a Century and a superb training weekend!

Well, what do you know...something IS working.

Completely nailed my nutrition on the bike this weekend.  The EFS, thanks to Eric and Chris, was exactly what I needed.  It wasn't the best tasting stuff, but it beats the GU and other such liquid like things...and is really more caramel than mocha...and as long as I had water to wash it down...BINGO!!

I could tell on several fronts:

1. I didn't run out of energy
2. My fingers did not swell - therefor enough sodium

I still had cramping, but now I'm beginning to think that is more FIT than nutrition, so will have the fit checked again this week.  I'm beginning to think the aero bars are slightly off and the seat may need to go UP a smidge....

I felt great off the bike..and when I was half way, i got off the bike and RAN to the bathroom across the parking lot (the bathroom was closed - haha), but never mind that...I was able to get off the bike and run with NO cramping....I wasn't really feeling like running off the bike at 105...but i'm ok with that right now..I was cramping in my adductor starting at mile 47 and worked through it until mile 90....then at 92, I was convinced I needed to stop.  Put one more sodium in my mouth, flagged Ed down...told him i was hurting but was gonna do 100 if it killed me!!  haha...I didn't really cramp again.  Ed told me he wasn't gonna sag me in  - "why get sagged in at 102, when you can get clapped in at 105?"...he was SO right and I'm glad I did it....

the run...was OK...I hadn't run since the 12 miler...i had been sick and coughing..and this was really the  first day when I wasn't coughing all the time.  My hip was hurting a little...so I did what I could..and overall, the average wasn't that bad...so i'm psyched about this too..

Ocean swim.......AWESOME.....and fun....and a little bit nauseating...but we won't be swimming along the shore so that's good.

I had AWESOME training partners this weekend.......between Chris, Mairead and I, we are somewhat directionally challenged...but we managed not to get too lost and even managed to avoid the closed route 66 on the way home..

all around...and most excellent weekend.

oh..and I can't forget the superb hospitality of the Coffee's....two great nights of pre training sleep.....

so much fun....
makes training for IMFL so much better when doing it with Friends!!!

Asthma and other such nonsense!

Just keep moving forward...there's nothing I can do about this little set back than to take my meds, bide my time, rest and hope it goes away soon....

This happened same time last year and I haven't had an exacerbation since..hmm....weather....allergens....who knows..

Just keep moving forward....Frustration sets in as my cumulative mileage decreases...sigh....but just keep moving forward....

Looking forward to Luray...was hoping to best my time...now just want to get in the race and finish strong....

REALLY looking forward to our training weekend next weekend....so please...make this asthma/tight chest/coughing thing...GO AWAY!!!

That's all..

Im building a bridge and "getting over it!"
HTFU.....mentally as well as physically...

90 miles...boo ya!

So, today was 90 mile day.  What a day it was.  Beautiful weather, but appropriately windy, which is what I was looking for.  I wanted to feel what it was like to ride in Florida....the humidity was not there, but the sun and wind was!  It was a really good ride..and yet again, i learn something new.  I still need to figure out how to get in more calories, especially at the end of the first 50 leading into and continuing into the second 56....I just don't feel like drinking...I hate chews, blocks and gus...so what's a girl to do??  I did take in applesauce twice, but its only total 120 calories...I figured I burned 3005 (Garmin with HR) and only took in about 1200..if that....

I learned that the ready made Infinite is good if I make it...but not so much if you use the pouches...so that's something...

I did take in 4 shot blocks with no untoward effects - so that's something...though I couldn't do them for long....Mairead took in 6 packages of them... NOT! haha..

I also was interested in trying this new Mag-nificent gel/spray that is supposed to stop cramps immediately....but they wanted too much money + a initiation fee.....SO..... I decided to take my magnesium gel pills and open them and spread it on my crampy parts....so I did this before the bike....I was starting to really feel the tiredness on the way in at 50, so I applied more..and LOW and BEHOLD..absolutely no cramping today.  Now..was it just that we did no hills?, the weather?, the electrolytes or the "poor man's magnesium gel?"...who's to say, but I think I"ll continue anyway....why mess with what seems to work...=)