Victory!

So if you haven't heard by now, I successfully met my goal and finished Ironman Lake Placid!  But for those of you who want the details, here is how it went down.

I had gone to bed Saturday night on a stomach full of pancakes, the pre-race meal of champions (thank you to Tom, my friend Greta's boyfriend, for making amazing pancakes; I attribute them to my race-day performance).  I slept okay.  I woke up at 3:00 am, an hour before my alarm was set to go off, and then was able to drift back to sleep for another 45 minutes.

At 4:00 am on Sunday morning, I had some coffee and my every-single-day breakfast of an Ezekiel English muffin with peanut butter.  At 4:30 am, we were out the door.  I asked my friend Greta to take me to the start line.  In addition to our close friendship, she and I have a shared Ironman bond. We both competed last year with the intention of both of us finishing.  She finished and had an amazing race, and we all know what happened to me...

Me at the start, contemplating what is about to go down...

Anyway, I felt bad asking her to get up so early to drive me to the start line, but she was happy to do it and I was so appreciative.  The car ride there was relatively quiet.  I was stuck in my own head space, trying to get my pre-race checklist and affairs in order.

At the start, I headed to transition with my last-minute gear and nutrition to put on my bike.  I put on my wetsuit and made my way to the start of the race.


The Swim (2.4 miles)
The swim was a rolling start, which means all the swimmers (all 3000+ of us) got in a line and moved like lemmings into the water.  It also meant that the swim was very aggressive.  With a swim this big, it is often just as much a struggle for survival as it is about completing the distance, especially since the swim is two loops around Mirror Lake, and by the time you think you have space to yourself, the faster people lap on top of you again. 

I had decided during a warm-up swim on Saturday to try to avoid the crowds by swimming further away from the buoys.  Since Mirror Lake is so clear, you can see the cable that runs along the bottom of the lake to hold the buoys in place.  If you follow the cable, you don't have to look up periodically to make sure you're on track.  However, EVERYONE wants to follow the cable, so it is a competitive spot to hold.  I decided to avoid this nonsense altogether and swim away from the cable.

As soon as I started the swim, I realized that that idea was good in theory, not practice.  There was no safe place to swim.  Even far away from the cable, I was being grabbed, elbowed, pulled, pushed, and used as a flotation device by other swimmers.  I remember thinking, "Forget this sh**" and made my way right for the cable.  I went into Krav Maga mode, a.k.a. Super Bitch Swimmer.  Grab my leg?  I kick you.  Whack me in the head with your arm?  I swear audibly and whack you back.  Swim on top of me?  I shove you in the ribs off-course.  It was on and I was pissed.  I had flashbacks to the classic James Bond movie, "Thunderball," with the underwater scuba fight scene.  Yeah, it was like that.

On the way back to shore during the first lap, I felt something sharp against my foot and then a sudden pain that remained.  I had had the top of my foot sliced open on someone's swimming goggles.  Just a little extra fun added to my swim!  But other than that, the swim was uneventful.  Just long!

Me after the swim, running to T1

I exited the water feeling good about my swim.  I even used a wetsuit peeler for the first time in my triathlon career.  You get your wetsuit down to your waist, lay down, and a race volunteer peels your wetsuit right off you -- very efficient!  With the swim over, I ran back to the transition area (called T1 at this point, or Transition 1 - swim to bike).

The transition tent was much like last year -- it had been raining in the morning, so it was wet on the inside and a frenzy of naked people and chairs I refused to sit on because people pee on them.

Off to find my bike

I had decided this year, learning from last year, to take the time to change my entire outfit, so that I would start the bike ride with dry clothes.  I remember freezing my nuggies off from last year in wet clothes and didn't want a repeat.  I changed into my bike gear.  My foot was still bleeding (disturbingly profusely, actually), but I put my sock on and said I'd take care of it later if it got worse.  I was not letting a boo-boo mess up my race.

With my bike gear on, I ran out of the changing tent and went to claim my bike.


The Bike (112 miles)
This was the challenge for me -- for two reasons.  First, flashbacks from last year's injury kept on popping in my head.  And secondly, the bike has always been my weakest part of the triathlon and I really focused on working on it this season.  I biked wherever I could, whenever I could, and I did hill training like a fiend (Potter Road, I might hate you less because riding on you paid off...but I still hate you overall).

The bike went very well.  During the first 56-mile loop, we were blessed with overcast weather, so it was cool and comfortable.  The death drop out of town seemed less scary and I took it full speed (while covering the brakes of course).  My strategy was to leverage the downhills to make up for the painful uphills to come later.

And oh, did they come.  The bad hills really don't surface until the last 16 miles or so of each loop.  The hill into Wilmington is horrible.  But I did it, and it didn't seem as bad as I remembered.  At this point, the sun began to come out and scorch everything with blazing heat, myself included.

Josh hanging a sign that got me through the bike

The next bad hill was just after the turn onto the highway back to Lake Placid.  That hill was the worst one in the race.  It goes up, and up, and up, and just when you think you're at the top, it goes up more.  This is all around mile 44 (first lap)/100 (second lap).  Just as I was getting disheartened by this hill, I saw an interesting sign.  For me!  My friend Allison and her family Josh, Pacy, and Libby had posted a sign for me at this strategic location.  It was perfect.

After this horrible hill, there were more hills, but they were generally rolling and offered a downhill recovery.  I eagerly anticipated the last three hills of the course, nicknamed the Three Bears (Mama Bear, Baby Bear, and Papa Bear, in that order).  After Papa Bear, the course takes you back through town, where literally hundreds of people are cheering for you.  You feel like a superhero.  I saw all my friends who had come to cheer me on -- even some surprise ones (Joanne!).  

