I'M IN!!! IMLP 2011

Well, I did it! So excited...now only a year to go and lots of training. :)

I am pumped!

Tour finished today, IMLP, ITU World Champ series in London...

I am ready to register for IMLP tomorrow and for Calgary 70.3 next Sunday!! PUMPED PUMPED PUMPED! :)

I love this commercial: Played on Versus during the Tour:

Whether or not you win this thing, you’ve got to decide how you’re gonna walk out of here when it’s all said and done because the game is going to go on. And there’s only one rule you’re going to need to know about:

There are no second chances.

There is only this moment and the next moment. Every one of those moments is a test that you get to take one time – and only one time.

So, if you see an opening – tear into it! If you get a shot at victory, make damn sure you take it! Seize that moment. That moment is a crossroads where everything you want will collide with everything standing in your way.

You’ve got momentum at your back. Fear and doubt are thundering like a freight train straight at you. And all you’ve got, the only difference between making history and being history, the only thing – THE ONLY THING – you can count on at any given moment is YOU.

It’s You versus Them.
You versus No.
You versus Can’t.
It’s You versus Next Year. Last Year. Statistics. Excuses.
You versus History.
You versus The Odds.
You versus 2nd Place.

The clock is ticking – let’s see what you’ve got.

Ready, set, go. :)

Also. Me + My Andy jersey! I'm kind of glowy. This is post ride.

Jersey TWINS!! Me + Andy Schleck :)

Andy and I are jersey twins now!!! YAY!! My Team Saxo Bank Luxembourg Champions jersey came yesterday in the mail from Denmark! I am quite impressed with international shipping from Denmark...those Danes must be quite efficent...:) I wore it for my ride last night and wore it this morning to watch Andy kick some butt on the Col de Tourmalet. Pictures will happen at some point. Haha. I'm too lazy right now.

Watched the Tour stage today! I was shaking for pretty much the entire last half as soon as the climb on Col de Tourmalet started. So proud of Andy! I feel like he left himself out on the mountain and must give Alberto some credit (although it vexes me to do so) that he did not give Andy any breathing room and also left himself out on the mountain. Haha. Maybe tomorrow Andy can just throw something random out there and make some sort of breakaway attempt?? I can only hope...and then yell at him all Saturday morning in the time trial and cross my fingers that he puts in the time trial attempt of his life.

Woke up at 330am to watch the stage today and am now paying for it. I will probably go for an easy swim/bike after dinner tonight and then hitting the sack I think. Yesterday was pretty brutal for my swim/bike/run sessions. Legs are not impressed with me for some reason (prob has something to do with the run from the weekend and the start of taper).

Easy work day in the lab tomorrow and have swim/run planned. Crescendo part of taper!

4 more days till IMLP sign up! Ahhh!

It's TAPER time! AS Murmur style...

Yay for TAPER!

Well the beginning of taper anyways. Have a bit of volume this weekend, but I am going for a crescendo--decrescendo type taper (yes, I am a dork and just described my taper as crescendo--decrescendo--thank you med school...I just compared my taper to an aortic stenosis murmur...)

Took a break yesterday because I was feeling fairly tired. Tonight I just have a 25km ride planned. I just ate, so I need to chill my stomach out a bit.

So hungry...ate way too much since lunch...noooo snacking tonight. Need to be responsible and not eat an elephant a day.

Woke up at 4am to watch the Tour...nothing really happened. Good to see Lance in a breakaway. I guess it is all going to come down to Col de Tourmalet on Thursday...GO ANDY GO!!!!

My nervous system is crying inside...

Well 21km run in the books this morning. Listened to some pretty saweet music, including the previously mentioned "Revolver" even though there was nothing revolving about today's run. Wasn't particularly fast, but it was pretty warm out and there was a strong headwind on the way back.

Post run activities were not particularly exciting. I had to de-nauseaify (yes, I have created a new term, one day it will be put in place of the word "anti-emetic" in clinical practice, just wait...) by lying down on the floor for some time and then lying in bed for a bit nibbling on some crackers. Stomach not happy. Had a shower and realised that I was pretty wobbly and my leg muscles kept threatening to cramp up on me. Nervous system not happy. Stomach unhappy + nervous system unhappy=pretty wicked awesome times (****super sarcastic for those unable to determine whether I was actually having the time of my life having nausea and muscle cramping and wobbliness all at the same time). Why I was like this? Who knows? Body is angry...tired...hungry...adjective of your choice that does not describe happiness. Haha. My nervous system definately got the worse end of the bargain as it is still crying inside--the nausea has subsided. I have got the compression tights on now and am letting them infuse their magic into my legs. Yes, my compression tights do have the ability to infuse magic into my legs. Don't question it.

Went grocery shopping which can be an adventure at the best of times...I am awesome and zoned out a few times while wandering around the fruit and vegtable section...and then the dairy section...and then the bread and dip section...I didn't run into anyone with my shopping cart though! **WINNER**

Have a 25-30km ride planned for this evening post salt infused dinner (infused is a word of the day apparently). Gonna take it easy on my legs and recover during this ride.

2 weeks out from the Calgary 70.3!!! 1 week out from Ironman Lake Placid sign up!!!

Tomorrow is a HUGE stage at the TOUR!!! GO ANDY GO!!! :)

Self Elected Rest Day

Feeling a little tired and my hip is sore from last night's run. Just want to sleeeeeepppp..

Went to physio today. Have some new stability exercises to do. Hopefully these + stretching will help.

Hopefully tomorrow will be an amazing Tour stage!!!

GO ANDY GO!!

