Wet Suit

This Wednesday we are starting open water swimming. I haven't been to a team swim all season, so I think its about time. Its still pretty chilly here so my TNT friends recommended getting a wet suit. What's another $200 spent on a piece of sporting equipment that I will use maybe 4 times this year in the name of raising money for cancer research? Its all good.

Kevin is traveling this week, all week and weekend, and my nanny is on vacation (Its a double curse). Its been great having two little rug rats up in my business all week. Well, I needed to buy a wetsuit this week, so naturally I took my little kids to go get a wet suit. What a great idea, NOT!

I don't even know where to start with this story, but I am sure the other customers and associates at Gear West in Long Lake got a kick out of the three of us stuffed in a tiny dressing room while I tried to stuff my fat ass into a skin tight we suit. My God, those things are hard to put on. Its like 5,000 times worse than putting on a pair of panty hose (which I do not wear anymore). I swear I actually had to tuck by buttocks into that thing. And wet suits are HOT, VERY HOT! I guess that is the point, but I think I got a harder workout trying to get into that thing than I did during my swim earlier that day. And all the while the boys are goofing off in the dressing room, spitting at the mirror, singing loud obnoxious songs, trying to open the door while I am half naked with the we suit tangled around my ankles as I am trying to pull it off.

I just bought the damn thing. I have no idea what is going to happen on Wednesday night when I have to try to put it on in front of the whole team. I actually thought about putting it on before driving to the lake, but not only is that totally ridiculous, its entirely too hot. If I can get it on I should be nice and toasty in the water.

We'll see....

Riding the roller coaster again....

Last week was another incredibly tumultuous week, both physically and emotionally. My training is going well although I think I may have hit a plateau, of sorts. I actually started gaining weight last week. Not a lot, only a few pounds, but you can't imagine how demoralizing it is to run 8 miles and then see 3 extra pounds pop up on the scale the next day. I guess my body is finally catching up with these crazy workouts so its time to get serious about the nutrition. Its a good wake up call, I really can't eat whatever I want, despite the thousands of calories my heart rate monitor is telling me that I am burning on a daily basis.

In other news, I went for my first routine mamogram last Monday. I turned 35 last month and as a birthday present my OB wrote me a script for a cholesterol test and a mamogram. Normally I wouldn't blog about something like this, but its all about cancer prevention so here goes. So the procedure itself went fine. Its a right of passage, I suppose, that all women go through - having your breasts (wo)manhandled by a total stranger and then pressed like pancakes between two metal plates. The lab tech at my doctor's office jokingly said I should prep for it by closing the freezer door on my boobs. Well, that was just about right. After the mamogram the tech told me I would get a written report in the mail, unless there was something abnormal, then I would get a phone call instead.

On Tuesday I got a message from the radiologist. I tried not to freak out when I heard the message, but over the next five minutes, the time it took me to call back and for the them to find my file, I swear I saw my life flash before my eyes. Could I have breast cancer? Well, yes, I could. Its not some big news flash, its just the harsh reality of the world that we live in. Since Lindsay got cancer last year I promised myself that I would chill out, I would be more patient, more forgiving, more loving, that I would enjoy every single moment that I have with my beautiful children and my family. I thought that I made a lot of progress in these areas, but in those 5 minutes as I sat on the phone waiting, I realized that I have so very far to go.

So I am going back in on Tuesday for some more pictures. I called my OB and she said its routine, "They call lots of people back," she said, and then in the next breath, "Make sure to get in right away."

Later that day I learned that a guy I went to business school with got killed in Iraq, blown up by a suicide bomber. He was 38. On Wednesday a friend from high school posted on Facebook that her husband has Stage IV Melanoma, it has spread to his lungs. That can't be good. She has 3 kids, ages 2-11.

So this week I'm sort of on autopilot, numb from the emotions of the week. Before I know it I've run 6 or 7 miles or ridden 30 miles and the physical pain doesn't seem to bother me that much anymore.

No Comment

I really shouldn't comment on Saturday's brick. It was so beyond ridiculous I just don't even know what to say.

I got up a 6 am and met my friend Tracy to drive an hour to some little town on the Minnesota/Wisconsin border. I figured there would be some hills since it is close to a ski resort but I was up for an adventure so we went. I didn't figure we start riding, go around a curve and then head straight up and up and up. I so was not prepared.

