Sick, Sick, Sick

Ugh. What a week/weekend. I started with just a sore throat on Wednesday, but of course I have a cold that's been running it's course. Sore throat is gone, followed by terrible congestion on it's way out (but still lingering), with a stuffed/runny nose on-coming. My run on Friday felt heavy. A typical brick workout on Saturday was just a bike. I completed my run workout on Sunday. It was a struggle, and is anyone could hear me it probably sounded like I was dying at times. I was a coughing, wheezing, congested mess. Given that I'm already getting over the congestion, I'm hoping it'll resolve quickly.

My resolve for biking is waning off. I'm just not sure if the time and money needed to properly invest in it is worth it. I mean, I really enjoying the cross-training I do during the week; it's a nice and necessary break from biking. But not so for the weekend long rides. Even though needed for triathlon training, I can't help but feel it's gets in the way of running, my REAL passion.

Despite being under weather, and because I was unable to run Saturday, I got up extra early on Sunday for a long run at Umstead Park, to precede my [somewhat] regular group run. It was drizzling and cold. But I dressed warm and used my new friend - the headlamp. Running in the dark is a pretty novel experience and one I have enjoyed. The run was definitely tough at times, given my clogged lungs. However, there were several highlights. One was getting lost and getting a unexpected stretch of single-track trail, but most came from those inexplicable runner highs and lows from being out there.

I do think I've found my fuel of choice. I've done Clif Shot Blocks, and various sports drinks and gels. All worked, but I was never like "THIS is the one." Well, I really found that Jelly Belly's Sports Beans were great. It was sweet enough, and I loved the delivery. I just tossed the whole bag (about 100 cals, same as a serving of Shot Blocks or a gel) and it breaks down just like gum. I shoved the wad into the corner of my mouth and let it dissolved slowing. I dunno, maybe it was just that I happened to REALLY need to fuel, but I just thought it was perfect.

Busy week and uncertain weekend. David deploys this weekend for several months.

I got my first flat on my front tire. Sad, but it happens.

A little rat dog ran out in the middle of morning traffic to bark at me.

Recovery week

This was a recovery week so my mileage was taken back a little bit. I also had to drill this weekend with the Coast Guard and did not do my usual weekend bike ride; it's not too hard to twist around my running schedule, and I'm much more willing to do so, but dealing with traveling with a bike for a long distance just isn't my cup of tea. And I told myself from the get go: to make sure I can enjoy the bike, if I don't feel like doing it, I just won't do it. Forcing myself would only make it worse.

It was a rough week. One where I felt like I had a some pretty high points, but then some pretty low ones. I'm not sure if I want to go into the all the details, which may be part of the problem. It's hard to know when and/or who to share some personal problems with, especially for an introvert like myself.

I hope I don't accidentally bite the ultramarathon bug sooner than I should. I had already planned on doing a trail marathon about a month after I do a second half Ironman (HIM in September, marathon in October), which would be right before the fair, so a fun way to end the season and get some R&R. Well, having discovered the NC Half Marathon Series I looked around and saw one that is being held the same weekend as the trail marathon I wanted to do. Turned out for the half there is also a full marathon AND a 40 miler. I'm pretty tempted to see what I can do about it.

I felt like I had more to say... not much going on. I'm going to start volunteering at Rex Hospital. I'm also trying to see about what my schooling options are, but I'm still so mixed up, I don't want to get my hopes/expectations up. Nursing is still a possibility. However, fitness/wellness is never out-of-mind. And I think a budding interest in nutrition has led me to look at food science. A conversation with a professor with NC State's food science department was very informative and their graduate (masters) program is enticing. Who knows...

Mumble Jumble.

Not a whole lot to report. Just trying to keep in the swing of things. I am becoming more and more confident in my bike-run brick workouts. If these training runs are any indication, then I am planning for a great run at the White Lake Half-Ironman.

You know you're a runner when you get called out for the gear you wear. I am classical in my manner of wearing technical, dry-wicking shirts, and barely-there running shorts. Twice this week I was more-or-less cat-called... or so I thought? First was when I was passing by a park and some guy said "Well isn't that cute outfit" with what I took for sarcasm. But after passing, I think he had a daughter and was encouraging her interest. The second time I thought some jerk was whistling at me from his truck. Just turned out to be two dogs slobbering/whimpering.

I've been going through several books; and my list seems to grow faster than I can read them. My recent reads:
1) Rowing the Atlantic by Roz Savage : Woman going through a life change is the first row solo across the Atlantic (Canary Islands to Antigua)
2) Swimming to Antarctica by Lynne Cox : Broke the men and women's records for the English Channel swim before she was 18, first to swim the Bering Strait (between Soviet Russia and the US), first to swim to Antarctica (no wetsuit for any of these)
3) I Shall Not Hate by Izzeldin Abuelaish - a Palestinian doctor's biography as he works in both Gaza and Israel
Now I am reading Proofiness by Charles Seife where he discusses the misrepresentation of statistics and mathematics in society.

Yesterday I had a great after-dark run at Bond Park. It was the second time I got to use/test my headlamp; the first time on a off-pavement route. It was tons of fun, and surprisingly brisk given the workout I had had earlier that morning.

Only problem was that it probably disrupted my sleep last night. I think I only got about 2 hours of sleep. Not simply toss-and-turning, I've probably been awake since about 1:00am. I feel OK, but I'm bracing for a crash.

I am thoroughly enjoying my training season. For the most part, I'm following a similar schedule that I did last year during the summer and leading up to the City of Oaks Marathon. However, my bike and run workouts are becoming more entwined since I want to be well-prepared for the bike-to-run transition. Though maybe not harmful, it was certainly a shock after my first triathlon a few years ago, and it's worth getting use to the change in movements. Overall, it has made my weekend runs shorter than what I would ideally want (that is, a single long run). However, as it's going, after a bike ride is a run (this one-to-the-other is known as a brick), with another run in the evening. Overall my weekly mileage builds similar to the marathon, but with the shorter individual workouts more in line with the half Ironman (HIM). I'm not sure if it'll turn out how I want, but ideally I can still build longer still and will have a strong base for ultra-races and a full Ironman next year.

I did get some new running shoes. I seem to get just over 500 miles out of a pair. I'm working a little bit on adjusting to a midfoot to forefoot strike, which is considered ideal for injury prevention. And I have a slight eye for a pair of Vibrams but I still think it'll be a little while. I'm already enjoying my entrance in to trail running, which is pretty entrenched with my desire to do ultras. It's also given me an eye to Cary's network of greenways, which aren't trails, but may be a nice divergence from the sidewalk.

Last thoughts:
1) I should really try to focus on slow runs. I usually run base on feel, and lately that's be a lot faster than my norm. I feel ok at the moment, but if I'm not careful, this can lead to serious overtraining.
2) I'm enjoying my aerobars (Thanks Lida and Mark!). Sometimes I feel like a missile.
3) Today's trip to REI was bittersweet. I went for just some more HEED, a sports drink mix from Hammer Nutrition, and just a energy bar or two. Well, they were out of HEED, but had a special on all foods, and I ended up stocking up on a variety of foods, some are staples of my diet; others are ones I'd like to test out in training.
4) Still not sure I'll drop my facebook.