"Right now" Van Halen

I heard this on the radio last night coming home from dinner with friends right before a scheduled call with my coach. It was exactly what I needed to hear to remind me why I'm attempting Ironman this year.

There was really no better or worse year to try this. I am also now in a small and friendly community of Multisport athletes and have the financial means to take on this training.

IT'S MY TOMORROW!!! :)



*****************************************************
Don't wanna wait til tomorrow,
Why put it off another day?
One more walk through problems,
Built up, and stand in our way ,ah
One step ahead, one step behind me
Now you gotta run to get even
Make future plans, don't dream about yesterday, hey
C'mon turn, turn this thing around
Right now, hey
It's your tomorrow
Right now,
C'mon,it's everything
Right now,
Catch a magic moment, do it
Right here and now
It means everything
Miss the beat, you lose the rhythm,
And nothing falls into place, no
Only missed by a fraction,
Slipped a little off your pace, oh,
The more things you get, the more you want,
Just trade in one for the other,
Workin so hard, to make it easier, whoa,
Got to turn, c'mon turn this thing around
Right now, hey
It's your tomorrow
Right now,
C'mon, it's everything
Right now,
Catch that magic moment, do it
Right here and now
It means everything
It's enlightened me, right now
What are you waitin for
Oh, yeah, right now
(solo)
Right now, hey
It's your tomorrow
Right now,
C'mon, it's everything
Right now,
Catch that magic moment, and do it right,
Right now
Right now, oh, right now
It's what's happening?
Right here and now
Right now
It's right now
Oh,
Tell me, what are you waiting for
Turn this thing around

Tuesday yoga

For the first time, I went to yoga before work at Om. It was a teacher with whom I haven't had a class with before ..
Granted, I was extremely tired and sore from the night before, but her class wasn't my favorite.

We started with one of the longest down dogs in the history of yoga! First thing! I thought we'd start a bit more gently since it was 6:30am for God's sake!!

I hated this class the full 60 minutes... You know when you're having that internal, self talk with yourself like "this class fucking sucks!!" Yeah. Had that this morning!

The irony was that when I went back to the studio in the afternoon and the owner asked me what I thought, I considered not saying anything... But eventually I did because if it were my first or second time to that studio, I wouldn't have returned.

Monday update

Last night was my weekly ride w Njoy Racing at Train Chicago. I threw caution to the wind and did their workout without worrying about my heart rate zones. It was a rough ride!

1) 10 minutes warm up with five 110% threshold 30 second spikes with 30 seconds rest;
2) 2x10 minute pushes @100% TH with 4 minutes recovery;
3) 2x5 minute pushes @110% TH with 2-4 minutes recovery (can't recall the recovery interval;
5). 10 minute cool down

Afterwards I headed over to Hop Haus for dinner with my friend Scott who was in town from Boston for work.

I emailed my coach afterwards, somewhat afraid (!), since I saw my heart rate at zone 4.7 in moments. She said it was okay and we modify my Thursday ride before work.

Sunday ride - 85 minutes

I was able to ride with the gal group today at Train even though I didn't exactly do their workout.  I followed my plan, but really enjoyed the ride.

I tried to use my new wireless headphones but I had used up the battery and they needed a charge.  Luckily today, the music was loud, I was on the end of the row and I actually enjoyed it.

Almost 20 miles in 85 minutes, 40 of which were warm up and cool down... I'm doing alright!

Praying this low heart rate zone training "works" and my metabolism is learning to start consuming my fat rather than carbs!  I have not been eating during or immediately following workouts either.

Saturday lap swim

Our Saturday workout was fantastic for me!!!

It was a skills work out rather than distance or sprinting... I truly feel these are the types of workouts that will get me more efficient and faster overall.  Most of the "A" lane gals were not there so we were B and B+'ers swimming together.  It was lovely.

226 days until race day and another day of rest... yeah!

Friday was a day off from training... I worked from home; I was supposed to be in the suburbs, but the morning commute was hellish.  It took me 45 minutes to drive 4 miles.  After 40 minutes and only 3 miles from home and 15 minutes from the start of the meeting, I contacted the general manager to let them know of my absence.

I took Ferra to the vet in the afternoon and picked up Michael after work since I was on Stoney Island and 69th and he was at a workshop on 81st Street.

We went to our neighborhood deli after work and bought a bunch of charcuterie ala our Spain trip and had an extravaganza at home and went to bed early.

Thursday 1/25- Standing bike climbing skills

Well, I reconfirmed what I have felt for much time now... I HATE STANDING IN THE SADDLE.  It kills and burns my quads which my coach calls a "deficiency".  The entire hour I kept thinking and occasionally saying "I'm not doing this during the race.  I'm staying in the saddle!"

                                                         Photograph: Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images

I did the drills and mind you, we rode for an hour and probably only went 7-10 miles (my cadence sensor battery has died and I need to replace it).  Then afterwards we did 30 minutes of strength or what I'd call "let me show you how angry and weak I am"!!

I told my coach, "I am really getting angry at you right now".  At least she stopped coaching me and stepping away from in front of me (as I was doing one leg Roman dead lifts).  Afterwards, she made sure to tell me that "I'm really not that weak and I was doing a good job".  I think she saw that I was about to punch a hole in a wall.