Three Things Thursday ...

Half Century - On Saturday, Sally (Ironman-in-Training) and I will be taking part in the Cap 2 Cap Half Century ride (there is also a Century, Quarter Century and 15 mile Family Fun ride). As of right now, I have zero idea of what to expect. The website is kind of lacking information of any kind. I mean, last time I checked, the course hadn't even been posted.

However, I have been told/read that this is a fun ride, not a race (think big group ride, food/rest stops, etc.).

Hmm? Not a race? Well, apparently, they have never met me.

Of course, this is a race. Just like a group run is a race. And so is running on a treadmill next to someone else. In fact, from now on, if someone else is present during your workout, just assume that it's a race.

Assessment - In preparation for the 2012-2013 school year, I was asked to assess Dizzle and Doodle's learning style, strengths and weaknesses. The lists looked a little something like this:

• self-motivated
• highly competitive
• works best when being held accountable
• extremely focused on perfection when give a task she feels drawn to
• analytical
• high energy
• tends to vie for leadership position and/or likes to be in control

Is it just me or do they sound like little endurance athletes in the making?

Do What You Love - The other day I wore my Ironman branded jacket to the grocery store. After I checked out, an employee asked the following question:

"Do you like doing those Ironman workouts?"

A seemingly innocent question, but I was instantly compelled to slap some sense into him.

I answered, "Yes. It's a big part of my life, but I love it." But all I could think was, "No, dumba**, I spend all of my free time doing something I hate. Don't you?"

When I came home, I reflected for a moment and then taught Dizzle the two lessons I got from that interactions:

Lesson #1 - Do what you love.
Lesson #2 - Don't ask stupid questions or risked getting slapped upside the head.

Wordless Wednesday: Why didn't I notice that before?

My best friend from childhood posted this on my Facebook wall on Monday. 

I don't think it could be more true or appropriate ...

see, it's fate ...

Three Things Thursday ...

Ironman - It's no secret that I have my eyes set on becoming an Ironman. And being completely impatient like I am, I really would like it to happen sooner rather than later. So, like any completely insane rational person, I narrowed down potential races to my top four, based on location, course, weather and time of year.

And thanks to my very scientific methods, I was left with the following (2013 races, of course) ...

• Ironman Florida
• Ironman Arizona
• Beach 2 Battleship
• Rev3 Cedar Point

At which point, I texted the list to my fellow potential Ironman Jill and we decided on which one would be our Ironman debut.

Ha. You didn't think I was going to tell you which one, did you?

I mean, someday I will, but not until that registration fee has been processed.

Anyway, I'm totally psyched and mildly freaked out about this. When I threw it out to J, shockingly, he didn't totally scoff. But, he wasn't entirely on board either. So, I think I need some ideas of how to frame it in the best light.

That's where you all come in. J reads this and all of the comments you leave. Let him know how you think this is an epic idea, how it won't be a total time suck and that he's wicked awesome (which he is. But, sucking up never hurts, right?).

Oh, and if you think this is a horrible idea, just pretend like I never mentioned it ...

Open Water - Since I had a complete mild freak out during the swim portion of Ironman 70.3 Texas, I decided that I needed to get some more practice swimming in open water. And the perfect way to do force yourself to do that is to sign up for an Open Water Race Series. Each of the races is 1500m, with the first taking place on April 29th. *cue panic attack*

In an attempt to determine what I had gotten myself into, I checked out last year's race results.

Big mistake.

In my age group (30 and under), the slowest finishing time in any of the races was 14:40.

Do you know what my fastest 1500m time is?

31:31.

And that was in a pool. I am so going to get schooled. (Note: Only 2 people finished in over 30 minutes. There is a real possibility that I could finish dead last.)

Free Sneakers - Did you know that I am giving away a pair of New Balance 890s to one lucky reader? Well, have you entered yet? Then you should probably get on that. Just CLICK HERE to find out all the details.

Three Things Thursday ...

Fired Up - Last night, I hit the pool for my final pre-race workout - 800m. When I got there the place was a zoo. A third of the pool was closed for swim lessons. Another third was open swim (i.e. creepy men standing in and around the pool). Then in the middle of the two were two lone swim lanes.

