Inspirational Me?

I had an interesting interlude the other day.





I had a conversation with an acquaintance whom I have not seen since a meeting I attended in October, one month after my triathlon. Not that she would have known, except the one person at work I did tell walked into the room of participants and announced that I am a triathlete (which prompted a barrage of questions and looks askance)




Anyway, I spoke with her the other day and she said "You have no idea how much you have inspired me, SingingElectric! You sounded like you love your training so much I signed up for swim classes. I started last week and it has changed my LIFE! "

yup, that is what she said.

Now I am so happy that someone else is inspired by me - I wish I could inspire my own damn self to go back to Masters but that is another story!-but really, I am happy that my struggles mean SOMETHING. You never know, I supppose, who is watching you.

My knee is starting to make more persistent noise. No pain, just crunchy noise. I have also been keeping up with my running albeit indoors as well as working on the drainer. I do anticipate that things at work shoud be leveling off in another month or so- so I can hopefully salvage some of the pre season! In the meantime, I have added the Danskin to my short list of tri endeavors this year.

One last Twilight Zone blast - I am actually thinking of rejoining the same training class that almost killed me last year. I think I will be able to keep up better this year if I do; I am just not sure that I can afford it. It is so worth the money however and the coach is really good.....hmmmm....

Back to Business...kinda

I actually made myself sick.

So sick of NOT doing what I knew I should be doing (swimming, what else?) that I returned to Masters. Because I am a glutton for punishment. And I know that while I am not a great runner or cyclist, my swim is even further behind.

And of course, someone actually noted that I had been gone awhile, LOL! In a very kindly way however. It was a slow day and my part of the class (the slow baby group) was in what is my favorite part of the pool, the diving tank. The water is deep and I feel so much more bouyant, even though it is also cooler than the shallow end. I kept up just fine and as usual, felt grrreeeat afterwards.

That was last week.

This week the pool was set p for a long course - 50 yard lanes. Nice! I think I could swim that all evening - at my slow ass pace however. That was not to be, though.

We did several technique drills - on the back, rotations, onteh side left leading, on the side right leading, on the side left leading face in, same for right, underswitches.....I kinda like these drills. They remind me of how to trust the natural rotation of my body and help me regain my balance. Of course I get about a gallon of water up my nose as some point or another but these generally are not the "drowning drills" that we used to do when I took the JackRabbit class last year.

Then, we split into two groups and did sets - 6 sets of 100's. we used two lanes for this. I moved over into the next lane only because the first one had about eight people in it already, and there was only two so far in the next. The instructor said "I don't know that you belong here, but we will see". OK - I was gonna move right back over after that, but decided to see what happened.

Wow. I had on my zoomers - but about half the lane did - and I kept up! for all of teh 100's! Of course I was challenged and out of breath, but wow - what a workout! All the instructor said was "Nice" which was cool - in all reality after the fourth set I was done, but I didn't stop or slow down much. I expected her to tell me I was losing my stroke or something, as when I get tired I tend to flail but I tried to remain conscious of my stroke throughout.

When we were done (Thank you Lord!) my ankles were somewhat sore from the fins. I took them off and did a slow 100 to cool down which was blessedly sweet, I felt like a manatee.

I am only going 1x week now, as Thursdays are taken up with other things. I should try to get to the gym at least once a week to supplement it - either that or put up with the dirty old men at Parks and Rec and do my Saturday mornings there again. The last Saturday I was there, I knocked out 1.5 miles. I was also asked out on a date by a 70 year old.

(sigh)

Inspiration for the long haul

I spend an inordinate amount of time mooning over all things tri- mostly gear and toys, but also race reports, other folks blogs, etc. It is all so addicting!


A site I recently joined, GOTRIBAL, is promoted by a professional triathlete and women's world record holder, Chrissie Wellington. She is supposedto be hot stuff - well, she holds the record and only startedracing tri a few years ago. Nice.


Over last weekend I remembered that it was time for Kona - the granddaddy of triathlons, an Ironman event held in Hawaii. I found the website and got a live feed and athlete tracker, and checked in. In only knew two pro names, one of the being Chrissies. I saw that her name was not in the top 10 afterthe swim, and forgot about the race for a few hours.




I came back many hours later and found that she was notonly in the top 10 on the bike, she was leading the women's race! Wow, just...wow. I kept checking in every few hours and had the ultimate honor of watching the last 20 minutes of her race, which moved me to tears.





