My yoga class only had five people in it last night. Everyone else was out holiday-ing. It made me realize that January gym craziness is only a few weeks away. AHHH, I’m dreading it already. The crowds, guaranteed lines at machines, and locker room madness. I think I’ll dust off my workout videos and running shoes next month an stick to doing that instead of the gym for a little while. Anyone else dreading it already or are you not even thinking about it yet?
Today, I thought I’d give you an update on the one-armed man I live with, otherwise known as Jared, still recovering from shoulder surgery. I’m happy to say that it’s sooo much better than the first week when he really couldn’t do much at all except for lay on the couch. But still, as with other injuries, you never appreciate a part of your body until you can’t use it. Us healthy two-arm people probably don’t even notice how much we use both arms together.
This is his ice machine. It’s connected to that cooler thing in the background…we put ice in that and it streams up to his padding on his shoulder and stays cold for hours.
Ever try to tie your shoe one handed? Well, you can’t. It’s impossible. Or what about shampooing your hair– you have to hold the shampoo bottle with one hand while you squeeze the shampoo into the other hand to rub into your hair. Try it one handed. Yep, that one’s hard too. The shoulder holds up the entire arm and because his shoulder is healing and still weak, he can’t hold anything because it would put pressure on his shoulder, which makes it difficult to move his arm much or really use his hand.
But it’s going pretty well. It’s been a big lesson in teamwork and helping each other with the little things and like I said, he’s getting better and can do more everyday, but he still needs a lot of help. I actually like making his meals every day. Well, most of the time. Sometimes it just gets old. I now appreciate how much of the clean-up he used to do…I’ve been doing 95% of it since surgery (with the help of a house keeper last week- $65 lifesaver!). And he’s def getting frustrated with his limitations and inability to do things, so I feel bad for him. But….
physical therapy exercises…
In case you never noticed before, here are some things that are very, very difficult to do with one-hand:
1) Open a jar of peanut butter. Yes, he likes jiffy reduced fat. Opening it wasn’t too easy in the beginning. You can put the jar between your legs to unscrew the top, but it’s not easy…and if you’re in the kitchen, you have to go into the other room to find a seat and do this. He’s getting better at this though. It was more difficult in the first days.
2) Showering and shampooing your hair, as well as drying yourself off. Try drying yourself one-handed. Not easy.
3) Driving. He’s not allowed to drive, so I’m driving everywhere. I hate driving so I can’t wait until he can drive again (3 more weeks…). Taking public buses is scary because it’s so crowded, someone might bump his shoulder. And so we’ve been taking UberCabs….do you have uber near you? Best thing ever!
4) Kitchen stuff– washing dishes, pouring boiled pasta into a colander, cracking an egg, putting a sandwich into a zip lock bag…just the little stuff.
5) Hold things. For example, at the food trucks, he couldn’t carry both a burrito and a drink (they don’t pass out bags in SF anymore….and if you need a grocery bag, the city mandates that they charge 10 cents per bag…but that’s another story)
6) Sleep normally. This might be the hardest thing of the past few weeks. To sleep, he needs to have his shoulder propped up in pillows. He can’t turn over or move too much in the night or it’s not supported. It worked for a while on the couch so he could sit straight up, but we all know that couches aren’t very comfortable for long term sleeping…he sleeps now with like five pillows propping up his shoulder in the bed. This too is getting better and he’s sleeping more.
7) Zipping up a jacket. It’s been really cold here lately (cold for SF, that is). We bought him this inexpensive XL 90s style warm-up jacket just ’cause it was easy and he needed something to fit over his sling. Well, it is big enough to go over his sling, but there’s no way he can zip it by himself. And if he doesn’t zip it, it falls off half the time because only one arm is in. Buttoning pants or shirts is difficult too…he’s been living in two pairs of sweatpants…and all his Ironman tshirts and souvenirs from Arizona.
8) Typing and texting. He’s been working, but everything he types out takes forever. Luckily, he can delegate a lot of things to other people…
9) Walking down the street. It’s crowded in the city. The doctors really scared him about being bumped accidentally by someone and told him it could really injure his shoulder. So, it’s really hard being on busy streets and he keeps jumping away from people to avoid them.
And number 10) would just be the chafing on his neck and annoying part of having to wear a bulky sling all day.
