I received the best surprise a couple of weeks ago from Ms. Well's class at Hopkinsville High School. Ms. Wells class wrote on and made 100 "rings of inspiration" for me to start counting down the last 100 days until IronMan Louisville. Each ring has a message from a student. This will definitely keep me motivated once training keeps getting harder. I can't wait until day 100 to start counting down. I'm at day 144 now! I know it's going to be tough as I get closer and closer to Ironman day. I received this package at the best possible time. I've been nursing a foot injury for the past couple weeks, and I haven't been able to run at all for a while, which has been extremely frustrating for me. I've been worried about not being able to put in the amount of training time I need too. To make up for it, I've been trying to swim extra workouts or add extra bikes. I've been going to my Chiropractor Dr. Bee at Occupational Kinetics. I have a peroneus brevis and longus strain. I've been seeing Dr. Bee for ART and Mike Rowles for ultrasound and some great exercises to strengthen my hips. Dr Bee performs this wonderful therapy called ART, (active release technique.) Active release technique, is a combination of movement and massage to treat pain in ligaments, nerves, tendons, muscles, and other connective tissue in the body, according to practitioners. Thanks to him, the pain is finally gone in my foot and I can now try running again. Dr. Bee helped get me through the Chicago Marathon too. I had a soleus strain 2 weeks before that race, and I didn't think I'd be able to run it at all, but thanks to him I was able to race and finish! Anyway, as I was saying, Ms. Wells package came at the perfect time. I'd been frustrated about not being able to run, and then I open this amazing box and up fly balloons with these perfect little rings with words like Keep going, you're awesome. I was instructed though that I could not read the rings until I started my countdown, so I packed away the rings until day 100. My Aunt Charlotte helped orchestrate this surprise with a little help from Meg. I'm very lucky :)
My weekly log from the week of March 17 was 0 miles and minutes running, 67 miles biking in 4 hours 37 minutes, and I swam 3 miles in 2 hours and 34 minutes. Total time training equals 8 hours 11 minutes for a total of 70 miles.
My stats for this past week were Running =6 miles in 1 hour 4 minutes, Cycling in 87 miles in 5 hours and 3 minutes and swimming 4 miles in 2 hours and 45 minutes. My total time and mileage last week was 97 miles in 9 hours and 14 minutes. My first week of training more than 8 hours. I technically should be up around 10~11 hours, but my foot has kept me hitting that time goal. I'll be ok though I have 144 days before IM Louisville!
My biggest feat last week was swimming 2900 yards for the total workout. My swim workouts had been mostly a total of 1900-2100 yards. LAst Thursday, Coach Dee changed it up a bit and added a few yards on us. She also swam with us and showed her mad swim skillz. Let's just say she's super fast. I was tired, and really didn't know if I could finish the workout. My swim stroke didn't feel good at all. I couldn't get comfortable in the water, and I felt like I was trying much harder than I wanted to. I know I was in my head too much, but around at 2600, I wanted to stop and get out of the water. At this point, I 'd swallowed most of the pool, and thought if I had to do another 300 yards I might drown in UofL's pool. I was super frustrated and about to climb out of the pool when I looked over at Jenny, my Iron teammate. She was just as exhausted as I was. "Are you doing the extra 300?" I'd expected her to say no, but she said, "yep." It hit me, "Suck it up and finish this last 300. You'll be glad, even if it's not pretty." Jenny, without her knowing it at the time, pushed me to finish the last bit of my workout. Thanks Jenny!
