Jan OS 2013 week 1 - social/mojo thread
Hi Jan OS peeps!!
Outside of posting about our runs and bikes in their separate weekly threads- in the past years we had another thread weekly to just chit chat and get to know eachother. Keep eachother in the loop about issues we might be going through.
I'll start with an update- I came down with the Flu ( i think) yesterday. First time EVER. It came on like a bullet train. I am sitting with a 103 plus fever and body aches, chills, productive cough and chest tightness. Will see MD in 4 hours. I am down for the count. I will be here to cheer you on and act as "captain" from under the covers. No training for me. I get the Flu shot every year as I work in a hospital. In all 44 years I have never been sick like this. Shoot me now!!!!!
Ok- how are you guys? How are your families? Your work? Are you eating clean and want to brag? Go for it.
Carrie
Comments
I hope you get over these sooner then later. As everywhere else our er's and hospitals are loaded with Influenza A, B, and RSV!! In Iowa.
I thought today's wko was rather tough after yesterday's run test. What doesn't kill us will make us stronger.
Work is going well. Career Firefighter so we work 24 hours and are off for 48 hours. Works very well with training most of the time. We are allowed to hit the beds after 8 pm so I try and go down early to prepare for the next day and the several calls after midnight.
I have a 16 yo boy and a daughter who is ten but thinks 18. They are growing like weeds but at the moment are healthy.
Thanks for leading this crew into battle!!
Right now, I'm trying to lose 5 lbs and the family is on board. Heck, my wife who has completed 1 sprint tri - like 2 years ago - is talking about doing another one ... in fact, she says she might do 3. Did you feel the world shift?
I am one of those people who don't get flu shots. I'm not saying it's smart, but after having been given shots involuntarily for 26 years in the Air Force (flu, anthrax series, gamma globulin, etc., etc.) it's so nice to make the call myself. I've been retired from the military for more than 7 years and haven't had a single shot since. Haven't gotten the flu either, but then again, I don't know that I've ever had it in my life. I'll need a tetanus shot soon, but may hold off on flu shots until I hit 65.
So Jammie's and bed for me.
I am a preschool teacher and am around bugs of all sorts all the time. So far, so good. Let's hope I pass this flu season unscathed.
I have a blog www.triathlonmami.com that documents my journey both as a mom of two boys (7 and a 5) and heading for IMFL. The good news is that there are tons of opportunities for it, the bad news is that i can't take advantage. Work, kids, and training take up a lot of time to add to it a second job as a blogger so I am trying to quit my teaching job and go for the writing thing. It's a scary step, hubby is super supportive (of every crazy idea i have really) so trying to figure that out.
I began training about 3 years ago and its a miracle I am here. I was in the words of the Steve Miller Band "a smoker, a joker and a midnight toker" so that I can contemplate an IronMan is just amazing to me. I have trained all this time with a coach and a group out of Miami, FL. Leaving them to come to EN has also been a big, scary step but one I thought I should take and try out. So here I am ... warts and all.
Love reading everyone's journey ....
Hey Paul, just saw that you are running Kalmar. I was stationed at the US Embassy in Oslo from 2007-2011 and ran Kalmar in 2010. It was a full IM but not a IM sanctioned event. Curious if you just picked this, or have some ties to that area. Unfortuantely I am not living in Oslo now or would offer you some logistics services. It was a great course - very flat, and from what I can tell, they have kept the course fairly close to what I ran.
I will be joining you in retirement as I will retire from 24 years in the Army on 1 October.
Stay at home dad here. 1 wife, 2 daughters, 3 cats. And 2 guinea pigs, but that kinda wrecks the symmetry. Even the animals are girls, so I am greatly outnumbered here. I'm a private pilot, and I enjoy soccer, ice hockey and Formula 1 racing.
I'm hoping that the EN power training formula will make this a breakthrough season for me. I signed up for IM Mont Tremblant even though I had told my wife repeatedly "If I ever mention a full Ironman, shoot me" after each 70.3 (I've done 4). First question she asked when I told her what I had done was "So, am I supposed to shoot you now, or what?"
I was driving my 12yr old daughter to a hockey game on Long Island, about 100mi from home, and mentioned to her that in the IM I'd stil have another 12 miles of biking past the rink, before starting a marathon, and her response was "Wow Daddy, that's crazy."