On the bike

Using my motivational energy rush after passing through town, I started my second loop of the bike course.  The second loop was harder, partly because my glutes and hips were locking up and hurting, and partly because the sun was hot and I could feel myself progressively developing symptoms of heat exhaustion.  My head was getting foggy with a dull headache forming, my skin was overheated, and my stomach started to get nauseous.  These symptoms reminded me of the way I felt during the Musselman Half-Ironman a couple years ago, where I know for a fact I had heat exhaustion badly and probably should have had an IV drip in the aid tent post-race to rehydrate me.

I continued to bike until I realized if I didn't do something, my ability to continue in the race would be jeopardized.  I did some troubleshooting and narrowed my issue down to electrolyte imbalance.  So I took a risk -- at the next aid station, I took in Gatorade.  I had not trained on Gatorade, so this had a large possibility of backfiring on me.  But I was desperate and decided it was worth the risk.  And that was exactly what the doctor ordered!  As soon as I started drinking it, it tasted like the most delicious thing in the world (a good sign that your body needs it).  And my headache went away, my nausea subsided, and I felt better. 

I used my memory about my sign at mile 100 to push me up that bastard hill a second time.  I saw the sign at the top and smiled, and continued on towards town.  The whole time, I was so emotional because I had not suffered an injury on the bike like last year.  When I passed the spot where the "sad van" picked me up last year, I realized I was now moving on to uncharted territory.  Shortly after, I was tearing through town again, waving at my friends and getting ready to dismount and move on to the run portion of the race.

Me getting the hell away from the sunblock gropers

I did another wardrobe change in the changing tent to prepare for the run.  My foot had finally stopped bleeding, so all was well.  As I exited, I was asked if I wanted sunscreen.  Now, I said yes for two reasons.  Number one, after the bike in the heat, I was already sunburned and didn't want it to get worse in the still-baking sun.  And number two, when I did Ironman Syracuse (a half-Ironman) last year, the volunteers used spray sunblock to cover you.  So as I held out my arms, awaiting the cold spray of sunscreen, two race volunteers forcibly grabbed me and slathered goopy sunblock all over me.  I felt both shocked and violated.  After a minute of being manhandled, I sprinted away from them as quickly as possible and started my run.


The Run (26.2 miles)
I felt strong on the run.  Luckily I did not feel my sore hips and glutes from the bike ride.  My legs felt fresh and I was ready to go.  I bolted out of town (a little too fast, actually), motivated by the cheering crowds and my friends. 

It became very clear early in the run that I was not going to be able to run the whole marathon continuously.  The sun was just too hot and I could feel my nausea returning.  I literally thought I was going to throw up, which can be problematic for hydration and nutrition reasons. 

I changed my strategy and borrowed one from my friend Greta.  I walked every uphill and through every aid station, and then ran the flats and downhills.  I also had to change my nutrition.  Taking my Gu energy gels as planned wasn't helping.  They were warm from sitting in the sun all day, and I had to just chug them down like a duck swallowing a fish to get the calories in.  So, I adapted my original plan and took some coke at the running course aid stations.  Coke has sugar in it for energy and the carbonation can help settle your stomach.  Again, it tasted like the best thing ever.  So I developed my procedure for every aid station:  two waters, one to dump on my head, the other to drink; one cup of ice to pour into my sports bra; and one cup of coke to drink.

My nausea got better (although it never fully went away) and I was strong while I ran the flats and downhills.  I got lots of compliments from others about how strong and fresh I looked, which again I took as a good sign.  And I felt good!  Don't get me wrong, this run was HARD!  But I felt relatively good while doing it, despite my legs burning with fatigue.  I was able to push all that away and have a good run anyway.

First lap done, one more to go!

In fact, when I returned to town after the first lap of the course, I found myself hamming it up a bit, pumping my fist and even doing the cabbage patch in a little happy dance.  Then I was back out on the course to finish the last half of the marathon. 

This time things were much harder, and I had to push just to keep moving.  My hips started to lock up painfully.  I stuck to my strategy and it worked.  I used anything I could to distract myself -- and found the funniest sign I've ever seen at a long distance event.  It said, "After mile 20, don't trust a fart."  I laughed out loud, it was so funny.

After 10 more miles of drudgery, following my strategy to a tee and maintaining a consistent running pace, I looked at my watch and realized I could finish this mother around 8 pm if I really wanted to.  And so that became my goal.

Rounding the bend in the oval

I ran through town once more for a short out-and-back before I entered the finisher's oval.  I kicked it up a notch and really pushed, knowing I was definitely going to finish.  I took in the cheering crowds and smiled from ear to ear.  The run back to the finish line was the easiest run of my life.  It was almost surreal -- I was floating on the energy of the crowds and the reality that I was going to finish this race.

As I entered the finisher's oval, the ham in me came out again.  I pointed, I fist pumped, and I initiated my signature finish kick to the finish line.  I burst through that line and took in the moment.  The announcer came on as I had dreamed.  "Amanda Barone -- YOU are an Ironman!"

The finish!

And so, after a total of two years preparing for this moment, I finally achieved victory.  I can proudly put myself among the ranks of others who have braved 140.6 miles and triumphed!  Through trusting my training and adapting as needed, I sprinted through the finish and felt strong the whole race.  My training and preparation were solid.  I would not change one thing!

Showing off my bling

Right out of the finish chute

Thank You!
I want to take some time to thank people who really helped me along this journey.  Your support and encouragement kept me motivated and made this possible.

The Crazies

To those of you at the race course: My crazies Sara, Julie, Kim, and Ashlye; my training partner in crime Greta and her pancake chef boyfriend Tom; the person who started this whole running thing, my dear friend Allison and her family Josh, Pacy, and Libby; and my new friends who came to cheer me on this year, Holly and Kristen.  Thank you all for sharing this day with me.  Your support means more than you will ever know.  Every cheer puffed life into my tired self and helped push me to finish.

To those of you following me from home: Thank you for tracking my progress and being so supportive on Facebook.  It was a blast to read all your comments both before and after the race.  You all rock and I love you!

To Mom: You have made this possible.  Between talking me off of ledges, to putting up with my mood swings, to helping me juggle work with training, your support has meant so much.  Thank you, I love you.

