I Probably Won't Be Able To Lift My Arms By Tonite

Are you sitting down? Those of you who know me better be sitting down.

I swam today. In a pool. Actual laps. At 6:00AM (probably better that way so I'm not awake to realize what I'm actually doing).

You should realize by now I am not a swimmer...I can swim, and I've done triathlon swims of all different lengths (even the 2.4 Hawaii Ironman swim in 1992), and I actually like moving through the water and feeling relaxed. My body loves it too (mostly).

But, its cold and wet and I can't just step out the front door and get it done. I have to drive to the pool. Or ride my bike to the pool. Once I'm there, I'm fine, but getting there is another story. 

My schedule is pretty full, so when something has to go, swimming goes. I can use that time...to work, run, bike, lift, eat, or, best of all, sleep. Who wants to wake up at 5:15 and jump in cold water? Really, who WANTS to do this?

But, I'm competing in a fitness challenge, and I want to not only be a good example for our TriAdventure athletes, I also want to accomplish this for myself. 

TriAdventure has a 525,600 minute fitness challenge going on in 2012. You pick a running, biking, swimming, lifestyle change goal, and try to accomplish small steps along the way until you accomplish the big goal. There is prize money involved (don't worry, employees, friends and family of the company, etc., etc. are not eligible for prizes) and, for me at least, plenty of pride in completing some not too hard, not too easy challenges.

Me being me, I decided to do the biking challenge and the running challenge (3,058 miles of biking this year, 520 miles of running). I should be able to do both of those easily, but with my time limits, it will be harder than it should be...still, I'm not too worried. 

But then I thought. Not good. I never "think" and something gets taken OUT of my schedule. But I thought... "If I am running and biking that much, I should easily be able to accomplish the one Ironman a Month also"...if I could just get in the pool four times a month. 

Sounds easy, but I went back and forth, back and forth...did I want to get up that early on one of my days off?Did I want to take the time in the morning when I could be getting work done? Did I want that pressure, all year, of having to get to the pool and swim when so much else would be going on?

No, I didn't. I even decided NOT to do that challenge, and didn't swim the first week of the New Year. Behind already. 

Then I realized, this Challenge is SUPPOSED to be a challenge. If it wasn't hard, everyone would be doing it. Right? Things are hard for all of us and no one has time to just workout whenever they want. But, if we really want to do it, we make the time. If its important to us, we get it done. 

And reaching that Ironman a month goal, pushing myself just a little further out of my comfort zone, is something I WANT to do. It is important to me. 

So, there I was, 6:00AM, hopping in the pool...well, sliding in the pool, slowly, might be a better description...

Kim Homer was already in the water and had several laps under her belt before I got in. Kim is a good swimmer. Two years ago, she couldn't swim at all, and she panics in the water and is afraid of drowning. Yet, she worked and worked at it, and her technique improved greatly, and she overcame her fears...she even did an open water triathlon swim! 

She looked good this morning, and I don't think she has swam in a long time. She will only get better and better...as will we all!

I plan to swim about 23 laps per visit, four times a month. That will put me a little over 2.4 miles, but makes the math a lot easier! But, since I missed last week, the rest of the month I have to swim 30 laps...or add another day in somewhere.

Adding an extra day is probably smarter, as it gives my body time to adapt which is important if you don't want to get injured. And, I thought about just doing 20-23 today and making up the remainder later. 

Then I swam. The water felt good and I swam pretty smoothly - for about half of a lap. I finished the first lap and stopped to rest. I haven't swam laps in a pool in over five years. Shame on me. Swimming is great for the mind and the body and very good for me. 

As I swam more, I loosened up and felt better, stringing more laps together, but definitely not overdoing it. And thinking this wasn't too bad afterall. 

Then, as I swam even more, I got tired and realized I still have a long way to go.

Kim swam 30 minutes. I swam 30 laps. Joanna, who is doing the English Channel Challenge (21 miles per month), was still swimming when I left.

I probably won't be able to lift my arms by tonite...but that tired, sore feeling will be worth it, as I will have done something good for me and my health, and I will have moved one step closer to completing my challenge. And in the end, aren't we all trying to accomplish challenges, feel better about ourselves and enjoy the thrill of the journey?

Still Crazy After All These Years

There were eight of us who set out Saturday evening for our monthly adventure race training. Eight women, average age 45+.

Our plan was to hike from the Cascades in Pembroke, Virginia, through the mountains to Mountain Lake resort, switch to our mountain bikes, which we left there earlier, and mountain bike back to the Cascades. In the dark.

We are training for a 24-hour adventure race in 2012. We had hoped to do the race this fall (2011), but life and injuries took many of us out of the picture, so we decided to wait until 2012 so we all can do it together.

About three weeks ago we did a 12-hour overnight bike/hike that covered around 30 miles and a lot of elevation gain. It was hard, but fun, and we learned a lot.

The Cascades to Mt. Lake and back hike/bike would turn out to be on a beautiful, clear, mostly warm night, with an almost full moon.

Andie, Kim H, Kim O, Lynne, Magda, Nichole, Teresa and myself parked at a friend’s house about a mile below the Cascades parking lot and headed out…it was 7:20.

The mile to the parking lot was paved, but we soon reached the trail and headed to the “harder” side of the trail, which has rock steps, bridges across the creek, and lots of elevation gain.  The creek was beautiful, and very loud. We talked and thought as we walked, and fueled and hydrated. We know how to take care of ourselves, and we like each other…so its always fun out there.

We paused at the main falls to check out the open view to the sky and the stars…the falls, in the dark, with our lights on them, were awesome. It was quite epic!

