I did a reasonably good job on all of this, and am back on accumulating healthy coping skill days. 6 in a row as of last night, so today is the one week mark. Thanks for all the support last week. It REALLY helped. I'm not kidding, checking in here was helpful and I might do it again.

M: 3.1 mi run AM; 4.3 mi run + 525 yd swim PM
T: 6.8 mi run + 575 yd swim
W: 3.5 mi run + 1325 yd swim
T: 4.5 mi run + 775 yd swim
F: 7.2 mi run + 1225 yd swim
S: 7.6 mi run + 925 yd swim
S: 40.5 mi bike

totals 5350 yd swim + 40.5 mi bike + 37 mi run

I had said over a month ago I was going to run the Marine Corps marathon; I deferred the entry a few weeks ago because it didn't seem smart to try to do that sort of training with the hip/glute niggle. It's taken me a bit to feel okay with that decision but I am in that place now, so there's my update about that. 2020 though ;-)

goals this week same as last, and be on day 13 next week!

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Thanks for getting us started Dr. Tigerchik, I am glad to hear your coping skills are back on track. We're here for you and I suspect many us both inherently sympathize and understand the value of accountability -- even when it's internet strangers ;)

I had a good week despite a work tornado. I'm still doing mostly unstructured sports:


I pool swam twice, swam two roughwater miles in the relay, casually rode my bike around Saturday, did yoga twice (!!!), and got in 5 runs (!!!) with 2 quality sessions -- my run mileage this week was mostly easy but highest I have on digital record and a dozen more miles than I usually average. I feel great and it's so encouraging.

More of the same this week but fewer miles because let's not get crazy.

Happy training, y'all!

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(Formerly SoCalTricurious, now in the PNW).

Good work on using your healthy coping skills Dr TC. Keep it up! SoCal - nice work on the run mileage; it's great that you're feeling great!

Last week was my first week back at swim/bike/run after my end of season break/holiday. I was hungry a lot and slept a lot but got it all done.
The plan for this week is remarkably similar:
M: Swim (done) + hard bike
T: Easy bike + easy run + strength
W: Swim + easy run
Th: easy bike + strength
F: swim + longer run
S: easy bike
S: rest

The big challenge last week was the two hour language class I had on Saturday. I was placed into the intermediate class but I could probably do with a beginner+ class instead (there isn't one). My learning so far has all been audio based so the reading and writing felt AWFUL. And I still need to listen to people talk at half speed to have a chance of understanding what they're on about.

Good luck Dr. TC - you've got this!

What language Scheherazade??

I ran for 25 min last night with no walking and no back pain!! Pretty excited about that - last week was filled with a lot of whining, drugs and exhaustion.

French.

A week ago, I went for exercise appropriately after a long time. I returned rapidly in my past form and truly appreciated. I need to keep up my body shape and need to strong. I understood exercise is extremely fundamental for our well being.

Happy Monday Ladies

Well.

I had a shit week. In a very, very literal sense.

Last Monday night the Mister and I went out for dinner, because there was no food in the house. Apparently that was on me, because I was gone all weekend for the CENTURY. So, dinner. 15 minutes into my meal and I knew what I was eating was no bueno. Something just didn't feel right. I kept eating, because carbo loading, right? Hahaha, a ha ha, oh fuck me.

I have spend the last six days beyond sick as hell. I spent 6 hours in the ER last night getting 2 liters of fluids and all kinds of drugs to keep things inside instead of having them forcefully eject themselves back outside. I started vomiting at 10am on Tuesday. My body went into full kamikaze mode. Needless to say, there was no IMMD. No tango with the sea of jellyfish on the swim, no crazy fight with the winds of Blackwater Preserve, and no sweltering laps through Chaos Corner. What do we say to the God of DNF? Next year's another year, motherfu&$er because I've already signed up and I'm coming for you, you piece of crap.

I am bummed. Not devastated, just moderately bummed that I literally have nothing to show for this crazy year and a half of training. That may be the exhaustion and starvation talking and I might wake up tomorrow and want to burn it all down. I have an incredible support team, which is helping tremendously, and I have a fun weekend in the Finger Lakes planned with a dozen of my rowdy, Health and Fitness-loving girlfriends at Wineglass, and I think that also has a lot to do with it. I have to realize that not all years are crazy breakthrough experiences and world-class highs like I had back in 2016 and 2017, and this was a very humbling year to bring me back to this mortal plane. That's not to say that I'm never going to chase after goals again because have you even met me?! Okay none of you have, but seriously, it won't happen.

This week's goal: ACTUALLY FINISH A DAMN RACE LOL

M- rest
Tu- 30min of moving
W- 30min of moving
Th- 30min of moving
F- rest
Sa- OWS in Keuka Lake!
Su- Wineglass Half Marathon

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Level II USAT Coach | Level 3 USAC Coach | NASM-CPT
Team Zoot | Tailwind Trailblazer
I can tell you why you're sick, I just can't write you an Rx

I am really proud of you! Here's to streaking!

Selfishly I am bummed you won't be running MCM. I dislike rainchecks for beverage meetups. You'll be back stronger for next year though!

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Level II USAT Coach | Level 3 USAC Coach | NASM-CPT
Team Zoot | Tailwind Trailblazer
I can tell you why you're sick, I just can't write you an Rx

ohhh I am still coming to DC, already bought the tickets. My cousin is running. We could even RUN together! thanks for the kind words (on both accounts)

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

OMG.
I'm so sorry.
You have a heck of a lot of fitness to show for this year, even if you didn't get to show it off on the race course.
I'd send (((hugs))) but I don't know if you're contagious?

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Oh I very much like this idea :) Yay for DC trip!

