Silk Sheets Ride Review

When I was talking to a friend about training for the Half Iron relay, specifically about the bike portion, she said "If you can do Silk Sheets, you'll tear up Augusta's bike route".  I totally nodded and feigned like I absolutely knew what she was talking about.  Silk Sheets?  What?

Then when Broken Pelvis and I started biking some serious distances, she sent me the map for Silk Sheets and remembering my conversation in the past about the Augusta bike route, I was eager to go.

Broken Pelvis, and another friend at the church with the red door

We met, with another friend, at "the church with the red door' off of Hwy 92/166 in Douglasville, across from the Texaco Station and saddled up.  There are many distance options.  There are 13 miles, 26 miles, 37 miles, 54 miles and 60 miles.  We chose the 26 mile Northern Extension loop as our first try.

We left the church and turned right onto Church Rd.  There is a short downhill until you stop and slight right onto Cochran Mill Rd.  This road has about a 10 mile climb.  It is good to get these hills out of the way early as I'd hate to see what I'd be like doing those hills at the end of my loop.  But my legs were burning and Broken Pelvis does not like the uphills every much.  She does enjoy screaming with joy on the downhills however. 

After the monster climb, we turned right onto Hutcherson Ferry Rd.  This is not as hilly as Cochran Mill Rd and I enjoyed the big downhill at the beginning, also laughing as Broken Pelvis screams her way to the bottom of the hills.  From there we turn right onto Rico Rd.  I was awfully tired of the hills at this point, my legs were feeling the rolling hills of this route I saw this huge hill looming in the distance.  I told Broken Pelvis that yes, we can do this just as she yelled "Rico Road - Right turn NOW!"

Rico Rd and Brandy Redwine Rd are very rolling although Brandy Redwine has a few big climbs.  Along these roads are some beautiful homes and lovely scenery for you to enjoy.  The people you pass are fun and cheerful and the day today was gorgeous for a bike ride.

There were a few turns (sorry, I lost my map during the ride) and then we ended up on Cochran Mill Rd. again where the monster climb we had at the beginning, well we could ride all the way down it now which was nice.  It was a nice recovery downhill and we covered some miles quicly.  Then it was back up to the church with the red door, a quick selfie and then home!

Some helpful points

* Beautiful ride, so scenic and picturesque.
* Be comfortable with traffic.  Early weekend mornings are best but if you panic at a car passing, this is not the route for you. There is no path, you are on the road with the cars.
* Be comfortable with hills.  Broken Pelvis and I had been doing the Silver Comet trail where there are lots of false flats.  There is nothing flat about Silk Sheets.  Nice and rolling but some tough and long climbs.
* Be SO careful crossing S. Fulton Pkwy.  The cars go very fast so make sure you take extra care.
* Donate money to the church parking so they continue to let cyclists park there.  It is a small kindness but we don't want it taken away.
* Signal your turns.  We all know passing cars are well motivated not to hit us but also make it easy for them so they know where you are going.  I saw TOO many people  not do this and I thought it was unkind and dangerous. 
* ENJOY the ride.  The hills can be arduous but look around every once in a while, there is pretty landscape all around you.

Here is my ride profile -

Chafing...Embarassing...but Treatable

No one likes chafing.  Even worse, no one really likes talking about chafing since it can often occur in undesirable places.  For me, it is on my thighs.

My body type is such that my hips and thighs don't quit.  I've tried to lose weight there (seriously, miles with Broken Pelvis - my biking partner - on our road bikes, miles more running, swimming, yoga...you name it but they still won't quit).  So when I do run it tends to chafe between the thighs.  Fabric rubbing on skin, skin rubbing on skin - it doesn't really matter.  After a long run I can almost guarantee chafing.

Using Vaseline before a run helps a lot.  It helps everything glide and it is pretty cheap and plentiful to come by.  If you are not using this on your chafing regions...why the heck not?

However, last week after a long run WITHOUT Vaseline (ok - don't judge me.  I know I just said it was necessary and then forgot to use it one day.  That's how I know it is necessary).  I had serious chafing and it really hurt.  Then I had to shower and go to the doctor for an annual exam.  Well, she saw it.  I became embarrassed because I know better but then she recommended something that I'd like to pass on to you - my readers (heh heh - like I have any right...hello?  Are you actually out there?)

