Mind control over Deebo

There is always going to be something: cold weather, hot weather, family issues, busy days at the job, injuries, illness, etc. We can't escape it. We can either use the issue as an excuse or find a way to work towards our goals, despite the current issue(s). Lately, I have been having a difficult time working towards my goals despite the issues. I wish there was a playbook to tell me what's really just an excuse versus what I can push and train through. Sometimes I tell myself to "just listen to your body", but often times, I can't tell if it's my mind or my body giving me the answer.

The weather has made it tough to get outside to run on days when there's ice and below freezing wind chills. Well, I went to Miami to run a 1/2 marathon and the heat and humidity (along with a personal physical challenge) made it hard to run there too. It's true that if we always waited for the perfect conditions, we would rarely do anything, especially train for an Ironman. So, I just have to find a way to push through and work around the challenges that I'm facing and make it happen. My body and mind have to equally get tougher in order for me to overcome and win on this journey to Ironman Chattanooga. Game ON!

Since I last wrote a post, I have started a Spin90 class one day per week, started a Total Immersion Stroke Development class twice per week, tried to remain consistent with running 3 days per week to train for a mid-March marathon and have inconsistently done weights and core work. I may have to drop down to the 1/2 marathon or nix the whole race depending on my surgery schedule and recovery. I'm very glad that I got a head start on building a stronger base and still have plenty of time to prepare for Ironman Chattanooga. This surgery will just be a little bump in the road. I will do my best to work on my mind game and be more consistent once I am all better.

I WILL give every workout my very best! I WILL be more consistent! I WILL be an Ironman!

One month down...

I am in the building phase of training for Ironman Chattanooga. The actual 16 week Ironman training doesn't start until June. The plan is to focus on running alone in Nov/Dec then add swimming (re-tuning my stroke) in Jan/Feb and start cycling in March. I can do anything that I like to build strength and agility in addition to that between now and March 1st. So, if I am going to do anything to trim down, now is the time. As I prepare to head out for a long run today, I decided to take stock of where I am/how I'm doing. If I had to give myself a grade at this point, it would be a D.

The month of November was a challenge due to mental demons. I think I've discovered the source of the mental demons coming out. It was my plan to take the month of November off to just do whatever I wanted to do fitness wise. I didn't want to be committed to a plan that brings on the mental stress of having to do something. However, my dream of having a coach to get me ready for Ironman Chattanooga came true and his plan was to start base building in November, so I rolled with it. Perhaps I should have pushed back and shared what I needed mentally. Another thing is that I have come to the realization that I am more race focused/motivated and not as committed to fitness as I should be. When I have something on the calendar and the goal is to cross the finish line, I have no problem doing what it takes to get there. However, if there isn't something to get ready for or if I feel like have time to prepare, I am lazy. If I was more committed to fitness, despite what events are on the calendar, I would be in better physical shape. I must change this way of thinking/being.

I have stepped on the scale monthly to check out my weight, muscle mass, body fat and water %, etc. since January 2012, but fell off in September 2013. Consequently, the numbers on the scale are worse than they have ever been since I started this. I have had some events (job change, dealing with my Mother's illness/aging, etc) this year that have really worn me down. I feel like I have gotten a hold on things and feel optimistic about handling everything moving forward. I have identified the true source of the things and behavior that are not serving me and have a plan in place to combat that.

So, one month down and 10 to go until race day (September 28th). I hope to be able to give myself a better grade on January 1. Let's GOOOOOOO!

My 1st Marathon!

Mile 0.5: His IT band is hurting. “This is going to be a long… day!”

Mile 2: Bertha!!

Mile 4 (Rock Creek Park): Mahasin and a drunk girl. I was standing on the side of the road waiting for my friend to use the bathroom and she stopped and asked if I was peeing (yes, you read that correctly). She then asked if I needed some vodka to get me going again and then said, "WAIT, do I have vodka or tequila today?". She explained that she can only run marathons with vodka or tequila and that she went out drinking last night and only spent $42. Her eyes were glazed over, her speech was slurred, she told me bye and ran along... Yes. That happened.

Mile 8 (Rock Creek Park): “Oops, I waited too long to eat my Bonk Breaker. I hope this doesn’t ruin my day! Where is Teresa with those peanut M&M’s??!!” For some reason, if I eat something by an hour and a half of running, I am good for the rest of the race, if not I bonk.

