Oh. Taper.

My next race is an Olympic triathlon and it is next weekend.
Things have been going really great with training... I have been having a lot of fun, doing group workouts, and feeling unsurpassably strong.  In the past three weeks, I have a done at least:
- 12 mile run (with 10 miles at tempo pace / 6:50)
- 13+ mile run x 2
- 43 super hilly bike ride
- 37+ bike ride bricked with 4 miles x 2 
- Cycling intervals on the power-meter x 3
- Track x 2 and speedwork directly off the bike
- A few bikes rides bricked with my favorite running partners:

And then, on Wednesday, I was reminded that I should perhaps start my taper.

My response:  "Already????" 
I felt sorta bummed.

But then I woke up Thursday to meet my friend for what normally would be a tempo run.  But instead, we just ran.  It wasn't fast.  It wasn't far.  But yet, it felt hard.  My streak of feeling stronger every workout was over.  I felt tired.  Or, at least I convinced myself I was tired so I would abide by my  taper.

The taper is an important thing for me.  Not only is it an opportunity to recover, but it is an opportunity to swim, do yoga and get caught up on my errands -- so far, I have two massages and a facial scheduled.

Massages and facials may paint me as the lady of leisure I would love to be, but aside from this exact sentence that I am typing right now, "leisure" and "twins" are simply two words that never find themselves together.  Just the fundamental task of keeping my kids alive keeps me very busy........nevermind trying to keep them happy.

When we are not doing things, their default activity is fighting.  Brenna is usually the antagonist, but at least once a day, I catch Hayden slowly extending his hand towards Brenna's ponytail as if he just cannot resist the temptation of pulling on it.  This is one reason Brenna's ponytail never makes it past lunch time.

It is hard to be "doing things" all the time, especially with two three-year olds in tote.  So, I have continued separating them a few nights a week.  This makes doing things a lot more easier.  For example, this week, I took them each to a little carnival.

I walked Brenna through her very first funhouse:

And a few days later, I accompanied Hayden on his first flying elephant ride:

I was real excited to find out he was tall enough to ride the tilt-a-whirl...I used to love that ride!  But, he was not interested in anything that daring yet.  I was not surprised considering he is scared of practically everything in life unless you have ice cream.  And I had no ice cream.

Feeling Rather Beat Up.

I have not swam for a week but assuming I am still suffering from my unique swimming injury, I have more annoying aches allowing me to create quite a list.  All of them, however, are self-inflected, so I am not sure I am entitled to complain?

I shall complain anyway.

The first one was a bike accident.
It is not new news that I don't check the weather reports before embarking on a bike ride. I mean, it's Arizona.  Our weather is hot and sunny 99% of the time.

But last Tuesday, the forecast supposedly called for rain.  A lot of rain.
I discovered this factoid when I was 12 miles away from home and the rain was falling so hard that it felt like tiny needles hitting my skin.  Needless to say, I don't have a lot of experience cycling on slippery roads.  I gripped by handlebars tightly, kept my head down and gave it 100% of undivided concentration.

I was 2 miles away from home when the rain finally stopped.  I let out a huge sigh of relief, relaxed my cramped hands, and made a right hand turn.  Or, tried to make a right hand turn.  The bike did turn- onto its side.

My first thought as I hit the ground was, "OH MY GOSH, CAN I RUN??"
I did an immediate check of the knees and ankles.  Everything felt normal and I was left with just some road rash and oozy wounds, like this:

But as the day moved into the evening, my neck and back started to hurt.  I guess I tensed up when I fell and accrued some whiplash.  Despite seeing a chiropractor, by the next day, I was unable to turn my head.
Brenna was unforgiving and insisted to clinging to my neck.  We couldn't even survive a trip to the grocery store, we had to be shuffled around in a shopping cart.

(and I realize this is not the first time I have posted myself squished in a shopping cart)















I started to feel better by the weekend, right in time to take a trip to San Francisco for a wedding.  David and I enjoyed our two toddler-free nights to the fullest.  We did everything you would expect me to do.... run a lot (and get lost a little) and eat and drink.

and drink, again.

You know you are having a really fun time when you end up buying purple, sparkly converse shoes.

Although - I don't have regret buying the shoes.  I love the shoes. And a girl can never have too many pairs of purple shoes (at least according to Brenna).

But I may regret running up so many hills....so many really, really big hills.