She gave me Monistat 1 day treatment.  She said it is a gloopy, gloppy cream that is to treat yeast infections but can treat chafing too.  Skeptical, but also in pain, I thought I'd try it.  I used it right before bed and woke up with it remarkably better.  The rest of the following day I alternated between the yeast cream and Gold Bond cream.  And it certainly works for me.

For those boys out there, I've also heard that Lotrimin is also great for chafing.  It can be embarrassing I am sure for guys to buy yeast cream.  Although it may not be an amazing experience to buy jock itch cream either but I am sure you'd get over it if the chafing was bad enough.

Here is a link for good home remedies for chafing. 

So if you have a chafing remedy or prevention technique, why not share it in the comments section.  Chafing is embarrassing, painful, but preventable and treatable.  Do you have something that works for you?

The Diet

I struggle with my diet a lot.  Partly because the husband, Senor Honesty, LOVES to eat out.  He grew up a little lower class and going out to eat was always considered a luxury.  He's worked very hard to get a great job and provide for our family - and he believes we can afford to go out and eat so we should. 

When I was heavy and sad all the time my diet didn't even occur to me.  I used to eat marshmallows for breakfast - Ok don't judge me, I already said I was unhappy most of the time.  I know there is zero nutritional value in marshmallows but I didn't care. 

I do fight with my diet even when I self-regulate.  I moved from marshmallows to bagels with peanut butter.  Ok, more healthy than marshmallows so I do get some credit ok?  But I also know I had more work to do. 

I work out in the mornings, as I discussed because of the Georgia heat.  So by the time a regular breakfast came about, I was starving.  I typically have to eat 2 breakfasts.  One before I leave the house after a workout and one close to when the students come so I can make it to my 1pm allotted lunch time 

So I really needed to get my diet sorted out.  I am a big reader of swim bike mom, if you do not follow her, please do.  She has a frequent poster who is a dietician and that's really helped me, to see other people not only working out in the same fashion as I am, but struggling with their diets so they don't flop around 10am because they students have simply worn me out.  I am on my feet all day so that is adds to my floppiness (is that a word?)

Anyway I am proud to say my breakfasts have matured to hardboiled eggs, bananas, turkey sausage, yogurt, and oatmeal.  Obviously not all at once but nice little mixing and matching there.  Lunches still allude me.  I only get 20 minutes for lunch each day so lunch will have to be something that is quick and can get me through the rest of the day.  My snacks are now veggies and either hummus or ranch dressing.  Rarely do I eat chips but when I do they are 100% multigrain. 

SO - I am definitely making progress.  I haven't had marshmallows for breakfast in years and I can look back on it with disgust.  But when you are  heavy and unhappy you tend to eat things that make you feel happy - you think 'I'm fat anyway, what's this going to do'. 

All of these implementations have happened this summer so the real test is when the school year starts and I can judge my floppiness - that is my new word, I just love it.

Floppiness. 

10 Miles...UGH!

Some days I have amazing runs where I am like a gazelle.  Some days I feel like I have lead in my feet and just couldn't make my legs move forward.

Today was one of those days.

Today was my long run of 10 miles as I am in training for my September half marathon... First the Diva half marathon and then the half marathon as part of the half Ironman.  Here is what went through my mind:

Mile 1
WOW I feel really good, I'm totally going to PR this run.

Mile 2
Why does my back hurt?  Suck it up, push those negative thoughts away.

Mile 3
That felt like a really fast mile.

Mile 4
Whew, let's walk a tick, I'm having a great run let's walk it out for a minute.

Mile 5
Ok, back still hurts, walk so we don't get injured.

Mile 6 *checks Garmin*
Ugh, I'm slow, I need to pick this up.

Mile 7
Can't. Move. My Feet.  *wheeze*

Mile 8
Ugh.  I'm already slow, might as well walk and then tear through mile 9 and 10.

Mile 9
How am I not further along, I feel like I've been running for 4 hours.

Mile 10
THANK sweet baby Jesus in his heavenly manger I am finished. 

