MONDAY, 04.20.09 Believe it or not, our first tri is in 3 weeks. It's been quite a crazy week for me and Th Super Power Sy has officially broke down. But it's okay now. I've swallowed it all down - digested. This morning I cleared it all with an hour of deep cleansing yoga. During class I let all that was bothering me drain my brain, to my mat, and into the ground - someplace bigger that can handle it better. Our lecture on Race Day Rules was cancelled. I guess I'll have to read up on 20 pages worth of rules and remember them.
SUNDAY, 04.19.09. I woke up feeling down. I didn't want to leave my bed. I wanted to stay and hug except after only a few minutes of cuddling, I was forced to get up and change. We have a swim and run session with Cliff which I had paid extra for. I ate a small breakfast - a measly banana. It was unlike me, but I was not in the best of mood. I hugged KC from the passengers seat during the whole ride to Riverbank. When I got out of the car, I dragged myself and my big-assed bag across the mini-bridge and almost got run over by a bus because I was walking on the wrong side of a bending road. Gosh - I am a mess. I was mentally clouded, physically tired, and emotionally blank. They opened the pool to 50 meter lanes. How cool. It was definitely a different feel swimming across a double length pool than what I was used to. We did a lot of drills without equipment. We swam with our fists, imagined kicking within a 6 by 6 inch box, and push offs against the wall. We probably swam at least 1200 meters. Right after, we dried up and headed for our run. I tried really hard to concentrate. But I was off. Even the warming sun and energetic people couldn't help pop me a smile - not even a grin. I am upset at myself for being this way. Two laps consituted .25 miles. We warmed up for 2 laps and did 5 different drills (2 laps each) that I remembered. First was to land more on the ball of the foot rather than the heel. Second was to keep the 90 step pace per min. Next was to lean the head forward. Fourth was to pivot our arms from the shoulder. And last was to run with a steady, horizontal moving core. After training I had lunch and followed Marianela to Finesse Day Spa where I got a deep tissue massage from Ludy. She kneaded and stretched the tight muscles on my back the caused the rest of my legs to be tight as well. It was the much needed picker upper.
SATURDAY, 04.18.09 We have a weekend special training session with Cliff. Our bike training consisted of a mini-lecture and 5 hill repeats starting with a warm up loop. Our first 2 hill repeats were seated and the next 3 were standing. When climbing hills, I have to remember to keep my body tight and centered. No wobbly legs nor arms. This makes for efficient use of energy. On downhills, my body naturally leans forward, however I have to remember to keep it back. It will provide for a more controlled bike. I also learned that during an inevitable fall, it would be best to tuck and brace - covering the exposed area such as your ribs.
FRIDAY 04.17.09. I had a day off today and spent most of it with my Dad! The weather couldn't have been more perfect. Dad accompanied me to my eye surgeon for my check-up first thing in the morning. Dr. Pamel knows about my triathlon training and thank goodness we decided to speed this process up. The contact lens implants were really a huge burden off my shoulders throughout all these activities I have pursued. I started Team Chapstick only a week after my eye surgery! I remember being very concered about the water and goggle pressure on my eyes and also the possiblility of getting an infection from the open wound. So far, my eyes have been safe and have recovered. After Dr. Pamel trimmed some stitches off of my right eye, my dad and I headed to yoga. Its been a while since I last practiced, but I was really there to be with my Dad. I cannot explain to you how much I enjoy our love and life discussions. Sometimes I cry on the train as we chat, other times I also see my dad get emotional. It really is a touching and humbling feeling when we talk and many of times we notice each others watery eyes. My dad has always played a huge role in guiding me through the steps of life. I feel like a baby sometimes, with still so much to learn. My dad sees my new passion in this sport. He sees that I've grown to enjoy it. To my surprise, he decided to purchase a new car! He said to me: I know you need to be able to get around with your gear and your bike, so we need to get you a truck large enough to fit your stuff. It was very sweet to hear. That night we ended up with a new 2009 silver 4 Runner! I went to swim clinic right after where I met KC in the pool for our first swim class together.