And now, it's pizza time...

Post-race pizza and beer

Off to Ironman

This will be my last update before Ironman Lake Placid on Sunday.  I am currently packing the car and getting ready to drive to the race site for Athlete Check-In (which could technically be done Saturday, but they seem to design the schedule of events to keep you trapped in town and spending money locally all weekend).

I have all my gear and food ready.  Itineraries are printed.  Details are listed.  Checklists are made.  Everything is a "go."  Now it's just a matter of getting up there and getting it done.

I feel physically prepared.  Mentally, I am both excited and nervous.  This will be the most challenging race I have tackled in my life, and this time I want to cross the finish line.  I know that I am in the best position possible to do it this year, with an additional year of focused training under my belt.

Most importantly, I am reminding myself to have fun and enjoy the experience.  I am not a fast athlete and am nowhere near winning the thing; the reason I do these sports is out of love.  I love the preparation, the physical challenge, the mental battles, and the self-discovery involved in finding out whether or not you can complete the task.  Training keeps me grounded and in touch with myself.

I will also remind myself of how grateful I am to have so many supportive friends and family members who have done nothing but cheer me on and help me get through the tough training hurdles.  Especially those of you who did nothing but put up with my grouchy crap during the month of June.   I will be thinking of you on Sunday.  Please know that all your encouragement helps more than you can know.

If you would like to track me on Sunday, here is the information:

The tracking is ONLY available on race day. You can go to ironman.com and click on "Live Coverage" at the top of the page and select the correct race (Ironman Lake Placid).  Select "Athlete Tracker" and you can search by bib number or last name.

My Bib Number: 857

Wish me luck!  Off I go!

Seven Days

Much like in the movie, "The Ring," I am waiting for the phone to ring and a creepy voice to whisper, "Seven days..."  It's hard to believe that that's how short a time stands between me and Ironman Lake Placid.

I will not lie.  I am getting a little stir crazy.  My energy level is through the roof thanks to my taper, and I find myself with extra time on my hands.  Basically, I am like a cocker spaniel puppy on Pop Rocks.  I am trying to rely on my trainer brain to resist the temptation to do more work.  I know at this point that it's too late to do any training that will help me for the race.  Now, I need to focus on rest and recovery.

This week, my training will consist of mostly yoga, foam rolling, and just enough swimming, biking, and running to keep the gears in motion.  The rule is, "nothing that makes me sore."  Soreness means muscular damage, which is something I won't recover from in time for the race.  That means no weight lifting this week.  Which is going to be agonizing.  As much as I love endurance sports, weight training is my lifeblood and my favorite fitness activity.  It will be tough to take a break from it, but it must be done.

In addition, I need to be particularly careful with my nutrition heading into Ironman weekend.  My reduced activity level means that I will not need as many calories each day, and I do not want to put on extra weight right before the race.  Luckily, tracking everything in My Fitness Pal is making that very easy to manage.

I'll check in again later in the week and post my athlete tracking information (so you can track me on race day throughout the course if you want; they even have live video feed of the finish line).  I've already drafted out my packing lists.  Right now it's about getting mentally prepared to do my best and rock this race.

Putting On the Brakes

Ironman is less than two weeks away.  My taper is going very well.  Every day that passes, I am feeling stronger.  My workouts seem very minimal and almost relaxing.  This morning I did an easy 8-mile run, and I didn't even feel warmed up until mile 5 since I'm used to doing so much more work.  So physically, it's going very well and I seem to be exactly where I need to be.

Mentally, however, the nerves are starting to set in.  With additional energy and time, I have more time to get myself worked up anticipating the race.  The Ironman Athlete Guide (the schedule and rulebook for Ironman Lake Placid) came via email yesterday and reality hit me.  This race is happening.  It's easy to brush it off when you have months and months ahead to train.  Ironman got real very, very fast.

I'm starting to second-guess myself (which I know is normal), wondering if I should be doing more workouts, even though I KNOW I should not.  So it's been very difficult to sit on my hands and follow the careful taper plan that I have laid out for myself. 

I already have my equipment list prepared for next week -- things I need to gather and pack, last-minute gear checks, etc.  I've got my nutrition dialed in and am adjusting it according to my lower activity level so I don't gain additional weight during my taper.

Just gotta stay the course and not go stir-crazy in the meantime!

Enter the Taper

Today was my last long workout -- the long run.  I was so lucky to have a spontaneous support team along the way.  My friends Kim, Traci, and Sara followed me along my route and cheered me on with cowbells, clappers, bubbles, and silly string (yes, silly string).  It made the miles pass so quickly!

It made me realize how lucky I am to have so many supportive friends and family members.  Each of you who has given me encouragement throughout the course of my training has made a large impact on me, whether it's been to pick up my crappy attitude or to give me motivation to push through a very hard workout.  Thank you so much for your support.  I am a very lucky person.

I feel amazingly strong today.  I will not lie, this week was hell.  Yes.  It was.  Over the course of this week, I have traveled roughly 300 miles, either by biking, running, or swimming.  Just to put it into perspective, that is MORE than traveling to Lake Placid and back.  It was literally the hardest week of my life.  I was constantly exhausted, hungry, and emotionally drained.  I woke up, trained, worked, trained, caught up on work at home, WENT to work, and then went home to sleep however long I could before I repeated it the next day.  No time for TV, video games, or relaxing. 

I was caught in a downpour on my bike on Tuesday.  On Wednesday, it was all I could do to keep it together.  I was at the end of my rope mentally and emotionally.  On Thursday, I literally think I spent more time on my bicycle than I did on my feet, trying to make up for lost training mileage due to the crappy weather.  I got creative -- I woke up earlier than normal to get in a 20-mile bike ride, then rode my bike to work, then rode it to the Niskayuna Pool to swim (yes, and up the hill after the Rexford Bridge), rode home, had just enough time to eat and catch up on work messages/emails before riding another 10 miles to the bike shop to drop off my bike, and then walked to work for my evening shift.

