Spirit week comes to an end...

I was working out this week with my friends & one of them mentioned her daughters team has a mascot that team members take around & get pics with. I HAD to borrow this idea. I took the spirit award whale watching, to my pasta fundraiser, my 5am run, out to enjoy some 4th event (I have to admit the pics look like we had a wild night but it was all for show haha). The kids had fun with it. They also helped me add my decoration to it! I had a rough week with my stomach & Friday night spirit fun added to the pain...another reminder bed early every night & eat good all the time!
Today we had a brick workout at Tamarack beach. There was what seemed to be good news the weather was GORGEOUS! I can't even begin to describe it other then perfect day in San Diego. Every Saturday morning has been cold (heck last week it was RAINING). Here we were on the beach in So Cal with beautiful perfect weather (& I definitely wished I was fishing!).
We set up our transition areas and then coach went over transition area set up. Besides being so knowledgable he is pretty funny dude. I'm learning so many intricate details that I imagine on my own would have taken me years to figure out on my own. Today's ride was 5.8 miles an out & back on PCH then our run was .6 mile out on the boardwalk on beach then back on the sand. I hadn't rides my bike for two weeks & was a little nervous. We ran our bikes out to a mount line & started straight up a hill to get on PCH. I had to ask how to get to easiest gear so I would be ready to start out up hill. Good thing to learn (& teach my friends). Once I got going the nerves left & I was doing fine. The turn around seemed close. The run was alright I was definitely dragging from staying up late & poor eating all week. It was the sand that did me in! Since I have gone out & practiced twice now I definitely did better in the sand then I would have If I hadn't but sand just is tough. I actually wanna keep at it until I figure out how to sprint in the sand so I can finish strong at my race. I doubt I will have sprint left in me after swim & bike but I can dream haha!
That was just round one! We were to do it 4-6 times. I'm never going to keep up with the advanced triathletes. They lap me every time. I just do what I can do which is my best. Round to was tough! The sun was blazing! The translations back & forth from bike to run are kinda cool cause you use different muscles so you get a break but then comes a point where it is just tough! The 2nd time I was getting so thirsty! I was getting cramps! I did something that only the most desperate desire for fluid could make me do...I took my hand off my handle bar reached down grabbed my bottle and drank while I was riding!!! I can't believe I did that! Months ago I couldn't take my hand off the handle bar to do anything! I was too scared & wobbled so bad if I did I would not try! Well there you go I can check another thing off my list & now I can practice this so I can hydrate on my bike during the race. :)
I got back to go on run 2 & I had I hunt down some salt! & I ate a granola bar. I realized today doing all this before my body starts to tell me it NEEDS is a better plan. The second run Coach Brian came along (probably cause he could tell I was a mess). As I whined & complained he told me about his experiences with the races I'm going into. Of all the peeps I have met he is up there with the cool ones. He is real chill & doesn't go over board with the super happy cheerfulness stuff. He knows his stuff & has yet to get frustrated with how awful I am t everything!
Round 3 I got back on my bike & wow something just clicked! I was a machine flying down the road. My pedal were moving so fluidly & I felt great & FAST! I was definitely feeling my awesomeness. I got to the turn around in record time & BAM it hit me!!! THE WIND!!!!!!! No wonder I was flying! The wind had kicked up & propelled me! Now that same wind was going against me. This was SO hard! I had to push so hard against it. Knowing I had a race the next day I resolved this would be my last round. Round 3 of the run I ran & chatted with this really nice team mate who was at my open was fiasco. She was very nice & while fairly new to triathlon is a much better athlete then me.
I got back to the start & tapped out after 3 rounds some people did up to 6! I was more then done & there was no more water :( I actually dipped my legs in the ocean to hopefully help with recovery.
This was as I've said eat time the hardest work out to date! A part of m loves this & is made so happy by doing things that seem impossible yet with Him I always seem to!