I’m going mental

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We are about 12 weeks away from the big show: Ironman Lake Placid. As I type that sentence, I can feel my heart rate elevate. A few weeks ago (7 to be exact), I wrote a post about how training for Ironman Lake Placid was changing our lives. At that time, I thought only in simple terms of time management. Ha! Silly girl. I didn’t even know the half of it when I wrote that entry. Way back on March 12th, I oh-so naively thought this journey was about managing time and training my body for the physical endurance challenge …

Hitting the road

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Saturday morning means one thing: my long bike ride. All week long, I was looking forward to the ride because everyone was abuzz with “how nice” the weather would be. Hmmm. Well, the sun and warm temps must have taken a pass on the Southern Jersey shoreline on Saturday morning. When we woke up, it was foggy, damp and chilly. My original plan had been to get up early (which I did) and complete my ride, leaving most of the day to catch up on work. No dice. It just wasn’t safe to head out a 7:00 a.m. with such …

Managing Time with 20 Weeks to Ironman Lake Placid

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This week marks an important transition in my Ironman training: 20 weeks until the big day. *Gulp* In just five months time, I will be swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles, and running 26.2 miles–all within (I hope!) the official time limit of 17 hours. Having talked to experienced Ironman triathletes, I knew that the “20 weeks out” moment was a major transition in the training plan. This past Sunday, I pulled up my schedule, and I noticed the shift. Now that it’s Friday, and I’ve made it through 5 of the 7 training days: I’m feeling the shift. So, …

Thanks for the Recent Donations to the Iron Scholarship!

Much thanks to my supporters Dan & Mary Shaw, Kim & Rick Cote, Franny & Paul Kircher, and Lynn Barbato. Their recent generous support has brought my fundraising total to $590.60! Since we started training for the Ironman in January, we’ve swum, biked,  ran or weight trained for 125 hours, which translates into anywhere from 9 to 15 hours of training per week, and about 620 miles. While we push the limits of our physical celebrex endurance, your support will help students whose academic endurance is helping them realize their dreams. If everyone who visits this site donates just $5, …

25 Minutes of Bliss & Lessons Learned from Injury

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“Before you come back next time, go for a short run. We need to see where that leg is at,” said Dr. Terry Andrus, my physical therapist. Wait, did I hear that correctly? Did he just clear me to go for a run? *Big smile* I guess he was reading my mind because he added, “Don’t make it a half marathon or anything. Easy and short. 20-25 minutes.” “Okay,” I replied, laughing. “I know. I know.” I was excited, but also a little bit fearful. The last time I had tried to run was February 2nd. I ran only 10 …

I’m injured, but I’m not out

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I have a case of what appears to be hamstring tendonitis in my right leg. At first, the injury led me to drop running from my training, and replace it with aqua jogging, while continuing my training with swimming and biking. However, at the end of last week, it became painfully (literally) clear to me that I would have to also drop the bike and aqua jogging. My coach took it a step further and said: no kicking while swimming. My first response: SERIOUSLY? I found it impossible to be optimistic and find the silver lining at first. This news …

Indoor training doesn’t have to be as terrible as the weather

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Cold weather doesn’t bother me. I prefer it to the warmer weather. However, snow is a problem for outdoor training – especially cycling, Unfortunately, the snow has been plentiful this winter–an anomaly for the Southern New Jersey coast. With all the snow, and limited city budgets for plowing said snow, John and I have had to ride the indoor trainer* quite a bit. If you’ve never ridden a bike trainer, you have been spared what is sometimes mental agony, resulting from spinning in circles without going anywhere, which can be similar to running on a treadmill or swimming laps in …

Welcome!

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If you’ve found yourself here after reading the article in the Press of Atlantic City – welcome! If you are a regular visitor to RunningALife – welcome back! You can find information about the Iron Scholarship, which rewards academic endurance, on this page. Your contribution can make a big difference in the lives of students facing economic hardship. Any amount is greatly appreciated. I’m glad you stopped by today. Please browse my posts, and feel free to comment. I would love to hear from you.

Life’s a little different now: Some observations on Ironman training

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I’m a little over 25 weeks out from Lake Placid Ironman. During this early phase of base training, along with the training I did in preparation for the HIM Bassman in October, I’ve noticed several changes in my life. I thought I’d share some. Maybe some of you can relate? Observation #1: Positive Correlations Most athletes preparing for an Ironman expect that the longer the race distance, the longer the training times and miles. What I didn’t account for was the fact that those training distances aren’t the only times that increase. While the training plan may have anywhere from …

Aqua jogging

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A few years back, I had some trouble with my right ITB (iliotibial band) during a run. The pain was significant enough that I had to take frequent walk and stretch breaks to get back home. I didn’t run again for a few days. I started ridiculously slow. Alas! The pain returned. At that point, I resigned myself to the realization that I had a problem with the ITB. I knew what this pain meant: Stretching. Icing. Using the foam roller to lengthen and release the ITB. And, the worst part: no running for at least a week–maybe more. So, …