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Level II USAT Coach | Level 3 USAC Coach | NASM-CPT
Team Zoot | Tailwind Trailblazer
I can tell you why you're sick, I just can't write you an Rx

You're so sweet. Thank you. I do have to remember that I did a whole heck of a lot this year and overcame a bunch of setbacks to get here. It's definitely something to be proud of.

And I am accepting hugs. I am not contagious, thank goodness.

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Level II USAT Coach | Level 3 USAC Coach | NASM-CPT
Team Zoot | Tailwind Trailblazer
I can tell you why you're sick, I just can't write you an Rx

(((hugs))) galore then. Do you know what made you so ill?

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Happy Not-Monday!

Dr. TC, I hope the week has started off well for you and you're streaking along. Sometimes making the right decision is hard, especially if we still have hope for recovery. MCM will still be there next year, when you will undoubtedly kill it! I also appreciate having people to check in with, even when it's just a way for me to ground myself and remember that it's OK to have good days and bad days.

SoCal, I'm glad you're feeling good! You've been super busy and I don't know how you manage to fit it all in and keep going.

Scheherezade, welcome back to the real world! I don't envy you the French thing - I took 8 years of it in school and dropped it as soon as I could in favour of German. I find these days I can read well enough to understand the gist of what's going on, but that's about the sum total of my language remnants. Are you studying for a purpose, or for your own personal edification?

EBB, yay for no back pain! Whining, drugs and exhaustion doesn't sound like fun. I hope you continue to feel better.

Dr. C, I am so sorry for your literally shitty week. When you said "food poisoning", I didn't connect you meant the "my entire GI system went into nuclear meltdown" variety. (My poorly functioning GI system is empathetic.) I firmly believe you will be back to chase that goal next year, and in the meantime enjoy the heck out of the Finger Lakes.

Last week ended up being busy; mostly with work and band things. I wrote a Harassment and Discrimination policy (because people can't actually be trusted to keep their hands to themselves), and a Code of Conduct (because people can't put their phones away), both of which got completely pulled apart in the opposite ways than they did last time we reviewed them with the Board. Work was a lot of busy work, which took up lots of time but was mostly unsatisfying. I did manage to ride my bike in the beautiful crisp autumn air, but got nowhere towards being any less undertrainined for the half marathon coming up on Sunday.

Plan this week is to taper aggressively - ie. get plenty of sleep, since I'm not actually doing anything useful that looks like exercise. And not gouge my middle stepson's eyes out with a rusty spork, but that's a whole story unto itself.

Hugs for everyone - may it be a good week all round!

I started mainly so that I could at least communicate some basics during our trip to France last month. Now it's more about learning non-tourist French so that if we ever move to a bilingual or Francophone province (or retire to France to live my dream cycling around lol) I will have some decent language skills.

Hi, hi, hi everyone, hi,

TC--Day 6 woot! We're all cheering for you over here. I'm so proud of you for making a sound decision about the MCM.

Cupcake--I'm so sorry to hear your report. It really seems like life was throwing something at you this year. I have to say, though, that your weekly training reports are badass and to me you're doing some amazing things even without the actual races. More importantly, however, you're in the finger lakes?! Or you will be? That is so super duper close to me. I have a bunch of friends running in the Wineglass. I'll be, ironically I realize, in the DC area for a wedding this weekend, but have tubs of fun. I'm partial to Goose Watch's dry whites, but I ain't no sommelier.

SoCal--your reports of fun times are so lovely to read every week. It inspires me to do fun things too.

Scheherezade--good luck with the French! I tried to learn it, after learning German and Spanish. I basically spoke or understood most of the languages of France's surrounding countries (I can get by in Dutch because it's so close to German, etc.). French was a massive fail. Complete. I was just so confused. What I'm saying is, I shared your experience.

Go Edbikebabe! You're amazing!

UK2ME: sorry work sucks. Mine sucks too right now. Hugs.

I'm fine, but I've gotten some bad-ish news about my ankle. I rolled it when I was in England a few weeks back, and I heard some popping on the way down. It was bad but not that bad, so it took a while to get into the ortho. I sprained it, and I need a brace and PT. No running, and biking feels a little hazardous because I can only clip out very carefully, so it's just the trainer for me. I'm lucky that this happened after my big race and not before (hugs, Cupcake). I'm starting with the new coach next week and this is a complication that feels yucky.

I am slowly getting back into training. I think I made it to four workouts last week. Don't really have a plan because work sucks this week. It's just catch as catch can, which is fine at the moment as I have no immediate goals and a bum ankle.

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Formerly GiantNewb, but not such a newb anymore.

You know, I have been rolling this sentence over and over in my head all week. And today out of the blue I tried on a pair of jeans that I wore all the time pre-menopause, and THEY FREAKING FIT. I did the whole Ironman Red Carpet Finish Line Arm Raise Celebration(tm) in my closet and everything.

It's been a crazy terrible year for tangible metrics for me. But it's so important to remember that not all gains can be measured and displayed in Athlinks. It's taken over a year and a half to really get my menopausal stuff under control, and to find a new normal and find some happiness in what and why I do all of this. And I think I'm finally there, and that is a really freaking huge triumph. I didn't NEED another Ironman to validate that for me, and in some way this year has been like losing my grip on that magic feather, that need for PRs and finish lines and stuff, and working through it all in a different way. It'll be there for me to try again no matter what, and I will be excited to try again.

So, thanks for this in more ways than you can know. And be glad I entirely skipped over the "burn it all down" phase.

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Level II USAT Coach | Level 3 USAC Coach | NASM-CPT
Team Zoot | Tailwind Trailblazer
I can tell you why you're sick, I just can't write you an Rx

:-)

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD