Final Week thoughts.

Heidi.

I wouldn't even have to put my name up there.  I'm sure by now you all know that I am the nervous one.

We have entered our final week.  I just completed my final 2000 yrds before the race.  I decided I better do at least 40 laps without stopping to make sure I could do it.  I knew in my head that I could but in our training we always did a swim workout and stopped for breathers.  We have been swimming in the lake the past 3 swims but we still stop at the end for a moment.  The final swim was in a pool and went by fairly quickly.  I was happy that it was only 40 laps instead of 60!

I have been extremely busy- and thankfully this week is also busy.  As I was sitting in church on Saturday I started thinking about the race being 7 days away.  That is when the knots in my stomach began- a lot like they are doing right now as I'm thinking about it.  I tend to get nervous with all races (not sure why I call them races- they are more like events to me) I do and this one seems to be 10x more so.

There will be so many people cheering me on.  I am excited about that but it also makes me more nervous. I am focusing on this being MY RACE/EVENT instead of trying to please anyone else.  My other focus will be a verse in the Bible- "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".  If you have any other wise quotes/thoughts that I will help me on race day- or race week- please share them with me.

I know I can accomplish this race.  I'm just very nervous and anxious about it.  All these weeks leading up to this one event is just a little overwhelming at this stage.  Thank you all for your thoughts, kind words and support.  They have kept me motivated through this process!

Finally Getting Answers

May 27th 2010

Tuesday of this week I saw a dermatologist due to my doctors referral. Her thinking was that I had a skin issue. After about 3 seconds the derm doc told me "This is not a skin problem". He told me it was a bone, fascial, tendon issue in my foot. So I shared with him my rush for quick results & he exited the room & called Columbia Orthopedic Group. The next morning (to get an appointment that quickly was HUGE!!) I was visiting with Dr. Thornburg who believes I had/have Gout. He explained a little about Gout, which if you don't know, is basically joint arthritis.  We discussed doing a cortisone shot to help. That will probably take place next week. Most people who get Gout are older overweight men who drink too much beer & love their red meat. So I still haven't figured out where I fit in and what I can do to reduce my chance of getting this again. BUT. I am thrilled to finally found answers. It took 4 doctors. Bottom line is my foot is getting better. Slowly, more slowly than I would like, but I can see the light or rather the finish line in Kansas 70.3 :)

Today the bump on the top of my foot is a little better/smaller. Just a little. Still prefer to wear flip flops or nothing on my foot. Best news today, I GOT TO RUN!!! It was great. A little pain, but more like discomfort. Heidi & I are biking in the morning. That will be the real challenge, due to biking shoes fitting so tight. 

At this point I haven't thought much about what Gout is. I am focused on getting better and thrilled to be back training!! Amazing how you're perspective changes when your body says NO/STOP. I've never been so happy to wake up @ 4:52 am to run with Dad, Heidi & our friend Melissa. 4 miles felt easy today.

by: Heather

Phil's Great Idea

So, I haven't been doing much since last Wednesday. Until last night only a swim. Somewhere along this training journey I have become somewhat rigid about our training plan. And not being able to accomplished the workout each day has been driving me NUTS! You can ask Phil. I have been grumpy, moody & just not very fun to live with. 

So on Saturday night Phil said we could cut up my old shoes and give my foot's bump space. (today was the first day I have warn a shoe, still not tied, but at least it fit.) At first I thought this was a weird idea, but the more I thought about it, the more I liked it. Last night after supper, he hooked my bike up on the trainer. Taped the shoe & gave me time to sweat & be happy.

Amazing what that 53 minute workout did for my spirits. Immediate mood improvements!

Today, Monday May 24th: The foot still has a bump. Heidi, Dad & I did the swim today in open water. Swelling is down, less pain and I can walk normal. Improvements, but still need the bump to be gone. 

by Heather

Last major workout!!

