Dana you can split it up! It's rather you get in the quality than anything else!
If you want the DVD we can try to ship it to you? Alternatively some of our videos are available for you to download via the Race Pages --- Resources / Wiki / Race Execution / IMTX page...find the links there!!!
I know several people going to the states next week for Spring Break. I will ask them to bring it back. Will check the status on my EN gear. Maybe I can get that brought back as well. Thanks!
DVD ordered. Will be carried to Nigeria by one of the teachers going to the states for spring break. I will also check the status of my EN gear which is on back order. Fingers crossed that I can receive that as well.
Coach P. I did my first RR ride today. You & Coach R. may have felt some slight discomfort when I expressed my pain by poking the voodoo dolls in your likeness. (That's a joke, but I may have grumbled a few not so nice things about you guys.) I didn't want you to feel left out of the process.
I was all alone on the trainer, not ideal but it worked, so I cued up my 4 points EN DVD, followed by some podcasts and EN Youtube channel. My effort to gorge myself on EN info. was successful; therefore, I moved onto something more mindless.
Positives: no headaches, no pain in the legs for the bike or the run. Learned about what works and what doesn't in terms of nutrition and I overcame a big psychological barrier of riding 6 hr. or 112 miles. Final thought, thank you for sharing your knowledge and also making this process manageable vs. intimidating and unreachable. Ready for day 2, as far as prep goes, but my body is crying for rest and to be left alone.
NO, no more rest. Sounds like I am better than most after my break in Mauritius. Just what I needed at just the right time. Also, life is crazy right now here and I prefer to avoid it by focusing on IM training. Knock on wood, physically I am feeling good and my focus is solid. Just need to make it through this home stretch and then pick the next one. Oh God, did I just say that? I think they need to add a new diagnosis to the Diagnostic Stastical Manual (DSM, used by psychiatrists to diagnose crazy) for IM athletes. This segment of society has truly gone bonkers.
I listened to your race review from IMTX last year. Great job by the way, and I am feeling motivated. While listening I was able to visualize the swim, transition area, parts of the bike and the run. The visualization helped me believe this was possible for me. I have been thinking about the heat a lot. I have not been training in the heat but I could take the trainer outside and resume my outside runs. A plan is rattling around in my brain and I will let you know what I figure out.
Good luck with your continued training and I will see you in TX ready to race. Don't worry I wont shank you; your the good cop. Coach R might want to watch his back though, I got peeps in CA.
Coach P. I thought I would treat you to a story about life in Nigeria and how absurd it can be. For example, many of the American companies here have compounds with office buildings as well as housing for expat employees. My husbands company has a compound but we were not living in it due to renovations. The renovations are almost complete so we are being moved back in. This move is expected to take place in wk18 of training. Yeah! Also, we may move back to the states in June which means we get to move from one place to another down the street to reside for 6wks before we pack up and leave altogether. Stupid! That is not the absurd story though.
Forgive me for being so snobby and elitist but the men packing us up and moving us have an incredibly powerful stench. It is understandable they work hard all day and many of them don't have access to facilities to bath themselves forget about their uniform. That probably only gets washed once a month weather it needs it or not. This above mentioned stench is so powerful on one man that your eyes water and your face inadvertently contorts to prevent your nose from further assault. Now it is imperative that you maintain respect and good rapport with these men who are handling and touching everything you own. Ideally all items will successfully make the 1/4 mile trip down the street. Let me ask you, have you heard of IM athletes becoming overly cautious about getting sick a few weeks out from a race? Yeah, I didn't think so. To proceed. My two daughters have been sick one after the other and now I am suffering from a head cold. Despite my efforts to decontaminate the flat by wiping down everything with Clorox wipes the first daughter seems to be getting sick again. So, I am sitting by the window 11 stories up, drinking my morning coffee lamenting my physical condition when I observe a local resident squatting in the gutter. Yep both my girls could see if they were interested. Poor guy has no privacy for as I am watching from 11 stories up 2 other guys meander by him to do their morning business. Truly, I try to ignore this kind of scene; because, what do I care it is just life, right? We all have to take care of business. But, this morning I just had to know...what is he going to use to wrap up his business? As it turns out he used a piece of trash from the gutter. Let me take you back to the first part of the story about moving because that is where my mind went. The guys that will be in my apartment moving me, more than likely, have the same living conditions as this person. Which means washing their hands after using the bathroom will never enter the equation. I just have to deal with it. The upside is that I can't smell so maybe this cold is fortunate.
Some studies of professional athletes have indicated that there are several traits that make the most successful of them stand out. One of those traits is, the ability to not dwell on mistakes. They use any road block or blunder as an opportunity to be flexible and solution focused. I would like to think that God is helping me develop this skill. A few weeks ago my long work outs where made more difficult; because, I am struggling with a nasty sinus infection. Also, our future is uncertain yet time keeps moving; therefore, pressure to know something is building exponentially. Meanwhile, we must move which requires attention and focus.
