It'sThe Final Countdown...We're Headed for Vitoria...It's Officially "Real" Now!

So the big race is less than 25 days! Winter slowly rolled by, spring stirred life back up again and the summer days are so perfect they're going by like the speed of light. It's the final countdown. And I have no idea how this will roll out yo! Last year was pretty decent and my strategy was to prepare as much as I could and just let the rest happen. Might as well go with that strategy again. No worries, I'm going to get an 'A' regardless. I'll either do 'A'mazing, 'A'verage or 'A'wful. Of course, I want and plan to pursue the first...but I'm much more relaxed without expectations...so we'll see how this adventure rolls!

Training and planning for the race and the trip has been fun and has kept me busy. I'm excited yet slightly nervous to race with fast folks and travel around Europe for a few weeks. Me and my backpack and the world. Yeeeehaw! I'm learning about international racing and backpacking and all sorts of other stuff along the way. One of the hardest part is keeping that balance between planning and not planning travel adventures. I know I need to plan for the race and the majority of spontaneity needs to wait till post race. Even then, how much spontaneity do I want to have? As of now I'm leaning towards a lot, but of course I want to check specific adventures off the bucket list at the same time.

Speaking of spontaneity, I thanked my mom pre Mother's Day, so I'll thank my dad post Father's Day. Speicher. The name given to me by my dad. The name I get to represent while swimming, biking and running alongside others from up to 50 different countries around the world. I'm proud of my dad, my grandparents and all the other Speichers. I respect them and want to make them proud. My dad has literally and figuratively given me the world. He has coached me, helped me with school and work, taken me on the best vacations and day trips, timed my swim meets, fed me pre-race dinners and transported triathlon gear at 5am. He encourages me to respect others and myself and to live life to the fullest. No matter what type of problem I have, whether it be mechanical, physical or emotional, my dad is there to help me fix and overcome them. My dad has taught me how to get through anything, work hard, follow my heart and never give up. He's like a rock. He is fine with being quiet, as I am as well. There's nothing wrong with silence. Silence is fantastic. Listening is a pretty good result of silence. My dad works hard and leads by example. Remember when you were a child and thought your parents could do anything? I still think my dad can do anything. I love using my dad's old tent, the car tools and bike he has given me and his old harmonica song book. During my travels, I'm looking forward to getting the compass/whistle contraption back out that he gave me when I went to China. Those things remind me of where I came from and motivate me to make my dad and the rest of the long line of Speichers proud. The best part is...I know he'll be proud whichever "A" I get. I'm lucky to have parents that have unconditional love. And I'm lucky I realize that love.

A dad is someone who 

wants to catch you before you  fall

but instead picks you up,

brushes you off, 

and lets you try again.

A dad is someone who 

wants to keep you from making mistakes,

but instead lets you find your own way,

even though his heart breaks in silence 

when you get hurt.

A dad is someone who

holds you when you cry,

scolds you when you break the rules,

has faith in you even when you fail,

and shines with pride when you succeed...

-Unknown

Activity Analysis of an Open Water Swim

Here I sit at my brothers pool with a plastic cup of pinot grigio, my dad vacuuming  the pool  (and cranking up the tunes…”ohhhh Mexico, it sounds so sweet with the sun sinking low”) and my mom taking care of the flowers and pointing out how loud the music is. It’s official, I have an awesome family, I’m a water child and thank God it’s FINALLY summer. I had some interesting adventures over this last week and figure I should probably share at least one of them in detail and a brief overview of a few others. It was my first week of scheduled workouts with VERITAS Endurance Coaching. I’m happy those grueling workouts are finally back. They have been deeply missed.  Lots of firsts for the year this week. There’s something special about first times regardless of it’s a first for the year or a first for the life. First outdoor pool swim, first L4 brick, first piano playing under the Purple People Bridge in the midst of a run, first snatching and letting go of lightening bugs, first water feature run through, first time lifeguarding in 10 years and first time open water lifeguarding during a triathlon open water swim EVER. That last adventure opened my eyes for sure.

Saturday was the Warrior Dash, which means fun times getting muddy and running and doing obstacles with friends. Afterwards we drove to Deer Creek State Park, set up tent and I did my scheduled 2.5 hour run bike run workout in the park once we got there.  Considering everyone else was continuing to drink beer it was just a tad difficult but worth it. We had a great dinner overlooking the lake with some awesome people. Sunday was my scheduled off day, so I figured that I would be a spectator with Ms. Maria from Indiana and cheer the other athletes on.  Well, she ended up guarding the swim finish and I ended up on a paddle board lifeguarding the deep end during the entire open water swim. Ms. Maria and I decided to volunteer and boy am I glad we did! It was fun and I learned a lot.

