"So When Are You Going to Do One?"

It was that day of the year again - perhaps my favorite day of the year - the day of the local Ironman.

This is a day that I immensely enjoy....a day that the entire city is immersed and obsessed with my favorite thing.  The triathlon.  All day people are swimming and cycling and running....and my neighborhood is packed with people who love swimming and cycling and running as much as I do.

My day is very active as I cheer on my friends.  I even drag my kids and husband with me.

  

But.......I get spared from the lake waters, eat real food for lunch in lieu of gels and relax on my couch instead of tackling headwinds on my bicycle.  I feel very satisfied with my choice to not subject myself to such self-inflicted misery, although every year, I am routinely asked:  So, when are YOU going to do one?

Even my husband asked me this, to whom my answer was:  When I am 50.

OK, so 50 is pretty far away.  Maybe I will be grandma.
However, I still consider myself still fairly new at this sport.
I have never used a coach or even a training schedule.  I have never tried a tri-bike or long sleeved wetsuit. I have never raced in a different state or swam in the ocean.  I have never found my footing during an Olympic triathlon nonetheless felt ready for anything longer....

I obviously have a lot to learn.

When I returned to running post high-school cross country, our city was having its inaugural rock and roll marathon.  Despite having very little experience with distance running, I actually did quite well and was quickly enamored with the marathon.  It was challenging.  It was prestigious.  It was undisputedly hardcore.

Anyone can run a 5K...but 26 miles?  You have really love running to run 26 miles.

But the marathon came at a price.  I suffered through an endless array of injuries.
Shin splits.  Tendonitis.  ITBS.  Sciatica.  Pulled hamstring.  Stress fracture.

My scoliosis, an annoying and unsightly 25-degrees curve in my spine, makes me prime candidate for pretty much any injury.  Each injury was unique in its own terrible way but they all shared one common thread:  They made me depressed.  And how does a runner deal with depression if they cannot run?

The marathon just wasn't worth it.

Over the past 7 years, which includes running for 30-weeks during my pregnancy, I have learned a lot about myself as an athlete.  There is so much more to running than just distance and there is so much more to recovery than just taking a day off.   My body will perform in amazing ways, but it requires a little more work and a little more patience than perhaps other bodies.

So while the marathon, a lost love, is still waiting for me to return, I am in no rush this time.  I am enjoying the path...filled with 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons and trail races.  I have won races I never thought I could win and have set PRs that I never thought possible.

I am going to do a marathon again one day, but I am not going to limp and hobble away from the finish line in defeat and depression.
So until I can get my body to that point, there is no reason to even contemplate an Ironman.  Until then, I am going to enjoy the journey and seek successes that may be shorter but that are also followed by breakfast and sunshine.

And, of course, I will continue to celebrate the day of the Ironman while cheering on my friends, who are amazing and admirable athletes, while at the same secretly happy that it's not me out there.  At least, not yet and not any time soon.

Still not an Ironman

Every year I spectate the local Ironman.  I usually know a handful of people participating.

Every year I  find it to be an interesting phenomenon how people cheer on the Ironman and think to themselves, “This is something I want to do.”

Maybe it looks like fun for the first few hours.  The energy and excitement at an Ironman start is surreal.  But, it is also cold and crowded.  I was happy that I was warm and dry and running instead.

By the middle of the day, people are starting the marathon and seem sincerely happy to be off their bikes (after 5-7 hours of cycling, who wouldn’t be happy?)  For the third year in a row, we trekked around in the jogging stroller, clapping our hands.  The kids were finally capable of saying things like, "Good job!" "Way to Go!"

It’s tricky to cheer with the stroller because I feel like we can only run against the crowd – even during an Ironman, people don’t like to be passed by a woman pushing a double stroller.

We did the same loop as last year, stopping repeatedly for some recovery.

After awhile, Brenna finished her lollipop.  Yes, yes...we moved on from cheerios to candy.  BUT, it was a dum-dum, which is almost too small to even be considered a real lollipop.  Right?
And shortly after, with a little help, Hayden finished his.

After that, I let them loose to play at the park with my Dad.

At this point, there is no "maybe" - the race does not look fun.  It looks miserable.  And tormenting.