I was almost a full 40 sec/mile slower than I usually am and I was so exhausted and cranky and tired and every other adjective that means the same thing.  I have no idea why some runs are great and some are terrible.  I try and keep my diet consistent and my sleep patterns solid (I do like my sleep) so it really could be a slight variation in my routine that leads to a bad run day.

We all have them but they don't define us as runners.  I am not a fast runner but I also don't need to walk as much as I did on this run.  I can do better and plan to use this run to motivate myself next week when I do my next long run.   

It's Not About the Time ...

I've mentioned this a few times already but I have really low self esteem.  I've tried to fight it, I've really worked to overcome it, but I just can't. So now I own it.  Yeah, I got low self-esteem - YAY!

Let me tell you about our cyclist (as I am learning, bikers ride Harley's, cyclists ride bikes) she is utterly amazing - which by the way does not help my self esteem.  She is tall, gorgeous, super smart, inspirational, magnificent, hilarious, and excels in just about everything she does.  Oh she wants to run a marathon - killed it in about 4 months.  We go biking to master hills, I'm struggling to catch up to her and she is at the top of the hill touching up her hair and make-up.  Essentially, when I grow up, I want to be like her. I've nicknamed her 'Fashionista" Here she is:

So, a phenomenal person, a great biker (she KILLED it last year), and an amazing friend. 

Anyway - this had lead me to really worry about my relay this year because I'm doing the swimming AND the running.  Running - I am SO slow!  But I try and I try really hard. 

I had a conversation with my relay buddy and told her my woes.  She told me not to worry about it as long as I finished.  Then I found this picture

This picture made me feel better.  YES - focus on the finish, on the journey that we did together, not about the times.  So what if we come in last (I'm pretty sure we did last year but there was the broken pelvis), we finished and we completed another amazing journey

The Overtraining Game

Overtraining is real - Gym rats may disagree but it is real for a triathlete and I learned the hard way.  Right when I got done regular school for the year I threw myself into training.  My schedule looked like this:

Monday - Long bike ride
Tuesday - Long Swim
Wednesday - Long Run
Thursday - Brick - short run, short bike
Friday - Hills
Saturday - Short swim
Sunday - muscle work, walk, yoga

The first symptom of overtraining I felt was lack of motivation.  I used to love getting up and putting in a long ride with my biking partner (the one of the half Iron broken pelvis).  But I found myself almost dreading it.  Next I found my muscles being SO sore after workouts, much more than normal.  I excused my lack of sleep to this muscle pain but it was actually another symptom of overtraining.  My times then suffered as I started to actually lose speed and endurance.  And then, my already low self-esteem began to fall.  So I consulted my sages of wisdom, my IronFamily (sister, BIL, best friend, good friend) and they all agreed I was overtraining.  Now, this schedule may be fine for someone who is seasoned or had been training for a long time but I jumped into this schedule and found myself suffering the effects.



Overtraining is real.  So I read articles on it, created a wordsplash, and then decided on a rest week.  The rest week, according to my IronFamily, didn't need to be a full week of nothing, just tone it down a little.  So I did and I felt better, slept better and my times came back up.  So now I take two rest days a week and stagger my long workouts - Seriously, why was bulking them all up in the first of the week a great idea?!?! 

So to recap - Don't OVERTRAIN!  It really really STINKS - but is avoidable and treatable.  Be aware of your body and how you are feeling so if you feel changes, you can understand what it means. 

The Rest Day

Before I really started training I did not believe in this.  I really thought that in order to get better, you must do it and do it again and then do it again.  I could rest between workouts - as in I get up early Monday morning to run, then run again Tuesday afternoon.  I'd have a whole day to 'rest'.  Yup, that didn't work.  So I've really tried to stick with the rest days that are built into my training schedule.  Not only does it help the muscles, but it helps to prevent overtraining - which I learned the hard way is a real thing. 

Yesterday was a rest day for me and I took advantage of it.  In Georgia in the summer - well it gets hot.  So I try to get up early for my runs before the sun comes up.  If you do this too, please make sure you are well marked - meaning, are you glowing or blinking?  Are you wearing reflectors?  Are your headphones WAY down so you can  hear cars or prowlers or creepy people lurking in bushes?  Are you running in well lit places?  Are you running in known neighbourhoods?  If yes, good on ya!  If no...well why not?

