3/22/2012

I’ve had a few muscle aches and pains through this training week. I’ve been doing some interesting reading about Palo Santo, an amazing essential oil that not only brings calmness, clarity and focus to the mind, but also is an excellent for pain relief for muscles and nerves. I’ve had a knee problem for five or so years, and have been concerned about the toll training could possibly take on my knee. After reading about the healing properties of Palo Santo, I’ve been treating my knee with a carrier oil with Palo Santo in 3% dilution and it is working wonders. During the last bike / run I had, there was no pain in my knee. I am so excited and will continue to use this incredible oil throughout this season!

3/10/2012
What started with a walk, has turned into a run! In the three weeks following my semi-injury, I learned that when it comes to weights, more is not necessarily better! Muscles can be very temperamental, especially the calves! I am now doing two runs, three swims and three rides a week, depending on the schedule. Most days I feel like I am getting into the swing of things training wise and learning to balance work / life / training. My family has been very accommodating of my bike being parked on the trainer in the kitchen, and has been totally cool with the changes in the family schedule. Today, while working through a two hour ride, my husband encouraged me to ride big ring with lots of gear to make me go faster?! His motive? Get me to beat his boss’s, boss’s boss, who is also doing Syracuse 70.3 and is a phenomenal runner. Anyone have thoughts on how to work on speed on a trainer without staying in the same comfortable gear?

2/19/2012
I’ve wanted to start a blog about this journey, one that really began for me two years ago in the devastation of the earthquake in Haiti, where my best friend lost her beloved uncle. From that point, seven people in my world died in the span of two years. It really made me take pause of my life and think about going outside my comfort zone. I had completed a few triathlons and never really contemplated doing anything like a half ironman, which is a 1.2 mile swim, followed by a 56 mile bike ride, and finishing up with a 13.1 mile run.

I joked about it, goofing on myself, rather than taking the idea seriously. Then one day, after talking about it with friend who is an Ironwoman, she asked “what is holding you back?” “Fear,” I replied. Her sage answer was that I would be afraid this year, next year and the year after that. Her advice? Go home, register, and think about it later, and I did exactly that.

I hadn’t really thought about the journey before me, until today, when I had a six mile run on my calendar and I could barely walk down the stairs. I woke up yesterday (Saturday) morning with a searing pain in both my calves. I canceled the bike ride on the trainer and spent time stretching out, doing yoga and trying to figure out what the heck went wrong with my training. I probably could have knocked out a three mile run this morning, but the wise women of my Moms in Motion group advised me to walk, don’t run and let my body heal from whatever this is.

Tomorrow is a new day, with new possibilities, but for today, my journey to completing a half ironman started with a walk.