I realize the title is ridiculously long but I guess I have a lot to post! Here, at last, are some of the pics from the San Jose Rock 'N Roll 1/2 Marathon I managed to do with a nasty head cold Oct. 8. These pics were taken near the end. I was trying so hard to just stay in it and finish. On the left, is my look of utter determination. Yikes.
Sunday, I finally felt good enough to return to training. By the time the afternoon rolled around, I was sluggish and lethargic. I knew I had to try and do something. I had to replace a flat from all the glass I encountered going up Torrey Pines hill last weekend. It was a slow leak. I found the hole and successfully patched the hole with my handy-dandy patch kit. It held. I was very proud of myself. Jason brought his bike back from getting an annual tune-up and we went for a short ride around the neighborhood and UCSD. It was fantastic. Rolling hills and very relaxing. Afterwards, we felt so good we added a 4 mile run to the bike, making it our first official brick in training. Except for the pins and needles in my hip flexors for the first half-mile, the rest felt great. I had a big snack and buckled down for a great weight session while watching a gripping episode of Desperate Housewives. I absolutely love working out while watching t.v. It makes me feel like I'm indulging without the feeling of guilt. I don't feel too sore this morning so I guess I was ready for it.
Thursday, we went to our spinning class but my stomach flu wasn't done with me yet. I did the best I could to get through it without puking. I couldn't do a lot of the standing up spinning we usually do but I did my own thing. Our instructor is really cool. I really hate being pushed by others (I push myself too hard as it is and just blow up when someone else is adding to the pressure), and she's really laid-back. I think a good coach/instructor recognizes who needs a push and who doesn't. Anyway, afterwards, the smell of bacon or coffee made me want to hurl, and I had these really weird leg cramps that got worse and worse all day long. Guess I shouldn't have done the bike. Oops. This has been one of the most drawn-out stomach bugs ever.
As you can see, I'm working backwards chronologically. Jason's parents came a week from last Thursday (10/26), which initiated 5 days of stuffing ourselves with really-bad-for-you food and lots of Mexican. We went for a very nice coastal bike ride (Jason and me) on Friday. Saturday was our day off. He spent it with his folks, and I spent it at a Biotech symposium (all day--ugh) while it was gorgeous outside, and I dreamt of spending it on my boogie board at the beach. Sigh. Sunday, we squeezed in a little 4-mile trail run before having brunch on a boat in the bay. It was very nice but I was tired, cranky, and not feeling all that great. Little did I know, it was the stomach virus from hell brewing in my tummy. Monday, we went up to Temecula and spent the day wine tasting, which was very fun.
Monday night, the stomach virus from hell commenced its reign. I dragged myself into lab meeting on Tuesday, heavily medicated, only to return home to the bed afterwards. Couldn't eat anything but pretzels and Gatorade all day. Wednesday, felt fine...as long as I was lying down. Took my temp...read 100 degrees F, which explained terrible headache. Took some Tylenol, which helped. Anytime I tried to move, I felt waves of nasuea. Diet was Gatorade and pretzels and some chicken noodle soup. Thursday, went to my spinning class, which was stupid. Spent the rest of the morning sleeping before dragging myself to lab. Felt very dizzy and was seeing double. Couldn't figure out if it was from virus or lack of food. Had a cereal bar and some raisins. Was plagued with unbelievably painful leg cramps from the glutes to the hamstrings, quads, and down through the calves all night. Electrolytes did nothing. Heating pad helped some but wasn't big enough to cover my entire lower body. Fell asleep curled up in fetal position under loads of blankets. I was able to have a decent meal Thursday night for the first time...finally. Kept it down. Friday, went to the doctor 2 lbs lighter. He told me it was (yet another) stomach virus, which explains all my symptoms, and that, yes, IBS does predispose a person to more stomach bugs. Yipee. Mystery solved.
That's the saga of the stomach bug. Have to say that I had a pretty miserable birthday b/c I was trying to entertain in-laws and missed out on a lot of the things I wanted to do. Guess that's part of growing up. I'm finally feeling better and caught up and settling back into my routine.
Which brings me to the subject of birthday reflections. I turned 29. This will be the last year I get to enjoy being in my 20s. I have to say I've enjoyed the last half much more than the first. I am really looking forward to my 30s and beyond. I feel like more things are in place in my life, and I'm right where I want to be and sharing it with the person I want to be with. I'm finally at a place where I feel more relaxed and less anxious and stressed out. I feel more in control (which I learned to do by letting go--ironic). Most importantly, I feel I'm really learning what works for me and what doesn't. Other people's opinions and advice matter much less to me now than they did 5 years ago. I'm in a place where I can nod and say yes and in my head realize that one dogma may work great for someone else but not for me. It feels good to be more centered and more aware of who I am and what I want. Guess what? I don't like going out to bars, drinking 5 margaritas and 3 tequila shots and staying up until 4 am (anymore). And that's totally fine. I think my birthday this year has made me realize how far I've come (even though I'm not even halfway there), and I feel good about it.
