every October. We had been sort of watching the event live on TV the day of the race in our hotel. It looked pretty intense and cool. On a whim we ended up in a restaurant at the finish line that evening. I am pretty sure we couldn't get in that easily these days! I witnessed in awe the athletes crossing the line after this mega event of swimming, biking and running. I seriously could not believe it..who does these things?! These must be super humans, built with super powers or something..I was in tears watching as these fit specimens of men and women crossed the line with Mike Reilly announcing with each individual as if they had won the race, "(fill in the blank), You are an Ironman!!" Mike Reilly you see, is the "voice of Ironman." He has  announced all the WTC Ironman races and finishes for the past 25 years. So when Mike says your name at the end of this long day, you know you have made it, you have won in your own right! There was nothing farthest from my mind that I would indeed be one of those people crossing the line at an Ironman race someday. Sipping cocktails on the beaches of Hawaii were more my style at that time..Little did I know...

Fast forward 4 years..I began "The Dream" of "doing"a Sprint Triathlon, which means in short I wanna just finish the damn thing... Just a short little race but monumental in my mind..I was in my mid forties and well, my mom taught me from a very early age that you can do anything you put your mind to. You can will yourself to do most anything. I had an employer tell me once as I was walking out the door You are too smart for this job. Find something you think is too hard..and do that!  This boss was an asshole to work with but his words never left me..I was in my mid forties and thought why not? I can swim, bike and run...if I put my mind to it.. I saw an ad for a Women's Triathlon Camp in Boulder, the triathlete capital of the world. It was a 4 day workshop with an ex Triathlon Pro. I went with my Mountain Bike, if I remember right or maybe my new low end road bike, which was all I had at the time..The last thing we did in the camp was a "Mock Triathlon" with a pool swim, followed by a bike and run. I thought I was going to die...literally at the end. But I did it and knew I could do my first Sprint Tri a few weeks later. Yes, I felt like I was drowning in the first open water swim I swam at my first race, thought the bike course (13 miles) were the hardest biking I have ever done and well...running 3.1 miles in 104 degree heat in Dexter, NM was torture..But I did it..my first triathlon race. I got 2nd place in my AG. Sure there were only 2 of us but 2nd place at my first race! I often wonder if I would have been as enamored by the Sport had I gotten 12th instead of 2nd at that first race, as I have many times. But I began to believe I had that thing, that athletic gift..maybe just a little, to do this fun little sport. After all, I could swim, which many Triathletes find a challenge. Although my first open water swim threw me for a loop because well, I forgot there were not lines at the bottom of the pool in the lake. I didn't take into consideration the fact that you have to warm up before the swim to keep from hyperventilating....I still learned a lot and kept learning with every race I undertook after that.

I got to know the woman who won first at that race and as it turned out she was a rocking runner and athlete. I kept in touch with her, she gave me such confidence that I believed that I could actually do the next level up, an Olympic distance triathlon in the summer held in none other than Las Vegas (New Mexico, not Nevada). I began practicing with and meeting other triathletes who were my heroes as well, fellow learners and believers that they too, could indeed do this thing..I did better at that race, although not fast...I did not freak out in the swim, I managed the really, really hard bike course and the hot run..I found training buddies!

The Spring and summer of 2001 was the beginning. My sister died December 27th of that year, unexpectedly from Multiple Sclerosis. My mom and dad had died in their 60s. I suppose some of my impetus to keep going with the racing was my fear..Fear of my life ending too soon as had these 3 loved ones. It just kept snowballing until one day I thought Hey I am a triathlete!  It just rolled off my tongue one day as I was describing to someone what the hell I was doing training all these many hours, days, weeks, years..These past almost 13 years have been the most challenging physically for sure but also the most rewarding in so many ways. When I did my first Ironman in 2004, I was turning 50 years old, was still working in a career in my own business and had a very busy life. It can be done! Now that I am retired training feels like a job sometimes, creates much needed structure in my life I suppose. A goal, a reason to travel, a reason to not lay on the couch in front of the TV and eat potato chips as I watch my retirement years waning...

