Well bloggers...

I DID IT!!
I swam one mile without stopping, it took me 46 minutes and 27 seconds. I felt great! Hopped on the bike and rode for 2 hours and 15 minutes. In that ride I visited Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, the Washington border, Rathdrum and Hayden. I had a protein bar with me I would eat intermittently, Gatorade and water as well. There were times on the bike I felt really fatigued but I found having some food did the trick. The hour run however was difficult!! The transition from bike to run was a struggle; I ended up walking for about ten minutes until my feet got back underneath me. Even then I was exhausted. I wish I would have had some sort gel or food to get some more carbs in me. I think that would have helped immensely. But I did it. I finished and other then being tired I feel great! It is such a wonderful feeling to know four weeks of training was leading up to this and I was there. So good to know I am where I need to be! Four weeks down, eight to go and I will be an Ironman!!!

15 days and counting

That’s all that is left until we put a bow on another a school year. This year I am looking forward to the conclusion of the year for different reasons than in years past. Typically the kids have drained me and I am ready for three months completely free. But this summer I am looking forward to really being able to devote my time to this training.Not that I am not already doing that. But, currently I feel like I throw it in where I can. If I have to cut my swim short to get back in time to shower and make it to work on time then that is what I have to do. I find myself looking forward to being able to really do my swim and bike back to back or making sure if it says a 500 meter swim I don’t just do a 400 because that is all I can fit in. I have seen and felt so many changes, I am a stronger swimmer faster runner…still hate the bike…but these changes have occurred and I have cut some corners, only when out of necessity. I can’t wait to see what God has in store when I am faithful to this program 100% of the time.
Though there is not much time for other hobbies - I am taking up sewing. I came across another blog www.rufflesandrosescrafts.blogspot.com and found a tank top on it that I really wanted to make! However, as I read the directions I discovered that in order to make it, one must first acquire a sewing machine. Well it was meant to be. On Saturday as Will enjoyed a home petting zoo bachelor party, Kelly, my mom and I hit the road for Wallace. I should mention from Wallace, Idaho to my front door is 53 mile. The bike in this Ironman bike is longer than that…oh perspective. We were so lucky to have an opportunity to collect some heirlooms from my great grandma’s house. I really made out. Some highlights included a bassinet (that will have held 5 generations), a rotary dial phone and a 1958 Singer Slant Needle sewing machine. Hopefully I will finish my tank this weekend at some point and will load some pictures.
Think good thoughts for me this Sunday as I attempt a 1750m swim, a 2:15 bike and an 1:00 run back to back to back.

# 383

In just over 2 weeks I am up 61 spots! Maybe by July 18th I will be in the event! I can't believe it has been a week since my last post. My goal was to try to post every other day. This training really does take over one's life.
This last week the training schedule has really stayed about the same. I was just looking at next week though and time and distances on each event start to climb. Not this weekend, but the next, I actually do all three events back to back to back. Can I say that is my first triathlon?
I have had some light-headedness and dizzy spells. I attribute them to nutrition so I will try to up my food intake a bit, and maybe try to get some more carbs in there. All this training sure makes dieting (or lack there of) fun! Really I do eat pretty healthily but don’t find myself feeling guilty at 8pm when I devour the chocolate doughnut Will surprised me with.
Other happenings in our household…20 days left of school. I took a summer job. We roasted smores in our backyard. Will is building me patio furniture. Finished the new Emily Giffin book, not my fave. And sunny walks with wine have resumed.
Please say a prayer for my SIL Katie who was admitted to the hospital today with a persistent kidney infection that won’t leave. Hopefully she will be out of there tomorrow and have smooth sailing for the remainder of this pregnancy.
I will leave you with this… One of my third graders comes back from the bathroom today and I notice he left his zipper down.
Me: Hey David you forgot to zip up your zipper.
David: No I didn’t.
Me: Look at it, its down.
David: I know. I didn’t forget, I knew it was down.
Me: Oh?? Well you are going to need to zip that. At school we can’t leave our zippers down.
David: But its broken, I broke it last week.
Me: Did you know this morning when you were putting those pants on the zipper was broken?
David: Yeah, I knowed. So did my mom and my brother.
Me: Ok well maybe we shouldn’t wear these pants anymore. Its not a good idea and kids may even tease you. We don’t want that do we?
David: No they won’t tease me, it won’t come out I tucked him in my underwear.