Anyway - since I get up early before the sun comes up, on my rest day I was so loving sleeping in.  I drove my  husband to work and then you know what?  I went back to bed!  Then I  had a nap around noon!  I was surprised at how much I was sleeping as obviously in the busy school year I cannot take 2 naps a day - although the Department of Education should really research that.  But then I realized something, maybe my body needs it.  Being a triathlete you really put your body through a pounding.  The rest days are not only for your body, but I think for your mind too.  It is nice to know that I don't have to get in the pool for a hour, or haul up hills on my bike, or pound the pavement for 6 miles. 

So take those rest days.  It will be hard at first, you'll almost feel jittery.  But remember, rest days are as crucial to your training as the 4 mile speed work you did the day before. 

Blue Seventy Gear Review

Now a good gear review is only as good as the objectiveness of the reviewer.  In this case it is impossible to be objective because much of this gear, to be effective, must fit so specifically to one's body type.  Therefore what I find good/bad about the gear, you may find differently.  But hey...nothing like a good review right?

Swim Cap

In post 2 you read that I was given a Blue Seventy TTF (Toronto Triathlon Festival) swim cap from my uber Iron BIL.  He gave it to me about a year ago (still not sure why, it was like "hey do you want this?" and I said "OK") and I LOVE it!  First I love the colour but that has nothing to do with Blue Seventy.  Orange is my new colour.  Secondly, I love that it has not lost its shape in the months I've worn it.  There is no annoying bulge at the back where my ponytail gets tucked into the cap, the edges are not stretched or distorted from months of stretching to put them on my fat head, and the seal is still good.  So:

Pros
The colour - my friends can spot me in the pool when we meet for our workouts.
The shape - long lasting, not stretched
Durability - no annoying bulge.

Cons
Well, there aren't any  :)

Trisuit

I went with the Blue Seventy trisuit after the success with the swim cap.  I had a Nike Trisuit that I really enjoyed because it fit my unique body type.  See, I'm a 6'0" female with a little waist but big hips and a booty to match that no amount of eating right, biking, running or, yes, swimming, seems to diminish.  So instead of trying to rid myself of it, I own it.  Anyway, as a result of my body type it is hard to find suits that fit properly.  I bought the Blue Seventy trisuit from Swim Outlet (LOVE Swim Outlet) and judging by the size chart it was supposed to fit.  I got it in the mail and tried it on immediately.  There is no built in bra which was new to me but apparently my cup size did not require one.  There are two pockets on the back.  The chamois is pronounced which is good for the bike portion as it will help the Queen.  There are, on the inside of each leg, Blue Seventy grippies that help your suit stay put.  The zipper sucks in the girls - which I guess is why I don't need a bra?!?   However, and not sure if this is a result of MY body type or a flaw in the suit, the back of the suit from the tailbone down is see through.  I didn't notice when I tried it on and my poor biking partner had to tell me.  She got a great view as I was out of my saddle trying to get up a particularly difficult hill.  Weird thing, the front is NOT see through *shrugs shoulders*.  Again, not sure why.  I've read on the reviews that the material in this suit is super light weight which is great in the Georgia heat.  Am I supposed to wear padded shorts under the suit?  Is it just stretched thin due to my body type?  I solved the problem by wearing bikini bottoms under my suit when I swim and padded shorts when I ride, but not sure how I would solve this problem if I was in an actual race.  Wear shorts?    So anyway:

Pros
2 pockets - great positioning for easy grabbing.
Light weight material
Chamois is much more prominent than in my other suits (and the Queen thanks you Blue Seventy)
Blue Seventy Leg Grippies - keeps the suit in place.

Cons
No built in bra - but I am getting used to the zipper sucking everything in and it seems OK actually.
See through bottom - again, might be my own damn fault for having curves that don't quit...and I've tried to get them to quit..anyway...