I won't go into details of all my racing experiences here but since then I have done at least 52 races including running races, Triathlons-Sprints, Olympic, half Ironman distance and Ironman distance races..I picked that thing that was too hard to do, and did that. Which ultimately ended up being an Ironman. I am about to embark on my 6th Ironman race. Last Ironman, Arizona in 2012 was One for the Thumb..For what reason am I doing my 6th? Well, after we got the email inviting us to participate in the "Asia-Pacific Championships" i.e.; Ironman Melbourne in March 2014, how could I resist?? A race in Australia again, one of my favorite places ever..on earth? Yes, sure we will send you that mega money to feel tortured for 14 hours-why not?  I caved..big time..I am still hooked on crossing the finish line and the complete satisfaction that I can still do that thing that is too hard!

So today I gaze out of the window in our little Condo in Tucson, where we live for the next 4 weeks because we want to train in warmer weather for a few weeks. This just may be first hint of becoming snow birds, I suppose. It is pouring down rain today, hmm a good day to take off I think, although with IM Melbourne looming in the short future, any missed workout may mean a minute more of fatigue in the race...My dilemma today, whether to swim or not..I am one lucky lady to have this be my challenge of the day!

I am learning to accept that I am almost 60 years old, for crying out loud. I need chiropractors, massage therapists, rheumatologists, alternative doctors for alternative joint shots, just in order to keep this aging body going in order to do such taxing things to it..the last doctor looked at me after diagnosing many back issues, some age related, some genetic and said And how long are  you planning to do this running? Eeekkk..didn't need to hear that..**Fingers in ears***lalalala...Until after March, thank you. Just fix me now, for crying out loud!

And as ever, I always say this is my last Ironman!  But in all honesty unless I figure out what else to to with my time, energy and challenge in life..it will probably be there..maybe...In the meantime let's go for a swim in the rain!

Tucson Triathlon Training: Wess Style

14 weeks to go until my 6th Ironman Triathlon competition...I've been asked how come no blog yet?

Well, I guess I haven't been feelin' it...the inspiration to write. This could be for many reasons I tell myself:

A. I don't have anything mind blowing, important to say. Actually, I quite bore myself sometimes!

B. I'm not good enough to write anything fabulous.

C. Why am I doing this?

D. I am simply out of practice..

The mind rattle can go on forever like this I suppose..Then I remember what a teacher taught me many years ago. Maybe in college? Nursing School?

K.I.S.S- Keep it Simple Stupid

 

I go to my fall back KISS plan: The List!

1. We are in Tucson to train in warmer weather..Which so far has turned out to be a great idea. As rides are being cancelled right and left in ABQ because of the bitter cold and indoor trainers have become the norm, we are cycling outside in the lovely Arizona sunshine. Not always "no jacket" weather by any means but warmer nonetheless. Well, except for that nasty rainstorm the first weekend we were here in which we said no f-ing way were we riding the Tour de Tucson in a complete deluge of rain from morning til night! This is a rare occurrence in this part of the desert. We did get to see a few ABQ friends anyway at least and enjoy some great social time!

2. Living in a 1000 sq. ft. Apt./Condo has its benefits..I can empty the dishwasher without taking a step, just turning from dishwasher to shelf. The cabinets however, are on backwards so that I have to close the dishwasher to get the soap out to fill it-who designed this place?? A small concession I suppose..H and I can't be in the kitchen at the same time though, just not big enough. We are learning to share the kitchen space.

The whole place took me less than 2 hours to clean yesterday. I am very spoiled at home and we hire someone to clean our house there every 2 weeks. Cleaning is a skill that comes back easily, even the toilets!

H and I maneuver the smaller space quite nicely in all, I can see how "older people" like to simplify their lives and move to condos...in Arizona it seems. The average age of inhabitants in this complex seems to be about 75. We haven't met any neighbors, if we have any close neighbors, we rarely see them and they are sure quiet..