I credit my mom with helping me not snap and go to the dark place (thanks Mom!).  And everyone who sent me a text, email, or Facebook message, or just told me in passing to keep it up -- thank you.  Every bit of it helped.

And now it is like a cloud has passed.  I have done everything I can possibly do to prepare for this race.  Although I will continue to train for the next three weeks, each week will get progressively easier, allowing my body to recover and get strong for race day.  

I will borrow the words of my fitness inspiration Tony Horton, who was the first stepping stone into this madness all those years ago, when I was overweight and decided to actually buy that crazy P90-whatever thing I saw on TV at 2:00 am. 

HEY, Lake Placid...yes, YOU.  I'm talking to you.

BRING IT!

Peak Week

This is it...the most miserable training week of my life.  I will do the most training miles this week than any other week, and then I get to enjoy my glorious taper to race day.  All I have to do is get through this week.

The weather is not going to be cooperative, with chances of rain scheduled for pretty much every day.  My plan is just get my butt outside whenever it's not raining, and use any rain as an opportunity to pool train.  I will bring trash bags with me at all times to wrap any gear I am toting on my bike.  And as for running, I will just have to get wet.

I will do my best not to snap at people this week.  I've been fairly good (in my opinion, at least) about either reining in the crab-itude, or apologizing to anyone I snapped at immediately after.  Keep in mind that I am like a toddler right now.  If I am cranky, it's because I either need food or a nap. 

Other than mentally and physically making it through the week, I am feeling pretty strong.  I am literally in the best shape of my life right now.  Along with that, I am hyper-focused on this race: I've already begun to plan what to bring, how to transition between events, and my strategies for each phase.  I am ready to kick Ironman's ass.  This year, I will get to that finish line.  I want to hear them shout on the loudspeaker, "Amanda Barone, YOU are an Ironman!"

And then I will spend $500 in the Ironman store buying anything that has an Ironman logo on it.  And I won't shut up about the race for 3-6 months.

But I get ahead of myself.  Seven more days of hell...I can do this.

Rehabbing My Knee

I will not lie, I was worried going into training for this year.  My injury from last year's attempted Ironman really did a number on my left knee.  I ended up taking all of December off from bike training because my knee just would not heal all the way.  It wasn't until late January that I started doing indoor bike training on my spin bike.

When I started, my knee was very tight and I could feel it pulling near the end of my workouts.  Again, I was worried.  So I decided that, instead of worrying, I would develop a cross-training program that would get my knee into top shape.  I created a leg-focused workout to alternate with my normal total-body conditioning workouts.  Here's what I've been doing for the past several months.

Perform 2 sets of the following exercises for 8-12 reps each:

• Single-Leg Bench Pistols
• Goblet Squats
• Single-Leg Lunges
• Sumo Squats
• Bulgarian Split Squats
• Single-Leg Deadlifts
• Step Ups

I track my progress each time I do this workout, and up my weights when the exercises get too easy.  I also incorporate regular foam rolling and stretching for my legs.

I've observed the results of incorporating this workout, and it has reinforced in my mind the importance of cross-training in any endurance training program.  In "traditional" endurance training programs, cross-training often becomes the croutons on the salad -- either sparingly added, or altogether neglected.  I've always been an advocate of a higher ratio of cross-training, but now I have the evidence to make me a convert for life.

Before doing my leg cross-training:

• My left knee was tight while spinning or biking.
• My left leg balance was extremely poor compared to where it was pre-injury.  I seriously thought I was permanently affected.
• I experienced mild knee pain during single-leg exercises (pistols, deadlifts, lunges, etc.).

After doing my leg cross-training for several months (yes, the progress was slow, but it was consistent):

• I have NO tightness or pain in my left knee while biking or doing any activities.
• I have noticed an enormous strength improvement in both legs.
• My left leg balance has been fully restored, and may even be better than before.

Just because you hurt yourself and have issues does not mean you can't try to find solutions.  Strength training is there for a reason -- it's not just to burn calories, it's there to make you strong and resilient.  Yes, the road is slow, and frustrating, and sometimes you feel like you're spinning your wheels, but it CAN be done.  I am entering this racing season feeling stronger than I ever have.  And I attribute it to having a solid plan, but also being flexible and adjusting as needed.

Training Tantrums

My training has been very consistent lately, despite what I like to call having "training tantrums."  They're exactly what they sound like.  When the hour approaches when I have to train, my inner monologue turns into that of a three-year-old throwing a tantrum.  "BUT I DON'T WANNA," whines on and on in my head, and I can do nothing but push through it and get out the door anyway.  No wonder I don't "wanna" -- by the time I get home, I'm behind on work (work never stops when running a business...my record was 6 voicemails and 32 emails in a 2-hour training session).  Then, as soon as I catch up, it's usually time to GO to work, and after that I get whatever sleep I can and do it all again the next day.

Despite my whining, I can say without a doubt that I am in the best shape of my life right now.  I follow an off-beat training style that uses cumulative fatigue (training tired) rather than throwing in obscenely-long workouts on the weekends only.  Last year, I used this method and set a personal best in every race before Ironman that I did.  This year, I did two races from last year on back-to-back days -- the Charlton 5K and the Hudson Crossing Triathlon.  While I did not beat my times from last year, I also did not taper for them this year as I had done last year.  Actually, I went into them very tired because I had to cram a week's worth of Ironman training into the previous five days.  I only finished less than a minute later than last year at the 5K, and only a few minutes later at the triathlon (and a few of those minutes were wasted unnecessarily for reasons I've already complained about to most of you -- such as trying to find my gear in transition after another competitor oh-so-kindly moved it for me).  If I had tapered for these events, I probably would have beaten my personal best times again.  But this year is not about blazing speeds -- it's about being as prepared for Ironman as possible.  And I feel confident that I am right on track.