Mile 9( Rock Creek Park): “I needed that hug from Teresa and those peanut M&M’s and coke were life-saving! Thank God for great friends!”

Mile 9.5 (Kennedy Center): “Oh yeah! I’m feeling good again!” I saw Sissy and Erin and took this photo like I was having way too much fun for this to be a marathon!

Mile 12 (Hains Point): “This is stupid and boring. Who thought of this?! I prefer the mix of triathlons. This continuous running is for the birds! Wait, is he stopping for so many pee breaks because he is hurting and/or tired?”. The pictures of the fallen soldiers and the people holding the American flags brought me to tears and a major attitude adjustment.

Mile 14 (Hains Point): “Okay, I have to focus. I’m not even 1/2way there. I’m not tired… I’m NOT tired”

Mile 15(leaving Hains Point): "Okay, my plan to run 2 miles and walk the water station is working. Pick up the pace. Run to the third tree and then just a short walk break. Angie is supposed to be at mile 16 by Lincoln. Just run to Angie!"

Mile 16 (Lincoln): No Angie, but I saw Ericka!! She was walking and complaining that her uterus felt like it was about to fall out. I gave her a hug and some Aleeve then kept it moving. He was really hurting and needed to walk. We stopped to use the bathroom and after stepping off the curb, he was in major pain.  Done. “Uh oh, this may not have been a good idea!”. I didn’t want to leave him, as he is only out here to support me. "What’s a girl to do???” I know... I am too kind.

Mile 17 (14^th and Madison): Erin and Sissy were there and the entire Moshiman cheer crew with signs too! They were SO loud and all gave me high fives. I was feeling the love!!.... and then, I was so surprised to see Edwidge and Gladys there that I think I was feeling the love a little too much. I came to a screeching halt, put my hands over my face and started to cry. I just felt overwhelmed by the love and support. They pretty much told me to just suck it up and keep it moving… and I did. Ha!

Mile 18 (National Mall): Terri and Cass!!

Mile 19.5 (The turn to Beat the Bridge): Megan, Edwige, Gladys, Sissy and Erin!!

Mile 20(14^th St bridge): Lisa!! We chatted for a few and I kept it moving. My feet were hurting when I walked and his IT band and calf hurt to run. “What’s a girl to do? I’m ready to finish this thing. I would hate to leave him!”

Mile 22 (Crystal City): Ieesha!!! She tried to run with us, but he couldn’t run and my bladder felt like it was about to fall out. We found a porta potty and walked a bit more. She took off and by mile 22.5, I could no longer walk and he could no longer run, so I took off and left him.

Mile 24: My watch died and I missed him singing cadence songs to me, so I made up my own…out LOUD . I tried to keep it moving to try to get my mind off my dang feet hurting so bad! I had never had my feet to hurt like that! I walked, ran, skipped, made up songs, danced, made friends and finally... I heard the announcers at the finish line!

Mile 26.1: Gladys, Edwidge, Sissy and Erin again!! These ladies were making their way around the course like professional spectathletes!  Gladys ran out and gave me a big ‘ol hug and I ran to the finish line!

Finish line fiasco: I DID IT!! I never had any doubt that I would, but I was SO very proud! I snapped a photo and headed off to have a Marine place a medal around my neck… only to be told that they ran out of medals. Big, hot, crocodile tears immediately started to roll down my face. I never knew that getting a medal meant so much to me, but I was so very disappointed. I had dreamed of running up to the Iwo Jima and having a Marine say, “Good job, Ma’am” while donning me with my well-deserved medal… but that dream was shattered. I had questions, I refused a 10k medal, I called bullshit on the two stories that they told me and pretty much made a big scene. I was so hurt. A staff member walked up to me and gave me a medal. That simmered me down. I stayed there for an hour to let other finishers take an official finisher photo with my medal.