The opportunity to go out run for as long as I want doesn't happen very often.  For the first hour, I felt fantastic. I frolicked through the city and pranced up the hills with glee.  I was giddy when I found the Golden State Bridge.

But then, I had to turn around.
And all those hills were still there.  Only they seemed a lot bigger.  And my legs felt a lot heavier.

So, with my cycling wounds still fresh and my whiplash still lingering, I got on the airplane to return home with legs overflowing with lactic acid.
Thank goodness I had brought my bright pink compression socks.
Thank goodness they match my purple shoes.

I have spent my time resting and hoping that everything repairs itself for the race this weekend.  I swore this time around that I would practice my transitions - but I have not.   I don't feel ready so I plan to do what I always do - survive the swim, mess up in transitions, take a bike ride and then run too fast the first mile.  I get a strange pleasure in the predictability.

Outfits of the Week

It has been an uneventful week.  
I squeezed in one last bike workout on Monday - 35 miles @ 20.5mph.  It was a beautiful, quiescent day that was perfect for a bike ride.

Since then, it has been extremely windy.
Every day I think, Thank goodness I am not riding my bike!
Supposedly is it supposed to calm down today </crosses fingers>.

Between tantrums, grocery shopping and trips to the park, we have been pretty much lounging around.


I did try a new yoga class but it was Yin Yoga.
I was not a fan. For half the class we just laid in the dark and stared at the ceiling!
But at least it got us out of the house. The kids it enjoyed it, especially since it meant eating food that I did not cook. I am not sure why a simple sandwich and snacks out of a bag taste better eaten somewhere else. And lettuce?! That would be thrown on the floor immediately at home.



But even a boring week provides plenty of entertainment when you have toddlers. You just never know what they are going to say or do or wear.
This week, Hayden selected one of his outfits. The choice to wear underwear in lieu of shorts is an interesting one, but at least it matches.


Brenna decided to explore my sock drawer (really, the only drawer within her reach) and discovered my purple, sparkly arm warmers. She fervently delivered them to me to place on her legs. After a year of wearing her Babyleg leg warmers on my arms, I thought this was a reasonable request.

Why I Run.

When I was pregnant, and all full of crazy hormones, I went to the mall with my husband. He was doing something (probably putting Ghost Armor on his phone because that is the only business he ever does at the mall) and I was patiently waiting in a chair by a small fountain. It was the kind of fountain that you throw a penny in while making a wish.

I watched two young kids gasp at the fountain, finding it totally fascinating. They were so impressed and entertained at such a small thing.

When my husband returned, I was crying. I told him that being a kid was so great - everything is exciting and you learn something new at a blink of eye - but we were passed that stage, and we would never get it back. I told him that I wish I could re-do my childhood because I took it for granted. I wish I had appreciated it.

He told me that no child appreciates being a child; it's simply not a concept that their brain can comprehend. But that the neat thing about being parents is that we would get to re-live all those experiences through the eyes of our kids. We would get to appreciate it for them.

Hmmmm, although I am picturing my husband as conjure up this memory, I am hearing my mother's voice. But look, you should have known this was going to be a convoluted memory when I said that I was "patiently waiting" earlier. Does that really sound like me?

But it's the message, not the speaker, that is important.
It is a message that I promptly forgot and did not think about again for over 2 years.

I did not think about it again until a few days ago when I took my kids running. Not running in their stroller, but actual running - on the running path, with their little legs and little feet.

They ran much farther than I expected,
and for much longer than I expected.

They ran with such determination and delight!
But yet, for no purpose.
They dont understand the concept of exercise.
They dont understand the distance nor triumph of a mile.
They dont understand the difference between fast and slow.

They embraced running in its most simple and purist form. They did not need a Garmin, fancy socks nor an iPod with 200 songs.

The ran for the reason that I run - and for the reason that I will always run:
BECAUSE IT IS FUN!!

It is so easy to get caught up in how fast I run, how far I run, how many miles a week I run that I forget WHY I run.

During this taper, I realized that training became too serious.
It was my first time using a coach, my first time using a training plan...I put an absorbent amount of pressure on myself to make this race a PR-bashing race, and it soaked up the real reason I am doing it.

The difference between a 1:30 or 1:33 or even a 1:36 has no impact on my life. One result does not make me more of a runner. So why the stress?