Today's training ride was a tough one -- a 40-mile bike followed by a 4-mile brick run, after having done a 1-hour swim and 30-mile hill ride yesterday.  I have been trying to multi-task more and more by using long bike rides as opportunities to take care of chores and errands.  If you saw me out and about today, it's no surprise, because I was literally EVERYWHERE.  Scotia, Clifton Park, Malta -- I was picking up supplies for the gym, toting them across town, dropping them off, going to the bank, post office, etc. 

I've found that this is really the best way to get most of my bike training in.  I had concerns though because I have two bikes -- my commuting bike (which has a heavy, aluminum frame) and my racing bike (which is a light, carbon-framed aerobike).  I was worried that spending most of my training time on my commuting bike meant that I wasn't getting enough training on my racing bike, which is what I will be riding for Ironman.  Boy, was I wrong to even worry!  At the Hudson Crossing Triathlon, I got on my racing bike and felt like I had jet engines strapped to it.  I FLEW (for me, that is...I am generally slow, but I had a good time compared to my usual pace).  So now I look at riding my commuting bike as training with weights or resistance -- especially when I'm hauling around a crate full of groceries or supplies.

During my brick runs, I have to keep in mind that the first mile always makes me want to cry.  I keep thinking, "Holy crap, I can barely move my legs.  How am I going to do this whole run???"  Sometimes there are tears.  Other times, I can fight back the tears, but they are still there.  And then, magically, it gets easier.

Iggy Azalea helps.  I've discovered that "Bounce" is my new power song.

So, another successful training day under my belt.  Just gotta get through June...

June Training Disclaimers and Apologies

Based on my experience last year, I felt it was only fair to prepare everyone for what to expect from me during the month of June (my peak, high-volume training time in preparation for Ironman).  Much like a disaster-preparedness plan, these are some important items to keep in mind over the next month when dealing with me.

1. My life for every day for the next month will be: wake, eat, train, eat, work, eat, train, eat, work, eat, eat, eat, sleep.  And repeat.  Until I want to kill myself.
2. If I am grumpy, irritable, or agitated, it is nothing that you did.  I am just tired, hungry, and sore from having my crotchal region rubbed raw by a bike seat. 
3. The Amanda Threat Levels are as follows:
• Stage One: Toddler Tantrum - Keep calm and say soothing things and I am likely to back down.
• Stage Two: Crazy Beeotch - Laugh uncomfortably and find a way to disengage from conversation.  Flee for safety.
• Chernobyl Meltdown (a.k.a. Mega Bitch Mode) - Run away before I start throwing things.
4. Every time you talk to me, I will complain about how I want my life back and am never doing this again.  Tears may or may not be involved.
5. I will suspect and/or outright accuse family members of stealing my energy gels, even though I am the only one who considers them food, and I seem to forget that I now go through five of them during a single long run.
6. When you complain to me about exercising, I will smile and nod sympathetically, but inside I will be cursing you and wishing I could be doing your workout plan instead.
7. At any given time, I will be covered with a combination of any or all of the following:
• Body Glide
• Aquaphor Gel
• Icy Hot
• Neosporin
• Preparation H (for shrinking saddle sores...what were YOU thinking???)
• (I fully expect to leave a slime trail like a snail everywhere I go.)
8. On that note, if I also leave behind little white flakes, it is not dandruff.  It is just my dried-out skin from swimming in chlorine constantly.
9. Do not invite me to a party.  I will come and I will eat ALL your food.  Even the unidentifiable stuff in the back of the refrigerator.  
10. In fact, every time you see me, I will probably be shoving food into my face.
11. And complaining about how much I have to eat, which I know rallies lots of sympathy.

Now I have done my due diligence and you have been warned.  Just remember, despite it all, you are my friends, and it is your unwritten responsibility to deal with my crazy ass.  Keep calm and carry on.

I Didn't Want To Do It Today

Today started fine.  I woke up, did some foam rolling, and ate my usual breakfast...which actually isn't really "usual" anymore, because it keeps growing.  It started as a homemade egg sandwich: 1 egg fried in coconut oil, on an Ezekiel sprouted-grain English muffin, with a slice of organic deli ham or pastrami (depending on my mood).  As Ironman training grew, that wasn't cutting it anymore.  Now it's turned into a 2-egg omelet with reduced fat provolone and ham/pastrami, accompanied by an Ezekiel English muffin slathered in peanut butter.

That's what I had this morning as I got ready for my bike ride to work.  I have been riding my bike as much as possible to and from work in order to chip away at my weekly bike mileage.  It's been a great way to save gas money and get in my training at the same time (I think my gas costs last month were like $25). 

Everything was fine during the morning, but I noticed that, by the time work ended around lunchtime and it was time to close up, my stomach was totally empty.  I ate a Clif bar and prepared to bike home.  The whole way home I was cranky and pissed off in general.  My legs ached, I felt light-headed, and every way the wind blew annoyed me (literally...I am not being funny here...I was literally mad at the wind directions). 

As I got closer and closer to home, I started to make excuses to stop when I got there and not train today.  I just did not want to do it.  I was moody, tired, and totally unmotivated.  However, I put on my self-trainer cap and said " 'I don't want to do it' is not an excuse."  So I sucked it up when I got home, scarfed down a PowerBar, switched to my triathlon bike, and got back out there.  I repeated, "Shut up and do it," in my head more times than I could count.

And then a really crazy thing happened.  I started to feel good.  PowerBar to the rescue!  All the fatigue, bitterness, and anger were just symptoms that I was severely bonking.  For those of you who don't know what bonking is, "bonking" is endurance-sport slang for not having enough fuel (namely carbohydrates) to sustain physical activity.  You start to feel sluggish and light-headed as your body tries to deal with the fact that there just isn't enough energy to power the whole factory.  So some areas experience "brown-outs."  That is exactly what had been happening to me earlier.