Post-race: I took an ice bath and walked the stairs a few times that evening. Other than some quad pain and being sleepy all week, I felt fine. My ankle never bothered me. In the week after I sprained it, I had acupuncture twice, electrical stimulation 3 times and plenty of RICE. On race day, a popped a prescribed pain pill and slapped a lidocaine patch on it, so the ankle was in lala land.  I will run another marathon during training for Ironman Chattanooga. My greatest lesson is to not accept the offer from someone to run with me for support again. It was an extremely kind thing for him to do, but he was untrained and injured and should have realized that he could jeopardize my race. My predicted finish time was 5-5.5 hours, but it took me an hour longer. I never hit a wall or had any pain. Looking on the bright side, my marathon in March will be a PR of over an hour!!

Special thanks to James for running with me and trying to hang in there through the pain, Brook for doing Physical Therapy on the ankle, all of the FB folks and friends who gave me 1st timer tips and suggestions on how to get the ankle race ready. I am eternally grateful for all those who cheered me on virtually and in person. Please know that without you, my accomplishment would have been tougher. I am extremely proud to add a marathon to my list of accomplishments!

Next up: March marathon and whatever else my Coach tells me to do in preparation for Ironman Chattanooga! I will be an Ironman on September 28, 2014. I'm writing it down and will make it happen. I hope you come along for the journey...

Love,

Tri Becca

Ironman Augusta 70.3

I signed up for the Ironman 70.3 Augusta triathlon as a birthday present to myself. At the time, I was experiencing some financial difficulties and had to cut back on races this year, but I needed to have something big on my calendar to  help keep me sane. My first two Ironman 70.3 triathlons had its challenges and I just didn’t feel like I did my best. I wanted to race this distance one more time and race it faster and without the mistakes made in the past. I can't say that I accomplished that goal. My friend Tania signed up to race with me and the plan was to drive down and spend an extra night in Augusta. I got a new job and later learned that race day was the same day that I needed to fly out for sales training, so it drastically affected our plans. However, in true fashion of Tania being the absolute best friend, we made it work. Due to work schedules, we couldn’t leave before 5pm on Friday, but thank goodness Tania’s wife came with us so we were able to take the HOV lane to get out of crazy Friday evening DC traffic! The drive was uneventful. Tania drove us the entire way, arriving in Augusta after 3am at a Bed and Breakfast that was right on the run course and walking distance to everything. This place was old with creaky wood floors and would have been a nice place if it wasn’t for the stench of 100 years of dust with all of the windows nailed shut. It reminded us of an old haunted house.

We planned to do a practice swim on Saturday, but that plan got nixed after spending the day walking through a cute little street market, spending some time at the race expo, a couple hours at the bar and then walking back to the hotel taking random photo’s along the way.  We still had to get to the store, get some dinner and try to rest up for the big day. Despite a rough start to Tania's day, she ended up with a 9 minute PR! The highlight of my day was seeing my friend Brigitte’s sister and kids that drove down to cheer me on from Atlanta. They had some time to kill while I was on the bike, so they went to the library and made a sign for me. It was the cutest thing to see 6 year old Josiah holding it upside down as I rode by on my bike!

Swim: 1.2 miles

As Meghan put it, “Current is Love”. The Savannah River has a current that makes any swimmer look like a rock star! The water was 69 degrees this morning, which is much colder than I have probably ever swum in. It took me a few minutes to get acclimated. Against my better judgment and plans, I did not swim in the river prior to the swim. Had I done so, I would have possibly noted the seaweed that could get caught around your dang foot. After getting used to the water temperature and having to summon a kayak over so I could free myself of seaweed and calm down from my complete panic attack, I started to notice how the buoys were coming up rather fast. I didn’t feel the current, but noticed that I was swimming 100 meters at a time much faster than I ever did! No Sunday morning swimming for this chic today! I was a victim of the current’s love and got that swim done faster than ever! The Augusta Chronicle captured me exiting the water with a bright smile on my face! Lesson: Preparation prevents panic. Time: 39:10 (I probably lost 5 minutes freaking out about the seaweed with the kayak guy)

