8 days after Austin – my first run.
Knees felt a little stiff – but motivated & ready to turn around my marathon results.  I came back from Austin feeling a bit defeated. My worst marathon time since last June in Alaska.  I inwardly & outwardly wore the Texas humidity.
Additionally my weight is up 7 lbs. Not horrible – I’ve been enjoying Ashton’s home cooking – but starting to feel sluggish.
So…for 30 days – before my Atlanta marathon – going to improve my nutrition plan & renew focus on Ironman training.
6 days a week minimum, I will swim, bike or run.
Sunday (after church) was cycling practice — Day 1.  Indoor on a stationary bike, completed 20 miles.  Can’t imagine biking 112 miles (that’s another 92 miles) in only 6 months time.  Jeez, seems overwhelming.
Nutrition plan – gonna add more spinach & kale to my daily meal plan, drink no less than 8 bottles of water & sleep no less than 6 hours daily. Failed Thursday, Friday & Sunday. Putting it down in print – gonna stick to the plan.
Training Progress:
Tuesday – swim (45 laps – half my Ironman distance)
Wednesday – spin class at lunch (bike)
Thurs – swim/bike (45 laps & another spin class)
Friday – swim (55 laps)
Saturday – swim/bike (45 laps & another spin class)
Sunday – bike 20 miles indoor (first time hitting 20 miles)
Monday – treadmill run, 6 miles at lunch
Go big or go home. Â I’m committed, I can do this.
While Sarah was getting her suntan on in El Salvador, I scored space on my favourite blogger’s site — sarahontheroad.com.
Friendly WARNING:  Following Sarah’s adventures in Nunavut (Canada’s Arctic North) is crazy addictive 🙂
Early A.M. Swim Practice at -13F/-25C: {Guest Post}
3 years ago I made the move to Colorado & left my NYC career.
That year I set a goal to hike a different hike all 52 weeks. What an amazing year – saw so much of my newly adopted home state!  Next in 2013, I ran a full marathon in Anchorage, Alaska.
All the while I continued to follow Sarah in Pang. Northern lights, harbor icebergs, Mt Duval, SNOW, last year’s all-girl Yukon adventure, ice fishing for Arctic Char – yeah, I’m a HUGE fan of sarahontheroad.com.
Ironman Boulder
We are now 6 months out from the inaugural Ironman Boulder! Who is getting excited?
Yep, this year’s goal — complete my first Ironman.  Sure I’ve never competed in a triathlon, haven’t biked since I was 9 – yet I plan to swim/bike/run 140.6 miles on August 3rd.
My friend & coach, M is a swimmer.
I am a dreamer. I’m a goal setter. I’m an adventurer…but I’m not a swimmer.
-13 degrees F, light snow & on the road at 4:45am headed to my gym Colorado Athletic Club in Boulder – to swim.  Crazy cold.
Heated outdoor pool but I punk’d out this day – chose to fight the mobs & use the smaller indoor pool (only 6 lanes).
Hot tubbed for 5 minutes to boost my body temp, then started today’s swim. Only 3 of us in the pool this early on such a bitter cold day. By 630 though, was no longer lapping up-n-back but forced to circle to permit add’l swimmers in the pool.
Kinda overwhelming with so many faster swimmers. I’ve hit my Ironman distance 5 times already (90 laps up-n-back) so I know I can hang with the endurance athletes but the sprinters – no possible way. I watch them play with their watches and stare endlessly at the water. Suddenly they dart up-n-back once, sometimes 2 times & the routine starts again. Check the watch, stare at the water, scope out the pool, stare….then zing they take off. Like flashy schools of sardines.
And me? Slow & steady – 2 strokes, head up, breathe to the right. Lap back — 2 strokes, head up, breathe to the left.
Can’t say I love swimming but I’m efficient. Breathing technique is similar to running – slow steady deep breathing.
By endurance, we conquer – Sir Ernest Shackleton
6 more months ‘til Ironman. Absolutely anything is possible.