London schedule - lots going on!

Thank you, dear family, for letting me head off to London next week especially considering it's not exactly a super convenient time. Work is crazy for hubs and he just started his third semester teaching a senior level electrical engineering course. The kids begin school this week in a new and unfamiliar building and the fall activity schedule is in full swing. A big heap of gratitude goes to my mother-in-law "Oma" who will be doing most of the work to keep the Martin family "machine" moving smoothly! I have quite a bit left to do to leave everyone in good order.

I just finished putting things into my calendar for next week. It'll be a pretty busy one for me too and this is what it's looking like:

Monday, September 9

• 10 pm: arrive at Heathrow, find pre-arranged ride for self, bike, suitcase to hotel

Tuesday, September 10 - Get Organized

• Assemble bike, have Team mechanic check it over?
• Training: Easy ride (with Team USA I hope -- where??), easy run, easy swim in Serpentine Lido
• 1:30 - 2:00 pm: packet pickup for Team USA Aquathalon (can get Oly packet too)
• Hit the expo - find a race hoody!
• Get some groceries
• Get organized for the next day's race.

Wednesday, September 11 - RACE DAY Aquathlon

• 7:15 - 8:45 am: Aquathlon Transition Open
• 10:45 am: Aquathlon start time for my wave. 1k swim + 5k run
• Noon: Aquathalon transition check-out
• Afternoon: rest, work
• 8:00 pm: Opening ceremony, Trafalgar Square (team photo before?)

Thursday, September 12 - Meetings, Prep for Paratriathlon

• Training: Day off
• 9:00 am: Team USA Athlete Meeting
• 1:30 pm: Paratriathlete handler introductions and meeting
• 3:30 pm: ITU Paratriathlon meeting

Friday, September 13 - Paratriathlon

• Training: Morning Pre Race Brick (Ride + Run) and swim? 
• Watch friends in sprint tri
• Time TBD: ITU Paratriathlon - T2 Athlete races at 4:30 pm

Saturday, September 14 - Rest and Get Ready

• Training: Day off
• 8:30 - 10:30 am: watch pro women
• Bus tour sometime today, stay off feet as much as possible
• 6:00 pm - Bike Check in Gate 1 (take helmet, number, and suit to be checked)

Sunday, September 15 - RACE DAY Olympic Distance Triathlon

• 5:00 - 6:30 am: Triathlon Transition Open
• 9:25 am: Triathlon start time for my swim wave (1500m swim + 40k bike + 10k run)
• Time?: Transition Check-Out

Monday, September 16

• Fly home!

I took the team suit out for a test ride, run, and swim in the past week. I always thought open back suits were neat looking but in this particular not-very-stretchy carbon material it is a royal pain to get on and off.  Once it's on, it's comfortable, and I really like the stars and stripes design of it, but I don't think I would generally race in an open back suit. The potential for sunburn, and for looking like a laced ham, is too great.

I'm glad that my last name is "Martin" and not some unfortunate word that one might not care to have upon one's posterior.

This week will be about working ahead, getting kids settled in school, and packing. Lots to do because once Monday hits it'll be nonstop!

Treadmill then and now

I got a little choked up on the treadmill last night. I was thinking about when we bought it -- probably 8 years ago. It wasn't long after we'd finished building our house and settling in. The kids were little, 3 and 5, and I was feeling a bit stuck, a bit lonely, and a bit dreamless. I guess I thought the treadmill would take me somewhere, get me someplace. I used it off and on for a while but it took me nowhere, got me noplace. It went the way of most of its kind -- it sat in the basement and gathered dust.

Fast forward to spring of 2008. That marks the first time I ever ran on a road or in public. I ventured out into a neighborhood and dared myself to run to one mailbox, walk to the next, and repeat that the whole way around a block. I'm not sure what inspired the first steps but I can remember the excitement I felt. It seemed so daring and crazy! (And awkward and hard!)

Fast forward to last night and an easy 5.5 mile aerobic run back on the same treadmill in the same basement. It was low key enough that my mind was free to wander so I began to mentally rehearse the runs for my upcoming races - the 5K for the Aquathalon and the 10K in the Olympic Distance triathlon.

Then it hit me. I was training on my treadmill to race in London in stars and stripes. When we got this treadmill I could have NEVER imagined this scenario.