We are straddling two apartments with stuff in both places, they are cluttered and messy. Why? We are caught in the middle of a political tug-of-war between two entities over appliances; the remodeling crew and the appliance company. The workmen will not replace the refrigerator; because, if it breaks (it is already broken) then they are on the hook for the cost of the appliance. The workmen will move the fridge but they will not unhook the water line. For some reason, the appliance guy has been MIA since sometime last week. So, he can't come over and unhook the line either. Friday was a holiday, resulting in the workmen and appliance guy cutting out early on Thursday and all progress being pushed off till Monday. Over the long weekend there was a fuel shortage so if you did not have a full tank of gas you ran out b/c there was no gas. Think logistics for getting around with the added bonus of not having fuel in your car. JOY.
Back to the move. We took ownership of the apartment Thursday and were promised everything would be fixed THAT DAY. We started moving things. Now when we need something it is inevitably at the other place. Also, if any work needs to be done someone has to be there to let the workmen in, yet the current apartment needs to be packed. I woke yesterday full of hope and promise that I would get the fridge swapped and we could make a timeline to move everything with focused effort to competition. I was crushed when I realized that I was powerless to make an impact on this issue. Let me digress a bit here. The night before my youngest child woke me b/c she had a nightmare. I was up for several hours after that trying to stop my mind from spinning/worrying. Said child then did not go to school the next day, but spent all day at my side. Needless to say, mommy was tired and not in a good place. I still have not kicked this sinus thing and wanted to go to the clinic but was required to be available should some miracle happen and our fridge be swapped out for another. After realizing no progress would be made on the fridge I decided to try to be seen at the clinic but arrived to late. The nurse told me to come first thing in the morning so I could waste my time there. Again, efforts to be productive were dashed. Still there is much work to be done so I must carry on.
This is the pivotal point where I think I can show my ability to be a truly remarkable person. I am so beat down and discouraged I just want to wallow in my own self pity. It is justified, this crap is overwhelming. That, IS NOT an option. I am going to embrace "the suck" and get through this. We are going to have a success story. Right now I am gong to tackle my IM lists. I am going to pack my bags so that I have everything I need and it does not get lost in the move. Next I am going to work backwards from the day I leave for the IM to get things done. I am going to shake off this setback an persevere. There is no other option.
P.S. There is a mountain of other crap going on that was not mentioned b/c nobody has time for that. But, it does not matter. What matters is all the good things, all the blessings. Our family is together, working together supporting one another. We are safe and have provisions. We can afford for me to do an IM both financially and time. I have EN support and help. The list goes on. Thanks once again for letting me vent my frustrations.
Such a great story...I can't wait for my Woodlands Hug. Thank you for sharing....I am sending you massive support...I hope you feel it across the globe!!!
Thanks for the positive vibes. Also, for letting me vent once again. After my rant I was able to focus. Much progress has been made on the move. That is not to say that everything is complete, only that we are in a place where I can refocus on IM. I got a bike ride in yesterday and wile riding I listened to the 2 TXIM race report podcasts. That was super helpful to get focused. If I am lucky, today I get to be in my old apartment supervising the stinky moving men as they rub up against my big stuff, couches and the like. They are supposed to arrive at 11 but probably wont get there till 6pm. So I plan to spend that time making my lists and mentally preparing.
Feel as if I have already completed the Lagos IM. You may ask, what does that include? It starts with NOT having good planning and preparation for a long day away from the house to a place that is dirty with no provisions. Not planning appropriately is a fun way to add to the bad stress. Next comes, sitting in traffic for a minimum of 90' only to be 45' late to the event start. The fuel shortage has people lining up along the interstate blocking traffic at every gas station along the way. Every two miles or so there was a cluster fudge of people and cars 6 lanes wide to get past the fuel station. It is kind of like leaving a concert when all the cars parked on the grass attempt to leave at the same time with no defined traffic patterns. The bad stress builds exponentially the longer you sit in traffic. Add in some crying and car sickness for good measure. Arrive at the horseback riding competition, which for Nigeria standards is impressive, by US standards is adequate. Plan to stay 3.5 hrs maximum; there is just to much stuff that has to be done back at home. That is when the torrential rain saturates the arena and puts the event on a rain delay for 2.5 hrs. Can't leave now because we are only half way through the competition. Lunch is where the poor planning hits hard, first we were not expecting to stay much past lunch and second they did not serve pizza as expected. No food for mommy for fear of getting sick- not going to risk it. After lunch and the rain we wait while they remove water from the arena which is now a perfect mud hole. Did I mention that the girls had to wear white pants for the competition? Our oldest daughter is asked to walk along side a horse to help the younger children do their jumps. Translated this means she has to run next to a horse on a leash, over polls on the ground in mud. The horse she was assisting was misbehaving and bit her twice before any official came to her aid. The bad stress bumped up once again watching this display. My husband walked away because of the anxiety overload. Once the completion began again it was late afternoon and our day was sunk.