It felt really weird to go on this ride/run without my #1 training partner!  And dad was off doing an olympic triathlon so he wasn't available either.  Instead, my #1 husband and super support man went with me.  It also felt weird that we were leaving our children with my sister (and her in-laws!) who was injured!

After seeing the hills on the race course I knew this last big ride had to include a bunch of hills.  And it did not disappoint!  Fifty-nine miles of some major hills in mid-missouri.  I felt great the whole time.  Of course, your rear is going to feel sore after that long of a ride- and my legs were tired but overall I felt really great- and positive- and confident (that is the key word for me right now).  I ended it with a hilly 2 mile run.  As I ran past Heather's house (just 1/3 mile down for ours) they had all the kids down at the end of the driveway with cow bells & cheers!

I was worried about the heat (upper 80's- hit 89 before we finished).  We hadn't trained in hardly any sort of heat and with that tough of a ride I wasn't sure how I'd feel.  It was tough to eat solid food on the bike- I preferred to get my calories through my water bottle.  I will make it a point to eat more during the race.  Thankfully my parents house was 35 miles into the ride.  I finished my sandwich, chugged a bunch of OJ and filled up our water bottles.

The day was a big confidence builder for me.  I haven't felt confident about the race yet.  So, it was a big milestone for me!  And I got done feeling elated that it was our last BIG workout before the race.  Plus, it was a fun date day with my hubs!  Thanks Heather for taking the kids and supporting me through it all!

Heidi

Foot Update...

This morning I called our coach, Amy & she encouraged me to get a second opinion on the foot infection. So, off I went to the local urgent care. This dr. added another antibiotic to fight nearly every infection that could be going on. I'm hoping to wake up tomorrow morning with improvements.

There is a quarter size red bump on the top and the rest of the foot is swollen & red. I have pictures, but will spare you the details.

So, Heidi & Nathan are going to ride 60 miles tomorrow and I'm hoping to get on the trainer for a bit. Phil suggested we tape back the straps & tongue of my (right) cycling shoe and wear the left shoe like normal. I'm thankfully for that suggestion and we even tried the shoe on and I think it'll work.

Also thankfully we swam this afternoon. Felt awesome to get a workout done. I can't afford a lot of time doing nothing. And 2 days off was not fun for me.

I am grateful for my family & friends who are encouraging & praying for me.

by: Heather

Open Water Swim! May 22, 2010

These are pictures from our 1st open water swim. We love this lake and its very fun to involve the WHOLE family with some of our training. We are FINALLY getting some warm weather and it felt great to swim outside today.

Parker

Nathan gave "ride" to kids while being our lifeguard.

Jackson

Four kids playing in cold water! This shot gives some perspective of the length of this lake. About 1100 is 1 lap. We did 2 laps tonight.

INJURED...

Blog Info Only. I haven't talked about this on Facebook..... don't wanna blow this up to much. 

I am limping around the last 24 hours due to some strange foot injury. My troubles began nearly 2 weeks ago when I slipped on my "Nike Pool" (my term) shoes. The right foot hurt a little where the top of the shoe flexed. I thought, ummm thats weird and wore my running shoes instead to the pool. A couple days later I put them on again and same problem. The top of my foot was picky about what shoes I wore. No problems during workouts, running & cycling was fine. The problem slowly got worse. A couple days ago I was either wearing flip flops or running shoes. And began noticing a little bump where the pain was. Ok-that was weird, but it will pass. 

Yesterday Heidi, Dad & I took a GREAT ride on new bike route  north of Heidi & I's road. It was one of my favorite rides, because I felt it was similar terrain as our race route. Long hills. Perfect training. Thanks Nathan for being a route-master. Last night the bump began to swell and was red. And more painful than before. 

So today I called the doctor. And thankfully my family encouraged me to make the call sooner rather than later. And Dad took over some carpool duties so I could make the 3 p.m. appointment. The doctor was not sure what the problem was, but we are leaning towards an infection. Not sure from what, but she drew blood and even sent me to hospital for x-rays. Just to rule out anything broken. 