Reaction Wetsuit

In the half Iron relay last year, I was the only one without a wet suit.  I honestly didn't even think about buying one for a single race.  Talking to the other girls in my wave, they had gotten used wetsuits off of craigslist or from friends.  So going into this season I decided to get a wetsuit off of craigslist.  I found one, a 2009 Reaction wetsuit only worn four times.  The problem was that I couldn't really try it on before I bought it.  How do you try on a wet suit you are buying from a stranger in the Silver Comet parking lot?  "Hey, I'm going to go in my car and try to get this huge mass of rubber on to my body while it is 96F outside, can you hold on a tick?"  But the sizing guide said it should fit so I bought it.  A few days later I decided to drive up to  Lake Allatoona and give it a try.  I spent many hours (ok - might have been days) figuring out how to put it on.  When I got to the lake I was pretty proficient at getting that giant rubbery suit on my curvy body.  It went all the way up in the legs and the arms and I trudged into the late.  I felt fast, but also felt slow.  My left shoulder got really tired quickly, but I am not sure if that was a result of the suit, me putting the suit on wrong, or just my shoulder got tired.  But I  managed 0.5 miles in about 20 minutes.  So:

Pros
Really tight - which is what it is supposed to be so little water gets in
Does not choke - neck fits well but does not pull on the neck
No chaffing around the neck - even without the use of lube or gels
Cost - can't go wrong with $55.  So if you are new to the Tri gig, get a used suit first.
Solid zipper - excellent for the amount of tugging I do to get it up

Cons
Some suits have a little place to tuck the zipper strap in to at the back - this one does not
Tired shoulder - again, not confident this was a result of the suit as the right one did not tire
Made for Men - due to my curvy figure, there is some space between the suit and the small of my back that fills with water.  Just the nature of only fitting into a men's suit.

In the end, when buying any gear, do your research.  I know my body pretty well (we've gotten to know each other as I've tried to lose weight) so I am confident when I buy something online but really, you should try something on before you buy it.  That is why I like Swim Outlet - they allow really easy returns.  Buying the wetsuit online was a gamble but so far so good.  But either way, if you are dedicated to spending the money, make your money go as far as you can by buying something that fits properly. 

Splash and Dash

The first and last legs of a triathlon.  Swim and run.  I've been swimming since I was six years old.  I am not sure why I started but I became a proficient swimmer.  I swam for my school growing up but abandoned it until my friend asked me to be the swimmer in the Iron relay she wanted to do.  I asked my triathlete sister to which she replied "you can do that shit in your sleep".  See - she swam with me growing up and I think she stayed with it longer than I did because getting back into the pool after almost a decade of not going in one...well, I panicked.  The body is not used to being submerged and will panic if it thinks it cannot breath.  Well, you can't breath underwater so the panic was natural.  But I stuck it out, I think I actually worried a life guard but I managed to put in about 20 minutes before I got out and got dry.  But I stuck with it.  Even after my first open water swim where I cried on my husband's shoulder and said "I can't, I can't do this, I was stupid to think I could".  Knowing we had already registered for the race, paid the fees and having two other people counting on me, my honest husband (see post #1) replied "well baby, you have to".  And again, he was right.  I am many things.  Grossly insecure is one of them but I am also very true to my word and he knew if I said I was going to do something, come hell or high water I was going to see it through.  And I did - 29:47 was my time for 1.2 miles of swimming.  Now I am preparing for this years' half Iron relay.  I think I have an ear infection (not confirmed but I know what it feels like) and I went today anyway.  I hammered out 0.85 miles in the pool and came home to take a nap (I love having summers off).  Swimming is not easy, especially 1.2 miles of it.  Water is over 800 times denser than air.  Which is why it is the shortest leg of the triathlon.  And the most badass - if you ask me  :)

I've become partial to Blue Seventy brand of swim apparel.  My super triathlete Brother-in-Law (BIL) gave me a TTF swimcap that was produced by Blue Seventy and I think that is where my love affair started.  That swimcap has been through the ringer and has not torn or lost its shape.  So I bought a Blue Seventy tri-suit and wetsuit.  I bought the wetsuit used so that is yet to be seen (will review after my first open water swim in it). 