THURSDAY 04.16.09 We had brick training tonight and it was more difficult than I expected. Transition repeat was the goal - training our muscles to switch from biking to running to biking and again. We did one full loop around the park as warm up and for the third time, the wind was against us. Luckily this time, it was blowing directly in front of ur face. Though it was more difficult to pedal through and go fast, at least I wasn't going to be blown over to the ground. Riding against the wind was tiring and after the first loop requiring hard effort, I didn't feel like running. But of course, I suck it up, that's what we've been trained to do. Transition was easier after the first time, especially being that I've gone through it during the Brooklyn Biathlon - I know its supposed to feel weird. At transition station, Coach Laura secretly reminded us that we needed to remove our helmets before our run. Geez I did almost forget! I ran up the hill around Cleopatra's needle and back down. The other girls on their way down the hill were extremely supportive - as everytime someone saw me, they greeted, complimented, encouraged, and cheered. I couldn't wait to hop on my bike. It got dark fast and good thing I had blinking lights. I'm always so confused with directions. It really is an annoying part of me. It is my flaw. Usually I'm riding alone and would have to either catch up or slow down to find others that do know where we are supposed to be headed. Don't ever follow me anywhere, because I guarantee you, we will be lost. I need to study that map, keep reminding myself that! Transitioning from run to bike is a piece of cake - UNLESS you've accidentally left your bike on the hardest gear! Which I didn't do, but Katie made that point during one of our lectures. Hopped on my bike and made sure my helmet was clipped becuase apparently that's a DQ (disqualifier) during a race! Because of the stupid wind, the ride felt like forever! After I approached my last run, I realized I never really turn it up a notch during any of my runs. I just take it as it goes - slow down if I have to, but never have I given it the extra effort. I only run faster when I'm a few feet from the finish line. What's wrong with me? Overall it was great training - harder than I expected.
WEDNESDAY, 04.15.09 I lifted weights and upgraded to 17.5 lbs shoulder presses.
TUESDAY, 04.14.09. Believe it or not, it's been 9 full weeks of training. And only four weeks from today, I'll be facing my very first triathlon. Anyway, I had 3 chicken drumsticks fresh off the oven for breakfast this morning and made it to the pool 10 min late. I jumped into a one arm stroking drill with the other arm in front. This was kind of fun - different - similar to side swimming. Then we tried another one arm stroke drill but this time with the other arm glued to my side. This drill was much tougher. We also swam in a pack of 7. We learned backstroke flips - this was fun! And took turns acting as a human buoy in the pool. We used our backstroke flips to efficiently swim across the bouy. After swim, I had a hot cup of banana cream coffee... Yummm. I made Yoga for soul this afternoon and found that its pretty much the only succesful thing that has allowed me to slowwww myslef dowwwn. Life has passed me by so quickly these past few weeks; I barely have enough time to spend with those I care about. BREATHE, Joy. Yoga instructor, Jennifer Stetzler rubbed some warm then cooling ointment on my shoulders and neck as soon as I did my first downward dog on my mat. I inhaled the calming scent of mint that emitted and instantly the shuffles of my day cleared up. It was a challenging L2/3 yoga class and I was imbalanced with some of the postures. My yoga practice can be a true reflection of what's going on in my life. When there's calmness and focus in my practice, it is likely that these exists in my life as well. This morning I watched a video that put me into tears. It touched me and opened my heart to realization - realization of what life commitments are all about. I think everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the joys as well as the sorrows that accompany lifetime commitments - whether it be to love and care for your parents, your spouse, your children, or your best friend. Nothing in life is more rewarding than the sentiments that one experiences through selfless promises to yourself and to another - and this you can clearly see through the tears and smiles of Team Hoyt. Believe me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flRvsO8m_KI
