They Call Me Seashell

Why dig yourself a hole when you can be reaching for the stars? This has been playing inside my head for the past month or so now.  I am digging a hole and soon it will be one that I will be unable to get out of. When signing up for Rev3 I initially figured that I would get excited to do the race once I got into training.  Then at the start of the year when I was planning ahead to 2015 I caught myself saying every day that I was for some reason more excited about Ironman Chattanooga in 2015 than Rev3 Full Rev this year. Then I was accepted to graduate school and then life threw some curve balls my way and really taught me a lesson.  I play wonder-woman in my life but I am not wonder-woman.  I am Jenniferlyn and I am just 1 person trying to live 3 lives. Something has to give.  I am burnt out and emotionally shelled this year.  Do not get me wrong,  I am happy in life however I am exhausted and my anxiety has risen to record high levels t...

This.  Last week was a crazy windy 56 mile race rehearsal ride that I thought could not get worse.  This weekend was back to back rides, with crazy wind forecast (25 MPH!) on Saturday so my training partner and Iron Sister Yvette and I decided to ride in my basement for 2 hours.  Sunday we rode 52 miles in the Metro Grand Spring Tour.  Little did we know that the winds on Sunday would rival the forecast on Saturday. We felt to be in the wind for most of the ride, with only a very short reprieve of maybe 10 miles or so.  What doesn't kill us makes us stronger and we are both alive to do it again another day! In other bike related news, I got my new saddle Saturday!  I did not use it on Sunday as I am not a masochist, but I now have it installed and ready for the ride Wednesday.  I loved my Cobb saddle, but I am starting to get cysts again, so I think that I have to realize that I am just not made for the Cobb style saddles - however all of my r...

Over the course of  3 days I completed a broken half ironman as 8+ mile run on Thursday evening, 1.2 mile swim on Friday, and then a 56 mile bike + 5 mile run on Saturday to cap it off.  I consumed some water for the run on Thursday, and then a little water again on Friday.  For Saturday I figured given the long workout ahead of me that I would give my natural sports nutrition experiment a go.   I made the following: 3 bottles of electrolyte drink (agave, salt cap, dates, lemon juice, coconut oil, water) 1 flask of gel (dates, agave, lemon zest, salt, dulse) 1 bottle of water with salt stick cap in it (I never drink water without sodium during exercise) Mushroom thyme bread cake (sort of a really salty and savory bread pudding) PB&J mini sandwich What is all that?  The fuel for my 56 mile bike ride and 1 hour run (as well as post-workout recovery)   Nutritional comparison of Ironman Perform vs. my homemade lemon drink....

I realized that I am growing stronger every day.  Not just physically but mentally. This week I missed one workout day due to time (a swim/run on Tuesday), but got in my 3 hour ride on Saturday, my 2 hour bike ride after a long Easter day up north on Sunday, my swim on Monday, my bike ride on Wednesday, and my long run last night.  Tonight is a race rehearsal swim at the pool with Yvette, and then Saturday is my RR bike and run with Yvette and Vickie. The mental part is that I have been able to get in the workouts even when I have felt tired.  I knew that my body would be OK I just needed to start.  This is the key lesson: PUSH THROUGH THE SUCK! This was my mantra last season as I hurriedly trained for MiamiMan Half Iron.  I realized that the first bit always sucks.  Starting every workout is tough, not just physically, and in doing so you have the opportunity to shine only if you give yourself the chance.  Pushing through the suck ...

I have recently had an epiphany when it comes to my sports food stuffs.  I hate calling it nutrition because honestly - it isn't.  I realized that I use a lot of commercially prepared sports food stuffs and actually had a panic attack the other day when I realized that I was out of my Ironman Perform.   How on Earth am I going to get through my training rides until I have my sweet sugary guuuuudness?   At some point I wonder - is this stuff even good for our bodies?  If athletes like Brendan Brazier and Rich Roll can survive and thrive with real foods as fuel, can an age grouper like me do the same?  My concern is the heat stability of food.  They are done with the race and I am still on my bike.  My back-up and back-half of the course nutrition will have to be in special needs for a long time before I will be able to get it.  Hmmmm. The more I clean up my diet outside of working out, and the more that I ramp up my training the less n...

