less then 30 days to go...

...and in the last 3-4 weeks I've gone through a lot of different emotions.  When I realized I only had 7 more weeks left I suddenly felt like I wasnt ready.  Not nearly as ready as I had been the first or second time.  I rarely got through a week of completing all 11 workouts!  I shouldnt have slept through so many bike rides, or slept in on those long runs.  Why didnt I just ride on my trainer at night?

And then, it happened.  The injury. Tenosynovitis in my leg.  Not too serious, but serious enough that it left me unable to run for two weeks.  Now instead of worrying about whether or not I would finish under 12 hours because I chose sleep over training, I was worrying about the prospect of having to speed walk/limp the marathon...or worse, pull out of the race completely! 

I was suppose to be leaving for Penticton in a few days for a training weekend.  Was there any point of me going up to Penticton to ride the bike course and run and swim too of course?  Well actually, the morning before I was suppose to leave for Penticton, I woke up unable to lift my arm any higher then shoulder height.  I must have slept on it funny so really, was I going up to Penticton just to ride 180km?  I've already ridden the course at least 5 times, do I really need to go? Might as well.  Hotel is already paid for.  Armed with compression socks, ibprofen and the idea of getting a teeny tiny "vacation" I departed for my summer home, away from home; The Rochester. 

Overall, the weekend was a success!  My shoulder re-gained its mobility with lots of stretching and ibprofen, my leg held out for the run, and the ride...I made my peace with those 180 kms.  Most importantly though, the weekend left me feeling ready for the race.  Finishing sub 12 is still within reach!  I'm going to have to work really hard and use my head.

Other thoughts...during long solo rides where I loop UBC and Iona repeatedly thinking about how Im unable to go watch a movie, go to the beach or just hang out with friends...while they're doing so at that moment I tell myself that this will be the last Ironman I ever do.  Now, with less then a month to go, yes I'm excited for it to all be over, but I'm also sad that itll all be over.  I dont want to see it end again.  I've even thought about registering for next year.  A tiny, tiny part of me really wants to.  Seriously. 

a very late post-oliver race report

i think i see moths flying around....its been awhile.. too long....


So, Oliver.  Half ironman.  2k swim, 93km bike and 21km run.
39:57 swim, 2:59 bike, 1:55 run.  Finish time 5:44 (and that time includes a 2 min penalty that I got...)


10 out of 37 women in my age group, 44 out of 327 women and 232 out of 783 athletes.


Im going (to try) to keep this short and sweet.
Strictly looking at time, I had a great race! I finished 10 mins faster then last year and I landed in the top ten for my age group (females).
Mentally, it was the worst race i'd ever done.  I was pretty nervous getting into the water to do my first open-water swim of the year and during the mini-tri the day before I totally panicked while splashing around in the lake.  It took some time, but I finally calmed down and managed to get about 15 mins of swimming done.  The ride and run to follow was cake.  Nevertheless, the swim experience didnt leave me feeling too positive the morning of the race.  Determined not to let it get to me, I set out in the lake for a 15 min warm up pre race.  However, after getting into a rhythm, another swimmer and I swam right into each other  you would think in a huge lake the chances of swimming head on into someone would be slim It wouldnt have been so bad if it hadnt been for this guy's hand punching me in the face though!!!  There i was, treading water in the lake, crying slightly as the other swimmer asked if i was ok.
Back on shore.....I was doing everything I could to keep myself calm.  It didnt work too well.  3...2...1..go....i get into the water and im hyperventilating and swallowing water while arms and legs and bodies are pushing me around and water splashing everywhere....I decide ill head to my far left where its not as congested to try and get away from the mean crowd of swimmers.  Well, after that it was too much zig zag swimming and not enough straight swimming.  I should have had a better swim time. I know im faster.  
lesson learned.  dont freak out.  im a fast swimmer.  dont let ppl push me around.  im going to be a whole new menacing swimmer for IMC this year.


the bike.  it wasnt fantastic, but it wasnt bad either.  no wait, let me take that back.  It was fantastic because I finished 10 mins faster and under 3 hours, but it was bad because I got a penalty.  After riding 93km (actually 91? 92?? according to garmin gps systems) I go to dismount and because I unclipped just after rolling over the dismount line I got a penalty! what a bad ass triathlete i am.  oooh im a rebel! im gonna win the race by dismounting just after the dismount line  rules are rules! so I walked the walk of shame over to the tent and stretched and re-fueled for 2 mins all while trying not to make eye contact with other tri-athletes because the penalty tent is RIGHT in front of the entrance to the bike transition.
In retrospect, the 2 mins of rest was a welcomed rest for the legs and mind before changing into and getting ready for the 21.1km run (which again was longer then 21.1km according to garmin gps systems)


The run.  Again, not fantastic but not bad either.  I normally get my running legs back after 3-5km, but this time it took a good 10km and even then something was off I had the engery to push, but I couldnt push.  I know now, that its because my new bike shoes were too tight you know when you wear tight shoes for too long or heels for too long and after you take them off the first few steps are tender, well thats what it was like running for 21.1km...but i was a buttercup and i tried to suck it up 


And, that's that! 
There, now I dont have to feel guilty about not blogging about the race.  And now I can freely blog about other random training stuff....


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