Our kids had a great time, they were outside playing with friends riding horses and flexing their competitive muscle. My husband and I don't regret affording them the opportunity, we only wish it did not cost so much in time and stress. The competition wrapped up at 5:30 when we were expecting 3:30 at the latest. So we collected our metals and ribbons and were the first ones back on the road. All was clear, no traffic, but our driver decided to take a short cut in an effort to avoid traffic and immediately after making this choice hit traffic. Have I told you about the guard we have to take with us if we leave the "green zone"? He is Nigerian police and carries an AK-47 with him at all times. They are kind and mostly invisible. It helps to have them with you to feel safe. I don't know about you but there are times when "this reality" is just so weird. Sitting in traffic is a carnival where "this reality" comes face to face with my other reality. Emotionally it is hard. For me to carry on I shut down the empathy center of my brain; because, the things I observe are overwhelming. Finding traffic again at the end of the day we just had was like detonating a bomb in the car. This must be what hitting the wall feels like. Everyone wanted it to end. It was made so much more intolerable; because, we were all wet, disgustingly dirty and beyond exhausted. Even though we sat in the car longer than necessary, we got home showered, ate and relaxed among the boxes and piles of things that needed to get done.
Once in bed I could not sleep. I realized that my attitude was a major contributor to my perception of the day. I am sure you can understand that a primary goal is to make your spouse and family happy. I felt powerless to do anything about the circumstances that were stressing our family and that was not only taxing but emotionally draining. I decided I do not want to live beat down by stress and circumstances out of my control. I want to be hopeful, optimistic and vibrant. I want to teach my kids to manage stress with flexibility and creativity. Having planed for the IM, means you have the head space to deal with unexpected problems. I hope I can translate last weekends exercise on the race this weekend.
I am back with my family and it only took 18 hrs. vs. the original 13 expected to get here. We flew about two hours over the Pacific then, due to another medical emergency, diverted to Puerto Rico. It was no problem as I was sleeping the entire time.
What an amazing, amazing experience. I am so very grateful to the EN team, my surrogate family and support. It makes me emotional when I reflect on the chatter and camaraderie leading up to the race. As well as the encouragement and pride I felt wearing the jersey during the race. Thanks to Mariah, team mom, for stepping in and taking care of me after the race. Without this team it would have been a painful, exhausting, miserable experience but you guys made it so much fun. So. Much. Fun. Thanks!
Dana, they should have given you like 6 medals. You made training fun, helped us all grow a little bit and DID NOT FLINCH when race day threw a pile of junk in your way. So proud!!! Enjoy the recovery!
I am back! Back to training, back in the US and back in the EN frame of mind. Well, almost. The girls start school on Monday so then I will have more time to surf the EN site and cyber stalk the cool kids.
Let's see, where to start and what needs to be said... American living vs. Expat Nigerian living is a bit tricky. Nutrition: when you get a craving for something it is so easy to go get it. I forgot about the discipline involved, whereas in Nigeria if you see it - buy it; because, when you need it or want it they won't have it. This happened most often with sour cream. I would have to wait weeks for sour cream to show up in the stores, and I never purchased strawberry's or blueberries because it was not worth the cost. Now when I have a fleeting thought of cheesecake; umm, that sounds good. I can have it. Within 15 min. I can be sitting down eating delicious cheesecake and why not,? I deserve it. If you see it buy it right? So, that has been a little tricky.
That special feeling I got for completing my first IM is a little less special. Don't get me wrong, nobody can take away the experience, but it is hard to feel so "unique, and special" when the town where you live is saturated with IM athletes. At the park 3 parents, the waitress at dinner, the lifeguard, and the 2 no make that 3 people in the lanes next to you in the pool. Sure, they are going to be where I am, because we have the same lifestyle. This is a good thing, it has just taken me by surprise how well our mission to take over the world is going.
Let's talk training. I ran 40' today and felt "good" for the first time since, I don't know, April. These past two weeks have seen a change in routine. Up at 5am each day, knocking out the work outs and then doing a laundry list of mommy duties. Wk 1 was adjusting to the old sleep schedule while I was in denial about the importance of good nutrition. Wk 2 the sleep schedule is much better, got a new bed on Saturday, and I implemented better nutrition. My goals were simple and that was to not miss any work outs and be consistent in my effort. Check and Check. Next week I plan to test just to see where my fitness is and to track improvement over time. The rains came and cooled the place down a bit which may have contributed to the better feeling during the run. Heat, you are a sick and twisted evil bully. I must respect the heat.
Nutrition is an ongoing saga. Sadly there has been no cheesecake in a long time and probably not in the near future. That is ok. What I focus most on is caffeine. Caffeine too is evil, a seductive temptress that promises alertness and energy when all you know is tired, sluggishness. I keep in mind that this component is crucial for me. That it has to be factored into my overall schedule. On long bike days when I use several gu's I need to skip the coffee and be sure to have non caffeine gu options. Both of which did not happen this past week. I believe my migraines are triggered by physical fitness and at about 100'-120' runs is when I can expect to have one. After successfully completing this effort level I don't seem to experience them. I need to be able to use caffeine to help knock out the pain when it does happen. So not only am I micro managing the caffeine I am looking at the big picture as well.