As I walked over, I noticed a man floating on his back down the lane. Once he drifted (very slowly) to the end, I asked if I could join. In broken English, he told me I could have the lane, he would leave. Awesome!

I started. Halfway through I knew I was crushing it. I was in the zone. With about 150m left, two 14 year old girls jumped in my lane. No biggie. I just started circle swimming. 35m later one of them was on my heels. She passed me, flip-turned and kept moving. Her friend, however, was standing at the end of the lane when I got there. As I popped up (no flip-turns for me), she threw me a "Oh, that swimming thing you are trying to do is so nice" look.

I nearly decked her.

Seriously, kid?

Who the heck cares that your 50m split is twice as fast as mine? Can you freaking swim 1.2 miles and then bike 56 and run 13.1? No? I didn't think so.

You're an athlete. I'm an athlete. Respect that.

Packing Worries - After I posted this picture yesterday, I got a slew of emails and comments with suggestions of things that I had forgotten.

I want you all to stop worrying. Although, I truly appreciate that you took time out of your day to help me out, I am fully prepared. Those bags already had things in them when I took the picture. I have 3 checklists that I am working off of. I have back ups of back ups. It's all good.

Oh, and I will be wearing my Team Tough Chik tri kit the WHOLE TIME. The swim suit is there just in case I get the chance to swim on Friday or Saturday.

Stalk Me - So, I have no idea whether or not Ironman has live race tracking, but if you want to attempt to follow me my bib number is 1066 and my wave starts at 7:45 a.m. Central.

You might also be able to find me under the name Honey Badger. OK, not really, but if you see a picture of Lance, look really far into the background and I'm probably there ...

An apology ...

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry for the last two days.

I'm sorry to my legs for pounding them with 138.2 miles in just two workouts.

I'm sorry to my hips and butt for the cumulative 6 hours and 34 minutes I sat on my bike since Sunday.

I'm sorry to my feet for running as much in the past weekend than I had in the last two weeks.

I'm sorry to my stomach for overfilling it when the post-workout hunger cycle started.

I'm sorry to my head for powering through my workout despite the searing headache.

I'm sorry to my arms for having to hold my body up for all those long hours on the bike.

I'm sorry to my girls for constantly telling them, "Just a minute. I'm almost done with this cycle." 

I'm sorry to my husband for leaving him with our rather demanding children for a large portion of this weekend. I'm sorry for falling asleep on the couch at 8 p.m. I'm sorry that I failed to straighten up the house. And I am sorry I didn't get to play in the snow with him and the girls.

I'm sorry for getting ahead of myself. I'm sorry for thinking that I could manage Ironman training with a husband that travels constantly and kids that still don't go to school full-time. I'm sorry for trying to jump the gun again.

What I'm not sorry for is showing my kids that it takes hard work to reach your goals. I'm not sorry for pushing myself past my limits. I'm not sorry for trying my best to get it all done. And I'm not sorry for putting the "Finish an Ironman" goal out there. I will. Maybe not as soon as I would like. But I will.

And then I'll probably be making these apologies all over again ...

Live Like the Honey Badger: Principle 3

This is the third in a series of posts entitled, Live Like the Honey Badger. Every Friday, I address one aspect of developing confidence, self-worth, a fearless nature and the like. Previous weeks are linked below.

Principle 1: Honey Badger Don't Care
Principle 2: Accept Yourself. Your Whole Self

Principle 3: Surround Yourself With Honey Badgers

Last time I checked, we live in a social world. Everyday, we interact with hundreds, if not thousands, of people, both face-to-face and virtually. And each of these interactions has an effect on how we live our lives. Think about it.

• Maybe you hold yourself back because someone tells you that, "You can't" or "Your idea is stupid."
• Maybe you don't take a chance because you are afraid of what others might think if you fail. 
• Maybe you have always been told that you aren't enough and it paralyzes you completely.

Do you see what all of those scenarios have in common?

NEGATIVITY.

Negativity is contagious. It grabs you by your doubt and sucks you in and if you are surrounded by it for long enough, it can be hard to escape.

If your peers are negative, chances are you will be negative. If your peers are unhealthy, chances are you will be unhealthy. If your peers are stagnant, chances are you will be stagnant too. Over time, we become our peer groups. But, it doesn't have to hold you back. Let me use myself as an example.

