Ironman Lake Placid...The Body Achieves What The Mind Believes (Race Recap)

It felt like a million different things that were telling me that I COULD NOT complete Ironman Lake Placid on July 27.  It all started with my “shake out” race at the beginning of May that left me with sharp gulte pains, a numb leg, and lots of doubt.  After a month of just swimming and a few really easy and short bike rides, I was really unsure as to whether I was going to be able to complete a full Ironman at the end of July.  On May 21, my doc looked at my MRI and I was given the go ahead to continue training for Lake Placid while spending 2-3 days a week at PT….piriformis syndrome.  It was a really great day when the doc told me I could compete at Placid, but that did not wipe out all of my doubt.  I had taken a month off of any hard training, and I was still going to need to take it easy for a while as my glute continued to heal as best it could for Placid.

On June 1, I was spectating and cheering as my hubby completed Raleigh 70.3, which I was supposed to be racing.  That day was so exciting, but that morning was so disappointing.  Dropping off Anthony to go race a race that I had been SO excited for – I was filled with some serious emotion.  I LOVED being and Iron-spectator, but I really wished it wasn’t at a race I was supposed to be racing.  Watching that finish line brought out so much excitement and focus in me. 

And so the focus began.  I went to PT, I listened to my body, and I trusted the plan as best as I could.  It was a LONG journey full of so many ups and downs.  There were lots of days that I went to my PT with a big smile on my face, full of confidence that we were on the right track.  And there were lots of days that I went to my PT frustrated and confused.  New pains and twinges that all seemed related to my glute/back/hip.  What was going on? Why was I losing so much range of motion in my hip?  Why was my back so sore after some runs and feeling fabulous after others?  Why was my glute not letting me ride in aero for long?  Why was I limping with intense groin pain after just a quarter of a mile of easy running… 9 days before race day?! 

I had some really low points as my body and I got to know each other a little better.  This season was all about having a good point of view, staying mentally strong, listening to/learning my body, and trusting that if I treated my body right that it would let me race on July27.  I thought I knew my body well from years of training, but Ironman training really let me get to know my body on a whole new level.

Thankfully I had (have) a great team behind me.  My fabulous husband continually reminded me to trust the process and listen to my body while having fun and staying excited for Placid.  Our amazing dynamic duo of coaches never let me forget that I was going to make it to Placid and I was going to finish strong.  My PT reminded me not to get frustrated and continually reminded me how strong I was.  And lastly our massage therapist worked wonders while making me laugh and teaching me even more about my wonderful body.

And after months of training hard, training easy, resting, fighting injuries, having a blast, fighting doubts, and overcoming negativity, July 27^th arrived and I was feeling good.  We had a great 1.5 hour ride on the course on Thursday, a fabulous loop of the swim on Friday, and a nice easy hour warm-up brick along part of the course on Sunday.  I was feeling good… a little paranoid, a lot nervous, extremely hopeful, surprisingly ready, and damn proud.  I was going to do this.

Family and friends arrived on Friday and Saturday and helped to keep us distracted when we weren’t training and prepping for Sunday.  Before we knew it, Saturday evening arrived.  Easy on the belly dinner at 5:30, bed at 8:30 after a few funny llama and puppy videos, and a 3:40am wake-up.   It was go time and the nerves and excitement were full force.  I got here….I couldn’t believe that I got here.  There was so much against me, and I DID IT.  I got to the start line feeling good enough to go after this dream.  I wasn’t sure I had it in me, but I was damn sure I was going to give it everything I had that day and have a blast while doing it!

THE SWIM…… I am ALWAYS so terrified about the swim, and the swim always ends up being one of my favorite moments of the day.  I was able to find my own space, find a rhythm, and find a few moments of peace as I prepared to take on the rest of the day ahead of me.  I was in no huge rush to finish the swim, I just wanted to feel strong and ready coming out of the water…mission accomplished! First loop was a warm up that got me ready to push it a bit more on the second loop.  First loop felt so good.  I stopped and stretched my upper body after the first loop and was SO surprised how well my body felt going into that second loop!  Unfortunately at ~2.1-2.2 miles I was told to swim to shore due to the thunder storm.

After swimming to shore, cutting my foot on my way out, and jogging ~.5 miles (maybe more?) to the transition, I was ready to get on the bike and ride for 112 miles.  I got stripped out of my wetsuit, grabbed my T1 bag, put on my CEP compression socks, cycling shoes, arm warmers, and helmet and took off thinking “yep, this is happeneing.” 

