THIS is WHY I do it....Going for the PHOTO and SMILES:)
This is WHAT I do instead of 4 hour bike rides....sit on fair benches with
my sleepy baby, ready to barf my guts out from riding spiny rides with the kids
(I think MY age kicked in..NOT FEELING SO WELL HERE:)
Luckily Mason feel a sleep on mE.... my GOOD excuse of "why" I couldn't ride
anymore rides:) plus It gave me the chance to devour a elephant ear..french fries..
nachos...cotton candy..:)MMMMmmm..way better than a BIKE RIDE!!!!
I laugh as my blog has turned into all KIDS things more than "what I am doing"....maybe because I really am NOT doing...
I have been catching up on my friends blogs and they are getting psyched up for racing and all these kick ass training they are doing...I applaud all of you for your dedication and hard work:) I love following all of you and I love reading about your race reports and am amazed on how fast you all are!! I wish wish I could get the drive....and some days I feel awesome and WOW myself...To be honest..as I have gotten some emails from other busy Mom's... asking how much training do I "really" do before a race or other emails asking how my training going....well lets see...I am planning on doing a half Ironman (Racing for Recovery) on June 7th and to date I can count on 2 hands on how many workouts I have done :( NOT enough... lets break this down, shall we:??
My bike was hung up since last early August....I took all winter off due to knee injury and horrible weather..just started training for the Half a few weeks ago and have managed I thought 4...but actually it was 3 bike rides with my 3rd one being 2 days ago and it went like this....planning on riding 40 miles..felt good first 20 miles... easy, comfortable and FUN...had side winds..so no effect...then coming back sucked ass...head winds the ending 20 miles and it took me at least an extra 25 min to get back..I wanted to call Todd to come and pick me up...seriously I am a wimp in wind..I can not focus and it takes my breath away..I was pulling at anything just to get me some speed...it turned into a karaoke..thank goodness I had my ipod with me.....I figured just sing LOUD and it will go quicker...I even raced a little wiener dog that thought he had a chance to catch me...and as slow as I was going he was looking pretty happy:) and I was happy it was only a small dog:) or I would have been dinner!!!
My running started off good and I felt dedicated...but the knee has been acting up again and my Doctor is thinking it is a tear or loose cartilage so is sending me to see an Orthopedist and to get a MRI..I have been putting it off too long and am sick of not having a good run, I LOVE 10 mile runs and when I head out and feel good for the first 3 or 4 miles and find myself limp jogging/walking the last 6miles it is NOT fun and frustrating....
The swim....not much there:) I do a master's swim class on Sundays and I feel like I have improved on my stroke since last year...BUT even though I feel OK in the pool and can hang on for an hour swim...it is a different story once I am in OPEN water....I panic!!! I had this little conversation with my swim coach it went like this : Me..so coach what if I swim in the pool with my eyes close?? Coach: annnnddd why would you do that?? I would not recommend it...you will hit the wall.... Me: I was thinking since I panic in open water..maybe it was because I can't see the bottom and I freak and decide I would rather swim the whole swim with head above water...Coach: YOU swim the whole swim with head above??? That wastes a lot of energy and loose a lot of time!!!! Me: Yip ya think:) I am just trying to figure out why I can not put my face in the open water....and thinking hum if I practice of not seeing shit..and swim like I am blind..maybe that would be the trick!!! Coach: still giving me that "what" look .......and somewhere "Mr. Retired triathlete" in the next lane was being nosey and had to put his 2 cents in and it had nothing to do with what I was dealing with.....So I got frustrated and said never mind!!!! Swam off.....uggggg I WILL figure it out someday!!!
Not much training and I don't recommend my training plan..ha...but really I can say this..if you are a new or want to be a triathlete...".you can do it"...it really is all mental...you can finish the race you set out to do..as long as you tell your mind you "can" do it and keep going:)
I KNOW I could be a better triathlete if I trained more and worked harder and followed a coaches plan...But as of now being a Mom comes first!! Last year was my first of racing which consist of 2 half Ironman...1 sprint tri... marathon relay(13 mile run)...5k...and ended the year with one DQ :(....one 2nd in age group, one 3rd in age group and one 2nd overall and one 2nd female overall/ 1st age group.....all hard wear went to Skylar:) and that ugly orange bag went to the trash:))
As of right now other things in my life are more important than 4 hour bike rides or 2 hour runs and more swims....I still have 2 little kids at home with me during the day and a husband who does Ironman and Ultraman...so with the little training I do is OK with me as I am not in this sport to be the "best"...I would rather have the photo with me and my 4 kids at the finish...that is the "high" I love...and that is "why" I am doing the half in a few weeks (as a training day for Augusta 1/2)...I did it last year but something was missing and that was Mason my youngest..he was sleeping..so I need a new photo:) SO while I am out there struggling...I know what will be at the finish for me and that is my 4 beautiful kids..and they don't care if I am first or last or somewhere in the middle:) they are just happy to be running and finishing with me!!
I hope this answered your questions on how "I train" and raise 4 kids who are very active in sports of their own...I do what I can (and with the help of Todd) and make the best of it:) Remember the mind is a powerful thing...if you think I can't then you WON"T...if you think I CAN then you WILL:)
FUN Readers
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Racing plan???......WING It i guess!!