People are limping and hobbling.  I can practically see the lactic acid pulsing through their legs.  Imagine that you are lost and walking through the desert: thirsty yet bloated, hungry yet nauseous, tired yet unable to sit down, sleepy yet unable to sleep.

You want to run up and hug them.
I watched one of my friends stagger through a water station during her last loop of the run.  She tripped but caught herself, stood in a daze for a few seconds, grabbed a water cup from the aid station and poured it on her head. (My better instinct told me she did not want a hug).  Now, if that was me, I probably would have sat and cried.  Or called a cab.  But instead, she looked up and continued to run.

I guess that is the difference between me and an Ironman.

Although, I will never say never.
At one point, I was sure I would never like coffee.
At one point, I was sure I would never be watching MTV shows when I was 30 years old.
At one point, I was sure I would never bribe my kids with free cookies at the grocery store.
So sure, I can say I will never be crazy enough to put myself through such a grueling chain of events - but who knows, maybe one day I will get bored and decide I want a new red tattoo.

We've been doing things.

I've been meaning to post for the past week - I always have a thought for a new blog entry, but by the time I have am moment to sit down and write, the thought is lost in the past and no longer seems relevant.

So, what have we been doing that has kept me so busy?

Finally, the weather has cooled down enough for us to go outside in the middle of the day.  It happened overnight.  Last Wednesday, the high was 91 - certainly more suitable than 101 or 110, but still a bit warm for lunchtime frolicking.  A coldfront or something swept through and by Saturday, the high dropped to a chilly 63.  Since then, it has stabilized at a splendid 70.

The kids really like food, so there is usually a picnic involved in the things we do.  We have been having picnics all over town.  I try to pick interesting places.  For example, next to the zoo there are some very novice hiking  trails, perfect for clumsy kids.  I am not a huge hiking fan, but just like you cannot run until you can walk, You must hike before you can trail run.

A week later, we advanced to slightly more technical trails that even had a hill:

 And a downhill.

We've seen many interesting things, but nothing was more amazing than this tire:

Hayden even felt so competent in his hiking skills that he declared he no longer needed a trail to follow.

We have also been picnicking at parks and at lakes.  Yesterday we had a picnic at Tempe Town Lake and found ourselves submerged at the Ironman expo. 

I can't believe it's already that time a year again.

Time certainly does fly when you are busy having picnics.  

Jogging Stroller Session #5 - Fast, but we're no Ironman

Jogging Stroller Session #5: Mile repeats.
You must have known these were coming! Each one was followed by a .1 sprint.

Mile 1: 6:26 (+ 37 sec sprint)
Mile 2: 6:21 (+ 38 sec sprint)
Mile 3: 6:18) (+37 sec sprint)

Also did a short ladder :.1x2, .2, .1x2 - all sub620.

Call me crazy but I actually think that I could possibly break 20 minutes on the 5K with the double jogging stroller. Can I really be faster with the stroller?

Unfortunately, I dont think this turkey trot will be the right race for us to find out. I made a point to find a family-oriented race with a very wide road, but I think it may be too large. One of the largest rules of racing is to respect other runners - there are limitations since we are so wide. I dont want to run anyone over. Hopefully there will be enough room for us to run our pace on the outer edge of the course.

Although I do think a 6:18 mile is impressive, it is nothing compared to the amazing athletes we witnessed at the Arizona Ironman. I am so proud to say that many of these athletes are my friends, and that I had the priveledge to train with them.

For those who do not know, an Ironman is a 2.5 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and a 26 mile run. Yes, all in the same day!
Why do people do this? I have no idea.

We arrived at the race at 3pm to watch the professionals finish. I missed the first male, but we arrived in time for the first woman. So we waited.

and waited:

and waited:


and then finally, we saw her! For like two seconds.
You see that blur? That is her.


After that, we ran the Ironman running course and cheered on all the athletes. A lot of them said to me, "now THAT is a workout" or "wow, you are awesome!"
Um, me? Um, I did not just bike 112 miles!!!

Everyone was too nice and we had a wonderful time.
Unfortunately, the kids started whining after only 6 miles. I managed to bribe them for a little extra time with cheerios, though. I could have stayed out there all night.

Congrats to all the participants!