Bike: 56 miles

Perception is reality and most definitely varies from person to person. What one person thinks is slightly hilly with rolling hills; another person may see it as long slow climbs, false flats and the occasional downhill that abruptly ends with a stop and turn. I think to be good on a course; it takes training on a similar course.  Granted, the courses that I trained on have been harder and there were no insurmountable hills on the Augusta Tri course, however it was not at all what I expected. I didn’t train on slow climbs, so when I was on a climb that was freaking continuous like the one at mile 32.8, which had me to drop my speed down to 9.5mph, it was hard for me. This course only had the occasional rolling hill to me. This course was challenging with some fast flats, a few rolling hills with fast descends and long slow climbs/false flats to me. My perception of this bike course was different and not at all what I expected. I am sad that it took me much longer than expected. I thought that I was prepared by riding in Columbia, Southern Maryland and Reston, but I wasn’t. This is very disappointing, because I really wanted a 3:00-3:30 finish time. Nevertheless, I finished... and conquering 56 miles on a bike is no small feat, so I won’t beat myself up about it. Lesson: It is foolish to set time goals for something that I have not previously experienced, as one person’s perception may not be my reality. I really need to work on my cadence on rides to prepare for next year. Time: 3:51

Run: 13.1 miles

The run was just as expected. It was flat and the crowd support was amazing in some spots. I expected to have a tough 1^st mile and expected that my Achilles may tighten up until I got it stretched out really good. What I did not expect was the side of my right foot to hurt so much. Plus, I was so fatigued that I considered just running to the finish line instead of going on my 2^nd loop.... but, I fought the urge/crazy thought. I would have felt terrible if I had cheated and quit, so I fought back the tears and pushed on for another 7.1 miles. I was really hoping to finish the run much faster since I have been running more to prepare for the Marine Corp Marathon, but my time was only a few minutes faster than the run on my previous two Ironman 70.3 triathlon races. So, I am disappointed in my run time too. Staying with the whole "look on the brighter side" theme: I will just remind myself that just being able to physically and mentally complete this is a blessing. I crossed the finish line, grabbed my medal, said hello to Margo and sped walked to the hotel to get showered up for a flight that was leaving in 2 hours. Lesson: Get aches and pains checked out while in training and not wait until it causes me to lose time on race day. Time: 3:09

My swim to run transition time was 7:39 and my bike to run transition time was 10:38. My total race time was 7:58. Not quite the pipe dream of less than 6 hours or my worse day expected time of 7:15, but I finished and FINISHING IS WINNING.

All in all, it was a challenging day and I did not meet my time goals. I am still very happy that I was able to compete at this distance again and feel that I gave it all that I could, given my preparation. I don't want to make excuses for myself, but I have had a lot going on (new job, family and personal stuff) which impacted my training and mental game a bit.  Since 2010, I have followed training plans that were not specifically made for me. I really want to get stronger and faster. This race confirmed that it is time for me to get a coach that will tailor a plan for me with my goals in mind. This was my 12^th triathlon and I could not be more proud of myself! This journey has not been a solo one, as my friends and many people that I don’t know have been great supporters. They really keep me going on race day when I know that they are tracking, thinking of and praying for me. I am one blessed girl.

Next up: My very first marathon! I will tackle 26.2 miles of running in the Marine Corp Marathon in 4 weeks.

In 1 year, I will double the distance of this race and tackle my very first full Ironman Triathlon in Chattanooga, TN! I know if you are reading this, then you will be along for the journey. Thank you!

Tri Becca

A good day, a challenging day and a flat out PIPE DREAM

The day of a traveling salesperson makes it hard on a triathlon and marathon training schedule! I had to admit to a friend today that my Superwoman cape doesn't always fit. I had good training intentions today, but life happens. I pray that I get a chance to wake up tomorrow and make it a more productive training day than today.

I had a lot of time to think while driving for SEVEN hours today. I came up with what a good day, a bad day and a flat out pipe dream would be for my upcoming Augusta Ironman 70.3 triathlon on September 29th.

A good day would be if there is a really strong current, all of my hilly bike rides pay off and my marathon training has made me a stronger runner. It would look something like this:

Swim 1.2 miles: 30  minutes
Bike 56 miles: 3 hours
Run 13.1 miles: 2:30
T1/T2 (transitions): less than 10 minutes total
Total time: 6 hours 10 minutes

A challenging day would be if there is no current, the course is more hilly than expected and I am just hot and exhausted on the run. It would look something like this:

Swim 1.2 miles: 45 minutes +

Bike 56 miles: 3:30 +

Run 13.1 miles: 2:45 +

T1/T2 (transitions): 12 minutes +

Total time: 7+ hours (the cut off is 8 hours)