But like I said, things are getting better. We went hiking this past weekend. His hand and arm are getting stronger. He can take breaks out of the sling. We can go out for longer than an hour without it hurting. He went to the gym and rode the bike for thirty minutes.
Things are far from being back to normal– two weeks until the sling comes off and two more months before he can do anything like ski or run– but the worst is over. I’ve learned a lot. I’ve changed his bandages…and I’m not someone who is good with blood or scars. I’ve done things for him even when I was tired from work and just wanted to zone out. And I’ve learned that this is what partnership is all about, helping each other through limitations. I’m happy the worst is over. I’m excited for when he can drive and clean again. But I’m also proud of him for getting through so much, making due, and not complaining too much. And even for two-armed me, I’ve appreciated the little things I’m able to do and how difficult life must be for permanently one-armed people. And for that, one-arm struggles are sometimes good struggles that teach you something about life!
– Have you ever had a sling or had to walk with crutches? What was the hardest part for you? – I’m having annoying wordpress photo issues….anyone else? – Are you already dreading January gym crowds too?
– Are you good with blood and changing bandages and stuff like that?
Hello from Arizona! The race is over (he survived) and we’re at a nice resort just chilling by the pool. Soo nice and I want to make the most of today (last vacation for a while), so this post will be short…but
I had only my iPhone camera (so sad/mad about that) and race day was soo long, but let’s recap it shortly to say- He finished! A little past his goal time, but took a big chunk of time off from his last ironman.
This race was so well organized and so easy to spectate at. It was all based around the main street and so I could just go back and forth between areas he’d pass (and I wasn’t in the middle of nowhere with no food or bathrooms like I sometimes am).
Post race is always so ridiculous with many of the athletes literally collapsing on the ground as soon as they finish. Some just lay there wrapped in the silver blanket things for hours. I would have got a photo because it just looks so insane, but wouldn’t have come out.
After he finished, we hung out, he ate, we got his stuff and hobbled to the guy who was waiting to take his bike/gear back home, hobbled to the car, back to the hotel, he went in the swimming pool as an ice bath, and then fell asleep. I was exhausted and sore too from running around since 5 am.
I am just so happy it’s done! Yesterday, we had a good post-race day…
I ate a hotel breakfast:
Went with him to Dunkin Donuts (he wanted a donut) and I got an iced coffee. He was wearing his medal and funniest story ever- a lady in there got all excited because she thought he WON the race (because if the medal) and insisted on taking our photo, etc.
Then we went over to the awards ceremony, post-race event they had in the park and then luckily, he scheduled us both for a massage. Soo nice and the guy got a big knot out of my neck ahhh.
Followed by delicious and huge plate of Mexican food, which kept me stuffed for hours.
Over to the nice hotel/resort we’re staying at until Wednesday as a recovery treat and some pool time.
And then dinner with Jared’s coach and teammates. There was about 10 people and it was fun to celebrate and all talk about the race. They all did great!
I wasn’t that hungry so ate apps, this salad and a few bites of Jared’s steak.
So my IMAZ opinions?
-For the athletes: nice flat course, the swim start is a mess, very well organized volunteer-wise, and the athletes seemed to enjoy it.
-For the spectator: Really easy to spectate…just don’t break your camera before the race and know that there’s so many people, it’s impossible together a shot of them crossing the finish anyways.
Okay, that’s it for now!
Tell me: -Are you working this week or taking off early for Thanksgiving?
-What kind of camera should I buy to replace my broken one?
-Are you hungry the day after or race or have a hard time eating?
-Do you like massages? How often do you get one?
Hello from Tempe, Arizona! Good news? It’s nice weather, registration stuff has been fun (for me too, which it isn’t always), and J’s ready for race day. Bad news? My camera isn’t working!!! It has a lens error or something…but I’m determined to fix it before tomorrow.
So far in the past day and a half, we’ve:
Registerd. Easy and organized.
Spent a kajillon dollarsat the Ironman store. Every athlete in there was like a kid in a candy store…including Jared.
I don’t blame them though. I’d do the same. Bragging rights last forever, after all.
Guess who carried everything? I said we couldn’t buy anything else when my hands were full…
Expo-ed. This was the best sample.
Ate a not-so-good lunch.
Did errands, found a Whole Foods and grocery shopped.Someone bought 3 enormous cookies…#carboloading
And went to the Athlete Dinner (with at least 1500 other people!)
