Angels Everywhere

It's been awhile since I have blogged but I have been busy. Regular short (but intense) runs and bike sessions. I am healed, hallelujah! My calf, my cold ( or allergy or what the hell ever) are all better.

Since starting - and completing - boot camp, and meeting Sally Edwards, I have gained a little more focus. I actually got wet in the pool too, much to my surprise. Turns out my boot camp instructor has also done some tri's and spent some of her time emailing me and giving me shout outs and extra pointers and "encouragement" during class. I hate it when its happening, but it DOES help.

and the class has made a big difference, already, in how I look and feel. Even though its at a hellish time in the morning, and I am afraid to look at my hand when I wipe away sweat from my brow lest it be blood. Ugh.


I met someone in class who I went running with this am at 5:30 at a track across from Belmont racetrack. How beautiful was it, to see the pink and purple sky, and hear the huff of the yearlings being exercised around the ring across the street, and the raucous birds screaming the sun to rise? I was exhausted and happy.

I also met someone who is doing the Syracuse race, who lives in Queens too - another first timer!. I have a tri mentee support group online, and although I don't even know what to ask because I am still so stupid with all of this, I am happy to have support - virtual and real - in this new journey. I asked for help and the angels appeared, for once! I am soooooo thankful.

That said, I am HUNGRY. no, lemme get it right...I am HONGRY. Like, all the time. I eat clean, so its not junk food binging, but multiple workouts have made me almost constantly growly. I go through alot of fruit, huge salads, enormous bowls of oat bran in the am.....sheesh. I am constantly on the prowl for food.

Alot of laundry, too. alot of soaking wet clothes - head to toe - to be done.

OK, I still have to figure out this pool thing and then I am truly rockin and rollin.

In the Classroom

My calf is still jacked up and I took Saturday off from any stress bearing exercise. Ha.

Sunday there was this Triathlon Symposium and Expo at the JCC Manhattan. Sally Edwards was the keynote, and I got her to sign my book and chat with her for a quick minute. I didn’t plan to stay more than an hour or two, but the whole day was packed with info sessions and longer seminars about all things Tri! I attended a short session on open water swimming for beginners – all I really got out of it was “don’t make your first time at the race”.

OK.

Well, she did provide some internet links for swim clubs that train for OW swims. The vendors on the first floor were mildly interesting – chiropractors and physical therapists, a bike dealer, sport shops, and all kinds of supplement hustlers. Sally used to run the Danskin series, but now has started another women’s only Tri series called Trek – a series of sprint tri’s around the country. I don’t get what happened and why she split (to start something that looks almost identical) but she was convincing enough for me to sign up for the Trek Tri in September! Yes I am crazy. It’s here on Long Island and I will have (prayerfully) completed the Syracuse Tri in July……maybe I can find a team to train with at least for this one in September since I have had no luck for July.

Sally said a few things that resonated with me; one was “fall in love with training, especially your weakest area.” She said she used to hate biking, and someone told her to fall in love with her bike to turn it around. Hmmm. I think my weakest area is swimming but I love it, I love the water. I just swim really slowly, like I do everything else.

Boot camp again this morning….I spin tomorrow and I’m looking forward to it.

O Agony Agony

This week started off great! No Bootcamp on Monday, so I went outside for a run at the track. I managed a terrible 2.5 miles and came home feeling great.

Tuesday Bootcamp Nazi gave us an awesome workout - alot of weighted leg stuff, high reps, sweating like a waterfall. Had I any balls, they would have been thoroughly busted. Right afterwards I went to spin class and she kept us in heavy climbs for the entire time. Cool! I was planning to go for another run right after Wed. bootcamp but fate had another plan for me.

we stretched and stretched - everyone was tight and stiff, me included. We were about to climb the Mountain...relay drills..and about 30 steps into it, I felt something in my right calf dissolve. I almost fell right down.

I was SO pissed.

The rest of me was ready, raring to go, and my f'ing CALF decided to take the rest of the week off. DAMN. I was trying not to cry - mostly from frustrationm not really pain.

I spent the rest of the session stretching and hobbling around. I put on a heat patch when I got home, and basically hopped around for two days. GRRRRRRrrrrrrrr

I did do bootcamp Friday, but that is it. Even now - no run, no spin class, nothing. There are times when I would LOVE to have the excuse of being injured because I don't feel like doing anything, but this is far from that time. Tomorrow I will attempt to do something as I feel alot better, but there are four days gone (basically) just like that.

My other half never intereferes except for times like this. I woke at 6 am to sneak and change for class, and he said simply(using the stentorian voice) "Not Today".

Ok. He's probably right but damn.

I'd like to have a little less frustration in this arena, right about now. I do not mind working hard but not being ABLE ...sheesh.