As I was paddling out to the deep end buoys, I thought about my old lifeguard days at the Clippard YMCA and Miami U. Lifeguarding in general is awesome…and today reminded me of those “good old days” when career goals were based off of BayWatch. Swimsuits, wet hair, sunscreen, and sunshine all day long. There is something special about sitting still in the sun in a big natural pool of water making sure people are safe. Productivity and relaxation all mixed in one.  But let me point out that my heart was pumping more today as a lifeguard than my entire five year high school/college career as a lifeguard at the YMCA pool. Multiple people sprawled onto my paddle board, shouting “can I hold on!” The majority of people doing this just wanted a quick break to catch their breath. Other situations:

Man runs into my yellow paddle board…hard…yells THANKS…nose bleeds and keeps going. Me…”You’re welcome.” My real thoughts: “Sir, excuse me the buoys don’t move…and neither do the paddle boards. If your ‘skilled enough’ to pursue a triathlon than be aware there will be human obstacles in the water other than the dozens of people kicking and slapping your face. It’s part of the activity. Deal with it. BTW…the more pissed off ya’ll get in open water swimming...the more anxious you get the worse you’ll perform.”  I had to decide who I would share my mental strategies with and who not to share the strategies with (aka those that get pissed off by people who give ‘suggestions’.) I’ll just be honest and say I’m shocked by the amount of people who do triathlons and fight through the swim the way they do. I will say I was shocked…concerned…proud…and inspired. All at the same time.  

So, back to the activity analysis.

Tools: wetsuit, goggles, swim cap, tri shorts/shirt

Context: lotsa water, deep water, shallow water, wavy water, calm water, above freezing, no crazy weather, sunshine ideal, other people

Performance skills:  BREATHING, confidence, determination, planning, organization,attention, memory, time mgmt, topical navigation, sharing, reaching, pulling, pushing, spatial orientation, visual closure and discrimination, kicking, proprioception/body awareness, strength, fine and gross motor range of motion, rhythm, coordination, vision, hearing.

Performance patterns: Practicing what is learned on a regular basis, getting adequate sleep and nutrition to perform at the necessary level (aka not getting “loopy in the deep end”).

Human factors: cardiovascular, neuromuscular, CNS, basically everything there is

I don’t know the ‘baseline’ and those who participate in the event today, but I saw a wide range of physical and mental abilities. I saw people mentally ‘freaking out’ and physically ‘wearing out’. I couldn’t help but advocate to them how much the two were related out there in the open water. A select few ended up front crawling right to the finish and skipping the course. One women wore a snorkel contraption I’ve never seen and moved feet per minute with her eyes closed. My instincts made me inquire to her if she was ok and she insisted she was. Another man flopped onto my paddle board and screamed at me to upzip his wetsuit. Of course I obeyed and couldn’t help but ask him if he wanted me to take him to shore. Of course he didn’t. What was I thinking!?! Another man who was huffing and puffing as he was doggy paddling thought I was crazy for asking him if he was ok. I agree. Finally, the very last person. He stopped on my board about every 20 yards. My initial thought was WTF would you do an Olympic tri if you can’t swim w/o rest…then I snapped out of that judgmental thought process. I paddled next to him the entire second lap, let him rest on my board whenever he wanted, strongly encouraged him to swim the right direction and told him to only look at the next buoy. It was a heck of a trip. He was not giving up for the life of him. When he swam around that last buoy towards the finish he was proud. He made it. He was proud. I was inspired. I learned how difficult the task of open water swimming can actually be for someone who hasn’t been swimming their whole life. I learned how much goes into the work of an athlete who comes out of the water first and last. I learned a lot today. HFP, I’ll lifeguard anytime you need meJ

I think the best advise would be to SLOW the mind DOWN, move the body fast and loose, look where you are going and ENJOY it. The rest will then fall into place. Once again, mindfulness. Don’t get lost in your head. 

Mothers

April was Occupational Therapy Month and May is the month to celebrate mothers. So, I figured it would be an appropriate time to write about one of the main reasons along my path that led me to become an occupational therapist.

My Mom

Besides being a mom to my brother and I, she was also an art teacher to hundreds of other children. She taught myself and others how to use their imagination, create masterpieces from nothing and have fun while doing so. I didn't just paint at the kitchen table, but I got to wear a Beret and painters shirt, use an easel and pallet. I was lucky enough to spend summer days at art camps and museums. One of her students from over 20 years ago wrote about her this past January in her design and marketing company blog, Gypsywing based in L.A. http://www.gypsywing.com/?p=1280  My mom still does hang that student's handmade ornament on the Christmas tree every year. During her teaching days, my mom was also able to publish a book called "Paint Adventures!" Besides art, my mom and dad exposed us to lots of other activities. Swimming, biking and running as soon as possible of course!