And now it’s more of the same…all in anticipation for tomorrow. It’s fun staying in the hotel and walking through the town because “everyone” is an athlete or part of the event tomorrow, so there’s a friendly/happy atmosphere around here.
Off to hike a little….
And try to fix my camera…
Happy Saturday!!
-What are you guys up to today?
-Are you superstitious before a race? Do anything for luck (like sleep in the same pjs, carry a good luck charm, etc?
Tonight, we leave for Arizona. I have 5 days of Ironman-world in front of me! I’ve talked a lot on the blog about the non-training part of Ironman life and it’s definitely been something that’s influenced me more than I would have guessed. Now, as we’re drawing to the end of it, I’m getting all nostalgic for Jared and the whole training process. (Yes, we’ve already determined that I get nostalgic about just about everything.) He’s pretty much just ready for it to be over, ready to have his life back.
Ironman Training Q & A from one-week until Race Day
This is your second Ironman. What was different the second time around training-wise? I was smarter. I knew what to expect from the really hard parts and I had a better idea of what I needed to focus on and improve. Also, it really helped that I understood my nutrition needs this time. It took a lot of trial and error last time.
The interviewee while we wait for our food….one week out, he looks tired
What are you most proud of? Ironman training is about finding out who you really are, being able to push through your limits, and get through the pain. I’m proud everytime I push through my limits. It really does change your perspectives, priorities, and understand what’s really important to you.
What was the hardest part of training over the past ten months? I’d say our triple brick because it is just such a hard workout. Plus, that day our group had 7 flats and 2 people needed new tires! Our coach who has been doing this for years says it’s the most he’s seen in one day by far. It really just made a long day even longer.
What advice would you give someone just starting their training? I always give 3 pieces of advice: 1) Everytime you get off the bike, run for at least 10 minutes, no matter what. It really makes a difference when your legs are used to that. 2) Have fun. Enjoy it. And remember that, even when it’s hard. 3) Don’t listen to everyone’s advice because you need to go down your own path and figure out your own body’s needs (for example, my nutrition needs are different than someone else’s so what they do doesn’t work for me).
I eat a lot of mac and cheese…..but I don’t think I’d recommend doing this to anyone….
I talk a lot about balancing a relationship/life with a busy Ironman on the blog. What advice do you have about balancing real life (work and relationships) during training? Communicate. You have to be able to let your friends know why you’re not there and let your boss know why you won’t be answering emails on a Saturday. You have to communicate so that they understand what you’re going through. It’s also really important to be good at scheduling your hours in a day and devote certain times for certain things so you fit it all in. That goes back to priorities.
What helped the most that I did (or someone supporting an Ironman can do)? You understood that I couldn’t be there all the time and prioritized things for me– example, your dad’s birthday dinner was really important for me to come to, but a regular dinner party with friends didn’t matter as much. Making food for me helped too.
What are you most looking forward to in the off-season? More of a diversity of interests. I can finally go hiking, skiing, see friends, and explore the city…..not just run, bike, swim, eat, and sleep.
Can skeeball be our “diversified interest” hobby for the off-season? pretty please?
Anything you would have done differently? Apparently, my coach told me last week that if I was ten pounds lighter, I would be a lot faster….so I guess I would have lost a little weight if I had known that earlier.
guess you probably shouldn’t have eaten this…or should have given me more bites
What do you plan to eat the night before the race? **Shrugs** Pasta with some chicken. No heavy sauces.
What helps you most during the race sidelines-wise? The funny signs. The energy of the crowd. One time during the run, this one guy in the crowd yelled out, “Come on!” and everyone erupted into cheers. It was so energizing!
Lots of people waiting to start cheering!
What was going through your head when you crossed the Ironman finish line last time? There was a quick, instantaneous, “WOW, look at what I just did,” but then it’s followed by inense pain, hunger, and fatigue. It didn’t really set in until mid the next day.
Why did you decide to do this, anyway? I never excelled in regular team sports, but I was good at endurance events and this was something I knew I could do. I loved having the goal and was absolutely determined to do it.
Maybe one day, Kona? but not for a couple years….
And so with that, we’re off to Arizona. I feel a little unprepared for this trip, but I brought my cowbell and have a few days to figure it out. Oh and if you’re in Tempe or Phoenix and going to the race, let me know!