3. To bike here is a dream. The whole city of Tucson seems to have HUGE bike lanes, plenty of bike paths, very cyclist friendly. There is a bike path loop planned to go around the entire city of Tucson, which will be well over 100 miles once completed. We have seen much of it in our travels. We were given a tour of 2 bike rides from our new friend here, who is bike savvy and gave us some great riding suggestions the first week we were here. Thanks Alli!
 

Since we have been in Tucson the past month, we have biked 460 miles in this lovely city.
The people we have contacted to ride with have been really nice, we just can't seem to haul our asses about of bed early enough on Saturdays to join anyone yet! So we brave the bike paths and lanes ourselves, which so far has been pretty easy. There is no way to get to or from our condo without climbing some hills so we were getting some awesome hill training under our legs..
 

Yesterday,we ventured out to follow a Garmin route, which as it turned out (poor planning on my part), ended up being 96 miles, 12 miles longer than we thought. We finished in the almost dark, moon over Tucson time of day: 




4. Running is just as spectacular. We are 1.5 miles away from Sabino Canyon, where a myriad of running trails abound. We have ventured there a couple of times. The trails seem easy to follow, it's just finding the time to get it all in! There is also a bike/running trail literally right out the door of the J.C.C., the Club we joined to do our swimming. Not only is there a concrete bike path but a parallel marked dirt running path for miles. Choices, choices, choices!
Total run miles since here: 79 miles.

5.Swimming-the JCC is a great club. After searching for the puurrrfect place to swim and do strength training, the JCC won our hearts. All the pools here are outdoors, well because it is "warm" here yearlong I suppose, but "warm" is a relative term. The pool is heated, thank goodness although outside, with a skin suit, 2 caps and earplugs, I found it quite toasty on the days I swam with the temps in the 40s midday. This was a rather cold spell for Tucson, most days have been in the 50-70 degree range, which is lovely outdoor swimming weather, I must admit. The JCC pool is clean, empty of swimmers mid afternoon and clear lane lines so I don't go wandering into H's lane at any given mindless moment of time. We have adopted a swim program in which we are swimming 3 times a week for an hour...nonstop..The whole rationale being well, if I want to run a marathon, I run long. If I want to ride 112 miles, I train doing long rides. It would only make sense that to swim 2.4 miles nonstop in a race, I would train by swimming long swims. We learned this from a coach online so we will see if we can withstand the absolute boredom of such a plan. I have gone through no less than 3 different swim music devices to help cut the monotony of swimming 2 miles at a time with no stopping. So far, no cigar-it seems my teeny tiny genetically engineered ears won't hole the earphones of pretty much any underwater music device earphones. I finally broke down and bought this:It is a music device that works by conducting the sound waves through the bones in front of your ears-who the hell knows how that all works. I don't care-I just want my music!! The first one I bought was defective (of course), I am now on Finis Neptune music swimming device number two, which I will try tomorrow. Total swimming yardage since being in Tucson: 18,150 yds.
 

I have done Yoga at a local studio a few times, I am honestly having trouble getting out the door to keep up but I know Yoga saved me last year while IM training. Saved me from injury, insanity and tight muscles. I need to cultivate some discipline here cause nothing like a little Yoga to keep me grounded!!
Strength training, weight training-whatever you want to call it, is one of those necessary evils in the world of Multisport. I do it, begrudgingly a couple times a week.

Now massage, that is a different story, I endulge myself once a week, even got a Pedicure once last week..ahhh, the carrot at the end of the endless training stick!

So this is my journey so far in training for Ironman Melbourne, which seems so far away in distance and time..I know from experience that 14 weeks goes pretty quickly, the older I am getting...sometimes I think yikes, am I ready for another one of these? I am sure most of our friends and family think we are nuts except well, the other nutty ones who do these silly endurance events..It gives us aging retired folks something to so, to look forward to. A purpose in life..for now anyway. The big payoff comes when one of our granddaughters said to H as she got done with one of her first soccer games Look Grandpa, I am an athlete like you!

 

Now that folks, is priceless..

Posted with Blogsy

Posted with Blogsy