So here I sit with a very fat foot elevated and applying heat (antibiotics started). Thankful for a body that can even think about training for a half ironman. Grateful for family who supports me & encourage every step or limp of the way. Maybe I was just meant to taper & swim for 3 remaining weeks till race day. Not sure what will happen from here regarding training. I will take it easy until my foot is better. Hoping thats sometime Saturday night, so we can still get our last long ride in on Sunday!

BY: Heather

The World's Best Triathlon Coach!

Last night we spent a pleasant evening with our friend and coach, Amy.  She is an amazing triathlon coach, a Kona Ironwoman (and many, many more), owns her own business (the best triathlon store- The Starting Block), is a mother and a fantastic friend.  It was great to catch up on life, family, friends and of course... our training.

The best news Heather & I heard all night was that we got to cancel a 70 mile bike in preperation for taper week.  We talked about the next few weeks, race day preperation and race day nutrition. This upcoming weekend will be our last big training workout.  Which both excites me and scares me!

Thanks Amy!

by: heidi

Trial Run- Lawrance, KS

Friday afternoon we packed up and headed to Jayhawk country... Lawrance, KS.  We thought this would be a very smart idea.  And it was....  We just could have chosen a nicer weekend!  All Saturday it was raining and cold- never leaving the 50's!  We were supposed to get in a swim on Saturday but decided against it and stayed healthy and well.  I think I can speak for us all when I say that we were pretty anxious about the weather all day Saturday and not looking forward to a replay on Sunday morning.  We knew we didn't have a choice though.

Woke up Sunday morning and it was drizzling.  And continued to do so for about the first hour of our ride.  Temps were in the low 50's the entire workout.

We choose KS because everything we saw of KS was flat.  Uh.... we were WRONG!  Huge, monstrous climbs.  Don't get me wrong- we have trained in the hills but the hills in Columbia are steep, fairly short and have a downhill before the uphill!  These KS hills not very steep but very long climbs.  We are SO glad that we went and discovered it this weekend.  There isn't much we can do in 3 weeks to more prepare for this but at least we will be prepared with knowledge.  And we know we can do it!

By mile 50 my legs were done.  My legs felt so tired and I was counting down the minutes till the end.  I was also very stressed about how my legs could even run.  We got back to camp, put on our running shoes, downed some nutrition and off we went.  After biking your legs feel like you're doing a 15 minute mile so it didn't feel like we were going fast at all.  After the first mile or maybe two I could feel my feet and legs again.  I was very happy with the four miles.  Not easy at all but do able.  And we finished in great time.

Up until this weekend I have been very anxious about this race.  I don't feel like I'm ready.  I know I'm getting stronger and realize that I can most likely push though it but not feeling good about it.  My hold up is the 13.1 mile run.  And I must admit running is my favorite sport in this training.  It is just doing the 13.1 after my legs get off that bike!

Before race photo.  We look a little apprehensive!

DONE!!!! Looking a lot happier than the before picture! Our cheering crowd joined us for the picture!  

Mental Toughness

I am beginning to have a little mental strength. Before this 70.3 journey I had zero mental strength when it came to triathlon. I listened too much to my body and mind.

We had a 3000 yard swim on Monday. I was dreading it! Why? Not sure....Just didn't want to do it. I began swimming with a  internal pep talk. Ok Heather you can do this. You'll feel so good when your done. 3000 yards is the longest you have ever swam...That sorta thing. Then I started counting my blessings. Each lap was a different way I am blessed. The laps flew by and my negative attitude turned around (within 2 laps).

On Sunday, about mile 33 my bottom really started bothering me (for reasons we won't share on this blog). And I really began let that pain control the rest of how I was feeling. So for 7 miles I had negative dialog with myself. Then something happened. Maybe a little mental strength crepted in.....I began to focus on the other parts of my body that felt good. Legs...check. Back....check. Heart rate....check. Feet....check. And before too many more miles I also found a position that made my butt feel good also. I also focused on the fact that 66 miles is a freakin long way and how lucky am I to be able to accomplish a ride of that length. Back to the blessings.

