Swim, bike, run - How Bad ASS can I be?

That is right boys and girls you read it - 13 hours 50 minutes! That is the goal time for Ironman. How did I come up with that time. Well I have played with numbers in my head and thought I would be happy with finishing and all else is gravy. But last night in Spin class - our coach Larry - who is really working on our mental attitudes asked - what are your goals and I squeaked out Ironman - he was like NO - more specific - I was like to finish - he was like NO - more specific and then well someone else foolishly piped up and the heat was off of me for the time being. However Judith - aka - my guardian angel - after the class said to me what is your goal time I was like I thought maybe 15 hours and she was like - no you can do way better than that. She was like I think you can do 14.30 hours - I was like really and she was like you are can swim you are stronger than me on the bike when you want to be and you are a runner - you should make your goal 13:59! Okayyyyyy Sparky - let...

Slowly but surely I am able to do more and more which pleases me. I am sure I mentioned before that I coach 1/2 marathon clinics and as part of that I arrange for speakers. I have always been interested in bringing in some one to talk about sports psychology and since working with Barb and Larry Zimich I finally found someone. Larry is one of my cycle coaches, specifically I do the spin classes with him where we work on heart rate and cadence. He also does alot with us on mental and how we need to think like winners. So I asked him to talk to my group and what a hit he was. He talked about how training is 90% subconscious and 10% conscious. He gave examples of how he takes his groups out and pushes - which he does - and pushes. In one example the had his guys do 6 speed repeats and kept on them to get their speed up to 48km/hr and the got close or got there. He then had them stop, get off the bikes and talk to them, head them close their eyes and visualize themselves riding, vis...

R should be for running but recovery is taking a bit longer than I had hoped or wanted. And well for those that know me I am not the most patient person.... That is not to say I have not been running but I am nowhere near where I was or would like to be. AND..... my right leg/groin is acting up. Now how this is happening is beyond me since I landed on my left side but I guess I was hit from behind on both sides so.... Anyways 2 weeks ago I decided I had had enough and I was running and I did - it felt great and then when I stopped not so great about 20 minutes later but nothing a little Tylenol 3 won't fix. I was excited and happy - yeahhhhhh told my physio - she was not so excited but I was like hey I held off for 6 weeks - really!?!? It killed her to say that I should probably run more than once a week just so we could really find out how my body would react - well it is not reacting well. I am running 2x a week and by the end of the run on Sunday my groin and knee were ve...

Ever have that feeling that you have been there before...today I picked up Shazam's replacement. Same bike with minor changes - newer pedals - 2 bottle cages - shorter stem, and new name - Isis! That's right Isis - it is from a superhero cartoon I watched when I was little - the weird thing is I was telling my friend special K about it and she googled it and started laughing because it came up as the Isis and Shazam hour - I had totally forgotten about that (LOL). And then she found the saying Isis used for her magic powers to take hold - Oh zephyr winds that blow on high, lift me now so I can fly! - OMG - I have been outed - yep I am a geek. After weeks of harassing Kirsten about her obsession with Stargate and Star Trek she now has ammunitition. I know I will regret this. But back to Isis - so I also picked up gorgeous tights with pink stripes, a helmet - they only had white, new shoe covers, more lights and the most adorable little pink socks! I am hoping to get her s...

What a roller coaster the last week or so has been. I was starting to feel pretty good - got clearance from my physio to go to the pool and light spinning on the bike - I am always a bit sore after each workout but I expect it and have incorporated ice baths after to help with the healing process. ICBC came through and I got $$$ for the bike, helmet, tights and boots so that is good. Bike ordered just in the nick of time - there were only 3 left in Canada and none by the end of the day so that was a relief - should be arriving at the bike shop this week. Yippeee Physio seemed to be going okay she has been working on my left shoulder and mid back which is aches of and on. OMG - OMG - OMG the first treatment was on Tuesday and I woke up in the middle of the night with sharp pain but I took some motrin and was able to fall asleep. Was achy but no more than usual then I saw her again on Thursday and explained what had happened on Tuesday night. She seemed to think this was not too big...

*@!&@%$? It is just over 3 weeks since I was hit and I am starting to get just a smidge irritable. Trying really hard not to but when you are someone who trains 6 days a week and has run every Sunday for the last 7 years well you can guess. Got 2 quotes back about the bike - not repairable - big shock. Waiting for the 3rd - not sure why it is taking so long - but expect more of the same. The process is honestly pissing me off and I now see how and why people get lawyers. I did nothing wrong and yet I am the one driving around to all these bloody shops and getting quotes. I am the one who can't run or ride and who only got clearance for the pool last week. I am the one who aches every day and usually has a headache by the end of the day. Physio is all about these darn electrodes to stimulate the muscles - lots of fun - afterwards I usually feel pretty noxious and just want to go home and sleep. Fun times. Now I am told that since I am over the 3 week hump expect to have ...

Yes that is right you read the title right. Easy come, easy go. So you all got to see my beautiful new carbon fibre bike, I named her Shazam - yes I name all my bikes just like I name my cars. Weird - maybe but you know what I am not an ax-murder so c'est la vie. Anyways back to Shazam. So I got her sized up and was vibrating with excitement to go for an inaugural ride. So the next Saturday - almost 2 weeks ago now - I got up early and dressed up - as a precaution I even threw on my yellow riding jacket - just to make us more visible - for all the good it would do - and off we went. It was amazing - we flew up the hills and down the hills, gears changed smoothly - like a hot knife through butter, I felt like I was riding on air. I think I even giggled at one point - it was nirvana. We were bonding nicely and on our way back home from a really great ride out to Coquitlam and back. We made our left hand turn ON THE GREEN for the final push home. Then it happened. Out of now...