Challanges

I am enjoying this. Did I really just admit that? I enjoy knowing that after about a year maybe two but who is counting I have awakened! No more hibernation, no more excuses just exercise. Though small I like seeing my body respond, I like the feeling of always being hungry knowing my metabolism is going, I truly like the workouts.
However, that being said I am being tested! In the last couple of years when I was tested and tired of getting up at 5:30 I have had a very simple solution, I quit. I am determined to change that this time. Yesterday I was tested and I failed. My alarm went off at 5:30 I slowly got out of bed snuck out of the room and to the bathroom. I think I can. I think I can. I think I can. I repeat as I put one leg into my swimsuit. I think I can, in goes the other leg. I think…well forget this as my vintage suit breaks. The strap had finally broken. I try to tie it to the other strap as a short term solution. And it truly was short term as it tied it the other strap broke too. I think of my options and decided I will just run this afternoon. Back to bed I went. I was so angry all day. I was up, I was out of bed! Why did I get back into bed? I consoled myself by remembering I was running in the afternoon. Well the afternoon greeted me with some kind of headache. In my medical opinion I think this is some form of dehydration, but it was a doozie. I didn’t run. I have been guilt ridden by this. Normally I would shrug it off no big deal, this time it is different.
I did make myself get off the couch to go buy a new swim suit and this morning when the alarm went off I got up and went to the pool! I get there to find a sign on the door saying special programming in progress pool closed. My heart sunk! I turned and headed to leave just as I got to the exit door though I thought I better go see what that sign is all about. I walked in there looking for a special program nope, just a life guard. I asked her if the pool was closed she said no but nobody has been in here all morning, she was curious where everyone was. I explained it might have something to do with sign. Oh no she said as she looked to see last nights sign on the door.
I know I will have slip ups and days that don’t exactly adhere to the schedule but the true test is how I respond to those challenges. So tonight I am back on the bike (my least favorite event) but I am not letting my one day off track turn into another hibernation period! This is all part of my uphill course.

A Day Off!

REST DAY! Oh what a glorious thing this is. Well one week is done and only 11 more to go! Last week wrapped up with 1:20 run on Saturday, an hour swim on Sunday followed by a 2:30 bike ride. The good news is I was able to do everything this week. However, I find myself exhausted I could be in bed everyday by 7 and that wouldn’t be early enough. My legs are pretty fatigued but I am doing it! Our tickets are booked and last night at my parents we talked about some activities we will do while we are down there. I am getting very excited! I don’t think I have been on a vacation since our honeymoon!
In other news I am home today because I hade a personal day to use and the wind is crazy! I finally made it downstairs to find part of our fence had blown down. I make my way out to see the damage and it hit me…Georgia! She had decided to make a break for freedom. I jumped in my car drove around the neighborhood no GG so I headed for the main streets. Getting a laugh out of the thought she could easily be at the school down the road entertaining the students at recess, so I headed towards Atlas. As I make my down Honeysuckle towards the school I see in the review mirror GG the Fearless Aussie hot on my trail. I think about had I not been home today she would have had 3 more hours to explore Hayden until Will would home for lunch to notice she was gone.
Happy Monday!

My Own Michael Phelps~

5:15 – I realize immediately from the vibration of Keri's nightstand that this was an earlier wake-up time than I had anticipated. My night lying in bed watching reruns of Law and Order SVU was already cursing my ability to surprise Keri with my guest appearance in the pool this morning. Nonetheless, I dart out of bed, turn on the light and say encouraging morning pleasantries to Keri like "where the heck do we keep the beach towels in this house?" and "where are those professional lifeguard swimshorts Jeremy forgot at our house? I want to look the part today." We evidently don't own those beach towels and Keri says it's tacky and embarrassing to try to match the life guards when you don't even know how to swim - and I don't (still wore the shorts though).