A flat out PIPE DREAM would be if I had followed my training plan with the consistency and intensity that it takes to be where I want to be as a triathlete (it's time to get a coach!). It would look something like this:

Swim 1.2 miles: less than 30 minutes

Bike 56 miles: 2 hours 45 minutes

Run 13.1 miles: 2:15

T1/T2 (transitions): less than 8 minutes total

Total time: 5:38

No matter what happens out there, I will remember that I am blessed just to be able to compete. I recall not being able to climb a flight of stairs without being short of breath and not being able to make it across the pool without stopping. That was just a few short years ago. This race was my birthday present to myself, so I will enjoy it! I hope to have a good day. Prayers, thoughts and virtual cheers are welcomed. However, there is no need for anybody to be out there to be twerking in my honor! LOL

The ULTIMATE challenge!

It all started in January 2010 when I was recovering from an abdominal surgery and post surgical double pneumonia. 80% of both of my lungs were filled with pneumonia. I could barely climb a flight of stairs or take a shower without becoming extremely winded and fatigued. I started to run the year before and had learned about Triathlons. At the time, I quickly dismissed the idea of doing a Triathlon, as I could not swim, did not own a bike and was a new runner. However, when I was recovering from surgery and pneumonia, the idea of doing a Triathlon appealed to me.  The inability to do anything made me want to do everything! I wanted to complete a triathlon! My initial goal was just to be able to walk around the block. My next goal was to walk 4 blocks to my friend Jolie's house. Once I was able to do that, I prayed that if God allowed my lungs to get back to normal, I would learn to swim and complete a triathlon. I called my friend Dawn and told her that there was an inaugural Triathlon in DC in June and I was going to complete it. I'm sure she thought that I was crazy, but she promised to do it with me.

Training to complete my 1st triathlon was no small feat. I took my first swim lesson in January 2010. It was March before I could make it across the pool without stopping. I still had a touch of pneumonia, so running was challenging. I didn't purchase a bike until mid March and my greatest challenge was staying vertical. It was WORK. However, on June 20, 2010, I completed my first Triathlon with my friend Dawn at my side & my running coach and mentor at the finish line along with a whole cheer squad of friends! My First Triathlon

In 2010, I completed 3 triathlons, 5 triathlons in 2011, 2 in 2012 and I will be completing my 2nd one this year. 4 Sprints, 5 Olympics and 3 Ironman 70.3 (half Ironman) triathlons. Now, I am ready for the ULTIMATE Challenge. A full Ironman! Ironman Chattanooga!

Ironman Chattanooga will be on September 28th, 2014. The swim is 2.4 miles in the Tennessee River, 112 miles of cycling the rolling hills of North Georgia and a 26.2 mile marathon run through downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee. That's a total of 140.6 miles that I must complete in 17 hours. It will take a village to get me to the start/finish line healthy and sane. If you are a runner, cyclist, swimmer, masseuse  or yogi, I will need your help! If you are none of these, I will need your positive vibes, thoughts, prayers and an occasional outing to help me to have some balance. I will start training for this after taking the month of November off from training. I'm going to be an Ironman!! What a journey.....

TriBecca

Tough, lazy, exuses or big bite?

More often than not these days, I  find myself thinking, "Am I not being tough enough? Am I being lazy? Am I just making excuses? Have I bitten off more than I can chew?".

Training for an Ironman 70.3 triathlon is tough. I have completed 2 of these races (Eagleman and Cozumel in 2012), so I know what it takes and what to expect. However, when you combine that with training for your very first marathon, it's a whole different beast. I have learned a lot so far, but something tells me that my learning curve will soon skyrocket, as my run mileage is about to increase. I just don't know how my body will respond to running more than 14 miles. On top of training, I recently started a new job and we all know how challenging getting acclimated to a new company can be. Plus, my Mother/Sister are starting to need more help and helping from a distance creates a challenge all on it's own. I feel like I have the world on my shoulders most days and like I'm on an island all alone. Many folks just can't seem to relate and even if they can, they really can't help. Stress is one of the things that causes my skin condition to act up and training puts stress on the body. So on many days, I feel like my skin is raw and is about to peel off or it's itchy like I have a million fire ants eating me up. The way that I have been coping with it all, is by channeling all of my energy to myself: "No, I can't help you do XYZ or volunteer or meet you for drinks to hear about your problems or take your call if you don't have anything positive to say/ask. Just no. Leave me alone while I try to get a handle on all this stuff." I need a true vacation, especially since the week of mandatory vacation for the new job was spent taking care of my Mother in Georgia. It's a lot.  I do plan to spend some time with friends soon. I really really need that. I need to laugh and dance and relax on a beach and explore a different country too.