I continued to munch on pretzels during my long ride, feeling a little bit better each time I did so.  But I was still dangerously close to bonking, as it seemed that, just after I ate, my stomach started to growl again.  If I was a car, it was like driving with the needle on "E" and then just putting in a few drops of gas every mile.  Despite it all, I managed to finish, slurp down an energy gel, and do a 2.7-mile brick run after.  AND it was my fastest brick this season.  I've been averaging about 10-minute miles on my bricks (a.k.a the runs performed immediately after bike rides, usually done at an easy pace).  Today I averaged 8:37 per mile without feeling any different effort-wise.  Just imagine what I could do with my fuel topped off!

So, with all the hard work done, I entered all my food and exercise into My Fitness Pal, a calorie-tracking app.  No wonder I was so light-headed -- not only was I bonking, but my calorie count for the day after all the training was -575.  I was actually in deficit even while fueling during my workout.  It looks like the breakfast is going to have to get even bigger.  (I know, these are horrible problems, right?)

I am SO glad I sucked it up and did my training today.  I definitely could have bagged it, but I got a good amount of work done.  And I have to say, I am feeling pretty tough.  I just feel strong.  I am the leanest I have been since I can remember, and it's all thanks to just being consistent with training and mindful of my food choices.  I even took a selfie to celebrate.  

Swimmin' on the Cheap

I've begun exploring some alternative options for swimming training that won't hurt my wallet.  I only really swim twice per week and the rest of my training is done either outdoors or at home, so all I need is a place to dip in and get in about an hour or so of swimming. 

Local high schools that have pools usually offer an early morning community lap swimming option.  However, BH-BL only offers this during the school year, and although Ballston Spa High School offers it year-round, it runs from 6-7 am (EARLY!), and only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  Granted, if it's the only option available, I'll suck it up and do it, but I work late nights and need my beauty sleep too.

So naturally my next choice is to explore the local lakes.  Not only is it free, but the times are flexible (basically swim when you want as long as it's daylight).  I would love to be able to do a local triathlon club group swim, but they are usually in the evenings and that's when I work.  So I used today as an opportunity to both get my bike training in and investigate potential outdoor swimming options.

Now, what I didn't know is that Weather.com is a friggin' liar.  I checked the hour-by-hour forecast for today and it said sunshine and 0% chance of precipitation.  Apparently that means hurricane-force-winds threatening to blow you off your bike, annoying spittle rain that creates the fear that you will get caught in a downpour, and chilly overcast skies.  What would normally have been a nice, enjoyable ride turned into a fight against headwinds and a potential storm. 

If you saw a nut-job on a bike today who was holding the handlebars for dear life and swearing at the wind, that was me.

Regardless of the weather conditions, I got about 30 miles of biking in.  First I headed to Scotia to check out Collins Lake, which boasts a beach and swimming area inside Collins Park.  I knew going into it that the lake would not be open, as previous years it has not opened for swimming until late June.  And I also knew that it might not even open at all this year since last year it was closed due to contamination from Hurricane Irene.  But I wanted to check it out anyway, which I did.  There is a bike rack located at the park entrance, so it would be easy to bike here, lock the bike up, and go for a swim.

On my way to the next swimming destination, I made a stop at the bank and post office (because why not?).  Then I headed to Ballston Lake via the bike path, checking out the Outlet Road access pier.  The parking area is a little bit sketchy; I would not feel confident leaving my bike there, even with a lock (there isn't even really anything to lock it to...).  So I would have to drive.  But then what to do with my keys while I swim?  Anyway, it didn't seem to matter because when I got to the dock, there was a sign posted that said "No Swimming or Diving from Pier."  Plus there was a lot of garbage in the water, and nasty muck.  Not very inviting.  If anyone knows of a swimming access point to Ballston Lake, please let me know so I can check it out.  Other than the yucky dock, it looks like a very nice and tranquil lake.

So, all in all it was a good day.  I got to explore some potential summer swimming options and get a nice little bike workout in too.  I think my next order of business will be to try out the morning swim at Ballston Spa High School and see how busy it is.

Getting my Biking in Gear

This year I've decided to make the bike my primary training focus.  Last year, I focused on my swimming and brought that up significantly.  I'm not worried about my running; that is by far my strongest of the three disciplines and by the time I get to that portion of the Ironman, it is just going to suck regardless.

I want to go into this year's bike leg even stronger than last year, with bulletproof knees that can withstand any minor glitch and continue the course unfazed.  I am biking three times a week -- two shorter rides and one long ride to build endurance.  Along with that, I am trying to bike everywhere I possibly can to get in extra miles here and there.  Plus it saves gas money!

I had found that my second short ride of the week was becoming boring and tedious, so my approach changed.  Instead of treating that one as a training ride, I turned that ride into an "errand ride."  Whatever errands I have to do for the week, I am using that training day to bike to complete those errands (banking, work-related chores, etc.).  That way, I still get in the same amount of mileage, but it breaks things up mentally.

Today was my longest training ride yet this season.  I was very lucky because my friend and Ironman finisher Greta accompanied me.  I have a lot of trouble doing training rides with friends because my work schedule (as a small business owner) is highly unpredictable.  Often I don't know when I'm training until an hour or so beforehand.  It is a unique alignment of the stars when I can find some scheduling stability in my training.

I both dread and am grateful for rides with Greta, because she is much faster than me on the bike and plans hellishly-challenging courses.  Even though they can be tough rides, they force me to improve.  It is important to train with people stronger than you because it motivates you to get better too.

We did a 42-mile ride today that consisted of many hills, which surprisingly weren't as difficult as I'd thought they'd be.  Don't get me wrong, there were swear words flying constantly (yes, the infamous Potter Road hill was in the mix), but I was impressed with my leg strength going into this ride and realized that I am much stronger than I was at this stage last season.  It tells me that all the winter training I did is paying off.

