T-7 weeks till Ironman Chatty 144.6

A few weeks ago people would ask me how my training was going and it was going so well that I hated to say much thinking I might jinx it.  Then I started this countdown and discussing my workouts more openly and I swear things have started to kind of crash.  I thought after having a good week last week that the bad week I had before with the cramps was just a one time thing.  Well..... I was so WRONG! GRRRRRR.  I hope one day I'll get to the finish line and look back at all these notes on my journey to remind me what it took to get there.  

So here's my week:

Monday - 2,500 yard swim --- all went good and I was glad it wasn't a week with one over 3,000 yards.. hee hee

Tuesday - 45 minute bike trainer & 30 min run.  Not a brick..one in the morning and one in the evening.  I choose to run in the am and bike after work.  Oh did I say I LOVE my Peloton! Both workouts felt good.

Wednesday - 1,600 yard swim.  Oh how I love this distance.  It's pretty quick and easy.   Except when your coach puts in speed drills. LOL.  But seriously when I finish this ironman I'll probably still swim 2X a week.  It's good for you and it's a workout that easier on the old body.  

Thursday - 1 hour run ... first 30 easy... second 30 speed work.  I decided to do this after work.  I wished I had ran that am when I started running.  It was in the 90s with a heat index around 100.  I felt like a slow moving turtle.  I managed to get in the hour, but boy was it Hot.  I decided to run after work because I'll be running probably at that time of day during the ironman.  My body needs to be use to running at that time.  But boy this heat is no joke!  I was soaked with sweat.  

Friday - 90 mile bike followed by 1 mile run ..........  I had already planned a vacation day because I was supposed to be going to GA for an olympic TRI race on Saturday with some friends.  However, my daughter found out that her graduation was going to be on Saturday.  I couldn't go to GA and not be at her graduation.  So I kept the day of vacation and changed up my plans with my coach to do a long bike ... 90 miles on Friday so I could be off on Saturday to go to graduation and spend time with family and then do my long run on Sunday.  Well the bike did not go as I had planned!  I planned to do 2 45 mile loops.  Kind of a mock ironman which will be 2 loops also.  After loop one we will come back into a special needs area where we can leave a bag with food or whatever we desire.   So I packed me a peanut butter sandwich, coke (yes, I'm not a coke person but they say during the ironman race to take the coke, take the chicken broth, take whatever they offer to keep your body going) ... so I had packed me a half way bag.   The first loop actually went good.  I rode with my friend Jennifer.  We didn't stop for any rest breaks.  We basically only stopped at the turn around and stretched our necks for just a few seconds and were back off riding back in.  I started getting real hot before we got back in and slowed down letting Jenn get way ahead.  I just felt that I couldn't push it hard any more at the moment.  I was ready to get in to take a short break.  As I ate my sandwich and drank my coke, I felt much better.  I was ready to get the second 45 mile loop in and be done.   Jennifer started back a couple of minutes before me.  I told her I'd either catch up or we'd see each other along the way.  I was actually surprised for a Friday as to how many people were on the trace.  I guess several work night shifts or either they don't work... LOL. 

Anyway, I got 11 miles into the 2nd loop and my inner thigh started cramping.  I couldn't believe it.  By mile 57 my whole thigh was locking up and it was moving to my other leg.  I stopped and I barely could get off the bike.  My thigh cramped and was hard as a massive stone and it moved all the way down my left leg.  I just stood there taking deep breaths praying for it to ease up.  I also wanted to scream, cuss, kick, etc.  What the heck is going on!!! I was drinking a full bottle of tailwind every hour.  I was taking my e-gels every 30 minutes.  I was even licking my base salt!! Yes, I was soaking wet with sweat and very hot, but I felt like I was hydrating.  Finally the cramp eased up that I was able to get off the bike.  I sat down on the ground probably a good 20 minutes.  Every time I tried to stand back up my cramps would come back.  I was so upset.  Why now?? Why me?? What did I do wrong??? a million questions going through my head.  I finally texted Jennifer and told her I was turning around.  There was no way I was going to make it.  She told me she was almost at the turn around and to keep her posted.  I got back on the bike and made it 1 mile and both my legs locked up again.  It was all I could do to not wreck trying to get unclipped and off the bike.  I was walking like a stiff stick man.  So I just stood there as several people came by asking if I was ok.  I told them all that I just had a bad cramp.  I wanted to cry.  I sat another 15 minutes or so and was finally able to stand.  That's when Jennifer arrived.  She asked me what she needed to do.  I told her I'd just wait on her to go back to the vehicle and then come back and pick me up.  So she left on her way to finish her last 11 miles of the 90.  After she left I finally got back on the bike and was able to ride very slowly 6 miles to another stop along the trace.  I texted her and told her that was where I was at and she came to pick me up.  I was so beside myself!  I have not had any problems on the bike at all!  I had ridden 70 & 60 miles the previous weekends with not one issue.  I was proud of Jennifer.  She rode the longest distance she's ever ridden!  I ended up with 62 of the 90 miles I was supposed to ride. :(