As a teen, I was overweight. And so were my friends. We fostered each others negative behaviors. We chose eating out over eating healthy and movie nights over workout sessions. Then, when I decided to make a change, I found myself drifting from those people, maybe intentionally, maybe not. And as I drifted, I formed new connections with people who supported, agreed with or shared my passion for health and fitness. And now, I am surrounded (both virtually and in real life) with individuals who "get me" and what I am trying to do. They understand why I would want to be an Ironman or be a vegetarian, even if they don't aspire to do the same. They understand that my choices are intended to improve the quality of life for me and my whole family. They see the big picture.

Sure, there have been speed bumps along the way. I've encountered people who I thought were there for me, but their negativity was too great to overcome. So, I've left them behind and I'm better for it. It hasn't always been easy, but every struggle has been worth it.

If we are a reflection of the people in our lives, then we need to surround ourselves with people who we can aspire to be like, people who won't belittle our dreams to make themselves feel better, people who will cheer us on and support us regardless of how farfetched our plans may be. Rid yourself of the negativity in your life. It's getting you nowhere.

Long story short, if you want to be a Honey Badger, you need to surround yourself with Honey Badgers.

triathlon confession ...

Confession: I am a runner who is really loving triathlon training.

Confession: Swimming doesn't suck. Sure, it isn't easy, but I actually look forward to my swim workouts. Well, other than the 4:30 a.m. wake up call.

Confession: I have serious bike envy. Sleeper does the job, but this $190 bike is giving me an inferiority complex.


Confession: Running less while maintaining my workout volume is making me love running more. I appreciate every mile.

Confession: I registered for a Fall Sprint Triathlon. I can't wait to see what I can do when I actually train.

Confession: Once all of my kids are in school, I will be an Ironman. It might be in two years. It might be in 10. But it will happen.

So, what are you hiding from the rest of us?

how NOT to train for a sprint tri

As you may recall, I am registered for the Pink Power Sprint Tri on Sunday. I have been registered for this event since March or April, with full intention to train for the race (unlike the other two triathlons I competed in). I had a plan and I was going to stick with it. But I didn't. And now, I am two days away from the race and I have not sat on my bike or swam a single lap in over two years.

Obviously, this is going to be a stellar event for me. So, to help you in your triathlon adventures, here are my tips for training for a sprint tri ...

If you are training for a sprint tri, do not ignore that there are three different disciplines on race day. Running 40 miles a week will build your endurance, but it is not going to teach you how to freestyle or do flip turns.

If you are training for a sprint tri, do not ignore the fact that riding a bike is different than running. Sure, they are both cardio activities, but they are not the same.

If you are training for a sprint tri, do not ignore the fact that although it might be hard to get your workouts in, it can be done. Take the bike for instance. Sure, you can't bring three kids on training rides with you, but stop pretending you don't own an indoor trainer. It's not that you don't have time, it's that you're not making time.

If you are training for a sprint tri, do not shift your focus to marathon training. That poor tri that you so wanted to crush will only suffer.

If you are training for a sprint tri, do not let your bike sit in a shed for two years with flat tires. have your bike tuned up. Or at least put air in the tires. That way, you could train if you wanted to.

If you are training for a sprint tri, do not let time slip away. If you are going to use an eight week training program, start it eight weeks out. An eight week training plan will do you no good two days before the race.

If you are training for a sprint tri, do not ignore the fact that you will have to transition from the swim to the bike and the bike to the run. Sure, you have a vague memory of what transitions are like, but someone came up with brick workouts for a reason.

If you are training for a sprint tri, do not rely on the fact that you can "get through it." Yes, you probably can. But, it's likely to be painful or embarrassing or flat out laughable.

If you are training for a sprint tri, do not finish the race thinking you are invincible. You are not. And you most definitely can NOT finish a half Ironman. Even if you promise yourself that you will train, because you won't. And you can't fake your way through that ...

(disclaimer - these tips may actually be less helpful tips, and more a stark realization of how poorly prepared TMB may or may not be for her upcoming sprint tri. It might be best if you do the exact opposite of her when you attempt to train for a triathlon.)