Just when you get tired you need to push harder

It has been a tough few days. First the weather is not helping training. Sunday I headed out for a 3:15 minute bike ride and it never made it out of the 40's. Thank god for a few good friends who ventured out with me to get the ride in. We just missed the rain. If it had rained while riding that would of been miserable. So I guess it could of been worse. haha! It was a nice hilly ride through some towns. Yes it was hilly. I felt like every mile we hit another hill. We rode about 43 miles that day. So Sunday I put the bike away. 

Wake up call... 4:15 a.m. Monday morning. I could hardly believe it when my alarm went off. It felt like I was asleep for 10 minutes not 7 hours. UGH!! I got up did my physical therapy and off to swim class I went. Brutal class. We had to do lots of kicking.. So it fatigued my legs. Great because I had a 10 mile run to do later that morning. Yay!!! So got home about 6:30 got my son ready for school and out the door for 9 and met up with my brother in -law at 9:30.

We did some hills on the run and lets say it wasn't my best run. Unhappy tummy made things miserable. But I pushed through and put 10.5 miles on the legs that morning. I was so over dressed to. Well I had shorts on but I had a fleece type shirt on. ugh! I was dying. My heart rate was kinda high to. I couldn't get it to come down. But despite all the issues I got it done. 

It is going to be a tough training week. But one workout at a time. :)

Disasters happen! haha!

This morning I get up. Day got off to a bad start, why do some people feel they have the right to treat people like shit, especially giving, caring, nice people. So I was already aggravated!

So I get up with 1.5 hours before a 5k coach wants me to do so she can get my HR zones. I get some water, something to eat. Next I go to find my running gear. Of course I can't find any of the things I had planned on wearing and do you think I was smart enough to get them ready the night before. Noooo.. that would be to smart. So I am running around find the pants they are not clean so I have to wear a different pair. Not happy. So now I have 45 minutes to get to the race and I have to do a mile warm up.
So I find my HR monitor strap it on. Then I go to grab my watch only to find out.... guess what.... battery is almost dead because I forgot to shut it off. So I plug it in to charge for a little bit.

In the mean time, my son is yelling at me to get him breakfast. Ugh! So I get him breakfast since my watch has to charge. Why do kids have to eat anyway. So I get some dry clothes together for after the run because you guessed it 40 friggin degrees and raining cats and dog. Pouring!!! So I quickly feed my kid, grab my watch which now has 42% battery life and head out the door.

I get to the race which is a local 5k they run every week out of the local college. I register and I have 10 minutes until race time. I quickly head out the door to do my warm up mile. I see one of my triathlon friends here too. He is also coached by the same coach I am. So he was there to run a fast 5k as well. It was nice to see him there and know we would both be in misery running in the cold rain. Hell it's only the end of April. Ugh!!1

So I finish my warm up and the race starts. I start my watch and I am off. My hands are freezing, no gloves. So I pull down my jacket to keep my hands warm. I feel like I am running through mud. OMG.. My legs are killing me. Dying. hahaha! But I run... I get to what I know is the two mile mark and I am wondering why my watch is not vibrating at the mile marks. So I look at my watch. What the HELL.. it stopped at 42 seconds. I must of hit the stop button when I freaking put my jacket over my hands. I am sooooo pissed. But I keep going and start the watch. Two minutes later my sneaker comes untied. FUCK!!! Now I am really mad and there is a hill up ahead. I keep pushing and hope that coach and still get my data and use it because I don't want to do this again next week. I am in the final stretch and guess what happens... my sneaker comes untied again.. are you SERIOUS! Double FUCK.. what ever I keep running with my shoe untied hoping I don't face plant. I don't and cross the finish line in 24:57. I was so happy! I wanted to break 26 so that made up for all the crappy morning stuff. My feet were soaked and I could not stop smiling. Yay me! Oh and to boot since only two women were brave enough to show up in these conditions I was the first woman. Wahoo!! First time ever!! hahaha! I will take it.

So the moral of this story is WINNERS never QUIT!!!

Each training mile and race mile will be dedicated to finding a cure for Wolfram syndrome. Please Help!

I know there are a lot of causes out there to donate money to. But after thinking about my training and my race I wanted to do it for something or someone. So if you can please donate it doesn't matter what every penny helps. And if you can't that is okay too please just keep me and my nephew in mind. Thanks...

On September 7, 2014, I will participate in my first iron-distance triathlon in Sandusky Ohio. I've never dreamed of doing such a race and i began to think about how I could make a difference by taking on this challenge. Through all the hard work and long hours, I wanted to have something or someone in mind for motivation. I decided to raise money for the Jack and J.T. Snow Scientific Research Foundation to help find a cure for Wolfram Syndrome. My young nephew Ian Campbell is afflicted with this rare disease and my goal is to help researchers find a cure.... and fast. 

Ian doing his best Goofy impression (Disney Trip 2012)

Many of you have probably never heard of the syndrome. Wolfram Syndrome also known as DIDMOAD (Diabetes Insipidus, Diabetes Mellitus, Optic Atrophy, and Deafness), is extremely rare genetic disease that presents itself as juvenile diabetes early in life. It results in the degradation of the nerve cells in the eyes, ears and brain causing vision loss, hearing loss, diabetes insipid us and other neurological disorders. In 60% of the cases death can occur before the patients 30th birthday. Today there is no cure for Wolfram Syndrome.

