Take Two

I had a fabulous post all ready to go earlier today. It was fun, quirky and informative and then BAM! I went to publish it and it completely disappeared. ARG!!!!!! Worst part is my husband is a computer geek (I think I'm allowed to call him that) and even he could not rescue my post. So alas here goes another attempt...

I am starting to get Spring Fever. I live on Vancouver Island where our winters are quite mild. We don't get much snow but we do get a lot of rain in the winter months. So I do a lot of my bike training indoors on my wind trainer. Lately I have been dreading going into the Dungeon of Death aka my garage to climb on my old faithful and sweat buckets while my family enjoys themselves inside by the warm fire. 

I vowed that this was going to be the weekend to get out on the road. I convinced my great friend/awesome training buddy Steph to get out there with me. Rain or shine we were doing it. It turned out we had a great day but it was a little chilly. I had on a tuque (winter hat for all you Americans), winter gloves instead of cycling gloves, a neck warmer, 5 layers, and bike shorts underneath fleece lined tights. To top it all off I also wore my ski socks. 

Despite the cool air we had a great time. It felt so good to be on the road and challenge myself a bit more. We pulled into my driveway two hours later with great big smiles. 

I enjoyed myself so much that I went out again today for a 90min ride.

My other big new is these gorgeous babies:

~Don't mind my big babies paws~

I LOVE them!!!

I am a minimalist runner. I switched two years ago after a meniscal tear. My running life has changed in the best of ways thanks to minimalist shoes and my favourite minimalist shoe is New Balance. The only problem was as I increased my mileage anything over 15km gave me really achy feet. So I decided to make a stop at the best running store around (in my mind) Frontrunners Victoria. Every time I go in this store they are ridiculously helpful. The store clerk came up to me right away to help me. I explained my issue told him what I have been running in and he right away recommended the New Balance 1400. He had me try on a few other pairs too just to see but the New Balance once again came out on top.

Seriously I have a few pairs...

A girl needs a trail pair, a road pair and longer distance pair right?

Anyways, I got to try them out the other day and it was like Angels were signing when I ran in them. Sigh, New Balance I LOVE you!!!!

On another note, I am still recovering from my little injury but after my second appointment with my great physio (she just happens to be the lady above whom I love training with) my quad is feeling so much better. It's only up from form here. 

Let The Injuries Begin

A few weeks ago I was out for a long run (before I hired a coach). As I was getting ready I thought to myself that maybe I should just do a short one but my competitive side said- buck up baby it's your long run day, just do it. So I grudgingly set out thinking I will be glad I did this. Fast forward to now and I am being treated for a quad injury. An small injury compared to some of the doozy's I've had before but none the less it is an injury. So I confess to my coach that I've had a little twinge for a month or so. He says when did it start? How did it happen? I think back not really remembering a specific time that I thought oh no I just wrecked something. Nope, it was gradual and it all stemmed from that terrible long run. 

What happened? Where did it go wrong? Well I should have listened to my body that day and just do a short run instead of letting my pride get in the way. I was tired and kept pushing. Don't get me wrong, sometimes you need to push yourself and test the limits but that day my body told me today was not the day to push and now I am getting intense treatments so I can keep training. My coach keeps bringing up this advice of listening to your body. Don't push if it's not right. For a while I couldn't figure out why he was babying me so much. Now I realize he was just trying to prevent me for doing something stupid.

So the damage is done. what do you do now? Good news is I'm still a long ways away from my "A" race so an injury now is much better then an injury a few months down the road. I can still run, bike and swim. I just have to take it easy. The other thing that needs to be done? Take care of my body. I am doing yoga 3 times a week, I used to meditate but as of yesterday I will be doing that daily. The other thing which should be a no brainer for a massage therapist is do my stretch and recovery post workouts. We tend to rush through this part and I really do believe it is one of the most important parts of a workout.

I am glad for small injuries. It really makes you come to terms with how you are training and treating your body. I have learned my lesson and will move onward and upward. This is just another reminder to listen to your body.

Not all races end well.

Don't let this post race photo fool you. Behind that smile I am fighting the urge to pass out...

~my friend Lisa and I at the finish~

Normally running races don't make me nervous. I'm guessing it's because there is no pressure. Running is definitely my weakest sport in triathlon. The sport I can improve the most. So when I went to bed the night before the race feeling week, dizzy and sporting a massive headache I should have known something was about to happen.
My race was an easy 10km basically out my back door. The run started and ended at my daughters elementary school. I knew the route well so why was I shaking when I picked up my race package? My good friend Renee knew I wasn't feeling a 100% and questioned whether I should be racing. She knows me well enough to know the answer was absolutely! After picking up my race number I had a chat with my triathlon coach Wade. I mentioned feeling a little under the weather he chocked it up to nerves (I think he still needs to get to know me better). So we head over to the finish line, coach has me do some warm up drills, Renee curses that he's making us do this, I feel like I can certainly do this.
Renee and I stay at the back. I prefer to pass people then have people pass me. We start out slow.