This woman had a big smile on her face the entire time. She broke a world record in the process. When she won, she did not run across the finish line - she laid down and rolled, in honor of John Blais, Warrior Poet. She cried, hugged her parents, thankedthe crowd, and stayed after for a loooong time to congratulate athletes crossing the finish line - AFTER WINNING A 140 MILE RACE!



Man, me sweating and moping over my nothing miles, and she grinning and encouraging others after 140. What a way to have your perspective adjusted - in a number of ways! A few minutes of viewing, a lifetime of inspiration. I looked her up, and found that she is not just an amazing athlete but a socially aware individual who practices the divine concept of Paying It Forward ( I really really like her, now!)

so that leads me into crystallizing some stuff I have been thinking about lately....



I'm going to HTFU. As much as I can. And I do this because I love it, so why not let it show that I am having fun and enjoying myself even when sweating blood?

I am looking for ways to inspire others to participate too. Haven't figured that out, but I will start by trying to set a positive example.

Make racing mean something - for a cause. OK, I know about Team in Training. But there are other causes that are near and dear to my heart as I have loved ones who deal with daily challenges , and then other personal interests I have that I would love to support.

so my short list is

The Reeves Foundation




Autism Speaks


Women for Women

Heifer International

Why NOT make a difference? I already donate to these organizations, but maybe there is a way to raise awareness and get even more resources directed towards importantcauses - even in a small way. Oh, and smile while doing it.

Thanks, Chrissie!

bleh

It is getting more and more difficult to drag myself to masters swim every week. I am not sure why.

Sure, it is a hard workout. One which sometimes leaves me feeling like demoralized – like I have never attempted to swim before, and should never attempt again. Fighting through rush hour traffic (after already having a daunting commute) adds to it as well. Having to detangle, wash and condition my hair afterwards lest it fall out all at once from chlorine is also a factor. Oh – and it is getting cold now, and it is easier to face freezing cold water coming in from warm weather versus cold. Sometimes (during this time of year) I just don’t feel like getting WET. AT ALL.


Ugh.

I know how much I need to improve my swim time and skills, nothing makes it more apparent than masters that is for sure. But damn. I am skipping another session today – sinuses. I just cannot tolerate it for one more second! But it is back to the grind on Thursday.


On another note – I need a new saddle for Elphaba. My crotchital region has suffered too much this past summer and needs a break. I had kinda wished that after suffering through enough stress that I would get callous down there, but if anything its more sensitive. So I am looking into a Terry Butterfly and Adamo seats for women – I want to be able to sit comfortably for a longer period of time. (I need no excuses to skip out training sessions, as you can see).














I am thinking of generating a challenge for myself on the bike – 10 hours a week! For one month. I want to build stamina and speed, and also just see if I can do it. The majority of this will be done on the trainer obviously, but the beauty of it is that I CAN do it on the trainer . No speed or resistance goals, just DO it as Nike rants. I want – need – to jump start my continued weight loss journey and am hoping this will help.

I will start trying a week at a time, and see how it goes.

STUFF I LIKE

The quality of my training is dependent on a number of material things that are not sports related. These are random things in no particular order that make me toe curling happy and feel good!

S Pellegrino Water

Sparkling mineral water. I love when they serve it at restaurants, and finally realized one day I could just GET SOME FOR MYSELF (duh). This is my happy soda substitute. A friend of mine has a seltzer maker, maybe one day I will get one of those. Anyway - not for training, but during a good meal and as a treat. It's a good thing!

Ezekiel 4:9 Bread

Flourless, Organic, Complete Protein, and Sprouted Whole Grain. What?

Sprouted bread! Gluten Free! Rich in protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber; very, very tasty - also very expensive, but hey I don't eat bread any more. (Well, most of the time) So; I eat this and it's lovely - especially warm and/or toasted. The cinnamon raisin is a keeper. Oh, and it freezes very well!

Burt’s Bees

I am loving the honey infused lip balm, and the radiance face lotion (SPF 15). The lip balm is a must for me especially with outdoor workouts, and it tastes so good and stays on forever. The radiance face lotion – I have to work it into my skin a bit or the brown looks a lil ashy, but it does make my face more radiant. I have even gotten comments. Positive ones! All natural, and widely available...

Dr Bronners Magic Peppermint soap

The liquid one. All natural. If you ever get bored, read the label. - All One! It comes in tea tree, eucalyptus, unscented, lavender (which I also adore) and citrus….I can shower forever with this. The peppermint soothes and picks me up at the same time.