On the very first hill I didn't gear down fast enough and my gear started clicking as we started up the hill. It was so hard, I thought I would have freaking heart attack. I finally got off the damn bike and the coach came by and adjusted the gears. It got marginally better from there but I was so freaked out, mentally I just couldn't deal. By the third or fourth monster hill I just shifted down to the lowest gear possible and kept peddling, one foot over another, for what seemed like an eternity. It was one hill after another. It got to the point where I just didn't even look up anymore, I just looked right in front of me and kept pedaling. I couldn't look up, it was too demoralizing.

By the way, it was 40 degrees and the wind was gusting at 30 miles per hour. I seriously think I have lost it.

I guess the good news is that I finished the ride and then I ran 2 miles to boot. I suppose they are trying to beat us down, just to make sure we are ready for anything on race day.

again, no comment

Strange things are happening

Its 6 am on Saturday. I'm getting ready to head out the door to go to another brick near some ski resort near the MN/WI border (this means hills). I still can't walk from Thursdays run. This is so outside of my character.

In case I don't make it back, I love you all.

8 miles (rounding up)

There are a few people on the team who I get a lot of inspiration from. One of the guys, Mark, is amazing. He's a big guy, like Papa Tom's size, and he is always out there until the bitter end and he trains with purpose. Tonight I learned his sister is battling cancer, blood cancer, I assume, and I am certain he trains for her. One day I was running hills with him and I was at my wits end and he said, "Just shut your mind off and put one foot in front of the other." I think about that all the time when I am running and actually think it is good advice for life.

Well tonight I caught Mark at the end of the 8 mile run.

I yelled out, "Great Job Mark!"

He yelled back, "Put a bullet in me."

He was kidding, but that's how hard it was, really hard.

I'm headed for the tub with a bottle of Advil in hand.

Brick

As in, my legs feel like a pile of bricks or I would rather have someone hit me in the head with a brick than ever do that again.

I missed our team workout yesterday for our garage sale so I did one on my own. 22 miles on the bike then a 2 mile run. Thankfully, the new seat on my bike has solved the problem of my girl parts falling asleep, now I must address this issue with my feet. My bike shoes are at least 8 years old (pre-baby) and my feet have certainly gotten bigger. They are too small and when I get off the bike and try to run they are completely numb. It takes at least a mile or a mile and a half until I start to feel them again. I just stumbled along for the first 10 minutes or so until I get traction. Its painful, really painful.

I guess it could be worse. Tonight I heard the team work out was 32 miles Some how the coaches always seems to underestimate the mileage. I think they do this on purpose so they don't freak people out before they even get started.

Not looking forward to Saturday.

10%

Today was not a great day for swimming.  It all started with Avery's swim lessons this morning.  I hate his new teacher this session and I swear he has regressed.  It makes me really crabby because those lessons are expensive and I know he can do better. 

I went swimming this afternoon even though it was a beautiful day.  I didn't want to, but I am trying to keep on the training schedule.  I'm really thinking about trying to do the Olympic distance race (1 mile swim, 25 mile bike, 6.1 mile run) so I decided to time myself swimming a mile tonight.  I made it in just over 26 minutes.  I was hoping to finish under 25 minutes, but that was pretty close, so I felt good.  After I showered and walked past the pool I felt like maybe it looked a little short.  I've had a sneaking suspicion that the pool might be short, but I think I've been in denial.  So I stopped at the desk just to double check that it is in fact a 25 yd pool.  

Well, it's not.  It's only 22.5 yds.  22.5 yds?! Who the hell builds a pool that is only 22.5 yds?  That means I've been swimming 10% fewer yards than I actually thought.  10%! Crap.   I would have much rather had one of these realizations today.....

I actually weigh 10% less than what my scale says!

My grocery bill is actually 10% less than what my receipt says!!

There are actually 10% fewer calories in those brownie bites that I just bought and scarfed down!!!

My work week actually consists of 10% fewer hours than I originally thought, so I'll be home at lunch on Wednesday!!!!

But no, sadly I have been swimming 10% less yardage than I actually thought.    

I have to say, I love love love love love the pool at this gym.  It's my princess pool.  Its warm in there, really warm.  The water is warm, the air is warm.  The walls and ceiling are a warm slate color and I can look out the window on a snowy day or a rainy day or dark night and still feel warm.  And a lot of days or nights I have the pool all to myself, not even a lifeguard.  Its very peaceful.  Some nights I feel like I could swim forever and I guess maybe I should think about it since I've been shorting my workouts by 10% for the last 3 months.  

Ugh.