Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Official Training Day Number 1

I'm so grateful for people who post "how to" stuff. No sense in re-inventing the wheel. The thought of doing and actually completing an event like a triathlon, no matter how long it is, is really cool. I can visualize the entire event taking place, plus all the cool extra gear I get to buy. It really is all about the gear. Once you've committed in your heart and your mind and you get past that visualization, there's the planning. How do I do this? There's three things I have to master to some degree. The first leg of the race - swimming (haha - I need help there. Promise to post pictures of me flailing in the deep end), the second - cycling (not an issue for me at all), and the third and final leg - running. When you think about it, it really is overwhelming, challenging but truly overwhelming.

So, the only way to do this is in small bites. Back to the wonderful folks that post "how to" stuff online. I found a site with a bunch of training modules. I chose the longest triathlon training module to give my body plenty of time to acclimate. After studying the printed module, I decided that maybe I should get the portion running under my belt before starting the full on triathlon training module.

Remember, I have some sports injuries that have prevented me from doing this stuff for a long time. Now with the left over scar tissue in my calf that aches and gives me problems here and there. Plus, I'm battling the mental scars from that - fear.

The training module for running is called "Couch to 5K". No, it really is called that. LOL. Well, that's where I'm coming from - the couch.

I tested out the first week of training over a period of three weeks and had no problem whatsoever. Cool! Right? Not! This weekend I decided to take a rest and prepare for the real deal this week. Everything was going smooth, till I bolted up screaming from a dead sleep. My right calf went into total spasm. Basically, the muscle ends up feeling hard as a tennis ball and it quivers like jello but it feels like it's going to tear. This is what's leftover from when I ruptured my right medial gastroc (calf muscle) in 2007. Needless to say, it sucked.

That spasm happened Sunday night! Today, I spent most of the day distracting myself so that I wouldn't psych myself out and quit.

I just want you all to know that I went out today and did a mile and a half faster then I've ever done.

I'm totally nervous that I'll have that spasm again tonight, but if I do, I'm not going to let it beat me down. Not anymore!

Heroes like Robyn Benincasa had both hips resurfaced and are still out there battling down the beast. Here's to you Robyn. You didn't quit and I'm not going to either. You inspire me!

PS: I didn't step in any dog shit while running in the park, but I think I got some bugs in my mouth. Yuk!


4 comments:

  1. Rub Traumeel homeopathy gel on it and take Traumeel tablets to stop the spasms (health food store)
    Also, i suggest you take at least 1000 mg of Cal/Mag after dinner so by bedtime it is doing one of it's jobs, which is alleviating spasms.
    YOU WILL DO THIS minus the pain! Minus the fear!!

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  2. I ate bugs today, too (and so did Slappy)!

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  3. LOL!! Sounds like everyone got extra protein today. And such yummy protein too, YUCK!!!

    Oh, and Shane, the cal/mag is a good idea, follow Cheryl's advice. It's actually what they had me give Jacob when he used to wake up screaming in the middle of the night with the same kind of calf pain. And it works.

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  4. Thanks Cheryl - I'm going to pick it up this week when I go and refill my protein mix at the chemist shop. Traumeel, Traumazal, Hasenfeffer Incorporated. Sounds like Laverne and Shirley.

    Re: the bug post, and we didn't even read each others blogs. We both cracked up later when we saw we wrote the same thing. Come to think of it, probably anybody in the park with a blog posted the same.

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