That is all for now. Will check back next week to share my test results.
Your progress is good, as we discussed. And yes, I remember the Ironman saturation point for me as well...although without being abroad it was like 2005 or 2006, just pre-EN when being an Ironman went from "whoa" to "me too!" or "my mom does those!" or "that's cute but I run 1o0 mile races for fun now!"
Most of all I feel your re-entry pain. I remember those days coming back from the Peace Corps...I can remember just standing the in cereal aisle overwhelmed by choices...so many choices...I think that you can have cheesecake 1x a week....after all, you need to feel ALIVE too....maybe on Saturdays (or after your bigger sessions).
Ha, ha, ha. Still learning and still feeling like a novice. I'll take "that's cute" and they can run 100m races all day long. I'm not trying to earn a PhD in Ironman just a 5th grad education will suffice. I went for a bike fit to buy a new TT bike. That was fun. The next day I went back to the studio and did a Sufferfest ride. I was riding with the owner and his wife who together have about 40 years experience riding, racing and squashing people. Felt like an idiot. It's all good because I ordered my new bike. Yipee! I am terrified and excited. I think they will start building it this week an I should have it, I don't know 10-12 days from now. So I didn't bike test just did a run test. 28:28 5k; not my best time but it is a benchmark, I suspect improvements will be made. My swim times are gradually improving as well. Using this time on my bike to get to know my new saddle. So much pain!
Thanks for the free pass on cheesecake but you forgot to take into account the my appetite increased and I was stuck at home with a sick child for 3 days. I am surprised anything survived my foraging, including said child.
I forgot to share about my long run on Sunday. It was good, great actually and I think that is b/c I was a bit rested since I did a mock test week. It was decided that Banana Island is run purgatory - and I was happy to have it. Running long runs outside free from cobble stone, beaming hot sun, and car exhaust was heaven. In my wake was a glittery, sparkly rainbow and my feet did not strike the pavement. I smiled, said good morning, even waved to everybody; including those who passed me. So long Banana Island, I do not miss you. Freedom.
Ok, so you mentioned zoning out, overwhelmed by choices in the cereal isle. I think that is a right of passage for anyone who returns from a long stent away from the states. Here is another observation I made. For the life of me I could not find the 100 lb. bag of rice at my local market. The largest bag only 5 lbs. Nobody in Nigera buys anything less than 50 lb. bag. which they cook up and mix with spaghetti and a mysterious red sauce with questionable meats and spices.
Checking in. Sad news, my 11 y.o. daughter appears to have my inability to stay upright on a bike. We have matching road rash thanks to her most recent bike spill. Poor thing, at least I can commiserate. Thankfully it was not a bad accident just a small spill. She is ok.
The weather turned and it is downright cold here 72.5 with a high of 86 today. I forgot what fall felt like, it is beautiful! My husband and I went to the pool at 5 am. It was cold. The water felt nice after the first 150 yrds. From past experience I know it is only going to get harder and harder to get wet and then get warmed up once wet. My poor husband is clueless. Swim done, kids out the door to school so I got to running. Again, it was a celebration of the beautiful weather. I was loving my run, feeling strong making plans for the day (keeping my run times under 9min which is good for me). That is when I got the IM training humbleness smack down. I got smoked by a mom pushing a stroller. Um, ok...well she wasn't up at 5 am swimming. Nope, probably not. More than likely she was up for the 3rd time last night breastfeeding her 4th child, changing diapers, packing lunches and doing laundry. Yeah that is a bitter pill, get it down. I then decided, not to try to catch her, but to keep her in sight and that worked. Mom's kick ass. What to you think that stroller weighed, 35, 40 lbs.? Also, it sucks pushing one of those because you can't swing your arms. She looked haggard but she was killing it. Good for her!
So thank you once again for the lesson in humility IM training.
One more thing to report. I expect to receive my new TT bike this Wednesday. I will try to get a fitting on Thursday then it is ride, ride, ride. RR wk 15 is next week so just in time. I am so excited! I will be sure to take a pic for the bike porn catalogue before I ride and potentially wipe out. My new password: don't wipe out. That's a lot of numbers, have to think of something else.
Thanks for the update...for the record, when I pushed my girls in the stroller (single or double) I always ran faster. Probably overcompensating. Or fear they were going to take the shoes off and toss them out (again!).
I think your passcode should be the numeric equivalent of SSUDS. Shiny Side Up Dana Sutter! So I think that's 7-7-8-3-7?
Last check in before IMCabo. Tapering sucks! I hate my husband and he hates me (not really). It always catches me by surprise the final push to an IM. You would think us athletes would remember how terrible it is. No rest, long work outs, no time for anything, but so much to get done and the pressure feels immense. Hungry all the time, irritable, grumpy and pissed at the world; despite it all, still planning to get up early to get that work out in. You go from one day to the next looking forward to taper; because, then everything will be better. Only once you start to taper you feel guilty about the light work outs and every meal you eat. Oh and for added fun it is in my nature to mix up priorities as a distraction from reality. It is a special little self-defeating psycho thing I do. But this is real people, I am flying to Mexico and racing again. God willing that is.
