Ice in the South and Unplanned "Winter" Training

Since 2/15/15 (two weeks ago almost) Tennessee has been essentially in a state of stupor. Rain, Sleet, Ice, and Snow have made impacts on our beautiful city of Nashville. And although in the past two weeks there have been improvements on the roads, people have been able to get out of their driveways and groceries even have bananas stocked again. There continue to be slippery spots on the roads and sidewalks requiring a caution but not consistent enough for yaktrax.

Thankfully being from MN I'm somewhat prepared to run in the snow and ice and in fact had quite the invigorating run on the date of greatest snow/sleet Presidents Day. The mayor issued a warning to drivings - don't and most businesses were closed because of the ice. The run was slow but filled with fun, I found myself smiling despite all the ice pellets hitting my arms. Even a water induced blister on my right foot couldn't make me hate this run it went from a planned 3 or 4 miles to 11 joyful and carefully slow miles. I felt accomplished.

Then the cold continued and with it cancellation of most group runs - in both of my running groups. It was the right decision for safety. The YMCA was closed or open very unique hours, making it difficult to get to the gym especially with my increased hours at work due to cold weather. I've worked a lot of overtime being paid in comp time (leave, hour for hour). This is part of the job of a homeless outreach worker, being flexible when their are identified needs, it makes planned trainings difficult with early work hours and late evenings. But think of the vacation I can take in the future.

I refocused my training realizing that Ironman specific training begins in just over a week. On Friday, I made a point to get to the gym on time. The YMCA is a beautiful place on Fridays the few and committed people that are there on a Friday make me feel both motivated and thankful that I'm one of "those". I must admit it was a tough workout for me. I was looking forward to Will returning from a business trip later that night and felt tired with all stressors of my job, it seemed particularly rough this week. But I started with a 5000m Row, and I thought of my good friend Amy B. :) we use to row together on Saturdays prior to the farmers market downtown in Minneapolis. I felt great by the time I was through and almost left it at that. But I just knew that I do need to get into the routine again of multiple workouts. So I sat on a spin bike and did sets of climbs for just over and hour. Felt pretty good.

Today I sit in Starbucks smelly and sipping a small coffee. I'm the girl in the corner hurriedly typing before I head out to the gym to do some basic lifting sets after just completing a 9+ mile run with my training group. I struggled today on the course with glutes that felt tired and I know that there is more to come.
At night I am beginning to read Triathlete again to get me back into the mindset of training. Every morning I wake up and it's freezing temperatures I struggle to remember that last year the Country Music Half was 62 degrees, I let myself think about how training in the cold may not prepare me for the conditions on race day. I certainly hope we get a spring warm up soon.

I guess here begins the real Ironman Journey, I am feeling encouraged and excited to embark. I'm ready and looking forward for the training (call me crazy and you can, I am), races, and day to day life as an Ironman in Training. Last night after reading I thought to myself, "am I an Ironman?". The answer is simple not yet but I'm on my way.

Novice

What I've learned is that I'm novice, not to be self-deprecating but I feel that especially today. It's been almost a month since I last wrote in my blog. I thought to myself at the time of first entry it would be relatively easy to writer down a few thoughts after a work out but what I chose not to remember was that I don't have easy access to Internet at home - I choose that and after a work out all I often feel interested in is sleeping so I can get up and complete my daily routine again. Along with beginning to increase my training I've been pulling some strange shifts at work due to cold weather here in Nashville and my job as an outreach social worker. In the past weeks I've tallied many hours of overtime/comp time, at least I'm earning vacation and enjoying the work but I'm just generally exhausted. 

Maybe also I don't have a lot of interesting things to say about my training? While I'm in the pool I find myself thinking a lot especially as I push off the wall from flip-turning and I find myself being entertained but as soon as I am out of the pool and out of the shower I find myself immediately focused on my sleep and recovery. The moment has passed. 

I've been training on my bike trainer and in spin class regularly, I attend classes at the YMCA (a variety of the gyms here). What I've noticed in class is that I find myself wishing I was alone completing my workout. The up-downs, hills at effort 7, and constant reminders to be powerful and think of speed, although helpful for people looking for motivation, annoy me. If you tell me to increase the gear, constantly and "we don't go down hill" - you're not reasonable. I've been on my bike trainer an increasing amount and have found that I'm willing to spin hard there without the loud club music while I watch Jeopardy. It's a happy place and time for me. 

I also have been running consistently outside, logging few miles when needed on a treadmill or track. Last year I spent much of training with a group East Nasty, they are a supportive group of runners locally, unfortunately the group runs are timed awkwardly for my schedule - 2 hours after work and 8am Saturdays. I haven't been getting to these runs. I've been running as a St Jude Hero, preparing for the Country Music Half Marathon. I've reached my initial fundraising goal and have set a personal goal of doubling this contribution - which would provide one day of cancer treatments to a child. With this opportunity I was allowed access to a training group through Fleet Feet, a somewhat local small business. I've attended several of their Saturday training groups which are more conveniently timed at 7am, but sometimes not so with location (I pick and choose when I attend). I won't run with them when it's a 40minute drive but less then that and I will. The Fleet Feet group also has greater running pace groups allowing me access to a group of runners that are within my true goals. I will most likely begin to run with East Nasty when they hit the actual course in a few weeks. I love to run from LP Field, but I may also just run solo the same path at a time I choose. 

This weekend Will and I opted out of our Saturday training with a plan to be bike marshalls for a 5k/15k, all was according to plan. Last night I replaced my bike trainer tire with my road tire, and although I had some difficulty (#bikemaintenancelevelnovice) was able to do so successfully or so I thought. I was sorely disappointed and my plans for a cold (15degree) morning ride along with some runners was ended early when I stepped onto the pedal, felt the chain jump, but looked behind to find my derailer nearer to the big rings. No riding for me, instead I spent my early morning hours with drunken frat boys in the gear check tent, and an annoyed employee of the company putting on the race. She was quite nice, they boys reminded me a lot of past college experiences and made me thankful that I'm nearly thirty and at a place where I choose one glass of wine at dinner and an early morning alarm to go for a ride.