Monthly Archives: February 2014

Happy 24th Ash!

Enjoyed getting to share your big day in Colorado 🙂

Happy 24th Ash!

Happy 24th Ash!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPDATE (Mar 10th):  Happy 29th Tommy W!

Shamrock Shake tradition

Shamrock Shake tradition

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.  I’m committed, I can do this.

you are who you choose to be

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

School of Sardines