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14 comments:
MEl
YOU... are an IRON MOM in my eyes! You've got the toughest job there is and you have to do it not only DAILY, but HOURLY and a lot of the time by YOURSELF and by the looks of those kids, you are one heck of a mom. They are LUCKY!
I hope your knee gets better. Trust me, I feel your frustration. Let us know what the MRI says.
xxxx
Hon,
Us going to the fair on Saturday with our kids was more important than any training or racing day. Our job is to raise our kids to be happy, healthy and drug free individuals.
You have done a half ironman and will do it again to get that photo.
I am proud of you taking care of yourself to the best of your ability. It is not about being the best it is about being.
You are a great mom and that comes before being a triathlete.
Love
Bret Michaels
I, too, am hoping that the knee gets better. I only have one child and can totally understand what you are saying. I got up early on her birthday to get my brick in--and then realized, "Oh no, what if she wakes up while I am gone and I won't get to be the first one to hug her and say Happy Birthday?" Skipping that workout was the best thing I've done all month. That little hug was awesome.
Hope your tummy is all settled from the rides! (And, the fair food, too!)
Good to read your stuff again. Glad to hear you are doing well and believe me, your training is by far greater than many out there (myself included, ha!)
I couldn't say it better than Trigirl Pink. You've got the toughest job out there, and I love how much you love your children. Mel - it is so touching. I don't know if you realize that...it brings a smile to my face. There are sooo many more important things in the world than doing all the workouts and racing - what's the point if you're missing out on the best part? Your kids are so lucky - what an awesome Mom they have!
The sport will always be here - but the relationships that you are establishing with your family, well - that's not something you can 'make up' ya know?
Bravo Mel!
Oh - how's the kitty?? Is it Gizmo??? ( I can't remember...)
I hate, hate to hear that about your knee. The good runner that you are, I know that kills to not be able to run like yourself. I hope there is an answer for you after the MRI. And, I think you are doing so great. I have really learned, now more than ever, that life sometimes does not allow for the extras (meaning triathlon training to us). I am starting this year way behind my peers, too, but that is okay. I think it is awesome that you are well-rounded and have other feathers in your cap- like super mom. xxxxoooo
Love your training plan! Enjoy those kiddos before they get too big. Ironmans will always be around. We can race someday in the "grandma" division.
Totally an Ironmom! Hands down, 100%, Ironmom all the way! Life is so much fun when you get to share it and you get to share it with a bunch of adorable children that love you for playing on spinning rides that make you barf and skipping 4hr bike rides to sit on park benches...
Love the fotos.
Hope your "training" goes well for the June 7th half!!
wow, you got a comment from bret michaels, lol!
i think you are doing an awesome job! i know so many moms who claim to be SAMHs but have nannys AND have their kids in preschool(daycare) just so they can train. i think you are doing great and keeping everything in perspective, and i know that you will do fine in the race(mind over matter).
i also have some open water issues and it is always a challenge. however, i think that the face in the open water thing has to do with not being able to see and it makes me feel very clausterphobic and causes breathing issues(it's like putting a blanket over my face - make sense?). i don't know what to do about it except try to talk myself out of it.
Ah Mel...take as many of those barfy rides as possible, those beautiful children are going to grow up waaaaayyy tooo fast. They are extremely fortunate to have you as a mom. You will do great in you 1/2 IM on June 7th and I REALLY hope that everyone is awake for the picture this year!
With the open water, I have issues too, I don't want to see the bottom of the lake (it's not like an ocean all pretty and everything), I hate feeling the weeds rub against my legs. GROSS!!! I grew up having a cottage in Haliburton and everytime I would fall waterskiing I would surface my body to the top of the water so nothing would touch me. YOU'RE NOT ALONE!!!!!
Mel, You're awesome! The end. ;)
Way to go Mel! Keep the balance in your life. You are doing what is best for the kiddos and THAT is what it's all about :)
Hi Mel! I will just reiterate what the others were saying..IRONMOM all the way...and it was nice to hear someone be "honest" about their training with kids....
My sister just decided not to do her half ironman this summer because she just feels so stretched with kids (3 kids under 5) so similar to you---and she would find herself on weekends frustrated at family things because she was supposed to be "riding" or vice versa. Cutting back and just doing a few olympics/sprints is her speed right now!!
In the long run...your kids will know you as a kick ass, tough woman....and they'll remember the FAIR and all the little "kids" activities you do with them----more than they'll remember your training, so I say it's better to leave a solid impression on the kids! And when they get a little older, "training" is a bit easier I hear!
I also applaud you, because I read so many blogs about parents who drag their kids like EVERY weekend to some sort of triathlon....and I always feel badly, like I liked growing up, my parents were my parents and came to watch ME instead of me being dragged to their events. As you know from my blog, i'm currently pregnant and I hope to find a good balance for myself between racing and having my kids be active!!!
Way to ROCK...and take care of that knee!
MEL, you are AMAZING! I want to be a mom like you someday ;-) Seriously, I totally agree with Kerrie, about all those moms out there that send their kids to day care all day long just so they can train and race....but you are doing what all moms should do!! you are doing the best job ever!! I LOVE IT! Your kids look so happy and they are....I remember how happy they were at IM LOU! They are soooo LOVED and this is how it should be.....Your the BEST MEL....love ya and miss ya tons
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