I no longer feel stuck, lonely, dreamless. Every day is an adventure, with much of it unscripted. I guess that treadmill did eventually take me somewhere.

~~~~~~~~~~

I was not an athlete growing up. When we ran the mile in school, I was always one of the slowest. I didn't swim, bike, or run until my 40s. It's easy to imagine when you meet people, that they were always how they are at a given point in time...sort of static. But we are always changing, for better or for worse. The choice is ours.

We are capable of tremendous positive change and new directions at any time.

My new direction started with a dusty treadmill and a mailbox.

What started yours?

Weekend Training & Summer Bucket List "Cramming"

The kids start school in a week so the pressure was on to knock a few more things off the summer bucket list. This weekend offered up perfect weather so we packed in family fun on top of regularly scheduled fun training.

Saturday - 56 mile bike ride - Burkes Garden

I had a 50 mile bike ride to do Saturday and decided to do it in conjunction with the Burkes Garden Century Ride that is always scheduled for the same weekend as Virginia Tech's student move-in. This gets cyclists out of town, away from the busy campus area, and onto a safe route. The century is 100 miles, and the metric century is 62 (but started further from town), so I chose to tag along with the century riders and turn around at 28 miles (I'd been granted an extra 6 by Coach).

180 riders participated with the $10 entry going to the New River Bicycle Association

It was NOT easy to turn around at mile 28 knowing the most beautiful (and new-to-me) parts of the route were ahead. But I did and frankly, by the time I got back to the car, I was pretty much glad to be done. I plan to return one day and do the rest of the route, especially once I heard there were camels to be seen up ahead.

 with the ever cheerful Debbie who is a formidable cyclist

I rarely ride in groups but I did trade off some pulling for the first 20 miles with Andrew. Luckily he didn't mind I was on my tri bike (the only one I saw out there). I thought it was interesting to see how my heart rate fluctuated so dramatically between pulling and being pulled. I guess there really is something to drafting!!

Saturday - Kayaking the Little River in Floyd

In the afternoon the hubs and kids and I packed up for our kayak trip (rained out the previous day) with a little outfit I'd found online - On the Water in Floyd. We floated and paddled and chatted for nearly 7 miles and 3 hours on a glorious day! The water was never more than a few feet deep and very calm. We saw deer, heron, fish, and amazing cliffs and rock formations. It was so relaxing and just exactly what we needed -- especially my poor husband who has had to work his butt off this summer and frankly has just not had nearly enough fun.

We topped off our kayaking trip with Buffalo burgers from Buffalo and More in Riner.

 

Robert and the boys!

Grant showing that his swimsuit matches his kayak. He spent as much time standing as sitting.

Sunday - Longish Run

I cranked out 8.5 on the treadmill (my injury workaround still). This went pretty well with no quad blow-up so I was happy.

Sunday - Treetop Adventures at Mountain Lake

About 30 minutes from us is Mountain Lake resort, made famous as the set for the movie Dirty Dancing. They recently added a new aerial ropes and zipline course called Treetop Adventures. I had gotten us a reservation for noon and when we arrived we discovered we were the only people there! Robert had stayed behind (fighting a bug) so it was just our guide, Gavin, the two kids, and me.

We had to learn the whole clipping system and demonstrate proficiency on a small course before heading to the two real courses. It was SO much fun for all of us and a nice little stretch to do something a little scary. Grant had no fear and tried many of the obstacles with no hands at all. He accepted the challenge to dance on the suspended log and got to sign his name to a board reserved for those brave folks.

 no hands -- this was really impressive

 One of 6 or 7 ziplines

Sunday - Ergometer

I squeezed in a 2100m Ergometer workout that included a mainset of 12 x 100 holding a particular power level with reduced rest between.


Sunday - Movie with hubs

We saw 20 feet from Stardom. What an awesome documentary about backup singers, such voices, WOW!!!

Oh, and I did I mention the kids had friends sleep over Friday and Saturday? It's never really dull around here, that is for sure.

It's Monday and time to buckle down again - work, getting kids ready for school, and a pretty hefty training agenda. I'm ready!!

Wetsuit 2.0 - Blueseventy Fusion

This weekend I received a new wetsuit - a Blueseventy Fusion - courtesy of race sponsor Solar Connexion (Virginia-based solar contractor). Thank you!!!!

I've had my current (and one and only wetsuit) Blueseventy Synergie since December of 2009 (blogged about, of course). "Blueseventy" refers to the 70% of the earth that is covered by water.

trying on the Synergie in 2009

This suit has held up extremely well (unlike my friend's whose other brand is a patchwork of glue and repairs). I have a couple of surface nicks, fingernail oopsies, but other than that it is perfect and super comfortable. However, I know the day will come when the nicks will become tears, and I feared I'd be left scrambling to find a new wetsuit that fit. Now I have a new race-ready wetsuit and a backup.

I actually tried two different sized suits from a new wetsuit company that intrigued me but the arms were too skinny and the fit was just not right. When I put on the Blueseventy Fusion, it was instant comfort, just like my other. I got pretty lucky considering when I got the Synergie it was the one and only suit I tried (via mail order). I guess when you find a brand that fits, stick with it!

The Blueseventy Fusion will get some training practice then make its racing debut in the Serpentine, Hyde Park, London at the ITU Age Group World Championship!!

I do tend to get a little sentimental about moving on (from my road bike, old bike shoes, running shoes, an empty box of tissues...etc) so forgive my small little tribute to Wetsuit 1.0, that has been with me from the start, to Nationals at Lake Champlain in Vermont and Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, to Worlds at the Auckland Harbor in New Zealand, and throughout the state of Virginia in the James, Potomac, Smith Mountain Lake, Claytor Lake, the New River, Lake Moomaw,  Lake Anna, and Lake Arrowhead.

 Lake Champlain, Nationals 2012

 In New Zealand

 With Tanya at Lake Moomaw

 With Coach Jim at a cold Smith Mountain Lake

Lake Arrowhead

Thank you, Wetsuit 1.0 for years of faithful service and thank you Solar Connexion for Wetsuit 2.0!

Training is for "Life"

 

Saturday I drove into town to run the only flat, non-leg irritating loop we really have. On my way, I passed a runner, hard at work, and we made brief eye contact as I drove toward the center of the road to give him lots of room. Later on my run, I saw the same fellow. There was just a really joyful energy about him that made me take notice. Having been perhaps rightly accused of having a bit of a "chit-chat" compulsion, I sped up to say hi. I told him I'd seen him earlier and figured it was a long run. He replied that he was doing 12 miles, so I asked the most logical next question:

"Oh, what are you training for?

"Life."

That totally threw me for a loop. It was not the response I was expecting, and somewhat shamefully, not one I would think to say. But when you get right down to it, isn't that truly why we do things like running and triathlon? We race and train for the lessons they teach us about life - struggle, faith, strength, persistence, compassion, and relationships. Sports show us who we really are and give us the experiences that allow us to become more of who we want to be. Swimming, biking, and running provide time away from the distractions of the world to ponder life's larger questions.

"Life!"

What a powerful response in just one word! The runner and I exchanged some "have a good run" sentiments and parted ways. But I continued on, with a new perspective and a giant smile on my face, knowing he had it exactly right.

So what are you training for?