Renee is in this picture she is behind the lady in red, you can see a side swoosh of ponytail to the right of the lady's head.

I start to get into my grove and even crack a smile (this rarely happens when I'm running)

I managed to maintain a 5:30/km pace which isn't too bad for me. I was aiming a little faster of a pace but to be honest I'm actually lucky I was able to maintain that. All was going well except that I had to stop at the 2 water stations to sip gatorade. I was one of THOSE runners, gingerly jogging while holding 2 cups trying to settle my stomach without completely stopping. I was trying hard to hold it together. 6k in I got a little surge in me and caught back up to Renee. The route was pretty flat (thank god) I thought I might be able to kick it up a notch. I was getting into the zone. I decided with 1km to go I was going to sprint those last 5 minutes. Then the stitch hit. A stitch like no other. I've had a stitch or two before but this one had me doubled over struggling to breath. I tried to dig my fingers under my ribcage to try to alleviate the discomfort while I slowed my pace down. I told Renee to keep going push hard to the finish. I had tears in my eyes as people were passing me wondering who this person was making these crazy animal sounds. I did not want to walk. I had to make my goal of under 55:00. 

I came around the corner and heard the announcer. I was so close. I just had to push one more time. I could see the clock was 55:20 but I was at the back so I had no idea how close I was close to my goal. I ran as fast as I could and crossed the finish line at what ended up being 55:11. I doubled over into my friends arms with tears dripping down my cheek. I finished and it was uncomfortable. I got home that afternoon and I was ill. It turned out I had a bad case of the flu. Dizziness, headache, body ache, fever, and all of the other fun things that go along with the flu. Should I have run? Should I have pushed when I was breaking down? Was it worth it?

Well, this is what I learned...

Even when I'm not feeling well I can push through the pain.

When you wake up not feeling your normal self you are probably coming down with something.

Trust your instincts.

Do what is right for you.

Recovery is the most important thing.

Be proud even at your worst, you did it!

I have done races before when I've been under the weather but compared to yesterdays race I don't think I have ever been that uncomfortable during a race. I am proud of myself for pushing through that uncomfortable feeling because I have a feeling Ironman will test my will to its maximum. 

I'm a wimp

Well it's official, I've decided I am now a wimp. Those that know me well might be a little confused. I workout daily and not easy workouts how can I be a wimp?

This is a picture of me gearing up to do a run. It's been a little cold here on Vancouver Island. It may not sound that cold to others but -8  it is very cold to us. Can you see the hesitation of going for my run?

Here's the thing I never used to be a wimp. I grew up in Southern Alberta where we can get -50 wind chills. I was a ski instructor for 5 years and I had to stand out in ridiculously cold conditions trying to make skiing look fun (which by the way isn't when it's that cold). 

For some reason after we moved to the Island I have acclimatized myself to not tolerate cold very well. So how do you keep motivated and keep your training going on these cold days? You get creative. I unfortunately don't run on a treadmill so I do have to go out into the cold however if the conditions are dangerous i.e.. Icy roads or poor visibility (yesterday was a great example). So I stuck close to home and did running drills instead. I then went to Masters at my local pool. 

Today was again very cold so I went to a bootcamp and did some weight training and tonight I will go out into the garage and get on the wind trainer. Thank gawd for Sufferfest!

Fortunately this cold will pass very quickly. Tomorrow I will probably get to do a run in this:

Winter is a great time to get creative and test your toughness. I could very easily make excuses but with a lofty goal only 6 months away it makes you stick to the plan.

Stay warm and keep sweating on.

~This Sunday will be my first running race of the year. I'll let you know how that goes next week.~

I might be a little crazy

 I've been waiting for the right moment to announce this crazy dream. Like most triathletes I've had a lofty goal, to attempt an Ironman. I had a plan: this year compete in some Olympic distances and do one or two sprints. Next year do all Olympic and try and do well at them. Then when my littlest is in kindergarten I would attempt a 1/2 Ironman. Why wait? Well I wasn't sure I had adequate time to train. I've always said the family comes first and it always will. However, after chatting with some people and reading some training books and in the spirit of New Years Resolutions (yes I do stick to mine) I took a giant leap of faith and signed myself up for Calgary 70.3!