The lessons in all of this have been plentiful. Some of them have been about digging deep and discovering who I really am when stress takes a hold. I have learned:

• I really don't need anyone to run 14 miles with me. I thought I did. I even went out with a group. However, when I stopped to adjust my hydration belt and then to stretch my Achilles, I lost them. I had a cue sheet and in hindsight, I probably really didn't loose them. One of my phobias just took over. The path curves in Rock Creek Park so they were probably just right ahead of me, however, my phobia of running alone in parks (because of the Chandra Levy case) caused me to wig out and exit park left. I exited the park way too early and got off course. I managed to get back on course all alone, but at mile 7, the route took me back into the park. So, I turned around and retraced my steps, minus going back into the park. I have run 13 miles before (4 times, actually) and I have run 12 miles alone in the past. So, I was just wigging out. This experience taught me that sometimes when we think we need others, we really don't. Often times "we already have what we are searching for inside of us". My friend Monnie told me that back in 2003. I didn't know what she meant, but now I know. That run turned out to be just what I needed to clear my head, think through some things, pay attention to my form and asses why I stop so much while running. It was a perfect run to figure out some things about myself. I needed alone time with just me and my thoughts.

• If my skin is feeling raw (due to my condition or a crazy chemical burn.... long story), I am not making excuses or being lazy about going for a swim. It just doesn't make sense to get into a public pool with chlorinated water that could possibly aggravate my raw skin even more.

• Pacing myself while cycling hills, especially when I don't know the course, is really the smart thing to do. I tend to get all excited and want to CHARGE up the hills and then I burn out later in the ride. Pacing is key to endurance! Pacing is important in life. I need to take things slower and figure it out instead of just jumping in sometimes.

•  It's true that I have not conditioned myself enough for some of the distances that I have run and that is probably one of the reasons why I fall apart on every single triathlon run. However, my diet is probably a very strong contributing factor as well. I have been reading more on nutrition for distance runners and it's not just a good idea to get enough carbs and energizing foods the day before a long run, but what you eat during the week leading up to the long run is just as important. Also, eating something sweet before a long run is not a good idea, because although, I will burn it off, that sugar high usually turns in a "crash and burn" feeling. So, I will not have desert the night before my long runs. There is no such thing as "I earned this desert" or "I will burn this desert off, so it's okay".  If I want desert, I will have it, but not if I will pay for it during my training. I don't need to make training any harder for myself than it already is.

•  Sometimes I just really need more sleep. Our bodies repair itself when we rest and with all the extra mental and physical stress, sometimes I just need a little extra. If I can get it, then why not? It does not mean that I am being lazy. I may just need an extra hour or two to get recharged so I can continue to deal with everything effectively.

• Dehydration can make you feel exhausted and ill. I previously thought that the only symptoms were thirst, dry lips or cramping. Sometimes water alone is just not enough for me. I really should make sure I stay hydrated with coconut water or an electrolyte drink while training throughout the week and not just for the long runs and long bike rides.

There have been many lessons learned from training this season. The answer to all of my questions are all, "No". No, it's not that I am not being tough enough. No, I am not being lazy. No, I am not just making excuses? No, I have not bitten off more than I can chew. {I am sure all of those double negatives drove someone reading this crazy}... It's just that I have a lot of stressful things going on all at once. My approach of not extending myself too much, working on remaining "whole" and eliminating the stressful people/things/articles/television shows, etc., that weigh on me, is probably a good and permanent approach. If something/someone doesn't serve me in some way, I can't give any energy to it. I just simply don't have the energy to give. All I want to do is focus on my job, my training, my family and spend some times with friends who actually care about me... Unfortunately, the beach and exploring another country will have to wait awhile.


5 weeks until Augusta Ironman 70.3!