When I was in sixth grade my mom developed an chronic illness that forced her to retire from teaching art. I remember people bringing us dinners and helping out at home. Eventually the medications stabilized the condition and she was able to function better. I continued to develop my art skills and was accepted into a Fine Arts program at a university not too far away. I studied there for about a year and a half. At that time, my moms condition became worse again and the doctors explained it wasn't going to get better, it would just get worse. I had a really hard time dealing with my mom's illness and I left college and went home. I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life anymore. Long story short, my mom doesn't give up. She is my hero and my angel. The doctors determined she developed a rare neurological disorder similar to Multiple Sclerosis.

Sometimes we're hit with some big challenges, but we shouldn't stop actively participating in life. With the help of medication, occupational and physical therapy, faith, support and attitude she is living her life to the fullest and helping others. She doesn't stop engaging in meaningful activities. After she initially got her power mobility (over 1o years ago) her OT contacted local resources in the community and was able to help her find a used chair lift. My uncle and dad built a deck onto the back of the house and installed the chair lift and ramp. They were able to locate and purchase an adapted van with a ramp so she could drive to the grocery store and the local greenhouses where they all know her by first name. They really need a new van by the way. Any leads would be great! My dad built raised flower beds so they could garden. Their garden is now in the American Garden Museum.   http://www.americangardenmuseum.com/states/ohio/cincinnati_speicher.html

Once she was feeling better, my mom continued to be a mom and helped me with career exploration. She signed me up for an online class and introduced me to OT. I never even heard of OT in high school. I loved being around people, helping people, having fun and using creativity. So here I am today and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I love my job and life. I worked in pediatrics four years and I've worked with adults for the last three years, specifically facilitating occupational participation for people who have experienced various forms of brain injury. This past weekend I was surrounded by OTs from all over the country who are working to improve the practice of OT and the lives of those we serve. New ideas started rolling as a result of the annual American Occupational Therapy Association Conference. This  Friday I'll take my Certified Brain Injury Specialist exam, so I better get off here, get my run break in and start studying. OT combines the science and art of life. Perfect combination. Occupational therapy is more than just a job, it's a healthy lifestyle that is continuously evolving with whatever the path of life brings.

Trying out the beach wheelchair myself.

I'm also fortunate enough to have my mom cheer me on during my triathlons. She makes really awesome signs. If anyone interested let me know. Last year she was able to come to the beach for one of my triathlons and put her toes in the ocean for the first time in years. My dad and her rented the beach wheel chair and it worked great! She also supports my efforts in fundraising. Last year for my TriSoldier Project fundraiser, she made dozens of amazing cookies, sandwich wraps and contacted local stores for donations. She also drove to the stores and picked the items up.

She is active in sharing her thoughts and ideas through email and letters to politicians and the media. She tweets #AOTA! When friends are sick she will send them dinner. She has recently started learning about and using more local grown organic food and exploring raw and vegan recipes. In my opinion, she should open up a cafe. But hey, her motto is "Do small things with great love." She's right. She puts heart and soul into the meals she cooks for family and friends. She is a prime example of why human participation in meaningful occupation is necessary for health, well being and overall quality of life. She is a professional adapter, triathlon spectator, smart and creative women and loving mom, wife and friend.
     

My mother is a poem
I'll never be able to write,
though everything I write
is a poem to my mother.
~Sharon Doubiago

The Time Has Come to PLAY Outside!

“The tendinous part of the mind, so to speak, is more developed in winter; the fleshy, in summer. I should say winter had given the bone and sinew to literature, summer the tissues and the blood.” ~John Burroughs

John Burroughs (1837-1921) was a literary naturalist. He studied “the way” and shared his perceptions of the natural world. John’s observations related to fish, birds, flowers, sky, religion and philosophy. If John were alive today he would so be one of my best buds. Interesting fella.

These past winter months have been high-quality, although my personal preference will always be those of summer. The time spent indoors has led to exploration in other aspects of life, which in turn will hopefully help the whole. Winter hours have been spent reading, writing, listening, thinking, searching, learning and experiencing the arts. Workouts have been happening…just not as “play” oriented as summer. The spinning rooms and treadmill cinemas can get lonely, but I never seem to feel alone when I can look up and see the open sky. Boxing has definitely lit the spark for me a few times this winter. Punching bags recently became new favorite toys. I’ve just invested in some pink boxing gloves so that I can pretend to be girl Rocky more frequently. After discovering the enjoyment of boxing, I also heard that Chrissie Wellington’s coach was a former professional boxer. Boxing is challenging. Plus it cultivates a little more aggression, builds strength, coordination and increases confidence. But most importantly…it’s fun.

This past week marked the first outside bike ride of the season. A friend and I rode 40 miles and it felt good. It’s amazing how much the time flies under the big bright sky. Springforward should be considered a holiday. It would be one of my favorites for sure. The long bike ride made me excited for the spring and summer months to come. Excited for Tuesday play dates with Reser riders and Saturday morning play dates at Ceasar Creek. Excited to play with speed, form and heart rate. Excited to play with old and new friends. Excited to play throughout the Midwest US and the hills of Spain and France. Excited to let things happen and experience some more adventures.        