THE BIKE…….It was cold.  It was wet.  It was really uncomfortable.

As I exited transition and made it around the corner I heard our Iron-spectators yell my name and I gave them a wave and a big ‘ol grin!  Seeing them is one of the only  good moments I had in the first 30 miles or so.

I made it out of town and I was FREEZING.  I was unsure whether I was going to make it to the end of this race if this weather held up.  I tried to focus on nutrtion and keeping my legs moving and my body as warm as possible.  I made it to an aid station and used the porta-potty and got a trash bag to warm my body….at this point my jaw was sore from shivering, my hands were turning purple, and anything that was going to warm me up a  bit was more than welcome.  I didn’t mind that it wasn’t an aero option, I just needed warmth to give me a little confidence that I could finish. 

At about mile 30 or so the sun came out and I was able to take off my fashionable aero trash bag!  I was SO happy to see that sun and I told myself that I would NOT be upset if it got too hot later on because I would much rather pour some water on my hot body than deal with that fear of hypothermia. (Yes, Nicole Frie I definitely sang our good ‘ol ALHS Track “hypothermia” song in my head a few times..!)  The rest of the ride was SO MUCH FUN.

At mile 80 or so I saw more family TWICE!  It was SO nice to see everyone there cheering!! I couldn’t have been happier!  For first time spectators, our family and friends rocked the house!! The second time up papa bear was harder than the first, but just knowing that it was almost time to run made it that much easier…112 miles on the bike done and I LOVED the majority of it.  I had a blast.  I held back a lot out of fear (newbie ironman fear), but I had so much fun.   I nailed my nutrition (~1 bottle of custom Infinit/hour with some sips of H20 from aid stations a few times.  That’s it…so easy and it worked like a charm!!)  The Lake Placid bike course makes me happy.  I can’t wait to go back in the next few years.

I was feeling well fueled and well hydrated with lots of confidence and smiles going into the run!! 

THE RUN…. The second I ran out of transition I saw family and friends cheering for me and at that moment I knew this was going to be an amazing run!  26.2 miles…no problemo!! I was feeling strong, happy, and ready to run!!  I eased myself in to the run, I knew I would take off too fast, so I had to focus on finding a comfortable pace that wouldn’t fatigue me too much.  For about 8 miles or so I thought that a 9:30/9:40 average pace was really doable, but my hips had different plans. 

I kept a nice solid pace when I was running, but my hips needed a lot more walk breaks than I would have preferred.  The good news is that I was having so much fun that I didn’t even mind.  The scenery was gorgeous and when I was running, I was holding a solid pace.  I ran as much as I could while holding a solid pace and when my hips screamed to stop I walked for a bit and that’s just how the run went.  I walked the big hills (there were quite a few…) and I smiled, a lot.   

Hugs from family and friend and a fist bump from my nephew along the way really made kept me from falling into any bad places. Did I mention that I got THREE sweaty hugs from my hubby on the course... talk about lifting me up and making the run even better!  I’ve been in dark lonely places while training, but I never had those moments on race day… I was shocked.  I focused on putting calories in my belly, staying hydrated, and staying happy and that’s just how the run went.  Run, walk, run, drink, nibble a pretzel or two, run, walk, run, walk, water, coke, run…. And I never forgot to smile! J

Getting to the top of the hill into town was a BIG highlight..so close!! And then….the out and back that never ends… It just goes and goes and goes.   I got to the turn around and then I felt like I was REALLY close.  I ran/walked until about .75 miles from the finish and then I just couldn’t help but to give it everything I had left and “sprint” to the finish. I was surprised how much I had left in the tank!  And then I heard the words I had worked so hard to hear “Margaret Nelson, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!”  And that was that…the perfect first Ironman.  Family and friends at the finish for hugs and Mama Nelson’s pasta and beer at the house waiting for us!  We stayed up until 1am chatting, eating, and enjoying a few beers with our Iron-fans to end a PERFECT DAY!! 

THANK YOU MARNI AND KAREL SUMBAL and all of our supporters!! What a journey!  Can’t wait to do it again..and again..and again… ;)

The day in pictures: 

Just....Grateful.

