Quotes for today

"Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible"
Tony Robbins


"You are the only one who can use your ability.  It is an awesome responsibility."
Zig Ziglar

"The ultimate measure of man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
Martin Luther King

Quote for Ironman

"With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts"

-Eleanor Roosevelt

Race map

This is a map that another participant marked up for his spectators that might help those intending to watch the race. 

Friday 8/23 Swim ...or not

If you can't tell from my last couple weeks of posts, I'm totally have an internal struggle to keep working out at this point.

Friday was a long day at work with several meetings in the late afternoon.  Fridays have tended to be a great day for me to catch up on drawing reviews and paperwork and I wasn't able to do that this week.  At the end of the day, I went back to Active Body & Dr. Ryan.

He was pleased with the improvements from the first adjustment and really, really worked on my right knee this time.  Again he did some hip work and more footwork.  I had a pain in my left arch and right ankle (since April) and the work he did helped out last week.

This week on my knee he also used the Graston technique this week.  This was done after ART and honestly, incredibly painful.  It's a metal stick that he out lubricant on and then "scrapes" the soft tissue, fascia and joints.  It created a lot of heat and pressure.  He said it was good to do after ART because it signals the blood to go to that area to regenerate and refresh.  I'm not going to lie, it did something because I couldn't even touch that part of my quad and knee for two days afterwards. It was incredibly tender. 

After this, I rushed to the Roosevelt redline stop to get all the way back up north to Andersonville for happy hour with Liz Meloy.  She agreed to meet me to give me some of her insights and suggestions for Ironman transitions and packing preparations and had some good tips.  She is spectating this year as well and let me know where she'd be on the course-- a couple places where there aren't going to be a lot of spectators so that's cool.

After that, I walked home and went to bed early!  No swim on Friday.  

Does the Chiro appointment kind of count as yoga?!?

Thursday 8/22 - 60 min stationary bike

Thursday I worked in the suburbs and had to borrow MB's car since mine was still in the shop.  I needed to go back out to check out progress on the project in Downers Grove.

This was beneficial too because my cousin's father (in-law ) passed away very quickly from pancreatic cancer and the memorial was in Bolingbrook right around lunchtime, so I was able to get out there to support the, during my lunch break and it was only a few minutes away.  

After lunch, I headed back home to work the afternoon from home. Later in the afternoon, I went to FFC South Loop to workout and get MB his car so he could leave prepping for the new school year whenever he was done.  I hadn't seen that gym before; it was cool.  They had free 20 minute massages noted and I wish I could've taken advantage of that, but I got on the stationary spin bike.  I couldn't bring myself to do 90 minutes in my plan, so I stopped at an hour. 

I probably should've been on my own bike, but I couldn't get my bike to TCS in MB's car and I didn't want to have to ride home afterwards (since the El is off limits to bikes during rush hour). Riding on the lakeshore path is useless for training since most people are using for leisure and I don't feel comfortable for going fast.

Again, when I got home I was completely drained.  I've been feeling very, very tired.

Wednesday 8/21 ART massage + 90min run

I decided to try going to a highly recommended chiropractor who happens to be a triathlete himself. I have had a few aches and pains the past few weeks and wanted to take care of some body maintenance.  I have never seen a Chiro before and I was going to see him primarily for ART or Active Release Techniques for soft tissue.

This first appointment was about an hour and I had to wait about 15 minutes for him to call me in.  He had me stand and do nothing to see my body alignment. I had a laundry list of concerns but admitted that my biggest concern was my right knee (the one that gave me trouble) those two long bike rides in a row the past couple of weeks.

He did an exam and then started the procedure. For me, it was a lot like Chinese acupuncture in the sense that he'd find a click or whatever in the area and apply pressure to the source of the pain.  He did a lot of hip, knee, ankle and IT band work. He noticed my "duck walk" right away and noted that I didn't have much internal rotation of my ankles and he would "work on that". 

The procedures were painful.  They weren't unbearable and they didn't last very long so they were tolerable. Dr. Ryan also did IMWI in 2012 so he wanted to talk about the race as a first-timer and gave me course suggestions too.  (Apparently he is crazy enough to want to do another one- no thanks!). 

After the appointment, the workday was over so I headed north to the gym for a 90 minute run.  This should've normally meant about 8-9 miles, but this day I was so tired that it ended up being about 5. Sh*t happens.  Dr. Ryan did say that I might be sore or tender after the procedures.

It was a very long day between work, Chiro, and run so I was even more pooped when I got home.

Mantra

My pace 

My way 

My race 

My day

Love this!!!!