And that is just what they'll do!   This past week has been BEAUTIFUL for riding and running outside.  I took advantage of the weather and did as many outside workouts that I could.  Looking at this week of SNOW, it looks like I am in a holding pattern for outside riding again, however inside biking during the week is my norm (too hard to rush out someplace to ride after work - would rather do the hard work rides on a trainer anyhow.)   This Saturday I have a 3 hour ride that I am planing on doing out at Island Lake State Park - rolling hills and a great 12 mile loop - with my Ironsister Vickie, weather permmitting.  Our A races are on the same day - her's being IMWI and mine being Rev3 Cedar Point.  The plan for this week is: Monday - Swim (done) Tuesday - 1.5 hour bike, 30 minute run brick (was Wednesday's workout but swapped due to time constraints) Wednesday - Swim and Run (each 1 hour) Thursday - Long run - 1.5 hours Friday...

This crazy winter has taken its toll on my motivation.  I am so happy for some not-frozen weather so my motivation will hopefully return! I realized that I have a half marathon in 2 weeks.  Um, no.  I am now thinking 10k.  I am in no way close to half marathon ready. I also have a half ironman in 2 months.  Time to get back in gear!  GO GO JENN!  ~Iron Seashell

The week started off pretty good with a rest day which gave me time to plan out the week and my travel to FL.  Yesterday I got up early and did my FTP interval bike ride at 6am, and then right after work did my 35 minute steady state Z1 run at the gym, even though I was not feeling it when I left, I knew that I would feel better after doing the run.  I always do.  I have yet to feel worse after a workout.  Has anyone? Today I got up and did my 45 minute run at the gym before work.  I am on my way to another 100% week.  Now that I know that I can do it, I want to keep doing it.  I have no real excuses this week to miss a workout, so my goal is to not miss a workout!  This weekend I plan on getting in my bike ride and run first thing in the morning before heading out to the airport.  My flight leaves at nearly 4pm and I picked this as it allowed for me to still get in my bike.  With the weather being cooler now in South Florida, and ...

It is official.  I have finished week 1 of January outseason, Intermediate with EN.  This is my 2nd Outseason with EN and so far it is just as I remember it.   It hurts so good!   And as a record, this was the first time that I have ever hit training 100% in any week in my life. EVER. It was a Unicorn week!     Something that I did not believe existed (my ability to complete an entire week of training as prescribed) does in fact exist!    After the 5k TT on Wednesday,  I got my V02Max interval bike ride done on Thursday, then rocked out my bike and run on Saturday and my run on Sunday.   I made it to the gym 3 times last week, which puts me behind only 1 day for the year in order to get my reimbrusement from work on gym membership.   I plan on going 3 times this week, which will put me right on track.    In other news, I am looking forward to rocking out the workouts this week and I plan on...

RUN TEST Last night I ran my 5k TT and while it was not the fastest 5K I have ran, it was certainly not the slowest. 33:11 was my time for a pace of 10:42 and a vDot of 27. I left the OS last year with a 33, so I am hoping working to get back there and then some over this year. THOUGHTS ON THE SEASON AHEAD I posted over on the journey about my revelation in training.  As to not repeat the entire post here, I will link to it should you want to read .  In summary - this girl is moving forward in 2014 with CONFIDENCE!  I added a new section to the left column of this blog with my mantra for 2014: BE FUCKING FEARLESS.   That blog post from Elizabeth Waterstraat is exactly my mindset for this year and beyond.  I am done being fearful.  I am going to be fearless.  After all, what have I to lose?  Nothing!  Why did it take so long to realize that?   Time to be the squirrel. I WANT THE NUT.  And if I miss i...

Over the past few years I have kept many blogs - the journey, the journey to Ironman Florida, Shine Health and Personal Fitness, and this one, the now defunct journey to IM MOO.  While each one serves a purpose I have decided to re-launch my Journey to IM MOO blog as The Iron Seashell.   Firstly because I had to pull out of IM Moo this year, and secondly because there is so much more ahead of me!  I have decided to log all of my endurance race specific things on this blog as I really have enjoyed looking back over my Ironman Florida blog over the past year and it is nice to have a recollection of moods, weights, fitness, etc. for me to compare to other years.   I will still be very active in my other blog, the journey , as it is a chronicle of my lifelong journey outside of sports and fitness.   I will also be keeping up my Shine blog as it is where I plan on launching my Personal Training and Fitness information to clients. This blog ...