Back in the Saddle Again...

Well, back in the blogging saddle!

Ever feel sometimes like there's so much going on it seems absolutely impossible (and exhausting) to write everything you want?

Let's see if I can even recall the highlights:

1. New bike!!! She's a beauty and FAST, FAST, FAST!!! Wish I had the stronger legs she deserves!
(for those who are curious (some of you have already asked)...no, I did not get rid of the Guru...too much sentimental value to ever part with that bike. I still use it as a trainer bike weekly)

2. Set new bike PR at Lone Star Half - 21.1 mph (2008 bike split - 18.3 mph). Some people said it was windy; but I never noticed it...was having so much fun on my new Felt DA.

3. Set new Run Far TT PR - 23.6 mph (20:20 min).

I LOVE MY NEW BIKE!!!

4. Set new 20 mi (training) run PR - 8:25 min/mi

Place	Name	Team	Bib No	Age	Overall	Chip Time	Gun Time	Diff	Pace
1	Michelle Lapuente		540	37	5	20:20	1:09:33	49:12	23.6MPH

5. Realizing that I live in the Matrix because I only see numbers!!

6. Most pitifull overall PR at Lone Star - 5:38:15 (2008 - 5:56). Fair swim, solid bike and then fell APART on the run...no really - I was laying on the sidewalk!

7. I know, I know...a PR is a PR...leave me alone :p

8. Oh, still trying to fend off some demons...refer back to posts from early '09, if you're really bored...yes, still working. It totally sucks though because it really makes my head hurt and I tend to then withdraw from people while struggling...sucks.

9. Celebrated having my puppies for 1 year!! Love those little monkeys!


10. Enjoying some solid training, even though at the moment, I am really tired and want to just stop...but at least I recognize that this is what happens while enduring this magnitude of training

11. Have a plan for my future...not ready to disclose the details yet, but I have taken the first step and foresee a couple of years before it comes to fruition...but it will come...I have to believe!

12. Enjoyed a visit from my sis, Jen. So good to see her relaxing and taking a step back. I really missed that part of her.

13. Getting ramped up for our first Texas Tri Series event of the season - The Rookie Triathlon. Still working the volunteers. Still stressing!! :) Love the stuff!!!

14. Enjoying a glass of wine in a tiny oasis (House Wine) while chaos surrounds me

Sometimes you've just got to take a step back, stop and smell the grapes!!

Onward...

Legs of Lead...

but that's because of another successful weekend. Now, technically it was supposed to be a "recovery" type week and all in all, it was...kinda :)

Yesterday's ride was awesome - 20 mph winds, riding at a 45 degree angle to not get blown over and all in the name of charity and training!

Because of the wind, my ride plan changed from riding hard to enjoying the 50 miler. It was a short ride anyway, why did I think I needed to work so hard? I found myself invoking the same changes, for the same reasons, as I did last weekend for the half marathon. And guess what happened?

Hell ya, baby...I had a freaking great ride!!! Apparently, I like annoying hills and vicious winds. I felt strong the entire ride and never went to a bad place mentally, even when the crosswinds were blowing us all over the place. I concentrated on my leg turnover and keeping my upper body as relaxed as possible. I didn't want to have a stiff neck/shoulders after the ride. Because that sucks.

Again, I'm not sure what happened or why, but I just felt really good.

So good that after the turnaround, the boys came flying by and I was feeling fiesty; I thought, "do I go with them? do I give it a shot?" And without hesitation, I grabbed on to a wheel. I figured that I would hang on for a minute until I got dropped and then I would finish the ride with J. But that did not happen - for a while.

I couldn't believe it...I wasn't getting dropped...I was holding on...and I was flying!! Call me a wheel sucker, I don't care...it takes a lot of work to not get dropped by them. Eventually, after the last right hand turn and less than 10 miles from the finish, I started to fall off the back. And that was ok. It was a slow, painful drop but oh, so worth it!

I made the last couple of climbs by myself and still felt good. I pulled over at the last aid station only to find that it was a mere 6 miles from the finish - back on the bike and steady to the finish. I finished that ride on a huge adrenaline high - I "rode" today. Chalk it up as another milestone training day.

The only thing better than an awesome ride today? Getting to eat Fuddrucker's burgers after with two awesome ladies!!
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Gotta take 'em when you can get 'em because we all know that training is always sprinkled with those sessions that aren't so great. But that's ok because now I know that I can be strong. That I am strong.

Even though my run today was mediocre, at best, it never deflated my confidence. I expected to have one of these days soon and given the effort from yesterday, I'm not surprised it happened today. The first several miles were really hard as my quads were not happy and a hamstring was angry too. I just made sure I kept running. C kept me honest and did a great job helping me stay on pace. And at the end I had 10 more running miles logged in my book.

Training has never been more fun.

(and no, I didn't have a stiff neck/shoulders afterwards!)

Scratching my head...

I'm not exactly sure what's going on here, but I like it. I'm running. Faster. It's a strange (yet, cool) feeling when things start to click.

