One Lap Wonder

“I’m not as good as I once was, but I’m as good once as I ever was.” I recalled that line from a country music song last week when Coach G. had us run timed 400s. She told us to do the first one “as if” we were only doing one, so I traveled around the track as fast as my stubby legs would take me, hoping I could break 2:45. My actual time for the lap was an amazing (for me) 2:30! Then G. told us we were doing two more 400s. I intentionally slowed my pace for the second one, but still did it in under 3 minutes. I tried to go all out again for the last 400, but was seven seconds slower than the first one. G. says we will be doing more timed 400s periodically during the off-season. I’d like to think my times would improve, but I already may have been as fast as I’m going to be.

Cooking the Numbers

In this month’s edition of Runner’s World there’s an article about how some numbers are truer measures of weight loss than others. For example, we all know that muscle weighs more than fat, so what the scale says we weigh can be misleading for persons who have muscles. The article suggested several alternatives to determining fitness other than by weight only. The one that caught my attention was whether an article of clothing that fit when the scale said you weighed less still fit.

I tend to keep my clothes, even though I don’t wear them anymore, and so I found a dress in my closet that I’d bought many years ago when – despite a lack of exercise and a diet of coffee, Milky Way bars, and the occasional homemade biscuit with real butter – I weighed at least 20 pounds less than I do now. The dress is a one-piece sheath and buttons down the front. From the waist up, it still fit perfectly. From the waist down, not so well. It buttoned, but it was too snug to wear in public. Maybe I could say I just have more muscles in my thighs now, or I could admit I should lose some weight.

I’m not sure I can fit more exercise into my life, so that means paying more attention to diet, and that means I might actually have to cook real meals. I do not like to cook, but prepared food from grocery stores or restaurants is expensive and often lacking in nutrition, so, is there really a choice here? The same article said a healthy runner could expect to go two seconds faster for every pound lost. Well, I need all the help I can get to increase my speed. Twenty seconds would put me much closer to my goal of a consistent 12-minute mile. My goal for the off-season then is to cook.

Not What I’d Planned

In the odd moments of my life – drinking an early morning cup of coffee, waiting in a long line, washing dishes – I compose “blog thoughts” in my head. Sometimes those musings get posted, but often, they linger in my mind waiting for publication.

“Patriot Weekend” was about how my bike, and maybe my wetsuit, both of which I’d loaned to fellow TGs, did the Patriot Sprint while I plodded at home on my headboard refinishing project. After two days of re-sanding and re-staining, I eventually was satisfied with the way it looked. Then I discovered the headboard did not fit my bed frame the way it was supposed to, so …. Even my worst-ever finish in a triathlon was not as disappointing.

Having gotten my bike back, I’d planned to ride it this weekend, but that’s not happening. The rainy weather is one reason, but the other is the trail run I did on Thursday with some friends. We were having a fine run along the river when “klutzo-me” tripped over a rock and landed flat on the ground. The last time I’d run with one of these people – about one year ago – I’d also tripped, and I badly bent my glasses when I fell on my face. This time my only thought as I went down was “Keep your head up – don’t break your new glasses!” I scraped my left elbow and my right knee – injuries that look worse than they are. But I also sprained/bruised two fingers on my right hand. Even though I iced them soon after the fall, my fingers are still swollen and sore, and trying to hold anything, like a bike handlebar, is difficult. So, my return to cycling has been postponed. But I don’t have to attempt any other furniture refinishing projects, either, and can, with no guilt at all, spend the weekend reading the newest P. Gregory historical novel about the English War of Roses.

A Fine Balance

My aunt died last week; she was 92 and in poor health, so it wasn’t unexpected. Even so, it’s a sad reminder that our lives are finite, especially since, almost the same day, my mother learned she has a “suspicious nodule” on her lung near her spine. She had colon cancer three years ago, so once all the tests are done, we’re expecting to hear cancer has returned. My mother, who’s nearly 91, has adamantly said she will not have chemo or radiation, and the family will respect her decision. We are all planning to gather in October for my dad’s 90th birthday, but the celebration will be muted by knowing the next gathering could be for a very different reason.

On the happy side of life’s scale, however, was the text message I received this week from a friend – “It’s a boy!” I’ve known the mother-to-be since she was 4 years old, when her mother and I met in law school. Our daughters have always considered themselves sisters as well as friends, so I think I can claim “virtual-grandma” rights to this baby. And that gives me good reason to buy some cute “Future Triathlete” infant outfits.

Diversions

I most likely won’t do any more triathlons this year. I was considering the Richmond Sprint in October, but there are other things going on that weekend that I’d also like to do. Not having a specific event to train for has given me time for other activities. I’ve been to the Iowa State Fair and the Green Valley Auction and Book Fair in Mt. Crawford. I’ve thought about redecorating my house, and last weekend I started to refinish a headboard that’s been sitting next to my bed for the past two months. Since I decided I really didn’t like the color of the wood stain I’d chosen, that’s still a “work in progress.” I’m thinking about enrolling in a writing seminar at UR. Of course, I’m still doing the Masters Swim at UR, the TG run on Thursday mornings, and twice weekly strength training, but that’s exercise for health’s sake, not “training.”

Patriot Camp

This past Saturday I attended Patriot Camp, sponsored by TQT and led by coaches E. and C. A fellow TG and I left for Jamestown at 5:45 a.m. for a full, fantastic, fun day of biking, running and swimming. We split into two groups for the bike ride – Sprinters and Olympians. The Olys rode on Route 5 while Sprinters rode on the adjacent bike trail. The trail was wonderful, and also flat – a pleasant change from the PP hills last week. Someday the trail is supposed to go all the way to Richmond, and it will be a fantastic ride. Then we had a hands-on bike maintenance clinic, where we practiced changing a flat tire. For me, it was my second tire change of the day, as I had blown out a tube while pumping up my tire before we even started the ride. I was using a fancier pump than I’m used to and I didn’t push/pull quickly enough when I should have. Next on the agenda were running techniques and drills, followed by a 3-mile run on the bike trail. Even though I was the last one to finish, I had an excellent time for me, so I was pleased. After lunch we moved across the road to the swim venue. We practiced open water starts, sighting, and techniques for swimming against the current or in some chop. The last session of the day was on race strategy and nutrition. This camp was a wonderful training experience. It was well organized, had great swag, and provided super support for aspiring triathletes.

Progress in Pink

I did the Pink Power sprint triathlon on August 9. This was a new, all-women event, and there were nearly 400 participants – half of them first-timers. The swim was 400 meters in an outdoor pool, the bike was 11+ miles of rolling hills, and the run was 3.1 miles around a small lake, thru the woods, and up more hills. I suppose the race director didn’t want anyone to say the race wasn’t challenging, but, for my part, I would have been just as satisfied with a flatter course. I’d done the run several times before the race, so I knew what the terrain was like, but I hadn’t expected my legs to feel like they were stuck in cement when I got to that segment, so the last mile was tough.

Overall, the race was fun. I rarely do as well as I hope beforehand that I might, but my particular goal for this race had been to finish ahead of at least one of the three competitors in my age group, and I placed second. I also was encouraged when I compared my split times with my performance last October at the Napier Richmond Sprint. I think that course is much easier, despite the one, long uphill climb on the bike segment. At the Pink Power, I had a slightly faster swim, a much faster T1, and a comparable bike and run. So I guess I’m still in the game.