I want to leave you with one question today to bring you down memory lane:
What was your first bike like?
Mine was my Dad's old Schwinn. It was green and rusty and way too big for me. I had to leap on it from the curb on the sidewalk because my feet wouldn't reach both pedals while in the saddle. There was always that precarious moment where I wasn't sure if my momentum was enough to throw it forward and get going, or if I was going to teeter and crash to the other side. I was obsessed with horses (still am) but hadn't yet had the pleasure of having my own mount so I projected this wish onto my hand-me-down bike. I would urge him on as I raced down the street. His name was "Blackwind." People would ask me why I had named it Blackwind when it was green. With a dead-serious look on my face, I would answer, "Greenwind just didn't sound good."
So there you have it. What's your story?
12 comments:
Can't remember the brand of my bike. But I remember trying to pretend it was a mountain bike with no shocks. the fun part was trying to jump homemade ramps and crashing. Oh the days.
Take care of yourself, get well. Just think, when you turn 30th you would have finished a Half IM already.
I'm not sure I really remember my first bike. I remember it was teal - that's all. :)
Happy birthday and hope you're feeling better everyday.
Happy Belated Birthday! I felt exactly the same way at 29, like things were finally starting to come together in my head and in my life. Stay fit and healthy, and it only gets better!
First bike? Well, there was my kiddie bike with the hard-as-rock tires that didn't need inflation. I don't know if it counts.
My first grownup bike was a black three-speed with chipping paint that had once belonged to my father's secretary. It was a rickety thing, and my father tried to make it look a little better by painting it red. It didn't help. LOL! But I rode it to school anyway, and rode around the neighborhood with my friends, too.
My parents didn't get around to getting me a really nice bike until I was about to start high school, and by that point we were in a neighborhood that was harder to ride in, and I had no time to pedal around for recreation, anyway. I've always felt sad about that last bike. It was a beauty, and I hardly rode it at all. :-(
Happy 29th- wow what an age- your whole life ahead of you!!
Great training plan- I will print out and take some of it.
My first bike other than the stingray as a small kid- was a 3-speed Schwinn that I rode all over Muncie Indiana. When I moved to Pittsburgh for Junior High, I was too cool for a bike, so I left it behind.
Happy Birthday!
My first bike was a pink banana seat bike with streamers on the handlebars- no idea of the brand. My most memorable experience was riding around my cul de sac before I learned how to stop. Faster and faster until BAM!- hit a car and ended up on in the ditch on the other side. Good stuff!
Jodi
I absolutely love working out while watching t.v. It makes me feel like I'm indulging without the feeling of guilt.
Part of the reason why i enjoy those long rides on my trainer. Get to catch up on tv
First bike. BMX. Grandpa got it for me....sweet sweet stuff.
happy b-day...
You're taking turning 30 way better than me. Good for you!
My first bike. I actually rode my brothers old BMX bike until I got a used girls bike, with a bananna seat, covered in flowers. I learned to ride in our back yard on a hill. My brother taught me by holding on and letting go, but saying he was still holding on. You know, lying to me.
Happy Birthday! Yikes, I am 10 whole years older than you. Talk about a generation gap!
I'm impressed that you patched up the tyre. I would have used it as an excuse to get new tyres. :)
My 1st bike was a beautiful thing that converted from a tri-cycle to a bicycle as I got old enough to ride. Back then, it was a very new fangled thing. :) I remember my poor maid (very common in Singapore to have domestic help) running after me holding onto the saddle when I was learning to balance on two wheels. She finally sneakily let go without telling me and I did not even know until I went the whole block!
I'm so sorry to hear about your stomach bug. Sounds awful.
My first bike was pink, it had training wheels (though I did eventually lose those!) and a kickstand. I didn't ride again until I was 23 and bought myself a hybrid, which I loved. He was red and his name was Mike. I never rode Mike much, as my friend lent me her much faster hybrid soon after I bought it. I still have him though, although he's been lent around various friends, and I'm thinking about bringing him out of retirement for commuting.
You are right... life seems to come together as we get older. Everything hurts more, but it's a lot more satisfying!
First bike was one of those tiny little kids bikes. Red with training wheels, white hand grips and white streamers. "Someone" ;) left it in the street behind a parked car. It got flattened! Oops!
Great job! Must be nice to be racing in decent weather :P Good luck with the flu, make sure you pop some Vit. C, also try taking down some tea, always help me with the stomach issues.
My first bike was a little 24inch Huffy, I beat the crap out of that thing :P
Happy *belated* Bday Rachel! 29...wow, your just a baby! ;-)
That stomach bug does not sound fun..hopefully it has passed for good now.
oh bikes...my first bike was a strange japanese bike that actually folded in half for transport....funny stuff
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