The Juggling Act

The Ironman training schedule is pretty intense and requires 6 days of workouts, which can be tricky for me. I sit down at the beginning of each week and figure out how & when I will get it all done. Sunday night I took a look at my scheduled workouts for the week along with my work schedule and my family's schedule to try and determine what day would be best for each workout. Here is what I came up with:

*Monday- 50 Minute Run Test (Race Pace for 30 minutes), will be done after work, but before my daughter's Ballet class
*Tuesday- The Brick: 3 Hour Ride, 25 minute Run after I get the kids to school
*Wednesday- 1 Hour Interval Ride in the morning, 1800 yard Recovery Swim in afternoon while kids are doing their swim lessons
*Thursday- 30 minute Recovery Run, before work. 1800 yard Swim Test (Race Pace for 3 x 300 yards)after work
*Friday- 12 mile Run
*Saturday-1 Hour Recovery Ride, before my son's hockey games
*Sunday- Rest

It looked good on paper. Monday morning I woke up with very stiff legs, but stretched a bit, got the kids to school & headed to work. I got out of work with just enough time to do the run test before picking the kids back up. It was a beautiful day here in Maine and I headed out for my run, my calves were so sore from my ride on Sunday & my right hip was very tight. I was hoping it would loosen up in the first 10 minutes, as I was supposed to go race pace for the following 30 minutes. 10 minutes in, I started to run at race pace...or attempt to, but I just felt horrible and could not get my speed up. After a mile of feeling lousy, I abandoned the test and decided to make this my Recovery Run. It was not worth injuring myself as I needed to stop and stretch my right hip flexor, which is a chronic pain for me. I stopped, stretched my calves on the curb & tried to warm-up my hip. Then, I started again at a slow pace just enjoying the pleasant day & lovely scenery. I was not upset as I figured I could finagle my schedule a bit and do the run test another day.

(After running, enjoying a nice day & happy that the snow is finally melting!)

So I came up with a Plan B! However, just as I had formulated that in my head, I got a call that my ophthalmologist could squeeze me in on Tuesday at 11:30am for a problem I have been having with my eyes. Unfortunately, it was right in the middle of the time I planned my 3 hour ride, but I had to take it. My eyes were really bothering me and I did not want to wait 2 more weeks. Alas, Plan C was contrived, which included my swim test in the morning before the appointment and my Brick after the appointment.

Got the swim done!

(Rockin' some serious goggle marks)

Now, on to my appointment, then home to do the long Brick. Best laid plans, foiled again! My 30 minute eye appointment turned into a 3 hour long visit including minor surgery on my lower left eye lid. A story for another time, but the highlight is, that receiving 2 shots of lidocaine (numbing medicine) in my eyelid was the most painful thing, albeit brief, I have ever experienced...(yes, I have 2 children). Of course, my altered level of reality as an endurance athlete had me thinking that I might be able to finish up the appointment and go home and ride on my trainer anyway. However, all I could do when I got home was rest on the couch, I was not feeling very well after that ordeal! I mentioned riding on my trainer and my 9 year old son was the voice of reason: "Mom, you just had SURGERY on your EYE...lay down and rest!" Ok, of course, he was right and that is what I did, as I tried to create Plan D in my head.

"The Best laid plans of Mice and Men often go awry."


What do you do when you have to change it all up?