Perhaps I've taken casual too far. Carly, my 9 am soy-latte barista, said to me today as we complained about our schedules: Yeah, but at least you get to wear your pajamas to work.
I don't wear my pajamas to work! Quickly I looked down. Lucky sweats, white tank, cashmere hoodie (cold AC) and men's leather slippers. The tank and sweater are J. Crew - isn't that businessy just by definition? OK, so I slept in the shirt, I admitted. I didn't tell her I found the pants in the garage. Not in the laundry heap, just near the laundry heap. I leave at 5 am - it's like dressing by braille.
As soon as the very last nasty scab heals, the one at my knee that gets a little mouth every time I train, I will get brave and return to my jeans. My fancy work ones. Or maybe, just maybe, it might be time for some grown up clothes.
The fourth week out from Kona, a week that should have been peak volume, I fit in 9 hours and 10 minutes of training. For the week. I thought about saying life gets in the way now. But that's untrue. Triathlon just got pushed aside by life, the more important thing. If Ramsey has to study, then I'm not getting the evening workout in. A babysitter is no longer an option for financial reasons. If I sleep through the alarm.. oops, rest day! I still have to work all day.
This week the goal is to hit the 14 hours I see on training peaks. Because is it a taper if you go from nothing to a little more nothing? I can swim again, it's no longer so painful that I cry. It's ugly, I have pink baboon-butt skin down half of me, and I'm swimming like J. Lo in Mailbu, but it's a re-start - five days in a row so far: 30 min, 8 min 54 sec, 30 min, 45 min, hour. Again, don't be intimidated by the insane volume of my IM journey.
After Oct 11, the law school years might be the marathon years. I love marathon training and I have a little bone to pick with my PR: 3:04 does not sound nearly as cool at 2:59:59. Take out the bike and swim, and life gets manageable. So why continue the things I don't love when they no longer add to my life, only take away? The way I see it, running is innate. When cavemen got chased out of their teepees by T. Rex, did they hop on a bike and pedal for their lives? Swim for it? Nope. This stuff is just not natural. I am running 48 miles this week, including 12 miles full of 1k repeats that I did at 5 this morning.. and I love it. Bring on 50 or 60.. after this IM stuff is over.
I don't wear my pajamas to work! Quickly I looked down. Lucky sweats, white tank, cashmere hoodie (cold AC) and men's leather slippers. The tank and sweater are J. Crew - isn't that businessy just by definition? OK, so I slept in the shirt, I admitted. I didn't tell her I found the pants in the garage. Not in the laundry heap, just near the laundry heap. I leave at 5 am - it's like dressing by braille.
As soon as the very last nasty scab heals, the one at my knee that gets a little mouth every time I train, I will get brave and return to my jeans. My fancy work ones. Or maybe, just maybe, it might be time for some grown up clothes.
The fourth week out from Kona, a week that should have been peak volume, I fit in 9 hours and 10 minutes of training. For the week. I thought about saying life gets in the way now. But that's untrue. Triathlon just got pushed aside by life, the more important thing. If Ramsey has to study, then I'm not getting the evening workout in. A babysitter is no longer an option for financial reasons. If I sleep through the alarm.. oops, rest day! I still have to work all day.
This week the goal is to hit the 14 hours I see on training peaks. Because is it a taper if you go from nothing to a little more nothing? I can swim again, it's no longer so painful that I cry. It's ugly, I have pink baboon-butt skin down half of me, and I'm swimming like J. Lo in Mailbu, but it's a re-start - five days in a row so far: 30 min, 8 min 54 sec, 30 min, 45 min, hour. Again, don't be intimidated by the insane volume of my IM journey.
After Oct 11, the law school years might be the marathon years. I love marathon training and I have a little bone to pick with my PR: 3:04 does not sound nearly as cool at 2:59:59. Take out the bike and swim, and life gets manageable. So why continue the things I don't love when they no longer add to my life, only take away? The way I see it, running is innate. When cavemen got chased out of their teepees by T. Rex, did they hop on a bike and pedal for their lives? Swim for it? Nope. This stuff is just not natural. I am running 48 miles this week, including 12 miles full of 1k repeats that I did at 5 this morning.. and I love it. Bring on 50 or 60.. after this IM stuff is over.
Hey, better to be undertrained than overtrained, right? Your body will remember how to do Ironman... :)
ReplyDeleteI'm also thinking about just running next year. Not sure how to fit biking in around taking care of an infant!??!
Law school has a weird effect on people. I found with J that I had to be way more organized...and he is the one in school (this is the LAST year!!!!).
