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

One of my coaches asked us the question - Do you fear Failure? It is an interesting question - he said that a lot could be learned by our responses as to how we train and compete. My initial gut response - was ahhhhh - YEP. But then I thought about it some more. I guess it depends on what your definition of failure is. Yes in some ways I am afraid of failure and honestly I don't think that is always a bad thing. I think you have to look at the situation or the event. Bungee jumping for example - yep if the cord fails I am afraid of that. Sky diving - yep fear of failing at that because probably means death..... However I am not so afraid of failure as to not try something for me that would be sad - think of all the things you would never try. Someone close to me wanted to change careers - they were extremely unhappy and talked incessantly about how unhappy they were and how they wanted to change careers - after listening to this for an extremely long time I finally said ...

A friend's son-in-law was hit this past Monday while riding his bike to work. Not only was he hit but the driver then proceeded to push/drag him down the road for awhile before it occured to him to hang up his phone and see what might be in the way of his front tire! I get that you were busy on the phone with your friend while you were trying to change the cd and hold your coffee that you picked up at the Tim HOrtons that you just had made the right turn out of into my friend. I get it. What I don't get and why I am miffed is that you would then proceed to falsify your statement to the police and talk your victim -YES VICTIM in to dragging himself - correct I said drag himself off the road. Unbelievable comes to mind. Thankfully the victim had called into work and told them he had been hit, he was right by work and they sent the first aid team out. Thankfully they heard the driver freaking out on his cell phone to his friends that he was on his cell phone and did not see...

You think you are doing okay you are following the program - working harder than you did last year. Right that is how it goes. Not so much. I met with coach for the first ride on the road with her and really the first ride since the accident. She wanted to see how our fitness was and how we were on our new bikes. Things were going pretty good until we hit the hills - then I fell back. Don't get me wrong I would get back on the group on the flats and take the lead on the downhills but get dropped on the uphills. ARGHHHH. Frustrating on a normal basis but I am a climber it is what I am good at. In Coach's words this is our star climber well not anymore. Stupid accident. Well it is okay though as I said to coach I am concerned but not freaking out it is only February and it was the first ride. SO now I need to get physio and chiro to work on the right leg because the pain was pretty intense by the end of the ride. Sigh - I repeat getting hit by a car sucks. On another ...

With a new clinic starting for the Vancouver Half marathon - over 90 so far registered and my personal training ramping up I started thinking about how I can stay motivated - basically not get overwhelmed and freak myself out. Let's face it I have set some pretty lofty goals for this year. I think the thing that motivates me the most is the people I am surrounded by - my peeps - both friends and family. I think about my BFF who is now pregnant with twins - not a big thing until you realize that she is a single lady in her 40's who has decided to do this on her own. I only have to train for 8 months - she has the rest of her life and they don't come with manuals - at least not that I am aware of. I think of Care bear and Tif - they have both struggled with injuries for the past year and yet they don't quit. Care Bear actually just got back from doing Goofy in Florida - 1/2 marathon one day, full marathon the next day. And Tif well she is just amazing - she has not...

Whew - finally the last vestiges of Turkey Tummy are finally gone. Being sick and not being able to train over the holidays accompanied by the realization that the next 8 months I was going to have to clean up my diet I kind of went a little crazy. Anyone that knows me knows I absolutely love potato chips - adore them - I like every flavor - of course there are ones that I prefer more than others but I am an equal opportunity chip eater. As I always say I never met a chip that I did not get along with. Couple that with turkey sandwiches with homemade sausage dressing and well you have a perfect recipe for 8 lbs of turkey tummy. Since the 2nd - I was too hungover on the first - I have cut out chips and alcohol - my 2 weaknesses and got back to working out regularly and this morning I am back to pre-Christmas weight. NO- I am not telling you what it is - but is a good weight. Last night I had physio anc because I am on transit, no car at home and a border collie that was crossing hi...

Not much to report except... the snow is finally GONE!!! WOOHOOO, YEAH. What a treat to be able to go out side and go for a walk let alone a run with out fearing I would break my neck. Sundays run was such a treat. I would take a step and miracles of all miracles my foot would stay exactly where I put it OMG! That is right it did not slide to one side or the other it did not suddenly lurch forward or back and I was not in a big puddle of ice it was the best! It allowed me to properly assess how my recovery is doing - still not there but I finished the run and did not feel like bursting into tears from the pain so am very pleased. There are still issues - knee and hip are very sore by the end of a run and ache for a few hours after but the aching seems to last only the day of not the couple of days and I am slowly weaning myself off the Tylenol 3 - it was that I would finish a run and pop one right away - Sunday I did not take one at all. Did my last spin class for awhile as the cl...

Yesterday was the first run since the blizzard on the 20th. I think I prefer running through 2 foot snow drifts for 2 hours. For those that live in a cave - it has been snowing in Vancouver - first snow fall was actually on the 13th of December - the run on the 14th was pretty and beautiful through a small bit of snow in the trails. Normally that would be it back to rain, but we go a few more snow falls during the week no biggy it was going to warm up by Sunday and all would be good. WRONG - woke up on the 21st to a foot or so of snow - no reason to panic - we will go in the trails again. It was an awful run - one that tested us all and broke a lot of folks spirits. 2 hours of slipping and trudging through snow and then it started to snow more, but we got through it. Well that is the end of it - I mean it is Vancouver. NOPE - the next week was a right off for me due to a cold but I now hear that for the dedicated few that traveled out the next Sunday most got to the end of the fir...