As of Sunday afternoon: bags are packed with all the stuff, bikes are in route, the RR's are done. Mom's trip to watch the girls is scheduled and there are just a few details to cover such as food in the house for the visit & cleaning the house. I have been practicing my nutrition plan all along but I still took the time to write it out and do the math. Looks good but I anticipate that it will be hot so I will have to stay hydrated. What motivates me are my visions of the medical tent after IMTX. It was full of dehydrated peeps that looked so miserable. There will be hills on this course but I have very little experience on hills since IMTX is relatively flat; therefore, I see a longer bike ride which equals more time in the sun. There are administrative things that I expect to cause stress such as retrieving & testing my bike. Getting to and from the expo. My husband and I are both racing but we are not staying at the host hotel and our hotel is probably a mile away. We didn't rent a car so that means transportation issues. How many times will we need to go back and forth between our hotel and the expo? How much time will we end up on our legs when we should be resting them? It should be a fun experience trying to manage both our stress and anxiety. Without mentally preparation for the anxiety/anticipation mixture I fear there will be an epic emotional meltdown. That would not only be embarrassing but ugly as well, and nobody wants that.
Coach P. Congratulations! Well done. Yes I get to claim some of your awesomeness by association. I look forward to answering people when they ask if I train with a team. It is with great pride and confidence that I tell them about EN. I often receive reminders of just how much I have learned from you guys when I talk casually about Ironman distance races. I hope to make the team proud and do my best next Sunday. My bib number is 834 my husband, Chris, is 835.
Comments
If you want the DVD we can try to ship it to you? Alternatively some of our videos are available for you to download via the Race Pages --- Resources / Wiki / Race Execution / IMTX page...find the links there!!!
support@endurancenation.zendesk.com
I was all alone on the trainer, not ideal but it worked, so I cued up my 4 points EN DVD, followed by some podcasts and EN Youtube channel. My effort to gorge myself on EN info. was successful; therefore, I moved onto something more mindless.
Positives: no headaches, no pain in the legs for the bike or the run. Learned about what works and what doesn't in terms of nutrition and I overcame a big psychological barrier of riding 6 hr. or 112 miles. Final thought, thank you for sharing your knowledge and also making this process manageable vs. intimidating and unreachable. Ready for day 2, as far as prep goes, but my body is crying for rest and to be left alone.
So much of our training is about redefining limits...and you have done just that. So proud of what you have been able to accomplish from abroad!
Let me know if we need to work in more rest.
NO, no more rest. Sounds like I am better than most after my break in Mauritius. Just what I needed at just the right time. Also, life is crazy right now here and I prefer to avoid it by focusing on IM training. Knock on wood, physically I am feeling good and my focus is solid. Just need to make it through this home stretch and then pick the next one. Oh God, did I just say that? I think they need to add a new diagnosis to the Diagnostic Stastical Manual (DSM, used by psychiatrists to diagnose crazy) for IM athletes. This segment of society has truly gone bonkers.
I listened to your race review from IMTX last year. Great job by the way, and I am feeling motivated. While listening I was able to visualize the swim, transition area, parts of the bike and the run. The visualization helped me believe this was possible for me. I have been thinking about the heat a lot. I have not been training in the heat but I could take the trainer outside and resume my outside runs. A plan is rattling around in my brain and I will let you know what I figure out.
Good luck with your continued training and I will see you in TX ready to race. Don't worry I wont shank you; your the good cop. Coach R might want to watch his back though, I got peeps in CA.
Coach P. I thought I would treat you to a story about life in Nigeria and how absurd it can be. For example, many of the American companies here have compounds with office buildings as well as housing for expat employees. My husbands company has a compound but we were not living in it due to renovations. The renovations are almost complete so we are being moved back in. This move is expected to take place in wk18 of training. Yeah! Also, we may move back to the states in June which means we get to move from one place to another down the street to reside for 6wks before we pack up and leave altogether. Stupid! That is not the absurd story though.