ReplyDeleteThe IM will be smooth-your body has a great memory. :)
Aaron signed us up for Ironman Louisville next year. He said if it's in our hometown we both have to do it! I kind of have the same sentiments about running as you do. It's just so convienent. I keep getting the bug to do another marathon. I haven't even attempted to fit the swim in my life yet, but just the thought of it overwhelms me :)- Oh and perfect work clothes--you've got to be comfortable and JCrew always is "dressy" enough in my opinion :) Courtney
ReplyDeletehummmmmm this got me thinking...
ReplyDeleteWould that be you in my Title Nine catalog pictured up in the corner on one of the inner pages? I keep forgetting to ask.
Yep, E - c'est moi. And canoe surfing, and coaching and riding a bike. they're phasing me out though as summer ends! My May 1 post has the surfing one..
ReplyDeleteI have been reading your blog for the last couple of days and have found it really inspiring. The volume that you manage to get in completely dwarfs what most people I know do and most people I know dont have 3 children and that includes me. It sounds like you have already made your decision to concentrate on marathon running and like you say a 2:59:59 sounds pretty cool. My PB is woeful in comparison. Good luck in Kona and whatever you do after.
ReplyDeleteRR!! You are on MY training volume! I had my 2 best Ironmans (Kona & Japan) on roughly 12-15 hrs! I bet this will be your BEST IM ever! You are far from over trained, are in one piece (one ugly scabby piece-I saw the mouth on your thigh cut)! This will be a good one...the day I cried and complained that I do WAY less than the other IM PRO gals and tried to fix my nutrition was the day it all fell to $h!T. So... keep at WHAT YOU CAN DO... because that is going to make you YOUR BEST! I still have my $$$ on you ALL the way! There are way more pros in town today... me and Cody watched one of them swim for a while and a few running and I said to myself, "wait till Rach gets here".
ReplyDeleteHave a good Wednesday!!!
Rachel:
ReplyDeleteSometime it feels great to be able to do it all...but sometimes it feels like doing everything at a level that is not fulfilling. Triathlon will always wait for you, right?
i hear ya sister!! i'm a runner at heart too! i also know how it feels to have unfinished beewax with the marathon......
ReplyDeletenothing beats an hour + workout on the track.
do what you want to do. but don't count out IM yet. I have the feeling you're gonna do really well and we all have bad days/weeks/years, you just have to stick with what you like.
ReplyDeleteJ Crew...fancy pants :)
ReplyDeleteSOY LATTEES RULE!
Maybe when Ramsey graduates from law school he can sue Ironman for taking over your life.
I really think you are going to surprise yourself in Kona. I think most people can say that they've had their very best races when they were a little under-done! :)
ReplyDeleteRegardless, your marathon plan sounds awesome. You can definitely rock that 3 hour barrier! And I agree that running is much easier. All you need is shoes and MUCH less time! If I could stay healthy enough doing it, it would be all running for me!
It'll all be worth it in the end! Your Ironman Championship 2008, Ramsey's Law School, and everything in between! And of course the Soy Lattes! And don't worry about what the coffee girl says... she's probably just ticked about the soy. I used to work in a coffee shop and ordering the soy throws everything off! But it's her job, so she can get over it!! :)_
ReplyDeleteI'm a lurker, but I just had to comment on this one! I actually know someone whose marathon PR is a 2:59:59. It could have been faster if he didn't stop and yell at the stretcher guys for getting in his way in the last 150 meters, but then it wouldn't have been such a cool time! :) Hope all your road rashes hurry up and heal already!
ReplyDeleteYou're going to do awesome in Kona and then run fast fast fast in your marathon.
ReplyDeleteyou have taken being flexible with your schedule to a whole new level! i really do believe that you are sooooo much better off going into kona undertrained than completely overtrained. the mental part of it is so huge!! and besides, you won't be able to go slow with us cheering out there:)
ReplyDeleteGrown up clothes, I just donated all of mine, of course they'd be at least a size to big for you. But I might have some grown up shoes (the ones I just couldn't donate, even though I only wear them when I find myself in Vegas).
ReplyDeleteAn 8 min, 54 sec swim workout? Hee. Sounds like you are channeling my schedule!!! :)
ReplyDeleteYour pretty little bike is gonna miss you!!!
From another runner at heart you go get that PR. I feel a 2:50 in your future maybe even faster!!! ;-)
ReplyDeleteTracy
Life will get much easier for you, and especially for Ramsey after the first year of law school (and by the third year he should have LOTS of time - I had so much fun the third year of law school). In the meantime, do whatever feels right, whether that be focusing on running or triathlon.