“Play is the only way the highest intelligence of humankind can unfold.” ~Joseph Chilton

Once again this year, I’m going to avoid the rigid goal setting and establish a few tri-specific performance ideas to play around with this summer.

1.      Complete American Triple T in Portsmouth, OH on May 18, 19, 20^th in under 13 hours

2.      Complete ITU Long Course World Championships in Vitoria-Gastiez, Spain on July 29^th in under 8 hours

3.      Raise awareness and funds for Tri-Soldier Project (http://www.trisoldier.org)

The time has finally come to play outside once again. Goodbye to freezing wind, winter coats and runny noses. Hello to sunshine, open windows, rainstorms and tank tops. I'm ready to start the tri-adventures of 2012.  

...in the night the stormy night she closed her eyes and dreamed of paradise…

limitless

"It's so beautiful. It's so empty"

Baby it's cold outside. That just means it's a good time of the year to read, so why not catch up on some of those books that everyone 'should read'. There are lists of books and lots of opinions...but this one...this one I'm about to share with you should be read...and that's just my opinion. Someone told me to read it and the title almost scared me away. Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is about so much more than just motorcycles and it is amazingly related to several aspects of life. I've also learned there is so much more to motorcycles than I previously thought. The book makes you challenge your thoughts. The book makes you aware. The book makes you understand. The book is a gift...at least that's what I think. 

Classic verses romantic understanding is what the message is about so far. Much more to go...but this concept is how far I've made it.

"A classical understanding sees the world primarily as underlying form itself. A romantic understanding sees is primarily in terms of immediate appearance."

"The classic mode, proceeds by reason and by laws-which are themselves underlying forms of thought and behavior."
"The classic style is straightforward, unadorned, unemotional, economical and carefully proportioned. Its purpose is not to inspire the unknown known. It is not an esthetically free and natural style. It is esthetically restrained. Everything is under control."
"The romantic mode is primarily inspirational, imaginative, creative, intuitive. Feelings rather than facts predominate. It proceeds by feeling, intuition and esthetic conscience."

"Persons tend to think and feel exclusively in one mode or the other and in doing so tend to misunderstand and underestimate what the other mode is all about."

I could go on quoting the book...but that would make reading it yourself not much fun. So I'm going to just throw an idea out. The idea of challenging oneself to consciously think about everything as both classic and romantic.

Look at something basic as the Ohio River Roebling Bridge below. Imagine all of the man made material, budgeting, precise planning and measurements that made the structure be....but feel the beauty of splashing through those puddles and running alongside a magnificent piece of art created by humans over a body of water that has provided life to the Ohio River Valley.

Now I'll go on and point out the aspects of life that romantic verses classic schools of thought may impact...
Government
Sports
Career
Talents
Financial
Relationships
Recreation
Food/nutrition
Homes
Physical health
Mental health

Since this is a triathlon blog, just think about the sport overall. The structured workouts, heart rate monitoring, speed drills, tire pumping, chain cleaning, nutrition planning, route mapping. swim form precision and open water sighting. On the other hand think of the feel of the warm air, wind in the face, splashing of the water and being part of the blue skies, open roads and wooded trails.

Maybe I want to be the best I can be and I believe I can...I visualize it...I believe it...but it would not be successful without the underlying training. In a way...it is about bringing forth an awareness, acceptance and appreciation of classic and romantic understanding:)

Music...notes, beats, rhythms and feelings...another perfect example of how both classical and romantic understandings are important. There would be no Mozart without thought of numbers and attention to feelings.

There would be no realistic ideas without imagination and there would be no structured concepts without passion. Of course the discussion could go on and on...round and round…

 --

USAT Nationals, Myrtle Beach

Gonna ride around in style...gonna drive everybody wild. That's what Johnny Cash once said...and I did listen to his crazy stories all the way from when I left KY till I made it to the Atlantic coast. On the way south, I drove past lots of places that sparked my curiosity. Lake Junaluska hot springs, Biltmore Park, KY Music Hall of Fame and KY Fried Chicken Museum. Apparently Ashville, NC has some of the most beautiful country side road biking... 

http://www.trails.com/catalog_product.aspx?productfamilyid=10204

While driving, I asked myself, why haven't I explored more of this beautiful land? No answer. So, before October is over I want to visit all of the KY Bourbon Distilleries and hit up some of the horse farms. By the end of November I want to explore hidden paths wherever I end up, hike in the Smokies and go line dancing crazy in Nashville, TN. Lots of ideas start floating around when in the car for 12 hours alone.

So, back to the tri-part of this adventure...