I am feeling SO many emotions just 12 days out from our first Ironman.  Today the most overwhelming emotion is just how grateful I am.   I am grateful.  Grateful that I am capable of dreaming big.  Grateful that my parents raised me to have the motivation to chase those big dreams.  Grateful that my husband (and best friend) dreams big and chases his dreams.  Grateful for my healthy body.  Grateful for my believers.  Grateful for this life.

I am so grateful to be surrounded by so many dreamers, but most of all I am grateful for my believers.  My mom and dad always told me (and still do) that I can do whatever I put my mind to.  Dream big. I am so thankful to have been raised by such amazing and supportive parents.  And then I married into this amazing family that also believes in all of my big dreams. Thank you to my mom and dad, momma Nelson, my big brother, my sister(in law), and all of my grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, and family that continue to believe that Anthony and I can achieve our dreams no matter how big they may be.  I love you all and I am eternally grateful that some of you are going to be able to cheer us on as we swim, bike, and run 140.6 miles on July 27th. 

I am grateful.  

T-minus 5 weeks: Never let a stumble be the end of your journey.

Signing up for our first Ironman was a BIG decision that we did not take lightly.  When training started and we were putting in more hours 4-5 months before our race then we did when we were in the height of marathon training was exhilarating.  This was a huge deal.  Then it started to become the norm.  It was just what we did and  I loved it, but it started to not seem like such a huge deal...I would do my first Ironman in July and many more after that.  Not sure how or when I got into that mindset, but it didn't last long and let me tell you I have since snapped out of it.  Ironman training and racing is a big deal. Whether it is your first or your 15th, it's a really big deal that takes a lot of commitment, dedication, and respect.  You must respect your body, your training plan, your journey, your coach, God, and your spouse/family/friends along the way. You must stay committed and not lose sight of the goal and you MUST continue to have fun along the way and never forget why you started.    

Dealing with injuries and time off of each sport within 2 months of my first Ironman has taught me so much.  Never ever give up.  I am slower and less powerful now and I have to listen to my body so carefully, but I am running and biking and swimming...far...and happily.  And I will be at lake placid in July 27 swimming, biking, and running while proving to myself an the universe that challenges can be turned into opportunities, you just have to be smart, trust the plan, and enjoy the journey.  Life is good.  Triathlon is fun. And bumps in the road that have started as disappointments have ended up teaching me more about myself, my mind, my body, and the importance of self love and respect.  The count down is on.  32 days until we leave for our race-cation and just 36 days until Anthony and I swim 2.4 miles in mirror lake, bike 112 miles in the Adirondack mountains, and run 26.2 miles to a finish that ends with a title that we will forever hold and cherish.  IRONMAN.  The journey is far from over, but I can sense it winding down and I can't begin to put into words the emotions, strength, weakness, fear, happiness, pride, fatigue, energy, and joy that I have felt over the last 6 months as we've prepared for our first Ironman.  I have gotten closer to myself and God, but most importantly Anthony and I have tested our marriage with this journey and we have become so much closer and an even better team and support system to each other than we already were.  Two more hard weeks of training and then a three week taper will take us to the start line hungry for the finish we have worked our asses off for.  July 27 will undoubtedly be the hardest day of our lives.  I cannot wait to relive my journey as I swim bike and run the beautiful Lake Placid Ironman course.  

I am so thankful for every little bit of this journey.  Mostly I am thankful for the "ups" - the long rides and runs and swims that have me smiling ear to ear afterwards because I am proud.  I am proud that I have learned to push through and stay mentally strong.  I am proud that I have learned how to listen to my body and how to make that last mile my strongest.  But I am also thankful for the "downs" and that while they have been hard to get through, I am stronger for them and I will still be racing.  From getting through my tune up race only to have to take a month off, to my 2-3 visits/week to the PT, to my spill on the bike that left me with road rash that ended me up in the ER and kept me out of the pool for over a week... I know that there is a reason this is the path my journey has taken and I am thankful that the finish line is still in sight despite the obstacles that I have faced.

 

And how can I write this and not thank our amazing coach.  Marni...you have never given up on me.  If it weren't for you I likely may have postponed my Ironman debut.  I have given you all of my trust and you continue to believe in me as I overcome one obstacle after another.  From a month off of running and pushing on the bike to over a week out of the pool you have adjusted the plan and kept me on track.  You remind me to listen to my body and appreciate and accept when it says "no".  You have given me the confidence to know I CAN do this.  So, my longest run isn't what the original plan called for and my power on the bike isn't what it was pre-injury, but I am healthy and overcame so much thanks to you.  You redirected my energy when my training peaks had long walks instead of runs and I got to focus my left over energy on creating nutrient rich, plant strong meals to get me back on track faster and keep Anthony training strong. I can't thank you enough for your kind and inspirational words and belief in my mind and body.  You rock.