Forgive me for being so snobby and elitist but the men packing us up and moving us have an incredibly powerful stench. It is understandable they work hard all day and many of them don't have access to facilities to bath themselves forget about their uniform. That probably only gets washed once a month weather it needs it or not. This above mentioned stench is so powerful on one man that your eyes water and your face inadvertently contorts to prevent your nose from further assault. Now it is imperative that you maintain respect and good rapport with these men who are handling and touching everything you own. Ideally all items will successfully make the 1/4 mile trip down the street. Let me ask you, have you heard of IM athletes becoming overly cautious about getting sick a few weeks out from a race? Yeah, I didn't think so. To proceed. My two daughters have been sick one after the other and now I am suffering from a head cold. Despite my efforts to decontaminate the flat by wiping down everything with Clorox wipes the first daughter seems to be getting sick again. So, I am sitting by the window 11 stories up, drinking my morning coffee lamenting my physical condition when I observe a local resident squatting in the gutter. Yep both my girls could see if they were interested. Poor guy has no privacy for as I am watching from 11 stories up 2 other guys meander by him to do their morning business. Truly, I try to ignore this kind of scene; because, what do I care it is just life, right? We all have to take care of business. But, this morning I just had to know...what is he going to use to wrap up his business? As it turns out he used a piece of trash from the gutter. Let me take you back to the first part of the story about moving because that is where my mind went. The guys that will be in my apartment moving me, more than likely, have the same living conditions as this person. Which means washing their hands after using the bathroom will never enter the equation. I just have to deal with it. The upside is that I can't smell so maybe this cold is fortunate.
Some studies of professional athletes have indicated that there are several traits that make the most successful of them stand out. One of those traits is, the ability to not dwell on mistakes. They use any road block or blunder as an opportunity to be flexible and solution focused. I would like to think that God is helping me develop this skill. A few weeks ago my long work outs where made more difficult; because, I am struggling with a nasty sinus infection. Also, our future is uncertain yet time keeps moving; therefore, pressure to know something is building exponentially. Meanwhile, we must move which requires attention and focus.
We are straddling two apartments with stuff in both places, they are cluttered and messy. Why? We are caught in the middle of a political tug-of-war between two entities over appliances; the remodeling crew and the appliance company. The workmen will not replace the refrigerator; because, if it breaks (it is already broken) then they are on the hook for the cost of the appliance. The workmen will move the fridge but they will not unhook the water line. For some reason, the appliance guy has been MIA since sometime last week. So, he can't come over and unhook the line either. Friday was a holiday, resulting in the workmen and appliance guy cutting out early on Thursday and all progress being pushed off till Monday. Over the long weekend there was a fuel shortage so if you did not have a full tank of gas you ran out b/c there was no gas. Think logistics for getting around with the added bonus of not having fuel in your car. JOY.
Back to the move. We took ownership of the apartment Thursday and were promised everything would be fixed THAT DAY. We started moving things. Now when we need something it is inevitably at the other place. Also, if any work needs to be done someone has to be there to let the workmen in, yet the current apartment needs to be packed. I woke yesterday full of hope and promise that I would get the fridge swapped and we could make a timeline to move everything with focused effort to competition. I was crushed when I realized that I was powerless to make an impact on this issue. Let me digress a bit here. The night before my youngest child woke me b/c she had a nightmare. I was up for several hours after that trying to stop my mind from spinning/worrying. Said child then did not go to school the next day, but spent all day at my side. Needless to say, mommy was tired and not in a good place. I still have not kicked this sinus thing and wanted to go to the clinic but was required to be available should some miracle happen and our fridge be swapped out for another. After realizing no progress would be made on the fridge I decided to try to be seen at the clinic but arrived to late. The nurse told me to come first thing in the morning so I could waste my time there. Again, efforts to be productive were dashed. Still there is much work to be done so I must carry on.
This is the pivotal point where I think I can show my ability to be a truly remarkable person. I am so beat down and discouraged I just want to wallow in my own self pity. It is justified, this crap is overwhelming. That, IS NOT an option. I am going to embrace "the suck" and get through this. We are going to have a success story. Right now I am gong to tackle my IM lists. I am going to pack my bags so that I have everything I need and it does not get lost in the move. Next I am going to work backwards from the day I leave for the IM to get things done. I am going to shake off this setback an persevere. There is no other option.
P.S. There is a mountain of other crap going on that was not mentioned b/c nobody has time for that. But, it does not matter. What matters is all the good things, all the blessings. Our family is together, working together supporting one another. We are safe and have provisions. We can afford for me to do an IM both financially and time. I have EN support and help. The list goes on. Thanks once again for letting me vent my frustrations.
Thanks for the positive vibes. Also, for letting me vent once again. After my rant I was able to focus. Much progress has been made on the move. That is not to say that everything is complete, only that we are in a place where I can refocus on IM. I got a bike ride in yesterday and wile riding I listened to the 2 TXIM race report podcasts. That was super helpful to get focused. If I am lucky, today I get to be in my old apartment supervising the stinky moving men as they rub up against my big stuff, couches and the like. They are supposed to arrive at 11 but probably wont get there till 6pm. So I plan to spend that time making my lists and mentally preparing.
