Triple T in Portsmouth Ohio May 2013

I’m going to find out how tough I am in a few days:

The second reason I can see to compete at Triple T is simple; to find out how tough you really are. That may sound bold, but believe me, these courses are seriously tough with hills on the run and the bike in particular that will test the endurance and strength of all but the most skilled climbers. From Musing from an Unconventional Mind. 

I need to practice my mental toughness so next weekend I’ll be in Ohio participating in what is touted as a triathlon weekend tougher than Ironman.

Triple T http://www.americantriple-t.com/

Follow me on Twitter while I post about travelling to, arriving to the race, pre-race, post-race, and more from the race.

I know the race is going to kick my butt.

I have been training, pretty much non-stop for a year.

It’s going to be a fun weekend. Stay tuned for a post-race review.

Garmin Forerunner 310XT - My Opinion

My new training buddy:

It's so pretty. 

The 310XT is not the newest technology but new to me. I have resisted the Garmin for many years. I think I resist because I don't really want to know my pace on a training run. Not a smart way to train.

When I decided to get serious and know my pace so that I can push it and get faster, I bought it.

It arrived last weekend and after a week of using it, here is my opinion on this Garmin Forerunner 310XT GPS Fitness Monitor:

The Look – It is pretty. It matches my running shoes; unintentional, of course.

The Feel – It’s a little bulky but I’m getting used to it. It doesn't feel awesome in the water swimming laps in the pool and I haven’t figure out how to make it record correctly in the water anyway. A few days ago when I swam 1500 it recorded 2.3 miles. It may be user error.

Technical Support – I had some difficulty getting the Garmin to transfer data after the first use. I had to wait until Monday to call technical support and while I waited to speak to a technician for about 10 minutes, the technician did help me quickly. 

The Garmin is not out-of-the-box easy to figure out. The User login/account creation to Garmin Connect is not intuitive.

I am getting more comfortable with the process of paring the device, but was hoping it would transfer data automatically, I have to click Yes to enable pairing each time I transfer data. Kind of a pain. Again, maybe user error.

I am coming to love my Garmin, despite its difficulty. I like looking down at the display and seeing my pace at 8 minute miles; even if it is just for a few minutes. I don’t have the heart rate monitor or the cycling add-on, which probably would make me love this device more.

Here is one the most detailed reviews of the device.  

I'm still trying to figure out all the features. I will use it while racing the Triple T in a few weeks. I'll let you know how it goes. 

Social Media—Bane or Boon to Trail Running?

Social media is a boon to trail running.

I stay inspired by all the men and women who are writing about trail running. As a triathlete/runner who spent the winter trail running in Tucson and Phoenix, I was inspired to go longer this year after reading several blogs and joining a trail running group on Facebook, Trail and Ultra Running.

Trail running in Saguaro East, Tucson

I follow over 20 trail runners on Twitter. At the end of the night I look through my feed and follow links from trail runners who post about nutrition, strength training tips, offer motivational advice, and post photos of themselves in their running environment.

I follow runners who tweet and post to Facebook as they drive to their event, then post photos of the start – I’m as excited as they are about their race. I get a good picture of what the race venue is like and think about the race for the following year. I even stay tuned throughout the day to see results and what they post after the race. I especially like reading race reports about how they felt during the race, what they ate, and what went through their mind after several hours on the trail.

But the most important aspect of social networking is reading about runners like me – the age groupers, the ones that don’t finish first. I get a firsthand look at what drives other runners like me.

Social media has helped me realize that I’m not crazy. That there are people like me in the world who want to push the limits, who want to go longer, and yet, just want to finish; not necessarily first.

One of my favorite bloggers who I follow on Twitter is Sherpa John

He recently wrote this blog post about Risk Addiction and when I read it, I thought, This is what I have been feeling and thinking, but have never been able to put the words together as eloquently as he did.

He said, “Take another step back and look at who the people in our community are. We're all addicts. People always ask us, "What are you running from?" We're quick to jump to our own personal defense by saying "nothing." The reality is, many of us are. Many of the runners in our community are replacing a bad addiction or habit, with a better addiction. That addiction is running. All of us know someone who at one time had an eating disorder. Now they're a runner. Or someone who was a drug addict, and now they're a runner. Or Someone who suffers from depression, bi-polar or some other manic disorder, now running helps them cope. I'm not sure a single one of us is running just for the hell of it. Our personalities and needs are what require us to take on the challenges we decide to face. So let me cut to the chase. We're all addicted to adrenaline.”

I love these bloggers, writers, social media types who run and share their lives with the world. They want to become better. I want to get better, and it starts by engaging like-minded athletes. Social media helps us connect so that we know we are not crazy and certainly not alone in this world. 

Thoughts Running To Pink

Where there is desire

There is gonna be a flame
Where there is a flame

Someone's bound to get burned

But just because it burns

Doesn't mean you're gonna die

You've gotta get up and try try try

Gotta get up and tri, tri tri. 

You gotta get up and tri, tri tri.  [I added the tri]

-Pink

 

This is such a great song to run to especially when you are a triathlete / endurance athlete.

When I listen to this song I think about all my demons and we endurance athletes have our demons and we think about them all the hours we are alone with our thoughts running, biking, swimming.

What are our demons: finishing times, finishing workouts, the past, the future, guilt, relationships, spending too much money on our sport.

Thoughts on a Thursday morning, five weeks from The Triple T.

Top 10 In-the-Swing-of-Peak-Season Priorities

1.  Do every workout prescribed
2. No excuses, just do it for cyring-out-loud, Kristen
3.  Track workouts once a week
4.   No more booze (this will be interesting)
5.  Listen to the experts
6. Show Up
7.  Blog about it
8.  Don’t Facebook every workout or feeling I have about the workout.
9. Put all life events in priority
10. Remember Number 1

I always forget this

I always forget - I've chosen my dream. 

Former Athletes Who Knit

I might become one of those athletes who start knitting since they can’t train.

Wait a second, I don’t want to knit.

I have no skills to knit.

I want to be a triathlete.

Except, no space-aged helmet please. 

I'm injured. Poor Me. 

Maybe my first mistake was thinking I could trail run as a winter off-season activity. Maybe I thought a 50K trail run was a good idea. Maybe I’m suffering now because I’m never satisfied. 

I always want to go longer, push the limits, and try new things. Maybe I can’t do this anymore….

Woe is me.

But I also think there just may be a lesson in here somewhere. Right now I just want to be angry…. I want to find the lesson. I don’t know what the lesson is yet.

I can’t run but I can ride.

I can’t run but I can swim.

I can’t run but I can do the elliptical.

I can’t run but

But.  

I can go to physical therapy. I can learn about how to make my body stronger and fight this thing they call aging. This is my new nemesis. Aging. 

I will fight it all the way.

I’m going to ask my physical therapist how I can fight aging by becoming stronger.

I will not knit.

I will not stay still.