The minute I hit register I was flooded with emotions. I'm scared, excited, nervous you name it, it stirred something in me. Now I can see why finishers bawl their eyes out. Yes! That will be me. I get emotional just crossing the finish after doing a sprint. 

                                      
I have a lot of work cut out for me. Luckily husband and kids are on bored with full support. Even some of my fab friends are sticking it out with me. You know who you are... the lovely ladies who come and kick my butt on those early mornings out in the garage. Even my extended family have vowed to cheer me across the finish.
So I would love to say I have kicked it into full gear but I am actually embracing my last lazy days. Come Monday January 21st I start my road to Ironman. Please follow along while I document my crazy journey. I'm sure there will be some laughs and many tears and possibly some crazy moments.

These are a few of my favourite things

Before I start this post I just want to say I am not sponsored by any of these company's in any way. I am just voicing my opinion on how awesome these items are.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Years.

So Christmas has come and gone and we are now back to reality. Kids go back to school, routines resume and I start my triathlon training...WHAT???? Oh yes I am getting into full on triathlon mode. In starting all this craziness I thought it would be fun to talk about what was on your Christmas triathlon list, if you received it and what else would dream about having.
First up is the lovely Soas Triathlon suit. I was lucky enough to receive this but it ended up be a late gift because the price to ship it to Canada was astronomical. Luckily I have a lovely friend in the USA that was kind enough to receive it and bring it up to me for New Years. These tri suits are even cuter in person.

Next up is a triathlon bag. Original I wanted a Gyst bag. Unfortunately I didn't even have the option to have it sent to Canada so I went with the 2XU tri bag from the fabulous company Tri boutique.

Just so you know, my wonderful little 3 and 5 year old got me that fab gift!!!

Now I have to admit I had a pretty big list since I really didn't have much tri specific gear but now that I am doing a lot more races and training a lot harder I thought it would be nice to get suited up like the big guys.

So these next items didn't not make it for Christmas but because I'm such an awesome wife and mom I figure there might be a few more chances (Valentines day, Mothers day, Birthday) you get the picture.

Next up on my big list was something that will make my many hours in the pool a little more fun. This little gadget comes from Swim Solutions. It's an Ipod that comes with a special waterproof case and underwater headphones. So awesome right?

Now the last item is kind of two parts. First is the Garmin 910XT computer. 

I have to admit, I really heavily on my bike and run computer. Currently I just have a cheap $30 one on my bike which does the job fine but for running I rely on my iphone and unfortunately I don't race with that. The next item? Well that good looking Garmin would look gorgeous on my new custom made bike. I'm not sure what list this falls under because I don't have it yet but it ended up being my birthday and Christmas present and probably many more presents but it is worth it!!! Since it is custom made I don't have a photo to show you but you can go to Berg Bikes and have a look for yourself at all of the beautiful bikes he has built. A little secret... his wife is my training buddy and she is awesome!!!

So what do you think? Cool items? What about you, any must haves or wish list items you want to share? 

Hi there my name is Andrea MacDonald and I am a stay at home mom and triathlete. I'm not a pro by any stretch. In fact this past year was not a good racing year for me and it was only my second year racing. Let me explain how I got here...
Spring 2011 my good friend invited me to be the swimmer for our all girls team to do an Olympic distance race in Shawnigan Lake BC. I fell in love with the sport immediately. Next up was a low key Sprint Triathlon at Fuller Lake BC. I placed 3rd in my age group. I am now hooked!
2012 was going to be a great year. I had 3 races planed maybe even a 4th. In February I fell off my mountain bike and ended up in the ER. Not only did I have broken ribs, separated clavicle and who knows what else. I needed knee surgery and got the call to have it done 1 week after the accident. Those who know me well, know that when I go out, I go out big. I figured I'm already out of commission I might as well be completely out of commission.
Fast forward to July of 2012 and a week from my first triathlon of the season. Only 3 1/2 months after accident and surgery I completed my first 5 km run since all of this. Then a week later I competed and I got second place. I didn't feel great but I did it. 1 month later I had another race, The BC Provincial Sprint Championship. I didn't know what to expect. I wanted to do well but I hadn't been able to put the time into training. I surprised myself. I placed 3rd. I was proud.
Why does all of this matter? I am a stay at home mom. Triathlon isn't my priority. My family is. Don't get me wrong I love triathlon and I would love for it to be my top priority but I have two wonderful little girls, a pretty amazing husband and a black lab and a great dane who are also considered my children.
I want to blog about my ups and downs. My struggles to find time to train but maintain adequate family time and everything else that goes on in our day to day lives. I hope to inspire people the way some have inspired me. I want people to know that life is busy but we still need to make time for things we love. Please join me in my journey.