Sunday, May 1, 2011

I Graduated From Elementary School

I'm sitting here with this immense sense of accomplishment having completed this past week of training. On Monday coach wrote that he was 'taking the kid gloves off', which made me nervous, because it's not like my training the last few months has exactly been appropriate for 8 year olds. Indeed, it was a big week, culminating with a big day today, and I may or may not have nailed every.single.workout.

AND, I had not one but TWO more excellent opportunities to practice changing flat tires- both days this weekend. Nice, huh? I'm bad ass at that now.

So you know that feeling when you just get home from a super workout and you're all high on endorphins and adrenaline and feeling like you can fly? Yeah, I love that. And then slowly over the course of like an hour you start coming down and then all you can really do is curl up in a ball on the couch... except if you have a 2 year old and she wants to play Airplane... in which case you find yourself on your back on the floor desperately hoping that your legs don't collapse under the weight of a squirmy giggling (and completely unsuspecting) blonde. Moana did not understand when I tried to explain that mama's legs were tired and The Airplane needed to take a break. I told her to count to 15 and then the airplane would be ready to go again. Shockingly, she could do it. Damn. I wonder if I should log the airplane intervals on my Training Peaks calendar? I mean, I did like 6 of 'em.

I've been like an insatiable pit this afternoon too. Got home from my brick and drank an Ultragen shake, ate an orange, a banana, part of a sweet potato, drank some water, waited about 40 minutes then made a warm naan bread wrap with fresh local organic greens and pulled chicken and macadamia nut oil and aged balsamic (YUM), drank some more water, than ate a handful of raisins and a V-8 juice then some cashews. Had another orange and some more water, drank some ginger juice (ok who am I kidding I drank the rest of it- right from the container) and then split a frozen pizza with my daughter and my husband, but not before attacking that chicken carcass caveman style. Yesterday I was riding with my group/team and a commenting to a couple of friends about how I have been recovering really well day to day from some hard workouts... they asked me what I thought the difference was... I said I think it's a combination of things, but very much that I do not allow myself to bonk or get dehydrated during workouts, and I do not skimp on refueling/nutrition. Oh, and that e21 is amazing.

Anyway, it was good to know that I've graduated from that elementary training I had been doing. No need for kid gloves, coach. Phew.

8 comments:

cherelli said...

Nice work on the training and recovery - can't wait to hear how "high school" treats you!!

Kim said...

i still have not changed a tire yet.. i suppose i should try right? haha your poor legs trying to play airplane with moana after a long workout! hope youre recovering!

Beth said...

Airplane intervals would have just about done me in!!! ;) Great training AND recovering Michelle! :)

Molly said...

Sounds like you've got this one in the bag :) Doesn't it make you excited to see how it plays out in a race?

Deborah Moore said...

Hey Michelle
Been following your blog - good work on the training. I'm not training nearly as hard as you are, but am curious about e21. Couldn't find much info on what exactly this stuff is on their website. Can you shed any light? I'm going to email the company, but curious to know what your understanding of it is.

Aimee said...

I am still amazed at how much we can eat when our trains ramps up!! Ha ha!
I think I need to try that e21 stuff!

Kiet said...

Okay, that paragraph on the food you ate is seriously awesome, I'm strange in that I like to learn what other athletes eat! And you eat damn well!

Regina said...

Eating machine! Well, you are a training machine.

I did the airplane thing tonight more times than I care to count....with a 47 lb 5 year old. Yeah, I felt it.