Random updates

I'm 14 weeks away from IM Canada. 3.5 months are going to fly fast. We started training officially since Jan 30. People asked me all the time how my training has been. I always said it's going fine. I like the training schedule. Every 3 weeks I do get a break. One recovery weekend made a big difference. It's recovery but we still ride 40-45 and run 8 on Sat and Sun. But it's a lot less compared to 65-70 bike ride and 14-16 run. I don't have big stories to tell but here are some updates on my training:

Tumble
I rode Up the Creek without a Pedal last weekend. It was a 60 mile ride but we added a 5 mile loop that  equates to Baby Wolfpen gap. Steep climb and technical decent. One mile from the finish, I looked on the ground and when I looked up, the guy in front of me, seemed so close and I panicked. I tried to unclip my left foot and break at the same time. Next second I felt a bump on my head and shoulder, and then I found myself on the ground laying on my right side. I went over the handle bar. This was the first time for me. I heard a guy asked me 3 times if I were okay. I couldn't respond since I was still in shock. Finally I said okay and got up and rode to the finish. I asked somebody if I really flipped over, and yes I did. It happened so fast. When I got up, I remembered checking my Garmin and water bottle, and they were still there. I had a headache but not nauseous. I scraped the top of my left shoulder a bit. I had two big bruises on my left thigh from the elbow pad and handle bar. I'm so thankful that I was okay. No broken bones or sprained muscle/ ligament. God protected me from getting injured.

Not sure why the bike is missing the front wheel, but you got the idea.

Nutrition
I have been trying different shots and solid. I'm down with EFS drink but not sure if I wanted gel or EFS liquid shot. I tried Nutter Butter but felt not 100% sure about it. Yesteday we rode 70 miles and I tried something different. I bought Kona Mocha EFS Liquid Shot. I wasn't sure if I like the flavor so I bought a single serve bottle. All EFS Liquid Shot is super sweet. I tried the wild berry and vanilla flavors. So, I mixed half of the small bottle (200 cals) with 20 oz of water. It tastes like Mocha Cappuccino. Awesome.

For the solid food, I bought Apple Pie Bonk Breaker. I heard about this product and saw this I went to All 3 Sports. When they rang it, holy cow one bar was almost $3. But the guy said Apple Pie tasted really good and it was his fave. I still bought it because it would make my 70 mile ride a little bit more exciting. Believe me, when you train that long, sometimes trying one new thing can put you in a better mood.

I tried it and it tasted so good. The texture was great. It wasn't too gooey like Lara bar and not dry like cookies or crackers. It was in between. They have PB and Jelly flavor. I'm going to get a box of 12, which was cheaper than buying a single bar.

Big Run
Up until Rev3, the longest mileage I ran was 14. Today was 16. Mary said to run at 10 minute pace. That was pretty slow. At first I thought it was really slow. But when I started running this morning, I was so glad that she didn't ask me to run 9:20 pace. Because apparently after yesterday's 70 mile ride, my legs were tirrrredddd. Enough said. I went to Riverside Park to Eves to Martins Landing and back to the park. That loop was 9.75 mile. I was back on Riverside again and ran the remaining miles. My pace was 9:45. Not bad considering it was pretty hilly.

Yoga
On Wednesday, I went to the yoga class at the office's gym. I was so glad I went. My hamstrings and back needed a lot of love and stretching. I'm going to do this every week. I think once a week will make a big difference. It's not on the training schedule but it was so worth it. And the best of all, it's free.

I can also bend over at my waist and put my entire palm underneath my feet

Sleep
I think I'm worse than a grandma. I try to sleep 8-8.5 hours a night. Since I'm usually up by 4.30-4.45AM, that means I go to bed at 8PM. I know that's early but I feel great in the morning after an 8 hour sleep. Chloe, my dog, is a little confused why I'm in my bed when it's still light outside. Just wait, Chlo.... it's going to get worse from here.

Sleep like a baby after a long workout

Racing season
I love following pro's, my friends or people that I don't really know but they're friends of a friend, when they race. Thanks for Ironman Live. It's exciting to see their progress. Sometimes, I wondered if they suffered at the time or held on their race pace. Everybody that toed on the start lines had a story to tell, a lot of sacrifices had been made. They all came with expectation to race well. So inspiring.

I hope this is not the swim start in IM Canada