Meal Plan and Grocery List #1

For the longest time I would search for a website or blog that had an easy and delicious meal plan and grocery list adequate for endurance athletes so that I could just head to the grocery store with my pre-made list in hand and be done with it.  I eventually gave up because I didn’t find much and what I did find was never quite what Anthony and I wanted.  Since we put together a meal plan and list each week...why wouldn't I share with you all?!  I am going to do my best to provide a meal plan and grocery list every few weeks to help all of you active folks out there that don’t want to take the time to come up with a meal plan and grocery list for the week.  Whether you are endurance athletes, busy moms, workaholic health nuts, or just trying to eat healthier and don't want to have to spend hours searching for recipes and meal plans each week...these plans should work for you!! 

Most of our meals are pretty quick and easy and they are all delicious!  We try to focus on a plate with lots of veggies accompanied by whole grains and protein to go along with it.  Some meals are more nutritious than others and we often cater to our training schedule (if tomorrow is four hours of training starting at the crack of dawn we might do plain pasta with some lean protein and low fiber instead of a plate full of broccoli and whole wheat pasta or barley...).  You can swap meals around based on your life schedule, but hopefully this gives you a good place to start and saves some time during your busy week!  

After we shop and restock the fridge...Brutus shops!

While we do our best to save money at the grocery store and use lots of tricks, food is the one place in our life that we do not compromise, ever...this is not necessarily a budget friendly meal plan and list.  But remember - it is so easy to swap fresh veggies for frozen to save a buck and there are lots of other tricks out there if you want a to eat healthy, wholesome food on a budget (google can help with that)!!  Hopefully this helps to save some time in your week so you can focus a little more of your time on family, friends, training, and having fun in the kitchen!!  Our meal plans usually start on Saturday because that's the day we do a big shopping trip!  Feel free to leave your thoughts and comments and we are always available to answer questions (swimbikeandbemarried@gmail.com)! :) 

I will note that in the coming weeks I am only going to post the grocery list that goes with the dinner meals…. obviously along with this we always get the following staples plus or minus some depending on what our pantry looks like and what our needs are for the week ahead:

milk

eggs

almond milk

yogurt (large fage 0% for Peg, large Stoneyfield Strawberry for Anthony)

        Coffee!

Organic preserves/jam

hummus

fresh bakery bread

ezekiel cinnamon raisin bread

frozen gluten free waffles (trader joes - we love the texture of the g-free waffles they have)

triscuit crackers, pretzels, wasas, tortilla chips…etc

lots of seasonal fruit! and veggies to much on (carrots, celery..etc)

spinach for eggs and smoothies

natural PB

almond butter

maple syrup

fresh salsa

oatmeal and fixin’s (raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries, coconut, pecans, almonds,…..etc)

earth balance

whole wheat flour (pancakes are a weekend staple!)

orange juice/apple juice

        granola

block of cheese

pistaccios and other nuts for snacking

EVOO 

        spices

                                 

Last Weeks Menu

(Note: the weekend meals catered to what sounded good to Anthony's belly - he had a training camp weekend with LOTS of hours of training!) 

Saturday - Homemade pizza & salad

Sunday - Breakfast for dinner (egg/spinach scramble, fresh toast, roasted red skin potatoes)

Monday -  Chopped salad and mini wonton cupcake lasagnas

Tuesday - Chicken and veggie pitas and black bean soup

Wednesday - Dr appt went longer than anticipated - whole foods take out

Thursday - leftover veggies + brocoli and chicken loaded sweet potatoes

Friday - Healthified orange chicken 

Grocery list

-Pizza Dough or crust (we bough a pre-made Organic Whole Foods Pizza Crust which was delicious!  Trader joes and Whole Foods both have fresh dough as well if you are up for pressing it out!) 

-pizza sauce (we love whole foods fresh made sauce!)

