Friday, July 03, 2009

sometimes......


it takes a weeks worth of lousy workouts to get to a really awesome one.

last week was my trial by fire so to speak.

my swim while greatly improved from the first time i TRI-ed is clearly my weakest link. i've been struggling with the workouts and feeling frustrated. the truth is i just need to back off and not get over anxious about getting faster and just focus on form, breathing, and endurance.

i learned a whole lot about fixing flats last week. i got not one but three flats. the first one occurred while hauling ass over a manhole....note to self remove sunglasses when riding in a shady area.

my first attempt to fix the flat took about 45 mins. i got about a mile down the road when i heard another pop. i didn't inflate the tube with air before placing it back into the tire and my guess is it got twisted or pinched. so, i walked about a mile or so to the bike shop (luckily i wasn't out in the middle of nowhere) i purchased another tube and attempted to fix it again. the bike peeps were ready to help but i insisted that i do it myself....by this time my kid is calling me wondering where i am and i'm explaining that she'll have to walk home from bart because i'm in the middle of a situation here...she's understanding initially but can't i been done in 30 mins to pick her up...i assure her that's a reasonable request however she's gonna need to walk the home)...

anyhoo, i'm spread out in the parking lot trying to fix the tire...ironically i have no trouble removing or putting on the the back tire...it's the removing, returning and filling the tube that's not going well. i manhandled the tube and the tire so badly that the tube popped and the tire ripped AND I HAD TO PURCHASE ANOTHER TIRE ALONG WITH A SECOND TUBE.

and don't even get me started on CO2 cartridges.

i was so irritated by this point that it over shadowed any embarrassment i was feeling earlier, i let the bike guy insert the third tube into the new tire and i placed it on the bike. so i am 50% competent with flats.

suffice it to say the bike and i haven't been too cozy this week and i need to ride today. i watched a you-tube video last night and from all the experience i got last week i think i'm ready to get back in the saddle.

i've been working out at the track with team on wednesday night. despite the mental conversation i have all day about whether i'll go or not , i go and it's always fun and hard. lastweek my period really drained my energy and the run on sunday was not enjoyable at all. my mileage has been low as we've been concentrating on drills and hill repeats. i haven't had the euphoric feeling that kicks in after a good long run in awhile. yesterday i put in 5 miles and most of it was hilly and while it wasn't super intense i did get a little taste of happy. about an hour later i kicked ass in the pool and had an awesome workout, felt relaxed and strong and got out of the pool in a good mood for a change.

i was thinking last night how training for triathlon is like raising kids. i'm the parent of an only child by choice, for our family one child is enough. with all the time and attention i'm giving triathlon, it's become my other family so to speak and i'm having to learn to divide my time and attention learning each "kids" quirks and personality. the more i swim, ride and run i am beginning to appreciate the ability to accept each one for what they are, the swim though she vexes me has introduced me to a completely different way of working out. we're getting to know each other better and i'm actually starting to like her.

the bike is a good reminder that riding is not mindless. it's not enough to ride well. i've been lax about the technical aspects of riding and need to work on the basics more. being 100% self sufficient is my goal.

the run has changed. i miss the long slow distance runs, but working with a coach and focusing on drills and STRECTHING PROPERLY (probably for the first ever) has made a tremendous difference. i'm still slow, but trusting the training and it seems to be paying off.