Say Yes To Carrots Pampering Hair Mud Conditioner

So moisturizing and gives my hair great slip. Ultra conditioning. It is a staple and helps de frizz and de kink my hair after swimming or a really hot day. All Natural! Paraben Free! I love this stuff.

WigWam running socks

Ahhh, the agony of defeet, especially when you are not a runner trying to run! I have worn these at my tri and on my long runs and find them sooo comfy. I do have a small sock fetish – I also like Thorlos and Balega but I reach for my wigwams over and over again.

Oat Bran

I could eat this every day for breakfast and be perfectly happy. Wait – I already do. In fact when I cannot get this I don’t feel quite as good as I usually do. I love oat bran. I prepare it with some apple and banana and cinnamon in it – ambrosial! Very fueling, high fiber, lowers cholesterol, and moves the luggage too!

Amazing Grass superfood –

I like the chocolate flavor. This is a Green Superfood that is packed with antioxidants, a probiotic and enzymatic blend. Great energy boost! It is delicious and has practically no calories. I need never take a wheatgrass shot again! It comes in chocolate which I love mixing with milk or my coffee, but I also use the regular one which has no flavor and I will mix it in my juice (I am not a smoothie person, otherwise I would probably put it into that) Delicious, nutritious, and makes you feel ambitious.

Swimming with the Fishies

They call it Master's Swimming because they work you like a slave!

Don't get me wrong - I am so happy to have found it and joined. I am sure it's good training and that it will pay off big time. It sure is cheaper than the Jack Rabbit classes and meets twice a week instead of once.

But; really. This type of self flagellation....this manifestation of hair shirts....takes some getting used to, and hours of sleep to get over.

I was very sleepy this week. I think it was coming off of the anxiety aboutthe tri , plus the change of temperature. It's pretty chilly in the mornings, and crisp - perfect running weather. Ah, but no - I have taken the week off to sleep a wee bit later in the morning. The 5 am stuff gets played out with me after 6-8 months or so! But I did rush out after work to go to Masters.

I LOVE the water....lakes, oceans, beaches especially, ponds, pools, fishtanks, showers...dosen't matter. During long cold winters I dream repeatedly about swimming, the beach, the ocean. It's my psyche longing for what it loves. However, in swimming I am sloooowwww....I think everyone swims faster than me. I think I love being in the water so much that part of my brain gets distracted. Yeah, thats the ticket - I love the water so much my brain gets distracted.


I am the slowest person in the slow group, LOL. I a trying to soak up the instruction however and even I know I am swimming SO much better. Once in awhile they bump me into the next lane to drill with the faster group that just drills (no instruction) and I can do that just fine - I am just the slower swimmer. Whatever, really. I could sleep for a day afterwards, however.Getting up the next morning is always more of a challenge.

Today I suited up and went to my local parks and rec to swim - I probably did a little over a mile. If my cap and goggles are not giving me a hard time (miraculously today they were NOT) I can swim and swim non stop for about an hour, which I did today. It felt soooooo good. I came home and did 30 minutes on the trainer, and TRIED to run a little on the treadmill, but only got a mile in. My head was really hurting: a combination of sinuses and post pool head, I think.

I have a 5k next week, I am really looking forward to it. I a not concerned about the time at all, this will be a fun run for me. The run traces the path of a Brooklyn firefighter who, when he heard about theWorld Trade Center being attacked, put on his gear and ran from Brooklyn to Manhattan (the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel was closed to traffic by then). He and his entire squad passed that day. The run benefits an important foundation and has a zillion people that participate - its is called the Tunnel to Towers run.

Am I Krazy?

I mean, who willingly submits themselves to humiliation bodily discomfort and yeah PAIN to participate in something I could very realistcally die in?

This is definitely a mid-life thing for me. I am not completely ashamed - not when you have some guys out there doing what they do at mid life - ha! I shoud be proud.

I am terrified and doubtful. But I am going to try this once - at least I will be TRYING which is more than most people ever do, right?

RIGHT?

Tomorrow is the sign up for the Danskin Triathlon. There is also the AFLAC Irongirl, which first got my attention. I have until tomorrow to make the first commitment. In the meantime, I did a killer spinning class yesterday and then went right to the track afterwards. I spent the remainder of the day pretending I could feel my legs.