Upon finishing, I did a short 1.5-mile brick run.  It is appropriately named, because my legs felt like bricks.  I think this might also have been a bit of bonking since I don't think I brought enough food with me on the ride.  In triathlon, everything you do in one stage affects how you perform in the next stage.  Under-eating on the bike catches up to you on the run.  I'll just be more mindful of that next week and bring more PowerBars and pretzels.  But otherwise, it was a great ride and an excellent confidence-builder!

12 Weeks Out

Ironman Lake Placid is only 12 weeks away.  That means that it's time to really dial in the training and accept the fact that this is the stage when Ironman begins to take over my life.

My base building phase is over and now it's time to start upping the mileage to ridiculous proportions.  That means most of my free time will be spent in the pool, on the bike, or on my feet running on the road.  Thankfully it looks like Spring has finally arrived, making outdoor training much more pleasant. 

As a heads-up: any crabbiness on my part is probably a direct result of Ironman training.  I apologize in advance for potentially biting your head off for no reason.

I will spend the next several weeks testing the thresholds of my training volume, pushing up to the race-day mileage before scaling down in the final 3-week taper.  

Let the fun begin!

Crash and Burn

Last week was a very rough week.  The past month has been insane in terms of work, and juggling that with Ironman training has led to very little "fun time," regular sleep deprivation, and an overall feeling of heightened stress.  It came to a head this week when I found myself in a constant fight with service providers, utilities companies, and insurance companies over things that they either: (a) should have done but didn't because they dropped the ball, or (b) common sense crap that led to me telling them how to do their jobs. 

(As an aside, when did it become the case that good customer service consisted of people actually doing what they say they will do by the deadline they give you the first time?  Our expectations as consumers are so low right now that we give people 5 star ratings when they actually do their jobs correctly and no more than that.  Ugh.)

Despite all the warnings from those around me, I had a major blowout this week, basically shut down physically, and spent most of my spare time hiding under the covers of my bed.  I was tired and unmotivated, unable to push myself into a workout. 

So I accepted that I needed a rest and took it.  Sure, I felt guilty about it, but it needed to be done.  I cleared off my weekend schedule and spent it eating what I wanted and playing video games.  However, I only allowed myself to do this under the condition that, on Monday, everything is back on track.

And it is!  I enter my training again this week feeling refreshed and fully rested.  I am ready to get back into the crazy Ironman lifestyle.  Granted, I'm sure things will get crazy again soon, but now I have learned my lesson.  Rather than crashing and burning again, I will be more mindful of the craziness and try to pull back before it gets this bad again.

First Outdoor Ride

Spring is FINALLY here and I was able to get outside for my first official bike ride of the season.  I went easy and picked a short course to start with.  It was so refreshing to be outdoors and not stuck on the indoor spinner, pedaling to nowhere. 

Granted, it did remind me of how many morons are allowed to have driver's licenses.  Seriously, if there is no oncoming traffic, you can't move over a little and give me some space?  The shoulder is still full of sand and has wonderful winter-induced potholes.  If you're in your car, please keep this in mind when you see a cyclist.

Besides that, which almost makes bike riding a human version of Frogger, it was a great ride.  Everything felt good, no knee problems, and I even finished it off with a 1-mile brick run.

I can definitely tell that I'm going to need to focus on my hill fitness.  I felt like the hills were very hard, and I didn't encounter "hard" ones on my route.  I don't care how well you train indoors over the winter, you just can't simulate hills effectively.  So that will definitely be a goal for my training, especially since the race is in Lake Placid!

So Maybe I Don't Hate Swimming

Maybe hate is a strong word to use.  I guess I don't really HATE swimming; I just dislike doing any kind of pool workout that lasts longer than 10 minutes.  Here's an example of my thought process during a lap swim:

"I can't believe I have to do 25 more laps.  Okay, think of something else to take your mind off of this.  Use it as an opportunity to plan your day.  Flip turn.  Okay, what was I going to do to stop thinking about this?  Ugh, 24 more laps.  Don't think about how much you want to be done.  Don't think about how much you want to be done.  Fun, here comes a beach ball from the open swim area.  Flip turn.  What is that guy doing?  Why is he standing at the side of the pool?  Does he want in this lane or not?  Well if he comes over to the shallow end, I'll stop and check.  If not, he's on his own.  Flip turn.  OH MY GOD, 23 more laps.  Really???"

Repeat these thoughts for about an hour and there you have my swim training experiences.  It's a misconception that people who do triathlon love all aspects of triathlon.  I think it's more accurate that triathletes PUT UP WITH the elements of triathlon they don't like in order to participate in the experience as a whole.  That's pretty much my relationship with swimming.  I don't hate it, but if I could do triathlon without any pool training, I'd be much happier.

Despite my dislike of pool training, I had a really awesome workout today.  I have no idea why, either.  In fact, I didn't get enough sleep last night, am still dealing with stress caused by a recent work incident, and am sore from yesterday's workout.  In spite of all this, I felt like I had fins on in the water today.  My strokes felt very easy and fluid.  The workout was still a mental struggle to get through, but how good I felt physically made it a much better experience.

I am hoping that I am starting to break out of the winter training malaise and that these are the first signs of my Ironman fitness kicking in.  At least if I can't be mentally happy in the pool, I can take pride in knowing that my physical water fitness is improving.

Someday I Will Bike Outside...

It's be a little while since I've posted here -- not out of neglect, I've just had nothing to report.  It has been the same winter training drudgery, consisting of indoor spinning, pool work, and outdoor runs as the weather allows. 

I thought last week we were on course for Spring (finally!).  I even dropped off my bikes for their annual tune-up, thinking I might be on the road shortly.  Ha ha!  This weekend put an end to those hopes fast.  I have only had The Walking Dead to help me survive the horribly-tedious indoor spin bike sessions.  And the finale was last night.  So the Spring thaw better happen fast. 

I feel confident about the upcoming outdoor training phase of my plan.  I've built a solid base this winter and feel good about putting my body through hours of punishment on the road.  I'm careful about my knee and go easier when it feels tight.  It doesn't necessarily hurt, but it feels very tight from time to time.  And I've noticed that the injury from last year has affected my single-leg balance work on that side.  I just have to be smart with my training and listen to my body.