– What advice do you have for people training? – Would you ever consider doing an Ironman? Why or why not? – What should I do in Tempe/Scottsdale/Phoenix? I have some time to wander by myself and then some time after with Jared and have never been before….
Sunday was Jared’s birthday. It was also the one-week to-go mark for his Ironman. November 18th has been the day he’s marked on the calendar for almost a year and I can’t believe it’s finally here. Because he’s Ironman-focused, he wanted to keep his birthday celebrations pretty low-key this year. He had a joint birthday happy hour with a friend Friday night. Saturday night, we meant to go out to a nice dinner, but changed our minds last minute and just went local instead (after the other friend’s bday bonfire).
On Sunday, his actual birthday, Charlie and I tagged along to his last group training. They’re still in major taper mode, so it was just a short swim followed by an hour long run.
Charlie liked loved being at the park, but he wasn’t too crazy about Jared getting into the water and disappearing….
He kept his eyes glued to the lake for the entire 45 minutes they were swimming (aka, no luck getting him to hike a little with me) and as soon as they came a little closer as they were finishing, he jumped into the water and swam towards them. It was pretty far. But once again, the little dog was so determined.
off he goes
so pleased with himself for “saving” Jared
After the swim, Charlie refused to let Jared out of his sight. Either he knew it was his birthday or else he really felt like being “one of the guys.”
When they left on their run, Charlie followed. And with his short, little legs, the little guy ran 6.2 miles! An average pace of 9:05/mile.
I was pretty proud of him. They passed me every mile so I gave him the option to stay with me, but he wasn’t hearing of it. He sprinted faster. It was super cute and made for a memorable last Sunday training run.
Afterwards, we went out with his teammates for lunch. I brought the chocolate peanut butter cupcakes, as requested by the birthday boy.
These were VERY chocolaty with the hint of peanut butter. They were rich and not quite what I was picturing, but still good. I’ve eaten 3. I can’t resist sharing the recipe, of course.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
I chose to go the easy route (have to pick your battles when you’re really busy and I was feeling crazed this week/wknd) and so I had some help with a mix. Just a disclaimer…
Ingredients:
Cupcakes:
1 box of chocolate cake mix
3 eggs, 1/3 cup oil, 1 and 1/4 cup water (per the box instructions)
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 bag mini peanut butter cups
Frosting:
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup peanut butter
7oz semi-sweet bakers chocolate
Steps:
1) Mix the cake mix, eggs, oil, water, and peanut butter in a bowl. Beat on medium until mixed.
2) Put cupcake liners in pan. Fill halfway with batter. Add one mini peanut butter cup in the middle. Add a “drop” of peanut butter. Fill with another tablespoon or so of batter.
3) Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes.
4) Let it cool.
Frosting:
1) Chop chocolate into pieces. Put into a small bowl with the peanut butter.
2) Put cream into saucepan. Heat until it just starts boiling. Then pour into small bowl with chocolate.
3) Mix, mix, mix. It will eventually cream together. After it does, let it sit for about 10 minutes, mixing every minute.
4) While the frosting is cooling, chop peanut butter cups into pieces (for topping).
Frost cupcakes and sprinkle peanut butter cups on top.
Lick the chocolate off your fingers. Pour a big glass of milk to drink with it.
Let cool and then……..
Eat! Share with hungry triathletes, if possible.
After the park, cupcakes, and lunch…we went to see the new James Bond movie. Now that the holidays are here, ’tis the season for the movies! I foresee many movies in my 8-week forecast.
– Last movie you saw? – Would you rather….swim or run? frost cupcakes or make the batter? – Do you know a lot of people born in November? I do!
We had amazingly beautiful weather in SF all weekend. I feel bad bragging– all your East Coasters are dealing with Sandy– and here we are in sunshine PLUS a Giants World Series win!! Good weekend to be in SF.
Speaking of the Giants, I wore my new Giants shirt all weekend.
Must have been good luck.
In an effort to spend time with Jared during peak training (1 more week until taper begins!), Charlie and I went with him to the beach to hang out during his open water swim. Yes, it was partly an excuse to go to the beach, but it was nice to be (somewhat) together too.
Charlie was pretty excited and made a mad dash for the ocean as soon as we got there.
Jared stayed onshore to put on his “gear.” I didn’t feel jealous that he had to jump in the 52 degree water one bit. Brrr. There were a surprisingly number of people swimming without a wetsuit. Lotsa crazy people in SF, geez!
