Yes I am still alive.
Wow it has been a while since I have posted ! Too busy training and such.
Since the last time I posted I have been carefully playing with my nutrition/electrolyte needs to get it right for race day. Mixed results but I think I have got it figured out, more on that later.
Did 2 races during the last 2 weeks : the 3km Kits Swim Challenge and Escape Velocity’s WarpSpeed Time Trial. So it has been busy.
The Swim went well – at least from my perspective – I was calm , I finished and it was in about the time I thought I would do – I would prefer a little faster but it is what it is and I feel confident that I will finish the Ironman swim. I am hoping for 1 hour 40 min but in the end the goal is to finish it and get to the bike before cut-off which I now know I will do. I did the swim in 1 hour 31 min for 3 km in very choppy water! I felt like I was in a washing machine but when I came out I was not exhausted and more importantly I did not panic or freak out at the start or whenever anyone came up to me – I was “Bamboo”.
– Funny aside - I just finished my OWS course on Thursday and at our wrap up dinner a couple of other ladies in the course were talking and I said they should register for the 750m race and use it as a training swim. The amazing Diane hemmed and hawed and I cajoled her into registering with the famous “Really, HOW BAD CAN IT BE?” line. So fast forward to Saturday morning and I am standing with there with Special K who has come to cheer and Diane wanders up and says I can’t believe I am doing this – look what happens over a beer? Shaun talked me into this! Special K was like – this is nothing – do you know the crazy things this woman has talked me into over a beer or breakfast? Stormy, Marathons, H2H! It is a slippery slope sister! I started laughing – Who ME???? – I guess you had to be there and know the history – it is kinda true. Anyone want to for a beer...
Next up was the Escape Velocity Time Trial – coach wanted us to do a 20km Time Trial in Abbotsford and then I was to bike home from Abbotsford to Burnaby to get another 4 hours in. We got there early and signed in I chose the 10:17am start time because I wanted to get done and on the road back home – it was going to be a long day as it was. I did my 30+ min warm-up and rode up to the start line 5 min prior but some error they did not have me down on the list – when I tried to talk to them they would not listen – the list showed the time and it was fairly obvious that they forgot to put my name in. Anyways after some negotiating they re-slotted me in at 10:33 – warm-up now wasted but better than their suggested 11:00 time that I refused. Apparently anger fuels me because my time was 36:30 (my watch still waiting for their results) which I am very pleased with as I wanted under 40 min. I then grabbed all my stuff from the back of my friends car and put it back on my bike – fluids, food, and such (forgot my tool kit thankfully I did not flat on the ride!). Went to the bathroom, grabbed a banana and headed off on my Fraser Valley adventure! Snap Crackle Pop it was a HOT day – but my legs felt fine and I did not get a headache or anything from the heat – one problem was my neck and shoulders were cramping up something fierce – need to get my handle bars looked at.
For fuel I had 5 bottles of Electrolytes, 2 gels, a banana and a peanut butter sandwich – I felt good just HOT - no leg cramping. I think I might be better to eat a few more gels and I could have eaten my apple I brought but my metabolism is ridiculously slow so I believe for me it is more important to make sure I get in the electrolytes/liquids since I sweat a ridiculous amount. I did try to add some Natural liquid minerals in my bottles during the past week but I don’t like the taste and that means I won’t drink them which defeats the purpose.
I will continue to fine tune/tweak this since I know it is essential I stay hydrated. The one bonus with the heat wave is that I am getting used to riding/running in the heat. Only 35 more days to go – gosh it is coming up fast!
Shaun
Since the last time I posted I have been carefully playing with my nutrition/electrolyte needs to get it right for race day. Mixed results but I think I have got it figured out, more on that later.
Did 2 races during the last 2 weeks : the 3km Kits Swim Challenge and Escape Velocity’s WarpSpeed Time Trial. So it has been busy.
The Swim went well – at least from my perspective – I was calm , I finished and it was in about the time I thought I would do – I would prefer a little faster but it is what it is and I feel confident that I will finish the Ironman swim. I am hoping for 1 hour 40 min but in the end the goal is to finish it and get to the bike before cut-off which I now know I will do. I did the swim in 1 hour 31 min for 3 km in very choppy water! I felt like I was in a washing machine but when I came out I was not exhausted and more importantly I did not panic or freak out at the start or whenever anyone came up to me – I was “Bamboo”.
– Funny aside - I just finished my OWS course on Thursday and at our wrap up dinner a couple of other ladies in the course were talking and I said they should register for the 750m race and use it as a training swim. The amazing Diane hemmed and hawed and I cajoled her into registering with the famous “Really, HOW BAD CAN IT BE?” line. So fast forward to Saturday morning and I am standing with there with Special K who has come to cheer and Diane wanders up and says I can’t believe I am doing this – look what happens over a beer? Shaun talked me into this! Special K was like – this is nothing – do you know the crazy things this woman has talked me into over a beer or breakfast? Stormy, Marathons, H2H! It is a slippery slope sister! I started laughing – Who ME???? – I guess you had to be there and know the history – it is kinda true. Anyone want to for a beer...
Next up was the Escape Velocity Time Trial – coach wanted us to do a 20km Time Trial in Abbotsford and then I was to bike home from Abbotsford to Burnaby to get another 4 hours in. We got there early and signed in I chose the 10:17am start time because I wanted to get done and on the road back home – it was going to be a long day as it was. I did my 30+ min warm-up and rode up to the start line 5 min prior but some error they did not have me down on the list – when I tried to talk to them they would not listen – the list showed the time and it was fairly obvious that they forgot to put my name in. Anyways after some negotiating they re-slotted me in at 10:33 – warm-up now wasted but better than their suggested 11:00 time that I refused. Apparently anger fuels me because my time was 36:30 (my watch still waiting for their results) which I am very pleased with as I wanted under 40 min. I then grabbed all my stuff from the back of my friends car and put it back on my bike – fluids, food, and such (forgot my tool kit thankfully I did not flat on the ride!). Went to the bathroom, grabbed a banana and headed off on my Fraser Valley adventure! Snap Crackle Pop it was a HOT day – but my legs felt fine and I did not get a headache or anything from the heat – one problem was my neck and shoulders were cramping up something fierce – need to get my handle bars looked at.
For fuel I had 5 bottles of Electrolytes, 2 gels, a banana and a peanut butter sandwich – I felt good just HOT - no leg cramping. I think I might be better to eat a few more gels and I could have eaten my apple I brought but my metabolism is ridiculously slow so I believe for me it is more important to make sure I get in the electrolytes/liquids since I sweat a ridiculous amount. I did try to add some Natural liquid minerals in my bottles during the past week but I don’t like the taste and that means I won’t drink them which defeats the purpose.
I will continue to fine tune/tweak this since I know it is essential I stay hydrated. The one bonus with the heat wave is that I am getting used to riding/running in the heat. Only 35 more days to go – gosh it is coming up fast!
Shaun
Comments
...it's about the conversation Shaun and I had re: "if you don't sign up you won't train for it" - and that was for the victoria 1/2 marathon. Paid my $$ now wondering what I've done to myself...