ReplyDeletelack of training aside ... have you seen the picture of yourself on wee's site?!?!?! OMG ... i'm thinking jim carrey!! ... uhhh ... in a really good way. : )
ReplyDeletecat.
uhm, commenter's remorse: i didn't mean you look manly. it's just the expression on your face. it's priceless!
ReplyDeleteYou have nothing on Kristen Armstrong...YOU need to quit your job and write for Runner's World...and maybe they somehow pay you to write AND train...hmmm, now there's an idea!!!.......i ditto Bree...its gonna be a lovely day out there in the Energy Lab, you just wait..........
ReplyDeleteHey Rachael,
ReplyDeleteHope you don't mind but I stole your beautiful face for my blog! Ha! and NO you can not have it back..I am liking it on my body with Bree legs:) SASSY!!!!
bring it!!! kona will happen and you will do amazing and THEN, its marathon time...totally with you here. i have 2 more weeks of triathloning then i'm a gonna be a one-swim-and-one-long-ride-a-week-and-maybe-a-trainer-session-if-there-is-a-sleazy-show-on and run my FACE off!
ReplyDeletewhen's the marathon ????
Rach, you are going to kick some major bootie! I am so hoping to be there with Wee cheering for you! I'll keep you posted. I can't wait. Oh and really cute pic!
ReplyDeleteP.S. whatever happened to our lucky suits? ha! guess i've got to revisit that one ;-)
XO,
E
You are like my husband - he will do the bike and the swim because he has to and because he is not too bad at it, but running is his thing so sub 2:30 is more important than an ironman. Do what you injoy, Rach. As for the law school, he also had to put up with me doing it in our first year of marriage but it will all be worth it one day...
ReplyDeleteI knew that was you! Maybe you've posted about the Title Nine catalog way back before I started reading you blog and I didn't catch it.
ReplyDeleteAnyway.. I was like...THAT has to be Rachel... Bing-o!
The Title Nine Model. love it..
AND EVERYTHING IN THAT DAMN CATALOG.
You hang in there RR! Better undertrained than overtrained - like bree said, her best IM was 12-15 hours. You CAN do it!!! Be strong, hang in there - you are amazing!
ReplyDeleteHahaha I totally feel ya about wearing sweats to work - being a grad student I have like one good week a month where I "try hard" to look cute, then GAME OVER! Back to my yoga pants and t-shirts...which is hilarious, because I love fashion and beautiful clothes - I'm just too lazy (and broke) to wear them... :)
ReplyDeleteYay for running!! Once my back is healed that's what I am going to focus on as well. I totally understand what you mean about triathlon tending to spread you out too thin when there is LIFE to live. Starting my post-doc next year will make it nearly impossible to train for long races, so I'm hoping I will become one with the trails around Bezerkeley and run all the live long day...
Good luck to you in your last 4 weeks leading up to Big K! Some of my best races were coming off barely any training...
Go kick some A$$!! :)
9 hours is a good solid training week, for a runner ;-)
ReplyDeleteit's also about 4 hours more than I do in most weeks.. yes, tapering becomes a bit of a question on these unstudly volumes.
I'd call a J. Crew cashmere hoodie quite dressy enough for most anything except lawyers and bankers. Engineers don't care: an engineer I know works for a company with 50 employees (45 of them with Phd's) and he wears a Tshirt to work which says "boffins don't wear ties".
OK, I just wanted to say 'boffin'..
I did exactly what you said; I skipped the AM work out; I'm going to try and squeeze four hours of training into tonight if possible..if not then either unplanned rest day or partial workout. Life just gets in the way sometimes.. Kona should be a nice way to end the season!
ReplyDelete"As soon as the very last nasty scab heals, the one at my knee that gets a little mouth every time I train"
ReplyDeleteHands down, best line you have ever come up with; this is going in the "Best of". Like writing, you're a natural when it comes to tri's, don't feel like you gotta do the same volume as the "unnaturals", you'll be fine...
Let's see if Kate can do higher math:
ReplyDeleteIf rr trains 14 hours in a week, with total swim time of 1:53:54, and runs 48 miles, how much biking is she doing? How fast is she? DAMN fast!
I'm hoping I can one day break a 4:30 marathon. You go girl!
HEY I want to be a fun Human:) What are the requirements??
ReplyDeleteRach-Just come back to short course. I know you love the big dance in Kona, but 12-15 hours is perfect for OLY distance. We'll miss you here in Portland this weekend.
ReplyDeleteOf course, the simplicity of one sport could be fun for a short time and it would only help your off the bike run once to have more time for tri's. A sub 3 hour marathon is a huge milestone.
Regardless...THere's no doubt you'll rock Kona this year!!