Feel as if I have already completed the Lagos IM. You may ask, what does that include? It starts with NOT having good planning and preparation for a long day away from the house to a place that is dirty with no provisions. Not planning appropriately is a fun way to add to the bad stress. Next comes, sitting in traffic for a minimum of 90' only to be 45' late to the event start. The fuel shortage has people lining up along the interstate blocking traffic at every gas station along the way. Every two miles or so there was a cluster fudge of people and cars 6 lanes wide to get past the fuel station. It is kind of like leaving a concert when all the cars parked on the grass attempt to leave at the same time with no defined traffic patterns. The bad stress builds exponentially the longer you sit in traffic. Add in some crying and car sickness for good measure. Arrive at the horseback riding competition, which for Nigeria standards is impressive, by US standards is adequate. Plan to stay 3.5 hrs maximum; there is just to much stuff that has to be done back at home. That is when the torrential rain saturates the arena and puts the event on a rain delay for 2.5 hrs. Can't leave now because we are only half way through the competition. Lunch is where the poor planning hits hard, first we were not expecting to stay much past lunch and second they did not serve pizza as expected. No food for mommy for fear of getting sick- not going to risk it. After lunch and the rain we wait while they remove water from the arena which is now a perfect mud hole. Did I mention that the girls had to wear white pants for the competition? Our oldest daughter is asked to walk along side a horse to help the younger children do their jumps. Translated this means she has to run next to a horse on a leash, over polls on the ground in mud. The horse she was assisting was misbehaving and bit her twice before any official came to her aid. The bad stress bumped up once again watching this display. My husband walked away because of the anxiety overload. Once the completion began again it was late afternoon and our day was sunk.
Our kids had a great time, they were outside playing with friends riding horses and flexing their competitive muscle. My husband and I don't regret affording them the opportunity, we only wish it did not cost so much in time and stress. The competition wrapped up at 5:30 when we were expecting 3:30 at the latest. So we collected our metals and ribbons and were the first ones back on the road. All was clear, no traffic, but our driver decided to take a short cut in an effort to avoid traffic and immediately after making this choice hit traffic. Have I told you about the guard we have to take with us if we leave the "green zone"? He is Nigerian police and carries an AK-47 with him at all times. They are kind and mostly invisible. It helps to have them with you to feel safe. I don't know about you but there are times when "this reality" is just so weird. Sitting in traffic is a carnival where "this reality" comes face to face with my other reality. Emotionally it is hard. For me to carry on I shut down the empathy center of my brain; because, the things I observe are overwhelming. Finding traffic again at the end of the day we just had was like detonating a bomb in the car. This must be what hitting the wall feels like. Everyone wanted it to end. It was made so much more intolerable; because, we were all wet, disgustingly dirty and beyond exhausted. Even though we sat in the car longer than necessary, we got home showered, ate and relaxed among the boxes and piles of things that needed to get done.
Once in bed I could not sleep. I realized that my attitude was a major contributor to my perception of the day. I am sure you can understand that a primary goal is to make your spouse and family happy. I felt powerless to do anything about the circumstances that were stressing our family and that was not only taxing but emotionally draining. I decided I do not want to live beat down by stress and circumstances out of my control. I want to be hopeful, optimistic and vibrant. I want to teach my kids to manage stress with flexibility and creativity. Having planed for the IM, means you have the head space to deal with unexpected problems. I hope I can translate last weekends exercise on the race this weekend.
Back in "the center"
I am back with my family and it only took 18 hrs. vs. the original 13 expected to get here. We flew about two hours over the Pacific then, due to another medical emergency, diverted to Puerto Rico. It was no problem as I was sleeping the entire time.
What an amazing, amazing experience. I am so very grateful to the EN team, my surrogate family and support. It makes me emotional when I reflect on the chatter and camaraderie leading up to the race. As well as the encouragement and pride I felt wearing the jersey during the race. Thanks to Mariah, team mom, for stepping in and taking care of me after the race. Without this team it would have been a painful, exhausting, miserable experience but you guys made it so much fun. So. Much. Fun. Thanks!
Let's see, where to start and what needs to be said... American living vs. Expat Nigerian living is a bit tricky. Nutrition: when you get a craving for something it is so easy to go get it. I forgot about the discipline involved, whereas in Nigeria if you see it - buy it; because, when you need it or want it they won't have it. This happened most often with sour cream. I would have to wait weeks for sour cream to show up in the stores, and I never purchased strawberry's or blueberries because it was not worth the cost. Now when I have a fleeting thought of cheesecake; umm, that sounds good. I can have it. Within 15 min. I can be sitting down eating delicious cheesecake and why not,? I deserve it. If you see it buy it right? So, that has been a little tricky.
That special feeling I got for completing my first IM is a little less special. Don't get me wrong, nobody can take away the experience, but it is hard to feel so "unique, and special" when the town where you live is saturated with IM athletes. At the park 3 parents, the waitress at dinner, the lifeguard, and the 2 no make that 3 people in the lanes next to you in the pool. Sure, they are going to be where I am, because we have the same lifestyle. This is a good thing, it has just taken me by surprise how well our mission to take over the world is going.
Let's talk training. I ran 40' today and felt "good" for the first time since, I don't know, April. These past two weeks have seen a change in routine. Up at 5am each day, knocking out the work outs and then doing a laundry list of mommy duties. Wk 1 was adjusting to the old sleep schedule while I was in denial about the importance of good nutrition. Wk 2 the sleep schedule is much better, got a new bed on Saturday, and I implemented better nutrition. My goals were simple and that was to not miss any work outs and be consistent in my effort. Check and Check. Next week I plan to test just to see where my fitness is and to track improvement over time. The rains came and cooled the place down a bit which may have contributed to the better feeling during the run. Heat, you are a sick and twisted evil bully. I must respect the heat.