Poor Charlie freaked out when Jared left and just sat watching the ocean waiting for him to come back. I don’t think he knew what the heck was going on.
We watched him swim for a little bit
Alcatraz in the background
While Charlie continued to keep guard. He literally would not move for a good twenty minutes.
Taking him up the bleachers was my attempt to start a walk….it didn’t work, he kept his eyes on the ocean
I read for a while– This book, Zeitoun by Dave Eggers, is for my book club, and I’m so glad we’re reading it– really good! It’s coincidentally about Hurricane Katrina (and a true story), which is so timely now that everything is going on with Sandy. Hope all you east coasters are cozy at home and don’t suffer any destruction.
I managed to get Charlie to leave and we walked for about an hour.
Aquatic park is right near Ghiradelli Square
The park was packed with people (no surprise it always is on a gorgeous day) and Charlie and I walked all around before Charlie settled back down cuddling Jared’s clothes.
Finally, after what probably seemed like forever in dog terms, Jared emerged and the two were reunited
Salty, ocean water kisses all around
We made it back home jus in i to watch game 3 of the World Series and relax a bit. I had a great dinner of Farmer’s Market veggies– sautéed eggplant, kale, and tomatoes (the tomatoes were sweet and incredible!) before we left for a Halloween party.
The party was really cute and I’m sure I’ll recap a bit later, but for now, this was Saturday afternoon.
Also- I thought Caitlin’s post on time management was really great today. I’m going to try to track how I spend my week this week. I already know that my biggest time suck is commuting (duh) and TV lately (bad habit), but it’ll be interesting to see what else surprises me in my schedule. I certainly feel like I could have some additional hours of productiveness in the day and would feel much better and less stressed if I did.
– Do you own a wetsuit and swim in open water? Do you mind cold water? – Did you watch the world series? – Does your do have slight attachment issues like mine? I swear it’s something like “must keep the pack together!” – Did you make it to the Farmer’s Market this weekend? – Eggplant love it or hate it?
– Do you have a pretty good idea where you “waste” time?
Hey! Whew, it’s been quite a weekend so far. I’ve met really nice people (bloggers), eaten a ton of really good and unique foods, take a zillion photos, and walked at least 12 miles in 12 hours. I thought I’d check in and share some of the DailyBuzz Festival activities before I get too behind.
The festival started with a cocktail party at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. It’s coincidentally the same hotel I was at last weekend for the wedding. I picked up my swag bag
And then headed straight for the bar. It was Friday night, a looooong week, and a glass of wine couldn’t come fast enough. At the event, I met some really sweet bloggers….mostly from blogs I’d never heard of, so now I have a bunch of new ones to check out! I was impressed with the diversity– I met bloggers from many different states, all ages, and all interests. Some people blog daily, some monthly, and some even less frequently. But of course, we all love food, blogging, and taking photos…so I guess we’re not so different after all!
The hotel is really pretty and we had great views of the city.
There was excellent food of course….but I was too busy talking and didn’t snap enough photos. Oops. I made up for it with tons of photo-taking on Saturday.
I only stayed at the cocktail hour for about 45 minutes and then walked across town to meet my mom at the bookstore for Jenna (Eat Live Run)’s book signing.
It was great! She is so sweet in person (as you would expect from reading her blog!) and an excellent writer. I’ve already started the book and am loving it. If you’re looking for something new to read, I highly recommend it
After the reading, my mom and I went to Hayes Valley (a nearby neighborhood) for dinner. The DailyBuzz people gave everyone $50 to spend at dinner and amazingly, this covered both our meals! Nice to have a free dinner.
I chose Dobbs Ferry, a restaurant I pass almost every day on my way to work. It’s relatively new with a good reputation.
We decided to share and ordered two appetizers and an entrée. This is a terrible photo of both of us (sorry, Mom), but posting anyways.
beef skewers with really yummy fried green beans were one of the appetizers
Everything was really good. Not amazing (just being honest), but really good.
We were both exhausted by the time dinner ended, so I went home to hang out with Jared. He was resting up to prepare for his crazy Saturday. Poor guy left the house at 5:30 am this morning for his triple brick– today he’s doing a 40 mile bike ride followed by a 60 minute run, followed by a 40 mile bike ride and a 45 minute run, and then ANOTHER 40 mile bike ride and 25 minute run! I can’t even imagine. Thankfully, someone who isn’t training as hard today far (and will have more energy) is going to drive him home because my guess is that he won’t even be able to move when he’s finished….though he has to be ready tomorrow for another hour and a half bike ride and hour long run. Ummmm, I don’t think I’ll be signing up for an Ironman anytime soon….this does not sound fun to me! ha.
More later on Saturday’s activities! Random Saturday morning photo (yes, in the bathroom….weird, sorry) right before the fun started….
Hope you guys are having a good weekend!
Eat anything good this weekend so far?? Read anything good lately? Do you like meeting new people in event-like-settings or do you get shy?
There are a lot of ups and downs when you date someone training for an Ironman.
During peak training, sometimes it’s just.plain.hard (not hard to love them, just hard to have a focus on the relationship). Ironman training is all consuming and requires an incredible amount of time– more than a tri, marathon, or half-ironman race (though those aren’t easy either)- and that will affect any relationship.
It’s also sometimes really great– I admire him so much for being extremely dedicated and committed to his training….and it motivates me to work harder towards my own goals. I honestly can’t wait to see him cross the finish line– already so proud of him!
Whoo Hoo, crossing the finish!
It helps that Jared’s really great about making time for me, despite his insane schedule (I basically take up every last second of his free time), we still have date nights, and he still remembers to leave me sweet notes and send me loving texts….But this whole thing is an experience for me too in ways that only other significant-others-of-Ironmen-training understand (unless both people in the relationship are training for one!). I don’t think even Jared (or anyone training) understands what it’s like for the significant other, but that’s okay– I don’t quite understand what he’s going through either.
I talked about this more here in my 10 thing to know about dating an ironmanCnC post . The race is only 5 weeks away, which will fly by in no time, so I have no business harping on the hard parts. Before we know it, we’ll be back to “normal” (if normal even exists for us…..)
I couldn’t resist posting this video. Dating an Ironman is a little like this:
Okay not exxxxactly like that, but I totally related to the “I wake up at 4am” and “what do you mean you can’t go out to eat at 6pm” thing and laughed.
There are many good things about Dating an Ironman:
As I said above, it’s incredibly inspiring and motivating to see someone so dedicated to a goal and helps me have more faith in myself and confidence in reaching my own goals.
We get to go fun places for races (a week in AZ next month!).
Something as simple as making him dinner is appreciated even more than normal because he’s so tired that he (not exaggerating) really wouldn’t be able to do it himself.
It makes you value the simple things in a relationship (just having dinner together, a dog walk, etc)
There’s an end date, peak season is not forever and there’s always light at the end of the tunnel.
You’re “needed” and it’s good to be needed in a relationship (in a healthy way, of course!)
I get more free time to work on “my” stuff and hang out with friends.
We have pretty medals decorating the apartment
typical me on race day- tired, messy hair, I heart my Triathlete tshirt, snapping lots of pictures
The good things help balance the hard stuff
You spend a lot of time apart and alone during peak season….aka I sometimes feel like I’m living my single life on the weekends….only not as wild and crazy.
Even on Friday, we can’t even plan ahead to bbq on Sunday night because there’s no guarantee that he’ll be able to move from the couch and light the grill (aka, hard to plan even simple things)
Ironman takes up 99% of his focus and thoughts.
He eats a lot so we’re always out of food….just kidding about this one…he actually has been the one doing a lot of the grocery shopping so this isn’t really an issue.
The alarm clock goes off at 5:30am SEVEN days a week.
We put things that I want to do such as hiking, rock climbing wall, brunch, etc on hold until after the race (aka, I mentioned somewhere I wanted to go for brunch and we scheduled it for mid-December as the first opportunity…).
Other people who love Ironmen
So we’re in the midst of peak training… His race is (only) 37 days out and this week, I decorated our tiny apartment with Ironman/Tri/Marathon quotes. Here they are- May they inspire you through whatever your exercise is too! (feel free to subsititute “runner” “elliptical goddess”, etc for the “ironman” if you want)
*** QUOTES:
“Champions aren’t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them—a desire, a dream, a vision.” Muhammad Ali
“If you feel bad at 10 miles, you’re in trouble. If you feel bad at 20 miles, you’re normal. If you don’t feel bad at 26 miles, you’re abnormal.” Rob De Castella, on the marathon
You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can’t know what’s coming. – Frank Shorter
“If God invented marathons to keep people from doing anything more stupid, triathlon must have taken Him completely by surprise.” -P.Z. Pearce
“This is about limits. Reaching them, exploring them, exceeding them what you thought yours were. Then coming to the conclusion that there aren’t any limits.”
“Endurance training is exactly like turning a Styrofoam cup inside out. So long as you take it slowly you’ll be able to do it. Try to rush things and “rip”….you’ll tear the cup. You are the cup.”
“Almost drowned. Crashed the Bike. Puked on the Run. When’s the next Tri?”
“don’t burn calories, incinerate them”
“There are no atheists the last eight miles of an Ironman.”
“There only three kinds of men: the living, the dead, and those who do Ironman”
“Of course it’s hard, it’s effing IRONMAN!”
Athletes (aka “bundle of nerves”) before a race
Some of the quotes make me laugh and some inspire.
In other news….The SF Giants won yesterday- I’m so excited! Bring on more playoffs! This weekend, we’re going to a wedding (fingers crossed Jared isn’t too sore/exhausted and we can stay later than 9pm) and I’m planning for lots of outdoor walk/park/etc time as well (with some 49ers vs NY Giants watching mixed in there as well!).
This means that his training is getting intense. Intense like he’s riding a bike for 6 hours every Saturday and running 14 miles on Sunday. Intense like he wakes up at 5:30am to workout on weekdays and then does another workout as soon as he leaves work. Intense like he says he can’t remember the last time his body didn’t constantly hurt. And intense like he eats a lot.
I thought it would be fun to switch up WIAWand show you what he eats on a typical day during peak training.
Health Bloggers beware….this post isn’t meant to be a model of perfect training fuel (it doesn’t have that many veggies…he hates veggies….but he tries to get them in creatively) and on a typical day, there’s usually much less pasta and white carbs (and more lean meat and whole grains)….BUT, it’s still a good window into the tummy of an Ironman.
;
A Hungry Ironman Day
6am- Wake up and do Tuesday morning exercises– 60 minutes of stretching and ab exercises.
7:30am- Breakfast
Two peices of sourdough toast with butter, two eggs, half a whole wheat bagel, and catalope.
Washed down with some veggie/fruit antioxident poweder (that actually tastes good!):
8:45am: 20 minute bike ride to work.
10:30am: Mid-morning snack
Granola bar and crackers & cheese
1pm: Lunch. Mac & Cheese with spinach (yes, I swear there’s spinach in there) and pulled pork.
Dessert: Frozen yogurt
Cheesecake & chocolate w recess peanut butter cups, Oreos, caramel
4pm: Afternoon snack…a smoothie made at work
5:30pm- 20 minute bike ride home from work.
Quickly change clothes.
Grab a handful of cashews
Bike ride 20 minutes to Track Practice.
6:30-8pm: Intense coached track practice…..lots of hills
Eaten during practice:
8:30/8:45pm. Home. Starving for dinner.
10pm:Collapsed on the couch watching tv.
Evening snack- Almond milk mixed with an Amazing Grass.
11:30pm Bedtime……need a good night’s sleep before 6am swim practice on Wednesday.
The end.
Oh and here’s his new Ironman suit
JUST KIDDING! Can you even imagine? I think they’re selling these for realz though. LOL.
SOOOOOO…..
Sometimes I think I eat more than Jared does….so I kinda liked seeing his full day of eats.
– Are you training for anything? – What’s your favorite pre-workout snack?
– What’s your guess on how many calories an Ironman typically burns at a race (I’ll tell you tomorrow)?
– Does your bf/husband/best guy-friend have different food preferences than you do? (aka doesn’t like veggies, etc)
Bright and early Sunday morning, we caught an early flight from SF to LA. The flight’s a little over an hour, so not too difficult for a day trip (though usually makes way more sense to go down for longer given the airport time and plane flight costs.) Driving takes 8 hours, in case you were curious.
I really wanted to see my great-Aunt and Uncle who are in their late-80s and some friends who I haven’t seen in way too long. It was a last-minute-ish trip, but worked out really well.
The alarm went off at 5:30 (yikes, early for a wknd). I showered, dressed, and ate a quick breakfast. Almond Butter on Toast with a banana. I was surprisingly really hungry for that early in the morning.
And then left by 6:30 to make our 8am flight. We parked in one of the long-term parking lots and the airport was so empty luckily (Sunday morning of a long-weekend, so we missed the rush).