- shredded mozzarella

- peppers (for top of pizza and salads)

- Sun dried tomatoes

-chicken (x 3meals)

-whatever other pizza toppings you prefer 

- bag of lettuce and/or spring greens/spinach

-cherry tomatoes

-carrots

-celery

-eggs

-spinach

-fresh bakery bread 

-red skin potatoes

-shallot

-wonton wrappers

-jar of red sauce (we love classic sweet tomato basil)

-ground turkey

-ricotta cheese

-parmesan cheese (optional)

- zucchini

-red pepper

-asparagus

-onion

- whole wheat pitas

- 2 cans black beans

- 2 cans or 1 box of veggie broth (or chicken broth if you prefer)

- poblano pepper

- garlic 

- broccoli 

- sweet potatoes

- orange

- chile powder

- cumin

-oregano

- Your favorite salad toppings

                                                                                                                                                           

Recipes

Saturday

Homemade pizza & Salad - Doesn't get much easier than this!

         Pre-made Organic Whole Wheat Crust (we used WF 365 brand)

         Pizza Sauce (we used fresh WF sauce - delicious!)

         Shredded mozzarella

         Peppers (we used orange and yellow)

         Sun dried tomatoes

         Any other pizza toppings you prefer

         Lettuce 

         Salad toppings of your choice for salad - celery, peppers, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, & carrots..etc

      

Instructions: (self explanatory... like I said doesn't get much easier than this meal!)

         Put together pizza to your liking and bake! 

         Put together salad to your liking

         Enjoy!! You can put a slice or two of pizza on top of your salad or enjoy them separately.

                                                                                                                                                                    

Sunday

Breakfast for dinner - another super easy meal!

         Eggs

         Spinach

         Peppers, tomatoes, or any other goods you want in your egg scramble

         Mozzarella (or cheese of choice)

         Fresh bakery bread

         Red skin potatoes

         Shallot

         EVOO

         Garlic Salt

      Instructions: Roasted red skins:  Cut potatoes in quarters, chop shallot and mix with EVOO and garlic salt to taste.  Bake at 425 for 45-60 minutes.  Keep an eye on them and stir/mix as needed. 

         Egg Scramble - self explanatory.  Scramble with all of your favorite veggies!

         Serve with your favorite fresh toast & "yum" away!

                                                                                                                                                                    

Monday

Chopped Salad and Wonton Cupcake Lasagnas (for the little kid in all of us!) 

         Salad:

         Romaine lettuce (and any other mixed greens you prefer in chopped salad)

         Carrots

         Celery

         Apples

         Block of white cheddar

         Orange/Yellow Peppers

         Dried Cranberries 

         Sunflower seeds 

         Almond Slivers

         Dressing of your choice

         

         Lasagnas:

         Wonton wrappers

         Jar of pasta sauce (we prefer Classico sweet tomato basil)

         ~3/4lb Ground Turkey Breast

         Shredded Mozzarella

         Ricotta

         Dried Oregano

         Dried Basil 

         Garlic Salt

         Pepper

      Instructions:

          Salad: Chop toppings in large chunks.  Place harder toppings in food processor and pulse a couple of  times.  Add lettuce, mixed greens, and rest of softer toppings (excluding cranberries, seeds, and nuts).  Pulse a few more times until chopped to the right texture for you... and that is an easy chopped salad!! Serve in bowl topped with cranberries, sunflower seeds, almond slivers (and any other favorite toppings!) 

          Lasagnas:  Heat oven to 375 degF.   Brown turkey - season with garlic salt and pepper.  Drain and let cool a bit.  Spray cupcake pans with olive oil (or other cooking spray...coconut oil...whatever cooking spray you have handy!)  Layer cupcake tins - start with wonton, add a little ricotta, meat, red sauce, and sprinkle with mozzarella. Add another wonton wrapper and repeat. Add one more wonton and repeat but without the ricotta.  Sprinkle top with basil and oregano and bake for about 18-20 minutes.  Feel free to add some parmesan in the mix!  ENJOY and "YUM" away!  

                                                                                                                                                                    

Tuesday

Veggie and Chicken Pitas with Black Bean Soup

(I wouldn't complain if this was a weekly..or daily meal...YUM - my favorite of the week!)

 Black Bean Soup

Olive Oil

Minced Garlic

2-3 Medium Carrots

2-3 Ribs Celery

1 Small Onion

1 Poblano Pepper (seeded)

2 cans or 1 box Vegetable Broth

2 cans low sodium Black Beans

Black Pepper

3/4 tsp Chili Powder

1/2 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Dry Oregano

Instructions:  Place celery, carrots, onion, and poblano pepper in the food processor and pulse a few times.  Warm up olive oil in a stock pot over med-high heat.  Add vegetables and garlic.  Saute for about 4 minutes.  Add rinsed black beans,  vegetable broth, and seasonings.  Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to create your desired consistency.  SO EASY!! (Tip: If you don't have an immersion blender, you could easily blend the soup in a few batches in a traditional blender.) 