I am going to run this race for all the right reasons:
Because I can.
Because I want to.
Because I love to run.

I am going to smile.
And pace myself.
And have a lot of fun - because that is why I run.
I am not going to wear music, or obsessively look at my Garmin.
I am going back to my roots.

Like them: (press play)

6 weeks to go, 1 week left

Training for this week:

Monday: 8 miles w/ 1 mile x 3 (6:24, 6:19, 6:25), 3 min RI + 2200 yard swim

Tuesday: 24 mile bike ride (19.4mph) bricked with 3.5 miles with the jogging stroller. We visited the cow. The cow is an oddly placed animal just a half a mile away. I say "oddly placed" because we dont live in a neighborhood conducive to live stock. However, once I accidentally ran down a dead-end street to find this uniquely hidden gem in the city:




Wednesday: 8.25 miles w/ 4 miles at tempo pace (7:03)+ 2300 yrd swim

Thursday: 20 minutes on trainer, followed by 20 miles outside, bricked with 3 miles. This would have been a fine workout except for I fell off my bike. I was going pretty fast (between 19-20mph) but yes, I am fine. I was able to lay my bike on the side, and walked away with just some sore hips.

Friday: 55 minute trail run (forgot to charge Garmin) + 2200 meter swim

Saturday: 12.3 mile easy run. I say "easy" loosely because my pace was 7:54. I wanted to run a little slower but there was no slowing my running partners down!

Sunday: Rest day. It was supposed to be a 37 mile bike ride with my girls, but I think yesterday's run was pushing it and that I should relax instead because I am officially IN TAPER MODE!!!!!!

My taper schedule looks roughly like this:
Monday: 25-30 mile easy bike ride
Tuesday: Mr.Coach's speedwork
Wedneday: Rest day
Thursday: Easy spin class
Friday: Easy swim
Saturday: Rest day
Sunday: Race!

I also will get a massage, some ART, and take a few naps.

And, just maybe, we will take a walk to visit the cow.

Tapering!

Tapering and Tantrums (and Sweet Tomatoes)

Taper:

Monday - easy trail run (no watch/no garmin)

Tuesday - 25 min mainetance lifting, 25 minute lap swim

Wednesday - 17 mile bike ride (Pecos loop) @ 19.4 mph!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! bricked with 2.5 miles

Thursday - spin class

Tapering is fun, the only thing missing is quality sleep. On Monday night Hayden woke up (inconsolably) and on Tuesday night Brenna woke up (inconsolably).

Last night was good sleep though - 10:30-6! No wonder I feel so good today.

Tomorrow will be a rest day- I have a massage planned. Saturday was going to be a rest day but my best running friend has a "hurt heart" so I am going to do a few miles with him.

And then.........race day! I am so excited.

I love racing. Love love love love LOVE.

It strange, I am not a competitive person in any other aspect of my life. You're prettier than me? Great, I like looking at you. You're wealthier than me? Great, you can take me out to lunch. You're smarter than me? Great, you can teach me something.

But when it comes to sports its a whole different story.

I'm not elite so I dont race to win, but I certainly look to those on my left, and those on my right, and race to beat them.

But that is the whole purpose of racing, right?

Twins: Brenna has been throwing a few good tantrums lately! She is dramatic (supposedly like me). Yesterday I took her to the mall. She was well-behaved until I started to let them ride the coin operated rides. Once she started riding, she did not want to stop. Of course when I put her back in the stroller, she arched her back and screamed at the top of her lungs. "Please stop," I told her. I hate being "that" mom in public places. But she didnt stop, so we left.

Today she threw another tantrum while walking into the gym. You have to walk past the cafe to enter and exit the gym. When she saw the cafe she attempted to fling herself out of the stroller. She forgot about the cafe once she entered the daycare. But, she threw ANOTHER tantrum when we passed the cafe on our way out. This tantrum lasted all the way home.

I am unphased when it comes to her screaming. But its embarrassing.

We were able to have an enjoyable dinner last night sans tantrums. We took the kids to Sweet Tomatoes. Those who know me understand that I have a deep love for this restaurant. I have gone there for birthdays, date nights, during vacations...

This was the first time taking the kids, though. I am not sure why I waited this long, I guess I thought a buffet-style restaurant would be difficult?

The kids were perfectly behaved ! They had so much to eat. Brenna surprised me by liking jicama and beets.