This past weekend, marked the end of 2011 triathlon season. My parents joined me for the weekend, which was much appreciated. We followed eachother to the beach and back. As I did my warms ups, checked in and organized my gear, my parents were able to hang out on the beach all day long. They rented a beach wheelchair, which was awesome and my mom was able to touch the ocean water for the first time in many many years. I smiled as I walked out on the balcony, looked down to the ocean and saw my parents having fun in the sun. It reminded me of the last time our family had a beach vacation all together which was over 15 years ago. I was happy and I joined them for a little bit before I had to go back to the Marina Inn for the athletes briefing. 

After the athletes briefing, I figured I should gather some supplies for a pre-race dinner. Many of the restaurants in the area offered up fast food, fried food, sushi, pancakes, steak, pizza.... I wanted to play it safe, so I went to the market for a piece of fresh salmon, a sweet potato and salad. The seafood man was very friendly. He shared with me that he recently came back from Florida. He went down to visit his sick brother who passed a few days after their visit. He mentioned that he cried while watching Monday night football last week because last time he was watching Monday night football he was with his brother. He mentioned that he was very grateful to be able to spend those last few days with his brother, enjoying eachothers company, doing what they liked to do. We actually had a meaningful conversation with the buffet of iced seafood between us. He thought I was crazy for wanting to cook salmon in the microwave...but with fat free Italian dressing, plastic wrap cover, 5 min on high and 5 min sit...we get a perfectly cooked piece. I organized everything after dinner and was sound asleep by 10pm. 

I woke up at 5am, took care of morning business and was in transition area with Dad by 6am. Prior to race day, my dilemmas included: race wheels vs no race wheels and wet suit vs no wet suit. Final decision was to keep the double 808 Zipps on and leave the wet suit behind in the tri bag. My swim wave wasn't scheduled to start until 7:49, so I had plenty of time left to wonder around, stretch, hydrate. Dad and I walked down to the swim start and waited for the gun. I realized then, that I was the only female and one of the few athletes overall not to be wearing a wet suit...oh well. 

My wave is called to enter, I jump in. It was an in the water start...so we had a few minutes to tread. First thoughts were brrrr and the water is the same color as the Steelers! Well...mostly black with just a hint of gold near the top. Oh! And it smelled like gasoline! So, we swam. We swam against tide and then turned around to swim back to down for total of 1.2 miles. I sure was happy to get out of that water. Made me appreciate the good ole' Ohio River. Moving on to the bike. It was a windy ride on the highway. Two loops of the course to equal 56 miles. Double 808 race wheels were difficult to control in the cross winds...which means more upper body tension and increased use of energy. Most of the time the course had either head wind or tale wind though. So after getting beat up by the wind, it was time to run! I was actually excited to get off my bike and have my feet on the ground. The run course consisted of 3 loops to total the 13.1 miles. During the middle/end of bike and in T2, I was feeling frustrated due to my swim/bike times, the wind and lack of sweat (meaning increased bathroom usage). I was getting out of 'the zone' because things weren't going my way. Fortunately, I was able to snap out of it and remember how awesome it was that I was able to be there doing this race. I fluctuated between frustration, worry and appreciation during the first 4 mile loop and then thoughts improved. I took in the aide station fluids and my Perpetuem (which treats me better and provides more stability than gels). I started to sweat and smile once again and finished out strong to meet my parents at the finish line. My overall time was 5:38 + a 4 min penalty = 5:42. Yes...I also got my first penalty...which I of course disagree with. The distance of 3 bike lengths is so subjective. I was thinking of a different time, but it doesn't matter...the situation worked out to my advantage and placed Spain on the Tri-Adventure map for 2012.           

We stayed at the Sands Resort, which was about a 5 minute drive to the host hotel/race site. The host hotel was the Marina Inn at Grande Dunes, located next to the Atlantic Inter Coastal Waterway. Athlete check in, meeting, start, finish and transition areas were all located on Grande Dunes property. If I'm going to the beach, I want to stay on the beach of course, so we stayed at Sands. It ended up being a good choice. Post race recovery involved watching a beach volleyball tournament that was at the resort. Sands was also a pet friendly resort, which means lots of cute puppies running around. On top of all that...Sands Resort has an entire conference room in honor of the US Military. The room is titled the 'Hall of Heros' and includes military memorabilia from current and past wars, the traveling Vietnam Wall and several other tributes. The resort also offers discounts to active service members and Veterans. How ironic the hotel I pick to stay at ends up having this entire hall dedicated to those who have served our country. Props to Sands Resort for their appreciation, dedication and service of giving back.    