I needed coffee as soon as we got to the airport. I was fading fast.
Virgin America’s in a new terminal that has really, really good restaurants….basically, a bunch of the really good SF restaurants all opened spots there.
I got my coffee at the Kara’s Cupcakes kiosk that shared its spot with a Napa olive-oil-jam-fresh-baked-goods-etc shop. Everything looked so good! Unfortunately, I wasn’t hungry.
My hair thing was weirdly wrapped around my finger all day….not sure what was up with that!
And then about an hour and a half later, we were in LA!
Rental car pick-up, quick drive to Venice beach, and a little while later…..it was 11:30 and time to meet my Aunt and Uncle for brunch. We went to Rose Cafe, a really cute cafe with a huge shaded patio area. My breakfast was early, so I was def hungry for lunch by then. I got a chicken pesto sandwich that was great, but way too filling (could only eat half).
Jared got the french toast to the right (yum!) and you can see my Uncle’s oatmeal in the back (topped with a ton of strawberries and fresh granola!). It was nice to see my great-Aunt and Uncle. They can’t come up to SF anymore (too far, too hard for them- they’re in their mid/late 80s) and I don’t get down to LA often enough. Always fun to hear all their stories.
Afterwards, we were trying to meet up with one of my friends, but he ended up in a golf game that went longer than expected so the timing didn’t work out. Instead, we enjoyed the LA sunshine (was cold in SF fri and sat last week) and walked along the beach.
Jared got a softie cone with sprinkles. The ice cream was too pretty not to photograph (and I held it while he paid, so couldn’t resist). What’s up with that hair thing on my thumb all day, ha!
BTW- Jared was a trooper– on Saturday, he had a double-brick for his ironman training. His training has really stepped up in the past couple weeks and is going to be even more intense. A double-brick means that he started at 7:30am and biked i forgot how many miles, let’s say 25 (so about an hour and a half), then they ran for 40 minutes, then they biked another 25 miles, then ran for another 40 minutes. With all the transition time, etc, it’s really exhausting. So it was awesome that he was still able to get up early and have such a busy day on Sunday.
We sat on the beach for a couple hours. I read, napped, and played in the water. It was heaven! We don’t have beaches like this in SF and I so wish we did!
I bought a Pineapple-Coconut Juice from Starbucks to drink. It’s the new Evolution Brand that I feel like “everyone” is talking about lately. Have you tried it? It’s pure fruit, no sugars or anything added. I thought it was pretty good. I don’t often buy juice, but the next time I’m in the mood for it, I’d probably buy it again.
I also bought TWO water bottles because I was so dehydrated all day.
Around 4, we met Jared’s friend at the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica. We walked a while before eating an early dinner at a Mexican restaurant.
The promenade always has street performers (a lot of musicians, break dancers, this weird clown, etc) and is really lively. It was extra crowded on Sunday. I shopped a little while the boys talked (didn’t buy anything) before we went in to dinner.
The restaurant was really dark inside so I didn’t bother taking photos, but I got a salad with chicken, avocado, corn, carrots, etc and ate one of Jared’s tostada appetizer. It was all good and gets an 8 out of 10 for bar/Mexican food (I think this place is better known for it’s margaritas than entrees, so I was surprised….just sayin’)
And then before I knew it, we were back at the airport ready to fly home. I randomly ran into a guy I went on a trip to Israel with like 4 years ago and hadn’t seen since then (love when that happens! and he recognized me first).
Virgin has direct TV and I watched Men in Black II for the entire flight home.
And then finally, we were home around 11. It was a long day, but a good one.
Monday wasn’t too shabby at all either! I’ll post it on Wednesday for WIAW, but it included a run, more shopping (good sales!), a really good lunch with friends at an outdoor restaurant on the water, and just mellow summer stuff. I’m still not ready to go back to work after my nice long week off, but I do feel more relaxed and in a much better place than I was before my week off. Staycation success.
Hope you had a terrific 3-day weekend!
– Are you usually hungry before an early flight? (I know a bunch of people who say they can’t eat…but I’m always hungry before) – Have you taken any one-day trips via plane lately? – Do you call your Aunts and Uncles “Aunt/Uncle” or just by their first name? – Did you do anything summery this weekend? Any beach time? – Have you tried the Evolution juices?