Not staying long, we hiked past the Little Cascades and on to the Forest Service road, which climbs, and climbs, and climbs…then, its downhill for about a mile before climbing back up the backside to Mt. Lake. Did I mention we did a lot of climbing going this way?

At the top it was freezing…its always colder at Mt. Lake…and with the 30mph winds, we were really cold…we got the bikes ready, changed clothes, sat in the cars and ate and drank supplies we had left there, then headed back down the mountain…

My bike was shaking it was so cold and I was shivering so much. Freezing.

About a mile down, we came to the Forest Service road again, and up we went. Not too bad of a climb, and only a mile up, we knew once there it was downhill all the way to the car!

The ride back was wonderful – so much fun! Great trails and good riding by everyone.

Overall, we were out there a little over 6 hours. I was home by 2:30ish, and asleep by 3:30ish. Lynne was out before that.

I think everyone was impressed with the “scenery” and the trail, especially the mt. biking. Mostly, we are happy with ourselves and what we can accomplish. And just how crazy it is to not only do what we did, but to have so many of us out there doing it!

Next time, join us!

Mountain Biking Back In Time

Lynne (twin sister) and I went to West Virginia last weekend to check in on our parents, specifically our mother, who is dealing with a lower back fracture.

While there, I was able to get a workout in on my mountain bike. Riding entirely on the family property, I was able to climb, descend, hit some single track, make some tight turns, and visit a lot of spots important to my childhood…and my adulthood.

Dad, who at 75 is discovering the out and about ridges and valleys of the area on the new West Virginia State Car, the four-wheeler, built himself a little trail. Its short (I’m sure there are plans to make it longer), maybe a quarter of a mile, but its narrow, has some steepish ups and downs, and is very smooth. If there were trails that smooth in the Pandapas Pond area, they would draw thousands of casual riders year-round. Just sayin.

So, I would ride out the smooth trail, down two small, but semi-steep hills, around the sharp curve at the bottom of the second one, do a tight turnaround, climb up the steep hills and head back out the trail.

 

Next I would zoom down the hill towards my grandparent’s house, now a rental house, but really, The House That Built Me.

There were many Wednesday afternoons, Saturday nights and Sundays (anytime my grandfather wasn’t at work) spent there learning to do all the things 6 year old girls (or boys) should learn how to do – ride a horse, drive a car, shoot a gun, play basketball, football and baseball (nothing teaches you to shoot, throw or hit straight like a ball going over the side of the mountain, sometimes lost forever, if you mess up), ride bikes and motorbikes, climb a mountain or a tree, build things, learn to play the banjo and cards…we did it all when we were with our grandfather…in and around that house. 

I rode out past the house into the lot, now an open area, where we kept our horses and where the barn used to be. I rode up the hill beside the house where we used to sled – on good ice you could go down that hill and out the road a half mile before having to stop. Sometimes you could go around the curve on one runner you were going so fast…and if you didn’t make the curve chances were you would end up over the mountain and on the road about 100 yards below. 

I rode out the paved road to the “turn around place.”  That’s the spot our grandfather teaching us to drive, would let us take the car a half-mile out the narrow road to, turn around, and drive back to his house. We were six years old when we learned to drive out that road. By the time we got our license, we could drive anywhere…and with my jeep, I pretty much still can! 

From the “turn around place,” I would ride back towards the house, then take the steep, but paved road up to my parents’ house, and start the loop all over again. 

The loop itself didn’t take long, but it was quite the workout, and with all the memories along the way, the ride seemed to last forever!

The Track

Its 7:30AM and I’m sitting in a chair at the local high school track.

Fog surrounds us. 

There’s me, a young collegiate triathlete I’m working with, a young teen, probably only high school age, running sprints on the infield. 

We’re here to do a running test for the collegiate athlete…a first step toward making her a better runner. 

The tall gangly high school kid has changed into football cleats and after a warm-up lap around the track, proceeds to run 100, then 50 yard sprints. 

At first he looks a little awkward, and I think, “I could help him with his form, make him a more efficient sprinter.” But as he runs down the field, the further he goes, the faster he goes.

Speed builds easily.

He is fast and fluid.

In my imagination, I see him veer and catch the pass from the unseen quarterback. 

Its August…early August. But early mornings are cool in the mountains, so its not hot yet. The fog helps keep the soon to be scorching summer sun at bay. 

I sit uncomfortably, wanting to be running – not taking down heart rates and splits and making notes. 

My athlete runs steadily, calling out her heart rate each time she passes. 

The high school kid continues to run – still ragged at the start, but smoothly and effortlessly as he builds speed and hits his stride. 

Why is he out here?

Why are we all out here? 

Basically, because we want to be better...or we want someone else- my runner, the sprinter’s team - to be better. 

Tracks are where we go to test ourselves, to make ourselves better, to make dreams come true.

In My Mind I'm Going To Carolina

Just a quick update...spent the last 5 days "vacationing" near Asheville, NC...our Posse group of riders went down to climb, ride, hike and relax. We've gone to Boone for about 5 years, so changed it up this year.

Asheville was hot, but wonderful. Climbing was excellent (the downhills weren't too bad either!). We rode to the top of Mt. Mitchell the first day. Another day we climbed from Weaverville up to the Parkway and on up towards Craggy Gardens. 

Love riding on the Parkway. Anytime you have a chance to ride the Parkway, do it. Might be some climbing involved, might not always be easy, but will always be beautiful and rewarding.

I am by no means in good biking/climbing shape, but I've worked hard to at least maintain some semblance of bike fitness, and I can always dig deep and keep going. Physically I stay pretty strong, mentally, I'm always ready.

Sometimes, and more often than not, mental strongness will overcome physical strongness...

And, you can prepare for that...how? Want it bad, visualize yourself doing it, think positive/KNOW you can do it, want it bad...