Nutrition is an ongoing saga. Sadly there has been no cheesecake in a long time and probably not in the near future. That is ok. What I focus most on is caffeine. Caffeine too is evil, a seductive temptress that promises alertness and energy when all you know is tired, sluggishness. I keep in mind that this component is crucial for me. That it has to be factored into my overall schedule. On long bike days when I use several gu's I need to skip the coffee and be sure to have non caffeine gu options. Both of which did not happen this past week. I believe my migraines are triggered by physical fitness and at about 100'-120' runs is when I can expect to have one. After successfully completing this effort level I don't seem to experience them. I need to be able to use caffeine to help knock out the pain when it does happen. So not only am I micro managing the caffeine I am looking at the big picture as well.
That is all for now. Will check back next week to share my test results.
Most of all I feel your re-entry pain. I remember those days coming back from the Peace Corps...I can remember just standing the in cereal aisle overwhelmed by choices...so many choices...I think that you can have cheesecake 1x a week....after all, you need to feel ALIVE too....maybe on Saturdays (or after your bigger sessions).
Dana + Cheesecake = Superhero Strength!!!
Thanks for the free pass on cheesecake but you forgot to take into account the my appetite increased and I was stuck at home with a sick child for 3 days. I am surprised anything survived my foraging, including said child.
^there's something I never imagined saying as a triathlon coach^
Sad news, my 11 y.o. daughter appears to have my inability to stay upright on a bike. We have matching road rash thanks to her most recent bike spill. Poor thing, at least I can commiserate. Thankfully it was not a bad accident just a small spill. She is ok.
The weather turned and it is downright cold here 72.5 with a high of 86 today. I forgot what fall felt like, it is beautiful! My husband and I went to the pool at 5 am. It was cold. The water felt nice after the first 150 yrds. From past experience I know it is only going to get harder and harder to get wet and then get warmed up once wet. My poor husband is clueless. Swim done, kids out the door to school so I got to running. Again, it was a celebration of the beautiful weather. I was loving my run, feeling strong making plans for the day (keeping my run times under 9min which is good for me). That is when I got the IM training humbleness smack down. I got smoked by a mom pushing a stroller. Um, ok...well she wasn't up at 5 am swimming. Nope, probably not. More than likely she was up for the 3rd time last night breastfeeding her 4th child, changing diapers, packing lunches and doing laundry. Yeah that is a bitter pill, get it down. I then decided, not to try to catch her, but to keep her in sight and that worked. Mom's kick ass. What to you think that stroller weighed, 35, 40 lbs.? Also, it sucks pushing one of those because you can't swing your arms. She looked haggard but she was killing it. Good for her!
So thank you once again for the lesson in humility IM training.
One more thing to report. I expect to receive my new TT bike this Wednesday. I will try to get a fitting on Thursday then it is ride, ride, ride. RR wk 15 is next week so just in time. I am so excited! I will be sure to take a pic for the bike porn catalogue before I ride and potentially wipe out. My new password: don't wipe out. That's a lot of numbers, have to think of something else.
I think your passcode should be the numeric equivalent of SSUDS. Shiny Side Up Dana Sutter!
As of Sunday afternoon: bags are packed with all the stuff, bikes are in route, the RR's are done. Mom's trip to watch the girls is scheduled and there are just a few details to cover such as food in the house for the visit & cleaning the house. I have been practicing my nutrition plan all along but I still took the time to write it out and do the math. Looks good but I anticipate that it will be hot so I will have to stay hydrated. What motivates me are my visions of the medical tent after IMTX. It was full of dehydrated peeps that looked so miserable. There will be hills on this course but I have very little experience on hills since IMTX is relatively flat; therefore, I see a longer bike ride which equals more time in the sun. There are administrative things that I expect to cause stress such as retrieving & testing my bike. Getting to and from the expo. My husband and I are both racing but we are not staying at the host hotel and our hotel is probably a mile away. We didn't rent a car so that means transportation issues. How many times will we need to go back and forth between our hotel and the expo? How much time will we end up on our legs when we should be resting them? It should be a fun experience trying to manage both our stress and anxiety. Without mentally preparation for the anxiety/anticipation mixture I fear there will be an epic emotional meltdown. That would not only be embarrassing but ugly as well, and nobody wants that.
Coach P. Congratulations! Well done. Yes I get to claim some of your awesomeness by association. I look forward to answering people when they ask if I train with a team. It is with great pride and confidence that I tell them about EN. I often receive reminders of just how much I have learned from you guys when I talk casually about Ironman distance races. I hope to make the team proud and do my best next Sunday. My bib number is 834 my husband, Chris, is 835.
I will check back when all is said and done.