Ok, I am in no way setting any land speed records, but for me this is uncharted territory; mmm...maybe not uncharted, but I haven't been at this point of "AHA!!" in a long time. I remember a time when running a 10:00 min/mi was a milestone...then a 9:00 min/mi and I was happy with that...then I wanted an 8:00 min/mi

and now I'm gunning for 7:00's

I can't help but think of Carrie's recent post basically wondering when is it good enough? It brings the same kind of questions to my mind. When will we be satisfied with our successes? Will we ever be? It truly is the good and bad of this sport. It sucks you in with the small successes and makes you want more. It is what keeps pushing us to greater achievements both in and out of sport.

I like it.

I love it.

I want some more of it!

(mile repeats: 6:57/7:00/6:49/6:44)

Guilt...

I am writing this as I sit on my bed...guilt ridden.

Why?

I did not go to swim practice today.

Why?

I was tired. Really tired.

For some reason, I'm never as guilty about missing a workout as I am when I miss a swim practice. I know I'm not going to forget how to swim overnight. And I'm really trying to listen to my body and rest when it calls for it...and this morning called for it.

I need to relax about it.

Seriously.

I BELIEVE

I did not believe it would come today. It was 39 degrees when the air horn blew and the winds were fierce out of the north at about 15-20 mph. I was having second thoughts about running the Moe's Better Half today. "Fun" was not an adjective I was going to use today for this race.

I began to reassess my strategy for the race and just try to stay as close to 8 min/mi as possible. All hopes for a PR were nonexistent.

The horn blew and what happened next was not at all what I would have predicted, given the conditions:

mile 1: 7:38 - holy crap it's cold and I'm going way too fast

mile 2: 7:18 - I think my Garmin's broken...my gosh I'm cold

mile 3: 7:28 - surly it's broken because it feels too easy...I should back off

mile 4: 7:36 - wtf?? oh, wait...duh...tailwind...go with it!

mile 5: 7:21 - this was not the plan, but keep it up and bank it for later 'cause we gotta turn around soon...and what's with the hills???

mile 6: 7:24 - I still think maybe the Garmin is off...

mile 7: 7:57 - crosswind, this is more the pace I was expecting

mile 8: 8:08 - oh crap, the wind is RIDICULOUS!! and what's with the HILLS??? I'm off pace...hang on!

mile 9: 8:13 - I've never worked this hard for so little return...keep pushing...oh, the HILLS!!!!

mile 10: 8:13 - I feel like I'm going to be blown over...I can do this...I can hold on...maybe even PR...did I say "PR"???

mile 11: 8:00 - if I just hold this pace, I will PR...the crosswinds...the headwinds...the HILLS...argh!! I can even walk a little and still PR - NO!!!! NO WALKING!!!

mile 12: 8:02 - I am doing this. Winds...Hills...NOT GOING TO STOP ME...KEEP PUSHING...uh oh, girl in front of me...looks to be around my age maybe...WILL CATCH HER

mile 13: 8:25 - uphill into the wind...then turn uphill and crosswinds...dropped the girl I just passed...HANG ON...PR IS IN SIGHT!!

FINISH LINE: 1:42:56 - 2nd place 35-39 - 7th place overall female.

I PR'd my half marathon by 3 minutes and that previous PR was on a perfect day on the 3M course.

What kept me going out there? It was my head. I kept telling myself that this was for a greater goal...this would help me build for Ironman...this would make me stronger for that day when all will be on the line and my mind will want to quit, my body will want to quit...but I'm going to train myself to not give in, to stay with it and keep my mind strong. It wasn't my legs that carried me to the finish...it was my head.

I BELIEVE!!!

Unleashing the Beast - or - Unlocking the door to new (dis)comfort zones...

Today was a most unusually warm day as the temps reached the upper 80's. I went for a late afternoon run and this is what I came up with:

1. I am beginning to believe I am a faster runner
2. I ran 7:40 without the feeling of imminent death
3. I have been holding myself back from doing this sooner
4. No book, no friend, no coach, no team mate, NO ONE can make you believe what you are capable of if you don't first have faith in yourself and begin to believe in your abilities.

You may argue that others will help you achieve this and I will say you are right. They can, but only to a certain extent. I have been told for a long time now that I am capable of much more (and now I'm not just talking running) but I haven't let myself believe it.

It wasn't until last weekend when I hung on (for dear life) with the guys & Marie for five miles of sub-8 minute miles. Until then, the only time I've ever done that was during a 5k...and I thought I was going to lose my lunch. Not this time. I began to believe.

Then when I went for my run today and ran that same pace without fear - of getting dropped, of blowing up - I did it on my own. And did not feel the Grim Reaper on my heels.

I had crossed a barrier and now there's no turning back.

Let's see what happens next...

She wore an...

itty-bitty-teeny-weeny red and yellow flamed bikini...

I LOVE my new SPLISH swim suit! Yes, after reading about them on Bree Wee and Amanda Lovato's blogs, I decided to give them a try.

I previously had a TYR two piece that I really liked the design and pattern (who can't feel fast and fierce wearing skulls and crossbones?) but because I'm small on top, the low cut caused a lot of water to pull on the suit. The bottom was a little bit better but still I couldn't get it tight enough. So sadly, I had to put it away and resume my search for a perfect two piece suit.

Enter SPISH.

I had read about them a while back on the blogs and figured it was time to give 'em a whirl...many patterns to choose from and if you don't like those, design your own! And price? Average to low for a suit anywhere else. The fit? Nice and snug. No gapping. No pulling. No slipping around.

I love my new suit!!