Well the first week of IM training is finished. It has been a long week, and not just because of the training, but everything else in my life! Not only did I have to make sure I was training everyday, but I still had to be a mom, do my job, get ready for career day, manage career day, volunteer(kind of) at the 50th celebration for school, get my NEW BIKE, teach a 1st thru 3rd grade and 4th thru 6th grade basketball camp(25 1st thru 3rd graders and 20 4th thru 6th graders),start the laundry(although that is supposed to be Steve's job, he is neglecting his responsibilities), clean the house, and finally spend time with my kids(I made them run and ride their bikes while I was running)!
SWIMMING:
This week I felt like the swim workouts were the hardest. Coach CO has me working on my breathing and holding my breath for a longer bit of time, and DAMN its hard! I have always been that person that could get in the pool and swim a mile or mile and 1/2, but I would swim at a slow pace. Coach CO has me swimming completely different(intervals, and keeping TP time) than I have ever done in the past, and I think I am becoming faster and a better swimmer because of it!
BIKE:
The biggest thing I have realized this week besides trying to fit everything in, is the right fit on a BIKE MATTERS. Seriously, if there was one piece of advice I could give someone who was starting out in triathlons it is to make sure their bike is a fit for their body! Two years ago my husband did a wonderful, heartfelt thing for me, he bought me a new triathlon bike. So sweet of him! However,the problem was I was never appropriately fitted for the bike. He bought the bike at Village Cycle in Elk Grove and with them being a huge cycling store they should have known better and told him I needed to be fitted for the bike. I do not have your normal triathlon body, I'm an old softball player and most softball players are bulky. Most of the serious tri women I know have no boobs, and have absolutely no body fat, well that is certainly not me, so an appropriate fitting was necessary. For the last two years Steve and I have taken the Cervelo' P1 bike to different bike shops to help it be a better fit for me, but honestly no matter what some cycling mechanic did it still never felt right. It wasn't until this past Tuesday when Steve and I took the bike to Endure It in Naperville(Coach CO told me to go there) that the truth was revealed.
Eric the manager put the bike on the trainer, I got on it, and immediately he told Steve and I the bike was way too small for me. The funny thing was when we were at Endure it on Saturday and Steve brought my old bike in another person asked Steve if the P1 was my bike and Steve said yep, he then proceeded to tell Steve that the bike was way to small for me, I wasn't even sitting on it. Two people in a matter of a week said the bike was too small. I don't understand how Village Cycle and a couple of other cycling stores never said one word to me about the bike being too small. Obviously, Village Cycle just wanted to sell a bike and did not care if the bike fit me or not. I can not say enough about Endure it. I did get a new bike and Eric spent a ton of time fitting me with the new bike, and he even hooked me up with other women who are doing the Kentucly Ironman. Even from the minute he said the bike was too small not once did I feel pressured into buying a new bike. Although he did say this was the reason I never felt comfortable on my bike and he worried if I could get thru the ride on the Ironman with the P1. My P1 was a 51', I am now in a 56'. That's a huge difference. I was fitted on Saturday and left it there for a few hours while Eric put some extras on for me, and then picked it up Saturday afternoon. I have to say Saturday was the best ride I have had in years, comfort wise! I was a little nervous because the damn thing is so FAST and much bigger, and my clips are a little different, but my hips, my butt, my knees, and back did not hurt one bit! The arrow position was so much more comfortable for me. I just felt like I had so much more room where as before I felt scrunched! I rode yesterday and today and have never felt better on a bike!
RUNNING:
You may see over the next 19 weeks a lot of complaining about running! I hate running! My knees hate running, my body hates running and blah blah blah! Not only did I get a new bike I bought new running shoes. I bought Hoka running shoes. I went to the NRC and tried on many pairs, I am so difficult when it comes to new shoes. Coach CO gave me one piece of advice for buying the new shoes, he said, "let the shoes pick you" and they certainly did. Once I put them on I knew they were the ones. Unfortunately, the shoes have not made me a faster or better runner but my knees aren't aching when I run. Usually when I ran in the past it always felt like someone was taking a sledge hammer to my knees, but with these shoes the pain has been lessened, still there a bit, but my last three runs have been a lot better. BTW...I will never be a fast runner, I know that, plus I take after my dad and I am unfortunate enough to have his body type, short and stocky. My brother on the other hand rocks when it comes to running, he has my mothers physique(lucky bastard)! For the IM I just want to get thru the run safely and make it to the finish line.
This week I(and Steve) have realized how important equipment is! A person needs to have the right equipment to compete and complete in an IM! This is no joke racing! I also said Steve because he is on this long road with me. Although he is not doing the race he has to put up with my bitching about being sore and so forth. I do feel very privileged to have a husband who understands that having the right equipment is essential(at least I hope he does)! HA!
So all in all it was a good week, not to hard but certainly not EASY! This week will be just as hard and even harder, but I don't feel as nervous as I felt last week! I can only hope this week is not as busy as last week because I am TIRED today! Monday starts week 2!
I will post a pic of my new bike!
"The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra. "~Jimmy Johnson
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