Veggie and Chicken Pitas

Spinach

Asparagus

Red Peppers

Onion

Zucchini

Mozzarella

Grilled Chicken

Whole Wheat Pitas

Optional: 

Kalamata Olives

Sprouts

Instructions: Grill or bake chicken with seasonings of your choice (I think we just used some garlic salt and pepper).  Heat oven to 425 degF.  Chop veggies (excluding spinach, olives, and sprouts)  and lightly coat with olive oil and garlic salt.  Roast veggies in oven for about 30 minutes.  Cut pita in a half and fill with a mixture of spinach and mozzarella - use these as your sandwich bread and fill stack away!  Anthony also added sprouts and kalamata olives to his sandwich (not pictured).

                                                                                                                                                                  

Wednesday

Go out! 

Wednesday was a lost night for us - Anthony joined me at the doctor and the appt ran much longer than anticipated.  We enjoyed a delicious dinner from our local whole foods.  I love that we have this as an option - they have fresh food and they always list all of the ingredients so you know exactly what you are putting in your body!! Plus they have live music and great beer on tap (we skipped those options this time around!) So for Wednesday - treat yourself!  Head to the local whole foods, Chipotle, or a local restaurant for a delicious, easy, happy belly meal! 

                                                                                                                                                                 

Thursday

Loaded Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes

Left over veggies from Tuesday

Broccoli

Chicken

Cheese of your choice

Instructions:  Grill or bake chicken to your liking (we used left overs from Tuesday that was simply seasoned with garlic salt and pepper).  Heat oven to 450 degF.  Place cleaned sweet potatoes that have been poked with a fork on a rack (we place aluminum foil on the rack first) and let back for about an hour - may take longer depending on the size of the potatoes.  Steam broccoli and reheat left over veggies.  Cut open potatoes and stuff with chicken and veggies!! Top with mozzarella or cheese of your choice.  This meal is SO easy and so full of flavor.  

                                                                                                                                                                  

Friday

Orange Chicken

Sesame Oil

Soy Sauce

Minced Garlic

Red Pepper Flakes

Honey

Garlic Salt

1 Orange

Broccoli 

Red Pepper

Chicken

Brown Rice

 

Instructions: Bake chicken seasoned with garlic salt and pepper.  Heat just a splash of sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Chop baked chicken and sauté with 1tsp minced garlic and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less depending on your taste buds!). Add ~ 2 cups broccoli and a splash of water.  Cover and let steam for a few minutes to soften the broccoli.  Uncover and add 1-2 chopped red pepper(s) and cook for about 3 minutes more. In a small bowl, whisk together 2-3Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce, 2 tsp honey, 1teaspoon sesame seeds, and juice of 1 orange plus a touch of orange zest. Add to skillet and cook 1 minute. Serve over 1/2 cup cooked brown rice.

 Enjoy!! Have a wonderful and delicious week!! 

         

We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.

The other day Anthony told me I was like a drug addict going through withdrawal this week.  I have been really struggling.  Smiling and laughing one minute and in tears just miserable the next...Embarrassing.  While I was given the "ok" to ride easy for maintenance, coach Marni just had me swim and walk a lot this week.  I am happy to give my body the opportunity to heal while still allowing it to move, but it is used to moving A LOT more.  Tomorrow is my first ride in what feels like FOREVER!!  Wow, did I have a week of UPS AND DOWNS!! One minute I am hopeful about getting back to training and getting to Placid happy and healthy and the next minute I think the doctor is going to tell me NO WAY.  I feel really good and then my glute is in pain and my leg is tingly.  It's terrible and I am SO ANXIOUS for my follow up doctors apppointment on Wednesday.  Anthony thinks I am crazy for self diagnosing myself, but I am pretty sure it is NOT a disc herniation or bulge, but rather "just" piriformis syndrome...we will see... (clearly I am qualified to make this diagnoses..... ;))  In the meantime, I am doing my best to not be defeated by this set back.