So my point is that during race day I will remain focused on positive things & use my new found mental strength to power through the tough & ugly miles! And trust our training plan & preparation.

Another confidence booster will be this Sunday's workout. Don't recall if Heidi mentioned this or not. We are going to the race site to do a practice tri on the race course. 1500 yd swim, 56 mile bike and short run, 4 miles I think. Even camping & doing a trial run of our pre race supper.

by: Heather

One month & counting

I'm beginning to feel the pressure of the race.  I feel like I'm on a roll right now with workouts and my strength is building quickly.  I feel like I can accomplish anything that is on the schedule.  However, the race itself is still beyond my confidence.  I feel like I need 6 weeks and only have 4.  The 13.1 miles after the rest is my rock wall that I can't seem to wrap my mind around.

Finally we had a workout that allowed me to start breaking that wall down.  Friday we had an hour bike followed by a 10 mile run.  I was actually excited about that workout.  I would say running is my favorite sport right now.  I looked forward to the run afterwards (dad & heather thought I was crazy). Most of our bricks (two workouts back to back) have been a long bike w/ short 1-2 mile runs.  I enjoyed getting to feel my legs after the 2 miles- and they felt great.  I started hurting at mile 8 and was so excited to finish such a great workout.

Yesterday was a 66 mile bike ride.  I was anxious.  For some reason bike is my least favorite sport of the three.  And I figured out why.  I am the weakest link on the bike. Dad could ride all day long and power through anything.  Heather has some major strength and powers through the bike so easily (in my thinking at least!).  She can conquer a massive hill like nothing!  However!!!  It was a great ride for me.  Besides my seat hurting my butt bones so badly I felt great the entire ride.

This morning we had another milestone.  3000 yrd swim.  60 laps!!  We always plan out the workout in sets (10 lap warmup, 8 laps of drills, speed work, cool down....).  We did the same thing today except made every thing a little longer and it really passed by quickly.  We were both surprised.

TRIZOU May 2, 2010

We did our first triathlon of the season yesterday. It was a sprint distance (440m swim, 14 mile bike & 3 mile run) race & I had a blast. This  is a local race put on by Ultramax. Mark & Amy Livesay have the best races I have found and this was my first triathlon a few years ago. Many of our friends in the local triathlon club (Columbia Multisport, aka CMC) volunteer & race. So it very nice to know so many friendly faces on the course. Nothing like racing by a friend and getting encouragement by name. All of our family was either racing (Dad, Heidi & I) or volunteering (Phil, my hubby, Nathan: Heidi's man and Mom). On a side note: VOLUNTEERS are awesome!! And they have a much longer & energy draining day than I did! Phil got up 1 hour before me and got home after my lunch & nap were finished!

About the race. Its on University campus and the pool is located in the MU Rec center which is a TOP NOTCH place! Amazing pool! I loved the swim! 

I haven't crunched all the numbers & stats. But happy to report that I took 10 minutes off my time from 2 years ago. The majority of that was from the bike & run. I felt very strong on the bike & pushed myself for the run. It felt really great to be overly trained for a race. I have a history of under training & just doing enough to get by.... not this year!

May is a big training month, big shock. We have 3 -70 mile rides. The first of which is Sunday. We will be celebrating mothers day on our bikes ;) In 2 weeks we will drive to the race site (about 3 hours away) to camp & train on the actual race course (we'll do a swim/bike/run workout). I'm looking forward to being on the course prior to race day!

Heidi & I swam this morning & will ride 30 miles tonight. I'm hoping the ride goes better than my swim. I was cranky & just didn't feel like swimming. I felt like a 3 year old.... "I don't wanna swim" (say in a winey voice).

by: Heather