Training fantasies...

That's right. It is time I share with you the things I sometimes allow myself to fantasize about when in the middle of some ridiculously long run, bike or swim.

I am not sure you can handle this. I bet you think it is something fantastically raunchy don't you?

Well I hate to burst your bubble. Because it's not. Its actually rather bland and boring.  I think lately what I find myself dreaming and fantasizing about is all the other things I plan on doing with my free time once this race is over.  Don't get me wrong, I love training. But I am ready to be able to do something other than train on my weekends again. I am also terrified/excited for that day to come. Since it also means the race is over and the day I have spent the last year preparing for has come and gone. I have spent so much of my time dreaming about the ironman and finishing that it is going to be surreal when it's over.  You know there is such a thing as post-ironman blues.  Another post on that later.

For now, here is my fantasy list!

1.  Staying up past 10
Oh man, do I even really need to explain this? I can't wait to not have to worry about bed time.
2. Horses
I miss riding so much. I miss the smell of a barn. I want to get back into horses. Sometimes when I am running through rock creek I will pass horses and it just makes me day dream about this more...
3. Swimming
I know, I know...you are probably thinking WHY am I dreaming about this when I am doing this? Well I really want to join a masters team and hone my swimming. I love it.
4. A painting and wine class
You know, one of those places where you go, drink a few glasses of wine and take an art class.  I am really really wanting to do that.
5. Running time
Again, I know...I am already doing this. But I want to focus more on getting my average speed down. Right now I am just focusing on the miles. I want to get back to a sub 9 mile. That used to be where I was.
6. Baking
God I miss being able to bake. I want to get back to baking bread. Such a good smell.
7. Agility training
I really want to take my one dog shickaray to this agility training. I think she'd be awesome at it. And it'd be good for her.
8. Sign language
I miss being able to do more with learning this beautiful language. I can't wait to attend more silent dinners and events.
9. Sleeping in
I can't wait to have my weekends returned to me. When I can sleep in and....
10. BRUNCH
Man do I miss brunch. I never get to go anymore due to the ridiculous hours of training but man oh man....brunch-when this is all over, I am coming for you.

Even with all these things I think about, I also remind myself to stay present. I know the race will be here soon enough. I have a few more weeks to really focus and I will thank myself on race day that I did.  This upcoming weekend will be one of my longest training weekends including a 100+ mile bike and a run somewhere between 18-20 miles.

It will be worth it. And then I will go stay up until 11, drinking wine and painting while on a horse and taking my dog around an agility course.

Just give me a permanent IV...

I feel like the Dr. Appointments are hitting it hard these last few weeks.  A week ago, I finally made an appointment with a new GI Dr. up at Mercy Hospital.  I had previously seen them but then transferred (ever so briefly) to a GI Dr at Georgetown University.  I decided I did not like him-he was an ass.  Should probably go back to the bedside manners 101 class. 

So upon making this new appointment and meeting with this very in-depth and much more likeable Doctor, there are going to be some changes.  The first thing that kinda threw me for a loop was her impression that my disease has shifted from mild to moderate.  Sigh.  Great.  Secondly, she talked to me about switching to a new medication.  For the past few years, I have been taking daily pills of Lialda.  No big deal and they seemed to work for the most part.  Or at least, I thought they did.  July was a rough month for me and my GI system since it seemed it was so easily triggered and I just could not get any relief.  So now this new DR is thinking it is time for a change in medication.  She wants me to switch to Remicaid which would be infused into my system.  This is kinda scary.  I don't really like the idea of going for infusions of a biological drug.  It just freaks me out a bit. 

So in order to really assess where everything stands-I have to go in for another colonoscopy.  Fun fun.  That will happen next Thursday.  They really aren't that big of a deal and more of a hassle in terms of work/training.  It will happen in the morning and when I made the comment to my Dr "great! I will have plenty of time to bike later then!".  She gave me the stink eye and told me I shouldn't.  I will consider listening to her.

So if the possibility of infusions of Remicaid were not enough, then the nurse practitioner called me with my bloodwork results.  Low Iron and Low Vitamin D.  Both she said are very common for patients with UC or Crohns'.  She said my Iron results were so low that I need to go see a Hematologist in order to receive Iron Infusions.  Which also had me kinda confused.  If you have low iron, that is supposed to equate to low energy right? And if my energy was that low then why am I not dead and dragging with all this training?  And if I get the infusions, will I be superman energy? If that's the case-can I please have some right before the ironman race? K, thanks-bye. ;-)

So I am basically going to be infusing things left and right.  Maybe I can convince them to infuse something fun while they are at it...

Breaking through the bike barrier

I am happy to say I think I have pushed past the mental block between me and my bike.  This past week has felt really good when it comes to my biking-can't say the same for my run, but I suppose win some-lose some yeah?  Having ran a marathon before, I have a bit more of a mental grip on my run vs. the bike.  I haven't always loved the bike.  I was feeling so down and beating up on myself the past two weeks in relation to biking.  I couldn't stay focused.  And I had a saddle sore that would not seem to leave me be.

This week has been different.  I started using aquaphor to help out with chafing and it seems that is doing the trick.  Thank GOD.  I was feeling miserable.  But on the bike rides last week, I enjoyed every single one of them and made it out without any soreness in the saddle area.  SUCCESS!  I tried a new route on thursday which always kinda makes me nervous.  Not the new route, exploring somewhere part-but doing it by myself.  I don't really like to do that too often simply for safety reasons.  I knew this area somewhat, but decided to just go for it anyhow while taking as many necessary safety precautions I could. 

It ended up being an absolutely beautiful ride.  Most of the roads were pretty safe-there was one part where I was on a more traffic-busy road, but it was not for long and the shoulder was pretty wide.  Some rolling hills with nothing too difficult.  Passed a TON of horses (and a donkey) and ended up down by the water at one point.  Totally unexpected and beautiful ride.  It was a nice breath of fresh air instead of going to my usual biking point.  I think it is important to switch up the training ride route on occasion. 

So I left the week-day rides feeling great.  Onto the weekend long ride-the real test.  It ended up being a fantastic ride.  75 miles with good company and with pretty decent weather.  That part ended up being a huge surprise because the forecast was looking shady all week predicting thunderstorms all day.  The temperature stayed cool for the most part and we did not get rained on-both a win in my book!  I felt great though.  My legs didn't feel too spent at the end, I felt like I could go for longer, and while we had some climbs at the end of the ride-I didn't swear off biking while doing them. 

My run on the other hand-was not the best feeling.  Physically, I was all there and able to go-but mentally I was just done.  After starting so late on the bike saturday, the ride ended up taking all day.  I think mentally I was just tired of training after that and wanted to be done.  Still got in 11 miles, but not quite the distance I wanted.  I also realize I need to do more running prep work during the week.  I had let that slide this past week and I noticed a difference. 

15.5 hours spent training.  4 more weeks until taper.  Ironman is NEXT MONTH.