I am a VERY positive person but even being so optimistic and positive, it is easy to get down in situations like this where I have no answers and no control over the situation.  All I can do is try to listen to my body and move it as much as I can without hurting it more until the doc gives me a true diagnoses.  The moment during the Monticelloman race when my glute first had such bad pain and my leg started tingling and going numb was a heart-breaking moment for me.  I have since slowly changed my thought process a bit.  I was starting to have really high expectations of myself for Raleigh which would surely turn into me having really high expectations of myself at Placid.  Kind of crazy to have high expectations during your FIRST Ironman.  Perhaps this is the Universe's way of telling me to take a step back and remember why I am doing this and to enjoy the journey with less focus on numbers and expectations.

I love endurance sports.  I love all the training days and I love race day.  I love challenging myself and getting to know myself better along the way.  I love how mental endurance sports are.  And so I am trying to respect the ups and downs of this journey.  I have SO many more training seasons ahead of me to be healthy and uninjured, so if I can mentally get through this one, that will make all the others that much easier.  And if I can manage to get to the start line on July 27, this obstacle will make IMLP so much more special.  I may finish an hour or an hour and a half slower than I would have if I didn't lose this training time, but those 140.6 miles will be so well earned and the journey that I will have to reflect on will get me over all of the ups and downs that are bound to happen during an Ironman.  

It is not easy, but I am learning to dance in this rain.  I have never had to drop a race from my schedule and in order to keep a smile on my face I have had to search for and remind myself of all the positive things that are coming out of this injury.  There aren't many, but I have found enough to get me through.  I will stare this injury in the face and I will come out on the other side stronger than ever.  I have 10 weeks to get 100% healthy and get some serious training under my belt for Lake Placid, so assuming the doctor gives me the go ahead to start training hard again (with a few more weeks off running) in conjunction with PT (which I already have scheduled out through July!), I am SO ready to reset my focus and get back in gear.   FINGERS CROSSED that the doctor has some good news on Wednesday.


IN OTHER NEWS:  Anthony and I coached my BFF, Nicole, for the Brooklyn Half.  We could not be more proud of her race execution today.  She negative split and finished "hungry for more"!!  Going into training, one of our main goals was to come out of this race wanting to keep running, not burnt out and "over it" and that was a huge success!  I am so so so proud of all the work Nicole put in with a really hard training plan and a negative split!!! It takes a smart and patient runner to negative split a race... Nicole you rocked and you should be so proud of all of the work you put in and the outcome!!

10 things I saw while I was walking...and walking...and walking this past weekend

With my weekend training consisting of "walking Brutus....a lot" I had plenty of time to just take in what was going on around me.  When I am training outside - whether it's cycling or running - I am usually aware of my surroundings enough to be safe, but certainly not very focused on them.  It was nice to people watch and really just 100% enjoy nature (although I would have MUCH rather been training), and during my Saturday and Sunday loooong walks with Brutus, I saw a lot! Here are the top ten things that come to mind:

10.  WOW!  Since when do so many cyclists wear headphones?? Am I the only one that thinks this is totally crazy?!  I mean sure it was on the W&OD trail where I noticed this, but regardless there are still tons of walkers, runners, kids, dogs, OTHER CYCLISTS, and STREET CROSSINGS!  Other than when I am inside on the trainer, it has never even crossed my mind to listen to music while riding.... this blew me away!  

9.  Kids being rude to their moms... ON MOTHERS DAY! SHEESH

ok...the rest of the things I saw were positive!! :) 

8. Kids running and walking with their moms on mothers day with a smile on their face, yay!! 

7.  Senior couples - still clearly in love - walking, holding hands, and enjoying nature together. :)

6.  Happy dogs...sniffing! 

5.  RUNNERS!! Runners in sweet new gear, runners in old beat up gear, fast runners, slow runners, skinny runners, large runners, old runners, young runners, friends running together, couples running together, solo runners, I even saw a runner in jean shorts!! They all had one thing in common.. they looked so happy to be outside in nature running on a beautiful trail on a gorgeous weekend!

4.  Mama Geese and their babies!

3.  Kids exploring nature - free of technology!

2.  Families on bike rides together!

1.  STRONG, FIT, HAPPY MOMS running with strollers!! This always makes me so happy to see!!  :)

Taking a step back from training to focus on healing my body so I can complete IMLP gave me a chance to just enjoy a weekend of nature with my dog.  While I am SO ready to heal and get back to training, it was nice to get some extra Brutus time and take in my surroundings.  I saw soooo many heart warming sights during the hours Brutus and I spent walking!!  

Happy Tuesday!