Post race, we had a good seafood dinner, a walk under the almost full October moon and the night ended with sitting on the balcony watching the greatest triathletes of the world cross the Kona Ironman finish line. We spent most of Sunday on the beach and near the pool. The adventure continued with my first 911 call. A man went down at poolside and his wife yelled someone call 911. By the time I called and got over to them he was alert. He stayed on the ground until the paramedics arrived, which was about 5 minutes later. He ended up having heart arrhythmia so they went to the hospital. Not the best way to end a vacation, but at least he was alert and breathing. Anything can happen at any moment...so all moments, souls and bodies should be treated as precious. Enjoy the October sky this month wherever you may be and always take care,

Spike 

Cheers to the Tri-Adventures of 2011

The Sensational Weekend of a Sensory Seeker

According to Mr Webster, pleasure is a sensual gratification, a frivolous amusement, a source of delight of joy...a super simple definition for such a subjective, desired, strong and influential experience. The more I think about it...the more complex it becomes in my mind...and the more I want to understand about pleasure. Pleasure has power and intelligent use of pleasure can give us power...power to feel positive and power to impact others. Pleasure is related to positive emotional feelings and positive sensory input. External and internal information exchange between our bodies and our surrounding environment. What kind of sensory stimulation do you prefer? How do specific sights, touches, noises, scents, tastes, movements (or lack there of) impact your feelings, thoughts and actions? Do you avoid sensory input or seek out as much input as you can? Are you deprived of stimulation or are you over-stimulated?   

I know this might be a shocker; however I have came to the conclusion that I am indeed a sensory seeker. I came to this conclusion not only because I truly enjoy Ironman distance races; but I also have a need for loud rhythmic and dynamic music, intensely flavored foods, 'straberry:)' scented lotion, messy painting or cooking and beautiful sun sets. Pounding on pavement calms me and makes my thoughts sharp and clear. Flying down a hill on my bike and jumping out of a plane (as I just learned today) exhilarates me, creates a large smile and makes my thoughts risky, confident, dreamy and grateful. Diving in the ocean, taking a warm shower, drinking tea, getting a massage, paddling on a board and stroking through the water 'grounds me' and makes my thoughts flexible and accepting.      

    

down hill with cam attached to speakers...yay for water bungie cords, speaker shelf and cam attachments

                                                     

This past weekend was an intense and full of emotions. It was one of those go, go, go type of weekends. The nervousness associated with lots of first time experiences occurred this weekend. It was in fact a 'sensational weekend'. Friday involved a bit of dating excitement...trying to include more of that aspect into the adventures. Saturday started out with myself and two colleagues presenting on the topic of sensory strategies for mental health at an occupational therapy association state conference. This topic constantly has me contemplating, not just about the topic alone; however how it's complex relations with EVERYTHING else...much more than able to discuss in a single blog. So, Saturday continued on with an evening bike towards the sun and a run to speedy bpm tunes with Tiesto transitioning from light to dark sky with bright city lights and cars rushing by as I was sweating to the warm air, feeling my rhythmic HR, chewing my mint gum, being cautious of  my body position on the uneven sidewalk, smelling the food being cooked at restaurants, smiling, observing positive interactions of families and couples and being grateful for amazingly talented musicians. It was sensational. Next time you swim, bike or run, (or anything) I challenge you to think more about what you see, hear, smell, taste and feel (not just touch...but how your body feels in relation to it's movement in space). Saturday ended by slowing down and celebrating quietly with some friends. Sunday was a wake up, run in the cold, bike in the cold transition to warm, run in the warm, shoot 12 gauge riffles and jump out of a plane kind of day. Oh...and not to leave out an all you can eat pasta dinner at the Olive Garden with friends. I did come to find out that I enjoy the sound, push back and aiming involved with shooting huge riffles. I also came to find out that I REALLY enjoy free falling out of an airplane and floating in the sky while looking down at earth. It was my pleasure and a pleasure that I shall desire again and again in the future. Same 'free' feeling as flying down a hill on a bike or snow skis but 1000000x more intense. I mean our faces are absolutely not able to accomplish this on earth....  

terrified, trusting, free, perfect, amazed
reaching for the clouds and creating a new facial expression with my awesome instructor

Sensory preferences, pleasures, ideas, life adventures and tri-adventures are all connected...just like everything and everyone is connected to a point. I know what sensory input I like and want. I know this input provides me with the ability to become more aware, help others, create solutions, live my dreams and believe that anything is possible. It's possible to experience 'out of this world' pleasure through healthy and safe experiences. Anything is possible. A cure for cancer, a world record Ironman time, a 70.3 triathlon PR on October 8th, an end to violence, enough food and water for everyone and unconditional love for each other. Do you think cavemen ever thought humans would be flying? Step out, soak it in, appreciate it and keep on truckin'.    

 

What goes up must come down



The sun, the sky and the sensational flying Menace and Spike 



Tri Adventures of Louisville Ironman Race Day: Blue Skies Smiling Inside 205's Mind

Everyday as I walk down my steps to head out the door I tap a quote written on the wall, "Go Confidently in the Direction of Your Dreams". Many dreams change just as we change and the world around us changes. Some dreams are more consistent...peace, happiness, love...and those dreams have the potential to be lived internally at any given moment no matter whats going on externally. Those dreams should be lived in all moments. Living out those simple dreams can unlock other undiscovered potential and dreams one didn't know even existed. So, as I walked out the door on August 26th, I high-fived my wall and set out confidently in the direction of one of those ideas I had back in April. The 'idea' to do Louisville Ironman in under 12 hours.

Friday: Athlete check-in, dinner and briefing with other Cincinnati peeps.

Saturday: Sleeping in and skipping the swim to avoid chance of catching some virus from the river right before the race. Watching others swim and being happy that I was on a bridge above the water. Riding bike to Race Day Wheels to replace my wheels with Zipps. Organizing gear and special needs bags. Meeting an inspirational hero from TriSoldier Project. Easy spin out ride with TriSoldier and  Gabby. Microwavable rice, bailey and lentils mix and dandelion leaf salad with berries for lunch. Trip to the Ironman Village. Meeting and getting a tip from Michellie Jones...'live your dreams':) Walking bike and gear/needs bags to transition area for check in. Being in transition area. Visualizing transitions. Walking back to hotel to meet mom and dad for pre-race dinner at Proof on Main. Salmon, quinoa, avocado and rye oh my. Back to room, compression socks and night splint on. Discussing spectator tips with the parents. Opening pre-race good luck cards. Rhythmic breathing and positive thoughts of appreciation and care as I drift off into sleep.

 

SUNDAY: Wake up 4:30am. Warm up shower and stretch. Oatmeal, chia seeds, coffee, Rise and Shine Vitamin Water. Final prep of morning gear bag. Trisuit, compression socks, jacket and extra pair of running shoes on. Dad and I walk about 10 min to transition area. Can't get pump to work on the new tires...start to get worried...locate and place last minute items in gear bags...load bike with nutrition. Meanwhile, Gabby figures out a trick to the tire pump situation. Crazy thankful for that win. Dad gets the pumps and we all walk to swim start area. Then we wait. While waiting I make sure to drink lots of a water with a pre-workout  mix. Oh, and I also tried a salt tab for the first time. We wait from about 6am till 8:45 until we run over the start line and jump off the pier to begin our day of fun! Together we sit and stretch and laugh and wait. Once we cross the start line and jump in the water we're on our own and free to just go. Free to keep keep moving. Free from distractions. Free to be in the moment. Free to smile under the blue skies.

SWIM: First of all...I was pretty excited to be wearing a PINK Ironman swim cap. Matched my pink goggles and nail polish perfectly. The goggles stayed on as I jumped in the water. The water was warm. I breathed every 3-5 strokes and constantly peaked up before me. Lots of kicking going on in that water. The goal during the swim is survival and navigating through the mass of people without being kicked in an organ or hit on the head. Flutter kick splashes I see coming, it's those breast strokers that really surprise kick me. I managed to not get knocked out though. Luckily sighting straight ahead was easy. Stay between the island and the mainland going upstream. Swim towards the big red roof while going downstream. Going downstream was a lot less congested of people than going upstream was. There was a little choppiness in the main part of the river; however nothing bad. As I turned my head to breath I could see the sun rising behind me. The closer I got to the swim finish, the harder I kicked to get the blood flow back into my lower extremities. I'm sure I swallowed OH River water during the swim. Water was trapped in my right goggle lens so every time I turned my head, I got a little eye rinse which started to sting after a while. It's been almost a week and I'm Aok. There were volunteers helping us pop out of the water.
1:06:23 (about 3 min faster than FLIM, 2010)

T1: 7:01 (about 8 min faster the time spent during T1 at FLIM)

BIKE:  I kept the computer on cadence and didn't touch it the entire race. I found my 'feel good' position and was able to keep the legs loose and spinning rather than 'mashing'. Monitored my cadence, HR and replaced fluids at each stop. Dumped water in the aero bottle and PowerBar on the frame. I consumed about 300 cal an hour between PowerBar fluids and bars. I stopped once to chug a V8 out of my special needs bag, but I kept one foot clipped in and stayed on the saddle. Gotta get those veggies. I knew the course pretty well, was straight out happy to be moving along fast on the roads and those thoughts of being limitless were flowing. I felt good spinning into T2 and wanted to check my mph...but refrained.
5:48:45 (19.27mph/about 50 min faster than FLIM)

T2: 7:59 (about 3 min faster than T2 at FLIM)

RUN:  I was nervous about the run, considering the longest long run I had was only 15 miles, run workouts were minimal and my right foot was still constantly in some pain. I was also nervous about running the full marathon in my Kinvaras, since I was advised by several people to only wear those for shorter runs. They feel good and they look good...so I figured I'd take the chance and wear them. I also figured that I would be in pain regardless of what shoes I had on. I made the right decision on that. I also couldn't decide if I should wear the compression socks during the run as I did in FL. I made the decision not to wear them. I did have pain in my right foot, but I ran with the pain. The most intense pain was from the blisters on the lateral sides of my baby toes. That's what happens when you run through sprinklers and squeeze wet sponges all over you...wet socks and shoes for 26.2 miles. Not sure how to fix that. Unless I find some good tri-shoes. I took in Perpeptuum, water and PowerBar drink for the first half (about 150 cal/hour). I started to feel a little sick...like some of that might come back up. So I switched to water, ice chips and chicken broth for the sodium. I also had gum. I felt better and had a HoneyStinger shot around mile 22. Crossed the finish line.
4:30:39 (about 14 min faster than FLIM)

OVERALL:  11:40:47 (1 hour 17 min faster than FLIM, 2010)
I was focused on the details...the preparation, the nutrition, hydration, heart felt thoughts, heart rate...all were part of the 'present moment' during different moments. I followed through with the idea I had in April for a sub-12 hour Ironman...which also means that I now get to follow through with the idea of participating in the USAT Long Course National Championships in Myrtle Beach this October. Thanks to Veritas Endurance Coaching (Bob and Cody) for my awesome workouts. Thanks to Mom and Dad Spike for being the best Ironman Support Crew a girl could ask for. I also was able to follow through with the idea to raise funds and awareness for TriSoldier Project...and this idea will continue being part of the adventure. Thanks to the TriSoldiers and other Veterans for being my inpirational heroes. Recover week was over as of Friday. Training for MB 70.3 started yesterday. Riding under an old fighter plane near the airport and dodging lit firecrackers thrown out of vehicle windows on my fav country route. The adventures never stop. New tri-adventure performance specific ideas to be determined...

Mission 205 Complete

Tapering: Sleep fresh, eat and drink fresh, think clear, feel fresh

Two days till Louisville IM! I'm going to keep this short and sweet (just like my workouts this past week).

Tapering per MACCA "achieving the feeling of freshness."
"Don't panic. Be comfortable. Be confident. Don't try to squeeze any last minute workouts in."

Tapering per SPIKE "getting the mind and body in sync."
Sleep as much is needed.
Short workouts.
Prepare and eat meals slowly.
Being in the present moment.
Practice the art of nothingness.
Observe.
Listen.
Smile.
Imagine the impossible.
Expect nothing.
Sleep some more:)

roasted kale, portabela and veggie burger

Sunday smile breakfast watching "The Peaceful Warrior". Highly recommended movie by the way. About the physical and mental training of a USA gymnast  going for the Olympics. Other recommended movies during taper---Soul Surfer, The Miracle, The Flying Scotsman

protein banana pancakes (1/2 oats, 1/2 FF cottage cheese, vanilla)



aruggggala and swai with tomatoes from my roof plant



floatapering

spending quality time with loved ones...getting swim energy from Jack

more swai with rooftop spices, zucchini, mashed cauliflower and cycle zin!

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."

cauliflower curry and dogfish head

bokchoy, soy crumbles, peppers from roof top garden, green tea

train track side taperides

Appreciation Should Never Go Unspoken

Yesterday was yet another important day of training for the Louisville Ironman. The morning started with sunrise speed work on the track. Running felt good and I was thankful for that. The day ended with a great appreciation for friends and family that came to support The TriSoldier Project. We ended up with more than enough money to cover an Ironman race entry for a TriSoldier...and some of us know how expensive those are!

I'm thankful that others had the opportunity to read about some awesome triathletes that have served our country and overcame injuries.
I'm thankful for the people who came to show support, even if they had a car accident on the way or were lost on the unfamiliar KY highways.
I'm thankful for the friends and family that brought and made food to share with others.
Oh, and I'm thankful that my mom is an awesome cook.
I'm thankful for The Fort Thomas Pub for letting me have the place and the happy hour specials.
I'm thankful for the local Fort Thomas businesses for donating items towards the cause.
I'm thankful for the strangers I met and for the stories they shared.
I'm thankful for the story Drill Sergeant J shared. He happened to be in the pub before the happy hour started. He read the TriSoldier stories and we talked about supporting the troops. "My soldiers and I were in a Starbucks working on our laptops because that's where we could get Internet access. From out of nowhere, a man comes up to each one of us, shakes our hands, tells us 'thank you for your service' and gives each one of us a $15 Starbucks gift card. That touched my heart and really meant a lot. People don't know how much their appreciation and support means to us. What you're doing here is great. Thank you."
I'm thankful for Mr Trout for starting TriSoldier Project.
I'm thankful for those who have served and are serving our country.

Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words and actions is all that is necessary.

- Margaret Cousins

Thank you:)