I love reading about your lives. Thanks for sharing.
@Carl- you have infectious energy in the forums. Thank you for that.
@Paul- I love that your wife wants to do more tri's. Yes, Flu shot bullying at my work too. They said if you don't get one you have to wear a mask to work Nov-March. OMG I could not work like that. So I got the shot. Little did I know I should have worn the mask anyway. BooHoo
@Christina- girl, you inspire me. Way to kick the bad habits and choose a healthy lifestyle. I am grateful your husband is supportive of your decision regarding work. You'll know what the right decision is soon enough. Let the answer come.
@Doug- ahhh retirement is so soon. Congrats.
@Andrew- you have a full house. Likely lots of love from all those girls. Many stay at home Dad's in here. Love it!! My husband works from home( last 2 years out of 30 with AT&T) and he really does everything. I am grateful for our partnership because he is so involved.
I think my fever "broke". Not likely a medical term BUT I was miserable yesterday, last night and all night sleeping. Fever 103 before bed. Then instead of shivering began to sweat for 6 hours. Yuck. Soaked. Last Tylenol at midnight. By 10 am now with only 99 temp!!!! I feel SO much better. Sheets are washed and I am going back to bed. Will keep resting.
@ Doug - I have zero ties to Sweden but am fortunate to be able to combine my travel and racing hobbies. I've done 5 IMs including Cozumel in 2012 and Regensburg in 2011.. I could not get motivated if I had to do the same IM each year. I chose Kalmar for several reasons, but not the least is that in 1998 I was stationed at RAF Lakenheath in England. My then fairly new wife was 5 months pregnant and also watching my two youngest sons who were spending the summer with me. My oldest son had just graduated High School in England and returned to the states and we had never even been alone in our marriage. So with that on her hands, I left to race 10,000m on the track for the AF in Copenhagen the same time she had to move on base. Can you imagine how deeply in debt I am to her? We were touring Tivoli Gardens after the track meet while she was unpacking boxes back in England and taking care of my kids. I promised I would get her to Copenhagen someday so that is a major part of why I'm heading to Sweden via Denmark. Two questions for you?
1. Where are you retiring to?
2. Train or rental car from Copenhagen to Kalmar?
@ Carrie - sorry you got sick. Trust me, I'm washing my hands a lot to protect myself from the infected hordes!
Feeling lotsa mojo and JOS love here this year! With the longer distances off the table this year, I can focus on speed and some major improvements in my sprints and Olys. The gains last year were taking my turtle speed to IM distance. With 1 IM secured, I plan to work on getting some reasonable speed before another attempt at IMFL in a few years.
I think the mojo is rubbing off already!
@Kim!!!! Yay!! Mojo will take us all very far. Keep doing our best with what we are given on the day and then let the team support us.
FLU update- no more fever. When I go 24 hours without a fever I can go back to work. So hoping no fever spikes. I feel so much better. Still resting. Actually the rest is nice. No worries. I'll get back to training soon enough.
Glad you are feeling better Carrie!
Fortunately my twins are only in 7th grade... :-)
In May 2010, I got back into cycling after being away from it for many years. As I rounded the corner into 2011, I thought I'd give triathlons a shot. February 2011 was the first time I got into a pool and found that I couldn't swim more than 50m with out stopping. With patience and (dogged) persistence, I made it through a sprint distance in June 2011, then a 70.3 (Rev3 Cedar Point) in September 2011. In 2012, I did the 70.3 at Cedar Point again and then took a massive leap by doing IMFL in November. Despite the challenging swim and the BORING bike course (and thanks to inspiration from my fellow EN Mafia member, Trish Marshall), I was at about the 7:30 mark when I was heading out of T2 for the run - about 30 minutes behind my goal pace. I fell apart 2 miles in and went for a REALLY long walk...promising myself with each step that I would NEVER let it happen again.
So, I signed up for IMMOO and joined up with EN to make sure that it doesn't!
I'm one of those annoying triathletes who eats super clean (to me, an extra helping of kale is cheating) and always has some (usually lame) excuse for not "racing to my fitness level" (as a friend of mine once described it).
I look forward to training with you all and watching the great results pour in over the course of the year!