I chose this particular foundation because all of the money goes to finding a cure for Wolfram by supporting research at Washington University's School of Medicine (WUSM) and elsewhere. The work being done at WUSM has the potential to unlock the mysteries of all types of diabetes. Also, WUSM and St. Louis Children's Hospital host and annual research clinic where parents are brought together for a mulitday, intensive medical evaluation with Wolfram Syndrome experts in the field. While the clinic's primary purpose is to gather data to aid researches, patients also benefit greatly. For most people, the doctors they see at home have never treated another WS patient, so being able to meet with experts is invaluable. My nephew currently participates in these multiday events. The Jack and J.T. Snow Scientific Research Foundation helps to make these clinics possible by assisting patients get to St. Louis for treatment.

In 2005, at age 5, Ian was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, and at age 10 was diagnosed with Wolfram Syndrome. He is now 13. In addition to juvenile diabetes, he currently suffers from vision loss, color blindness, as well as high frequency hearing loss and diabetes insipudus. Ian's family is extremely thankful for the work that researchers are doing for this very rare disease, but they know that this work cannot continue without awareness of the disease and funding to support the research. Imagine your child being diagnosed with a disease so rare that only a few researchers are working on it. That is why it's so important to me to help support this organization.

So please support me in helping raise funds for continued research. Everyone of the 140.6 miles I complete on September 7th will be with my nephew in mind and other children who suffer from rare diseases. It will be what gets me through the training and race day.

To donate please go to the website: http://thesnowfoundation.org/events/rev3-triathlon-team-ian/. When you click on the donate button, Paypal will give you the option to add a note. Please put 140.6 for Ian Campbell" in the box. The event is listed on the events page and will have more of a write up in the coming weeks.
Thanks so much in advance for your support.

Questioning whether I am doing the right thing!!!

So lately I have been doubting myself whether training for this Iron distance race is the right thing to do. Is timing perfect? My son was diagnosed with ADHD several years ago. As he ages I am finding out more and more about the disability and the issues that come with it. Lately he has been showing some increased sensitivity and just more behavioral issues. Things that cause some pretty big melt downs and leave me an emotional mess trying to figure out how to help him. I have been feeling guilty although I try to get most of my workouts done early in the a.m. to leave time for family at night. But still who wouldn’t feel guilty. I ask myself is this selfish is it the right thing to do. Most of you are probably saying yes!  

It takes a toll on the family and on you mentally to have a child with any disability. I know of many family and friends who deal with it daily and most cases are far worse than mine, so I am not here to to compare but it is hard. I think I cope is through exercise. The training breaths new life in me and helps me work with my son through his difficult times. I work hard at what I do to be a better mom and wife. Being healthier through mind and body is part of what keeps me mentally prepared for what is next and feeds my fire to assist my son in being the best boy he can be and advocate for his needs. So as I was about it give up last night I sat him down to see what made the most sense for the family. Since this is not just about me.

Last night I sat down with my husband and talked to him about it. I told him “you say the word and I am done training there are always other years”. Training takes a ton of time and energy and it is not fair to my husband or son if the timing is wrong. We talked a lot and he said to me “is the timing ever going to be good”. There is always life that gets in the way. He also told me he has been so proud of me getting my workouts in early and having time at night for the family, and as for the weekends your long workout days we can make this work. He told me it was important for our son to see  his mom succeed at something she is working so hard toward and that he did not want me to give that up. It was an important part of the family dynamic and we would make it work. He also told me how much time and energy you already put into it and we have less than 5 months to race day. We got this. I was really ready to give it all up but he talked me out of it.
 

This was so good to hear. I know it is hard and every last minute I have will be dedicated to my family. It is a lot but I know I have a great support team behind me. I am going to be the best mom and triathlete I can be. I guess life happens, and there is never a good time for things. You just have to have to want it and make it work and that is what I am going to do. Knowing that my son and husband always come first.

 

Wow you have big thighs

I guess one of the down falls of training is getting muscular thighs. Ya it is a blessing and a curse for a girl. Strong legs but comes with a price I guess. I have never been able to wear tall boots because my calves have always been a problem in fitting in the boots. Big calf woman. Well it seems that problem has now moved into my thighs. Holy crap... They are ginormous.

In fact the other day I went to Ann Taylor loft to try on pants. I get a pair try them on. They feel pretty good slightly roomy in the waist but a little snug in the thigh area. So I go to squat down and you guessed it. I split the pants on the side seem. It was like I was channeling my inner Incredible Hulk. So awesome but completely embarrassing as I chuckled. I handed the pants to the store clerk and informed her I had ripped them and they must have been defective. OMG.. Not my proudest moment. Hey at least I didn't have to pay for them. :) hahaha!!!

Keeping on trucking with training. It is exhausting but getting it done. 5 months to go. Stay tuned for more in the future.