The dash - the run.  The last leg of a triathlon.  Last year during our relay, our runner got bitten by the triathlete bug and set goals to do the whole half Iron solo the next year.  She ran a spectacular half marathon during our relay...considering she broke her pelvis on mile 3 of the race. Yup, a lesser woman would have dropped out but not her, she sucked it up and ran 10 miles on a broken pelvis.  Now PTL it wasn't serious but she earned mad respect from many people on that course that day.  But as a result (not of her broken pelvis but of her goal setting) we were out a runner for this year's relay.  So yup, it was a great idea for me to volunteer to do the swim and the run.  Yup.  Fantastic. Awesome.  *shakes head* what did I really do?  I really just signed up for the swim and the run right?  So now I am training for two sports instead of one.  Which means lots of brick workouts.

I did a brick today.  I did 2.5 miles of running speed work and then my 0.85 miles of swim.  With an ear infection no less.  I have this mentality that no matter how I am feeling I go out and just get it done because this little voice in me says "what if you have _______ on race day, you need to just deal with it".  So this morning I thought "what if I have an ear infection on race day?  I need to just deal with it".  So I dealt with it.  That mentality has helped me get through many a tough workout.  Focus on race day.  Most of training is mental and a good way to get over it is to put yourself in tough situations and sort it out.  Like - you have the flu on race day?  Well you had the flu back in '09 when you ran that half marathon so you can do this now.  That has helped me, but it has also made me crazy.

Although I am not sure the broken pelvis thing could have been sorted out.  If you are injured (and not hurt, there is a difference) then you need to stop.  But she, like me, didn't want to let anyone down so she sucked it up and ran 10 miles.

This is me looking stoic at the pool in my TTF Blue Seventy cap and Blue Seventy tri-suit and Speedo Goggles.  Actually, I took this picture to send to my friend who was supposed to join me but bailed on me - I tried to guilt her, it didn't work and I just end up looking a bit like a swamp monster here. 

Blogging? Seriously? Why?

I haven't really told anyone that I am doing a blog.  Mostly because I don't think anyone would read it and if they did, they probably wouldn't like it, or laugh at my jokes, and they might make fun of it.  But I thought I might need an outlet for what I'm trying to do.

And what is that exactly?

Honestly, I don't really know.  I started running about five years ago because I became unhealthy and overweight.  My husband actually brought it up to me.  I tell the story and everyone is shocked that he would approach his wife about her weight.  But honestly, it needed to happen.  I was unhappy and fat and sad a lot of the time.  He started running with me and I struggled to run to the stop sign and back.  He is in better shape that I am so I am sure it was laughable watching him literally walk behind me as I tried to 'run' to the stop sign and back. 

About two years ago I witnessed my amazing sister and best friend of thirty-years complete a half Ironman.  It was am amazing feat that I was proud to witness.  I felt tears well up in my eyes when they came down the chute towards the finish line and something clicked in me.  I didn't need to be running my miniscule distances that I had been in an attempt to call myself a 'runner'.  See I had convinced myself that running 1.6 miles three days a week made me a 'runner'.  Seeing them complete this half Iron woke me up a bit.  So I literally took off.

My husband had tried to motivate me by telling me he'd take me out for a 'special dinner' if I could run to the gas station and back.  A whopping two miles in total.  I struggled and fought and cried and I couldn't make.  Until after the half Iron.  My first run after that was three miles and since then I've just kept going. 

So in the past two years since I kicked up  my running I've completed six 5Ks, one 5 miler, four 10Ks, one 15K, two half marathons, two sprint triathlons, and completed the swim portion of a half Iron relay. 

So, in a nut shell, I am an overly stressed teacher with summers off (but honestly, we rarely take them 'off'), I am proudly Canadian but currently live in the great state of Georgia with my overly honest husband (no, no kids - long story for another blog), and I'm trying to figure out what's next in my life.  Here is a picture of me finding the world hilarious:

Oh, and the title of this blog?  "Splash" - for the swim of a triathlon.  I've been swimming for thirty years and completed the 1.2 miles of the half Iron swim in 29:47 (a accomplishment that I am SO proud of and even have a poster with my time on it in my classroom).  "Flash" - for the speeds you can, and should, get up to on the bike portion.  I've only just started biking recently but I love the freedom it provides.  "Dash" - for the run obviously.  I'm a terribly slow runner but I have to keep telling myself that a 6 min/mile or a 16 min/mile - I still ran a mile.