Highlights From the Past Week

This past week was my official week training with Coach Carolyn, so I had an actual schedule to follow. Although I definately have been ramping up quite a bit in the 2 weeks prior to the past one, I was kind of just doing whatever I wanted, whenever I felt like it. The final result from week one is fairly good, I did all the workouts, I felt great doing all of them, however, I am feeling exhausted today... and the thought of doing it all again next week makes me feel even more exhausted!

Because it's been 2 years since I did Ironman, I have quickly forgotten a few key things about training. This week... I was reminded very quickly of a few of these things. First off, I am convinced that there is an apetite stimulant in the chlorine of YMCA pools throughout the world. I think it's their ploy to make a profit at their snack shops. After I swim, whether it's 2000 meters or 4000 meters, I am ravenous! I would eat, anything and everthing in sight! I forgot that I used to always pack myself a snack, and I wouldn't even store it in my locker, I would in fact roll it up in my towel so that I could literally eat it the moment I got out of the pool. After 2 swims this week where I felt as though I was going to die of starvation and the walk from the change room to the snack shop (SEE - they got me!) felt as though it was the entire Ironman in itself, I learned on the third swim! I won't forget again for the rest of the season! I swam quite a bit through the winter in the pool at the University, it has become clear to me that they are obviously not in such desperate need to increase profits through the concession stand, they have not added the special drug to the chlorine (or maybe it's all just in my head...).

A second memory whipped me in the face (literally). The wind. Is it Chicago that is named the windy city? I think Calgary can easily take that nickname over! I biked 132 km (was supposed to be 135 km, but my turn around was in the middle of a hill, so I opted to turn around a wee bit early). I was EXTREMELY proud of myself for doing the distance because I have definately not been biking through the winter, so I was impressed that I still had it in me... but more so, my entire 132 km I was accompanied by a mini tornado of wind. I really wanted to dump my bike and hitch-hike home. Because I was riding by myself, and because I had plenty of time to just think, I spent a lot of time concentrating on the wind. After 5 hours of accurate observation, I would like to point out that the wind blows in 3 directions at once here in Calgary. I had a cross wind (from both sides) and a head wind, for the entire ride! This route starts out heading west towards the moutains, turns off to the south, then I turn around and come back north, and back on the highway I go east. I never once had the wind at my back. Can someone please explain to me how this is possible. This little encounter I had with the wind resulted in a bit of an angry rage. I was fuming, red-faced-smoke-coming-out-of-my-ears mad. The wind and I are not yet on speaking terms again. I ride 150 km this coming Tuesday, if it's windy, I will bike straight past my car and directly to my local pyschiatrists office to enroll myself in Anger Management 101.

Lastly, I was reminded of an unavoidable thing... tan lines. I would just like to point out, Craig and I recently returned from a tropical vacation which was strategically planned for the end of April so that I would return with a perfect, tan-line-free tan for the start of the season. It would give me enough "base" to pull out my shorts, like everyone else, on the first summer-like day and then I wouldn't need to blind my neighborhood with my otherwise pasty-white legs (a result from a LONG winter!). Although the tan is still there, the perfectly even tone is not. Oh well, it was bound to happen at some point. I'm the proud owner of bike shorts/run shorts/tank top/jersey/arm warmer lines. I'll wear them with pride.

Off the topic of Ironman training, but extremely worthy to be noted, today my husband, Craig, passed the entrance exam for the Calgary City Police. I am extremely proud of him and I'm so excited to see where this journey takes us! Craig is currently a plumber, which is a great career also, and Craig is happy to be doing it, but he has always talked about being a Police Officer, so I'm thrilled that he went after that dream. Whatever Craig does, I know he'll continue being a great employee, and an even better husband, I'm just happy to be apart of the journey with him. And let's be honest, what girl doesn't love a man in a uniform (but I'll take the plumbers bum-crack too). Uncle Bruce would be very proud, as you may or may not know, this family has an exceptional amount of law-abiding citizens, because practicially everyone is a police officer (including Uncle Bruce - retired).

That's all for now... more to come soon!