I sat awhile at my vehicle and cooled off.  I wanted to take my bike to the shop to get it serviced since I was off work so I decided to go ahead and do that even though I was in no mood.  Jed knew we were riding and asked first thing how our ride went.  I told him mine had not gone well due to cramps.  He couldn't believe it.  Him and his wife run the bike shop.  He is a coach and coaches many bikers.  He was working on another person's bike so his wife started talking to me so he could get back to work.  She told me about this product I had never heard of.  She said it is all her and Jed use.  I told her I was willing to try anything to help with the cramps.  Last summer in all my biking I never had cramps and it was HOT then.  I'd doing the same nutrition so I can't figure out what is going on.  I ended up buying some of the product she suggested and will try it out.  It does have more sodium than my tailwind and it has magnesium. 

Re:Play

 Tailwind

I went home and sat the rest of the afternoon in depression.  So many thoughts running through my head.  Is this a sign??? Do I need to quit??? Maybe I did start out dehydrated because I didn't drank a lot on Thursday night after my run before bed..... Why??  Why?? Why?? I'm not a quitter....but my mind sure did ask me if I needed to.  I mean I know at some point in my life I will have to quit.  I don't want to hurt my body.  But there are people in their 60s and 70s doing ironman so why shouldn't I be able to?   

My niece had a birthday party later that night and my sister was giving me a speech about it being 110 heat index during the day on Friday after I told her about me getting so hot and having cramps.  So maybe that's what it was.... I pushed to hard on that first loop.  I typically stop every 15-20 miles and take a bathroom break and make sure my water bottles are full.  Maybe staying in that bike position 2 1/2 hours before a real break and the heat just took a toll on me.  That's what I'm hoping for!  I guess next weekend when I attempt another long bike, I will see what happens.  I will test this new product and take more breaks.  I know I need to take care of myself in this heat especially when you are out in it for hours.  And we have been under a heat warning all weekend! 

Saturday - REST DAY.... Yippie.  Hamstrings very sore! UGH. But I wouldn't miss my daughter's graduation for anything!  I'm so happy that my coach arranged my schedule so I could have family time.  Nothing comes before my kids!  Very proud of this little girl working on her Masters while working full time as a teacher.!  You rock ERIN WOOD! LOVE You!

Erin and my mom! LOVE THEM

Sunday - 18 mile run - The anticipation leading up to this run was really getting to me.  It's all I could think about Saturday night.  Would I be able to do 18 without cramps.??... how would I feel?? I really watched what I drank on Saturday and that evening I drank a full bottle of the replay stuff.  I wanted to be hydrated.   Sunday morning at 4:45am came early.  I was up having my coffee and making sure I had all my supplies for my run.  I wanted to get an early start due to the heat index and possible thunderstorms later in the afternoon.  I was shocked but I got my 18 miles in.  Now it wasn't pretty!  My hamstrings are so very sore from the cramps on the bike.  I did a very slow jog/walk program and stuck to it the entire time.  I stopped at every rest stop along the way and stretched.  No cramps! Yippie!  Now there were times that I thought one was about to come on because my calves would start getting very tight.   I would just walk some and kept drinking.  It was HOT.  I was soaked.  I could feel sweat dripping off the back of my shorts onto my legs as I jogged.  I had to constantly wipe the sweat off my face.  My watched started beeping low battery.  I don't know why I didn't charge my watch on Saturday.  I guess I was too focused on worrying bout the cramps that I forgot.  It finally died around mile 14 or so.  I was like oh no!!! I want this dang 18 miles recorded!! 

However, I had planned my route so that when I got back to my vehicle I would be at 18 miles.  So I finished, but don't have a full recording of it! Dang it!  

I will say to end the week on a positive note makes me feel so much better!  I hated missing church, but I had my own church while running.  Believe me there was lots of prayers going up for myself and so many others.  I kept my music on nothing but praise music.  It kept me going and I'm glad to be done so I can rest up this afternoon before going back to work tomorrow.  Training for an Ironman is no joke.   Especially when you work full time.  There is no time for the long workouts that you must get in to be ready except for the weekend.   Just 8 more weeks..... Just 8 more weeks....  that's what I keep telling myself.  Just hang in there and soon you'll be at the race.  :>). 

For now I think I need a little soak and a nap. :>). Happy training to you!