Do ya think....

they're yellow enough???  Yeah.  These are my new racing flats!  Supah fast lookin huh?!!! However... I don't think I'm racing CdA in these... cuz I just bought some Zoot Ultra TT 2.0's!  Talk about flashy!  Geesh!

Run test yesterday.  Guess what?  I'm fit.  My coach told me so... and there ya have it.  

Hope you're all happy, healthy, and whole. Thanks for taking the time to visit!

Breathe...

Recovery Week!

Hi.  My name is Rob and I'm in a recovery week.  

Liz had me round out a three week build on Sunday with a 6 hour ride and a 40 min run off the bike.  EXTREMELY early morning start to make sure I got back home for important things such as Skate World and soccer games!  I about froze my skinny white ass off out there for the first hour and a half!  BUT... the sun came out and my effort increased... so everything thawed just fine. Two GREAT things happened during this workout... I worked my race pace based off of wattage for 4 of the 6 hours of the ride... AND... I flew off the bike with what seemed like fresh legs, crushing my proposed IM pace... I had to dial it back 30 seconds/mile after the first mile!   Turns out... I might be adjusting my marathon goal a bit.  Oh yes.  I'm happy.

Enjoying some recovery.  Eating a ton.  Enjoying the break from the rain.  Two tests this week... one run... one bike.  If I don't throw up in my mouth at least once during each test... I will be extremely disappointed.  This is it.  This is my last, (I think), test to fine-tune what I'll be doing in my first full Iron distance race... its time to go... go... fucking GO!

Hope you're all happy, healthy, and whole.  Thank you for reading!

Breathe...

A Little Success!

It occurred to me that my whine dial has been turned up... and then it broke off... and then I fixed it and was able to turn it down... if only a tad. Anyway my point being that I haven't taken the time to write about how WELL my training is going. Or maybe I have and I just don't remember. Anywho.  I'm exiting the third week of a three week build.  I have absolutely NAILED 90% of my workouts.  (This is where I get some sort of smarty-pants comment from my wise coach to keep my ego in check).  My perception is my own reality... so neener neener.  Where was I?  Oh yeah... things are going REALLY well.

The picture above is of a section of Lorane Highway.  It's rolling to flat and wide open... which means ALL of the elements meet you and oftentimes kick you right in the nuts!  But that's real right?  That's what its like.  You can't shelter yourself in training b/c there aint no shelter in the race.  Right?  Am I right?  Uh huh.  I am... just ask me!  Anyway... there are also mile markers on this road which makes it perfect for figuring out things like saaaaaaaay, your Ironman marathon pace?  Yup!  Last Monday I had my longest run of the season thus far and it went down like this:

1 hour warm up.  Just plodding along in zone 1.  During that first hour the weather kicked me in the nuts numerous times... but I felt so relaxed... so calm.  Quick stop at my car to throw on my new racing flats... they're BRIGHT OBNOXIOUS YELLOW!!!!  I put those things on and took off heading into the wind.  The next thing I know I'm ticking off miles well below my proposed IM pace and barely tapping into mid zone 2.  Yeah... I KNOW!  Isn't that cool!  I felt like a complete rockstar!!!  I did that for the next 45 minutes and then dropped the hammer and went into zone 3 for the next 20 min which would be crazy fast for me in a marathon at my ripe old age!  Then cooled down in low zone 2 for the next 10 min.  IT WAS SO FUN!  

Here's the thing... every time I have a workout like this... it opens my eyes to possibilities.  It also reminds me: I love the struggle and the fight and the tears and the pain and the dejection... but I ALSO love these small samplings of success.

Here's to possibilities.  

Thank you for taking the time to read.  I hope you're all happy, healthy, and whole.

High 5 Sistah Girlfriend!

Breathe...

Happy Sugar-Coma Day!!!!

Yeah.  It's alllllllll about Jesus.  Such an ODD holiday isn't it?  Talk about Hallmark running away with something!  GEESH!

Quick training update!  Since my epiphany the other day... I've been enjoying the suffering immensely.  The last week of training culminated in a 5.5 hour ride with a 40 min run off the bike yesterday. Built into that ride was 2.5 hours of race-paced efforts and I covered more mileage that I ever have before.  Liz keeps telling me that this is ALL new territory for me... and I'm loving the new challenges!  I'm pleased to say that coming off the bike... my run was solid.  It took me less than a half mile to find my stride and tick off the remaining miles at my race pace.  Surprised and very happy about that!

Currently enjoying a rest day with the family... which, of course, includes pornographic amounts of sweets, coloring eggs, decorating cookies, and general delicious debauchery.

Thanks for taking the time to read!  Hope you're all happy, healthy, and whole!  Training for me continues to build for another week before entering a recovery week.  Yip Yip YEHAW!

Enjoy some pictures of the festivities and....

Breathe...

Jack catching up on some comics while waiting for the perfect tint.

I got the one egg that exploded!

That's my boy TOM!

I Found It.

There's been something missing in my training. What I've noticed is that I've spent a lot of time coming to terms with the difficultly of what I'm doing.  I mean, it's Ironman right?  Honestly, I've never had much trouble with physical challenges. That's just the way its been all my life.  Or perhaps its that I've chosen sports that I've known I could be successful at?  I don't know. Regardless... I've never doubted myself physically my entire life.  What's happened over the course of the last 6 months or longer, is that my confidence has been shattered in other aspects of my life... and, as a result, it has bled into the one area that I've NEVER been uncomfortable with... sport.  This occurred to me on the trainer just yesterday.  I'm pedaling along and it occurs to me... "Wait.  I love this.  I LOVE this.  Oh. My. GOD!  That's RIGHT... I forgot that I LOVE this... AND... I'm good at it."  Yeah.  Just like that.  My smile came back.  I used to constantly smile and giggle while training.  Even through those tough spots where I was bawling like a freakin baby... I had a smile on my face because I LOVE this sport.  I LOVE these challenges.  I love that pain and the walls that we hit.  I.  LOVE.  It.  I am blessed and free and whole and happy and appreciative when I'm training and racing... and you know what?  That is just SPLENDID!

Thanks for reading.  I hope you're all happy, healthy, and whole.  I'll be in Florida at the end of the month.  If anyone wants to grab a burger while I'm there... I'd LOVE the company!

Breathe...