I can't wait until I get back on the road -- then the real adventure begins.  Six-hour bike rides anyone???

Is It Spring Yet?

Like you, I'm sure, I'm getting very sick of winter.  The sub-zero cold, the dirty and unappealing brown snowbanks, and the general temptation to curl up under a blanket and eat Doritos until the flowers bloom.

In terms of my training, my phases are changing tomorrow and I'm hoping that this change will somehow, through cosmic forces in the universe, usher in an early spring and more tolerable outdoor training conditions.

I've spent the past four weeks on building a solid fitness base, taking advantage of my indoor confinement to work on total body strength.  My goal is to create an "iron foundation" so that my body won't break down when subjected to hundreds of training miles each week.  In the back of my mind is my knee injury from last year.  I've been doing lots of lunges, single leg squats (a.k.a. pistols), and split squats to toughen up both knees for the work ahead.

I've also been slowly reintroducing triathlon-specific training, getting back into the pool and on the spin bike for short workouts.  The first week, my Ironman injury was causing me some concern.  Not pain exactly, but there was a lot of tightness in my left knee.  Luckily, the tightness subsided by the second week and it feels pretty normal now.

In anticipation of the nice weather, I've been fleshing out my racing season.  Despite many "tsks" from other Iron athletes, I did other races last year along with (rather than just focusing on) Ironman.  And I was so glad I did.  After the letdown that Ironman became after my knee injury, I was so happy that I had other opportunities to put all of the months of training to use.  And I found that the races did not interfere with my training; I just moved my training around accordingly.  Racing makes me happy and keeps me too tired to cause trouble.  So I will not give it up.

My race schedule this season looks like this so far:

• 3/22/15 - Shamrock Shuffle (5 miles)
• 6/6/15 - Charlton 5K
• 6/7/15 - Hudson Crossing Triathlon
• 7/4/15 - Firecracker 4 (4 miles)
• 7/26/15 - Ironman
• 8/15/15 - Crystal Lake Triathlon
• 9/5/15 - Lake George Olympic Triathlon

I think this is all I plan on adding between now and Labor Day.  I'll probably also do the Palio half-marathon and the Saratoga Great Pumpkin 10K...and there is talk of possibly the Adirondack Ragnar Relay.  But other than that, I made a vow to make 2016 a "no pressure" year, meaning I will only sign up for races that I can complete using my regular training for general fitness, and no more.  I need some time to not train excessively for things.  And then 2017 will be Ultra year.  Yes, I am crazy.

Getting It Done Anyway

I'm very proud of myself today.  The last 24 hours have been very trying, and very appropriate for Friday the 13th.  I won't go into the details, but a major maintenance incident at my business yesterday required that I return to work every 4 hours (yes, including 1:00 am and 5:00 am) to empty leak-catching containers to prevent flooding. 

At 1:30 am, I got home and knew I had to set my alarm for 5:00.  I had a choice -- I could sleep the whole time, or get up a little earlier for a mini-workout (I had no clue how the rest of my day would pan out, or whether I would have time to train later).  As tempting as the extra sleep was, I opted to get up earlier for a little training time.

I'm not going to say it was the most productive training session; in fact, I spent most of it muttering curse words under my breath about the state of my building.  However, it set the tone for the rest of the day.  I ate better.  I could feel a little less frazzled.  I was able to look at business problems more objectively and handle things in an adult fashion (despite the internal tantrum I was having).

And, after returning home later today and pretty much crashing, I found that I had just enough time to finish my scheduled training -- something I definitely would not have bothered with if I hadn't gotten up just 30 minutes earlier for a short workout.

So despite other challenges in my life, I made training a priority and was able to stay on track today.  If I can get my training in after a day like today, I have no valid excuses for the next five months.

Pushing the Reset Button

Okay, so January was generally a crap-out month.  Between work, getting sick, property issues, and getting sick again, I have made very little progress in my Ironman training.

Rather than continue worrying about things I cannot change, I started February with fresh training and a fresh outlook.  I still have plenty of time (6 months) to train for the race. 

I am convinced I got sick so much due to a lack of sleep, coupled with irregular sleep patterns.  So I am going to prioritize getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night.  I've planned out the next month of training workouts, splitting them up into two sessions if needed on days when work is crazy.  I've put them in my calendar like appointments so that I have no excuses.

Today was my first day back into it and it went pretty well.  It was the first day when I felt well enough to exercise without going into 5-minute coughing spasms.  I still struggled near the end when my heart rate got higher, but I'm hoping each day leads to a better training experience.

Getting Back into a Routine is Tough

I've found myself struggling with getting back into a regular training routine.  Granted, it's January and work is a little crazy right now, but that just means I have to better budget my time and make training more of a priority -- even when I am exhausted.  

The exercise part is not most of the problem -- a day without exercise seems strange to me and when I take an unscheduled rest day, I end up clawing at the walls until I hit my next workout.  The problem, as the case always seems to be, is nutrition.  My eating during the holidays was actually pretty good until I got the cold from hell during Christmas week.  I felt so crappy I was just like, "Screw it, let's eat EVERYTHING!"  I've managed to ween myself off of most of the crappy food.  But I still find myself reaching for something fatty, sweet, and comforting if I've had a rough day.

This kind of behavior is natural and, if kept to a minimum, is part of a healthy lifestyle diet (80% healthy, 20% fun).  The trick is limiting the junk to just those special occasions.  Each week I am getting progressively better, but I am still finding areas where I can improve.  Most of that is going to just be buckling down and using some willpower.  When I eat clean foods, I have so much more energy and I get more out of my training.

I'm going to make my goal this week to eat 3 healthy meals and 2 healthy snacks each day, and have 2 treat meals that I can use to replace a healthy meal if I am feeling tempted.  I've found in the past that this approach is realistic and effective.