I'm about an 89.
All- thanks for the insights. Everyone seems very real. I'm lucky to have come across you guys, thanks.
I have a great family, good job, blessed life.
Details to follow, when I have a few more minutes.
thx again!
Can't wait to read the race report!!
@ Carrie - glad to hear you are better.
@ Nemo - welcome to the OS. Looking forward to hearing about the Ragnar.
Hi Jan OS peeps. This my 3rd OS and I'm looking forward to doing it smarter this time around and sharing my past mistakes with others so they don't have to learn the hard way. I've been doing tris since 2010, after many years of being a runner. My brother JT (also an EN member) got me into tris as a way to cross-train following a hip flex injury from the 2009 Chicago marathon. I've finished 2 IMs (most recently 2012 IMWI in 11:58:xx) and will be racing IMWI again this year. I'll also do several sprints, Olys and Racine 70.3 this year. I'm taking a leap this year too. Going to do the American Triple T in May with Matt Aaronson...it is 4 races over a weekend (sprint on Friday afternoon, Oly on Sat am, another Oly on Sat pm and HIM on Sunday am). We're going to do it as a "B" race and an epic "do something cool" event. I'm still nursing a sore heel so I hope it is better by May and can handle the stress.
On a personal note, I'm married to Anne for 21+ years, have a son Andrew who is freshman at Purdue majoring in microbiology and is on the Crew team, and a daughter (Lindsay)who is a senior in HS. She is going thru the typical drama/trama of the college selection process. I work for a healthcare services company in mergers & acquisitions, so I'm always "shopping" for companies to buy.
Looking forward to sharing with and learning from all of you.
Hey everyone!
Well, we made it through week 1. I finally got a minute to spare so I thought I would try and introduce myself to everyone. I just turned 37 today and I am crazy excited about the results already in this plan. I am a High School Social Studies teacher, and I also coach cross country, boys & girls swimming and diving(they have seperate seasons in KS). I do not have any kids of my own but I do have to take care off about 200 with teaching and coaching, which keeps me plenty busy.
I plan to race the KC 5150, Muncie 70.3, Redman Half or pigman and I have a few local sprints and Oly's that I hope to lay the smack down on this year. Last, year was a huge let down and I am ready to rebound and have a great season. I can already tell I am in the best shape at this point of the year that I have ever been in, so sky is the limit.
**Does anyone have any experience with the Muncie course?**
Bring on week #2
@ Jimmy
Muncie suits good runners that excel in the heat. Water will be very warm, usually no wetsuit. Bike is pancake flat, so if u like to sit in a gear and pound away go for it. Save something for the rolling run.
good luck
With the Flu completely defining week one for me this has been a thread I could keep in touch with you in
I am over the fever and miserable parts of the Flu and left with a hacking cough that is resolving. Sad thing is my daughter caught it from me. Started last night. So week 2 will be defined by my gradual return to "working out" and being her nurse. Poor kiddo.
My husband has been hitting all the workouts so at least someone in the house is following the Jan OS.
I'm 41, married, 4 kids ages 12,10, 10, and 7. I volunteer at their school, and am currently doing the stay at home mom thing. It's not exciting, but I love it.
Carrie, glad you are better but sorry to hear your daughter is sick. Poor kid!
At Jimmy ... I raced it last year when it was so hot they shortened all the distances. I won my age group and believe the smartest thing I did was to back off in the swim since the water was over 88 degrees.
I'm a product development manager for the British Medical Journal Group and work on their medical journal websites. Live with my partner of almost 20 years but we don't have kids. Spent my twenties with very little money, doing not a lot other than watch TV and putting on weight. Have spent my thirties being more active and trying to catch up on those missing years by doing some cool stuff. Have completed 2 IMs but very much at the back of the pack (I can't run for toffee).
Completed my first HIM using a Crucible Fitness plan and then used EN/EN style coaching for IM training. Signed up for possibly the first EN OS plan but quit after a few weeks because I was mentally shot from the IM training. Signed up for the November OS but had to quit that too due to injury and flu that lingered. Hoping this will be third time lucky!
Carrie - glad to hear you are feeling better.
Bruce - American Triple T sounds nuts but awesome.
@Paul -- 88deg??? That's a bath, not a swim!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!