Revolver=Best set in the whole wide world

So...revolver.

The story behind this one: I went swimming last night (even though I didn't *really* want to and just wanted to lie around and read)...anyways. Started my main set after 1500m warm up. 8x100 as:

3x100 rotate fast 25 front to back
100 fast
3x100 rotate fast 25 back to front
100 fast

Well I was listening to my ipod and "Revolver" by Madonna and David Guetta came on...so I named the set Revolver. I know...funny...

I also went 116 and 115 for to 2 100's which is pretty darn good.

---------------------------

Feeling really fatigued even though I have been getting some good workouts in. I am definately sleeping enough (?) as I am getting 8-9hrs a night. Just worn down I think at this point? TAPER time soon!! Please, please make taper come faster!!

Need to go for a run tonight...trying to gain motivation to do so...maybe I'll do a bit of a fartlek to keep myself going...around 12km to run tonight. Going to go for a lie down and read a bit.

YAWN

To my brother: My guy is winning the TOUR!!

It is now official! My guy is winning the TOUR now!! Nananananananananana to my brother.

Feeling pretty tired from the weekend still. Only ran 5km yesterday and have a short 20km ride planned today. Need to stretch my glut out as well. I have not defeated it yet.

My alarm clock failed to go off this morning and I almost missed the Tour stage...it was close...but I ended up waking up with about 30-35km left in the stage. Too bad they were pretty much already finished the Col de Madeline climb...oh wells.

Attempting to plan a trip to Vegas! :) Hopefully my friends can get time off work!

Andy winning a Stage=Melissa running fast?

So...just fantastic stage win today for Andy Schleck! AMAZING!!! Haha.

I was so pumped (and determined to not fall like last time), started out a bit stiff but really started to feel strong about a km into the run. I ran 9.09km in 44:58!! I KNOW!! crazy! Haha. Yay for having a breakthrough run!

Little bit disappointed with the end of the World Cup final...but I will survive! Andy Schleck made up for it today and my run as a result of Andy winning was fast!

GO ANDY GO!!

Sorry Lance...I love Andy now...

I've decided I love Andy Schleck. Haha. He was my original pick to win the Tour this year anyways...I feel a little bit guilty for switching allegiences to Andy...

Anyways. Did a ride today. 45km in the 32C heat! My Gu brew was warm after about 20min...blech.

Swim and run tomorrow. HOT HOT HOT

Melissa + Gravity = Life Fail

Well...we already know the experience I had with gravity on Saturday...Melissa + running + tree root + gravity = Owie. Now Melissa + gravity in general = life fail.

Went to physio this morning because my Gluts and ITB on my left side have been giving me trouble for the past 2 months since the Vancouver half marathon. Well, I learned among other things that I do not stabilize properly when running...or biking technically...So I now have to re-program my body to adequately stabilize joints so that I don't have to deal with my gluts and ITB hurting. Oooooo...and i get to stretch! YAAAA!!!

I also learned that swim/bike/run are fundamentally incompatible with one another as far as sports go. Yaaaaaa triathlon!!

I will go back to work now while contracting my lower abdominals and pelvic floor. Rock on! I am determined to no longer fail at life where gravity is concerned! :)

C'est l'heure du TOUR! Part 2...

Well the reason this is a part 2 is because of the events that transpired due to me being so chaotically excited about the Prologue. Being as amped up as I was, I figured "man, I'm going to be so pro running today"...wrong...I was just distracted and decided to go on a 20km run on a trail around a local lake. WORST DECISION EVER YESTERDAY.

At one point I missed the turn which would have kept me on the same main trail that I was supposed to be on and then ended up on this super rocky and narrow trail. So I figured, meh, and kept going. Eventually the trail would meet up again. It did eventually...but only after I tripped over a tree root and went sprawling to the ground. Awesome fun, you are all jealous, I can tell. My tights saved me from what could have been some pretty awesome scraping to my hip and thigh. Just some minor surface wounds and brusing. My hands are a bit scraped. Left shoulder and neck sore. So I had tripped about 8km into my run. Ran the 2km back to my car, drove home, checked my handed out (wasn't sure how deep the cuts were). I went back out after dinner to finish off the other 10km. 20km/20km complete. 20.49km if we want to be specific.

Note to self: Don't trip on tree roots because you arn't paying attention because you are so excited about the Tour de France...Be less amped up before running...focus...

Today I did a 3200m swim and a short 30min spin on a spin bike at the gym. Really wishing I had my trainer here in Victoria...but I'll have to make due with what I have. It was a bit hard to hold onto the bars because of bruising on my hand, but I HTFU'ed today and made it through. Haha.

My left IT band and glut are still giving me some grief. I rolled them out on a roller after my spin and did some stretching. Hopefully they will feel better tomorrow. Pretty tired from all of yesterday's "excitment".

And it begins....C'est l'heure du TOUR!!!!!!

I'm so beyond excited about the Tour this year....like excessively excited.

I feeeeeeeeeed on this. Watching the Prologue as I type. Jens Voigt is on the course right now...man, he has been around forever. Its time for the big boys now!! I feeeeeeel it! :)

Have a 20km run later. I am going to be so pumped!

Huuuzzzzaaaaahhhh!! Victory At Last!

Well I went shopping today after a ride and short run. Bought 2 pairs of jeans...IN A SIZE 6!!! Huzzzzzzzaaaaahhhhh!! So glad :)

And its Canada Day! Which means a nice day off from work! Long weekend!

July is here and 4 weeks from now I will be registered for my first IRONMAN and will be competing in my first HIM! 1.9km swim/94km bike/21.1km run!