We promptly dodge Georgia, the fearless Aussie who was evidently convinced that we got up early to play with her and her half-eaten mallard toy. Off we go, speeding towards the gym. The parking lot is packed, yet Keri manoeuvres us to an open spot and informs me we are there for business this morning. 92 laps in less than one hour. What did I volunteer for?

5:40 – we sprint inside and pay the 10 dollar day pass for me (seems a little steep; but any price is a steal in order to support my wife ;-)). As luck would have it, we are stuck in the kids pool again and have to share the only available lane left in the entire KROC Center. Poor Keri, with my skill-level, I would require two lanes to zig zag up and down the pool. Anywho, I stretch for 5 minutes and try to study the other swimmers for last-second techniques and pointers. Keri immerses herself in the water and begins to lightly tread, warming up.

5:42 – Keri darts off, swimming strongly and confidently, carving up water and working on her breathing and rhythm. I say a quick prayer that I don't drown or run into Keri or do both, and I'm off too. Just as an aside, despite Mom and Dad being licensed lifeguards, and the fact we Murphy children have always been strong in certain sports, somehow swimming, basketball and snow sports have always greatly eluded us. I quickly remember why. Despite matching the lifeguards in apparel (literally the same shorts), my form mostly resembles what a deer that had fallen into the deep end would resemble: knees, elbows and head bobbing, lunging more than gliding and probably consistently using 50% more energy than necessary to swim. I probably displaced more water in one lap than my graceful wife did all morning. While I swam in one direction resembling a water tornado, Keri strategically and artfully glides thru the water moving in the other direction. She - a thing of beauty, me - resembling an angry butcher trying to beat the water into submission.

I was promised that we would take periodic breaks. And after our first 15 or 20 laps, I stopped Keri and told her it must be getting close to 6:35; we should really think about getting out of the pool. Keri checked her watch and said, “Will, it isn’t 6 yet.” I should have known; time evidently stands still when you are swimming. Keri doesn’t ever quit something that she starts, and seemed to breeze through this morning’s workout without ever considering quitting a little early, much to my chagrin. However, I really admired that trait this morning. On the other side of the spectrum, I probably consumed 2 litres of chlorinated water by the time this morning was complete. I have to give it up to Keri and Julie – swimming for that long takes a lot of mental stamina and is a heck of a workout, and now you turn around and bike an hour and a half tonight??? I really respect that!

Regretfully, I wouldn’t say that my presence provided any pragmatic benefit to my beautiful wife, however I know how much it must ease the pain of this daunting task to have someone who cherishes her by her side. Hopefully that plus the Michael-Phelps-esque summersault-kick manoeuvre I showed her during our first break will be of later benefit. Only time will tell. Way to go Keri, you are an inspiration!

What a Kroc

We waited and waited to get a call back from CDA Athletic the gym both Will and I thought was a better fit for us. However, they thought differently and we never heard from them. So with no time left to spare (last night at 7:00pm) we officially became members of the Kroc Center (much like a YMCA). Lying in bed we discussed what an adventure this would be. Will brought up some interesting points such as the need for goggles (should get some), a swim cap (that would help), a swim suit (check). I knew somewhere buried in a drawer I had an old one piece so I dug. Oh boy did I ever have one. Interesting, no one talked to me at the gym...correlation??
I must say I do love the ability to hear the alarm go off and within 13 minutes I am jumping in the pool. But those 13 minutes had some eye opening moments. As we toured the facility on Sunday I tried to make it clear I would really only be using the pool and it would be between 5:30am and 6:30am. The very kind lady continued to assure me that is the best time to use their center. It is very "quiet" and "available”. Well at 5:42 when I pulled into the parking lot it was full! The pool packed. Oh silly sweet lady forgot to mention there is a swim team that works out there every morning! To the kiddy pool I went. It worked out great, though the pool is shorter. The lifeguard kept his eye on me and every time I looked up he was sorta giggling. I am still trying to figure out if it was the swimsuit, the lack of appropriate swimming gear, or just simply my inability to swim. I had myself convinced I probably looked pretty good…maybe not.
Two days in one run and swim down. I have a bike tonight and actually am looking forward to it. Now if the weather would cooperate.